FROSTBITE | S. Rogers/B. Barnes (FINISHED)

Siberia

"Yeah, yeah," she grumbled, "coming."

A quick peek through the peephole revealed the same man that had taken her to the party in the Avengers tower. She immediately opened the door, her eyebrow twitching as she held onto the wood. Perhaps she'd seen too many movies because the first thought that crossed her mind was a horrific one. Is he dead?

"Benjamin? What are you doing here?" Her voice came out shaky. 

"I've been asked to pick you up. Said it was urgent." He said, adjusting his tie as he spoke.

"Who said that? I'm already in my pajamas." She motioned towards her attire, but he didn't seem to care.

"Captain Rogers, Miss. Please, follow me."

They raced through the city together, breaking more laws than Janie could even imagine. Ben didn't once stop at a red light and he was way over the legal speed limit as he maneuvered the vehicle, a shiny black SUV, through busy streets.

"What is going on?" Janie demanded when he stopped in front of a gigantic building just outside city limits. She got out, slamming the door behind her as she waited for him to do the same. 

He didn't move from his seat, however, and his hands didn't once leave the steering wheel. 

"You'll see." He said.

"You're not coming?" Janie asked. 

"No ma'am," Benjamin replied, "I have other matters to attend to." He nodded, before putting the car in reverse and speeding away.

Janie walked up the front steps and through the sliding glass door. The giant blue A hanging off the side of the building reflected brightly in the darkness of the night, adding a stark contrast to the building's predominantly white walls.

People inside ran around their stations, operators speaking into their coms and telephones while they worked on their computers. Janie noticed Mariah Hill hovering over one of the desks, her eyes glued to the screen as she barked commands to the person sitting in front of the same computer. She smiled when she saw the young woman coming in and pointed towards the back, offering a wink as she did.

"Nice outfit," the woman said, "stylish."

"Thanks. I thought this was a slumber party."

Before Janie realized what was going on, strong arms engulfed her, wrapping tightly around her back and pulling her close. The familiar smell of Steve's body wash pricked her senses and his warmth soon followed.

"You're back," she breathed against his shirt, "in one piece."

"You weren't there to save my life, so I had to make sure that I didn't die." He chuckled.

"What the hell happened out there? The whole world was losing their minds." She mumbled.

Steve didn't reply, the memories of dying civilians still burning on his retina. He was hurting despite the end result of the mission being mostly positive. He took a hold of her hand and guided her away from the crowd of people. Together, they walked up the staircase, and down a long hallway. Every room was numbered, except for one; the storage closet.