Avenge | Book 2

New Neighbor

Month Later
SHIELD New York HQ

"You requested me, sir?" Payton questions as she walks into Fury's office.

"Uh...yes." He confirms, signing the last piece of paperwork he was doing. "There've been rumors going around that you've been thinking about moving to DC. Are those true?"

"Well, uh..." She scratches the back of her head. "Yes. I've been thinking about it. I still have to talk to Madi about it but she's kind of with her brother and Nat right now."

"You should do it." He looks up at her as she stands in front of his desk, hands behind her back.

"What?" She furrows her eyebrows.

"I think you should move to DC." He clarifies. "The person who used to live next door to Grace just moved out and SHIELD would pay your rent. We would furnish your apartment, upgrade your appliances, install better locks--"

"Woah, woah, woah." She holds a hand up. "Why?"

"I guess that's the only question that matters." He sighs. "We would like you to move into Agent Barnes and Captain Rogers' building to keep an eye on the soldiers."

"Why do you need to keep an eye on them now when Grace has been living there for almost a year?"

"Because now we have two super soldiers living together in the same apartment." Fury blatantly says. "Yes, I know Grace isn't a super soldier--" He holds his hand up to cut Payton off. "--but she is a demigod."

"Touche." She nods. "But that means they can protect themselves. They don't need me checking up on them every day like I'm their mom."

"I'm fully aware they can protect themselves, Quill." He informs. "I just need someone to keep me up to date with the two. Especially since the Chitauri attack." He explains. "Plus if something were to happen, you can notify me."

"And it's another plus that I'm already friends with them." Payton adds.

"So is that a yes?" He smirks.

"I guess." She shrugs. "But you're breaking the news to Madi."

"I want you to move in by the end of the week, so I'll call her when you leave."

"Tell her I say hi to the cows and pigs and whatever they have." Payton laughs and walks out.

"Start packing your stuff, by the way!" Fury yells after her.

"Yes, sir." She waves a hand in acknowledgment.

End of the Week
Washington DC

"Hey, Steve!" I yell through the apartment, still using the towel to dry my hair as I walk. "Stevie!" I shout again when I get no response. "Steven."

I throw the towel on the couch and walk to his room. He's not there. I walk back out into the living room and take a glance around. The bathroom door is open so he's not in there, the tv is off and the couch is empty. The kitchen is empty but I notice the front door is cracked open slightly.

"I swear if you're somehow getting beaten up in an alley out back, I'ma snap my cap." I mumble under my breath as I make my way to the door.

*•*•*•

I'm about to head down the stairs but I see Steve carrying up a box with a female doing the same behind him.

"There you are." I let out a sigh of relief seeing him walking up.

"Here I am." He confirms. "Now move or I'll run ya over." He knocks me with the box and I move so I'm flat against the wall. "Thank you." He walks past, the mystery dame following.

"Hey, Grace." The woman greets as she passes too.

"Hey, Payton." I greet back, knowing the voice even though I didn't see the face. "Wait, what!? Payton!?" I quickly follow after them.

Her Apartment

"Why didn't you tell me that you were moving in?" I ask as they set down the boxes in the middle of the almost empty room. The only things in here are boxes.

"I don't know." Payton shrugs. "It was just kind of a spur of the moment thing. I've been wanting to move down here since you've been talking so fondly about it and I saw that this--" She gestures to the empty apartment. "--was on the market so I snatched it up."

"If you didn't we would probably be having some chick who comes home with some kind of chemical on her scrubs and is always hitting on Steve living here." I say, the two blondes give me a weird look. "I'm guessing." I quickly add.

"Well..." Steve breaks the silence. "Anything else you want me to help you with?" He turns back to Payton, resting his hands on his hips.

"No." She shakes her head after taking a glance around the room. "Those were the last of the boxes from the truck and tomorrow I'm supposed to go furniture shopping."

"Obviously." I mumble looking around at the bare room. "Do you even have a bed?" I question.

"Yeah." She sighs. "It's the one you had when you first stayed with us, though."

I shake my head and scrunch my face up in disgust at the mention of that torture chamber.

We all kind of go silent.

"Well." I sigh. "Do you want to come over for dinner? It's Steve's night to cook." I offer.

"Is that a good thing?" Payton laughs.

"Eh." I shrug and head towards the door as Steve puts a hand over his heart.

"I'm hurt." He pouts. "I'm really hurt."

"Aw, you know we're kidding around." Payton pats his back as she follows me.

"I'm not!" I yell back at them.

After Dinner-ish

"I think I'ma head to bed." I announce as the three of us watch a movie that Payton brought over. I stand up and the blanket I was using falls to the floor. "It's like eleven."

"Wait, wait, wait, wait." Steve whisper-yells after me as I walk away. "Help me." He begs.

"With what?" I question, turning back to him.

"Really?" He gives me a look as Payton silently sleeps on his arm. "What am I supposed to do?"

"Leave her." I blatantly answer and I saunter off to my bedroom leaving him on his own.

"Gracelyn!" He whisper-yells at me again but I ignore it and close my door.

Steve just glares at the door for a second before looking down at the sleeping dame on his shoulder.

She looks so peaceful. He smiles down at her, pushing a piece of loose hair behind her ear. How do I do this without waking her up? He thinks.

Steve slowly stands up and while holding Payton in place. When he stands up completely, he slowly lays her head on the throw pillow and puts her feet on the couch with her. He picks up the blanket I dropped and covers her with it.

"Night, sweetheart." Steve leans down to plant a kiss on her forehead and heads off to bed too.