It's been about 3 days sense the meeting. The first day I didnt leave my room. I had panic attacks every hour and I stressed about seeing anyone.
I've been working on myself lately. Going on runs in the early morning before anyone gets up. Then I sneak back in while everyone is at breakfast. I havent been cooking. At least not while people are here. The past 2 days Peter would text me when most of them have left so I can get out of my room without being too paranoid. Of course I told him everything. He deserved to know.
But today. Today has to be the day where shit hit the fan. For starts, I slept through my alarm. So I missed my run time.
Me- Peter I missed my run!
Peter- did you sleep in?
Me- yup. Right through my alarm
Peter- just go now. And if anyone tried to talk to you, run faster😂
Me- lmaooo thanks I'll try😂
After minutes of contemplating, I decide to go on the run now to get it over with. After I get dressed I peak outside my room and I see Bruce come around the corner. I close my door quickly but it made a loud noise which he definitely heard.
"Elissa? Can I talk to you really quick?" I heard him outside my door and I sighed. Of course he did. I open my door slowly and I see Bruce standing there with his tablet.
"Oh hi." I say quietly.
"Do you wanna do some tests today? I would of asked you sooner but I couldnt find you."
"Yeah sorry I havent really been in the compound lately since, you know."
"Oh right."
We stood there for a second before I realised I never answered his question.
"Oh um yeah we can do some tests and crap. Can I go on my run first?"
"Actually, can I test your vidal's before and after you run? I think it may help."
"Sure. Let's just make it quick so no one sees me."
"Uh ok."
Bruce leads me to his lab and fortunately, no one saw us. He hooked me up to a machine and I let him take my blood for some research. It only took about 10 minutes for him to finish and we didnt really say a word. It didnt exactly feel awkward but it wasnt friendly.
He let me go and I got out to start my run. I have this path that I found in the woods outside the compound. I think its usually used my the soldiers or ageints in training that I saw on the first day.
Either way it's so peaceful. If you go some ways into the woods, the compound noise disappears. No one training or machinery. But the woods. Then soon enough a small lake crosses the path that you have to hop across the rocks.
I love running in the cold. Of course it doesnt help that I'm sure from the previous days. And after I'm done i feel like I'm having a heat flash. But I just love the look of the trees and the sun shining threw them.
After about 15 minutes I stop to catch my breath. I place my hand on the thigh scar. I can feel it with every step I take. I stretch my arms and look at the sky. After finally catching my breath I decided to run again but before I can, I hear multiple heavy footsteps through the path behind me. I turn and see 2 lines of men running threw the trees on the path. I contemplate running or hiding until they pass me fully. I start to run towards on the path until I see a big rock to hide behind. I duck behind that until I hear the men run past me and out of site.
"Fuck me. That was close." I get up and turn towards the path. "Shit!" Steve stands there waiting for me. I stumble in surprise and fall on my ass. I see him smirk and it weirdly made me feel a little better. Like maybe he wasnt completely mad at me. He held his hand out but he hasnt even looked at me.
"Clumsy." He mumbled. I take his hand and he pulls me off the ground. I start to wipe off the dirt on my butt.
"I know sorry. You scared me." After I finish wiping everything off I look around to see that we are completely alone.
"I havent seen you in a while." He pulls the bottom of his shirt up to wipe his face, exposing his chest and stomach. This man is trying to kill me.
"I didnt think you wanted to see me." I move to sit on the rock I hid behind. Steve gives me a glance but looks away.
"That's not true." He leans on a tree close by the rock. Again, I dont really know what to say. I want to say sorry but will apologizing make anything better? I decided to do it anyways.
"I'm sorry Steve. I honestly didnt mean for us to end up like this I just... I didnt know how I felt."
"I shouldnt of put that on you. That's on me." I wonder if he can see how much anxiety this gives me.
"I....I dont really know what to say." My voice shakes. My hands start to tremble a little becusee I'm afraid he is gunna go ape shit on me.
"I dont know either. But if Tony is so worried about keeping the team apart, then we have to be friends." He exhales greatly. "Like before."
"Like before meaning?" I look at my hands seeing little scratches from where I broke my fall.
"I would rather be friends with you than loose you." He makes me smile. I rub my mouth and hid it from him but looking at him I see that he already saw. I thought he would be more pissed at me. I'll take the chance and not question it.
"Ok captain." I get up off the rock and face him with my hand out. "Friends." He smirks and pushed off the tree. He takes my hand and shakes it.
"For now." He gets cocky. He turns to look towards the path that the troops had kept running. "Wanna run?" He adjusts his stance to start.
"Um actually I better get back to the compound. Bruce and I decided to do some tests."
"Ok so we'll catch up later?"
"Sure." Steve starts to jog off. The woods is pretty to run in but Steve is definitely prettier. "Wait, for now?" I yell to him.
Tf does 'for now' mean?
I see him look back at me and he smirks. I didn't even realise I was staring at him. I blush and look away knowing I'm gunna get asked about that later.
I get back to the compound and walk in not even worried if people saw me or not. I guess I just didnt think about it. Maybe I was just worried about Steve? Who knows these days. I'm a wild card.
I see Bruce working when I came in and greets me with a smile this time.
"Have a nice run?" He sits me on the counter and hooks me up to the machine.
"The woods are really nice to run in." I dont know whether I should bring up Steve or not.
"I'm sure." He side smirks. Makes me think he knows something.
"What's going on Bruce?" I chuckle a little. I mean I don't wanna seem pushy but I'm a little impatient at the moment.
"Dont worry about it." He turns to look at the screen with my vidals on it. "So did uh, Steve visit?" My eyes widen at him.
"What does that mean?" I hope off the counter carefully with the machine still attached. I look at the screen but I honestly dont know how to read these things.
"You have high levels of oxytocin." He smirks at me again. I know exactly what that is.
"Nah you're reading this wrong." I swipe the screen in disbelief and sit back on the counter.
"Elissa I know how to read these things. You. Love.-"
"Dont say it!" I put my hand up to stop him. He laughs.
"You do though, right?"
I take a moment and just look at him. I dont really want to say it but I guess I dont have to. He nods and understands.
"Bold of you to assume it was Steve that I saw on my run." I chuckle and got down from the counter again. He unhooked me from the machine.
"Yeah but I guessed pretty well." He heard my stomach rumble and he put everything down. "You know he asked about you."
I look down at my hands. I feel so bad about what I did to him.
"Was it like, angry or just wondering?"
"At first it was angry. Then it turned more sad that he didnt see you. Like when you were in the coma."
That surprised me. But I guess that explains why he wasnt mad when I saw him.
"Oh." Bruce could sense how sad I was. He places a hand on my shoulder.
"Hungry?"
"I guess I am. I was thinking of making potstickers." I guess he loved the idea becuase his eyes got wide.
"I would love potstickers right now." He leads me out to the hall in the direction of the kitchen. "Wait," he stops us from moving. "Dont you not want people to see you?"
I looked around. I was less worried but I started to think of what people would ask me if they say me out and about. "I dont care anymore. I'll just... run faster." We laugh and eventually get to the kitchen with no one seeing us. Or at least we though.
"Ah Fire Girl!" We turn and see Sam walk in the room with open arms. I dont think I've talked to him since before the accident.
"Hi Sam." I chuckle and he hugs me.
"You know, I've been thinking you should call me Falcon." We stop and I look at Bruce about to burst out in laughter.
"You want me to call you Falcon?" He nods. "All the time or just when people are around?"
Sam winked at me. I'm guessing this isnt gunna be the last of his little comments. He saw me blush and I think he liked it becuase he grinned.
"You're crazy, you know that right?" I walk over to the freezer and get potstickers out.
"Crazy is hot sometimes." He sits on the counter stool. I eye him and shake my head slowly. I mean he isnt wrong but I cant tell if he mean me or just in general. "You know I'm surprised you remember me?'
My eyes widen and I stop defrosting the potstickers. "Umm." I turn to look at him and he seemed a little confused. "I guess I'm starting to remember from you know, before the accident."
"I guess?" Sam picks up a bag of chips that was left on the counter.
"I dont know Sam."
"Ah ah ah. That's not my name." He pointed at me and smirked.
"I'm not calling you that." I laughed and went back to defrosting.
"That's a shame. I kinda like you calling me that."
I huffed my breath and glanced at Bruce. He eyed me back. I'm glad he dropped the topic of me remembering things. But why is Sam being so flirty with me?
"Do you want potstickers?" I show him the dumplings in the strainer. He shakes his head no.
"I'm going to have to pass on that." He chuckled a little bit at me.
"Your loss." I leave the potstickers in the strainer and get a pan with oil on the stove.
"So Bruce. When do you think I can go back to training?"
Bruce takes off his glances and pressed his lips together. I can tell he is thinking of something but I dont know what. He closes his phone screen and looks at me.
"I'm not sure. Your healing so fast but my worry is if you over heal. Your body should know when to stop but theres a chance..."
"Are you saying ny skin could be like, impenetrable?" Sam leans back in his chair and looks at Bruce, puzzled. I place my hand on my stomach where the scar is. It doesnt hurt anymore but I feel pressure there at random times.
Tony comes in sipping coffee. He stops his tracks when he sees me. For a moment I forgot I stayed away from everyone for 3 days.
"Kid? Where have you been?" He walks over and sits next to Sam.
"Oh just busy. Want some food?" I take the strainer out of the sink to show him and he nods no. I place the potstickers in the pan.
"What were you busy with again?" Tony pushes me more but I dont turn to him. I stir the potstickers in the hot oil.
"Working on myself Mr. Stark." I can hear Sam laugh to himself. I glance back at him.
"I hope that means what I think it means?" Sam winks at me again and i look at Tony. He slaps Sam's arm for me and I smirk.
"Very funny. I mean like...just I dont know. I took a couple personal days." I turn around fully and look at them three who all have their head down. "I'm sorry. It was stupid of me." I immediately feel regret. I mean you dont get to have personal breaks when your fighting against the bad guy.
"If you needed it, you need it." Tony sips his coffee again. I sigh. I take the potstickers off the stove and separate them in 2 bowls for me and Bruce. "Oh I'm having a party tonight. Your welcome." Tony raises his glass at me.
"Your welcom?" I questioned him.
"For your birthday. I didnt realise it was 3 days ago." My eyes widen and I look at Bruce and Sam who seem to have the same face as me. I sigh again and shake my head at Tony.
"Your birthday was 3 days ago? And you didnt tell anyone?" Sam glared at me. Did I do something wrong here?
"Mr. Stark, I appreciate it but there is a reason I didnt tell anyone. So please guys dont tell anyone." I beg the guys and they look at eachother.
"I'm still having a party. I already bought all the drinks." Tony smirks at me. I look at him in worry. I would absolutely hate seeing people raise their glass to me. "Ok I won't tell anyone why we are having the party then."
I shake my head. "All of you, keep your mouths shut."
They all instinctively put their hands up in defense. I laugh a little and shove my face with potstickers. I havent eatin these for 3 days. I'm so deprived.