Falling for the Enemy || Captain America || Book 1

Chapter 9: Five Letter Word for Disappointment

EDITED :)

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FOUR MONTHS LATER

          Tap. Tap. Tap. The tip of my pen drums against my lips by habit, my legs comfortably draped over the armrest of the single-seater couch. With my back against the other armrest, I allow the sounds of Raise Hell by Dorothy to soothe my thinking mind as I attempt to figure out my crossword puzzle, habitually gnawing on the corner of my lower lip.

          I needed the music playing. It's too quiet in this neighbourhood. Whilst that proved relaxing and peaceful in the first month or so, after four months of tranquillity, I've been itching for something to do. Anything. I've watched Supernatural, Once Upon a Time, Sherlock, Lord of the Rings, Star Wars, Game of Thrones and many other shows and movies several times already, having to resort to raiding the local library and bookstore to spend my time. Not that there's anything particularly wrong with books, I happen to love reading. It's just strange not trying to squeeze in a book or TV show between assassinations these days.

          Auburn, Alabama is a very normal city. Not that Ally and I have seen that much of it, considering we live on the very outskirts of the city. Where we live is nice enough, a cross between countryside and woodland forest, with scattered houses here and there. Our house is a doozy itself, reminding me of Charles' Mansion for Gifted Brats but a downgraded, smaller version. We couldn't exactly live much closer to the city, in case anyone recognised us and wanted to play hero, calling in the authorities. It's no sea-side Caribbean house, or massive estate in Europe, but many a year ago, when Ally and I were deciding where we would eventually live once all of this is over, I had Ally spin a globe with her eyes closed, placing her finger on a random place as a presumably creative and fun way in which to pick our future home.

          I didn't realise until the eighth spin just how much of the planet is made of f u c k i n g water.

          Eventually, after getting ocean, ocean, Alaska, ocean, Antarctica, ocean and more ocean, Ally ended up landing on Auburn, Alabama. Which, you know, is nice, but like I said – it's no European condo. It's unnoticeable, random. The likelihood of being found here is fairly small, unless we travelled to the city daily.

          So, normal. No killy killy or slashy slashy with my katanas.

          Boring.

          Considering the fact that HYDRA, SHIELD, the Avengers and the Fantastic Four are currently waiting for me to stop looking over my shoulder at them so they can pounce on my ass, like those damned weeping angels from Doctor Who; I'm not one to complain.

          Much.

         "Hey Ally," I call out, the open floor plan of the three storey estate allowing me to talk to her from where I am in the timber flooring, rustic living room to where she is in the equally rustic kitchen. "Help me with this crossword puzzle. I need a five letter word for 'disappointment'."

          A woman after my own heart, she doesn't even pause in her baking of chocolate chip cookies, still staring at the oven as she monotonously responds in a heartbeat "Stark."

          Pondering, I shrug. "It fits."

          A light chuckle ensues from the blonde, soft but coherent. Taking a break from the puzzle, I shoot my best friend and sister a bemused, entertained look for her response, further questioning "Any reason for the dissatisfaction towards our friendly neighbourhood billionaire and playboy?"