To the Next Decade - The Avenger's Holidays [Marvel x Reader]

Eight

◜Time: December 8, 2019; 1:04 EST◝
◟Location: 200 Park Avenue, New York City, New York, USA◞

After the outbreak, you were exhausted. Steve gladly made you a cup of hot chocolate. The whole while, he gave you worried looks, but you were too tired to even notice. You took the drink gratefully and curled up on the couch, and he sat beside you after giving you a fuzzy blanket to warm you up.

The two of you didn't say anything, just enjoyed each other's presence. He was close beside you, not speaking, but relishing in the comfortable silence between you two. You finished the rest of your drink, the warm beverage creating a cozy feeling within you.

Steve offered to share his room with you, and you thought about it before agreeing. You didn't feel like with your other teammates, especially if they came to your floor and apologized to you. And you knew that nightmares could get to you, especially after all that had happened in the past few days. Steve's presence offered a sense of comfort that you needed right now.

You stopped by your floor and changed into your pajamas, bringing an extra blanket with you just because you could, then took the elevator up to his floor. You've only been on his floor a couple of times, and though his room was big, it wasn't decorated as yours was. His was simplistic, yet calming.

Curling up on one side of the bed, Steve looked at you with a soft smile as he slipped under the covers beside you.

"I'm sorry if this whole thing seems weird to you," he said.

You turned over to face him and you gave a tired smile. "Don't be," you replied. "I feel safer."

He hummed in agreement and then switched off the lamp, the lights of the city and the moon faintly glowing through the window blinds.

"Steve," you whispered, frowning slightly.

"Yes, (Y/N)?" he asked.

"Do you really think that..." you began to say, but hesitated.

"If you're wondering if I think you're a freak, I don't. I think you're a beautiful person with so much potential, with so much you deserve." Steve replied in a sincere manner. It made you smile, but you shook your head.

"Thanks. But that's not what's bothering me."

You could feel him shift in the bed. "What's on your mind, (Y/N)?"

"The world, Steve," you whispered gravely. "How will they change their minds? How will they see..." You trailed off, unable to finish your sentence.

"You'll have to show them, (Y/N)," he answered. You didn't reply.

"You'll have to show them what's real, and what isn't."

◜Time: December 8, 2019; 10:09 EST◝
◟Location: 200 Park Avenue, New York City, New York, USA◞

Awaking the next morning wasn't hard. You slowly opened your eyes, yawning softly and stretching a little. For a few moments, you had forgotten everything that had happened in the past few days, but those realizations came through. You turned in the bed, which was surprisingly not empty.

The gorgeous supersoldier was still sleeping on his side, his side rising and falling with each steady, calm breath he took. You looked at him with a soft smile, admiring his tousled, blond hair. His biceps, half covered by the bedsheets, looked gorgeous up close. You sighed. This man was pretty, and it was no lie.

Pursing your lips, you looked at the time. It was pretty late, and Steve would probably wake soon. You shuffled back under the covers, and scooted yourself so you were cuddling up against Steve's back.

Not too many moments later, you heard Steve yawn softly and shift. You scooted away from him as he turned on his other side, facing you. His eyes were half-lidded, but he wore a soft smile on his face.

"If you wanted to cuddle, you could have just asked me," he joked. "I would've said yes." You giggled and smiled at him. His smile widened, happy to see your joyous self. It had been days since he last saw you beam, days since he last saw you laugh.

"Feeling like anything today?" he asked you, sitting up. You remained on your back, arm over your forehead.

"Eh," you replied, squinting as you looked out the window. "Not really up for seeing the others yet. A day of chilling would be nice."

"I'll give that to you then," he said, smiling down at you. "I'm taking the team down to DC, they requested us for this afternoon, possibly tomorrow as well."

You rolled your eyes and glared at the ceiling. "They're asking about me, aren't they?"

Steve's lips formed a straight line, and he looked down, nodding. "We'll take care of this, (Y/N). We're all on your side."

"Last night didn't seem so," you remarked, throwing off the covers and walking to the window, leaning on the wall to look out upon the cold, busy city.

"There was a lot of tension last night. Everyone was emotional," Steve explained. He looked at you with a concerned expression. You shook your head.

"We were afraid we were going to lose you."

Those words stop you in your thoughts, and you freeze.

"The way your healing factor works, it scares the life out of us. We never know when it's actually going to..." he paused, looking down at the floor with a frown. "We never know when it's going to fail."

Your eyes wandered down, looking at the hardwood floor. After a few still moments, you finally turned, sighing and giving him a lopsided smile.

His eyes met yours, and you shook your head with a chuckle. "I still do trust you," you said. Steve's lips curled into a small smile. "But I'm wary about it."

"Completely understandable," he nodded.

You gave him a bright smile and started to gather the extra blanket you got from your room. "Well, Cap, I'd hate to be the reason why the team will be late. You better get ready soon," you suggested.

"Yeah... yeah," he remembered, fidgeting with his hands a little. "You'll have the whole tower to yourself, pretty much."

Your eyes brightened at those words. "Even better!"

"Oh and," he continued, looking up at you as you were about to leave. "The hearings will be streamed. Don't watch them." For a second, he had slipped into his demanding Captain's voice, warning you.

"You can't guarantee I won't," you shrugged, tilting your head.

"That's why I'll have Friday taking care of that for us," he explained. You rolled your eyes, an annoyed expression resting on your face.

"Don't roll your eyes at me, young lady," Steve scolded. You smiled mischievously and laughed.

"Aye aye, Captain. Whatever you say," you joked, skipping out of his room.