Fracture (Steve Rogers)

Chapter 28

I huddle close to Steve while he toys with a lock of my hair. I can tell that Tony's visit combined with what Sarah had said is playing wildly on his mind. Glancing up, I can see he's in deep thought. One that he usually sported when planning out a mission. "Steve?"

"Hmm?" he looks down at me

"I heard what Sarah said to you as you were putting her to bed..." His fingers continue to wrap the strand of hair around them. "What are you thinking about?"

He says nothing for a moment and then strokes my hair back from my face. "She's made me remember who I am. Why I was created..."

"You weren't created just to fight." I remind him. "Erskine never wanted the perfect soldier." 

"I know, but this will be the last one. The last fight to get everyone back. and if our girl thinks we can win? Who am I to let her down?"

The same feeling I'd always get every time before he went away returns to me. I haven't felt it in years. "It's time travel, you said yourself Tony shouldn't be messing with it..."

"And he shouldn't...but it's the only way."

I sit up and lean across, kissing him gently. "So you're really gonna go?"

He nods. "I now know that I have to." And pushes me back down trailing his kiss across my collarbone before slipping my nightwear off. "And when I get back, what say we work on making that little brother that Sarah wants so badly?"

I help him pull his t-shirt over his head and pull him back onto me, opening my legs so he can settle between them. "I think we should start right away." I agree and gasp as he moves into me. He's been waiting for this all day and it's going to take full advantage of tonight, especially as he's now planning on leaving tomorrow.

As I try to take charge he doesn't let me, it's a pet hate of his. In here he's the one who calls the shots. "Nuh uh uh – I make the rules in here, remember?" and silences the moan that escapes my lips.

My hands knot the sheets as my back arches more while he continues, "Who do you belong to sweetheart?" he whispers.

"You, only you..." Are the words that come out in ragged breath.

"That's right..."

Afterwards we lay there, and I keep a firm hold of him, "Don't leave us..." I say quietly into the darkness. I've changed my mind. I don't want him to go. I want him here with me and his little girl, perhaps even another child after our session earlier. The thought of him not coming back and leaving me with not one but maybe two children is unbearable.

His lips press against my forehead. "I will never leave you, but this is something that has to be done. I have a duty."

"I wish you didn't." I say honestly, "Even though the world has been the way it has, you've been happier, relaxed. You spent the war doing your duty, got out of the ice and did just that pretty much straight away, and you never stopped until the snap...and I saw a difference. It was like a weight had been lifted, that you'd started actually living for yourself."

"With who I am? Duty will always come with it, but I have a different kind to you and Sarah, and if bringing everyone back means giving our daughter the life she was meant to have? Perhaps even better? I'm prepared to take the risk to give her that."

I don't let go of him all night. My head resting on his chest listening to his heartbeat. He's doing this for us. For Sarah. If this had been years ago then I would have let him go freely. But with a child? It makes it harder.

I watch Steve get dressed the next morning, pulling the case out from the closet where his suit has sat as the years have gone by. It's very early, but he needs to make for New York, already having texted Tony last night to tell him that he was in.

"Now there's America's ass." I let out a whistle as he turns to grab something from the dresser.

He gives a brief glance back to me. "I'm gonna pretend that you didn't just say that."

I haven't seen him in a suit for so long that this is a turn on for me. "Why not? I have a great view."

With a small chuckle he gets the rest of what he needs, and I get up, wrapping my robe around me. Sarah is still asleep and Steve creeps into her room, giving her a kiss. She doesn't stir and I'm thankful. It's better he goes rather than has her running after him.

He puts his things into the trunk of the car and then comes back up to the porch to say goodbye. "I love you Vi." He tells me as he places a long kiss on my lips.

"I love you too, be careful..."

"I always am." And with one last kiss, I watch him leave – and already the ache of him being away from me for the first time in ages sets in. he hasn't even been gone for five minutes, but already I want him home with me again.

Dad comes downstairs an hour or so later and finds me sat on the porch swing, just staring out onto the garden. "He went then."

I nod. "Yeah. About an hour ago." He settles next to me, pulling the blanket, that's draped over the back of the swing, over our laps. Sarah is still asleep so hopefully she won't be too upset that Steve didn't wake her to say goodbye. "What are your thoughts on this whole time travel thing?" I ask. "I gather Steve told you everything yesterday."

"He did, and I said any shot presenting itself to him was worth taking." He sees my face. "There are lots of things we can ignore Violet, but we can't ignore something like this, just like Steve cant ignore who he is." Giving my hand a squeeze, he flashes me a reassuring smile. "They're a team remember? If anyone can do this then it's the Avengers. It's what the initiative was created for."

I sit back. "It feels so long ago."

"Because it was – they've grown, just like we have, I mean, look how far you've come from being an agent. You became a commander; you still are in some ways – just of this house."

I laugh at this. "It's a joint effort."

"Well you make a good team, better than I could have ever asked for when it came to wanting you to settle with a decent man. Steve is more than decent, and I'm safe in the knowledge that you're taken care of."

"Let's just hope that he returns to me." I swallow the lump building in my throat. "Because I don't know what I'll do if he doesn't."