Trust Me (Steve Rogers Fanfiction)

Chapter 45

AMERICA'S POV

For a second, I don't open my eyes. I'm afraid something will happen. I'm only a little sore, but maybe it will get worse. Curiosity gets the better of me. The room is so blindingly white that I close my eyes again.

The metallic sound of beeping pulls me back into the present. I'm in an unfamiliar room, plugged into machines with an IV, and it's dark. Who am I? America Evans, Valeria Maximoff, America Evans, Valeria Maximoff. They haven't taken that yet, at least. Panic sets in and I find it hard to breathe. They've got me again. I fell and they found me. I rip the IV cord out of my arm and my unsteady bare feet try to carry me to the door. Strong arms wrap around my waist and turn me around. I almost let out a hysterical scream until I realize it's Steve. 

"Steve," is all I get out before burying my head in his chest and crying. 

"Hey, it's okay. You're safe now." He leads me back to the bed and makes me sit down. Once I've calmed down a bit, he presses a kiss to my forehead before kneeling next to the bed. "We've been so worried."

Dark circles line underneath his eyes, and his hair is messy. "You don't look good. Are you okay?" 

"I am now," he says, shaking his head. "That's all that matters." 

"I- I- how long have I been out?"

"Fourteen days," he replies, his gaze momentarily shifting to a bouquet of roses. Some are blackening with age, while others are fresh in bloom.

"Fourteen days..." I grin for what must be the first time in those fourteen days. "It's been fourteen days, Steve, and all I get is a quick kiss on the forehead?"

"All right." He brushes a few stray curls out of my face and brings my lips to his. I lean down to him, deepening the kiss, until a sharp pain goes through my side and I break it, wincing.

"Sorry."

"It's fine. You don't need to apologize. You're still healing."

"What happened? How long have I been out? Did we disable the third one? Is everyone okay? Did-?"

"Slow down. I'll answer them all, just calm down." Steve raises his eyebrows at me until I nod. "We did it. Sam found you in the water after you fell out of the Helicarrier. You've been out fourteen days. Everyone's okay. Natasha's been handling the media so none of us end up in jail, and Fury's back to under the radar business. "

"What about... um, what about James?"  I know this is a delicate topic, but I want to know. He's my friend, too. 

Steve shakes his head. "I don't know. I'm almost positive he survived the fall, but then he disappeared." He stares off out the window at the sunrise, lost in thought.

"Hey," I say softly, "talk to me. What's wrong?"

He sighs. "When you fell, I thought you were gone. That it was my fault. And then I found out that you actually weren't, but barely, and there was nothing I could do to save you."

"You don't always need to save me. You can't save everyone."

"I know, doll. I really do. But that doesn't stop me from trying. I've been a soldier for so long, Mer, it's just natural for me. I want to protect you. I just-" He shakes his head, and I make him turn his head to face me.

"I know." I pull him close onto the hospital bed for a hug. "I'm here now. It's okay."

"I missed you," he whispers into my hair. "I didn't know what to do with myself, without you. I was so terrified that I'd have to live life without you." 

"You don't need to be afraid. I'm going to hang around for a while and bug you for a long time, Steven Grant Rogers." I give him a small smile. "It took a lot to get me in the first place. It would take a lot more to get rid of me." 

"Luckily for you, I don't really plan on getting rid of you anytime soon." He shifts a bit, torn about something. But he decides against whatever he was planning to do. After a few minutes of silence, he comments again. "What are you thinking about?" 

I lay my head on his shoulder. "I know who I am now, at least for the most part. The people in my dreams - the blond boy and the little girl - I want to find them. I feel like they're my family." 

"We could check databases for Maximoffs," he suggests. "I'm sure Tony can narrow the search down to what we need. Age range, place of birth. Maybe we can find them together. A new mission, hopefully one that doesn't involve you being shot again." His tone is playful as he nudges me gently. 

"They weren't all my fault. Only some of them. Can we go home now?" I ask hopefully, glancing around at my surroundings. I hate hospitals. They freak me out, especially since the last time Hydra caught me. 

"Soon, doll. It's the middle of the night. We can have the doctors check you out in the morning and then we can go home." 

I sigh. "Okay." I let him hold me and close my eyes. Despite the fact that I'm not tired at all, I close my eyes and move closer. I stay like that for hours, dozing off a little bit until someone pushes the door open. 

"She's awake?" Sam asks quietly. In my half-asleep state, it really doesn't occur to me to say hello yet. 

"She was." The two of them chuckle. "It's fine. I don't mind. She's back, that's all that matters." 

"You really love her, don't you, Cap?" 

"Yeah." I can practically hear the smile in his voice. "She's everything." 

New one! They're so cute, I can't. Vote and comment! Xo