Imagining Steve

Shuffle Steve Drabble

I hit shuffle, and "Mint Car" by the Beach Boys popped up. Sooooooooo yeah, that song gave me the inspiration for this one shot. Idek how it happened. Don't ask XD.

Its weird because the song is upbeat, but this is not.

"Steve?" I asked quietly, my eyes still closed. I could feel his warm arms surrounding me, and I snuggled up to his chest.

"Elsie?" It took him a moment to answer, and I thought that he'd fallen asleep. His voice was sleepy, that probably has something to do with the time. Steve was such a light sleeper that I could wake him up at 3 am with only a word.

"You love me, real or not real?" The nightmare had muddled things in my mind again. In times like this the Hydra brainwashing threatened to overtake me, destroying everything I'd worked for for years.

"Are you having nightmares again?" Steve was suddenly completely attentive, his arms tightening around me, his voice concerned.

"They haven't been this bad in months, I couldn't tell reality from dream, I can't-"

"Hey, this is real. All of this, you and me, it's real. I promise."

I could feel the tears start to make my eyes sting, and I knew I was going to end up crying in his arms. I curled up in his arms and squinted through the darkness, focusing on the wedding band on my finger.

I was okay, it was okay. Steve was right here. He wasn't dead, the dreams were false.

"You were dead." My voice cracked and I started to cry. "It was Bucky, and then you were dead. Hydra got to him, and then Nat and Tony, and Sam, oh- Clint. Clint and his family, everyone was gone." Steve just listened as I cried, holding me close and tracing shapes on my back with his fingers. He knew that I needed to let the pain out.

"It was just a nightmare, it wasn't real."

"You were dead." I couldn't stop sobbing, it took me a long time to calm down. I didn't want to picture my life without Steve, I couldn't. I didn't care much for my own life, but living without him would be real hell. I didn't fear anything after death, but loosing him was my biggest worry.

"I'm right here." He whispered, "I'm always with you, till the end of the line."

"I love you." I whispered back between shaking breaths. His body curled closer around mine, almost like he was trying to shield me from harm.

"I love you too." I could hear the pain in his voice, I knew that he hated seeing me this way. However he hid the pain well, like he'd put on his Captain America face and was trying to motivate a dying soldier.

"Sorry for waking you," I apologized quietly, once I was in control of my tears. "I just needed to hear your voice-"

"Never apologize for needing me, that's my job, the only one that matters." He was suddenly fierce, "Taking care of you is my main priority."

I was silent. I knew that he was right, but I didn't know what to say. I really did appreciate that he cared for me, not a day went by that I didn't thank the heavens that this man was mine.

"Do you want to try to sleep?" He asked after a few minutes, I tried to swallow my anxiety down at the thought of nightmares.

"We have work tomorrow, we might as well." I closed my eyes and focused in on the sound of his heartbeat.

"Real.... It's real." I mumbled as I fell asleep.

Try and find the Hunger Games references. They're pretty obvious to the HG readers.

Love,
Kenna <3