The Man My Father Always Talked About • A CAPTAIN AMERICA STORY

14

~14~

Almost a week had passed and Steve seemed to be fully recovered, just a couple scratches and bruises left.

"Pass me the brush please," Clara said, getting up from her kneeling position and brushing her hair off of her sweaty forehead. Classic rock music played through the almost empty apartment while Clara tapped her foot to the beat. The last two days they had spent patching up the holes in the wall from when the Winter Solider attacked. Steve handed her roll brush and she dipped it in the tan paint. As she rolled the paint onto the newly patched walls, Steve picked up a smaller brush and quickly brushed it onto her arm, leaving a tan strip up paint on her delicate skin. Clara looked his way as he stood innocently like he didn't do anything wrong. She smiled and quickly took her brush and rolled it up his back, paint trailing up and down his grey shirt. Laughs filled the apartment building as Steve chased her around with the brush before he wrapped his arms around her waist and picked her up. catching her off guard. Her laugh was music to his ears as he set her down, paint trailing down the side of her face. His soft fingers tried to brush it away, but it only smeared into her hair. Clara looked up, meeting Steve's eyes as the world seemed to close around them. They were interrupted when Clara's phone rang. Steve let go of her and she quickly picked the phone up before Steve nodded to his room, offering her a silent place to talk.

She had gotten so wrapped up in helping Steve that she forgot to tell Tony what she was doing. Of course she was a grown woman but after everything that had happened to them the year before, Tony became overly protective and worried about her for no reason. "Why are you so worried?" Clara closed Steve's door before pacing around his room.

"Why am I so worried?" Tony asked on the other line. He was in New York, pacing up and down in the living room with Pepper rolling her eyes at him. "You leave and disappear for a week. I have every right to be worried."

"She's a grown woman Tony," Clara heard Pepper say in the background, annoyed at Tony's behavior.

"I appreciate your concern, but I'm doing fine. I'm just staying with Steve until I know he's okay. He went through a lot." She said.

"So have you." Tony said worriedly. "Clar, what we went through, what you went through...you haven't even addressed it and it's worrying me."

"And you're one to talk," Clara scoffed. "How long did it take you to open up about the wormhole? How many times did I try to get you to talk and you shut me out?"

"Clara you were kidnapped, tortured, and almost killed. That's not something you can just walk away from and bury underneath your ego." Clara wanted to make a smartass comment back to her brother, but she knew he had a point.

"I promise you Tony, I'm fine." Clara said, gaining a sigh from Tony as he knew he lost their battle.

"So how's Steve?" He asked, trying to change the subject.

"He's doing fine. He's a little depressed, I mean he just found out his best friend from his old life was alive and turned into a brainwashed assassin." Clara explained.

"And you two, you're not....you know..." Tony cringed at his words but he needed to know.

"Tony!" Pepper yelled from the background of the call. Clara could imagine the look of shame Tony was getting now from the redhead.

"If you're trying to say sleeping together, then no. Unlike you, I don't sleep with every person I meet." Clara came across a folder lying on his dresser, a picture peeking out and drawing her attention. She walked over to it, hesitant to pick it up at first, before she slowly opened it. There was a picture of James Barnes, the Winter Soldier, from the forties. His file was in Russian, making it difficult for her to read. Another photo showed him frozen in a capsule, making Clara become even more intrigued.

"Low blow Clar." Tony said. "And I'll have you know I am a changed man." There was a pause. "So when do you think you will be home?"

"Aww does Tony Stark need his baby sister." Clara said in a baby voice, making Tony chuckled on the other line. "A few days maybe. Again, I just want to be sure Steve is okay."

"Okay, well be safe." Tony said.

"I'll think about that when I'm in my next high speed chase, kay?" Clara said, already imagining the look of shock on his face.

"Clara!" Tony said angrily. "Don't even joke about that."

"You're no fun to joke around you know that?" Clara asked. "Love you. Tell Pepper I said 'hi.'" Clara said, wanting the phone call to be over with.

"Got it. Love you too." Tony said before hanging up. She put the phone back in her pocket before glancing at the file again. She heard the sound of a paint can clattering on the floor, making her close the file and see what Steve messed up.

Clara's eyes widened as she exited the room when she saw Steve standing over a fallen paint can. The contents flowed onto the white sheets on the wooden floor. He looked up to her and cocked his head, "I think we need more paint."