Frostbite: Blood in the Winter// Third Book of The Frost Bite Series.

A New Threat

By the time Steve and I had arrived at the apartment building the sun had gone down. Steve parked his bike and we walked into the doorway and made our way up the stairs to our floor. The entire way up I was telling Steve about how iconic and classic the movie Breakfast at Tiffany's was. I figured that I may be boring him but I wasn't planning on stopping until we got to our apartment room. But I stopped when we reached our floor as the nurse that lived across the hall, Kate, stepped out of her room with a laundry bin and talking on her cell phone.

"Hey." She smiled at us and Steve waved. "I gotta go, though. Kay, bye." 

I smiled at her, not only to be kind but because I remembered that Natasha was encouraging Steve to ask her on a date. I lightly nudged Steve as we walked past, he looked hesitant but he turned to face her.

Kate smiled and held up her phone. "My aunt, she's kind of an insomniac." 

Steve chuckled quietly and I lightly tapped his heel with my foot, then turned to look out the window, but also eyeing them from the side. 

"Uh, hey. If you want- if you want, you're welcome to use our machine." He nodded towards her laundry bin. "It might be cheaper than the one in the basement." 

"Oh, yeah?" Kate replied. "What's it cost?" 

"A cup of coffee?" Steve asked. 

Kate quietly chuckled and looked down. "Thank you, but um, I already have a load in downstairs. And uh, you really don't want my scrubs in your machine. I just finished a rotation in the infection disease ward, so..." 

"Ah, well." Steve nodded. "I'll keep my distance." He held his hands up humorously.
"Hopefully not too far." Kate smiled before continuing down the hall.

Steve got the keys from his pocket and headed towards the door when Kate said one more thing. "Oh, and I think you left your stereo on." 

I looked at her with a confused face. We didn't have the stereo on in the first place. We don't have a stereo period. We have a turntable. Steve glanced at me before looking back at Kate. 

"Oh, right. Thank you."

Kate headed down the stairs and Steve's smile disappeared as he looked back at the door. I stood next to him and listened as muffled jazz music was coming through the door. Steve turned the knob showing that it was unlocked, I reached up and slowly pushed the door open, the music becoming louder. We quietly slipped in through the door, Steve grabbed his shield that was leaning against the wall. I shook my hand and snow flakes swirled around my fingers as we quietly crept down the hall and into the living room. 

Steve looked around the corner and his shoulders relaxed. I stepped out and looked to see Nick Fury sitting on the recliner seat in the dark. I breathed out and shook my hand again, the snowflakes disappearing.

"I don't remember giving you a key." Steve said. 

Fury grunted as he sat up. "You really think I'd need one?" In his hand he held his phone. "My wife kicked me out." 

I squinted my eyes, Fury doesn't have a wife. 

"Didn't know you were married." Steve replied. 

"There's a lot of things you don't know about me." Fury said. 

"That's the problem, Nick." I said.