Hello, Friends!

So it's a new story in a universe that I do not know practically. Obviously, movies and comics, yeah but writing on such important characters, it's hard. So I hope you enjoy this story.

You Have to fight through some bad days to earn the best days of your life. Roche Foucauld

It was soothing.

It was my first thoughts as a slight jazz music resonated around me. US.

But that, I did not know it yet since I had my eyes closed. My heart was steady and filled like never for several years and a feeling of relief passed through me from pore to pore. It was almost unreal and probably too good to be true. These last years had really had a big impact on me and my well-being. Physical and mental. Or at least one event had led my life today. It was almost unreal when I heard that hoarse and sweet voice again. This one and only voice that I missed so much every day.

" What are you thinking about ? "

I opened my eyes immediately as I could already feel my heart pounding against my rib cage at the simple agreement of his voice. The bewildered look on my face was predictable as I suddenly fell nose to nose with his sublime dark brown eyes almost ocher that I had missed so much.

Suddenly, I was overwhelmed by a sudden urge to cry, and soon enough I could feel the tears running silently down my cheeks as I looked out into his black pools reflecting my own reflection.

A look of concern immediately adorned his tanned features as he leaned to my side on the bed with an elbow against the pillow belonging to him. He gently placed his hand against my cheek, letting me immediately lean in his touch. A flood of emotion passed through me as I let myself succumb.

I closed my eyelids as he wiped the wet trail with his thumb, letting me smile through sadness and melancholy.

" Why are you crying ? Something is wrong ?" His voice sounded so real and so true. "You know that I'm with you. I will always be with you. Shh, Danae. "

I just could not stop the flow of jolt flooding my chest. It was simply impossible.

He was there by my side and yet part of my brain was still there to remind me that it was impossible. It could not be possible. Not after this call, cry, cry and then these long last years of suffering permanently. He could not be here. And yet, I found myself again opening my wet eyes to look at him with a trembling breath.

"Hey." He breathed like a salute with that famous smile that could ignite the least of my pores. " Hello you. "

"Ben." I hugged in a momentum of realization before bringing my hands to take his face as insurance. "You are really here. "

The smile already on his face only widened as he passed one leg over mine before resting his hands on each side of my arms to support some of his weight. At this point, I was simply unable to resist the urgency pushing me to kiss him.

With a simple push, my lips were again on hers as he had never left me. It was exactly like the first times. Like it always was. Most people said that you could not feel those fireworks after a while, but with him, with Ben it always seemed to revive the flame in me. It was as if I rediscovered its flavor with each new kiss.

A slower and more biased part was screaming at me that it was not real. It could not be real. Ben Dimarco died during an Ops in Afghanistan more than three years ago. A ball in the head. A fast and effective death. He did not suffer; the officer had told me in the letter announcing his death. But he was there. I could feel him, touch him and hear my heart respond to his touch in my ears. It was as if he had never left. As if the last three years of suffering and locking up on myself had never existed.

At these thoughts, I could feel my mouth squeeze through our slow and passionate kiss. I ended up opening my eyes again, waiting to see him disappear but he was still there. With his onyx eyes and that brown beard with a slightly reddish glint around his full lips. He had slight wrinkles around his eyes and lips showing how much he loved to laugh and smile. His raven-colored hair, usually gelled and combed back, was slightly ruffled by the pillow. So that he looked significantly younger. Almost childish with that bright smile. Despite his easily intimidating and cold exterior, he was the very epitome of heat.

I caught myself tracing the jutting contours of his jaw to reassure myself before descending along the curvature of his Adam's palm. I had always thought that I was extremely lucky to have a boyfriend-no, a handsome husband. It was a biased thought. I knew he was handsome. Women often turned to ogle him with envy and desire. His strong position and athletic shoulders had always given him an air of confidence that inflamed women. But for a reason unknown to me, he had always seemed to have eyes only for me and me alone.

A slight smile curled my trembling lips at the mere thought as I stopped my hands on his solid shoulders.

A similar smile stretched his lips as he stroked my biceps affectionately before suddenly lowering his gaze on my belly. "How's our future little kick girl ? "

A feeling of panic and anxiety overwhelmed me almost instantly as I lowered my eyes to the huge hump between us. It was not supposed to be there. It could not be there. Last night again, my belly was flat and my brain was desperately missing every day this little life inside me.

Something was definitely not normal.

Nevertheless, it seemed that I was definitely not in control of my words since I found myself saying the exact opposite of my thoughts."Our little fighter is perfectly fine. It's a tough guy. Like his father. "

A small voice in the back of my head screamed in alarm but I was visibly more in control as I found myself rubbing gently this little bump with affection. I found myself looking helplessly as Ben stooped to drop a chaste kiss along my belly button.

However, it was before suddenly jumping at the agreement of a detonation. I froze at the same time as Ben before I found myself watching in shock and total agony as he slowly raised his head to look at me. I felt the hot liquid drip on me even before I was fully aware of the bullet hole clearly embedded in his forehead. His eyes wide and his lips wide open in an O under the shock of impact.

It was at this moment that I started screaming with all my strength.

"Dee! Dee! Wake up ! "

The feeling of my hands gripping my shoulders was the first thing my brain registered. Then this was the place where I was as I was going up in a sitting position. My apartment.

I tried to drown the erratic beat of my heart as I scanned the surroundings of my room before finally stop my alert look on the blonde currently in front of me. Her brown doe eyes were wide and visibly panicked as she tried as best, she could to communicate through my misty haze.

Nevertheless, I was not slow to discern her voice. "Dee, do you hear me? It's me, Kate. It's just a nightmare. "

I opened my lips with the intention of reassuring her but the feeling of my raw vocal cords stopped me in my action. Kate noticed my action as she released my shoulder before landing on the free space at my side to give me time to regain my senses. It had become a habit for her now and I almost felt bad about imposing it on her every day.

Only, I warned on the announcement that this kind of occurrence could happen. She had made that choice and every state of consciousness.

That famous doe looks soon turned into that of the experienced nurse as she watched me before getting up in silence. My condition seemed stable enough for her as I watched her back pass through the door leaving me alone.

I immediately rushed to the bottle of water on my nightstand before leaning over to open the top drawer. I rushed to the small orange bottle of medicine before jumping the hood with my thumb. I hurried to pour two small pills into the palm of my hand before putting them on my tongue. I threw my head back, closing my eyes to swallow them before taking another breath to calm myself down.

It was not the first time I had this kind of nightmare. To tell you the truth, I had been having nightmares almost every night for three years now. It had become a common occurrence now. So much that I could only feel apathy in response.

Once I was sure that the trembling of my hands had stopped, I decided to examine the physical damage. Not surprisingly, I could feel a thin layer of sweat along my body making me wince in disgust. I shook my head with a slight sigh before looking at my phone lying on the bedside table. I put my thumb on the center button to turn it on before giving a faint growl between my lips at the sight of the hour.
Great, four and a half. I assumed that I could just as easily start my day earlier.

I pulled the blanket down my legs before taking a moment to sit on the side of my bed. I put my elbows on my thighs as I took my face between my hands before rubbing my eyes to wipe the fatigue. The feeling of the wooden floor under my feet made me shudder slightly. I ended up getting up to my dresser before pulling out a pair of khaki cargo pants with a pair of underwear and a simple navy t-shirt before crossing the living room overlooking the kitchen on the way to the bathroom.

I could feel the scrutinizing glance of my roommate silently follow me as I opened the door before closing it behind me without a sign of recognition. I put my pile of clean clothes on the toilet lid before undressing. I made a point of not crossing my eyes through the mirror as I dropped my pjs on the floor in a dirty pile before turning the faucet of the shower. I did not even wait for the water to heat up to jump in and tried to stay under the freezing jet.

I closed my eyes as I let the cold sneak along my limbs in a futile hope of erasing the reminiscences of his touch. I could feel the icy water beaded along my shoulders, my back, my kidney drops and to finish my legs before disappearing into the drain.

I could feel the tremors under my skin as I bit my lower lip so hard that I could taste the blood along my tongue. The taste was bitter and far too close to my previous dream. I shivered despite myself before squeezing my fingers in a fist against the tiled surface of the shower. I was trying to take soothing inspirations as I struggled against the swirling emotions deep in my stomach.

I allowed to move only when I could feel this famous invisible hood enclosing the least bit of emotions inside my chest. At this point, the water had already warmed up to leave a sharp abrasion along my skin. It affected me only slightly as I took a moment to rub the soap along my body before taking a break despite myself on my flat stomach. A slight hormonal bump was still present where there had once been a life letting me fight again against my own agonizing emotions.

I hastened to then go to my hair with a shampoo without scent and then a conditioner before cutting the water. I pulled the shower curtain with a frank gesture before wrapping a fluffy towel around my naked body.

I continued to ignore my reflection as I positioned myself behind the mirror to get dressed before brushing into my messy curls. I took a moment to readjust the sticky clothes to my wet skin before finally venturing out to the smell of pancake and scrambled eggs hovering from the kitchen and into the living room.

Not surprisingly, Kate sat at the bar with a cup of coffee in her hand and a fork full of bacon in the other while her eyes were on yesterday's newspaper. I passed her without a word in the direction of the cupboards for a mug before serving me a cup of coffee. I was a real addict to bitter liquid for three years now. That's and the pills were the only ones that allowed me to advance to almost everything.

"I would advise you to take a tour of the hospital for your night terrors and ... well everything that you get but I have already done too much."

I froze at the intervention visibly exhausted by my attitude of the blonde before tightening my grip on my mug.

I did not know the plate of prepared breakfast before leaning back against one of the counters as I took a sip while I measured Kate over my mug. "It's yesterday's paper."

Kate froze her hand between two pages to my insensitive ignorance before shaking her head with a controlled breath. I had always been envious of her ability to control her emotions. For a nurse she was incredibly endowed with self-control. There was a time when I doubted, she was even a nurse, but I simply did not have enough interest in questioning her behavior. I only did this for my clients and they paid me. I simply did not have enough interest in my own life to learn more about my roommate. She offered me a rent and helped me keep this damn apartment. It was the only thing I was still able to keep even though I had once shared it with ...

I felt the tremors again along my hands, letting me focus my attention on my cup. The amber brown liquid ricocheting dangerously against the walls threatened to overflow. I clenched my jaw in a last attempt to control my emotions before giving a new look at the blonde in front of me. The latter already had her eyes on my hand with an expression knowing before raising her eyes to meet my eyes.
I could see the words on the tip of her tongue letting me hold her gaze defiantly.

She seemed to take a moment to think before finally turning her eyes to the newspaper, shaking her head. It was just about how all our conversations ended.

If there was really a conversation.

I was not really invested enough to even have real conversations. The only people able to maintain any connection with me were the fingers of one hand and one of them was dead.

I swallowed at the mere thought before swallowing the rest of my coffee in one go. I finally put the cup in the sink before taking the plate to lay it in front of Kate on my way. The blonde said absolutely nothing but I could once again feel her eyes on my back as I locked myself in my room again.

I pulled on my pair of lace-up ankle boots, ignoring the picture of a once happy couple lying on my dresser before emerge again in the living room. I was taking a thermos of coffee as Kate was busy gulping down my supposed breakfast before heading to the front door. I put on my bombers with a hood before grabbing my backpack and my baseball cap. I threw the thermos in the bag without care before putting it closely followed by my cap. I made sure to get my phone, my wallet, my apartment keys and my little template before wishing Kate a good day over my shoulder.

I was not even spying a single glance on the door to the right of the neighbor as I hurried down the stairs before feeling a deep sense of relief at the feeling of the Washington wind blowing in my face. I held a faint shiver before launching on the sidewalk still empty of passersby.

The trip to my little office was barely a ten-minute affair, finally letting me breathe. I left the badge on closed since it was still dark before heading straight for my oak desk. I leaned heavily against the rolling office chair by removing my bombers and cap and sweeping the entire work area.

After the consequences of Ben's disappearance, I had to find a way to stay out of the water. This was how I decided to drown myself in work instead. First, I had to leave the army since it was impossible for me to stay in such a place in my state. Then ... well, I just had to put to work my talents as an annoying man. I felt a certain satisfaction in releasing my anger and this deep feeling of injustice by pinning the cheaters and liars of this state.

Unfortunately, my services were probably not going to be needed at six in the morning. I contemplated the idea of simply going through my already existing cases only fatigue and the weight of my previous dream suddenly resurfaced. I could already feel my eyes close before I really understood what was going on.

The next time I was awake it was not by my roommate worried but by a timid and uncertain knock against the glass of my office door. I took a moment to regain control of my surroundings before putting my eyes on the shadow visible through the tile. I readjusted on my seat before cracking my neck at the feeling of my muscles stretched along my shoulders. I then stood up, being careful not to bump into the pile of files leaning precariously on the edge of my desk before stopping in front of the door to greet my first client of the day.

A woman in her mid-thirties with heavy pockets under her eyes and a visibly embarrassed mine. She barely reached my shoulders with her little heels and seemed more leaning towards a slight overweight. A messy bun at the base of her neck, she seemed to have given up wanting to take care of her. My guess, she was running out of time with her three children. They were probably between one and ten years old. She had a slight vomit stain on her right shoulder, a salt-dime keychain probably made for Mother's Day, and a registration form for a junior football team pointed the tip of the record she was holding tight against her chest.

After the last three years, I was almost foolproof to point the reason for their coming. And I was ready to cut my hand that this woman was here to look for proof of her adulterine husband to reinforce her divorce petition.

"I'm sorry, I didn't make an appointment but-"

"I don't take on appointment." I interrupted her in a professional and detached voice, raising a slightly surprised look of the woman.

I took a step aside to allow her to enter before following her back as I closed the door behind me.

It was time to face a new day.

Two weeks.

Two weeks that I tried to take this little recidivist hand in the bag.

Name: Cassidy Ryan

Age: 17 years old

Activity: student

Crime: Suspected of being an escort

I was trying to stay on the sidewalk opposite of the object of my spinning. She was my last case of the day and if I could finally have the picture and the location that would close this case then I could finally close shop for the day.

I was jaded and tired with this case. This girl had wandered me for almost two weeks now and I had to get this picture before I lost the rest of my patience. I was very far from being patient and I hated waiting for my clients.

I hastened to hide between the passersby as she glanced in my direction before lowering my head pulling my cap a little more on my face. I plunged my hands into the pockets of my jacket before resuming my walk along the redhead on the other sidewalk. I had searched through the majority of DC's slums and had finally managed to get my hands on her. She was obviously not made for paranoia. She seemed already on the verge of cracking if I thought her gaze continued over her shoulder. And I did not even talk about bursts on every corner. She was nervous and wisely.

I raised my head briefly to watch her next move just to stop me in my step. She was finally going to crack. I could feel it in my bones. I immediately rushed to the first pedestrian crossing on my way. I scarcely looked to the right and to the left as I went in pursuit of little Cassidy before entering in my turn in the cheap hotel she had just entered.

It was the kind of case that had the gift of getting me out of apathy and replacing it with anger and indignation. How could a girl like her come to such an end? Especially when her parents had the means to offer them ten times my services.

I tried to keep my head clear as I approached the familiar receptionist before ringing the bell on the counter. My eyes went instantly to the stairs to the rooms on the left, but I tried to turn to Gladys with a placid expression.

I had enough business to know most of the shabby hotels in DC and the Sun & Set was definitely one of them.

The old woman behind the counter was quick to raise her head bored before wrinkling her wrinkles further in an expression of discontent at my sight. "Oh no, not this time. Get out of my hotel, vulture! "

I rolled my eyes knowingly before reaching for the envelope in my back pocket. I slid on the counter in a gesture of impatience before pushing me off the latter with a raised eyebrow in waiting. Gladys immediately grabbed the envelope with avarice before counting so discreetly the bills inside.

" How can I help you ?" She asked with a sweet voice.

I gave her a cold look at the sight of her fake smile before going straight to business. "A kid. 17 years. Redhead. She came right before me."

A look of recognition swept over the woman's swollen face before she quickly typed on her keyboard in search of the room. "What did she do ? Third party of adultery? Runaway?"

"Just give me the room. "

"Good, good." She grumbled with an attitude that left me cringing in annoyance before straightening up as she glanced sideways. "She's in room 118 on the ground floor. If you stand on the balcony in front of the 202, you can have a view on its window."

I left a faint, sober smile on my lips as I nodded my head in understanding before heading straight for the rooms. I heard briefly Gladys remind me how much it was a pleasure to do business with me before immersing myself completely in my task. I ran up the stairs before quickly reaching the second floor with one hand on one of my backpack stripes. I looked at the number of the first door before continuing to walk to room 202. At the sight of the latter, I stopped before I immediately lean against the rusty balcony rail. I made a point of avoiding touching it by mere self-preservation before looking for the room where Cassidy was now.

As expected, the window of the 118 soon came into view and a shared feeling between satisfaction and disgust crossed my mind as I realized that the redhead did not pull the curtains. I could see her through the window. She was currently in the process of putting on her socks going with her corset. A repulsive mine crossed my face as I shook my head to the youth of today.

How my life had changed during the last three years. Before I was a wife, soon a mother and a respected US Navy and now, I found myself chasing kids in cheap motels for their wealthy parents. The simple thought woke the anguished tremor along my limbs leaving me again in an emotional struggle.

I quickly took out my pack of cigarettes in a last desperate attempt to calm my nerves before lighting the white nicotine stick between my lips. The sensation of smoke traveling along my system was enough to soothe the tremors in a simple itch under the skin. I took a fresh breath before stuck the cigarette between my lips to adjust my glasses equipped with a small surveillance camera on the right branch. It was a little gadget that had cost me an arm on the black market but that was what made my efficiency.

Once adjusted, I took the nicotine stick between my fingers before stiffening at the sight of a man heading for room 118.

"Here we go." I whispered in a puff of smoke before throwing the half-consumed stick on the concrete floor.

I trampled it to turn it off before reaching the camera activation button on the branch. I took my phone out of the pocket of my jacket before moving closer to the metal rail to lean over. I pretended to be playing with my phone while tilting my head slightly as in reality, my eyes were on the transaction taking place downstairs.

I pressed several times to take different shots in succession before shaking my head in irritation as I watched Cassidy languidly kissing the junk downstairs. This bastard was at least double of her age and seemed barely embarrassed by the demonstration of affection.

It was sickening.

Hopefully, this case would not only end with the shutdown of Cassidy's activities but also a lawsuit. At least, that was unlikely with the type of family that had hired me. I assumed it was one of those cases where the police would find an anonymous pack on their doorstep. I watched as the duo disappeared behind the walls of renting room papers before straightening up as Cassidy finally closed the curtains.

With one last disillusioned look at door 118, I turned off the camera before turning on my heels to the stairs. The kiss, the location and the sexy underwear were enough for my client.

The drive to my quiet apartment in one of the quieter areas of DC was relatively smooth. Of course, I had smoked more than one cigarette on the way home. It seems like one of these days. A day when nightmares and the harsh reality of my situation were harder to forget.

I took the steps leading to the lobby taking a deep breath and tried to remind me of Kate's schedule in the hope that she still had a change at the hospital tonight.

However, my hopes were not long in being destroyed as her soft and cheerful voice soon reached my ears during my ascent. She seemed in a discussion letting me frown despite myself since she could only talk to one person. I did not really know him, but I knew from a reliable source that she had an eye on our neighbor. At least, that's what I'd deduce from the two times she came home from laundry with a broad smile on her lips and an almost suspicious attitude. Once again, I could not help but notice that Kate seemed to be wearing two facets. She seemed much more down to earth and control with me while if I thought her tone now, she seemed more enthusiastic and ... flirting?

I held back a shudder as Kate seemed to think that talking about her job was a good conversation object. Well, I assumed I was not really in a position to judge what was a good topic of conversation or not. although that did not really worry me since I had completely and scratched out any type or form of relationships in my life. As I had already said, only a person counting on the fingers of a hand made up my life. And the rest consisted of a business relationship. It also meant that I definitely did not want to go through the presentation stage.

With this idea in mind, I lowered my cap a little more to hide my face before finishing up the steps with a quick step.

Unfortunately, I was not long in perceiving a huge obstacle in the form of a broad and muscular back of our probable neighbor. He wore a brown leather jacket and seemed cut into a rock. His broad shoulders took up the entire space of our hallway and I did not speak my steps of the rest of his body visibly carved.

I took a moment to examine the situation, the blond obviously still unaware of my presence as he let a faint laugh in response to a comment from Kate. I even wondered if he could feel me behind with all those muscles. Certainly, they had to act as a sort of barrier of sorts.

Conversely, Kate soon saw me hovering behind immediately giving a wide look of the blonde giving me the exact moment of action. "Oh, Dee-"

"Move!" I grumbled, snapping the blond of the passage with a shoulder shot.

I had to admit that I was a little disappointed to have barely managed to move him but I did not dwell on it as I hastened to overtake Kate before returning to the safety of our apartment under the bewildered eyes and confused of the duo.

Kate or rather Sharon was literally in a bind as she watched as Danae tried to push the Captain with a rude grunt before completely disappearing into the safety of their apartment.

True, she was used to the rude and apathetic behavior of her roommate but she had to admit that she did not think she would go that far with the Captain. Certainly, she must have recognized him. The latter seemed visibly confused by what had happened since he glanced over her shoulder with a frown.

Anyway, she hastened to turn to Steve with an astonishment that was not skewed for once and hastened to apologize. "I'm really sorry for her. It's Danae. My roommate. She's not like that usually. "

"This is your roommate?" The Captain wondered despite his usually courteous behavior.

Kate winced as an answer before letting her shoulders fall into defeat. "In fact, it's a lie. She's always like that. But, she's really a good person in the background. "

Kate found herself staring at the Captain's doubtful expression as she tightened her grip on her basket of clean linen before wincing again in the confession. "She doesn't let many people approach her. "

This time, a look of understanding seemed to pass over the perfect features of her charge as he nodded his somewhat uncertain head. "I guess I'll have to take your word."

"Yeah, it looks like it." Kate nodded with a somewhat forced smile.

She appreciated these moments more and more with the Captain and she began to doubt more and more about the accomplishment of this mission. She knew he would probably feel betrayed if he ever learned of her role. Unfortunately, it was her job and he was her mission. She had to protect him. The simple thought reminded her of the other person behind her door. She knew she would be upset if she learned about her betrayal. She had bonded a semblance of relationship with her over the last year and Danae was not particularly anyone's person.

On the contrary, she seemed to keep the world at arm's length.

I had to admit that it was not the best way to meet our neighbor but I could not find a single ounce of remorse in me. Or even of interest for what it's worth.

I had just faced a day full of interactions. Interaction of business but still interactions. And I just had one wish, to wrap my case on Cassidy and maybe swallow enough Benzodiazepine to sleep without dreaming of the life I once had.

I let a sigh leave my lips as I could feel that tingle again along my limbs at the plausible meeting before heading to the kitchen. I had a tumbler from the cupboard before moving to the sink to fill it up just as Kate made her appearance.

I was not long in crossing her glance of an almost amber brown immediately raising an annoyed expression of the blonde as she pointed the closed door over her shoulder. "It was really necessary? "

"He blocked the way." I replied, nonchalantly shrugging my shoulders before turning to take a sip of water.

Not surprisingly, the blonde immediately gave me a disillusioned look before crossing her arms on her chest. "Do you even know who he is? "

I raised an eyebrow in total indifference to her question before trying briefly to remember his face for any sign of recognition. Except that I really could not take a good look at his face. Only his back and what an incredible back. The guy was probably on steroids. I never imagined that an addict of the gym is the type of Kate. I never had anything against muscular guys, on the contrary. I had always had a little fondness for well-chiseled men. Well ... Ben, he was a pretty good example.

I suddenly felt the urge to light another cigarette. Except that we had a rule well transcribed in the apartment and I had no desire to cross the living room to return to my room to reach the fire escape.

So instead, I took a deep breath before focusing on Kate again as she let a sigh pass over her lips. Oh right, she was talking to me.

"Sorry, what did you say? "

"Ok, first, don't say sorry if you're not." The blonde commented with slight authority in her tone making me almost flinch as I took a seat on the couch. "Then it was Steve Rogers. "

Unfortunately, this little piece of information did absolutely nothing to enlighten me more about the identity of our corridor neighbor.

Nevertheless, I strove to display a false mine of achievement as I put my glass on our coffee table. "Right, Steve Rubber. Our next door neighbors. You already told me about h-"

I expected to hear more of Kate's reprimands, but my statement was only followed by a door slam that made me jump slightly. I sat up on the couch in surprise before giving a look at the bedroom now closed to the blonde.

Unfortunately, the mere sight of this door was enough to turn the simple tingling into an unsustainable itch. In a simple fluid movement, I found myself standing before crossing the living room in my room. I was running straight for my jacket on my bed before removing the pack of cigarette in a hurry. I could feel my heart speeding up under my ribcage and a light sweat had already made its way down my forehead.

Trying to cling to the last straws of control that I had, I went straight to the emergency staircase before leaving a gasp of relief from the moment the nicotine entered my system. I was careful not to burn myself as I distractedly massage the temple with the hand holding the bad stick. I took another breath, letting the tip glow bright red before removing the stick from my lips to release the smoke in my lungs.
It had become a latent habit in my limbs now.

My gaze drifted slightly towards the roof of our apartment building hovering on the left side of the fire escape. It was open in full view of all of DC and obviously inaccessible. It was probably the only thing I had come to regret once we bought this apartment. I was always the first to remind Ben that ... I envied a beautiful view of a roof.

He had promised to find us a beautiful house with an accessible roof.

I wrinkled my lips at the mere thought before continuing assiduously, almost mechanically another puff of my cigarette.

Much too early for my taste, the bitter and pungent taste of my cigarette increased, allowing me to take a final inhalation before extinguishing it in the ashtray lying precariously on the edge of my window. It was already far too busy for the usual standards but I was not really paying attention as I walked through my window again to return to my room.

I might as well try to delay the inevitable by a little extra work.