Converto - Marvel Studios [8]

eleven.

I pushed the front door of the townhouse open as I pulled the key from the lock, the house being eerily quiet without Steve and I in it. The hinges creaked as I moved inside, wiping my wet shoes on the doormat and pushing the door closed behind me with my hip, flicking the lock swiftly with my palm. I set the keys in the bowl by the door, leaning against the wall as I pulled my shoes off of my feet, not wanting to drag the New York rain water through the clean house with me. Charlie came stalking down the stairs, meowing as he saw that it was me who had walked into the house, probably pleased to see me again.

"Hey, Charlie" I said quietly, squatting down and scratching him behind the ears when he got to the bottom of the stairs, the cat pushing his head into my hand. He let out a soft purr as he moved his head against my hand, making me smile as I continued to pet him softly. The neighbour had been coming to feed him in the past few days, but I had decided that we would probably be up at the compound for much longer than initially thought we would be. "We are going on a little field trip" I said to the cat, putting my hand under him as I lifted him up, resting him in my arms as if he was a small baby.

I guess he was happy to see me again, burrowing in my arms as he purred softly, making me laugh as I moved into the living room. I needed to grab a few extra things for Steve and I as well as picking up Charlie. I walked through into the living room, the pillows on the couch perfectly perched in the position they always were, everything a little too perfect like you could tell we hadn't been living here. I collapsed onto the couch, letting Charlie down next to me as he climbed around for a bit, flopping down and leaning his head against the side of my leg, nuzzling into it.

"He's not here with me" I whispered to Charlie, scratching his head as a small smile rested on my face, Charlie purring as he wriggled around in my arm. "You can see him soon" I added quickly as Charlie purred lightly, answering back to me as I let out a heavy sigh before I stood up. "You'll like the compound, there's lots of halls for you to roam" I said to Charlie, moving through the living room as I walked back out to the hall, pulling open the door to the hall closer that was under the stairs. It was filled with a bunch of stuff that we had stashed away and forgotten about, Charlie's blue travel crate sitting at the back of the closet as I pulled it out with a small heave, the vacuum cleaner leaning against it as it fell with a clatter.

I closed the door quickly, not wanting to have to deal with anything else falling off. I walked back into the living room, setting the crate on the floor towards the couch, leaving the door open as Charlie watched me with his eyes. "Okay, I'll give you 10 minutes to go inside on your own, and if you don't I'll put you inside" I said, leaning down close to him as I scratched him behind his ears once again quickly. "You can scratch me all you like" I added before walking away from him, pointing down at the open crate once again before leaving the room. I had a feeling that I was going to have to force him into it before I left the house.

I put my hand on the railing, swinging myself around it as I started climbing up the stairs, the wood creaking under my combat boots. I made my way into the bedroom, stopping in the doorframe as I kicked at the floor, leaning against it with my arms crossed for a moment. The house was so peaceful after not having been here in a while, the bed perfectly made and the toothpaste cap still stray on the bathroom counter where Steve left it. It was like returning home after a long vacation, it felt familiar yet so foreign at the same time.