Flightless Bird ( Steve Rogers Romance)

Part 4

I greeted Natasha with a small hug and a mostly full smile. I was rather happy to get to see her again as it had been over two months since our last meeting. For a good portion of my life we had been together as either partners or friends. She had been with me during alot of my time with The Hand. We had a quick little catch up discussion and of course Natasha was almost all business at the moment.

I also met an unassuming man with chocolate brown eyes named Bruce Banner. He had a shy, nervous kind of personality and looked terribly uncomfortable around all the people who bustled around the top of the helicarrier. They were preparing it for flight as we would soon take off. I had a difficult time believing that Bruce Banner somehow turned into a giant green rage monster yet I knew looks were always the ultimate deceivers.

Steve and him seemed to easily get along as they watched in awe once the helicarrier began rising out of the sea. Natasha gave am amused smirk that I was used to seeing as she watched the two astounded men who looked over the side of the helicarrier like children looking out the window of an airplane. The helicarrier gave a slight shudder and Natasha then spoke up. " Lets go inside shall we?" She insisted in more of a statement then a question. The two men nodded as we followed her towards a door leading down into the helicarrier.

She walked with her back straight as we entered the interior of the helicarrier. In my civilian clothing I felt very out of place around all the uniformed agents and workers on the helicarrier. But in a sense I almost felt right at home around all the serious faces and no nonsense attitudes. " So did Phil get you to sign his Captain America trading cards yet?" Natasha asked as she walked side by side with me and the Super Soldier. The doctor trailed behind us as he took small steps. He was obviously still in awe of the helicarrier as he paused just a second to glance out a window at the sea below now shrinking away.

Steve was also quite amazed but gave a new look of profound surprise at Natasha's random question. " Trading cards?" Steve asked as my amber eyes trailed over the long hallways that I had meant to leave behind. Natasha gave another smirk " They are mint condition, he's very proud" Natasha claimed as she led us towards the main bridge. It was a large room that gave an amazing aerial view of the dark blue sea beneath us. It was a flurry of activity all around the bridge as dozens of agents sat behind their respective view screens or control panels. But I noticed that there was a tense buzz in the air.

Fury stood at the front of the main bridge and turned to greet us as we entered. He gave me a nod in greeting and began to talk with both Steve and Bruce. Natasha and I stood side by side. I was easily 4 or 5 inches taller than she was. " So Harp, how's life in the normal world?" She asked and I noticed a little bit of an edge in her voice. She had never been all that happy about me leaving my life as a agent yet in the end she supported me. She hadn't really ever had a shot at an average life either yet she didn't seem to want one anyway.

I dismissed her tone as I watched the Captain hand Fury a ten dollar bill for whatever reason. " Oh you know..... just staying up late on the weekends..... eating cereal in the morning...." I told her and it all sounded incredibly dull compared to what my life used to be. Natasha gave a mildly interested look as all of those things were not something she normally got to do on a weekly basis. " Sounds boring. I've kinda missed you around here" She admitted with her arms crossed over her chest.

I gave a small smile " Yea... honestly I've missed you and all of this too" I replied as the helicarrier rose above the clouds and then proceeded to go into camouflage mode. It was true though. Coming back to the helicarrier made me feel more at home then when I was at my own apartment. " You seem better though" She noted and I arched a brow.

" What do you mean?" I asked and she shrugged. " You just seem more relaxed. Better around people I mean" She explained and I nodded in agreement. Being a bartender for the past two years had certainly improved my people skills. After being experimented on and forced into training to kill people. I hadn't exactly been a people person when S.H.I.E.L.D. took us in. In fact I didn't like speaking to new people much at all.