A/N: Its been quite some time, hasn't it? Well, hope you enjoy this :)
Living in the 21st century, things didn't come easy for the resident 'Captain'. Life was really different from what Steve was used to before going into the ice. Living in the Stark Tower, now renamed the Avengers Tower, was even more different, especially with a body-less voice following his every move.
It was after a few days later that Steve got to know that JARVIS, the voice that followed him everywhere, an Artificial Intelligence, Tony had tried to explain to him, wasn't really following him. He, or it, Steve wasn't really sure, was actually just present all over the Tower. And JARVIS, if not anything else, kept Steve on his toes for quite a few weeks, until he finally got accustomed to the AI. It was Ms. Potts though, along with JARVIS' assistance, who helped Steve around the monstrous tower the most. They made sure he kept up with the modern world.
But unlike during The Battle, it was Natasha and Clint he interacted with the least. The assassin duo mostly kept to themselves. You could still sometimes find Natasha moving around the place, but Clint was like a ghost. No one ever saw him unless you are Natasha, or well, JARVIS. Actually, the only few times they saw Clint was when he came to live with them that first day, and a few times when Natasha would drag him along with her to socialize, or in Clint's case, staring into space while everyone around him got to know each other better. Clint rarely ever talked.
Steve guessed it was the death of Agent Coulson that had affected the two of them, and Clint a lot more than Natasha. And he guessed that because he had once heard Clint sob into Natasha's arms on how he couldn't save Coulson. Guilt was man's worst enemy, Steve had thought after hearing that.
"I killed him, Nat!", Clint had whispered brokenly before Natasha shushed him, telling him it wasn't his fault. And that Coulson would kick his ass if he could see Clint now.
Steve could understand though. He had lost Bucky so many years ago, and he still felt responsible for what happened to his best friend. So Steve could definitely understand how Clint must be feeling after loosing not just a mentor, but also a good friend while being mind controlled by an alien. He could understand why Clint would feel guilty about having a hand in the man's demise, even if it wasn't really his fault.
Life was cruel indeed.
A/N: So... R&R?