Goldridge (Steve Rogers AU)

10

Elsa kept to the house the next day, sneaking out early to feed her horse and then back to the sanctuary of her bedroom. She didn't want to face Steve and hear another lecture about last night. 

Studying her lip and eye in her mirror, she knew that there was not enough makeup that could cover it. "Ow!" She hissed as her fingers traced over the split that was now trying to heal. Another ice pack would help, and she decided to go get one before Steve came back to have lunch. 

"Quite the shiner you got there" Joe Rogers noted to her as he sat at the kitchen table, papers scattered around him and drinking a mug of coffee. Elsa quickly looked away and made for the freezer. "Are you alright though? You need to go to the ER?"

"I've had worse..." She replied quietly, knowing that she hadn't. She didn't like being seen this vulnerable. That wasn't who she was. 

"No you ain't". Joe replied softly and got up, coming over and turning her to face him so that he could get a better look at her. "How's the other guy looking?" 

She shrugged. "Worse I hope..." 

The elder Rogers man grunted something and nodded to himself. "Well...you're part of the family now. We won't let anyone hurt you". 

"Just coz I got your name? Don't mean I need protecting". Elsa argued back. 

"Judging by what Steve told me about last night? You do". 

Fuck. 

Joe beckoned her over to sit with him and the set about making her some coffee. "My wife always wanted a daughter. Someone she could pass her attitude onto. We already had Steve sure, but unfortunately for us, it stopped there. She'd like to get to know you better". 

"She knows where I am". Elsa replied unhappily. 

Joe returned with the fresh coffee and sat himself back down. "Steve and I have been talking, and we feel that you need more of an input in the say of what we're planning for the ranch. Mind you, you've always had it, and anything you've said we've taken on board". 

"The only thing I want for this place is for you not to ruin it". 

Joe now pushed a paper in front of her. "The figures that the ranch is now bringing in since we took over". 

It was a good amount - well, anything was compared to back when it was in her father's possession. Even though Jack had wanted it to go to him, he'd barely pulled his weight - probably another reason why her father had been reluctant to pass it onto him. "Well...it would've taken a lot of rodeos to make that amount..." She uttered. 

"There's a considerable amount of land. This means we can expand more, raise more livestock to then sell to distributors. It brings in a hell of a lot of income unless someone decides to fuck us over". His eyes narrowed, and Elsa began to wonder whether a family such as the Rogers had more enemies than she had anticipated. 

Before she could even reply, Steve walked in and looked to the pair sitting at the table. "How's the eye?" He asked, not out of concern in Elsa's view, but only because he felt like he should. 

"Fine". 

"That ain't fine, you need to get it checked out". He replied, washing his hands and then coming over to take another look. 

She looked away stubbornly. "Can you not try and grab my face to stare at it?" 

"I'll grab what I fucking like if it concerns a potential trip to the ER". He grunted as Joe now stopped them. 

"Why don't you make something to eat. Elsa's fine. She knows her own body". He looked to her and winked. "I was telling her about how the ranch has been doing since we took over - that and we'd like more of her input in the day to day running". 

Steve simply let out an '"mhmm" and continued to make some lunch as his father and Elsa continued to talk. It was weird to not have her arguing back, however it seemed like she had some newfound respect for Joe - maybe not so much himself but he didn't care about that. He'd learned to live with the fact that no matter what, she'd always hate him. 

He heard her hiss as she went to try and drink her coffee, then seeing her lip bleeding. Grabbing some paper towel, he wet it down so she could hold it against it and then sighed. "That's probably gonna need a stitch - c'mon, I'll take you to the ER". 

"No". Came the muffled reply. "It's fine". 

Joe crossed his arms and sat back in his chair. "It's deep, Steve's right - it'll only keep re-opening. I've got a doctor who can come here if you're not liking the idea of going to the ER". 

Elsa thought about it and then nodded. "Fine..." 

Getting out his phone, Joe stood up and went to make the phone call. "She can take a look at your eye too". Steve now said, resuming making lunch.

"Why you all being so nice to me?" She found herself blurting out. "I don't deserve it! I never have! So please stop treating me like I'm a charity case". As she got up and retreated to her room, Joe walked back in, seeing her disappear up the stairs. 

"What did you say to her now?" He sighed. 

Steve shook his head. "Just that the doc could look at her eye, then she bit my head off about us treating her like a charity case". 

Joe took the knife that Steve was cutting tomatoes with and jerked his head toward the stairs. "Go talk to her". 

"She won't say nothing dad". 

"So sit there until she does. Whether she wears the ring or not, that woman is your wife. You were the one who made the choice to marry her. You made that decision that she'd be tied to you because it would give her security. So go give her that fucking security". 

Steve just stared at him for a moment and then walked upstairs, walking into Elsa's room, ignoring her annoyance and closing the door. "Name a moment other than just then that I have ever made you out to be a charity case?" Her silence said it all. "Exactly. We're trying our damn hardest to make things easy on you Elsa, we've listened to your threats about us fucking up the ranch and have we? No. We've gone along with things you've told us, spruced up the barns and bunkhouse, brought in more cattle, built another barn...I pretty much made the choice to keep this place in your hands if something happens to me because you know what? I actually trust you"

She said nothing to this. 

"I'm not asking you to trust me, but surely there's some there for you to take my last name. To be able to stand sharing this house with me? You're not a charity case, I didn't marry you because I thought you were either, and I know you were about to say some shit like that". He now sighed, hands on his hips and simply bowed his head in frustration. "I only wanted to take you to the ER because you're the one who's punishing yourself. Why? Well, I don't know, but whatever it is? You shouldn't". 

Elsa didn't look at him, keeping her gaze fixed out of window. "I'm not used to people caring about me..." Her voice was so quiet that he barely heard her at first. "I don't want people thinking I'm a delicate little flower, coz I ain't". 

"We don't think that". Steve confirmed. The people in town must have treated her and her family so badly over the years. "You're still human though". 

"Am I?" She questioned. "Because some days I barely feel that at all".