The Man With a Suit & The Soldier of Time

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Tony lifted his hands from her right when she jumped away from him. He didn't know what else to do, but he just kept reassuring her that she was going to be okay. When Pepper suggested to move her upstairs, he did what he could without startling Sabrina. He was just going to be patient until he got her up the stairs and down on the couch. This woman went through more in that cave than what he and Yinsen did. It was heartbreaking.

When Pepper asked him what happened, he looked up at her and sighed a little. "I am not going to talk about it unless she gives me permission to," he told her. As much as he wanted to tell her, he knew that he couldn't. He looked down at Sabrina's lying form, seeing how scared she was when he touched her. "Just know that a lot of traumatizing events happened in that cave, Pepper. Things that I couldn't stop or control." It even hurt him to say that.

---

Beatrix gave him a smile as he continued to be the gentleman that he was by holding the door open for her. This was something that she could get used to, but she wasn't going to get comfortable with it. Her mother always said that a man should always treat a woman like a lady and never stoop less than that. A motto that Beatrix always kept in her mind, even if she never accepted a dating life because her job was too hectic.

"We are going on a little field trip, Stephen," she teased, giving him a wink before getting inside her car. She turned on the engine, and then started driving towards the direction of the place that she wanted to take him. "And don't worry, you can trust me. I am just going to start your learning process with something a little enjoyable."
 
"Why haven't you mentioned her before?" Pepper had to wonder why her boss was so mysterious when it came to this woman. She'd appeared suddenly in his life again and Pepper doesn't know much of anything about her. "Tony, maybe we should call someone for her?"

JARVIS sounded from high above, relaying information he'd collected online. "Miss. Ryder's father is deceased and she's estranged from her mother, whom lives back in England."

Pepper sighed, accepting that the woman would just have to stay the night. She gently removed Sabrina's glasses, folded them neatly, and set the frames aside. "I'll get her a pillow and blanket." With that, Pepper left the room. Sabrina shifted on the couch, her hand reached out for Tony's. She held it tightly, fingers curling around his own.

"Tony...Tony..." Her weakened voice whispered repeatedly.

Pepper watched from the hallway, arms carrying a pillow and blanket. "JARVIS?" She whispered softly, not wanting Tony to overhear. "Why has Sabrina Ryder come to find Tony after nearly two years?"

JARVIS could give no reply.

* * *

"Oh?" She had peeked Steve's curiosity. He could only wait patiently in the car while Beatrix drove along the road. Steve smiled, happy to be outside in the fresh air once again. He'd hated being confined to the building. Steve watched everything passing by his view, including the lovely environments. "Where are we going?" Steve tried to get a clue, perhaps a hint as to their destination.

When Beatrix didn't tell him immediately, Steve crossed his arms in slightly disappointment. He really wanted to know. As the car began to slow down to a complete stop, Steve shifted excitedly in the seat. He removed his belt and leaned forward through the opened window, but confusion fell across his face. "Where are we?" He turned back to Beatrix with puzzlement in his blue orbs.
 
Tony thanked JARVIS with his responses to Pepper. Clearly the man didn't really wanted to talk about it, and clearly it was information that he kept because that was information that no one needed to know really. Sabrina was just a woman who went through a lot. He said what he could to Pepper, and that was it. It wasn't that he didn't want her to know, but he was just trying to be considerate about Sabrina's personal life even if Pepper didn't like it.

When Sabrina reached for his hand, he just allowed her to hold it. It would be rude of him if he just dismissed it, so he sat and let her do it subconsciously. No harm done. It was just something that she wanted in her subconscious. "Don't worry, I am here," he assured, just speaking to her normally so she could catch what he was saying. "I am not going anywhere just yet."

He genuinely did feel bad about what she was going through.

---

Beatrix hummed a little, and let a small smile grace her lips. She was glad that he couldn't figure it out, and that was the plan until they got there. She drove them a few miles from where they were at the diner to another building that people were going in and out of. She parked the car, and gave him a bigger smile. "We are going to do some learning in the museum, and trust me, this place is not as boring as it looks," she said before getting out of the car before he got the chance to open the door.

"This will be the start of many lessons," she told him, bringing him to the front entrance of the museum. She waved to the man that was at the front entrance of the museum, and he gave her a smile.

"Guten tag, Beatrix," the man greeted cheerfully in German. He was a little older than her, only by a little. His hair was brown that was a little long, but not that long and his eyes were green. She saw Steve close to her, which made his eyebrow rise. "Who is this? Your boyfriend?"
 
Pepper couldn't help the jealousy that built within her. She didn't dislike Sabrina, but felt pushed aside by the other woman's presence. For years, Pepper has been the only woman to become close to Tony and now with Sabrina in the picture, Pepper felt insignificant.

She brought over the blanket and draped it gently onto Sabrina. "I hope she'll be alright."

JARVIS sounded from above, his accent seeming to sooth Sabrina's discomfort. "She'll be fine. She suffered a minor anxiety attack. Some rest will put her back at ease."

Pepper sighed, thankful and offered a small smile. "I'm going back to the office, Tony." No reason for her to linger around. Once she left, Sabrina suddenly began to awaken and moved herself into a sitting position. Rubbing sorely at her eyes, she glanced around. "What happened?"

* * *

The building was amazing, at least to Steve. He quickly joined Beatrix's side and briefly lost his balance when the elder German asked about their relationship. Steve wanted to answer, but his throat dried to point where his voice was unable to speak. He just motioned with a wave of his hand, hoping Beatrix would explain the situation.

He felt embarrassed, the tips of his ears turning the slightest shade of red. Beatrix is a lovely woman, beautiful in his eyes. To be associated in such a way with her, was flattering at the very least. Steve enjoyed her company, but isn't in the position to claim her as his own.

"I'm Ste-Stephen," he immediately corrected while offering his hand.
 
Tony looked at Pepper as she brought a blanket for Sabrina. It was nice that she was helping, even if she was skeptical about Sabrina. Perhaps she felt threatened, but he didn't know for sure. Women just had a weird way of working and their emotions got the best of them most of time. He had to go through it with Pepper all of the time, but he was just used to her having her moods. They have known each other for awhile after all.

He didn't say anything as Pepper left, not wanting to argue with the woman about anything. So, he just sat there and drank his scotch until Sabrina woke up. When she did wake up, he looked down at her and gave a smile. "Good morning sunshine," he spoke, setting his cup down on the table, "You went through an anxiety attack, so we did the best we can to calm you down."

---

The man just looked at Steve for a moment, and shook his hand as he offered. "Nice to meet you, Stephen, I am Roy," he responded, soon letting go of his hand. "Warum so nervös?" He crossed his arms over his chest, giving him a small smirk. Then he looked up at Beatrix, giving her a gentle smile.

"Don't scare him off now," she warned, letting a small laugh come from her lips as she gently place her hand on Steve's arm, "Stephen is a friend of mine, he's from out of town and I am showing him around." She looked up at Steve, seeing that he seemed flustered about Roy's question. It was amusing to her how nervous he got with simple questions that others would ask. He was definitely a shy person it seemed.

"Well, go inside and take a look," Roy told them, nodding his head towards the door. "No charge, of course. A friend of the beautiful Beatrix is a friend of mine."

Beatrix let out a small laugh as she led Steve into the museum. "Sorry about him, he acts like a brother to me, and he usually sees me alone when I am come here," she told him, bringing him further into the building. It was a history museum that was full of different artifacts and different eras to learn about. One of her favorite places when she wanted to brush up on history.
 
Sabrina sighed, hearing Tony's words and the tops of her cheeks darkened very slightly. "Oh, sorry 'bout that." She shifted on the couch, pushing the blanket aside and folded it neatly. "What happened to Pepper?" When Tony answered her, Sabrina stood up and crossed both arms. "I'm sorry for everything, Tony."

Her entire mission was a failure. She was sent to honor Yinsen's wish and even now, Tony knew nothing. Sabrina decided it was finally time to be truthful. "Tony, there's something very important I need to say." Gently reaching out, she held onto his forearm.

"Yinsen discovered a flaw in the Arc Reactor. The core is not stable. It will slowly and gradually poison your bloodstream if not corrected soon." She recalled his lies and had to be straightforward. "Are you feeling any discomfort or symptoms of sickness from the Arc Reactor?" Her grip had tightened, knuckles going white.

* * *

Steve didn't care for Roy's flirtatious personality towards Beatrix, although he remained smiling for her sake. He entered the museum and immediately became engrossed in everything. Steve wandered around, loosing track of Beatrix occasionally. He found himself intrigued by the simplest of things.

"All of this is..." Beyond his time, completely foreign to him. Steve gathered information very quickly, storing the facts to memory. Suddenly turning a corner, he collided with Beatrix and immediately reached out. He luckily grabbed onto her before she collapsed backwards. "Sorry!"

Steve blushed, dropping her hand once she was stabilized.
 
Tony told her not worry about Pepper when she asked for her. Pepper would get over it, she always did. Of course the woman would be mad for awhile, but that was given. "There is nothing to apologize for," he told her. There really was no reason to apologize, it was something that she couldn't control.

Then she was explaining something about the Reactor. He understood what she was saying to him. It was amazing how Yinsen saw that flaw even if he was not around him. Tony saw how she was very concerned for him, and he let out a sigh. "There is no use on lying to you then," he said, letting out a sigh. "I noticed the changes, so I have been trying to find ways to fix the Reactor. It's something that I cannot figure out by myself, which is why I am glad that you are here."

He placed his hand on hers and looked into her eyes. "You can help me once again," he added.

---

Beatrix wasn't really paying attention to where she was going, she was just looking around the museum as well. This place was always her go to place when she wanted to go to headquarters. Fury knew exactly where this place was as well, but he never bothered her unless it was really important. Her father took her here when she was younger all of the time, it was their bonding place so it was strange for her to bring someone else here with her.

When she was bumped into, she didn't have quick reflexes, and she was thankful she was grabbed before she hit the floor. She gave him a smile as she stood to her feet. "It's quite alright, Steve," she said, smoothing out her clothing. "It was an accident."

"Come with me, I want to show you my favorite part of the museum," she told him with a smile, motioning for him to follow.

She led him into another part of the building, and inside a large hanger were airplanes that were built throughout the years. Aviation had always been one of her favorites since that was what her father did. He even showed her how to fly a plane, which was one of her proudest moments. Beatrix led him down the line of planes, and brought him to a plaque at the end of the row.

"I brought it to Roy's attention that we need a tribute to one of our greatest heroes," she said, "It isn't much, but it's a work in progress."

It was a tribute to Steve for the service he did.
 
Sabrina's hand released from Tony's forearm, feeling him place his hand over her own. Trying to defuse the tension, Sabrina chuckled and carefully took a seat back on the couch. "Oi, last time I helped you, I never saw you again for two years almost!"

She hated to confess this to anyone else, much less herself, but she'd missed Tony in those absences. She'd grown to enjoy his company while in the cave.

"You and Yinsen have been my only friends," Sabrina admitted, averting her gaze. "I'll help you, Tony. On one condition." She smirked, offering her hand. "We stay friends this time 'round, yeah?"

* * *

Steve couldn't believe his eyes. The golden memorial that was dedicated in his, and the others, honor was outstanding. He'd never expected something so grand to be made in their honor. The war was something he fought for, his country and it changed him.

More so than just physically. The war awakened a new sense of self inside Steve. An obligation to protect and serve, the fundamentals of any proper solider. However, as he mentioned before in the years lost: "I don't like bullies." He'd always fight to defend the innocent, regardless of their nationality.

"This really is unnecessary," he whispered, still lost in astonishment.
 
"I can't make any promises," Tony teased, and then grinned at her. Might as well poke a little fun at the situation so it didn't seem all that depressing. He was going to enjoy his life how he wanted, but he couldn't do that if he was dead. At least Sabrina came when she did because things could get worst if he couldn't find the answer to it himself.

"Tonight we should just live a little, enjoy a drink or two," he suggested, shrugging a little bit. "Then we will get to the life saving operation."

"And yes," he added in, looking at her. "We will remain friends as long as you keep in touch with me." The majority was his fault, but he was just going to blame it on her for now.

---

Beatrix gave him a smile, placing her hand gently on his back. "You deserve it, that's all," she told him, giving him a bright smile. "You have done so much for this country, which is why I wanted to put this in honor." She patted his back lightly as she looked at the plaque. To be honest, she wanted more done to it, but that is the most the museum could do at this point.

"I wondered when you would take him back here," came a familiar voice of Roy.

She faced him, giving him a smile and a proper hug as he came near the two. "Of course, he deserves to see what an impact he made," she spoke, giving Steve a proud look.

"And really, they told you to call yourself Stephen?" Roy questioned, looking at Steve. "That clearly gives your identity away even if you are trying to stay under the radar. Fury has a strange way of keeping things on the down low, now does he?"

"He's complicated," Beatrix commented.
 
Sabrina accepted Tony's offer, including forgoing the medical emergency till a later time. After all, so long as Tony wasn't collapsing from the poisoning, he'd be alright for a while. Sabrina left the couch behind, walking back over to the counter and poured herself another drink.

"Listen, Tony..." She smirked teasingly, stirring her drink slowly. "Keeping in contact with you is not exactly easy." He always keeps company of the media. "How about you visit me in England from time to time, yeah?" She'd prefer that. At least in England, she's comfortable and in her element.

Sabrina chuckled, the alcohol starting to take hold. She tripped forward, holding onto Tony's shoulder. "Do you partake in the art of dance, sir?" The alcohol thickened her accent. Safe to say, Sabrina was drunk. Seeming to take her cue, JARVIS suddenly brought a low melody to the speakers.

Sabrina grinned, standing up straight and offered her hand to Tony. "C'mon, Tony. Show me why all the ladies fall at your feet."

* * *

Steve stayed silent when Roy came over. He didn't have anything to say at the moment. However, when Roy mentioned Director Fury, Steve tensed immediately. Even though he isn't particularly fond of the man...Steve doesn't approve of speaking behind someone's back. He finds it cowardly.

"Director is a man of many mysterious," Steve offered to the conversation. He wanted to leave the area, feeling the unexpected weight of exhaustion finally grabbing onto him. "May we go back now?" He asked of Beatrix, not wanting to spoil the pleasant evening.

If he didn't get the comfort of a bed soon, Steve feared collapsing to the floor.
 
"Come to England more?" Tony repeated, and then grinned at her. "I might have to take you up on that offer." He had to escape from his every day life once in awhile so going to England would be a good option for him to do to get away from everything. After all, he had the stress of others on his shoulders, but he dealt with it as much as he could.

He gave her a questioning glance as she went up to him and asked him to dance. She was drunk, he could tell. It amazed him on how little she drank and how quick she got drunk. "It seems like you had a little too much to drink," he commented, and then sighed a little when JARVIS started to play some music. Thanks JARVIS.

Tony stood up to his feet, and then grabbed her hand. "I guess I will show you, you will be amazed on my dancing," he told her, holding her hand and placing his other on her waist. "I don't think you are ready."

---

Beatrix listened to Roy as he spoke about Fury, and then looked at Steve. Bummer that he wanted to leave early, but it was the best thing to do because he was out and about. He also did seem a little exhausted. "Well, come on," she told him, giving him a smile. She looked at Roy and gave him a good-bye before motioning for Steve to follow her.

"Be good to her, or else," Roy said teasingly to Steve before his good-bye. One could tell that he was very protective over the young woman, even if it may seem like that he didn't show it much.

"How did you like the museum?" Beatrix questioned, looking at Steve as they got to the car. She had hoped that he liked it so she could take him back to bring him to the other exhibits.
 
Sabrina smirked, biting the tip of her tongue teasingly. "Oh? Is that so, Tony?" She liked saying his name, it slipped nicely from her lips. Sabrina held onto him, slowly gliding her feet across the floor with grace. Surprisingly, considering her drunken state, she preformed elegantly. "I've taken professional dancing classes since I was a young child." In another words, keeping pace and step with him was extremely easy even while intoxicated.

They danced for a full hour, closing in on two when Sabrina finally succumbed to the alcohol. She stumbled slightly, collapsing onto Tony's chest. A soft series of giggles broke from her throat, eyes bright and halfway closed in her happiness. Her lips spread into a wide smile. "Well, thanks for the wonderful dance." Sabrina leaned forward onto the tips of her toes and placed a chaste kiss to the side of Tony's mouth.

Flirtation is not a skill that Sabrina has perfected, but she's no stranger to seduction. Performing as a model in the past, Sabrina has excellent socializing skills. She knows how to work a crowd, maintain the center of attention and bring young man to their knees. However, Tony is not inexperienced. Tony is her equal, he even surpasses her in the art of conducting the social media.

Breaking contact from Tony, dropping her hands from him and taking a step backwards, Sabrina continued smiling happily. "Maybe I should get going?" She knew Tony's reputation. A drunken woman in his house? She really didn't need the rumors.

* * *

Once removed from the museum and Roy's company, Steve finally relaxed. A sight broke from his lips, straining them into a smile. "I really enjoyed it, ma'am." In truth, the museum brought back some memories that Steve would have preferred to keep in the past. He didn't blame Beatrix, though. She was only trying to help him assimilate into the new world.

Steve stayed silent as they drove back to where he'd be building a new life for himself. The building was not an ideal place to live, but he wouldn't complain. As the car parked, Steve hurried outside and leaned back against the car for a moment. His eyes softened, the weight of his memories halfway closing them. He wanted time to think. Everything has happened so quickly.

"Thank you for everything today, ma'am." Steve truly was grateful, even though his smile was forced. He reached for her hand, loving the smooth touch of her skin, and pressed a quick kiss to the tops of her knuckles. "I apologize, I'm just really drained and need time to collect my thoughts." His apology was sincere and he felt horrible for telling her the truth.

Beatrix had a right to know, though.
 
Tony rose a brow as she kissed the side of his mouth, but he didn't say anything about it. He just allowed it to happen. There was nothing that he could do to stop her. Well, he could have, but he wasn't going to stop her. The woman before him was a little drunk, but he condoned to it, so it was technically his fault. Oh well. It was fine that she was doing this, as long as he could keep tabs on the situation.

"Why leave?" he questioned, looking at her curiously. His reputation wasn't going to be ruined if he allowed her to stay, and her reputation wouldn't be ruined anyway. It wasn't like he allowed intruders to scope out his home and watch how many girls stayed at his house. Not many women typically stayed in his house, rather his bed, for more than a night. If they did, then he just probably forgot to kick them out. Well, normally it was Pepper who kicked out ladies from his home.

"Might as well stay here for awhile, I am not going to allow you to wander around the city all drunk," he told her. At least he was courteous to allow her to stay.

---

Beatrix looked at Steve as he leaned back against the car. Maybe she did overload him with a lot of things, but it was one way to get him used to everything. Sure she did it so quickly with adding new facts into his head, but it had to be done. At least the hard part was out of the way. Allowing him to see what he missed was the best thing, and then she would explain more later. She didn't mean to exhaust him, but it was with good intentions.

When he reached for her hand and kissed the top of her knuckles to apologize, she just gave him a smile. "It is quite alright, there is no reason to apologize to me," she told him. It felt nice when he held her hand, but she knew that he was going to let go of her hand sooner or later. "I should get you to your new living quarters so you can rest, we can pick up from where we left off tomorrow. I promise you that it isn't going to be a bad experience."

One step at a time.
 
Sabrina was in no position to refuse somewhere to stay. She clearly wasn't capable of driving and flagging down a taxi or cab would be nearly impossible this late in the night. So, she decided it would be alright to stay for one night at Tony's estate.

"Might I suggest the guest room, sir?" JARVIS offered, his voice softer and speaking in a lower volume. "I do believe that Miss. Ryder would find it more comfortable than the couch."

Sabrina didn't contribute to the conversation, having already fallen on the couch and her eyes began to close slowly. "Oi, Tony?" She quipped, weakly waving him over with a hand. "I'm only staying in Malibu for two weeks, so tomorrow we need to get focused on repairing the Arc Reactor." Even in her drunken stupor, Sabrina was loyal to her word. She promised Yinsen.

* * *

Steve trusted her. He actually trusted Beatrix. The only person in fifty years to have earned his trust. She should be honored. When they arrived at the building, Steve walked slightly ahead of her, taking larger steps without intentionally being aware. Subconsciously he was exhausted, all he desired was a restful night's sleep.

In the morning he'd be more prepared to access information, but right now, his mind was slowly shutting down. As Steve made it to the doorway, he yawned thickly into his hand. "I look forward to tomorrow, ma'am." He truly did. Steve learned a lot today, even if he did get slightly overwhelmed with it all.

He parted ways with Beatrix, went inside and immediately collapsed onto the couch.
 
"Yes, yes, I am quite aware of that," Tony told Sabrina, knowing well what she meant. Hopefully two weeks was going to be enough. He knew that it was going to be, but what if it wasn't? He just hoped for the best really. At the suggestion of the guest room, his eyebrows furrowed slightly. He had a guest room? Well, he wasn't aware of that, but he probably had one. Hopefully it wasn't bombarded things.

He went over to Sabrina, and put his hands on his hips. "Would you like to be carried to the guest room or can you walk on your own?" he questioned, unsure on how drunk she was. When he looked down at her on the couch, he let out a small sigh. "Or would you rather stay on the couch because you freely put yourself there?"

Of course he was just teasing her, but she did make herself comfortable there.

---

Beatrix allowed Steve to walk into his apartment, and made sure the door was closed all the way before she turned on her heel. He was an interesting man, that was for sure. She was aware that he had a lot of information hitting him at once, so she understood where he was coming from. She took her keys out, and walked a little ways down the hall. With her reassignment, Fury also made her move for the time being as well, to be close to the soldier of time. It was fitting, in case anything did happen.

She walked in the apartment, looking around for a moment to see that her furniture was transferred over in the small amount of time. They moved quick. With a sigh, she locked the door behind her and sat down on the couch, soon hearing a soft meow come from behind her. She turned to see her black cat sitting there. It hesitated for a moment before it jumped up on the couch and started to purr as Beatrix placed a hand on the cat's head.

With a sigh, she lied back on the couch and allowed her feline friend to make himself comfortable to the side of her. Now the agent was exhausted and she didn't feel it until she was lying on that couch.

[You may skip ahead if you want to.]
 
Sabrina briefly opened her eyes and was quite pleased with the sight she'd been provided. Tony Stark, hands on hips and slightly irritated, was a rather pleasant view. She may be single and not in the market for anyone, but even she wouldn't deny he's an attractive man. When he asked her the following questions, a taunting tone in his voice, Sabrina just smirked stupidly.

"You offering to carry me?" She teased, sticking out her tongue playfully. Sabrina couldn't help herself, the alcohol having taken full effect by now. Considering she didn't have her glasses on at the moment, her dept perception was a tad off as she lifted slightly from the couch and reached for Tony's arm. She missed, terribly so, and grabbed onto his thigh by mistake.

She squeezed the area in confusion, "This doesn't feel like an arm!" Sabrina broke into laughter, rolling off the couch and planted herself firmly on the floor. She just continued to laugh happily, curling herself into a semi-fetal position and just kept herself amused.

* * *

Steve had fallen asleep on the couch, but only for a few minutes before he awoke. A nightmare had irrupted his peaceful slumber. He should have expected that to happen. Steve padded along the floor to the kitchen, poured himself a full glass of water and drank it quickly. His heart was pounding, the images and sounds from his nightmare still echoing in his head.

The night he went down in the plane. Seeing his friends die. All of those horrible flashes appeared from behind his eyes. Steve groaned, a hand desperately rubbing at his head. He wanted to forget them. He needed to move on from the past, but it wasn't going to be easy.

Discarding his clothing in the bathroom, Steve hushed down the nightmares with a steaming hot shower. Dressing in sweatpants and socks, he collapsed onto the bed and quickly fell back asleep. This time, his dreams were not haunting or unsettling. This time, in his dreams, he envisioned Beatrix and fell asleep wearing a pleasant smile for a change.
 
When she grabbed his thigh, he kind of jumped a little. "Slow down, all you have to do is ask," Tony teased, giving a smirk. Then he just watched her being drunk as she fell to the ground, putting herself in a semi-fetal position. Now he didn't know how to handle this drunk woman. If he asked JARVIS what to do he would say some smart remark, so he just didn't ask.

With a sigh, he gently grabbed her by her forearm and hoisted her up a bit. "Come on, drunkie, let's get you to your room," he said, bringing her up so she was standing. Well, in this moment he was going to have her lean against him and he was going to help her walk. If it got to the point, he would carry her.

That was what he ended up doing so she didn't stumble all over the place. After asking JARVIS where the guest room was, he finally made it. It took a lot of effort than it needed. He pushed open the door, bringing her to the bed and lied her down on it. "Will you be okay?" he questioned.

Why did he ask that? She was drunk.

---

Beatrix had been staring at the ceiling for the longest time before she decided to get off the couch. Just as she did, her work cell phone started to ring and she knew that she had to answer it. "Agent Nimitz," she answered sternly, trying not to sound half asleep. That wasn't working at all.

"I am calling to make sure that you got to your location safe and sound," came Fury's voice on the line.

With a small sigh that was hard for him to hear, she just told him the information that he wanted. Updating him about Steve, and telling him about the day. Fury was going to check in again at the same time tomorrow evening, and she just agreed before getting off the phone with him. She shook her head as she headed to her room, her cat following behind her.

After changing into her sleeping clothes, she got into her bed after taking off her make up and doing her routine. Her eyes closed and she thought of Steve for a moment. It made her smile when she did, and soon started to drift asleep.
 
Sabrina awoke the following morning with an absolutely excruciating headache. The alcohol having left behind only a few trace remnants of its visitation the night prior. The exhausted young woman shifted slightly in the bedding, eyes barely opening and immediately closed as her vision was assaulted by rays of sunlight.

At first, Sabrina had forgotten where she was. However, after taking a few minutes to recall her actions from the night before, she remembered visiting Tony. Thankfully, he was kind enough to let her stay and recover. She crawled along the floor, finding the bathroom and puked her guts into the toilet. She may enjoy drinking, but it doesn't agree with her stomach.

After a steaming hot shower to relax her muscles, Sabrina wrapped herself in a black bathrobe that was provided and padded out into the kitchen. She wasn't completely naked underneath the robe, though. Sabrina was clever enough to put on black shorts and a matching sports bra she'd packed in her satchel. Speaking of which, her satchel was discarded off to the side of her bed.

"Good morning, Miss Ryder."

Sabrina scoffed, bundling her dampened hair into a messily made bun atop her head. "Morning, Jarvis. Is Tony awake?" When the AI replied that Tony was still sleeping, Sabrina decided to make a quick breakfast. She was sure that Tony wouldn't mind.

Standing in front of the stove, cooking waffles with a side of bacon and sliced potatoes, Sabrina opted for some tea as well. However, much to her dismay, she discovered Tony's preference was stronger towards Coffee, not a single tea bag in sight. She sighed, preparing Coffee instead in the pot. Her back was still turned when Tony entered the room.

* * *

The morning lights awoke the peacefully sleeping solider from his slumber. Adjusting himself in the bed, Steve sat up with his back firmly resting against the wooden bed frame. His weak and weary eyes began with blurred vision, not yet adjusted to the lights. Steve rubbed them sorely with his fingers, releasing a yawn into the air.

Despite getting a full night's sleep, Steve still seemed to be exhausted. He readied himself for a shower, turning on the water and discarded his clothing before stepping inside. The hot droplets of water poured down on his muscles, soothing them easily. Steve relaxed, letting his forehead drop and rest on the cold tile. His eyes slowly dropped closed once more, his body so at peace that he actually started to drift off into sleep.

However, thankfully, the water did not remain warm for long. Suddenly the droplets turned cold, freezing cold. Steve shuddered, jumping out of the tub and wrapped himself tightly in a white bathrobe. He glanced down to see goosebumps breaking out along his skin. Steve hurried to get dressed, choosing a simple black button-up shirt with grey pants and black boots with weathered leather.

As he fastened the cuffs of his sleeves, Steve ran a hand idly through his dampened hair. The locks of blond fell neatly into place, no further styling needed. Pouring himself a cuppa water, Steve cast a curious gaze to the coffee maker on the counter. He wasn't familiar with how to use it, but desperately craved a cuppa.


Silently, he found himself wishing for Beatrix.
 
Tony had been sleeping soundly until JARVIS woke him up with his alarm. With a groan, he had waved his hand around to stop the AI from trying to wake up and he brought himself to his bathroom. Might as well take a shower, he smelt like alcohol still. Of course he never minded it, but he knew it wasn't the ideal smell to have. So, he brought himself into shower to take the smell off of him. Once he was done, he dressed in a black t-shirt in which his Reactor could be seen glowing through and a pair of nice jeans.

"JARVIS, did Pepper come by?" he questioned, running a comb through his hair as he walked through his room.

"No, sir, she did not," he replied, "But Miss Ryder is making breakfast."

This made Tony raise a brow and made his way to the kitchen. Then he saw that she was indeed making breakfast... In a robe. "You know, I can get used to this," he said, knowing well that he would give her a scare because she was probably focusing on making breakfast. "It's not like every day a woman cooks breakfast in a robe in my home."

That was the truth too.

---

Beatrix rose before the sun even rose, just like how she normally did every day. Even if she was on a special assignment that didn't acquire her to wake up early, she still did it out of habit. It was that internal alarm that was set. So, when she woke up, she immediately brought herself to take a relaxing bath, something that she hasn't done in a long while. It relaxed her muscles and it seemed to bring down her stress levels.

When she finished, she got out and put on her clothes for the day. She wore a nice white button up top that was tucked into her black high waist pencil skirt, completing the outfit with a pair of nice black heels. Her hair was done in its normal fashion of curls, and her make up was done the same way as she always have done it.

She glanced up at the clock, seeing that it was almost 9. That was a reasonable time, so she left her apartment after grabbing her purse. Making sure to lock the door behind her, she headed down the hall. Her heels echoed through, but that was what usually happened with her. She reached Steve's door, and then brought her hand up to knock on it.

Hopefully he was awake.
 
Sabrina jolted, jumping slightly from the ground and nearly splashed her entire, freshly poured, cuppa coffee onto herself. She hadn't been expecting Tony to make an appearance. Composing herself, Sabrina adjusted her ruffled bathrobe and sighed with minor annoyance.

"And here I was, being so nice as to make you breakfast and you startle the heavens out of me." The Brit teased, plating their meals and setting them down gently at the table. Sabrina smirked, seating herself and sipped greedily from her coffee cup. "Well?" She motioned to the vacant seat. "Are you going to join me, love?"

The addition of the nickname was just to annoy him. She found rousing him to be quite entertaining.

* * *

Alerting to someone's arrival by the unmistakable clanking of heels on the floor, Steve readied himself at the door. His shirt properly fitted, shoes laced and hair having dried in its signature style; he reached for the handle when someone knocked.

Seeing just whom he'd been expecting, Steve welcomed Beatrix with a sincere smile. The bright-eyed man moved aside, allowing her to come in. "Would you like anything to drink?" Steve offered automatically, walking towards the kitchen. He already had himself a cuppa ice water, still unable to configure that confusing coffee maker.

"I was just thinking about you." The words escaped, alighting his face aflame.
 
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