Hey guys! So if you made it to this second chapter, then I'm assuming that means I've got you at least a little interested in this story! I hope you continue to stick with me and see how Rose's story unfolds! I'm going to throw out the disclaimer that I do not own Marvel or it's characters and let you get to it! Hope you enjoy! Xoxo-NickyLynn
Her fingers clung to the edge of the ground, fear filling her as she dangled above the open air. The dirt under her sweaty fingertips began crumbling under her weight and the fear swirling within her exploded into sheer terror at the realization that she was going to fall. She let out a scream as the ground gave way and she lost her hold on the lifeline, sending her falling through the air. She squeezed her eyes shut tightly and a scream tore out of her throat as she felt the wind rush past her as she fell.
She jolted awake and looked around in relief as she came to terms with the fact that she wasn't falling through the endless darkness, but instead was sitting at her kitchen table. She looked down to the textbook under her arms and realized she must have fallen asleep while reading again. She let out a long sigh as she rubbed her eyes tiredly. She looked up at the clock hanging above the doorway and nearly panicked as she read the time. She shot up, the wooden chair pushing out behind her with a screech as it drug across the floor. She rubbed her lower back, which was incredibly stiff from sleeping sitting up, and made her way out of the kitchen and down the hall towards her room.
When she got to the end of the hall, she banged her fist against Steve's door three times. "Wake up Steve! Bucky will be here soon!" she yelled through the wood. She stood quietly for a moment, listening for movement within the room. When she was greeted with silence, she threw her fist against the wood a couple more times. "Don't make me come in there and drag you out of that bed!" she threatened. She heard Steve mumble out a response she couldn't decipher and turned to head into her own room.
It had been twelve years since Sarah had brought her home from the hospital. Twelve years and she still wasn't any closer to knowing where she had come from than she had been all those years ago. No one ever came looking for her and her memories never returned. The best they could assume was that she was orphaned at a young age and just ended up living on the streets. To be honest, she never really thought much about her unknown beginnings. She may not have been able to recall where or to who she was born, but she at least had a name now. Rose Rogers. Steve had chosen the name for her shortly after she had been brought into their home. He had chosen the name based on the gold bracelet that was wrapped around her wrist. It was as in the shape of a single, beautiful rose whose stem wrapped around her wrist and up her forearm. It was the only thing she had on her when she was found on the sidewalk forever ago. It was her only connection to her past and she refused to take it off. Strangely, through the years it never seemed to tighten around her growing wrist either, it just continued to fit snugly around her the larger she grew.
Sarah had, true to her word, given her a home and raised Rose as her own daughter, along side Steve. She may not remember who her true family was, but it didn't matter, because Rose was given a family with Sarah and Steve. Sarah had worked hard to provide for their small family and Rose knew it. So, wanting to lessen the burden on Sarah's shoulders, if only a little, she dedicated herself to following in her footsteps and becoming a nurse. She listened and learned from Sarah as she would tend to Steve when he would, unavoidably, get sick, until she could help take care of him herself. Steve was born with a multitude of ailments, such as: asthma, scoliosis, heart arrythmia, partial deafness, and anemia. Even the slightest cold would send him into a bad episode of sickness and Rose spent many sleepless nights helping take care of him.
Rose never complained though, in fact, she practically dedicated her whole life to taking care of her brother. Afterall, Sarah had brought her in and given her a home and family when she could have left her as somebody else's problem. It was the least she could do to help look after her son, especially now that Sarah had passed away two years prior, leaving Rose to look after Steve alone. It had been hard on the two of them to loose her. It happened shortly after they celebrated their eighteenth birthday (a birthday that they celebrated together as they never really knew Rose's actual birthday). Sarah had caught Tuberculosis after working in the TB wing at the hospital and had passed on after getting very sick. Rose helped take care of Sarah during her final days and in a tear-laced plea, Sarah had made Rose promise to always look after Steve now that she couldn't. Rose took Sarah's hand in her own and gave her the promise. A promise she had no intentions of breaking.
The two years since Sarah had died had, truthfully, gone by in a blur. Between nursing school, work, and helping take care of Steve on his bad days, Rose never seemed to have more than a moment to herself. She would trade hours of sleep for hours of studying, and when she wasn't at school, she was working at the hospital, trying her best to keep her and Steve afloat. Unfortunately, times were hard on everyone and even though she had been working her ass off, they could never afford anything but the bare minimum. But, again, Rose never complained. It was a life she had been gifted and it was a life she cherished, regardless of it's struggles.
Besides, after today their luck might change. She had an important interview today over in the city that one of her professors had set up for her. A 'chance of a lifetime' he had called it and she was eager for the opportunity. So, she pulled on a fresh skirt and blouse, pulled out what little bit of makeup she had (most of which had been left by Sarah) and fussed over her reflection until she was satisfied. She swiped on mascara to help make her blue eyes pop and styled her long, black hair so it sat on top of her head in curled ringlets that she pinned into place. Finally, she slipped on a pair of low, black heels and called it good.
Rose hardly ever put much effort into her appearance outside of her work uniform, never having the time or money to doll herself up frequently, so when she walked back out to the kitchen and found Bucky leaning against the counter, he had to do a double-take upon seeing her.
He let out a low whistle as she walked into the kitchen and pulled open the fridge next to him. "You got yourself a hot date, Rosie?" he asked her, with a raised brow.
Rose grabbed the bowl of eggs and milk from the fridge before turning and giving him an exasperated look. "Like I have time for dating." She scoffed, moving to his other side where the stove sat. She placed her items on the counter and began heating the skillet.
"Then what's the occasion?" he asked her, crossing his arms across his chest and looking down at her.
"I've got an interview today." She replied, as she pulled a few eggs out and began cracking them over the edge of the pan and letting them drop onto the hot surface.
"Where at?" he asked curiously.
Rose looked up at him, biting at her bottom lip, trying to keep the smirk from her face. "Stark Industries." She told him.
"S-Stark-" Bucky said, his eyes going wide in shock.
"Yup." She said, popping the 'p'.
Bucky let out another whistle, impressed. "Wow."
Rose kept her focus on the pan as she pushed the cooking eggs around, careful not to burn them. "Hey, Buck, will you grab the loaf of bread off the table for me?" she asked him, glancing at him out of the corner of her eye.
Bucky pushed himself off the counter and grabbed the loaf off the table as requested, stopping to look at the book that had been left out. "This for school?" he asked, walking back over to Rose, setting the bread down on the counter next to her.
"Hmm?" she asked, looking over at him confused. He nodded over to the book she had fallen asleep on top of and she quickly understood. "Oh, um, no." she said, turning off the stove and reaching over to the bread. "It's just something I picked up for fun. It's about Norse mythology." She told him as she sliced into the slightly dried-out bread.
Bucky tried repressing a smile as he watched her. "I'm not sure 'fun' is the adjective I would use to describe voluntary education." He told her with a smirk.
Rose rolled her eyes as she bumped her hip into his to move him out of the way so she could pull down some plates from the cupboard he was stationed in front of. "Yes, Bucky. Fun. Some people actually enjoy reading, you know." She tossed back at him.
"Oh, Rosie, you have got to get out more." He said with a groan. "You know there's more to life than the inside of a book."
"Oh, what, like chasing around girls?" she questioned lifting a brow at him as she filled the plates with the steaming food.
"Well, I'd call that fun." He said, grinning at her. Rose rolled her eyes at him as she turned around to place the plates down at the table.
"What's fun?" Steve asked, walking into the kitchen behind them.
Bucky turned to find his friend looking between the two of them. "I was just telling Rosie how she needed to widen her definition of fun." He told him with a smile.
Steve walked over to the table, pulling out a chair. He dropped himself down in front one of the plates before looking up at Rose who was pouring milk into his glass. "He's not wrong, you know." He told her.
Rose took a bite out of the bread from her plate and rolled her eyes again. "Oh, please. I have fun." She said, dropping herself down into the chair opposite Steve.
"When? When's the last time you did something other than work or school?" Steve asked, scooping some eggs onto his fork.
Rose chewed silently for a moment, digging through her brain, not sure she knew the answer to that. After realizing she honestly couldn't remember the last time she actually did something they counted as fun, she instead decided to change the topic. "Did you take your medicine?" she asked Steve after she swallowed down her food.
Steve rolled his own eyes and let out a sigh. "I am an adult, you know. I'm capable of taking care of myself." He told her, tired of having her dote over him constantly. He knew he was the main reason why she worked so hard and never went out and there was a large part of him that was filled with guilt over it.
"I know." She told him, eyes softening. She knew that the older he got, the less he liked having her constantly fret over his health. It was true….he was an adult now…a man…and no man wanted to be taken care of, especially not by their sister. "I know that, Steve. I just worry is all."
"So, what's with this interview at Stark Industries?" Bucky asked, changing the subject as he noticed the siblings' discomfort.
Rose looked over to him. "I'm not sure to be honest. They're doing work with the human genome. They're mostly looking for lab assistants, I think. My professor set up the interview." She explained.
"You're gonna do great." Steve said, drawing her attention back to him.
"Let's hope so." She muttered, knowing they could really use the extra income. A horn could be heard from outside and Rose made her way over to the window. She looked down at the street to find the her professor standing next to his car, waiting for her. He had promised to give her a ride to the ferry and he was right on time. She turned around, with her plate of eggs still in hand and pushed it into Bucky's hands as she passed. "Here, you can finish that. I've got to go." She said, moving to put the milk and eggs back into the fridge. "You guys have a good day!" she said, turning back around to give Steve and Bucky a smile.
"Good luck!" they both said in unison as she pulled her coat off the hook on the wall and slide her arms inside it. She grabbed her purse and keys from the table before giving them one last smile and headed towards the door.
"See you tonight!" she called as she pulled open the door and walked out, on her way to, hopefully, change their lives for the better.
Two hours later she found herself sitting inside Howard Stark's office and she was nothing but a ball of nerves. She knew she had an interview at Stark Industries, but she had no idea the interview would be with Howard Stark, himself. When the kind assistant guided her into the office and told her to make herself comfy while she waited, it took everything in her not to puke on the spot. Her stomach was doing flips from all the nervousness and she found herself unable to keep still. She paced around the room, looking at the various designs and sketches that had been hung up here and there, totally mesmerized by it all. Her nerves slowly began to shift from nervousness to elation as she was rocked with the realization that she was actually in the Howard Stark's actual office. The glee wore off, however, after about an hour of waiting.
She dropped herself down into one of the oversized chairs that faced the large mahogany desk and waited. And waited. After the third hour of waiting, her giddiness was replaced with concern and worry. She had popped her head out to ask the assistant if something was wrong, only for her to be informed that Howard was just 'running behind'. So, she continued to wait. After waiting for a total of four hours and forty-seven minutes (yes, she was counting), she was livid. Her heel was tapping against the marble floor in anger as she stewed in her thoughts. When the door behind her finally swung open and Howard Stark strode in, she jumped up from her seat.
He looked over at her as he strode into the room, a wide smile spread out across his face. "Ah, you must be the student Jacobs was telling me about." He said, walking up to her, holding out his hand. "Howard Stark." He greeted.
"Yes, I know who you are." She told him, still wound up with anger. "Are you okay?" she asked him with her eyebrow arched in the air, refusing to take his hand.
His own eyebrows dropped in confusion. "Yes, of course. Why wouldn't I be?" he asked her with a small laugh.
"I only assumed….I've been waiting here for almost five hours now and I assumed something must have happened to retain you for so long." She told him, crossing her arms over her chest.
"Oh! Yes, well, sorry about that, I had a craving for French cuisine, so I flew over to Paris for breakfast is all!" he told her with a smile, moving once again towards his desk.
"A craving?" Rose repeated, dumbfounded. She took a moment, contemplating her thoughts and emotions before she swiveled around to face him, knowing her anger was about to get the better of her once again, but not caring. "Mr. Stark I'm a busy woman and I've had to take off a day of work to be here. Now, that may not mean much to you but one day of work for me is the equivalent to a day's worth of food on my table. My time may not be as valuable compared to yours, but still holds value and you've wasted it. On…what was it again….a craving?" she bit out at him, entirely consumed by her anger.
His mouth dropped open as she lashed out at him, not being used to someone treat him like she was. "Now, I'm sure this opportunity is a wonderful one, but honestly if you can't even respect the fact that my time is more valuable than a pile of crepes, then I'm afraid I'm going to have to turn it down. To be frank, the only reason I'm still here and didn't leave hours ago was for the sole reason that maybe I could stop you from wasting someone else's time, like you did mine." She seethed.
Howard's mouth snapped closed as he processed her sharp words. "I-I'm sorry." He eventually said, not knowing what else to say to the livid young woman, berating him like a child.
"I hope you enjoyed your breakfast Mr. Stark. Now if you excuse me, I have a train to catch." She said before turning on her heel and storming out of his office. The receptionist blinked over at Rose, surprised, as she made her way past her desk, having heard the whole outburst. Rose wasn't sure, but she swore she could see the traces of a smile tugging at the corner of her lips. She passed on a quick thanks to her before she found her way out of the office and out of the building, refusing to look back.
By the time she got home it was dark and Rose was exhausted and starving. She let out a deep sigh as she slide the key into the lock and pushed open the door. Steve and Bucky were sitting in the living room, playing cards and listening to the radio, bottles of beer in their hands. They both looked up at her as she walked in the apartment. She shut the door behind her and kicked off her heels, not bothering to put them away. She shuffled over to the couch, slipping out of her coat as she went. She draped the coat over the back of the couch and dropped herself down next to Bucky.
"Uh, so how'd it go?" Bucky asked, looking over at her, perplexed.
Rose let out anther sigh and reached over him, taking hold of the bottle of beer in his hand and pulled it out of his grip and into her own. She brought the mostly-full bottle of alcohol to her lips and tipped her head back, draining the whole bottle within seconds.
Bucky's eyebrow shot up as he watched her drain the rest of his beer and slam the bottle down onto the table before letting herself fall into the back of the couch with a sigh. "So….it didn't go well then?" he asked her, taking in her obvious distress.
"I don't want to talk about it." Rose told him, closing her eyes as her head fell against the back of the couch.
"So you don't want us to tell you about the message that was left for you…by, uh….Howard Stark?" Steve asked her.
Rose's head shot up at his words. "What?" she asked him, sure she misheard him.
"He called and asked if I could pass along a message for you. He said you got the job." He said, confused by the whole situation.
"What?!" she asked again, sitting forward in shock.
"He wants you to come back in tomorrow at eleven. He told me to assure you that he would resist any cravings that came up." He continued, giving the rest of the message to her, not understanding what exactly it meant.
"Huh." Rose said, letting herself fall back against the couch.
"When you said you were interviewing for Stark Industries, I didn't think you meant you'd be working with Stark himself." Bucky said, causing her to look over at him. Her arms were crossed, and her mind was a flurry of thoughts.
"I didn't either." She admitted.
"So what did you say to him?" Steve asked her, trying to make the pieces of the puzzle fit together.
"I pretty much called him an asshole." She replied, her face drawing into confusion as she tried to process how despite her harsh words, he still wanted to give her the position. Steve started coughing as the beer he was drinking got stuck in his throat at her reply. He began coughing violently, trying to clear the liquid from his airway. Rose shook her head as she tried to fully processed what had transpired. She wasn't entirely sure how things had turned around after the disastrous interview, but one thing she was certain of….this was about to be the beginning of a new life for her and Steve.