Finding love with the Captain #wattys2019

Chapter 6

I woke to the fiercest pain in my head but before I could evaluate my injuries further my stomach started to grumble at me. Wondering at what the time was I slowly sat up in the bed, careful to not lean on my bandaged arm.

Gently I moved my legs over the other side of the bed and stood up on shaking feet. I could hear voices in the distance and realised I am in Tasha's bedroom at the Condo so I pulled on a silky dressing gown and made my slow way to the kitchen as the smell of Shawarma assaulted my nostrils which caused my stomach to cramp in hunger pains. As I pulled myself around the corner I saw Steve look up.

"Hi," I said before my legs gave way. However, instead of hitting the deck I found myself caught in a pair of strong arms and looking into a pair of piercingly blue eyes.

"Ma'am," He said as he smiled, his eyes crinkling at the edges as he does. I smiled up at him and blushed,

"Captain" He quickly carried me to the stool by the breakfast bar and placed me gently on it before he sat next to me as Clint passed me a bowl of Shawarma before sitting on my other side. Picking up my chopsticks I started to eat the food in front of me; it's not until I am about halfway through the bowl that I realised the other four are just staring at me. "What." I said looking at them, "I'm hungry I've not eaten since...well, I don't recall the last time I ate."

"That's not healthy Anna!" Clint said from my side as he put more food in my bowl, "If I knew you weren't looking after yourself I would have had you staying with me." I shrugged but placed an arm around his waist and hugged him close before I started eating again. Tony's phone started ringing so excusing himself he walked out of the kitchen with the phone at his ear.

I kept eating but noticed that Steve kept looking at the hallway where Tony had gone. He gazed intently as if he was listening to the conversation. Suddenly his shoulders went rigid and he looked at me.

"You need to pack?" He said as Tony walked back in; he looked at Steve and shrugged his shoulders,

"Right Superhuman hearing...I forgot about that." He said before he turned to look at the rest of us, "they let Carl go; his father posted bail." He looked at me with pity in his eyes, "I have a source who told me he has put out a hit on you? But he denied it; said he wasn't into assassinations anymore."

"Who did he try and approach?" Steve asked as he gathered me up in his arms; Tony looked at him and sighed.

"Bucky." He said before turning away, "JARVIS can you trace Carl Jenkins?" He spoke into his suit where a tinny electronic voice answered him.

"Carl Jenkins is still at his home," JARVIS replied loud enough for everyone to hear,

"Can you trace his bank transactions," He looked at us all, "Even though Bucky said no; it doesn't mean he won't find someone else."

"We need to find somewhere safe for now." Steve said as he started walking towards the bedroom, "Do you have anything to pack." I shook my head and looked at his chest,

"No Carl burnt all my clothes the last time...I only have the ones I wore here when you helped get my car off the road." I said shamefacedly. I looked up as Tony again put his phone to his ear,

"Pepper, do you want to do some shopping?" He nodded as whoever is on the other end agreed, "Yes for Anna Smith..."His eyes looked at me questioningly, "Size 10 right?" He said as I nodded my head in disbelief. "Ok, thanks I'll see you back at home." He turned to us all, "Come on kids we are going to camp out at Stark tower; it has the best security system around."

**

In no time at all we were headed down the freeway to the middle of the city;

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" I asked, "Surely he knows that is the first place you would take me?" Steve nodded his head as the light cast his face into shadows,

"As much as I don't like to agree with Tony; it is the safest place at the moment; plus we can call the rest of the Avengers in." Suddenly my mind cleared and I looked at Tasha and Clint who are sat behind us.

"Speaking of which; Tasha, Clint...how do you know these guys?" Both had the grace to turn away and look somewhere else in the car, "Guys!" Finally, Tasha sighed,

"Look Anna...we are part of the Avengers; we didn't want you to know as you were the only normal thing in our life that was untainted by everything that went on." She looked at me apologetically, "We obviously weren't allowed to tell you, but you are our best friend." I looked at them both,

"So which ones are you? I know Captain America, Iron Man, Thor, Hulk...so that only leaves..."I stopped as realisation dawns on me, "Oh my God you're Hawk-eye and Black Widow aren't you?" I laughed hysterically, "Great...my best friends are the assassins of the Avengers...fucking perfect." I said as I slumped down into the seat

"Look, Anna, we couldn't tell you? And now because we wanted you to not leave New York and made sure you didn't, you are in danger..." I looked at Clint sharply,

"What do you mean made sure I didn't leave New York? There was a loud explosion on the way when these two showed up and I drove my car off of the road in fright." I could see Steve looking away from me, "Wait...you were in on this? Keep little old Anna in a city that has been hell for her for the last two years." I grabbed the door handle, "Stop the truck." I said just as I opened the door, Suddenly Steve broke hard and I jumped out of the passenger seat to start walking on the road away from the car,

"Ma'am it's not safe for you out here?" The Captain shouted from behind me as I heard his car door slam. Suddenly he grabbed hold of my arm to stop me walking,

"It's Anna, not ma'am; and let me go. I should know better than to trust friends as they just shit on you anyway." He pulled me around to face him,

"Anna..."I stopped at the sound of my voice from his lips, "Anna it isn't safe?" He said just as a ping caught my attention on the road beside us. He pushed me to the ground suddenly,

"Incoming..." Clint shouted as he pulled a bow from out of thin air and started firing into the distance, "Anna, Cap...can we leave now?" I yelped as Steve pulled me into his arms and ran towards the car; keeping low as more bullets flew around us. He practically threw me into the back seat and laid on top of me as I saw Tasha in the driver's seat slamming the gears home before she pulled off in a squeal of tyres. After a good ten minutes, we had left the firefight behind so I shifted myself under Steve's body. He looked down at me as if he has forgotten I was there,

"Do you think it is safe for me to get up now?" I said pushing at his strong, muscular shoulders. I swallowed hard as I felt the chiselled muscles underneath my hands. A slight blush covered his face as he realised where he was laid,

"Sorry, Ma'am..."I raised my eyebrow at him, "I mean Anna." He said before he rose himself up off me. "Nat, how long do you think it will be until we get to Stark Industries?" He said looking at the Redhead behind the wheel,

"About 5 more minutes Cap?" She says; immediately going into a solider mode when answering her superior. "Did Anna get hit?" She glanced quickly in the mirror. Steve looked at me and immediately started to run his hands up and down my body which caused chills to spread on my skin.

"No, she is clear." He pulled me into a sitting position and grasped my shoulder tightly, "Next time I say it's not safe, can you listen to me and not run off." I looked at him with mistrust in my eyes. Mockingly I saluted him,

"Aye Aye Captain," I said before staring moodily out of the window to see the lights of Stark Industries getting closer.