Saving Steve (Steve Rogers x Reader)

Chapter 46 - Quarters

Relief tumbles through your body as Steve presses a gentle, apologetic kiss to your lips. You return it ten-fold, clutching his t-shirt in tight fists.

"Can I do it now?" you ask, breaking the kiss.

"Do what?" Steve asks breathlessly.

"Can I say goodbye now?"

"Now?" Steve asks, looking at you with sobering concern.

"Yes, now. I...I need to get it over with," you say. "And it's not fair to my parents. I'm sure they're worried sick. I've been gone for too long. Frankly I'm surprised I haven't seen my face on missing posters all around East Jersey," you grin somberly.

Steve tenses and glances over his shoulder to Bucky who nods solemnly.

"What?" you ask, following their fraught exchange.

"Your friend filed a missing persons report here in New Jersey," Steve says softly, tucking a strand of hair behind your ear. "Then she called your parents and they filed one in New York."

"What?" you ask, brow furrowed. "How do you know? When?"

"When I went to your apartment I ran into one of your neighbors as I was leaving."

"And?" you ask.

"I pretended to be your cousin. Said I had just gotten into town. She told me your friend at the shelter knocked on her door."

"Blair?" you ask.

"Yeah," Steve nods. "She wanted to make sure your neighbors didn't know where you were before she filed a report. You're listed as missing in New Jersey and New York. You have been for a week."

"A...a week?"  you say, heart sinking. "My parents think I've been missing for a week? And you didn't tell me?" you ask, looking up at Steve. 

"I'm sorry," Steve says. "I had planned to, and then everything happened at the safehouse and...I'm sorry. I should have told you sooner."

You let out a steadying breath. You know there's nothing you could have done anyway. Even if you were told a week ago.

"I need to talk to them. I need to call them. Now," you say urgently, pleading with Steve. "Even if it's to say goodbye."

"Take her. I'll keep working on this," Bucky says, jerking his head over to whatever mess covers the table in the prop room.

Steve nods at Bucky. "Standard three. Roger?"

"Wilco," Bucky answers, turning his attention back to the messy prop table and Steve steps fully from the room, pulling the door shut behind him.

"Let's go then," Steve says.

You take a deep breath as Steve threads his fingers through your own. but when he begins leading you to the main steps to go downstairs rather than back up to the office, you look up at him, confused.

"Wait, where are we going?" you ask.

"The back window. I used the cellar to come back last time."

"Wait, we have to actually go somewhere?" you ask. "Can't I just call them on your cellphone?"

Steve shakes his head as he pulls you down the stairs and through the foyer.

"That phone has a sat link. It can only connect to compatible phones," Steve says, guiding you down the hallway, your footsteps muffled on the worn red carpets. "There aren't many other phones that fit the criteria for receiving the call," Steve says,  shifting the heavy board aside. He climbs through the window and drops down on the other side, offering you his hand. Grunting slightly as he helps you down with one arm, he pulls the board back in place with the other.