Ello~ (• •)

Welcome to Chapter three! Gave myself a bit of a break yesterday and planned out the next two chapters — and the characters scheduled to show up. One chapter today and another tomorrow then I'm giving myself another break :).

After the fourth chapter things should be more focused on Hadrian/Harry, Najeem, and the cafe a bit more for however long it needs to be.

Otherwise, I hope you enjoy this chapter!

Shoulders heaved with each swing of his bandaged fists he took. Lips pursed as he pushed his mind to try and focus entirely on the red punching bag that hung from the ceiling in front of him and yet, such an absurd change in his life had been revealed that made it hard to do just that.

He wasn't where he was supposed to be. He was far out of reach from all that he had known he was practically a fish out of water struggling to breathe. Though, such things weren't all that new to him in hindsight — but no one could prepare him for being a man out of his time really.

Pausing to catch his breath, he brought up one of his hands to adjust the bandage around his wrist whilst he stared absentmindedly as he did so. When he felt the bandage was as comfortably tight as it was a few minutes ago he couldn't stop his eyes from straying to the innocent — was it really? — light brown folder with a couple of papers inside. He remembered the heavy footsteps entering like they owned the place and the deep husky voice from the man he was approached by when he first woke up. He remembered the offer and the echoed sound of the folder plopping onto the cold metal bench. He remembered just where his mind had gone when he was told to think over the offer, the man's voice so sure of the answer he would receive like he was being handed a bag of cookies the man knew he couldn't resist.

The hypothetical cookies are; The Avengers Initiative.

A group that was being called together to protect those who needed protecting and to protect the world from outside forces as Fury had put it. A group that he was invited to but standing here now in a world he no longer knew any longer, was he really…a good option? Was this even considered the same as fighting in a war? From the way things were spelled out, it didn't seem like it but taking a step back and looking at it objectively — it also did seem like the same thing.

But after everything that he lost was getting back in this, in a world not his own with people who only knew him from their history, was it even worth it?

At that thought he could practically hear Peggy's stern kickass voice scolding him. He could feel Bucky's eyes staring into him as though he was an entirely different person. Could feel the comforting pats on his shoulders from those he had called his friends way back then before everything seemingly began to fall apart like dominos falling down one by one by one.

It was all a smidge overwhelming yet more than that it was annoying.

Hurriedly, in a spur-of-the-moment decision, he began unwrapping the bandages from around his hands and wrist. He left them lying next to the folder while snatching the dark blue hoodie he was given and sliding it over his head. Leaving everything in the training room, a room part of the building he had woken up in, he took his first steps of finally leaving. Ever since he had woken up and gone for a run to discover he was practically in a new world he hadn't gone out since.

Where was he planning on going? He had no clue. With his festering annoyance, deep in the pit of his stomach, he knew he just needed to leave — needed the fresh air.

Stepping out of the building, for the first time in a while, Steve ignores his surroundings as best as he can and begins walking in a random direction. With no specific place in mind, he keeps his eyes in front of him, his thoughts on the back burner as much as he can, as he slowly passes by getting farther and farther away.

It's only when he gets closer to what appears to be a cafe with a propped-open door does he fully stop. His nose crunches up as he sniffs curiously — what he expects is something entirely new to go along with this new world but he doesn't get that. Rather his heart skips a beat and his mind zeros in on the familiar heart-aching smell of something old.

Something old just as he was.

Unable to fully control his legs, it seems, he lets himself stroll up to the door and take a step until he is fully inside. The interior of the cafe, with a bar surprisingly, reminded him of one of those places from then where only often enough the rich would gather. A place back then he never frequented at all yet because of the reminder he felt as if everything would be okay.

"Ah, welcome. I'm Hadrian Black but you may call me Ian. Please, take a seat wherever you would like." The man behind the bar spoke warmly as he gestured with a wave of his hands from behind the bar.

Blinking, he observed the seating and chose pretty quickly to take a place at the bar. To be more precise, he chose the spot right in front of the man letting his mind wander over to the filled glass next to him.

Smiling in a friendly, yet strained, manner he cocked his head in the direction of the drink. "I hope I'm not taking someone's seat."

Ian returned his smile and, though hands he was busy attending to something behind the bar, gestured with his arms for him to take a seat. "Not at all. There is no one else here but you and me."

"That's a shame. Seems like you have a nice place here." Steve complimented letting his eyes sway around the room before returning back to Hadrian.

He hummed in reply. "Quite nice indeed. Although I'm not totally alone, my family are just away at the moment" Pausing in whatever he was doing, Ian picked up a glass sliding in front of Steve. "Have a drink — on the house. You look like you're about to kneel over from such a weight on your shoulders."

In surprise at both the supposed free drink and the man's words, Steve eyed him cautiously. "What makes you think so?"

Ian snorted. "Considering it's late at night and you opted for sitting at the bar, perhaps I've just made some incorrect assumptions." He paused dramatically before smirking. "But I don't think I have done so."

Hadrian Black was much to him at first when he stepped in — far too occupied with the atmosphere and the place itself to care much. Taking a step back now, however, Steve felt that he was far more than he let on but not in a dangerous way. Though in hindsight anyone and anything could be dangerous with a little push Hadrian seemed to be…more of an open book yet so closed off — at least at this moment he did.

Perhaps it took someone who paid just a bit more attention to everything due to their circumstances to notice that Hadrian Black seemed just as tired from a weight on his shoulders as Steve did.

Hand-cupping around the glass, he lifts the glass and swirls the liquid before taking a small sip. "I could just say I wanted to take a walk."

Ian briefly glanced at him before the man turned his back to address something in front of the large mirror at the back of the bar. "Hmm, so you say," he replied, turning back around and settling a plain white plate in front of him next to the glass, the drink he had just taken a sip from, now half-full.

Pulling the plate a little closer to his chest, Steve noted the flower lying on the edge with a medium-sized blue and red frosted cookie. The cookie was probably a mere coincidence but it was decorated just like his shield.

"New doesn't always mean something bad. One must give something a chance before writing it off for themselves completely. Maybe you'll find yourself better than you have been when you've been without."

~ ~ ~ ~

Long pale fingers caressed a chunk of white hair whilst bright blue eyes stared softly into the dark. A girl, dressed simple in a dark blue lace dress reaching her ankles, listened quietly with her back to the door.

Her mind raced as vivid images accompanied each moment her eyes blinked but she pushed them all away in favor of the conversation happening right then and there.

At least until the squeaky meow of the resident cat captured her attention. She slowly bent down and held out her hand letting the pure black cat, Najeem, run his body under it as a form for her to pet him.

She smiles, "He's not doing the best today Najeem…I'm a little worried."

Najeem halted running his body under her hand to peer up at her. He tilted his head to the side in a silent question that she knew all too well.

Shaking her head, her eyes drift up to the door behind her. "I know we said this might be the best option but I did state that it…might not work. After all, it takes too much time."

Najeem let out a cat-like huff in response.

She giggled. "I know we have to have faith, it's just I'm worried. Let's hope Mr. Stark…helps with furthering our plans."