Spaghetti Bolognese.
The flight to New York was, for the most part, peaceful. Steve had been drawing most of the time, Bruce sat at the back keeping himself to himself. Well, he tried to but that's a little difficult when you have Tony Stark prodding you in the side. Natasha was reading in between threatening Tony about him tempting the Hulk. Bruce barely talking to or looking at Natasha. Clint was watching TV, utterly oblivious of everyone else. While Thor had opted to fly himself. He had no need of a plane.
Lara, even amongst the threats of Natasha and childlike chuckles from Tony, managed to go to sleep. It was a disturbed sleep however. If she wasn't dreaming about Alistair she was dreaming about what had happened with Steve. Sometimes it was a mixture of the two.
She and Steve would be dancing with each other. Steve, wearing a tuxedo and Lara in a long red dress. They would gradually get closer and closer until they were inches apart only to be forcefully pulled apart by a dishevelled Alistair begging for Lara for her help.
When she woke up from the more disturbing dreams she would quickly glance around seeing if anyone had noticed. Lara's eyes would often meet with the worried sky blue eyes of Steve Rogers. They would keep eye contact for a brief moment before Steve looked away, returning to his drawing, feeling awkward. As soon as Lara looked away from him however he would sneak a glance at her making sure she was alright.
The entire way there Tony promised every one that Stark Tower was better defended and equipped than before.
Lara's allocated room in Stark Tower was huge. Probably bigger than her own back home. Mind you that may have had a huge chunk of it blown apart.
The room was long and wide. On the far wall was a huge window surrounded by heavy deep purple curtains. The modern looking bed was on the wall to the right of the bedroom door. Its sheets were a cream colour and made of silk.
Lara placed her small bag on the bed and was about to unpack there was a knock at the door. She opened it and expected to find a smug Tony on the other side. It wasn't Tony, it was Natasha.
"Hey."
Relieved that it wasn't Tony, Lara let Natasha into the room.
"Why is every room so big?" questioned Natasha as she looked around the room. Lara laughed.
"Because it's Stark."
Natasha watched Lara as she put her clothes into the walk in wardrobe. Natasha could tell what some one was feeling by their movements. It was something she was trained to do.
"Are you alright, Lara?"
Lara looked up, shocked that it was Natasha that had asked. She had heard stories about the Black Widow and they all painted her to be rather cold. It was nice to know that she had a heart.
"I will be. But ask me again when it's over. Oh and thank you for not letting Stark smash up my home."
Natasha gave Lara a warm smile. She respected Lara. She had fought through so many dangerous situations and often only came out with a few cuts and bruises. Natasha admired Lara's sense of determination.
Sensing that Lara didn't really want to talk about the artefact or her home, Natasha changed the subject. At first they talked about the others starting with how Natasha met Clint. They felt so at ease with each other that before long they were chatting like they had known each other for years whilst Lara finished unpacking.
When she had finished Friday told them that everyone else were in the living room. Natasha and Lara continued to chat all the way there.
The living room was three times the size of Lara's bedroom. Clint and Thor were watching TV, Thor was staring at it like it was the greatest thing since sliced bread. Tony was sat at a computer typing away looking rather pensive. Steve, however, was in the kitchen cooking.
As they entered the living room, Natasha noticed Steve and Lara look at each other only to quickly look away again. She hummed thoughtfully to herself. Lara had noticed the very large window. If she hadn't noticed it she must have been blind.
She stood leaning on the window, looking out over the skyline of New York city.
"Please tell me I can go out there."
Tony laughed loudly at the fact she had actually asked.
"Sure, your not a prisoner. Just don't jump off Croft!" he shouted after her as she went out onto the balcony.
Lara got as close to the edge as she could, letting a small sense of adrenaline flow through her. The wind whistled by causing her hair to flow to the side. It was at the high points, inches from the edge that Lara felt alive. Holding onto the railing, she closed her eyes, letting the wind blow her gently from side to side.
"You are a real adrenaline junkie aren't you?"
Lara opened her eyes to see Natasha to her right. Lara smiled at her. Probably her first genuine smile for quite a while.
"I'm just going to say it." Lara raised her eyebrows, intrigued. "What's going on with you and Steve? You looked at each other but then quickly looked away. As if you were avoiding each other."
Lara's faced dropped into a more plain look.
"What do you mean?"
"You know what I mean." Natasha's voice was light and playful.
"Hmm. Back home I...I asked Steve if he would talk to me about Alistair. He said yes and hugged me."
Natasha cut her off.
"You, got close." Lara reluctantly nodded. "So do you..?"
"Oh don't get me wrong, Steve's a nice guy an all, but...no."
The look on Natasha's face told Lara that she didn't believe her. Lara rolled her eyes as Natasha giggled. Hearing Natasha giggle, Lara couldn't suppress a smile and began to laugh herself. Lara was beginning to feel like Natasha was her long lost Russian sister.
"Natasha, Lara? Dinner's ready. I made spaghetti bolognase, enough for everyone."
Steve, talk of the devil, popped his head around the door, a sheepish look on his face. Natasha's smile grew a little wider as Lara sighed following Steve back into the living room.
They all ate the spaghetti bolognase at the sofas. Thor wolfed down his portion thanking Steve, who was on his left, every so often and complimenting his cooking. Tony was still working but he was now on a tablet on the other side of Thor. Bruce ate his quietly, talking to Natasha. Clint, however, was still watching TV chuckling loudly between bites.
Lara was awkwardly sat next to Steve. Natasha had given her a sly push causing Lara to lose her balance and fall onto the sofa only just saving the spaghetti bolognase, next to Steve. Not wanting to give Natasha the satisfaction of being right, Lara had stayed put.
"This is delicious Steve." Lara said, her gaze still on her food.
"Thank you Lara." a warm feeling spread inside of Steve as a small half smile crept its way to his lips.
With most of the awkwardness lifted, Lara and Steve launched into a conversation about their many adventures. Natasha would look over, smiling, pleased with her work.
When Lara had finished eating she thanked Steve again as he tried to take her plate from her. She refused saying the he had cooked it she would clean it. Tony butted in telling them both that the dish washer would clean it.
"Excuse me sir, but the elevator is on its way up and I cannot see who is in it."
Friday's voice came from all around them. Without waiting for any other information Natasha and Lara ran to their rooms to gather their weapons. The plates were discarded on the coffee table.
Steve and Thor were stood the closest to the elevator with Steve's shield and Mjolnir in hand. Behind them were Lara and Natasha aiming at the elevator from behind cover. Bringing up the rear was Bruce and Clint.
The elevator doors slid open soundlessly. A man and a woman stepped out with there hands in the air.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa. I'd rather keep my head." the man said his eyes closed. The girl couldn't hide the excited look on her face. Her eyes darted all over, mainly over Thor.
Lara stepped forward putting her hand on Mjolnir as she walked passed making Thor lower it. Lara was not amused.
"Everyone meet Hunter. Oh wait you already met Stark and Steve."
Hunter grinned widely opening one of his eyes. Everyone relaxed and lowered their weapons and hands.
"Hey Lara. This is Skye and this..." Hunter turned around to face the elevator as someone else stepped out. Everyone in the room, apart from Lara, gasped. She looked around and their eyes were wide, the look of shock etched onto their faces.
"Coulson?" How?" stumbled Thor. He looked the most hurt.
Coulson sighed before he answered.
"I promise I'll explain the best I can. But right now we need your help Lady Croft."
Lara didn't really know what to do. She felt out of place. Like an apple in a bowl full of oranges. It was at that moment that Tony re-entered the room. Lara turned to face him. She had expected to see him in his suit but he wasn't.
"You hacked me. Unfortunately for you Friday had managed to get something from you. That's what I was doing earlier." Tony's face was deathly serious. The most serious any of them had ever seen.
"S.H.I.E.L.D never learns." He turned his attention to Natasha and Clint. "What I'm about to show you, you won't like. What I want to know is if you two knew?"
Coulson tried to stop Tony but couldn't. Tony pressed a few times on his tablet until a video appeared on the TV.
Everyone's faces dropped even further at the sight of Coulson laid out on a table, a machine fiddling with his exposed brain. He was calling out, asking them to let him die.
Lara felt weak at the knees. She had never met Coulson before but that...that was just... Anger had filled Thor and Bruce had turned away completely. Lara began to feel sick, her face was pale, her legs were getting weaker. She was caught by Steve, who helped her to the kitchen to get some water.
"Turn it off Tony." Demanded Steve as he sat Lara down at the bar stool at the counter.
Tony didn't listen but was still staring at an obviously distraught Natasha.
"TONY! Turn it off!" Steve bellowed, his was firm as he forced Lara to take a drink of water.
Natasha sunk into the sofa, her eyes filled with tears.
"I take that as a no then." Tony turned off the video, feeling angry but sorry that he had assumed Natasha and Clint knew.
Moments went by in silence. Natasha was sobbing in Clint's arms. Bruce had also sat back down. Thor was looking straight at Coulson still not fully aware that this was real. Steve stayed with Lara making sure she was alright.
"I will explain everything I can about that later. Right now we need your help Lady Croft."
She looked over to Coulson, her eyes meeting his.
"Hmm you went for the Suum Aantah not knowing what it was." Her voice was dry and quiet. The video was replaying in her head and she couldn't shake it.
"Yes we heard that Hydra wanted it. We've also heard Hydra have the Excalibur swords."
She shuck her head slowly.
I didn't want this chapter to get too long. Their conversation will continue next chapter. Thank you for reading.
