Hidden Flame~ Steve Rodgers~

Chapter 4:

      Cool air gently blows my hair as I lean against the railing and sip my beer. The city lights twinkle below me as I take in the sight. I have to admit this place is nicer than what I'm used to see.

      "Read them and weep boys."I laugh as I lay down my cards. "Seriously Flair how do you keep winning?"Dj asks me. "You have to be cheating."jokes Stanford. "Please you all are just jealous."I smirk. Sweat dripping from our faces as we try our best to stay in the shade. Bunkers and all other types of smaller buildings provide some extra shade but not enough. Being inside them though is even worse.

       "God this heat is killing me."Stanford says as he waves his hand in some attempt to cool down. "Living the life."I laugh as I look at him. "Shut up you get to be in a tank top."he replays. "And you can be shirtless but I know your dumbass didn't think of that." "Damn she told you."laughs Dj.

      "May I join you?"his voice catches me off guard making me jump. "Sorry," he says concerned, "I didn't mean to scare you." "That's okay, I was just deep in thought."I smile as I look back at him, "but to answer your question yes you may join me." This smile appears on his face as he leaves the door and joins me at the railing.

        "It's really nice out tonight." "Oh yeah it is, it's so stuffy and warm in there that I just needed to get out." "Tell me about it."he chuckles, "I'm Steve Rodgers by the way." He stretches out a hand for me to take and I accept. "Nice to meet you Steve Rodgers, I'm Flair Lakota."

       "Flair? That's a really unique name."he smiles. "Hahaha yeah, everyone thinks it's a nickname but it's not. You can check my birth certificate if you want."I say before sipping my beer. "I believe you." We remain silent for a few minutes and surprisingly it's not uncomfortable. "So tell me Steve Rodgers are you enjoying yourself tonight?"

     I watch as he smiles and looks down at his beer. "Now that I'm out here with you I am." Blush immediately spreads to my cheeks and down my neck. Suddenly the door slides open revealing Thor. "How is she doing? Do we have to escort her too?" I give them this confused look, "she's perfectly fine Thor."he tries to smile. Thor just smiles and gives me a nod before heading back inside.

      "What was that about?"I ask still confused. "The one guy that tried his alcohol is severely intoxicated and literally needs two people supporting him to walk." "How much of it did he drink?" "Same as you, one shot." I give this shocked face before I laugh. Before I know it we are both laughing. "Okay Flair tell me about yourself."he says as he turns to me.

      "Well what do you want to know?" "Hmmm how about what you do for a living." "I was a marine."I say now looking at my nearly empty bottle. "Was?" I nod before looking out to the city. "I was discharged four years ago."I lie. "Really? If you don't mind me asking but how come?" My eyes find his as I remain quite for a second.

     "My enter unite was killed in an attack, I was  the only one to survive, not unscathed though." I watch as he listens intently, I was stabbed several times the deepest one being between my ribs and into my lungs." His eyes filled with shock as he continues to look at me. "So they sent me home, told me I served my country well and now it was time for me to return back home." "Wow... I'm so sorry that happened to you."he says as he places a hand in my shoulder.

        "It's okay, I have moved on."I say while trying not to sound heartbroken at the loss of my friends. "If it makes you feel any better my unite is gone too. Well I mean most died while I was frozen but I lost my best friend." Gently I place my hand on his, "I'm sorry that it happened to you. You seem like too good of a person to have that happen to Steve."

     He tries to do the same as I do and smile but it doesn't seem to work. "Come on I'm almost out of beer, why don't we go inside and you can get me another one."I joke. "I would really like that." He sticks his arm out for me to take and I actually accept.

After awhile we sit, talk and drink on the couches. "Where did you disappear to?"asks Clint as he sits beside me. "I went to get some air, ended up spending a lot of time talking to Steve out there." He nods and tries to keep this straight face but I see a small smile appear. Thor plops down on one of the couches, his hammer sitting on a table.

Everyone eventually stops asking me questions and starts trying to figure out how they can possibly lift Thor's hammer. I smirk as I watch Thor's face as Steve nearly lifts it. "Widow would you like a try?" "Oh no that's not a question that I need answered."she smiles before taking a sip. "What about you Flair?"Steve asks as he looks at me. "Same here, I'm content." He gives me this warm smile which makes my heart melt. Don't tell me I'm starting to like Captain America, I have only known him for one night.

Out of no where this high pitched sound makes all of us shutter and try to cover our ears. Everyone turns to see this destroyed Iron Man looking suit walking and taking on its own. "How could you be worthy?"the thing asks. "Anyone else confused on what is happening?"I ask. "You're all killers. I'm sorry I was asleep or I was a dream? There was this terrible noise and I was tangled in hmmm strings."

        My heart begins to pound harder and harder in my chest. If I run now I won't have to fight, I can just go and never look back. "Had to kill the other guy."the machine tells us. "You killed someone?"cautiously asks Steve. "Wouldn't have been my first call, but down in the real world we faced with ugly choices." It then plays back a recording of Tony Stark saying "I see a suit of armor around the world." Well this isn't good.