Chapter 1

Part 1

Sam feels the pain between his knees and ankles, the burning sensation, the threat of it breaking, but he doesn't stop. His mouth makes greedy saliva for him to swallow, and his throat hurts to the side from thirst. It's all in the high of it, the running takes away most of his wandering thoughts, but it doesn't take away the nostalgic pain of Steve by his side, jogging.

He's running in the bike lane, a busy area, but he keeps with the traffic of them, he's not an average person, he's fast. Steve had pushed him to the point of superhuman speed. The amount of competitiveness between them, was a welcome theme among them, even though Steve won every time, Sam never gave up.

The traffic is piling up early this morning, the buses and bikes are merging into the main lane, so Sam crosses over the sidewalk, and then into a corner. He keeps up his speed, runs from one corner and then to another. There is foot crowd, and Sam decides to make his street his last.

He measures the street with his eyes. Watches the light at the end of the corner turn green and challenges himself to reach the signal before it turns red. In that same corner, perhaps Sam doesn't notice a bus pull to a stop and hitting the brakes, the doors opening, and people rushing out in many directions. One of the recently discharged passenger starts heading straight to the corner store, with his baseball hat obscuring his sight, and attention on his phone; Sam notices their collision course and considers too late; his warped mind still competing with Steve, he yells out, 'hey,' but it's too late. Sam can't come to a halt fast enough, so instead he braces for it.

Sam doesn't fall over, he is much too prepared, but the passenger does. It's terrible, Sam regrets, cursing himself.

The passenger groans in pain, his phone a few inches away and hat on the pavement. The backpack saves the impact of his back, but not the arm he lands on. Sam steps over the passenger's long legs, and bends his knee, "Oh god, I'm so sorry!" is all he can say as he grabs the man by the shoulder blades. It takes a minute or two for the passenger to come out of shock and he looks up with sharp blue eyes. Sam is stunned but a little, he ignores the icy stare and starts helping him to move, instead the passenger shoves him, and this time Sam hits the sidewalk.

Pride aside, Sam picks himself quickly and stands tall. The man on the ground looks at him; cheeks flushed, and eyes bright, but watery. He's in pain, Sam laments, but doesn't reach out to him. The man is distressed already, and Sam doesn't want to push it.

It's difficult to watch. The man picks himself slowly, groaning, and holding his left arm. The arm: Sam notices is prosthetic. Sam also regards how attractive the man is but that seems inappropriate, specially right now. Wary of the man's ire, this wasn't the time or place.

"I don't want your fucking help," Animosity in the man's voice, Sam raises his hands in surrender.

The man starts dusting himself and fixes his backpack, and then his arm. Sam recognizes the vibranium; the expensive and rare kind.

Sam grinds his teeth, "Listen, I'm very sorry," he begins, calm and collected, but he stops when the man glares at him.

"What were you doing?" He asks, reprehending him.

"I was jogging, I didn't see you." Sam scratches his head and looks away.

"Were you?" The man looks at him. Up and down.

Sam's stomach sinks in shame as he realizes the man is checking him out; Sam didn't feel self-conscious often, but he does at this moment. Specially by looking at him, after his long run, he looks like he'd just crawl out of a gutter.

"sure you were," The man says sarcastically, "you didn't see me?" he asks.

"No, I actually didn't." Sam pinches his nose, he feels like a kid being disciplined, "you were looking at your phone."

"If you didn't see me," he says slowly, "How did you know I was on my phone?"

Sam looks at him, chewing his lip, "I mean, It,"

"So," The man cuts him off, "What was the target, me or my phone?" he looks down searching. Sam realizes he's looking for the phone, so he reaches out for it, instead the man freaks out. "Don't you dare!" the man shouts, earning glares from nearby pedestrians. Sam backs away.

"Don't you dare," The man shakes his head in a huff of malice laughter. He picks up his phone and hat. "I've seen plenty of you around. I'm not going to take it from the likes of you."

Sam is confused.

The man wipes his hat, and puts it back on, "Were you going to steal in broad day light, you're that bold, you think?"

The man stares at Sam for a few seconds, but Sam in his initial confusion doesn't say anything, so instead the man smirks and jerks his head, "You look like a fucking idiot, just look at you?" Sam looks at himself. Yeah, he's been running for almost three hours, and his clothes are all sweaty, there's also dirt at the bottom of his joggers.

"You are not stealing anything from me. You are right in front of the store I work in and there are cameras, honestly, I'm sick of you people trying to rob me. Go to the sanctuary, or tent, wherever your home is today. If you try robbing me again, I will call the police, and you have to move your sorry ass elsewhere." The man looks in anger, "go to the park, the bathrooms are open, take a shower."

"What?" Sam says, baffled. "What the hell are you talking about, I'm not going to rob you."

"Well, not anymore. You stupid low intellectual bum."

And just like that, the jolt of allure he felt from the man earlier leaves. Natasha had told him once, attractive people had one of the worst attitudes.

Sam purses his lips, but doesn't say anything, instead he watches the man walk into the coffee shop. He stares a few seconds but leaves, it's not worth it. His mind is too clouded to be arguing with entitled people today. He decides to head back, but instead of going to the Avengers Tower, which was his initial route, Sam decides to go home instead. He lives a few blocks away, twenty-minute walk at least. He had to agree on one thing the man had said, he needs a shower. Running for three hours trying to clear his head, he forgot about his hygiene. Crossing the street, he contemplates taking the bus, but goes against it when he sees the line.

The audacity of some people, Sam shakes his head in disbelief. He promises not to get angry; it is not worth it.

At the next street, Sam notices a banner hanging over the old, abandoned post office. There is a line of people loitering around, with luggage and pushing carts. Coming to the middle, he notices a podium set up, and the banner reading 'Homeless Sanctuary'. The cameras are pointing at the podium, and a lady setting herself up for conference. Sam ponders on something the man had just told him, 'Go back to your sanctuary at the next street', and it boils him. So, that is what he meant by sanctuary. Sam still promises not to get angry as he starts walking away, but almost bumps into an old man pushing a cart with collected soda cans. It saddens him, but there is nothing he can do about it, he sides steps and leaves.

Sam bites his lip as sudden realization hits him. There had been a protest here several days ago, he didn't pay attention to it, though he did remember the slogan being shouted, 'More bums more crime.' It was set up by the local homeowners, and it had been going on for hours. Natasha had commented on it, but he did not seem to remember that either. It was a rich zip code, so of course the privileged people didn't want them around. According to them, it was an eyesore to have such people hanging throughout and according to the man he had just bumped into, he was an eyesore as well, the way he had looked at him up and down, Sam couldn't believe he felt a little shame of the way he looked. So, therefore the man had been so upset with him because he thought Sam was taking over his precious neighborhood. He thought he was a bum out there to commit crime and starting off with robbing him.

Now Sam was ashamed of himself, he had let some moody, entitled man ruin his mood!

Part 2

Sam made it to the Avengers tower just in time for the meeting he had forgotten. The usual talk about crime and to protect and serve bullshit was discussed, and he had a headache forming. One hour of bickering executives, and the police commissioner chirped about things as usual. As soon as it was over, Sam dashed out the doors of the conference room.

"Everything okay?" Natasha asked.

"Splendid." Sam replied casually.

"You actually came after taking a shower, I see." She chirped, "Usually we can smell you from across the table."

"You guys can always uninvite me!" Sam couldn't believe the man had shamed him into taking an actual shower. Natasha was right, he usually didn't come clean to meetings. After his run, he generally went straight to the Avenger tower. In all his sweat and glory, and the disgusted looks by everyone in the room.

"Is that the strategy here?" She furrowed her brows, "Because it almost worked. Lemar and John have been complaining nonstop to HR."

"Of course, those two fuck bunnies would." Sam pressed the down button for the elevator to come. Natasha waits with Sam, a file in her hand. "What's that?" he asks.

"Confidential." She smirks. "You look a little upset, I won't push it, but don't let whatever it is get to you."

Sam looks at her, "What?" Did he really look so upset that Natasha had noticed? She was observant, that was clear.

"You looked aggravated, like something happened. Did something finally happen that made you wake up?"

"Was I sleeping?" Sam enters the elevator as the doors opened, he presses L for lobby.

"Not literally." She replies.

Sam gives her a side look. "What do you mean?" he dares to ask.

Natasha turns to him, and Sam gives her a look. "You've been walking dead ever since Steve left. Like a zombie who has nothing to feel, like a robot even. Everything is so mundane with you these days. You are depressed and you refuse to acknowledge your own feelings to yourself. But it's good to see you angry. It's different then your usually depression over Steve."

Sam huffs a laughed, "I'm not depressed about Steve." He lies. He is depressed about Steve; his friend leaving without a word. "And I do allow myself to feel."

"Oh," Natasha quips, "How do you feel now?"

"I feel like I want to go home."

"And?" She asks.

"And what?"

"You're upset about Steve?" She starts

"I'm not upset about Steve," Sam corrects her, "Not today." He unfortunately spills.

Natasha smiles, feeling like she achieved something. She steps out with him when the elevator comes to a stop. "So, what are we upset at about today?"

They both starts going toward the exit, and Sam gives up. Natasha always had a way of making him talk about his feelings. He smiles, but it fades, "Nothing, some guy called me a bum." And with that Natasha bursts into a fit of laughter, So Sam leaves her be.