girl ― saved by captain america

[fourteen] worthy

[Steve]

"It's a really great view, Girl, and I can point out all the cool places in the city to visit," I hear Peter's voice echo from down the hallway as I stand behind the kitchen island, stirring my coffee. Pausing, I look up to see the teen and young girl entering the common space, hand in hand. Checking my watch, I chuckle. It's almost ten in the morning, and this is the first I've seen of either of them today; that is, except for when I climbed out of Girl's bed when I woke up and she was still fast asleep. Taking a closer look at the child, I see that she's wearing a new pair of jeans, along with, quite amusingly, a Spiderman shirt. I raise my eyebrow at the kids playfully, earning a smile from Peter.

"Mornin', you two," I greet cheerfully as they make their way over to the kitchen.

"Mornin', Cap," Peter replies casually. Seeming a little too shy to speak up, Girl simply looks at me, offering the teeniest of smiles. Looking down at his friend, Peter grins affectionately.

"That's a cool shirt you've got there, sweetheart," I compliment the girl, poking a little fun at Peter who was obviously behind the choice. "Where'd you find that?"

"Oh, I-I helped Girl pick out her clothes this morning," Peter stutters, his cheeks turning pink. "She even put them on all by herself! Right, Girl?" he adds proudly, followed by a confirming nod from the kid. "Well, except for the button on the pants. But that part's hard; sometimes I even struggle with it." Smiling in response, I'm impressed that Peter was able to help her with such a thing, given how frightened changing has made her in my own experience. Needless to say, it really seems like the two have come a long way together.

"That's great, doll. Way to go. Sounds like you guys make a great team," I tell them sincerely. Just as I'm finishing my sentence, the elevator bell on the opposite side of the room rings, and Bruce appears as the metal doors part. Walking over, the doctor swings his bag off of his shoulder and places it down on the island counter.

"Good morning," he says to all of us. Out of the corner of my eye, I notice Girl seeming to shrink back slightly at the presence of the dark-haired man.

"Hey Bruce," Peter and I say in unison. Girl stays quiet. Bruce nods at all of us before pulling a moleskin notebook out of his bag, seeming preoccupied with his work, as usual.

"Girl and I are gonna go out on the balcony and look at the city," Peter announces.

"Oh, that sounds like a great idea," Bruce encourages, brow furrowed as he continues looking down at his notes, "it's lovely out today."

"Make sure to stay back from the railing, okay?" I remind the teen cautiously. Peter nods adamantly, and though the thought of them out on the balcony makes me anxious, I decide it's best to let them do a little bit of exploring. Girl hasn't had the greatest first few days in the tower, so I figure some fresh air and a great view could be good for both of them.

"We'll be super careful, I promise," Peter vows, the look in his eyes showing just how much he means it. Nodding at them, I give the pair another smile as Peter guides Girl over to the door, opening it up and leading her out onto the balcony. I watch as they walk the length of the deck, trying to calm my pounding heart as Peter begins to point out certain things in the city below. Girl seems intrigued, which is good; I was a little bit concerned that the height might scare her. But to my surprise, she seems to be having a good time as they stand together out there, looking all around.

"How are you holding up?" Bruce's voice startles me as it sounds suddenly from right next to me, causing me to jump a little as I turn towards my friend.

"I'm hangin' in there. To be quite honest, the sight of them out there makes me enter fight-or-flight, but I think Tony's right; I gotta be a little more laid-back," I admit as I nod towards the kids through the window.