Rogue | Ava Starr AU [DISCONTINUED]

VI | Roommate from Hell

Another chapter dedicated to IShipIt2004 for being so sweet. You made my day.

IMMEDIATELY, AVA'S HEART began to palpitate. Next week? The moment Bill Foster saw her condition at that time, he'd pull her from the safety net that had caught her, and bring her back to San Francisco. The last thing she wanted was to go back.

"No, he needs to come immediately," she mumbled, beginning to panic. Ava wasn't quite ready to admit that she didn't have long left, although she wasn't quite sure why. Perhaps it was the feeling of being accepted that made her hesitant to share the truth. How well would they treat her if they knew she'd be dead within a week?

A moment of weak anger shrouded Steve's ability to think. Here was this problem they were risking so much for, demanding to see a man who was clearly busy sooner than was possible. Sure, she wasn't exactly in the best of conditions at the point of time, but that didn't mean it was okay for her to demand such things.

Lucky for everyone, Natasha had quicker and better reflexes. "I'll see what I can do, but I make no promises." The last half of the sentence was emphasized. It was clear she didn't fully support the decisions of those around her.

"Thank you," Ava stuttered, feeling overwhelmed in the moment. These people were reaching out to take her from the pit she had been thrown into, and were doing everything they could to help her. "Thank you so much."

Placing a gentle hand where her phasing shoulder should have been solid, Natasha smiled softly. "You just have to trust us."

Trust, there was that double-sided word that Ava hated so much. Wincing, she took a couple of steps forward. Perhaps if she ignored the idea, it would go away.

It wasn't difficult for the two heroes to notice her clear avoidance of the subject. Natasha sent a raised eyebrow to Steve. "You're easier to talk to and you know the way better than I do. And I much prefer to drive. See you at home."

Home. Steve fought the smile that wanted to play with his cheeks. Natasha had just called his small, barely furnished apartment home. It meant so much more than he could ever say. The little things like that kept him going, encouraged him to keep helping people.

Startled at the sudden change of plan's Ava took a couple of steps backwards. The unpredicted rev of the engine sent red warning lights through her head. Little things like that sent her into panic mode.

Stepping backward, everything focused on the panic in her head and the shake of her hands, she crashed into Steve. The phasing had momentarily quieted after the initial shock of using her powers so much. Only every now and then did she lose the control she had spent years attempting to master.

"Are you okay?" Steve asked, his first reaction was to look out for the other person. No matter how selfish he tried to be, his altruism shined through. "What's wrong?"

Swallowing the panic that was clawing it's way up her throat, Ava stuttered out a nonsensical answer. "They always want you to look at them."

Steve tried his best to question what she meant, but she did not budge. The tears in her eyes gave a very vague direction in which her words were on the journey to. However, he wouldn't have been able to guess, for all the smarts he possessed.

Instead, they fell into a half awkward, half comfortable silence. For having just met and briefly fought, it wasn't all that bad. Occasionally Steve would ask her what she liked to eat, drink or do in her spare time. Ava tried her best to answer, but usually only ever gave silence because she didn't know.

For so long she had been focused on waking up the next morning, that she had forgotten how to live life. What would it be like, she wondered? Even if it was for one week, at least she'd finally get to experience it. A week without worries, without constantly having to look over her shoulder.