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MAL APPRECIATED THE cool morning air as she jogged, her blonde hair swinging in its long ponytail behind her. She had almost decided to cut it, but Natasha had convinced her to let to grow out (Mal would never say it out loud, but she was pretty sure it's because Nat enjoyed braiding her hair, doing increasingly more complicated styles).
"On your left," Mal heard Steve call out to the man who was running behind her, and then she saw him zip by her. Mal grinned, watching him do almost three laps to her one. While a modified version of the super soldier serum was used on Mal when she was younger, she wasn't as fast as Steve. Faster than a usual person, sure, but she wasn't about to run thirteen miles in half an hour. Slowing her pace a bit, Mal was side-by-side with a man whom she had been running with for about a month now. It was Mal who originally started their early-morning jogs, Steve had just joined in, no matter how many times he had tried to convince Natasha otherwise. She never caught the other mans name, and they never actually talked, but they enjoyed the company of each other as they ran. After a few more laps, and the sun now having risen, both Mal and the other man heard Steve's pounding footsteps coming up behind them.
"Don't you dare say it!" The man shouted to Steve, who only smiled as he swerved around them.
"On your left." Steve said, almost smugly, as he continued running. The man huffed, sprinting after Steve. Mal easily kept up with him, barely winded, though she had broken a sweat. The man stopped, having to breathe for a moment, and Mal smirked.
"On your right," She shouted, sprinting by him, a triumphant look on her face.
"Oh, come on!" She heard the man shout from behind her, and Mal almost laughed, but continued running.
-•-•-
Mal and Steve smiled at each other as they approached their unofficial running partner, who was sat leaning against a tree, trying to catch his breath.
"You need a medic?" Steve asked, making the man laugh.
"I need a new set of lungs." He retorted, trying to catch his breath. "Dude, you just ran thirteen miles in thirty minutes! And you weren't that far behind!" The man said in surprise, gesturing to the pair standing before him.
"I guess I got a late start." Steve said jokingly, and Mal rolled her eyes. Late start, her ass.
"Really? You should be ashamed of yourself. You should take another lap." The man joked again, laughing softly. "Did you just take it? I assume you just took it." Mal laughed, before her eyes travelled down to look at the symbol on his sweatshirt.
"What unit were you with?" She asked curiously, tilting her head to the side slightly.
"58th pararescue, but now I'm working down at the VA." The man, whose name they still didn't know, explained. He raised his hand up, and Steve took it, helping pull the man to his feet. "Sam Wilson," He introduced himself.
"Steve Rogers." Steve replied, and Sam chuckled lightly.
"I kinda put that together." Sam said, shaking his head, before looking over at Mal.
"Mal Owens." She introduced herself, and reached out to shake Sam's hand. Sam looked down at the strange silver bracelet on her wrist, and wondered briefly why she'd wear it while running, but he didn't question it.
"Must have freaked you out, coming home after the whole defrosting thing." Sam said, clearly directing his comment to Steve, who sighed.
"It takes some getting used to." Steve admitted, and Mal almost snorted in laughter. She wouldn't forget having to explain Netflix to him, staying up until two in the morning and explaining that no, Steve, you can't talk to the TV and expect it to work. "It was nice meeting you, Sam." Steve said, and he nodded to Mal, while they both turned to walk away.
"It's your bed, right?" Sam called after them, making them pause and turn around. "Your bed, it's too soft. When I was over there, I'd sleep on the ground, use rocks for pillows, like a caveman. Now I'm home, lying in my bed, and it's like," Sam paused, as if trying to find the right words.
"Lying on a marshmallow." Mal finished for him, memories of restless nights coming back to her. She spent the better part of two years, from aged seven to nine, laying on cold metal tables while scientists shoved needles into her. Sleeping in a real bed after that was hard.
"Feel like I'm gonna sink right to the floor." Steve added quickly, glancing knowingly at Mal. "How long?" Steve asked, referring to how long Sam served.
"Two tours. You must miss the good old days, huh?" Sam asked, crossing his arms over his chest.
"Well, things aren't so bad. Food's a lot better, we used to boil everything. No polio is good. Internet, so helpful. I've been reading that a lot, trying to catch up. Mal recently taught me something called Netflix." Steve explained, and Mal stifled a laugh, choosing to only grin widely.
"Marvin Gaye, 1972, "Trouble Man" soundtrack. Everything you've missed jammed into one album." Sam said, nodding his head, and Steve smiled thoughtfully.
"I'll put it on the list." He said, getting his small notebook and pen out and writing Sam's suggestion down on his list. Mal has been helping him adjust to the 21st century, but sometimes he liked to try and figure things out himself. Suddenly, Steve's phone chimed, and Mal knew it was a text from Natasha. Besides Mal, they were the only ones who actually texted him. "Alright, Sam, duty calls. Thanks for the run. If that's what you wanna call running." Steve and Sam shake hands, and Sam laughs.
"Oh, that's how it is?" Sam asked jokingly, shaking his head. Steve smiled, nodding.
"Oh, that's how it is." Sam laughs again, loudly and Mal decides that, yeah, she likes Sam.
"Okay. Any time you wanna stop by the VA, make me look awesome in front of the girl at the front desk, just let me know." Sam said, and Steve nodded slowly.
"I'll keep it in mind." Just then Natasha pulls up in her car by the curb and rolls down the window, a small smirk playing on her lips.
"Hey, guys. Any of you know where the Smithsonian is? I'm here to pick up a fossil." She said jokingly, and Mal laughed, shaking her head.
"That's hilarious." Steve said with a roll of his eyes as he walks over to her car and gets in, Sam gives Natasha and her car an appreciative look, and Mal walks up to the car, leaning in the window slightly. "Can't run everywhere." Steve says simply to Sam, who nods.
"No, you can't." Mal rolls her eyes, and looks to Natasha.
"Another late night?" She asks, and Natasha nods.
"Call Fury or Hill if you need anything." Mal nods and steps away from the car. Natasha quickly pulls away and drives off, and Mal stands there with Sam for a moment before she realizes something, and groans.
"There goes my ride." She whines, not even able to see the car anymore. Sam laughed, clapping her on the shoulder.
"Come on, we can get some coffee and I'll take you home." Mal considers the offer for a moment. She didn't have work for another few hours, and her car was at home so it wouldn't be a problem to get to work.
"Coffee is my weakness." She said with a shrug and a smile. Sam nodded, pleased with her answer, and they both set off for some much-needed coffee.
