Thallium | Captain America: The Winter Soldier [7]

Dinner and Danger

"I'll go write up the report," I grumbled, heading to the elevator to go to my room in the Triskelion. "No need, I'll do it," Rumlow said. "Thanks. One less thing for me to worry about," I shrugged. I rolled down to the elevator, Romanoff joining me. "Do anything fun this weekend?" She asked.

"If you call writing reports fun, then yes. Otherwise, nope," I said, leaning back. "I hate reports, they're so monotonous," She admitted. "Yeah, I can agree with you on that," I said. "Don't you have one to write up for this one?" She asked. "Rumlow volunteered to do it. Which, now that I say it, is kinda odd. He hates the reports too, I heard him griping about them in the back of the jet once," I said.

"I think he likes you," She said, looking at me. I raised a brow, doubting the words that had just come out of her mouth. "I've seen the way he looks at you. And judging the looks you give him, it isn't one-sided," She said slyly. "Trust me, Romanoff. Love is not my expertise. The last guy I dated I shot because he found out my identity," I said, thinking of John, who I was going to marry before he found out I was Cyanide and I had to kill him. He was the only kill I regretted since I not only took his life, but I also took away Wade's dad.

-

"Hey, Darness, want to come over for dinner?" I looked up to see Steve standing in the doorway. "Only if I cook. Your cooking is horrible, you boil everything," I said, rolling away from my desk. "It's how we did it in the 40s," He shrugged. "Yeah? Well, your methods suck," I shot back, following him as he walked down the hall. We arrived at his apartment block quickly, him walking up the stairs as I pulled myself up behind him.

"...so nice! I gotta go, though. Okay, bye," His neighbor, a small blonde woman with a basket of laundry, said. "My aunt. She's kind of an insomniac," She tossed her phone into the basket on top of her laundry. "Hey, if you want, you're welcome to use my machine," I shot Steve a look, both because of his awful attempt at chivalry, which was dead, and because my clothes were already in his washer. For all of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s high-tech gadgets, they didn't put a washing machine on the residential floors of the Triskelion.

"Might be cheaper than the one in the basement," He offered. "Oh yeah? What's it cost?" She asked. "Cup of coffee?" He suggested. "Thank you, but, um, I already have a load downstairs and uh, you don't want my scrubs in your machine. I just finished a rotation in the Infectious Disease ward, so..." She said. "Oh, well...keep my distance," Steve held his hands up.

"Hopefully not too far. Oh, uh, I think you left your stereo on," She said, and Steve's brows furrowed. "I'll go in through the window, you go in through the door," He whispered to me, walking off. I opened the door, a creak sounding as it swung open as I rolled inside. A window slid open silently, Steve's large form sliding inside. It's Been A Long, Long Time was floating through the apartment, making it somehow eerier than it already was.

He slid into the hallway, picking up his shield which was leaned against a wall on the floor. "Really? You just leave your shield on the floor of your apartment? People could steal that, you know," I whispered, and he gave me a look that said Now is not the time. He peered around the corner, and I leaned as far forward as I could to get a peek. Well, I tried, but Steve put a hand on my chest, preventing me. "I don't remember giving you a key," He leaned against the wall, his hand dropping so I could roll forward.

Nick Fury was sat there, in the dark.

a/n Okay, I'm going to try this again. I have several Marvel-based books sitting in my drafts or Google docs, and I want to know which one you want to read. I will put a list and a reminder on every future chapter to come back here and vote on which book you want to see. You have 10 weeks, so from today, January 20th to March 31st. Here are your options:

-Gammastorm

-In A Mirror's Reflection

-Supernova

-Kufanelekile

-Valkyrie

-Shaman

-Whispers of the Past

-SHE

-Echo

-The Devil's Sin

-Spotlight

Please, please, PLEASE vote by commenting on which one you want to see. I really want your input for this series, but I can't do that without comments. This is all I ask of you. Just PLEASE vote, by a comment, by March 31st.