Distressed // Steve Rogers

15 - Excruciating Blissful Torture

Talia was slipping in and out of sleep on the couch as Bruce snored softly beside her. The sting of her face was mixed with the dull ache of smiles she couldn't shake as the evening went on.

"Okay," Wanda whispered to Nat as the team filtered out and off to their own rooms for the night. "They're adorably similar."

Nat laughed as she shook Talia's shoulder lightly. "Come on Munch. You should get to bed."

Talia's eyes fluttered open and she looked around her at the empty room.

"Okay. I'm up." Her voice was thick with sleep and she stretched out before getting to her feet. "Where is everyone?"

"Everyone started heading to bed about an hour ago," Wanda smiled as Talia's eyes flittered around the room, falling on the empty pool table. "Well almost everyone. I think Bucky and Steve actually went for a run."

Talia turned to face Wanda, her eyes wide. "A run? Now?"

The girls laughed as they watched confusion write itself over Talia's face. Wanda simply nodded as she began pushing Talia to the stairs and Nat turned her attention to her sleeping scientist who wouldn't shift from the couch.

"Night Nat!" Talia called over her shoulder, laughing at the little woman pushing her up the stairs.

*

Her feet were bleeding in the snow and her fingers were turning blue as she brought them to her lips, blowing the little air she had in her lungs onto them, hoping to warm them. The trail of scarlet melted the path behind her and she tripped as she tried to push forwards.

She had no energy to move. She lay there; cold, alone, wounded and prayed for darkness to come. If darkness came she wouldn't have to run anymore. She wouldn't have to hurt anymore. She wouldn't be afraid anymore.

"Pouvez-vous m'entendre? De l'aide arrive. De l'aide arrive, restez avec moi."

As the dark haired woman wrapped Talia in her own coat and shouted for others from the streets of Paris to help, Talia swam in the soothing mist of blue that grew behind her eyes.

*

She woke suddenly, sitting straight in the bed and grasping her side as pain radiated through her. Her breathing was heavy and her heart was pounding. Somehow, despite being wrapped in the thick quilt of Steve's bed Talia was cold. Her eyes travelled to the empty sleeper sofa and relief settled in her chest as she realised she was alone. The blue of his eyes, so vividly calming in the terror of her nightmare were still burning in her mind and she couldn't see straight.

Talia grabbed her phone from the nightstand and slipped silently into the corridor and down the stairs, hoping to go unnoticed as she crept through the sleeping building. Quietly she tiptoed across the living room and over to the kitchen area, hoping to grab some water and calm her mind before she had to see Steve again.

When she heard the gruff mutter of a familiar voice in the kitchen she stopped moving. Her heart began to sprint as she contemplated turning back, her hand already resting on the doorframe. She could turn away and not have to deal with this. She could run back to the room and close her eyes and pretend she had never left the comfort of the room. But then if she returned to bed, if she closed her eyes, would she see it again? Would she feel the sting of his fury? Would she feel the knife of control all over again? Talia took a deep breath and stepped into the dim kitchen light.

"So," she sighed as his back stiffened and his grip on his mug tightened, the light bouncing off of his knuckles. "I take it you can't sleep either Soldier?"