She's Mine) Romanogers

Part 11) Bad Dream

I finally reached the door and opened it to what should have been the room itself, but I was in some form of watching gallery. I ran up and pounded on the glass, this wasn't right. This wasn't here. This wasn't real.

"STEVE!" I shouted, but he was strapped onto the familiar table. Everything about the room was exactly how I remembered it, but not this glass separating us. I was about to turn around and find my way into the room, when someone appeared from the shadows behind him.

Fuck, no, how was that possible? I was the one standing over him, or someone who looked exactly like me. The version of me had a scalpel in her hand. No, no, no, no.

"Nat?" Steve turned to look at that version of me that was not me, "oh thank gosh you're here, help me and let's go." He was so innocent and desperate, the hope he had looking at me made what happened next worse.

"No," she plunged the knife right into his side. He screamed, I screamed, everything was loud. I saw his blood and his pain, and I knew I had caused it.

"NOO," I screamed and thrashed against the glass, railing my whole body weight against it, fighting at it. I whirled and sent a kick at it, my leg shattering on impact, I didn't stop. I kept thrashing and hitting the glass, I had to get to Steve. Steve. Steve.

"NOO," I shot up and opened my eyes. I shook my head as my vision cleared and I realized where I was, Avengers tower. I had woken up in an unfamiliar room, and it took me an extra moment to realize that I was in Bruce's room. He had insisted I spend the night with him again, and I'm not sure how he won.

He rolled over with a groan, "can you please shut up and stop moving?"

I did have a tendency to act out my nightmares, "sorry," I panted, not realizing how out of breath I was from the dream. I was covered in a cold sweat, my heart was pounding so fast it was sending ripples through my whole body, and I couldn't get the aggressive shaking on my muscles to stop.

"Just be quiet, please," he grumbled. I did feel badly that I had interrupted his sleep, even if I hadn't been in voluntary control, I still felt incredibly guilty and embarrassed.

I sat there for a long time, just trying to puzzle out that dream. I hoped I hadn't called out for Steve, but I was pretty sure Bruce would be questioning me if I had. I also was a bit shocked I had fallen asleep given how uncomfortable I was with Bruce, I hadn't ever fallen asleep in the same bed as him. I must have been so tired despite the few hours of sleep Steve had helped me get this morning.

I moved to get out of the bed, I couldn't go back to sleep anyways, "where are you going?" His voice was so groggy that I barely made out the slurred sentence.

"I think I'm going to sleep in my own room," I explained and silently crept away.

"We'll talk more about that tomorrow," he rolled over again and that seemed to be the end of the issue. I was thankful he was sleepy enough to not make a big deal.

That was the first time I had fallen asleep while Bruce and I had been in the same bed. I hadn't had a nightmare that bad in ages... since Steve and I started dating. The timing didn't seem coincidental.

I walked silently out of his room and closed the door behind me. I took a large breath of the fresh air from the hallway, his room had a terrible air freshener, and I just needed to get that and his own scent out of my lungs. I walked away from his door and over to mine. Our rooms were far, which I would never, ever complain about.

I had my hand on the handle to my door, but some nagging feeling wouldn't leave me alone. Yes, it was just a damned dream, but I was worried about Steve. I felt like I couldn't relax until I knew that he was okay and some version of me had not stabbed him. Maybe it was a metaphor and my mind knew deep down that I was only hurting him by keeping him as mine, but something about dreaming the blood and seeing it made it all so real. Something about that dream was haunting me more than normal.