Goodbye To The Old Me - Steve Rogers {2}

Chapter 4: I Only Had Eyes For You

"You have nothing to be sorry for." He murmured, leaning back slightly to look upon her face. With one of his hands, he reached between them and lifted her chin gently using his thumb and forefinger. Her sweet face was tear-stained, her eyes red and tired, the remnants of unfallen tears still present. He cursed Nick inside his own head... he had no goddamn right.

"How did you know where I was?" Nellie asked, her voice quiet and wobbly. She reached up quickly to wipe her own tears, thankful that he had found her, she didn't realise how much she needed him by her side for this until he was here.

Steve smiled back at her, catching her hand before bringing it to his lips to place gentle kisses against the backs of her fingers. "I tracked your phone." He said meekly, the lopsided smile deepening the small dimples in his cheeks. Nellie couldn't help the flutter in her heart. "You need to see him?" Steve didn't need to reference who 'him' was.

Nellie dropped her head against Steve's chest again, resting her ear against him to listen to his beating heart. She nodded slowly, waiting for the anxiety to bubble up once again... only it didn't. Steve continued to hold her tightly, only willing to move when Nellie was ready.

"Symbols to the nation. Heroes to the world. The story of Captain America and the Siren is one of honour, bravery, sacrifice and love."

The narrator's voice looped again, telling Nellie it was time to press on. She pulled herself out of his arms and intertwined her fingers with his, feeling wholeheartedly secure in Steve's presence. "Let's go." She said with a controlled smile, letting Steve lead the way further into the exhibit.

Together they rounded a short corridor and were faced with another extravagant mural of both Nellie and Steve saluting, both clad in full uniform, the American flag billowing proudly behind them. Before the couple, children were saluting back to the painting as they passed, the gestures bringing endearing smiles to both Nellie and Steve's faces. Nellie couldn't help wondering that if those children turned around and took a long look at the couple behind them, dressed in their mediocre disguises, would they be recognised?

The first portion of the exhibit was dedicated to their early lives; displays of their belongings, family photos and their work were on show in glass cases around the room. The Smithsonian's narrator brought it all to life.

"Friends since childhood, Steven Rogers and Eleanor Barnes watched one another grow into adulthood, and as they grew, so did their feelings for one another. Eleanor was advanced in her studies, soon becoming one of the leading female scientists of her time, assisting Howard Stark in his work. Steven became an artist for a local newspaper, having a gift for drawing."

"Steve look, your bike!" Nellie whispered as they approached the display, her heart leaping as she was instantly transported back to a different time, one where Steve would frequently walk her home, rolling the bike along beside them rather than riding it.

"Where in the hell did they find that old thing?" He mused, the smile etching across his face as he thought about how clumsy he used to be, he lost count of the number of times he had fallen off of the bike or crashed into things with it.

"I suppose Mom, Dad, Arty or even Maria held onto everything... they didn't want to let us go." Nellie said quietly, her eyes drifting towards the pinned drawings behind the bike, some of them being very familiar. She turned to look up at Steve. "Those are really good."

"You think?" Steve quipped, taking in the drawings he had not laid eyes upon for over seventy years. He couldn't remember the last time he had actually drawn anything... the hobby, well what was once his job, had been long forgotten.