HUNTED ~ STEVE ROGERS [2]

Bonus Chapter - Keight's Birthday

My breath turned white as I stepped out onto the ice, my skates skimming across the surface smoothly. It was my 24th birthday, and as requested, Tony had hired out an ice skating rink for the afternoon. Ice skating was among my few talents and came easily to me. I glided across the ice, watching Natasha slowly coax a timid Bruce out into the rink, while Tony slid around the edge, a little wobbly but steadied by Thor, whose thunderous laughter echoed around the rink.

"I really don't think this is a good idea Keight." Steve stood at the edge of the rink, all rugged up in a sweater and gloves, a baseball cap on his head and feet unsteady in his skates.

I swerved around him, then twisted and skated backwards as I talked.

"Come on. You're Captain America. Surely you'll be good at ice skating."

Oh, how I was wrong.

It took a few tries but eventually I got him to glide slowly across the ice without holding onto the side. It was the first time I had seen him so nervous. I remembered then how he had been frozen for 70 years. Silly of me to forget such a small detail. All of a sudden, I felt horrible, asking him to come to an ice rink when ice had held him captive for so long. I gripped his bicep as he faltered.

"I'm sorry, I wasn't thinking when I asked to go to the ice rink. We can leave, if you want," I said. He turned to look at me.

"What? No, its fine. It's not the ice I'm worried about. It's just that, last time I went ice skating was before the serum. I was with Bucky," he paused, lost in the memory. "He was good at it, like you, but me, not so much. I let go of him for 2 seconds and bam! Fell down and broke my elbow."

I patted his arm.

"I'm sure you won't break anything this time," I looked around and caught Tasha and Bruce, linking arms and staring at us. I glared back, and they looked away smiling.

All of a sudden, my arm was wrenched downwards, and I landed not on ice but on something warm and firm. I sat up, and realized with a shock I was, in fact, sitting comfortably in Steves lap, my hand still wrapped around his arm. I turned and found my face inches from Steve's his breath warm on my face.

"I thought you weren't going to break anything," I muttered, his brilliant blue eyes searching my green ones.

"Well, I got distracted," he mumbled back, his hand suddenly resting on the small of my back. We were so close, and my heart was beating so fast I thought it might jump out of my chest. I thought he was going to lean in closer, but Thor of all people interrupted us.

"Ah, splendid, the first fall of the day! And it won't be the last!" Thor hoisted me up effortlessly, and I set my skates on the ice, my cheeks burning. Thor helped Steve up too, and he adjusted his baseball cap and gripped the side of the rink with one hand.

"I think I'll stick to the side," he said, and with that, he moved away from me, and left me standing in the middle of the rink. I spun around, and saw Bruce, Tony and Tasha leaning against the other side of the rink, grinning wildly at me. I shook my head, and Tony slide uneasily over to me.

"Workplace romance huh? Never works out," he said, cocking an eyebrow. I turned and looked at him, both irritated and amused.

"You and Pepper seem to get along all right," I said, watching Steve as Thor clapped him on the back, and almost made him fall over again.

"So, you're considering it? A workplace romance with Captain America is on the table?" Tony was jumping to conclusions far too fast.

"Keep your voice down! No, I am not considering it. Not at all. We just had, a, moment. Thats all," I said defensively, my cheeks flushing. I crossed my arms, and glanced back over at Steve, laughing with Thor's hand on his shoulder.

"All it takes is a moment, Keight. You don't want to miss it," Tony patted my arm and scooted over to Bruce, saying something that made Tasha smile. She looked over at me and nodded.

I looked at Steve, and how happy he looked. His eyes flickered over to me, and he smiled. There was a pink tinge to his cheeks, and for once he eyes held less sorrow, and his shoulder carried less weight. My stomach dropped, and it took all of my willpower to look away.

Yes, all it took was a moment.

The End

Keight Walsh will return in Unravelled.