The Red Thistle

A Friend

I came into their lab where I saw Bruce looking at something through a microscope,

"What's up?" I asked, Bruce looked up at me. I still can't get over that a guy who seems so calm and relaxed could be a raging green giant,

"Oh hi Melody." he said as he pushed the microscope to the back of the counter.

"So what is it you wanted to show me?" I asked, they both looked at each other then back at me.

"I wanted to check that your ok. I haven't really got the chance to talk to you since you've came back." he told me,

"I'm fine honest." he raised an eyebrow,

"Someone's in denial." mumbled Stark who was trying to look like he wasn't listening in.

"Listen. We all know that you feel alone right now but Tony and I both know how it feels to be like this. I hope you see me as a friend who wants to help you." Bruce explained, as Tony's name was mention he faced us,

"Both of you imagine the person you trust the most. Someone that no matter what has always stood by you. The one who has been there for as long as you can remember. Then imagine them going through everything that caused the arc reacter or caused you to become the other guy. Then being trained to kill you." I saw that this was pretty painful for them both to think of, Stark seemed in his own world as he thought where as Bruce gripped the table edge tightly as he thought,

"Unlike you both this is real for me." I felt tears sting my eyes for a moment but I was able to hold them in,

"I understand. I have lost my brother to his darker side." I heard Thor's voice from behind me I turned round to see him.

"I'm sorry to hear that." I could tell he missed his brother. How Loki could betray Thor and him still want him back is beyond me maybe only a asgaurdian bond can do that.

"I hope I haven't interrupted."

"No I was just leaving." I said, I went to go.

"Mel wait!" I turned round to Bruce,

"Don't do anything risky. We can't afford losing you." He told me, I left after that. I didn't want to hear anymore, I know they were trying to be nice but they honestly don't know what I'm going through. No one does.

I was placing the final touches on my hair. I was just about to go to Steve's room. I decided that I was going to make the effort so instead of shapshifting my hair to sit I did it my self, it had the top half pinned back whilst the other half lay around my shoulders, it took me several attempts but it did turn out good in the end. I had on a red knee length dress on that had a white collar and had a no sleeves. I wore a pair of brown Mary Jane heels with it, as I left my room I felt some what nervous for this is my first date with Steve even knowing we've kinda been going out for a month and a half now. I gingerly knocked the door, he opened it within moments, he was in a pale blue shirt with dark brown trousers and brown shoes.

"Hi." I started,

"Hey Mel come on in." he moved to the side as I walked. I was taken aback by what I saw, it looked like I had stepped back in time into a post war apartment, dark Brown wood panel floors, cream walls, some old fashion furniture as well as a record player sitting out. I walk straight over to it.

"I didn't know you could still get these." I told him,

"Stark still had his dad's one in his loft so he gave it to me." just as he said this I saw the Stark industries sign on the side. I picked up of the records sitting next to it and placed it in, it began to play slow jazz,

"You wanna dance?" I asked, he hesitated.

"I-I haven't really danced in a while and I kind of promise my next dance to someone." he admitted, ah. He means Peggy.

"You can still give her that dance." I made myself shifted to look like the woman in the compass, I saw his eyes widen as I did this. I guess he didn't expect this, he walked over slowly and we took up the 1st position for the waltz then began to slowly move to the music. He spun me once or twice but we danced in silence with just the music playing, when it finished I looked up at him, he looked down at me and smiled.

"Thank you." he said, I went to kiss him but he stopped me.

"I would rather kiss my girlfriend." I shifted back to myself, he kissed me gently and tenderly. I smiled as we kissed. He always knew how to turn my heart to butter, when we pulled out we lent our heads together, he was smiling. I gave a small giggle, suddenly the music changed to a more upbeat song. We started to dance and spin around, we kept laughing and almost falling over, as the song finished we both fell onto his couch. We spent most of the night sitting talking about what are normal lives were like. He used to go out on double dates with his best friend Bucky, go to the cinema and when the second war came he also tried alot of times to get into the army but always failed.

I told him how I used to be very musical being able to play all types of drums and purcussion but when I got my powers my ears became more sensative to loud noises so I had to stop so that's when I took up writing. I used to be very socailable as well which did get me invited out to a lot of places, when my powers came I moved school and kept my head down low so no one could tell I was the Red Thistle. Mason was the only one who I kept in contact with from my old school. I lay in Steve's arms thinking of everything that has happened since coming here and gently fell to sleep