REUNITED ~ STEVE ROGERS [4]

Chapter Seventeen

I watched from a distance as Shuri examined Ross' still body. He was lying on a white table surrounded by equipment I didn't recognise, breathing shallowly in and out. She completed her observation and looked up.

"He will live." There was a sigh of relief from Nakia and I, but was interrupted by Shuri's Kimoyo beads vibrating, a small alarm sound going off.

"W'Kabi is here."

Shuri, Nakia and Okoye all rushed to hide behind the staircase while T'Challa jogged up the ramp. I didn't move, too tired to and not bothered enough. Our main concern was Ross, and I didn't care what kind of scolding W'Kabi would give me.

"What's going on, brother? Where is Klaue?" W'Kabi had come for good news, but that wasn't what he was going to get. I was sitting to the left of the ramp at a desk, and had full view of the interaction.

"He's not here." T'Challa sounded defeated, something I didn't like on him. His eyes lowered. "He slipped through our hands."

W'Kabi stepped back, shock waves all over his normally handsome features. His eyes turned dark.

"Slipped? For thirty years your father was in power and did nothing. With you I thought it would be different. But its more of the same." He spat. Then his eyes glanced over to my direction, and I saw his fists clench.

"I trust that if your, sister, had anything to do with Klaue getting away, you won't hesitate to discipline her appropriately." His eyes went back to T'Challa, who narrowed his eyes and stood up straight.

"You will address my sister by her title. And trust me, anyone who has prejudice against her, will be disciplined appropriately." T'Challa puffed out his chest as he asserted his dominance, and W'Kabi said no more, but gritted his teeth and walked out the door.

T'Challa walked down to me and put a hand on my shoulder. I saw the other three creep out of their hiding spots, all with wearing faces displaying varying degrees of anger.

"Ignore him, sister. W'Kabi is just angry, as he has every right to be." He looked into my eyes but I couldn't meet them. I just felt an overwhelming sense of guilt, and that prickly feeling on my skin began again, like needles. All I could do was stare at the floor and swallow the lump in my throat.

"Please call Meera. I want to go to my room."

***

Meera helped me into bed, placed the light coverings over me, making sure water was on the bedside table and smiling gently. She hovered by the door, waiting for my instructions. I sighed.

"Meera, go take a break. Go home if you like." I said. She frowned slightly.

"When do you want me back, your Highness?"

"When I call you. Until then, go have fun." I smiled lightly at the way her face lit up, and she left the room, the door closing behind her. I looked out into my view of the city, watching those last few rays of sunlight glinting on the roofs. I closed my eyes and touched my Kimoyo beads.

"Call Steve," I murmured, hoping the system would pick up on it, because I didn't have the energy to talk any louder. The line rang, and he picked up almost instantly. His eyes squinted in the light, the camera close. He ran a hand through his hair and grimaced.

"It's the middle of the night Keight," he grumbled, propping up in bed on one elbow.

"Where are you?"

"Can't say."

"Oh, right," I looked down. "Sorry."

"Are you okay?" His eyes were wider now, adjusting to the light. I was afraid to look at him in case I got lost in them.

"Yeah, uh, we lost Klaue." Steve's eyebrows raised and he leaned forward to learn more.

"What happened? Are you okay?" He was so deeply concerned I felt almost guilty. I nodded.

"Yeah, I'm okay. Some people can and got him out. There was am explosion and some shooting but I'm okay, really, just tired that's all." I looked past the hologram and out the window, where the sky was red and violet and the stars were emerging. It reminded me of my father.

"Keight, hey. I've known you for what, four years. I can tell when you're not feeling more than you're saying." Steve's voice drew me back and he smiled at me, which combined with his ruffled bedhead and exposed bare chest made my throat tight and my stomach flutter.

"I really really miss you. I want to be with you and Sam. Maybe if we were together you wouldn't worry as much." I looked into his eyes now, and my stomach dropped when I knew I wasn't really looking into them. He laughed lightly.

"I think I would worry more. You and me, we make trouble wherever we go. At least I know you're safe with your brother." Steve smiled and looked down. "I miss you too. But this is how it has to be for a while."

"It's just," I felt that familiar lump in my throat arrive again. Please, no tears. "We finally got to be together, and then we were torn apart. What happens if 'a while' turns into 'forever'?" I couldn't look him in the eyes, I couldn't do that to myself.

"Keight, look at me. Please." It took everything in me to look at him. Hearing his voice and looking at his face was both a blessing and a curse, because I cherished it while it lasted, but I dreaded the moment it would end.

"You will see me again. I will see you again." I watched his jaw, his lips, his shoulders, craving everything about him so badly it made my chest hurt. I felt one tear slide down my cheek, and another, and when I looked at him, I saw he was crying too.

"To be honest, Keight, it's the thought of holding you again that keeps me going."

I wiped my cheeks with one hand, but it did nothing to stop the stream of tears across my face.

"That's all I want Steve. I think about you all the time."

"Me too. About you."

A sigh. I closed my eyes and imagined he was next to me, his arms around me, my head on his chest. It hurt but I wanted it more than anything.

"Why couldn't we have met in a normal life?"

"If we had met in normal life, you would have been a talented young artist and I would have been a old man. We can't change the life we lead, Keight. But if I could go back in time, I would do it all over again just to meet you."

There was no stopping the flood now, a downpour of pain that came in waves, racking my body over and over, and all Steve could do was cry along with me, whispering that he loved me, over and over, until I told him the same thing, until it was my time to comfort the man who had never left me, and it tore me apart that I couldn't hold him in a moment so fragile. But we must take things as they are.

He stayed with me till I fell asleep, cheeks stained with sorrow, hands wrapped around a pillow like it was him, dreaming of a million kisses and dreading the moment I would wake up and remember it was just my imagination, after all.

Authors Note

This one, hurt to write. Theres not much to say, I'll let the comments do the talking.

Stay safe my lovelies

~JJ