The Truth About Love

I groaned, flinging an arm up to cover my eyes. The sunlight streaming in through my window wall was piercingly bright, and painful. After rubbing the sleep out of my eyes for a few Mounties, I sat up slowly and peered around groggily. I spotted three little pills next to a glass of water on the coffee table. Wondering how they got there, I quickly gulped down the Advil and water.

I yawned and stretched, rubbing my aching head before grabbing my iPhone from the table. It was eleven a.m. and I had two texts from a J. Renner. I frowned, slightly confused. I didn remember exchanging numbers with Jeremy.

'You asked me to stay last night so I slept on the couch. Had to leave for work. Come by the studio later? Mark said you have the address. -J'

'P.S, I'm sorry to tell you that you have a condition. You snore, Roxanne.'

My hangover already abated slightly by the Advil, I found myself grinning at his texts.

'Jerk. I do not snore. I just breathe heavily. I'll be by in about an hour. I'm going to drown myself in my shower now."

JEREMY'S POV

"Should I be concerned?" I asked Mark humorously, showing him the text from his cousin.

"She has a pretty sick sense of humor." He admitted, chuckling.

I laughed along with him, turning back to my laptop on the table in front of me. I was checking online tabloids, making sure there were no pictures from the night before.

"So, uh... What happened last night, anyway?" He said, trying his ham at nonchalance.

"Nothing. Honestly." I insisted when he shot me a doubtful look. "She was smashed and I helped her get up to her apartment. Did you know she has a penthouse apartment in a building with a broken elevator? I carried your cousin up twenty three flights if stairs."

"Well thank you for saving her face." He smiled. "I wouldn't mind, you know." He added, throwing me a grin.

I was floored. Did he just tell me that he wanted me to hook up with his cousin? His family was definitely not normal.

"Dude, I would never-"

"No, really. I saw you guys dancing last night. There was something there."

"Well. I mean she's hot as hell, Mark, really. But I just... I don't do relationships." I sighed, closing my laptop with a snap.

"Sounds lonely." Mark commented, not looking up from his phone.

"I have to go to makeup." I muttered, quickly getting up and exiting the trailer.

I didn't want to admit it, but Mark was right. I was lonely. It had been years since I had been in any sort of extended relationship, and for the most part that was how I liked it. Being an actor put a lot of stress on the romantic life, from being away for extended periods of time, to the jealousy that on screen romance could spawn. I had just decided that it wasn't worth the trouble.

But as I changed into my Hawkeye costume, I thought it ove. Roxanne seemed like a pretty down to earth girl, an she had obviously been around successful celebrities most of her life.

Who was I kidding, right now was definitely not the time to get involved, I had some more major roles coming up after the Avengers was done filming. And starting something with a coworker's family member was never a good idea.

My phone vibrated in my locker and I pulled it out to see Roxanne was calling.

"Yeeeesssss?" I answered, grinning despite my recently soured mood.

"Hey jerk, I'm at the gate and they won't let me in." She whined, and I could practically hear her pouting.

"Be there in a sec."

I hung up and quickly made my way to the gate. When I got there I was surprised to see Roxanne's slender frame, today dressed in dark washed skinny jeans and a plain white v neck with her leather jacket on top, perched a red Ducati ST4 sport bike, her face hidden by a full helmet. I waved to the guard to let him know that she was good to let in and be raised the gate. She eased the bike into a parking spot and killed the engine.

"Pick your jaw up." She snorted, climbing off the bike and pulling off her helmet. " It's just a bike." She smirked, settling the helmet on the seat of the bike.

I let out a low, admiring whistle as I inspected the cherry red motorcycle.

"Nice." I complimented simply.

"Thanks. She's my baby." She grinned fluffing her hair, which was styled into a simple pixie cut today. "What's with the get up?" She asked, looking me up and down.

"I am Hawkeye." I smiled proudly, holding out my arms.

"You look... Uh... Nice." She snickered, starting across the parking lot.

"I happen to think I look nice in leather." I grumbled playfully, adjusting my leather vest.

"Oh yes, it makes your tush look very perky."

I sputtered out a reply and felt myself blush. I couldn't remember the last time a woman had left me speechless.

ROXANNE'S POV

"So how was your night?" Mark questioned, plopping down on a crate labeled 'weaponry props.'

I huffed and rolled my eyes, adjusting my RayBans before crossing my arms over my chest. I had been waiting for this.

"I don't remember much of it to be honest. I remember dancing with Jeremy, and according to him I wouldn't let him leave after helping me home last night so he slept on my couch." I shrugged, shading my eyes to watch the action scene currently being filmed. "He was already gone when I woke up."

"So he's nice, huh?"

"I guess."

"You guys seemed to hit it off pretty well last night. I saw you dancing together."

"Yeah. Your point?"

"Boyfriend material?"

I shifted my gaze over to my cousin, who was sporting a smirk, and felt myself grow aggravated.

"If someone were looking for a boyfriend, I'm sure he would be." I grumbled, gritting my teeth.

Although I loved my cousin, this was the one reason I had put off spending time with him for so long. He always insisted on trying to hook me up with his friends when I was perfectly content on my own.

I had only had one boyfriend in y life and after that experience, I had never wanted another one. I enjoyed flings ever now and then, like the one I had had with Chris, but as soon as any of them tried to bring in the love and fluff, I was out.

I really didn't even have many close friends. I had one girl that I was really good friends with from work, Monica, but that was it, really. I just wasn't into feelings and emotions and stuff. And ever since my older brother had passed away six years before, my resolve not to get close to anyone had only solidified.

It was nothing against Jeremy, I was sure he was a great guy, and he was sexy as all get out. I just wasn't interested in any sort of relationship.

"When is this going to stop, Roxanne? You can't live alone for the rest of your life." Mark sighed, sounding concerned.

"I'm fine, Mark. It's better this way." I muttered, shrugging my shoulders. "Really. I just... I hate getting close to people."

"Alright. I just thought, you know... Maybe it ha changed."

"We'll it hasn't. Now go, they're calling for you." I said, giving him a light shove back towards the set.

I felt a frown grow on my face as I watched him go. I was so zoned out in my own little world that I didn't even notice Jeremy walk over and take Mark's place on the abandoned crate of props.

"Hello? Earth to Roxanne?" Jeremy chuckled, waving a hand in front of my face.

"What? Sorry. I was off in La-La Land." I said, shaking my head slightly.

"Obviously. I was just asking if you were hungry. I'm done for the day and I was just going to run to the Subway down the street."

"Oh yeah. I'm kinda hungry."

"Great. Give me like ten minutes to get changed and wash this make up off."

MARK'S POV

I sighed, watching Jeremy and Roxanne head towards the gate. If I was honest with myself, I was worried about my cousin. She was 32 and acting like she was 23. I hoped that introducing the two of them would help her settle down, as well as help him.

Despite both of their claims to be happy on their own, I could tell that they were lonely. Whether they would finally admit it to themselves remained to be seen.