Chapter 4 is up. Thanks for reading and special thanks to those taking the time to review.
Cap. A POV
I was welcomed by a minor argument when I woke up the next morning.
Tony and Bruce were in the entertainment room attached to the kitchen, talking loudly about something I couldn't follow. It really was amazing how intelligent those two were. Sometimes what they said didn't even sound like english. Both men looked rather haggard, so I was betting they had yet to get to bed.
"Good morning guys." I said brightly. I was in a very good mood. It had nothing to do with a certain redhead. Nope, nothing at all.
"Wow, is it morning already?" Tony asked, looking at his watch.
I sighed, shaking my head. What was I going to do with him. "That's what it usually means when the sun comes up."
"Oh, ha ha." Tony replied, getting up from his chair and stretching. "What are you doing up so early? And all bright-eyed, I might add."
"I'm always up at this time, you know that." I said, grabbing my coat from where I had left it yesterday morning. "I happen to like mornings. It's like wasting the day if you sleep past nine. I'm off to get coffee. You two should get to bed. You look like hell."
I headed to the elevator. I saw Bruce nod, agreeing with my statement. Tony said something I couldn't quite make out, but I was sure was some kind of insult. It didn't really matter. I had somewhere to be.
Alex wasn't there when I got my coffee, but when I turned to go, she was sitting at one of the tables by the wall. She looked up and smiled at me. I joined her at the table, placing my coffee down.
"Figured I'd sit and wait to get your attention. Safer for the both of us, since we seem to have a problem when it comes to walking when we are near each other." She joked.
"Probably a good idea. Can I get you your coffee?" I asked.
"Just a small coffee with cream. Thanks." She said, smiling up at me.
I returned to the counter and ordered her coffee. The man behind the counter gave me a knowing look, which wasn't surprising since he had witness our interactions over the last couple of days. Once I had paid for the drink, I returned to the table, placing the drink in front of her.
"Thanks. How much do I owe you?" She asked, reaching for her purse.
I sat down at the table, holding my hand up. "It's on me. Consider it an apology for running into you twice."
"Thank you. You must be new to the area." She said, taking a sip of her coffee. "I've been coming here every morning for four months now and this is the first I've seen of you. I'm sure I would have noticed you before you bumped into me."
"Well, I'm not really new. Let's just say I've recently started a new routine in the mornings."
"It must not be for exercise. You look like you have a far more rigorous workout than just simple walking, if you don't mind me saying so."
"No, I do this as more of a way of getting out of the house. I was informed by a couple of my housemates that I wasn't getting out enough. This has kept them quiet and has been a very rewarding experience for me, so far." I took a sip of my coffee and leaned back in my chair, enjoying the conversation. If Alex recognized me as Captain America, she wasn't letting on about it.
"I walk here every day because I have a horribly strong addiction to caffeine" She shrugged.
"Half the battle is admitting you have a problem, or so they say." I joked with her. She rewarded me with a laugh.
"True, but the other half of the battle is wanting to change, which I don't, so I guess I'm just doomed to live a gloriously caffeinated life. It's not like I have any other bad habits. I don't drink considerably, I don't smoke, I don't do illegal drugs. This is my only vice."
We talked for another hour, the conversation flowing easily. We parted ways with an informal verbal commitment to bump into each other the next morning. Going out to get coffee was turning out to be one of the best ideas Natasha has ever had.
To Be Continued…