✪ American Noise ✪ [Captain America]

Chapter 9: Liz VI

Liz adjusted her glasses and clicked on another old video news clip on her laptop. This one had caught her eye because it showed what appeared to be a maskless Captain America fighting off some aliens alongside someone now known as Thor, the god of Asgard. She watched for a few minutes intently as she tried to get a good look at the mysterious star-spangled imposter, but he never turned to face the camera. Liz was unwilling to believe that the Captain America on her computer screen was the same one she had grown up hearing stories about from her father and Pops. Who the hell is this dude? She wondered, He's the only one who hasn't been accounted for by the government in the news.

Liz sighed as she sat back in her dining chair. She removed her glasses and set them on the table, then pressed her palms onto her closed eyes to relieve the strain she felt on them. Liz had been at this for hours after closing up the shop tonight. It was now past midnight, and she was starting to lose focus on the project that had taken over her dining area. Her smartphone began to sound, notifying Liz that the laundry she had brought down to the basement earlier needed her attention. Liz put her glasses back on and silenced the phone timer. She paused the video clip on the computer and pocketed her phone in her hoodie as she stood up, taking a moment to stretch before heading downstairs.

When she entered the basement laundry room, Liz found that she was not the only one who had the idea for a midnight laundry run. "Hey, Kate," Liz greeted her neighbor as she approached a dryer, "I see you got my invite for the basement pajama party."

"I'm a bit of a night owl," Kate laughed at the joke as she continued folding clothes and placing them neatly into her wicker laundry basket. She was wearing a yoga top and pants with flat slippers, and her blonde hair was drawn up into a messy ponytail. Kate looked very well put-together compared to Liz's frumpy hoodie, oversized fuzzy pajama pants, and even fuzzier Chewbacca slippers.

"Same," Liz replied. She opened the dryer and started pulling out her warm, clean clothing, "I feel more productive at night sometimes, or at least that's what I tell myself to justify being up anyway." Liz felt her phone vibrate in her hoodie pocket as a text message notification sounded. She pulled it out to see who it was, furrowing her eyebrows at the screen.

"Apparently, we're not the only ones," Kate nodded in the direction of Liz's phone as she folded one of her hospital scrubs.

Liz sighed, "It's Jason. Again." She had no desire to read the message. Liz dismissed the notification, set the phone on top of the dryer, and continued folding.

"Oh, honey... Please tell me you're not thinking about starting things up with him again," Kate stopped folding and looked at Liz with concern.

"No, but that doesn't mean he's not..." Liz trailed off in an exasperated tone as she wrestled with a pair of jeans that were holding together a knotted ball of clothing.

"Good. It's been nice finally seeing you smile for a change," Kate started, "A smile, if I dare to say it, seems to be much more common when a certain handsome neighbor of ours is around."

Liz looked to Kate just in time to catch her wink, and Liz began to blush, "Steve and I are just friends," Liz rushed defensively. For some reason, she always seemed to panic when anyone suspected or suggested Liz of having feelings for a guy, "It wouldn't matter much anyway. He's re-enlisted and will probably be deploying somewhere soon," Liz tried to shrug it off. She absolutely admired Steve for what he was doing — and he deserved all of her support — but Liz had already gotten a taste of what it would be like when he left, and thinking of him possibly being in any kind of danger made her feel sick in the pit of her stomach.

"Liz, you are a terrible liar," Kate laughed, "Your face completely gives it away that you have feelings for him. And I've heard him leaving your apartment late at night after— whatever it was the two of you were doing." Kate's tone strongly suggested that activities far from innocent had been taking place during the late-night hours inside Liz's apartment.