《 It's Been A While 》Steve Rogers X Reader

~ Chapter 33 ~

The monitors fill the room with a steady beat. From across the glass pane I watch the surgeons work on Fury. Maria, Natasha, and Steve are here with me. We were the only ones given clearance to watch.

"Is he gonna make it?" Romanoff asks. I stay silent, my eyes watching the doctors' hands carefully move to and fro.

"I don't know." Steve answers for me. He finds my hand and gives it a squeeze. I squeeze back but keep my eyes on Fury.

"Tell me about the shooter." Natasha's eyes are glued to the glass.

"He's fast. Strong. Had a metal arm."

"Blue eyes and long hair. Around 6 foot and in his mid 20s early 30s." I blurt out all of the information I observed to Natasha. Steve looks at me shocked but I'm glued to the screen.

"Ballistics?"

"Three slugs, no rifling. Completely untraceable." Maria answers this time.

So Sharon did analyze the scene. That was all? That metal arm knows what he's doing. Natasha pieces the puzzle together in her mind.

"Soviet made."

"Yeah," Maria turns to face me but all I can do is squeeze Steve's hand harder and harder as the procedure goes on.

Natasha struggles to watch as the monitors start to beep frantically.

"Don't do this to me, Nick..."

I watch as they try to save him from slipping through. And I watch as they let him go. My face is like stone.

I should be more sad. Distraught. Angry. Happy. Anything. But all I feel is a muffled sadness that really isn't there. I see the reflection of my eyes in the glass. They get glossed over with a golden mist and I step back a bit.

Was that me?

Steve has to walk away when the surgeon takes off his gloves in defeat. Nat looks like she's on the verge of falling apart.

"Time of death, 1:03am."

When we go to say our final goodbyes, we are all silent. I don't know what I would say to him. I don't think I'd be able to say anything at all.

Before I can work the courage to even face him, Maria comes in and takes him. Everything is falling apart.

Natasha leaves and Steve follows her out. I slowly trail behind and lean against the wall.

"Why was Fury in your apartment?" Natasha asks as I step up behind Steve. He sighs and says he doesn't know.

"Don't trust anyone."

I gently nudge Steve's hand before Rumlow and the S.T.R.I.K.E division come up behind us. Rumlow looks me over before focusing on Steve.

"Cap, they want you back at S.H.I.E.L.D." He says and gives me a side eye. Steve catches this and leans closer to me. Protecting me.

"Yeah, give me a second-"

"They want you now." Steve stares at Rumlow.

"Okay." He says in a stern voice and Rumlow looks at me before going back to his group.

"You are both terrible liars." Natasha says as she walks away. Steve turns to me and sighs. I nod towards his jacket pocket.

"We should handle that," I say, talking about the hard drive. Rumlow walks towards us again but this time he's here for me. He gives me a hug, which is difficult with all of the bulky gear he's got on.

Brushing a hair out of my face he plants a kiss on my forehead. Always this excessive show of affection when Rogers is around. Steve doesn't look uncomfortable when it happens anymore, though.

He looks angry.

"How are you holding up, baby girl?" He asks, playing that he is extremely worried about me. I've seen eyes that looked worried and his look excited.

"I'm alright. What's the S.T.R.I.K.E division doing here?" He sighs when I get straight to the point. I glance and Steve nods, understanding that I'm trying to get as much information as possible.

"We're here to escort Captain Rogers back to headquarters. We don't need him going down too," Rumlow looks back at Steve when he says this.

"We should get going. Be safe, dollface. Do you need me to send one of my guys to make sure you get home safe?"

I shake my head and give him a kiss on the cheek.

"I can handle myself." Rumlow nods and turns to Steve, who is clearly still aggravated.

"Ready when you are, Cap." Steve watches as he walks away before turning back to me.

"The S.T.R.I.K.E division..."

"Yeah. I'm having my suspicions too."

"Has Rumlow been acting any differently from usual?" I clutch my necklace when he says this. He has been acting strange. I open my mouth to tell him about Rumlow's cautious behavior.

"No. He's still the same." Steve softens his features.

"Has he laid his hands on you recently?" I smile at his concern and shake my head.

There's a bit of quiet before Steve acknowledges the elephant in the room.

"How- how did you manage to catch my shield, pass me at top speed, and not have a single bruise on you?" He looks at me intrigued with his brows creased.

"I don't know what's happening either, Steve," I sigh. How did I speed past him? He's a literal super Soldier and I managed to out pace him. Something was off and I didn't know what.

I healed pretty quickly too. I wasn't that hurt to begin with but my bruises healed surprisingly quick. The marks on my hands were practically gone.

"Well you'd better find out. I have a feeling things are about to get ugly."

Rumlow calls out to him once more as a worker bends down beside us, working on the vending machine.

Steve discretely looks at the machine and then at me. He slips me the hard drive and then heads to the S.T.R.I.K.E team waiting.

"Let's go."

"Yeah," Rumlow starts to walk and then calls out to me. "Y/n, you sure about that ride?"

"I'm okay, I've got to use the restroom anyways."

"Alright. Let's get moving."

As Steve and the team walk down the hall I make my way towards the bathroom, slipping the hard drive into the vending machine currently being worked on.

When I get to the bathroom a get inside of the biggest stall in the corner and lean against the brick wall. Periodically I bang the back of my head on the brick. I can still feel physical pain. Just not emotional.

Something was wrong. Wrong with S.H.I.E.L.D., with Rumlow, with everything. Especially with me.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Preview~~~~~~~~~~~~~

What the f---- just happened?

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