Back again! I was overwhelmed by the fantastic reviews I received for the last chapter, and I can't thank you guys enough! I responded to the majority of them, I'll try to respond to the rest very soon. And to those who I can't message who reviewed (you know who you are) I thank you from the bottom of my heart! Be prepared for a little bonding and a little drama in this chapter! Enjoy!

Steve could already hear the deep breaths and soft footsteps coming down the hallway and into the dining room. Because he had a guest, he decided to cook up some of the bacon Thor had dropped off (yes, not all Asgardian food was foreign and strange). Steve wished that they had some eggs on hand, and contemplated the idea of turning one of the floors into a chicken run, capturing some of the chickens that ran wild on the streets; maybe even have a vegetable garden in there with them. The one with the windows on all sides would do very nicely…

"It's been a while since I've woken up to the smell of bacon wafting down the hall, or in this case, through the tower."

Steve cocked his eyebrow in surprise as Chad entered the spacious tiled kitchen and dining area. "You have an enhanced sense of smell as well?" he asked curiously. Steve wanted to learn as much about this kid as he possibly could, especially if he was planning on going through with the idea that had been banging around in his head since yesterday afternoon.

Chad chuckled lightly and shook his head. "I've always had a better sense of smell than most people. Plus, anybody with a sense of smell would be able to smell it through the ventilation systems."

Huh, guess that explained it. Now that Steve thought about it, the smell was pretty strong, even though he was cooking it and had an enhanced sense of smell. He knew the bacon had finished cooking when the number of splatters of grease leaping up and burning his skin increased to an obnoxious number. He scraped it out of the pan and onto a ceramic plate alongside two pieces of toast (without butter, unfortunately) and fished out a knife and fork. He set the steaming meal down in front of an almost-drooling Chad and teen thanked him before digging in with vigour, not bothering with eating utensils.

Steve watched him from the corner of his eye, as he set his toast in the toaster (thank god they still had an abundant supply of frozen bread) and dropped his bacon in the pan, retreating to the other side of the kitchen as the fatty meat spat and sizzled. He could perfectly visualise all of the individual reactions that his fellow team mates would have when they saw Chad shovelling his food down.

Tony would probably be annoyed and make a crude Joke, which only Clint would laugh at after placing a bet on how fast Chad would finish. Natasha would roll her eyes at Tony's joke and mutter something about all men being the same, Bruce would give a small smile and return to reading his morning newspaper, and Thor would give a hearty laugh, despite not really getting the butt of Tony's joke. It was these little things, these little interactions between his team mates that Steve held close to his heart, and also missed dearly.

Steve returned to the pan to flip the pieces of bacon and fled once again for fear of being burnt. He was certainly glad that Tony wasn't here to see him running away from bacon grease, even though he would probably do the same thing.

He jumped when he realised that he hadn't given Chad anything to drink with his meal, which was already half-finished. He hurried over to the cupboards and pulled out a glass, hastily filling it three quarters of the way with water from a bottle in the fridge. "What kind of cordial do you prefer in the mornings, Chad?" Steve asked, observing the supply of the sweet liquid that hadn't been spiked by Tony. Cordial lasted a long time, which Steve was grateful for. The soldier had a bit of a sweet tooth.

"Anything, I don't mind, thank-you."

Steve's eyebrows furrowed and he sighed. He didn't really like picking things for people, even when they'd said that they would be fine with anything. The man didn't want to keep Chad waiting, so he picked lime and hoped it would be ok.

After pouring it, he placed it carefully in front of Chad who thanked him once again, and took his bacon out of the pan and the five pieces of toast out of the toaster, setting it on a larger plate. Sure, he ate a lot, but his metabolism burned five times faster than the average human, so he needed more food.

Setting down his steaming plate piled high with fatty meat and crunchy bread, Steve poured himself a glass of raspberry cordial and carried everything over to where Chad had slowed down a little, and was halfway through finishing the rest of his meal.

"Did you sleep alright?" The soldier asked, swallowing the last of the first piece of toast he had just eaten.

"Best sleep I've had in a while, thank-you. It was nice to have at least one night of luxury; I hope I haven't gotten too spoilt." Chad jested.

Steve hesitated, wondering if he should ask Chad what had been on his mind ever since he had invited the teen to the dining room for a hot meal. He knew it most-likely wasn't allowed, and that Trevor Nelson, the person who was in charge of the reform school he visited yesterday, had told him that if he saw or caught any kids, to hand them in immediately. Something about not being able to handle what they could do. Chad looked at him strangely, obviously having already picked up on the fact that Steve was about to say something.

"About that… It gets a little lonely around here sometimes, and you were really good at helping me hand out meals yesterday, I might need someone to help me do it more often. And since I don't really want to go around looking for you when I need help, would you…." Steve took a deep breath, and calmed himself.

"Would you like to stay here?"

Chad's eyes had been getting wider and more hopeful with every word that tumbled from Steve's mouth. He saw before the captain even started talking that he looked nervous, as if Chad wouldn't jump at the offer for three meals a day and a warm place to live. He didn't talk to too many people these days, and trusted even less. But he could see such genuine hope in the older man's eyes, such genuine concern when he asked what flavour of cordial he wanted. It was good to have options again, and even better that someone offered them to him. And now, here he was, asking if he wanted to stay in the god damned Avengers Tower. Aniyah would've loved him.

"I was wondering when you'd ask." Chad grinned, as he leaned back in the dining room chairs.

A broad smile overtook Steve's face, as he leaned forward in anticipation. "So is that a yes?"

Chad nodded, only slightly, but it was a clear message. "I would like that very much, thank-you."

It had been a good day, probably one of the best he had had so far, since he returned from Asgard after refusing Thor's offer to stay permanently. In the morning, Steve updated his journal while letting Chad watch the news being broadcasted from Washington D.C. and have a much-needed morning shower after over two years without one. It shocked Steve every time he thought about it, that this life-hardened teen had survived two years on the streets on New York City, nine of those without his mother or anybody to take care of him. Hell, he did it without anybody in general, as afar as Steve knew.

It was a sad feeling, to know that somebody so young, and so smart, (Steve had picked up on more of Chad's intelligence when he talked about his love of music, and tried to explain all the different types and songs he can play. Steve was sure he had a guitar lying around here somewhere…) had seen his mother been killed in front of him, and was then forced to surviving on the streets amidst gangs, the cold, and hunters. It made Steve feel incredibly guilty, that he hadn't taken him in sooner.

How could he have been so selfish? To live in a huge tower, that could probably house hundreds of people, and choose to live alone, and kick out anybody that tried to stay in? 'Because they were petty criminals that would kill you or anybody else without remorse or mercy just to get a decent meal, and would lay waste to the home you shared with your friends before the country turned to shit' the darker part of his had subconscious whispered.

He had once been open to the idea of opening up the tower as a safe-haven, and had been keeping an eye out for somebody that wouldn't try to steal as much as they could and run before he was attacked by the kid. That was why he was so very wary of the kids with powers. The fire girl had very-nearly killed him, who knew what another one could do? It was terrifying to think of, but thinking about it now, they were only kids. They were young, they were scared. He should've been helping them out sooner than this, instead of huddled up inside the tower like a coward.

Kids weren't common to see on the street, which was why Steve was so surprised to see the two small little boys huddled up close to their parents yesterday. He had only seen a few others, darting into alleyways or out of sight whenever he passed them on a run. He wouldn't pursue them, they wouldn't attack him, everybody would come out unharmed. He shuddered at the thought of having to hurt a kid if he was being attacked. He didn't think it was in him to do something that was so far against his morals.

After Chad had finished his shower, and exited wearing one of Pepper's red track pants and black scarves and Natasha's grey hood and boots, (they were the only articles of clothing that where anywhere close to fitting him) they both set off on the morning breakfast round, handing out containers of food to the people huddled by fires and looking through various shops and stores for more clothes that would fit Chad's slim figure. They found a few 'I love New York!' souvenir tees and a pair of loose-fitting board shorts that Steve stuffed into the muddy brown backpack he usually kept the food in.

Chad had lead the way for a little bit of the search for clothes, and Steve had been curious when he found himself following the teen into a post office, that had the windows broken and all of the shelves looted. Even the toys and puzzles hadn't been spared. The soldier stepped over the glass, the shards crunching under the weight of his boots, and glanced around to see where Chad had run off to.

He almost hit the roof as he jumped when he felt something zap his shoulder. He turned and glared the giggling kid that was standing next to a large grey door all the way over the other side of the room. How the hell did he get there so quickly, and quietly for that matter?

"Knock it off; scaring me like that is not funny." Steve said, rubbing his shoulder and trying his best to give the scolding look he could manage, but a small smile managed to break through the captain's stern features, and he sighed at his inability to keep a straight face.

"Why are we here, anyway? A post office doesn't exactly sell designer jeans, you know."

Chad snorted softly and rolled his eyes at Steve's obliviousness. "Oh yeah? Where do you think is the best place to find stuff that you need, or might need, that hasn't been looted yet?" Chad asked, pointing to the sign that read, "Package Room, Employees Only."

Steve almost smacked himself when he realised just what Chad was talking about. People ordered and received all kinds of stuff, and there was bound to be a lot of packages, judging by the size of this particular post office. Not only that, but the door was locked, meaning that nobody had been in there yet. It was an untapped treasure trove.

The teen looked at Steve expectantly, and Steve realised what Chad wanted him to do. "Stand back; I don't want you getting hit."

Chad backed off and Steve brought his shield back behind him and sliced the grey iron padlock clean off. The door swung open, and Steve's eyes widened as he looked up, yes, up, trying to see exactly how large the room was, and how many packages there were. A couple of abandoned forklifts sat gathering dust of the corner and old security cameras hung from the ceiling.

Chad darted in, for lack of a better phrase, looking like a kid in candy land. He rushed around the room, picking up different sizes packages and feeling them for softness, trying to tell which ones contained clothes. Steve gave a bemused smile and decided to help out, patting and poking the parcels to try and feel which ones held clothes or shoes.

Chad gave a shout of joy, and Steve poked his head through the shelves to try and see if the teen had found any clothes his size, rolling his eyes when he spotted him waving around a brand new iPhone 6, still in the brand new plastic wrapping. Tony wasn't too fond of Apple products, saying that they were flawed, and needed way too much improvement and tweaking to be even available to the general products.

"We're here for clothes, not fancy overpriced gadgets." Steve called from where he had his head poking through the shelves. He caught the deadpan expression on Chad's face and smiled to himself. The kid reminded the soldier a little of Bruce. They were both very polite, and had a sarcastic streak that showed whenever they were making a joke, or were told something they didn't agree with.

For the next hour, Steve and Chad shuffled through the thousands of packages within the steel walls of the package room, each making their own individual little piles of things that they thought they would need, or looked cool. So far, Steve had found an expensive looking pair of black hunting gloves that fit his broad hands, a few light purple duffel bags, a vintage leather Jacket, a silvery-grey Swiss army knife with a black glass handle, a set of walkie-talkies and a several flashy looking watches.

He had tossed one of the bags to Chad, who had made his way across the room, closer to where Steve was. Chad thanked him, carefully packing all of his discoveries into it and returned to opening packages. They had found a whole year's worth of clothes, but only a small percentage of them fit Chad comfortably. It was still more than enough clothes to keep Chad going.

They had chatted occasionally, half-shouting to each other from across the room, usually joking about a strange name that they read on one of the packages.

"Have you found everything you need Chad?" Steve called to the dark shape he could just barely see through the rows of packages.

"Just five more minutes, I want to find another pair of shoes, just in case my other ones break!"

Steve highly doubted that the bright red pair of Nikes with white stripes would break any time soon. Tony had mentioned once or twice that they were very durable, and could take a lot of wearing before they started to fall apart.

They ended up staying another twenty minutes, because Chad was having such a good time, he didn't have the heart to spoil it for him. "Found them! They look about my size too!"

Steve sighed with relief, shouldering the purple duffel bag carrying all of his stuff and made his way toward the door. "Ready to go kid? It's getting pretty cold in here."

Chad rolled his eyes, smiling slightly and muttered something about spoilt super soldiers as he passed Steve and exited the parcel room. After wedging the door shut at Chad's request to make sure the parcel room door was only able to be opened again by either a super soldier or a Mack truck, Steve followed, unable to stop the contented smile from spreading across his face as the two made their way back to the tower.

The rest of the day was spent sorting out Chad's room and trying to make it as homey as possible. Chad really liked the soft white and blue tones that themed the walls and carpets, and the silvers and soft reds that accentuated the furniture and decorations. The majority of the rooms on Steve's floor were like that actually, including the bathrooms, kitchen, living room, the other two guest bedrooms, and gym. Yes, he had his own private gym on his floor, just like Natasha and Clint had a weapons vault and training room on their, and Bruce had a small lab on his floor.

His room was decorated very similarly, the only difference being that it was a little larger and the reds, whites, blues and silvers were stronger and more vibrant than those in the guest bedrooms. Pepper and Clint had worked together on the design ideas for everybody's separate floors. Nobody was allowed to talk about the day the two hot headed designers strongly disagreed on the colour layout for Thor's room. It hadn't ended well, and resulted in apologies all around. They would be appalled to hear that Steve had completely rearranged everything in the Thunder God's main room.

Chad and Steve moved a few things around here and there, Chad decorated the walls with a bundle of old fashioned movie posters he had found at the post office, set up the simple white office desk with a leather bound journal and a packet of cheap office pens the teen had fished out of a huge box that was almost as big as he was. Steve gave Chad one of the watches he had found, and watched him pull out more miscellaneous items from his duffel bag and set them around his room. He narrowed his eyes at the iPhone 6, the last thing Chad pulled from his little stash. Chad simply turned around and gave Steve a look that dared the soldier to argue. He didn't, instead choosing to speak to Jarvis.

"Jarvis, do we still have any wifi left?"

"Although that is not exactly how it works, Captain Rogers, yes, we do still have 'some left'."

"Good. Chad will probably need it if he wants to download games onto that new phone of his."

Chad stared at Steve in disbelief, and then smiled a big, joyful smile. "Thank-you, Steve."

After they had eaten dinner, where they had gotten to know each other a little better with Steve recalling some more of his team's antics and Chad chatting about some of his crazier teachers at one of the private schools across Manhattan (Steve couldn't remember its name), they two had settled down to watch the rest of the movie Chad had fallen asleep watching last night. Steve had already seen the movie with Natasha, who was a sucker for animated movies, but enjoyed the half of it nevertheless.

Steve now sat in his room, with Chad fast asleep across the hall, and wrote about the memorable day he had experienced so far in his journal. He didn't like the thought of not keeping track of what had happened, even if the only thing he did all day was watch movies and eat. He finished up after about forty minutes, taking care to include a detailed sketch of Chad a huge fluffy coat, laughing and surrounded by shelves of packages. He smiled at the drawing, shutting his journal and asking Jarvis to flick the lights off, and finally closed his eyes, allowing a small, happy smile to slip onto his face.

Steve bolted upright, awakening to the sound of gunshots in the night. "Jarvis! What the hell was that!" Steve yelled, frantic to find where the noise had come from.

"I do not know if they were in the building or not sir, they sounded very close." Steve shot of bed and rushed into the next room, where Chad was peering out of the windows, trying to see what was going on. He looked terrified, and Steve could see small bright flashes of electricity jumping off of his shoulders. "Chad, stay here. Jarvis will put this room on lockdown, if it's an emergency, Jarvis will let you out. Do not, under any circumstances, follow me. Gunshots aren't too common around here, so I need to check it out. I'll be back soon."

Steve rushed down the elevator, still in his pyjamas, and cautiously stepped out the doors and into the street. A hunter fought against two other people about eighty feet down the road, and a sickening feeling settling in his gut when he recognised just who they were. It was the mother and the father of the two little boys.

The family that he had prepared a room for, and was going to offer them a home in his tower. Steve couldn't see the two little boys, but right now, he had to help the parents. The dad was bleeding openly from a wound in his arm, but was still fighting. Steve started running at full speed, but he was too late. The hunter shot the father right between the eyes, making the man's eyes roll back into his head and crumple to the floor.

"NO!" Steve yelled. He threw his shield at the man with the gun just as he pointed it at the screaming mother. The shield hit him on the head, but not before the man looked up at Steve and surprised and pulled the trigger.

The mother screamed in agony, clawing at the hole in her chest. Steve sprinted over to her, trying desperately to stop the blood pouring from her wound. It was pointless, as a soldier, Steve knew you can't stop the bleeding when it's that bad. When the wound is that deep.

She ceased her screaming and stared sharply as Steve still tried to stop the bleeding with glazed eyes. He knew she was dying, her breaths were becoming shorter and she was shaking uncontrollably. "Ry… Ryan. Chris. P…. please, m-my boys."

"Hey, shhh, it's okay, try to stay with me. Please, try to keep your eyes open." Steve could hardly keep his voice from cracking as the pale woman coughed and black blood bubbled out from her mouth. He wiped it away carefully, whispering soothing words to her, trying to keep her with him.

"T-take…. care…. of them…. please." Steve nodded, whispering promises to her that he would keep them safe and look after them. He held to for another few seconds, listening to her agonised whispers leave her lips. The last of the light drained from her eyes and Steve hung his head, giving a silent sob and standing up, wiping the slick blood on his dark pyjama pants. He could hear the rumbles of vehicles in the distance; probably backup for the hunter that was lying unconscious a few metres away. Steve sprinted and picked up his shield. He had to find these kids.

The trucks were getting closer, and Steve rushed into the alleyway closest to him, sighing in relief when he saw a familiar looking bundle of blankets. He hurried over and crouched down in front the two terrified looking boys, that were clinging onto each other and crying silently. "Hey, shhh, calm down. Your mom, she told me to get you two out of here. I'm going to take you into the tower with me, because there are bad people coming that are looking for you. I'm… I'm going to keep you safe, okay?" Steve asked, trying to keep the desperate urgency out of his tone.

One of the kids nodded, and Steve guessed that it was good enough. He gently picked them both up, blanket and all, resting one child on his hip and balancing the other one (the smaller one) in his arm, using his free hand to hold his shield. He sprinted toward the tower, trying very hard to keep his steps smooth in an attempt not to jostle the boys too much.

He rushed through doors and into the elevator of the tower, just catching the confused shouts from the hunter's backup team as the elevator door's closed. He gave a long sigh of relief, hanging his head. Both of the boys were staring at him with wide, fearful eyes. How the hell was he going to explain to these young kids, that both of their parents had just died?

Yes, a little bit of tragedy, I am sorry for any graphic scenes that you might not of have enjoyed. But this story is rated T, and it is a pretty shitty place that everybody lives in now, so there is bound to be some dark stuff. I hope you liked Steve's and Chad's little bonding experience though, I thought it was pretty cute! Please review, tell me about anything that made you laugh, made you cry, made you angry, confused you, all that jazz! I love hearing from you all!