All right, so this is a pretty short chapter (as was the previous one, obviously) but Chapter 5 is gonna be really long if everything goes as planned. Hope it likes you!
-Norah
The sunlight was filtering through the long, blue curtains when Steve woke, his eyes flashing open and searching the room until they found the alarm clock, which read 7:00. He sat up slowly and was still for a few moments, enjoying the peaceful silence broken only by the sound of cars outside. And then memories of his dreams flooded his mind, blocking out anything that put him at ease. Why on Earth had she been there? Why had she been crying? What did she mean by "It's in my blood"?
Who was Robin Delerov?
Robin smiled to herself as she walked into the common room kitchen and flicked on the lights that hung overhead. She seemed to be the only one up, which meant she had at least a few minutes alone with her thoughts. Strangely enough, Steve's face popped into her mind. Perching herself on the island counter, she thought about him. He was certainly handsome, no doubt about that, and she could sense he was brave, too. She had seen footage of all the Avengers, but Steve's stuck out to her the most. He wasn't impenetrable like Iron Man or the Hulk and he didn't have mystical abilities like Thor, but he one his battles because he was sensible and courageous and selfless. He was unlike any SHIELD agent she had ever seen. But, she thought with a sigh, she, of all people, should know that exteriors are always deceiving. She reached a hand up to run her fingertips along the scar on her face. Yes, it was best just to treat him as just another part of the misguided puzzle they called a team.
Robin was just reaching for the kettle to boil some water for tea when the elevator dinged and the doors opened. She briefly glanced over her shoulder to see none other than Steve walking towards her. He wore just plaid pajama bottoms and she guessed he had just thrown on a white t-shirt over his torso in the name of decency, because he was still pulling it on when he approached the kitchen and sat down.
"Morning, Steve," she said with a bright grin.
"Good morning, ma- er, Miss Delerov." This earned him an exasperated look from the woman, who wore running shorts and a fitted green tee.
"You want some tea? Tony always gets so annoyed with me because I never use the coffee machine in my room when I stay here, but I still much prefer Earl Grey in the morning."
The corner of the soldier's mouth tugged up in a slight smile. "No, thank you. I'm fine. Do you stay here often, then?"
"Only when SHIELD miraculously decides to put me on a mission that's actually within the boundaries of North America." She readied a mug, dropping in a teabag from the cabinet. "You're an early riser, huh? I guess we can put that on the list of old-fashioned habits."
Steve just gave a little shake of his head. "Well, what about you? You were up here before me."
"You're right. Believe it or not, this is actually really weird for me. Usually it takes a ton of shaking followed by about five cups of caffeinated tea to get me up in the morning. I guess I just got a whole lot of sleep on the ride over here from Russia."
"And… Why exactly were you in Russia?"
"That's classified, Cap'n," she replied with a hint of a smile, pouring hot water over the teabag when the kettle began to scream. Said captain rolled his eyes.
"Right. I forgot that SHIELD likes to keep its agents in the dark."
"Tell me about it. It's like a stupid Mystery-Drama up in this bitch. Everything always has to be hush-hush until the last minute." When Steve looked a bit appalled at her language, she laughed.
"Sorry. I have to remind myself I'm not talking to Clint or Tony sometimes. They begin to leave their mark on you after awhile." Laughter faded away, she looked at him. "Seriously, I am sorry."
"It's all right," he said, chuckling a bit himself. It, too, faded until the two of them were looking at each other quizzically, awkwardly. Robin spoke again first, and there was a hint of sympathy in her voice. It was a very small hint, however, and almost unrecognizable.
"It must be a lot to handle. Like, it must be really, really strange to you, all this. The glitz, the flash, everything that comes with the 21st century."
He shrugged, though he felt the pain of yearning for his time, sharply prodding at his heart. "I'm adapting."
She smiled. "That makes you a soldier on a lot of levels, Mr. Rogers."
He found himself smiling back. "Thanks, I guess."
They were silent for a moment before Robin broke into a smirk. "Well, Captain America, it's time for you to stop guessing and start becoming one with the 21st century culture. I was just about to go running in central park. You should join me. I can show you a bit of the city, and it'll help get your mind off all the Shadow Seeker crap. You game?"
He raised his eyebrows, not able to stop a grin from spreading across his face. "Oh, I don't know. Sounds dangerous."
"Pfft. Everything's dangerous when you're with me," she snorted. "But that doesn't answer my question."
He pondered for a moment. "… Yeah. I think I'm game."