The Flower You Painted (Steve Rogers X Reader)

Chapter 3: A Woman on a pier

The year was 2014. Steve has been moping around for the last three weeks and, even tho it was reasonable since he just found his childhood friend and lost him again, it was slowly starting to get on everyone's nerves. Tony was trying his best to lift the super soldier's spirits but nothing was working and he was growing desperate. Parties, movie nights, hours at the gym, there was not a single activity that would make Rogers smile. He spent most of his time in his personal room in the Tower doing god knows what and only ever went out to get some food or when they dragged him somewhere.

That is exactly why he, Natasha and Sam were standing in front of the Captain's door, ready to try out their latest theory. They came to the conclusion that some time away from the hustle and bustle of the big city would do Steve some good. Nature, peace and quiet would give him some space to gather his thoughts and sort out his problems. It would probably also be the best if no Avengers were around to remind him of the Winter Soldier incident.

Tony had a place in mind, a safe house in the Western Massachusetts, far away from everything. He wouldn't tell the others who exactly was living there but swore on his soul that he would trust them with his own life, making Nat and Sam even more curious.

"Hey, Capsicle? You still alive?" Tony called out after knocking.

The man opening the door looked downright miserable. There were deep purple circles under his once bright blue eyes, that were now clouded over and dull. His hair was messy and looked like he hasn't brushed it in a week, shoulders slumped and a permanent frown on his lips.

"What is it Tony?" he sighed.

The scientist hated seeing his friend like this. Where has the ever so positive and bright Captain America gone? He wanted him to come back.

"We've been talking," he motioned to the other two, "and we've decided that you need a break from all of this. No offense, but you're in no condition to go on missions anyway."

Steve nodded slowly, obviously seeing where he was coming from. That was good, he wasn't protesting. Even if he was, they'd force him but this made everything easier.

"Good. Pack your things for a month or two and meet us in the garage in an hour." he said and turned around to walk away, leaving no room for arguments.

After the plane landed, they got into a car that was waiting for them at the airport and, with Tony driving, they set off to the safe house. No matter how many questions anyone asked, Stark refused to reveal who it was taking care of the house, he just said that they would be staying there as well but the house was big enough for them to not bother each other.

The car passed a few bigger towns and continued in the direction of the mountains. Soon, they reached the Berkshires area. It was the middle of autumn and the forests covering the hills were covered in multicolored leaves ranging from green and yellow to orange and dark red. It was beautiful and Steve was content with just staring out the car window as colorful smudges passed by the road. For a moment, he forgot everything else and just admired the natural beauty of the Fall season. Maybe this really was a good idea, perhaps it was a break that he needed.

The drive was long, but not unbearably so. Finally, they passed through a tiny village and got onto a slightly rocky road that led into the forest. The car bumped on stones, going deeper and deeper into foliage before a light in front of them signaled that they were nearing a clearing.

The car stopped and all four of them got out and looked around in awe. Well, everyone except for Tony, he has obviously been here before. The place was absolutely breathtaking. There was a fairly large wooden cabin with big windows standing in front of a giant lake, water reflecting the autumn beauty of the trees of the opposite shore. The air was cold and fresh, the only sounds being the fluttering of leaves and occasional voice of a bird. The sharp sunlight beautifully illuminated the fiery colors around, making it seem like a place from a fairy tale rather than a real one.