Saving Steve (Steve Rogers x Reader)

Chapter 65 - Finally Settled

Cold wooden floors beneath your bare feet send a shiver through your warm, showered body. You take in a lungful of fresh mountain air, grateful to be rid of the sweat and the grime and the dried blood left from Ross's ambush.

Clinging to the white robe pulled tightly around your body, you glance about the ranch house bedroom for a hair brush. Spying the bedside table, you wander slowly past the king bed, letting your fingers run lightly over the red and yellow plaid comforter on your way. You rummage through the top, then the bottom drawer until - bingo. 

Wiping away the dust, you begin to run the bristles slowly through your hair, starting at the ends as you gently work your way through. It's not exactly the best tool for your hair, but you'll use what you can get.

Soon your arms grow tired and you move to sit in one of the plush, red velvet chairs in front of the cozy stone fireplace opposite the foot of the bed. You relish the warmth of the flames within. Steve must have taken a break from his work downstairs, and started the fire for you at some point while you were showering. 

As you work the tangles you think about Wanda. She had been so tired from her ordeal Natasha had all but carried her upstairs to the other bedrooms above. 

You hope she's okay.

And you wonder how in the world you're going to find Bucky. 

Natasha seemed to have a plan. Or at least an idea. And when she returned from tucking in Wanda she began plotting around the large kitchen table with Sam and Steve. It only took a few minutes for you to take your leave. You realized quickly that you had very little to offer in terms of strategy compared to the three Avengers, and it was too painful listening to their theories on what may or may not be happening to him. 

You let out a sigh as your eyes drift to the dancing flames in the hearth, and your mind floats to the ambush. You wonder about Casey. He had been hurt. You had woken up with his blood in your hair, stuck to your clothes, dried on your cheek. 

He had sacrificed himself to save Bucky. 

Why?

Lost in thought, a pair of fingers in your hair startles you and you jump from your seat, turning quickly and holding out your brush as if brandishing a knife. 

"It's me," Steve says with a gentle laugh as he raises his empty hands in surrender. "Didn't you hear me come in?"

Your heart thrums in your chest as you let out an irritated sigh of relief.

"Don't do that!" you exhale, stomping back over to the red chair and collapsing within it. 

Steve leans over and presses a kiss to your cheek before taking the brush from your hands. "I'm sorry, sweetheart. I didn't mean to scare you. I'm not sure how you didn't hear me come in," he chuckles, beginning on the still-tangled mess of wet hair. 

"You're a super soldier, Steven," you grumble. 

Steve chuckles as he runs his fingers through your hair surprisingly gently. 

"And...I guess I was a little lost in thought," you say quietly, wringing your hands in your lap.

"Worried about Buck?" Steve says mournfully. You nod, and Steve lets out a sigh. "Me too," he says.

"He was so scared, Steve," you whimper, tears brimming in your eyes as Steve's skillful fingers are replaced by gentle brush strokes. "When he was under that net I...I saw it in his eyes. He couldn't move. They were electrocuting him h-he looked so-," your breath catches in your throat as you take a deep breath, trying to shove away the image of Bucky stuck so helplessly at Ross's feet.