Sam Wilson was a simple man, who enjoyed his morning runs. Partially because the bustling city of Washington DC was mostly silent at the time, and partially because he still had trouble sleeping. Also there was the fact that there was usually no one around to see him in a panting sweaty mess.
That's why; during his usual morning laps he was surprised to see another runner on the track. As he glanced up all he could see was her back, a nicely toned back at that, a pair of dimples showing just above the waistband of her pants, which brought his eyes downwards to a set mile long legs in a pair of sneakers, was what gave him an extra push to catch up to her.
"Hi." Sam greeted once he caught and matched her speed.
"Hello." She responded with an odd English accent.
"You normally run this early?" Sam asked trying to make conversation, while trying to cover up his laboured breathing. "Haven't seen you around before."
"Not really." She responded. "A friend, brought me out here."
Sam made a noise of understanding then held out his hand. "Sam Wilson."
She took it and gave it one shake. "Aphrodite." Sam's eyebrow quirked up in surprise but remained impassive. "Nice to meet you."
"You too."
Sam kept pace with Aphrodite but found it hard to keep up with her and run, and talk at the same time, letting her fill up the silences between them. When the sound of hard fast footfalls approached from behind them.
"On your left." They breathed as they zoomed past.
Sam panted wondering who in the world was so gassed, so early in the morning, then to glance at Aphrodite to see her smothering a smirk.
"I never tire of looking at these." She commented as they rounded the monument.
"You're not from around here, are you?"
"Not exactly."
Again the sound of heavy footsteps came as the same man zipped past them again. "On your left."
"Uh-huh. On my left. I got it." Sam called after him.
Aphrodite didn't even try this time and laughed at the slight look of frustration on Sam's face.
Not long after they were making a lap around lake at the base of the memorial. And Sam gritted his teeth at the wholly unwelcomed sound of footsteps behind him once again, he looked over his shoulder and saw the fast approaching figure. "Don't say it. Don't you say it!"
"On your left."
"Come on!" Sam shouted the tried his hardest to pick up his speed to match that of the other runners but failing miserably after only a few moments, now completely gassed out.
"Are you alright?" Aphrodite asked laughing as she approached his hunched over figure.
"Who the hell even is this guy?" Sam asked gesturing to where the other runner once was.
"Take it easy Sam, we can't all be super-soldiers." Sam breathed a laugh before straightening up carefully. "Let's sit you down somewhere." She said leading over to a tree where he slumped down at the base breathing hard with a hand on his chest.
"Need a medic?" A voice teasingly came from behind.
"I need a new set of lungs." Sam chuckled breathlessly. "Dude, you just ran like thirteen miles in thirty minutes."
He looks to Aphrodite sheepish. "Guess I got a late start." He said like she was too blame when technically it was him that slept in.
"You should be ashamed of yourself. You should take another lap." Sam scolds jokingly. "Did you just take it? I assume you just took it."
"What unit were you with?" He asked changing the subject and motioning to Sam's shirt.
"Fifty-eighth, Para-rescue. But now I'm working down at the VA. Sam Wilson." He say motioning for help up.
"Steve Rogers." Steve informs as he helps Sam up.
"I kind of put that together." Sam says as he tries to catch his balance. "Must have freaked you out, coming home after everything."
"It takes some getting used to. Good to meet you Sam." Steve said placing his hand on Aphrodite's lower back and beginning to lead her away.
"It's your bed right?" Sam called out.
Steve paused and turned back around. "What's that?"
"Your bed. Too soft." Sam went on to explain. "When we were over there, we'd sleep on the ground, used rocks as pillows. Like cavemen. Now I'm back home, in my own bed, feels like-"
Steve cut him off. "Like lying on a marshmallow, feels like I'm gonna sink right through to the floor." Aphrodite smiles sympathetically, she knew all too well of Steve's trouble sleeping since she started living with him. "It's getting better." He said casting a quick glance at Aphrodite. "How long?"
"Two tours." Sam responded. "You must miss the good old days huh?"
"Well, things aren't so bad. Foods a lot better. We used to boil everything. No polio that's good. Internet so helpful, we've been reading that a lot tryna' catch up."
Sam nods. "Marvin Gaye, 1972, 'Troubleman' soundtrack. Everything you've missed jammed into one album."
Steve nods and pulls out his little notebook of things that he's missed and has been trying to catch up on, along with Aphrodite. "I'll put it on the list."
As he writes his phone vibrates from his pocket and he pulls it out to see a text message from Natasha. 'Mission Alert. Extraction imminent. Meet at the curb :)' Is what it says then shows the phone to Aphrodite who reads it over.
"Next time?" she asks him teasing.
"Next time." He confirms pocketing the phone. "Well Sam, duty calls. Thanks for the run. If that's what you wanna call running." He jokes extending his hand.
"Oh that's how it is?" Sam says amused shaking the offered hand.
"Oh that's how it is." Steve responds.
"Okay, anytime you two wanna stop by the VA. Make me look awesome in front of the girl at the front desk, just let me know."
"I'll keep that in mind." Steve says as Natasha pulls up in her black sports car.
"Hey guys," She says rolling down the window. "Anyone know where the Smithsonian is? I'm here to pick up a fossils." Natasha jokes at the expense of Steve.
"Hilarious." Steve comments dryly as he climbs into the car.
"How you doing?" Sam calls with a smile as he squats down to get a better view of both Natasha and the car.
"Hey." She responds with a small smile.
"Can't run everywhere." Steve jokes smugly.
"No you can't." Sam says and just before Natasha drove away Aphrodite caught Steve's eye and shot him a wink and he responded with a smile.
"Sam," she said bringing his attention to her. "Tell me more about the VA."
"What would you like to know?" He responded offering her his arm in a chivalrous manner.
"The target is a mobile satellite launch platform: The Lemurian Star. It was sending up the latest payload when the pirates took it. Ninety-three minutes ago." Strike Team leader Brock Rumlow debriefs.
"Any demands?" Steve questions.
"A billion and a half."
"Why so steep?"
"Because it's SHIELD's." Rumlow says shrugging like it was common knowledge.
"So it's not off course. It's trespass." Steve summarizes staring down at Natasha hoping she could give some reasoning.
"I'm sure they have a good reason." Natasha says calmly.
"You know I'm getting a little tired of being Fury janitor." Steve says dryly.
"Relax, it's not that complicated." Natasha reassured.
"How many pirates?" Steve questions Rumlow.
"Twenty-five. All top mercs. Led by this guy, George Batroc." He says pulling up his photo on the monitor. "Ex- TSGE, Action Division. He's at the top of Interpol's 'red notice'. Before the French demobilized him. He had thirty-six kill missions, this guy's got a rep for maximum casualties."
"Hostages?" Steve questions.
"Mostly techs. One officer, Jasper Sitwell. "Rumlow says pulling up Sitwell picture also." They're in the gallery."
"What's Sitwell doing on a launch ship?" Steve mutters to himself, before he starts to give out orders. "Alright I'm gonna' sweep the deck and find Batroc. Nat kill the engines, wait for instructions. Rumlow, you sweep the aft, find the hostages, get them to the life pods. Get em' out. Let's go!"
"Strike, you heard the Captain. Gear up!" Rumlow orders his team.
"Secure channel seven." Steve speaks into his communicator as the approach the ship.
"Seven secure." Natasha responds. "So, you do anything fun Saturday night?"
"Well all the guys from my barbershop quartet are dead so no, not really." He jokes smirking as he adjusted his earpiece.
"That's not what I meant, and you know it." She responded fixing her gloves. "How's your girl?" she added casually.
"She's good. Not my girl yet though." He said slamming his fist down on the doors to the jet as he was informed that they were coming up on the drop zone.
"Then make it official ask her out. I'm sure she'd say yes."
"That's why I don't ask." He responded heading towards the opening.
"Too shy or too scared?" Natasha questions shouting to be heard over the sound of the rushing wind.
"Too busy!" Steve shouted back gesturing to the open door before jumping from the jet.
"Was he wearing a parachute?" A Strike Team member asks in alarm.
"No, he wasn't." Rumlow confirmed laughing.
Aphrodite was in the apartment alone reading on the couch, she didn't expect Steve to be back until later that night, tomorrow morning the latest. That's how long these kinds of ops usually take, and that's why she was shocked to see him come stomping back into the apartment.
"Hey, you okay?" She asked him once he set down his shield seeing the familiar crease in his eyebrows as made his way over to the couch lifting her legs and sitting down before settling them in his lap. "What happened?" she repeated setting aside her book.
He let out a heavy breath and began telling her everything, from the extraction op that turned out to have Natasha having an entirely different mission of her own, the explosions, confronting Fury, the Insight helicarriers and what Shield's plans for them were.
One thing at a time, Aphrodite thought to herself. "You can't blame Natasha, she was just doing her job."
"When is retrieving intel more important than people's lives?"
"I'm not saying it is, I'm saying don't be so hard on her. She has a job to do same as you. Maybe not exactly the same, and Fury. He's a special case, he's just doing what he thinks is right."
Steve sighed but nodded. "I wanna know who I could trust."
Frowning Aphrodite reached out and gently turned him to face her, "You can trust me."
He took her hand in his, "I do trust you." He pressed a kiss to the back of her hand before looking at the clock across the room. "You wanna get out of here?" he asked and she nodded eagerly.
Fin-Fish Jun-Tenshi: Cool.
BrittStar1199: Yup they did. Welcome to Winter Solider. Lol, they only just kissed and you're already ready for the wedding. I love it :D.
Babyi.G: I KNOW RIGHT!
BlueBloodsSVUOrder: Thanks for the support as always.
crimson. blood .witch: Thank you, glad you enjoyed. Yes, the kiss we've all been waiting for. Good guess but sadly I have to say no. Loki didn't charm the snake band that was a well-meaning gift from Thor to honour Loki, nothing more.
Lumpy's chickin shack: I'd like and order of chickin with extra, extra lumps please. Sorry to disappoint but this story will not feature a love triangle, not with Bucky and definitely not with Loki. She'd gonna be with Steve for the long run.
MidnightPenguin: Glad you enjoyed. Your suggestions are always so good, I love seeing them. You'll have to wait and see how that relationship goes.
Ivana Bocanegra: All of Infinity War is gonna be super fun to write, but especially when it comes to the Black Order, Ebony Maw was easily one of my favourite amoung. Honestly can't wait for Aphrodite to meet all of the 'New Avengers'.
ChelseaXNicoleX: Welcome, thanks for the support.
Kadence1: Thank you.
Debated for a while on whether or not to put Aphrodite in the fight on the Lemurian Star, in the end decided against it. Btw this takes place literally the day after the last chapter.
As always let me know what you think and what you'd like to see in the future. Leave me a review too, as you can see I'll be answering/responding to the ones can. So feel free to say or ask me anything.