Alex called Mrs. Malone and told her that she was feeling under the weather and couldn't come into work. Since Alex very rarely called off, Mrs. Malone didn't give her too much grief about it, though she did make sure that Alex hadn't been attacked again. Alex told a half-truth about just being tired and needing to get some sleep. Mrs. Malone seemed to believe it and asked if Alex needed chicken noddle soup dropped off. She hated lying to Mrs. Malone, but she was in no state of mind to deal with pissed off New Yorkers. Especially since one of them could want to kidnap or kill her.
Alex silently thanked James for giving her that envelope of money before he left for the first time. Without it, she would be short on rent this month. However, on the list of things she was worried about, being late on rent would be on the bottom of the list. If she was being honest with herself, it probably wasn't even on the list.
After ending the call with Mrs. Malone, Alex toyed with the idea of calling her mother. Suddenly, she missed the sound of her mother's voice and the talk about how the crops were growing or how her students were doing. However, there was a good chance that Alex would either start crying or get into an argument with her after only a few moments of conversation. She settled on writing her an email instead. It was mostly lies, but she knew that her mother would be happy to hear from her.
With that sent, Alex decided to use her day off to get caught up on all her backed up school work. She pulled out all the assignments that she needed to work on and it all seemed like a lot more than she previously thought. Before she knew it, it was six o'clock and her stomach was growling at her.
The spotless kitchen gave Alex the urge to cook something, maybe a lasagna or even fresh spaghetti and meatballs. However, she also knew that she had less than no food in her apartment. She also didn't have the money to get takeout, as her plight with rent money clearly pointed out.
"Hot pocket for dinner, yet again," Alex sighed as she pulled open the freezer. However, instead of the one box of hot pockets, it was stuffed with multiple bags and boxes. There was frozen mozzarella sticks, pizzas, and a bunch of other foodstuff. She checked the fridge to see that it was similarly stocked with new food.
Her phone started to go off and Alex grabbed it, hitting answer without looking at the readout.
"How did you possibly survive on nothing hot pockets and condiments? If you didn't work at a restaurant you would have withered up and died weeks ago," Clint said on the other line.
"So this is your doing?" Alex asked as she grabbed a bottle of ginger ale out of the fridge.
"I figured, you brought me dinner the other night I could do the same for you. Plus, once Steve saw how sparse the food situation was, he went a bit overboard," Clint laughed. "He sent me to the store with a novel-length grocery list. This was before the whole show down with the mystery thug this morning."
"Yeah, I'm surprised that he hasn't put me on house arrest yet," Alex laughed as she opened the cabinet and found it filled with dried goods.
"The only reason he hasn't is because he's off doing something right now. As soon as he has a free moment to make it over there, well…" Clint laughed and Alex pictured him shrugging.
"You know, at this point, it might not be a bad idea. I like my freedom, but I like breathing a little bit more," Alex said as she cradled the phone against her shoulder and filled a pot with water. She put it on top of the stove and clicked on the burner.
"Yeah, well, just remember who got you that food you are making when you and Steve face off. I don't want to be in the middle of it," Clint said before he clicked off the call.
Alex shook her head, knowing he could see her, and pulled the can of spaghetti sauce out to warm it up. She then went into the freezer and found a bag of meatballs.
It was about five minutes into making her dinner that she remembered why she never cooked. While she could watch the numbers count down on a microwave, knowing exactly how long it took a hot pocket to cook, it took forever to even boil water. Alex read another article as she waited for everything to be done so that she could eat.
She leaned against the counter when the sound of something sliding across the floor caught her attention. Nothing had fallen off the kitchen table, but she was sure that it was the sound of something hitting the floor in the kitchen. That's when a glimpse of white by the front door caught her eye. Someone had slipped something underneath her door.
Alex bit down hard on her bottom lip to stop herself from running over and grabbing it, because she was pretty sure she knew who it was from. She also knew that Clint was watching her and he would wonder what she went to pick up. It was killing her not to see what he had written. It could only be from one person. He was just on the other side of the door, so close.
Finally, her food was ready and Alex plated up a huge mound of pasta. She had made way too much food, but she figured she could reheat it some other time. As she walked over to the kitchen table, she pushed the meatball off her plate. Alex squatted down to grab the meatball and slid the paper underneath her plate.
At seven, turn on your radio and find an excuse to pull the curtains. The letter was written in James clean handwriting.
Alex's heart jumped a little at the thought of seeing him. Nothing had really happened the night before, they had just slept in the same bed together, but they had made an emotional connection. Well, she had at least. She hadn't just been attracted to him, she had wanted to be with him. Would everything be different? Would he act like it didn't happen? How would she act? What did he want?
Alex spun her fork within her pasta and tried to get her stomach out of her throat and returned to its proper place. She hadn't even been this nervous when she first met James in that dark alley. The fact that she was more nervous that she might have feelings for him than that he was going to kill her spoke volumes of her character. Mostly, that she had major issues.
She pushed these thoughts away and attempted to figure out what she was going to tell Clint about why she pulled the curtains. He would see through weak excuses, he was a S.H.I.E.L.D agent after all, so it had to be good. Luckily, Alex had almost ten years of lying to people in power. Her parents were a bit more gullible than Clint, but she learned that the best lie was a simple lie.
By the time Alex was done with dinner, she had a plan. It was simple, but it was the best idea that she came up with. Alex put a lid on the pot, deciding to put the leftovers away later since it was already six forty-five. She hit Clint's contact number as she put her dirty dishes in the sink.
"Miss me already?" Clint asked when he answered the phone.
"Every moment we are apart, my dear," Alex laughed as she started making her way toward her bedroom. "I just wanted to let you know that I'm going to be closing the curtains for an hour or so."
"And why, light of my life, is that exactly?" Clint asked, his tone was light. Alex couldn't tell if he was suspicious of her motives or not. When lying, unless someone obviously has caught you, just keep going. Confidence is the key.
"I didn't take my run this morning so I'm going to work out a bit. As close as we are, I don't want you see me sweating like a pig. I'm going to be turning on some music as well, do you have any requests?" Alex pulled out workout clothes to change into.
"It doesn't sound like you are asking me if this is okay, but telling me it is happening," Clint said, dropping the joking tone that the conversation had earlier.
"That's because that is exactly what's happening," Alex said as she put the phone on speakerphone so she could change. "You will have the bugs, so if a crazy murderer comes into my apartment, you'll hear me scream. I'm letting you invade my life, give me at least an hour to myself."
"Alright, but if you don't text me in an hour, on the dot, you are going to be in huge trouble," Clint laughed.
"Roger that, over and out." Alex hung up the phone and pulled on the rest of her clothes. She was in a loose tank top and yoga pants when she went back into the living room. She gave Clint a little finger wave before she pulled the curtains closed.
It was a minute before seven when Alex set up her laptop and turned on her workout playlist. It was a lot of dubstep, Nicki Minaj, and other up tempo music. She turned it up as loud as she dared, pulled her hair into a ponytail, and turned to go to wait by the door.
There stood James, in her kitchen, placing something small and black on her kitchen table. She hadn't heard the door open or even felt a draft. The first thing she noticed was that James was in clean clothes, the second was that he had shaved. Even with the long hair, there was no mistaking him for James Buchanan Barnes now. It was like he walked right out of a history book.
"You…" she started and then remembered the bug. She started humming to cover up the words, which made James smile a little.
"You can talk, the little box stops our voices from being picked up by the bugs. All they hear is your…whatever this is." James said, wrinkling his nose as he walked over to her.
"It's music, and you shaved," Alex said as she took in his new appearance. While it was hard to look away from his face, she focused on the rest of him. The black thermal and black cargo pants looked good on him. She also noticed the nuances of his appearance, like the knuckles on his flesh hand were scraped and bloody. He'd been in a fight recently.
She looked away, feeling heat rise in her cheeks, and rubbed her forearms in an attempt to kill the nervous energy surging through her body. He was just a man. There was no reason that he should have more power over her than any other man. She looked over to see him crossing the room toward her.
He had a lot more power over her than any other man.
"Are you alright?" James put his hands on her shoulders as his eyes searched her for any sign of a scratch or cut. The cold of the metal and the warmth of his other hand sending electricity through her body. It was the most anxious he had ever seen him, his eyes darting around her body.
"James, I'm fine." Alex said as she brought a hand up and put it on top of the metal one. "A few bruises on my upper arm, but other than that I'm right as rain. How did you even know about that?"
"I was shadowing you. I didn't see what happened in the school, but when you came out and that man was following you. You and your friend seemed scared and I…" James shook his head, letting the sentence dangle between them. There were so many ways it could have ended, it could mean so many things, that Alex's mind spun with the possibilities. His eyes moved down to her arm and looked at the imprints of fingers. Next to them were the older bruises that he had left in the alley. He closed his eyes and his fingers tightened ever so slightly on her shoulders.
"You seem to have been in a fight. You didn't run into Sam, did you?" Alex asked, the thought making her heart leap into her throat. Alex was sure Sam was completely capable, but she didn't think he had a chance against James one on one.
"No," James said as he took his hands of her shoulders, "it was someone else."
"Good," Alex said to mask her disappointment at the lack of contact. "The last time you two got into a fight, he bled all over my kitchen."
James, lip turned up in a smirk and he shook his head. Then he muttered something in Russian, reached out, and crushed her against his body. She could feel his heart hammering in his chest and wondered if it was because he had been worried about her, worried how she would react to the hug, or a different reason entirely. Had he been pacing the empty apartments, waiting to be able to jam the bugs and make sure that she was alright? Had he really been that worried about her?
"I don't know what you're saying," Alex confessed when he rested his head on top of hers and muttered more Russian. "But I promise that I'm fine." She wrapped her arms around him and settled against his chest. He was warm and smelled like Irish Spring soap.
James murmured something else in Russian and Alex reminded herself to invest in a Russian to English dictionary from the university book store. Not that she would be able to remember the exact words when she looked them up, but it might at least give her a clue. Whatever he said, it sounded like he was confessing how worried he'd been.
"James," Alex leaned away to look at him. "It was just a bit of a scare. I am perfectly alright. I've had worse in the last couple days."
"I know," James's voice was soft as he pushed a strand of hair behind her ear that had escaped her ponytail, looking pained. "But I couldn't do anything. If something would have happened, I would have been too late to stop it."
"Luckily, you aren't the only one looking out for me." Alex was trying to keep her thoughts on the conversation, but his arms around her waist were distracting. It was also distracting that he was so warm and so close. The way he was looking at her, like she was something precious, wasn't helping either.
James opened his mouth to say something else, but instead his tongue flicked out and wet his lips. He looked down at her, his eyes focusing on her lips for a moment, before trailing back to her eyes. There was a question in them and Alex's heart rate sped up to meet his. He wanted to kiss her, and God, did she want to kiss him. There was no confusion in his eyes, no hesitation in his body language. He wanted this and he had no doubt.
"This isn't a good idea." Alex said as her heart hammered in her chest, hating the words as they tumbled out of her mouth. This was a man that was literally as likely to snap her neck as he was to kiss her. She should not get physically involved with him.
She wanted him desperately.
"Probably, but has that ever stopped you before?" James looked at her lips and pulled her more tightly against him.
This was a very terrible idea.
Alexandra curled her fingers into his shirt and kissed him hard against the lips, figuring that if she was going to die, she would die happy. She thought she would surprise James, but instead he surprised her by matching her intensity. The kiss almost hurt, it was so forceful and powerful, but Alex wasn't going to complain.
They broke apart as quickly as they came together, both dazed and breathing heavy. Alex was about to apologize, but the look on his face told her that there was no need. His pupils were dilated and his lips were slightly parted. Alex had seen that expression on a man's face before, and usually it didn't mean he wanted an apology. However, that expression had never done to her what James looking at her like that did.
James brought his hand up, his fingers trailing softly against her cheek, before he leaned down to kiss her softly. This kiss was a bit more hesitant, as if he was scared she would come to her senses and pull away. Instead, she leaned into him and kissed him back. She could feel his lips this time, they were soft and slightly chapped.
Alex was surprised that he was an excellent kisser, though a bit hesitant. For some reason she didn't think that was one of his ever growing list of talents. His metal arm, which was still behind her back, moved so that it was holding onto her waist. After his initial intensity, it seemed like he was worried he was going to hurt her.
While kissing James at all was wonderful, after wanting for this for days, the last thing she wanted was him to be hesitant and gentle. Alex decided that the best way to get rid of this fear was by ramping up the intensity. She sucked on his bottom lip and let her arms go around his neck. She pressed herself against him and his arm tightened around her. James moaned slightly, a sound that came from deep in his throat, and heat shot through Alex at the sound. She gasped into his mouth.
"Did I hurt you?" James panted as he pulled away slightly.
"James, if you hurt me, trust me, I will let you know. Until then…" Alex bit down on his bottom lip.
James seemed to take that as a green light and his fingers dug into her hips. His tongue brushed against her bottom lip as his one hand moved to pull the ponytail out of her hair. When it was free, his fingers tangled in her hair. There was no space between them and they were almost breathing in unison.
Alex moaned as James's lips traveled from her lips to her neck. Her fingers dug into James's back as his teeth nipped at the soft skin where her neck and shoulder met. He moved them both backward until Alex's butt bumped against the back of the couch. His leg went between hers. Alex gasped at the contact, but it was welcome.
They broke apart long enough for Alex to get his shirt up over his head. His dog tags thumped against his chest as Alex tossed the shirt onto the floor. The fingers of one hand curled around the chain while the other hand curled into his belt, pulling him toward her. His skin almost burnt her through the fabric of her tank top it was so hot. She could feel the set of dog tags she wore pressed into her skin.
Their kisses slowed down at this point, become more sensual and exploratory. Both were trying to map every inch of the other. Alex's fingers roamed across his back and down his spine, making him shiver against her. She felt his muscles as well as scars, mapping out his history on his skin. His hands were moving constantly, they were in her hair, on her waist, grabbing her ass, making sure she was real, there, with him.
"Alexandra," James said when they finally broke apart. He put his forehead against hers, breathing heavy, fingers tangled in her hair once again. His eyes were closed and he said her name as if it was a prayer.
Usually, Alex would have complained about the use of her full name, but not the way he said it. His tongue caressed each letter, his voice was husky, and it made her knees weak. She never wanted him to stop saying her name; she wanted the sound of her name on his lips to be etched into her memory forever.
She felt as if she should say something profound or do something. In a movie this is where she would confess that she loved him or have a touching monologue about what the past couple days meant to her. However, Alex had no idea if she loved James. Could you love someone when you knew next to nothing about them? Could they love you when they knew next to nothing about themselves? As for the past couple days, she had been hit repeatedly and feared for her life. Not exactly the best days of her life.
"James," she said simply, her fingers going through his hair. The corner of his mouth pulled up and Alex knew that he understood. Neither of them had any idea what they were doing, and at that moment, that was okay.
"Still think that this isn't a good idea?" He asked, then leaned in a kissed her softly.
"This is a terrible idea," Alex laughed as she kissed him back, "but as you pointed out, that has never stopped me before."
Alex guided James around the couch and pushed him down onto it. James seemed a little startled, but his eyes drank her in. She might not have been in a sexy dress with lace underwear, but James didn't seem to give a damn.
Alex straddled him and her lips found their way to his jaw. James moaned a little and shifted underneath her, letting her feel just how much he didn't care that she wasn't in a sexy outfit. As her lips trailed down his jaw to his neck, she was thankful that he shaved. Beards always irritated her skin.
James said something in Russian as his hands found their way under Alex's shirt. His metal hand had been warmed by her body heat so it wasn't cold as it skimmed up her side and helped lift her shirt over her head. The air was cold against her skin and Alex shivered as her skin touched his. James pulled away and looked at her, his fingers brushing over the many bruises on her side before touching the tattoo that was above her right hip. It was of a fox sitting in front of a sunflower, two nicknames that she had picked up back home. The first from her father and the other from her mother.
James said something that sounded like "lisa", which Alex figured was Russian for fox since it was a bit short for sunflower. His eyes started roaming over her body again, Alex guessed that he was searching for the other two tattoos she mentioned. One was on the back of her right shoulder, which he might have seen since she had her back to him for a second, and the other was on her side, hidden by her bra strap.
"You're unbelievably beautiful," James said as his eyes met hers. Alex felt herself blush, which she didn't do often. Men had paid her compliments before, most of them while she was naked, but there was something about the way James said it and the way he was looking at her. He looked at her like she was the only star in the sky, like the sun after a month of rain, like the only flower in the desert.
"I…ummm…" Alex felt terribly exposed and awkward. Did she say thank you? That didn't seem right. God, what did she say? Usually she would just say something smart and go back to whatever she had been doing before.
"You think I'm lying," James said as he reached up and ran his fingers through her hair, something he seemed to enjoy doing immensely. Alex dipped her head, but James fingers found their way under her jaw and tilted it up so she had to look at him. His eyes were clear, blue, earnest. She had never seen such an honest expression in her life. Not even on Steve Roger's face.
"I don't think you're lying," Alex said softly, her blush deepening. Her heart was hammering against her chest, not just out of lust, but because no one had ever looked at her the way James was looking at her. It wasn't a look of lust.
"Good." James leaned forward and kissed her, softly, carefully.
Alex felt tears well up in her eyes and she had no idea why. She wasn't sad, she was as far from sad as someone could be, but they were there. Right then she was so overwhelmed that her body felt that crying was the only solution. Alex had no idea what to do with her emotions, so she did what she normally did. She ignored them.
She leaned into James and kissed him back, focusing on his slightly chapped lips and the feeling of his heartbeat against her fingers as she placed her hands against his chest. There wasn't desperation in the kisses anymore, they were slow and careful. They were both thinking about what they were doing, what it made them feel, what the other person was feeling. Breathing and heartbeats going at the same tempo.
James fingers trailed slowly up her spine and ran underneath the strap of her bra. Alex shivered and pressed herself against him, chest to chest. James deepened the kiss and Alex parted her lips in return. His tongue found its way into her mouth as his fingers played with the bra clasp. That's when her phone started going off.
"Is that God Bless America?" James asked as he leaned away from her. His brow furrowed in confusion. It was barely audible over the music, but it was definitely going off.
"I'm going to kill him," Alex growled as she placed her head against James shoulder. Her phone continued to go off. Alex knew that if she didn't answer it Steve would be busting down the door to make sure she was alright. Then she really would have trouble on her hands.
She got off James lap and found her phone.
"What?" Alex's voice was hard and far from friendly.
"Alex, is that you?" Steve was obviously confused by her short tone.
"Who else would be answering my cell phone? What do you want, Steve?" Alex asked as she folded her arms. James got up to looking for his shirt, which had been thrown somewhere in the living room. Alex watched him move, his back an interesting compilation of scar and toned muscles. It was quite distracting, especially since she knew what his back felt like underneath her hands.
"You almost got abducted this afternoon, why do you think I'm calling?" Steve snapped back. "Why are you breathless?"
"I was working out. Did you find the guy?" Alex asked, turning away from James so that she could keep her train of thought. She didn't think Steve would appreciate her panting while she was talking to him.
"Yeah, funny thing happened. He was dropped off, bloody and unconscious, on the steps of Stark Tower. I think we both know who gave us that little present," Alex could almost see his eyebrow raised as he said that statement.
"Your favorite amnesiac and mine?" Alex felt James's eyes on her at the end of that comment. She didn't turn around.
"I'll be there in fifteen minutes. We'll talk then," Steve said before he hung up.
Alex sighed heavily as she threw her phone onto the coffee table. She looked up to see James looking at her, expression curious, eyes searching. Alex was once again struck by how attractive he was. It wasn't fair. She looked away and went to grab her shirt instead.
"Something wrong?" He asked.
"Steve's heading over to talk to me," Alex said as she pulled her shirt back on. "And Clint's going to wonder why he didn't hear the conversation on the bugs."
"I'll make myself scarce then," James said as he ran his hand through his hair to tame it. "I probably shouldn't be in the building when he gets here. He's probably going to have the whole thing search top to bottom. Again."
"He's nothing if not thorough. He also mentioned something about finding the thug unconscious on the steps of Stark Tower. That doesn't have anything to do with your bloody knuckles, does it?" Alex asked as she leaned against the back of the couch.
"He had information that I needed," James said simply.
Alex opened her mouth to say something, but then closed her lips and shook her head. She knew as soon as he came in that he'd been in a fight and she had ignored it. She figured she should have been happy that he hadn't killed the man. That was progress, right? Still, it was worrying how little she cared that he'd beaten a man unconscious.
"You should get out of here, Steve's going to be here any minute." Alex raked her hair back into a ponytail. There were a lot of emotions bouncing around in her and Alex didn't have time to deal with any of them.
"I'm glad that he's looking out for you. I can't be everywhere and until I can get rid of the Hydra threat, I don't want you to be alone," James said as they made their way to the kitchen. James picked up his jamming device and flipped the switch off, meaning that they couldn't talk anymore. Alex figured that it is was the best way he had to keep her from making a smart comment.
She held up her finger for him to wait and walked over to her cabinets. She pulled out some Tupperware and filled it with some leftover spaghetti. She grabbed a fork and handed both of them to James.
James smiled down at her, a wide and honest smile, and shook his head. Then his eyes softened and he reached out, cupped her face, and kissed her lightly on the forehead. Alex closed her eyes and breathed in his scent. When she opened her eyes, the door was closed and James was gone.
"Girl, you are a mess," Alex sighed as she walked over and turned off her music. She then pulled the curtains open and waved to Clint. She heard her phone buzz and saw a text message on the lock screen. She ignored it as she went into her bedroom and changed into sweat pants and a large hoodie, not sure if James left any marks. By the time she was done, there was pounding on her door.
"Calm down, super soldier," Alex called as she hustled to the door. "I'm coming."
She opened to door and Steve came in without Alex inviting him. He didn't look happy. She prayed that Clint bought her some alcohol during his shopping trip. She needed about three shots and a beer before Steve even opened his mouth.
"Where is he?" Steve turned and glared at her. Alex almost asked who, but she didn't think that it would go over well. Steve looked like he was on the edge of his own breakdown.
"I don't know." It wasn't a total lie. James said that he wasn't going to be across the hall and she had no idea where else he would be. Alex just didn't mention that no more than five minutes before he was standing where Steve was.
"Do you think this is a game?" Steve walked over, grabbed Alex by the shoulders, and shook her. "A man tried to kidnap you today! If your friend hadn't showed up we have no idea what would have happened to you! What if he had attacked you anyway? Do you not get what it going on?"
"Steve, stop shaking me please," Alex said calmly, though he was making her teeth chatter. "I'm not an Etch-A-Sketch. I won't change the more you shake me."
"If you would have listened to what your lovely friend had to say when we were interrogating him, maybe you wouldn't be so calm," Steve said as he let go of her shoulders and rubbed her arms as a way of apology. Alex could tell that he was worried for her, which worried her more than anything else. Captain America worried is never a good sign.
"I think we both need to sit down, have a beer, and you can explain things to me. Do we have time for that?" Alex asked, moving the fridge without waiting for Steve to answer her. Inside, there was a six pack of beer and Alex made a mental note to thank Clint. She doubted they were on Steve's shopping list. She handed one to Steve and they walked over and flopped down on the couch. She tried not to think about her and James being half dressed on that couch moments before, how she could smell him on her skin. Could Steve?
"You look exhausted," Alex said as Steve joined her. He tilted back his head and sighed. There were bags under his eyes and every line of his body spoke of exhaustion.
"If you ever tried to keep yourself safe, you'd know how exhausting it is." Steve graced her with a tiny smile. "I'm also dealing with an organization that is trying to control the world, so it's been a trying week."
Alex felt guilty, knowing that she had run down a super soldier with her lack of self-preservation. Steve had such a big heart that he was worried about this girl that he barely knew. It wasn't just about finding James anymore, he truly cared about Alex staying safe. He probably also felt that, in a way, he was responsible for her being in this mess. If he had found James sooner, they never would have crossed paths.
"What did the guy have to say?" Alex asked as she took a sip of her beer.
"You mean after Doctor Banner woke him up and patched him up?" Steve said giving Alex a look. "The short explanation is that Hydra thinks you have an alien artifact that is helping you control the Winter Solider. They want you and they want him."
"They told all of this to a thug? Isn't that like bad guy 101, don't tell the lower level cretins you hire all your evil plans?" Alex joked to hide the fact that she was terrified. Hydra wanted her, they thought she was the puppet master behind an assassin. As if anything could be further from the truth.
"He didn't tell us all that, he didn't even know who hired him. We have other agents in the city and they've been busy. They uncovered a small Hydra cell working in the city, but where and who is in it is still a mystery. What we do know is that they want that artifact badly and they think you have it," Steve downed almost his entire beer in one gulp.
"So the artifact has some form of mind control?" Alex asked as she folded her legs underneath herself. All of this was way above her pay grade, but if she was going to get kidnapped and killed, she wanted to know what for.
"I wish I knew, but some sort of mind control is our best guess." Steve said as he tipped his head back again to look at the ceiling. "I really hate mind control."
"Most people do." Alex chugged the rest of her beer. Once again, she was in the world of aliens and superheroes and had no idea what to do. That on top of normal college stress and the fact that she just made out with a man who didn't even know who he was five days ago. Her life was out of control and it frightened her.
Another part of her liked the rush.
"So, what are we going to do?" Alex asked after they had sat there for a few moments in silence.
"We aren't going to do anything," Steve said then finished his beer. "I'm going to do what's necessary."
"So, just another day in the neighborhood for Mr. Rogers?" Alex gave him a small smile. "I can't say I envy your life."
"And yet you run around getting yourself into all sorts of trouble. You're just like me as a kid," Steve said with an answering smile.
"You're technically only like ten years older than I am, so don't start with that whole 'when I was your age' bullshit," Alex laughed.
"True, but it was over seventy years ago, so show me a bit of respect," Steve chuckled.
"I have nothing but respect for you, Steve," Alex said seriously, looking down at her hands. "Even if I am terrified of everything that's happening, even if I get on your nerves and you wish that you'd never met me, I'm glad you're looking out for me. I'm really glad I got to meet you."
"I'm glad I got to meet you too." Steve smiled at her and blushed slightly. "Even though you are giving me gray hair."
"You shouldn't feel special, I do that to most people who have met me," Alex joked. It had been one of her mother's favorite phrases when Alex was growing up. They sat there quietly for a few minutes, both wrapped up in their own thoughts. Steve's phone started to ring and he pulled it out.
"You got anything, Hill?" Steve said as a way of answering the phone. He continued to have a phone conversation that made no sense to Alex and started to grate on her nerves. No one liked hearing only one side of a conversation. Alex took the empty cans and made her way into the kitchen. She pulled out another Tupperware container and filled it with the rest of her leftover spaghetti. She popped it into the microwave and pulled out another fork.
"Hey, I have to get going. We got a lead on the Hydra cell," Steve said as he joined her in the kitchen.
"Can you spare another minute, I'll give you some food for the road. You don't look like you've slept much, which means you probably aren't eating either," Alex said as she leaned against the counter.
"You do have a maternal streak in you, don't you? I have to wait for my ride, so I can take some food."
The microwave dinged and Alex pulled out the container, put a lid on it, and handed it to him. It wasn't lost on Alex that this was a fifties housewife thing to do, though a fifties housewife would have made everything from scratch. It also wasn't lost on her that she was replaying saying goodbye to James. She hoped Steve didn't try to kiss her, she'd probably explode.
"Thanks, I'll eat it in the car," Steve said with a smile as he took the hot container. They both walked to the door and Alex rocked back on her heels. She wanted to give him a hug, but wasn't exactly sure if that was allowed.
"Alex, please listen to me," Steve said as he put his hand on his shoulder again. "Once I leave, you lock the door and you don't leave this apartment. Can you do that for me? You don't go anywhere without either Clint or Sam. If James gets in contact with you, you tell us. Can you do that for me? Please?" Steve leaned down so that he was looking Alex right in the eye.
"I won't leave the apartment without a chaperon, I promise you." Alex said meeting his gaze. Steve waited for her to continue, to promise to turn James in, but Alex didn't say anything.
Steve sighed and shook his head. He squeezed her shoulder before letting go and straightening up.
"Steve, please listen to me," Alex said as he started out the door. "Be careful."
"I'll try," Steve said with a small smiled before he disappeared down the hallway. Alex closed, locked, and bolted the door.
Her phone started to ring and Alex ran over to grab it.
"Hey, thanks for the beer," she said as a way of hello to Clint.
"With the week you've been having, I considered buying you an entire liquor store, but Steve vetoed that idea. I just wanted to let you know that I heard your little promise to Steve and I'm going to be heading out with you tomorrow. Someone else will watch the apartment while we're gone," Clint explained.
"I just have class and the night shift at work so you can chill at the counter. You might get some funny looks, but Mrs. Malone shouldn't mind as long as you buy something." Alex said as she moved into the bedroom and started getting ready for bed. She realized that she probably didn't need to change her clothes, but she was burning up in the sweat pants and a sweater.
"Sounds like a plan, you running tomorrow?" Clint asked, she could hear him opening a bag of something, probably chips, in the background. Apparently he went food shopping for himself as well.
"I don't know, is that on the list of approved activities?" Alex asked as she dug through her drawers. She really needed to do laundry.
"Sam will be waiting outside your door at five-thirty. He's all about that jogging nonsense," Clint said as he continued to munch away.
"Didn't you offer to train me a couple days ago?" Alex laughed as she finally found a clean pair of shorts and a ratty t-shirt.
"A moment of insanity," Clint laughed. "I like jogging about as much as I like stakeouts."
"Didn't you say you liked this assignment a couple days ago?"
"I did, before you kept almost getting killed and Steve kept chewing me out. Now, that month in the desert is preferable to listening to your music and wondering how you are going to almost die today," Clint sighed.
"Well, I have completely signed on to the house arrest model, so you don't have to worry about that any longer." Alex said goodnight, finished dressing and headed for the living room. She only had one more article to read before she was completely caught up on assignments. Alex was too keyed up to sleep anyway.
Alex poured herself a glass of milk, grabbed a sleeve of cookies from the cabinet, and settled down on the couch. While she attempted to concentrate on a thrilling article about early Japanese pottery, she couldn't stop picturing James, half naked. Then her mind turned to when he had only had a towel on. She now had a good idea of just how big what was covered by the towel was, which didn't help her concentration. She thought about his hands, one warm and one cool, skimming across her skin. His lips traveling from her lips to her jaw to behind her ear.
What would have happened if Steve hadn't have called when he did? Would they have had sex? Was that a good idea with a man who still wasn't completely stable mentally? Was it even a good idea to get romantically involved with him?
"Well, that ship has sailed, Alexandra," She said to herself as she slid down on the couch and covered her face with the article. "Get your shit together."
Then Alex remembered that Clint could hear her. He probably was laughing and trying to figure out what she was groaning about. Maybe he would text her about it. Maybe he bought batteries. If Alex needed something, it was to relieve some stress. While she could do that manually, it was nice to have a machine do all the work. Alex reached for her phone to ask him.
A scream, loud and terrified, ripped through the building. Alex froze, her heart slamming into her throat. Then she was running for the hallway before she realized what she was doing, locked door hastily opened. Her phone started to ring, but Alex was already out of the door.
The scream came again, gurgling and full of pain. It was coming from a few floors down.
Alex flew down the stairs, missing a few and slamming to the wall. Her wrist injury flared with pain, but she ignored it as a weaker scream echoed down the hallway. Alex rounded the corner and took a deep breath. Laying on the floor was the woman who lost her cat, blood soaking through her t-shirt at an alarming rate. Alex froze for a moment, too shocked by the scene to do anything. Then she ran over and dropped to her knees.
"Oh God, oh God," Alex said as she pressed her hands onto the wound in the women's chest. A little Asian woman poked her head out of her apartment door.
"Call 9-1-1 right now," Alex called as the blood seeped through her fingers. It was warm and Alex could feel the cat ladies heart beating erratically underneath her hands. Her breath was barely coming out in small, shallow, gasps.
"Come on, please don't die," Alex said softly as she pressed her hands harder onto the wound. However, the heartbeat was barely there and the gasping was almost non-existent. She was fading quickly.
Alex heard footsteps coming up behind her and she figured it was another neighbor coming to help. Alex turned to ask them to get her some towels to stem the bleeding, but all she saw was a taser being pressed into her shoulder.
That was the last thing she saw.