Roommates

Raincheck

The next morning, or rather later that morning, Jamie entered her bathroom looking as haggard as she felt. It'd taken her a long time before she could actually fall asleep after Steve left and when she did it hadn't been restful. She took her time in the shower before getting ready and then dressed in simple burgundy jeans and a white t-shirt. She then laced up her favorite pair of combat boots that Natasha had gifted her a few years before for her birthday and quietly as she could, headed downstairs. All of the guys were still passed out thankfully. Sam wasn't where she'd last seen him, but she figured he was probably just in Bucky's bathroom after all of his talk about his bathtub. Shaking her head in mild amusement at his and Buck's weird friendship Jamie made her way to the kitchen.

Not hungry she made herself a to-go cup of her usual, Earl Gray with Bergamot, tea as quietly as possible so as to avoid waking anyone and having to pretend everything was normal when it wasn't. Tea finished she headed to her work room. Jamie had been feeling restless which was why she was even awake so early after such a late night so she figured she'd do something she hadn't done in a while. Grabbing down one of the padded camera bags she loaded it up with her newly repaired camera. Smiling as she set it carefully in the bag before grabbing a second one. Her vintage Canon AE-1 35mm along with accompanying lenses. Today would be just her getting to do what she loved. There would be no thoughts about Steve. No worrying about hurt feelings and sure as hell no moping about feeling sorry for herself.

Double checking that she had everything, including enough film for the 35mm, Jamie headed out locking up her work room before she went and made her way out the front door. Grabbing the black jacket she'd left on the hook and her purse as she did. In the elevator she sent everyone a text in a new group chat that she had stuff to do and not to worry about her not being there when they woke up that she'd be gone most of the day. Clicking her phone off she tucked it away in her purse and let out a deep breath before taking a long careful sip of her hot tea. If anything reflected her mood it was in her choice of the cup she used. Today she'd grabbed just a plain matte black tumbler she'd gotten from Starbucks. No frills or pictures, just black. Determined to be in a much better mood by the time she came home Jamie straightened her shoulders back and lifted up her chin. Today was a new day and she wouldn't let yesterday drag her down. In fact, if she really thought about it it had been a good thing. Therapeutic really. They'd each told each other how they felt and while neither was really happy, they were trying to salvage an almost six year friendship. At the end of the day that's what was most important.

Nodding to herself, Jamie kept up that positive outlook as she exited her building and purposefully walked down the practically empty sidewalk towards Central Park. It was her go-to spot to take pictures because she had endless subject matter to capture, especially when she got there before the city really came to life. Everything from the beautiful nature of the rambling yet well mapped out landscape to people to animals at the zoo. It was a one stop shopping extravaganza for a photographer out to take the day as it came and that's exactly what Jamie planned to do. Besides, it was no use lingering over something she had put a stop to before it ever had a chance to go anywhere. She loved Steve. Of course she did but like she told him, she wasn't in love with him.

It would make things easier if she was, but when was life ever easy for James Dorsey? It all started when she'd been orphaned at age sixteen in an accident that had nearly killed her as well as her parents. It wasn't even anything super dramatic. It was a legitimate accident. A woman had had a seizure while coming to the red light and her foot accidentally hit the gas, flooring it as Jamie's parents car was driving through the intersection. One second they were driving home from a friend's BBQ and the next she was waking up in the hospital to Mathew telling her, her parents hadn't made it. Body half broken, she'd moved across the country to live with her uncle in New York to heal and start over. Her body had healed. Her heart and mind had still been a work in progress.