Calm in the Chaos

by Semper Paratus

He was a man out of his time searching for a place that felt like home. She was a woman out to prove that she wasn't a weakness. Together they just might have the opportunity to give each other all that they've ever wanted. Steve Rogers/OC

1. Sunrise Serenity

Calm in the Chaos

Chapter 1: Sunrise Serenity

Almost there… Just breath… One foot in front of the other.

She repeated the mantra in her head over and over as she neared the end of her almost four-mile early morning jog, winding through Washington D.C.'s sparsely occupied National Mall.

05:51. She read as she spared a glance at the watch on her wrist and began ascending the 145 steps leading up from the reflecting pool to the chamber of the Lincoln Memorial. Right on time.

She didn't allow her feet to stop until she finally reached the top, oxygen burning as it flooded her lungs.

05:53. Not a minute to spare.

She smiled to herself as she collapsed on to the top step. She was just in time to watch the sun begin to appear on the eastern horizon behind the Washington Monument.

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It's almost sunrise.

He thought as his feet flew across the pavement. Recently he had decided it was best to keep his time out in the chaos of the general public to a minimum, thus making the predawn hours the best time to get in a run. More and more he found himself seeking the solitude that could only be found at times like that. He felt overwhelmingly lost in this world.

As he headed west along the reflecting pool he felt himself drawn to the picture of peace that was the seemingly deserted marble structure that marked the west end of the mall. Mounting the stairs, he took them two at a time, quickly reaching the smooth pink marble floor. Pausing for a moment under the gaze of the 16th president, he turned to take in the view of the rising sun and felt some of his tension lift.

A few moments of this and then it's back to reality.

His steps echoed quietly through the chamber as he made his way along the columns towards one of the far edges of the stair case. His mind focused on the calming effect of the slowly brightening sky he failed to notice the young woman perched on the stairs. The was until he nearly stumbled over her.

As she jumped up in surprise, he wasn't sure which one of them was startled more. Even on his best days he was never relaxed enough to overlook the presence of the only other living thing within that small of a space. But he did.

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She snapped to her feet and immediately began a threat assessment on the man before her, and as her green eyes met his blue ones she could tell he was doing the same. After a tense pause she relaxed a fraction. I'm not a threat if you're not… She thought, hoping her body language helped convey the message.

The stare down held out for a few more long seconds before the blonde man raised his open palms in a sign of peace.

"I'm sorry ma'am" he spoke softly, his voice strong and calm "I didn't mean to startle you."

"Likewise" she replied with a slight nod of her head before turning her attention back to the swiftly brightening horizon "Beautiful isn't it?"

"Yes, it is." He breathed, following her gaze "Do you do this a lot?"

"Just when I need a constant." She answered, surprised that she was readily admitting that to a perfect stranger "Life has an unlimited number of variables, but since the beginning sunrises have been a constant. It's grounding for me."

She stole a glance up the man, expecting him to be looking at her like a crazy person. Instead she saw a look of what she could only guess to be deep thought cross his face before he spoke.

"I've never thought of it like that."

He continued to gazed eastward as a rare sense of peace flowed through him. The feeling of being lost was pushed further back in his mind and the tightness in his chest lessened.

For the next few minutes they stood in a companionable silence and watched as the sky continued to brighten. Much too soon for her liking she pushed off of the column she was leaning against and sighed.

"Time to get back to the chaos" she gave the man a smile and began descending the stairs, she called over her shoulder "It was nice talking to you"

He watched her retreating form as she faded into the many tour groups that were beginning to fill the paths.

"Yes" he said to himself as he began his trek in the opposite direction "It really was."

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A/N - Well there it is. After years of hiatus I'm attempting to reenter the word of writing, and boy is it scary! This was just something that came to me at work of all places, which you'll likely see is pretty common… I spend a lot of time there.

Anyway, I was going for a certain feel of mystery and intrigue by sticking with pronouns instead of names in this first chapter; that being said I'm not sure that it really appeals to everyone so drop me a review and let me know! I have another version of this chapter on standby just in case. I promise that in the next chapter introductions will be made.

Thanks for reading!

~ Semper