Avengers Preferences and Imagines

Something To Prove (Steve Rogers)

A/N: Thank you to @that_psycho_bitch for requesting this one, it was a lot of fun to write! I hope you like it. 

Prompt: The reader is the newest avenger and is trying to prove herself but ends up working so hard that she makes herself really sick and Steve takes care of her and then they fall asleep together. 

My music blared in my ears as I focused on connecting my fists with the punching bag over, and over, and over again. Jab, cross. Jab cross. Again, and again, and again. I continued until my arms were unsteady with exhaustion and the cuts on my knuckles had opened up and began to bleed again. Panting, I unwrapped my battered hands and took a long swing from my water bottle. Taking a quick glance at my watch, I noted that it was after 7:00 AM now, and the rest of the team would be waking up to start their days any time now. I walked over to the training room's massive windows and took a look outside: the sun was starting to rise but even in the darkness I could tell we were in for a dark and rainy day. Deciding not to take my chances, I opted to do my daily run on the track inside. As much as I wished I could skip it, I knew that I couldn't. I had an extremely strict routine that I had set for myself: Wake up at 5:00 AM. Get dressed and have a light breakfast by 5:30, be in the gym by 5:45 to start stretches and warm-ups, boxing practice starting promptly at 6:00, and lastly my jog at 7:00 AM. Not to mention my daily training sessions with the test of the team, and the yoga session I did in the evenings. 

The jogging was my least favorite part; I wasn't the greatest when it came to running long distances but yet it was the most vital for our missions. So every day I pushed myself to run a minimum of three miles hoping that it would help increase my stamina. But in the three months, I had been at this, I hadn't noticed much of a difference. My legs still ached immensely, and I was still so easily winded, but yet I persevered day in and day out. Natasha argued that I was pushing myself too hard, but I dismissed her every time. I didn't have the heart to admit to her that I thought I had something to prove to my teammates: that I was worthy of a spot on this team. Compared to the rest of my team I felt insignificant, how could I not? I worked alongside the best of the best and I was just me. Why Fury had recruited me to the Avengers Initiative was still beyond me, and as always he wasn't inclined to fill me in. I had been here for three months already but I was still the team's newest edition, and my desire to prove myself had only grown stronger since. 

I'm sure some would argue that my regime was extreme, and three months ago I likely would have agreed. But after my first mission with the team hadn't gone according to plan, I knew I had to step it up. By this point the routine had become a comfort to me, it was nice getting the extra training in while nobody else was even awake yet. The sound of the gym door slamming shut startled me out of my thoughts. My eyes tracked Steve as he moved across the room to put his gym bag down on the bench. "Good morning (y/n)" he called, friendly as ever. "Good morning Captain. I thought you usually took your morning run outside?" I questioned cautiously, I was not used to having my morning gym routine interrupted by others. He laughed at my curiosity before informing me that it had begun pouring rain only moments before he had stepped out for his run. 

I moved to the other lane of the track as Steve joined me, keeping pace with me as we lapped around. "No Sam this morning?" I asked, making polite conversation as we jogged. "No, he had a personal matter to take care of so I'm on my own for today." He said, filling me in with a slight shrug. I nodded my head in understanding before catching onto the mischievous and playful sparkle in his eyes. "Unless you're up to it?" He asked, the hint of a challenge playing in his voice. I cracked my knuckles and rolled my neck in a teasing way, "Bring it Captain" I taunted, before taking off down the track. I knew I could never beat him, so I didn't see the harm in giving myself a headstart. "That was cheating!" he bellowed as he blew past me on my left. I pushed myself to catch up to him, arms pumping as my legs groaned in protest. "Sorry Cap, but I don't think so," I yelled with a laugh as I pulled out ahead of him once again. The two of us continued this ridiculous competition for nearly half an hour, who was winning alternating with every lap.