Another Lost Soul

2.6

It was a quiet night in the neighborhood, where Steve's apartment building sat. The only sound that could be heard was the rumbling of his motorbike. He turned the corner and pulled into his usual parking spot near the stop sign and the trash. Steve cut off his motorbike and got off.

The scene showed him jogging up some stairs to his floor. Just as he was heading to his apartment, a blonde woman with a laundry basket in her hand and a phone to her ear, exited her apartment.

"Hi." she whispered

Bucky and Sam winced at the sight of the woman.

Steve raised a hand in greeting.

"I got to go, though." She told the other person on the phone. "Okay, bye."

Steve looked at her as she abruptly ended the call.

"Kate, I presume." Lily asked.

"Yes." Steve answered.

She tossed the phone down into her basket before smiling brightly at Steve. "My aunt, she's kind of an insomniac."

They both stood in a moment of silence, before Steve spoke up.

"Hey, if you want...If you want, you can use my machine."

Rose snorted.

Natasha hit her in the leg.

"Might be cheaper than the one in the basement." Steve said jokingly.

Kate played along with a smile on her face. "Oh, yeah? What's it cost?"

"A cup of coffee."

Wolf whistles rang throughout the room.

Steve's broad figure looked like it was trying to curl up in on itself.

Her smile broadened. She hesitated as though she really wanted to cave, before she sighed. A look of regret came across her face.

"Thank you, but I already have a load in downstairs, and you really don't want my scrubs in your machine. I just finished a rotation in the infectious disease ward."

"Aww, she let you down easy." Sirius shook his head.

"She only did it because she had to. It goes against her assignment to start seeing him." Natasha said.

"Well, I'll keep my distance." Steve threw his hands up in surrender.

"Well, hopefully not too far." Kate said playfully.

Steve smiled at her. He was happy to hear that she had some kind of interest in him.

They both turned to go their separate ways when Kate turned back around quickly. "

"Oh, and I think you left your stereo on." She told him politely.

Steve paused. "Oh. Right. Thank you."

It was only when she had made her way to the stairs that he eyed the door alertly.

"I take it we didn't leave the stereo on, did we?" Peter asked him.

"No we did not."

The film showed a window behind a bookshelf suddenly being opened. Steve could be seen climbing quietly through the window. He crept around the corner of the dark room, eyes alert for who could have started the music that was currently playing throughout his apartment.