The One Shot Chapters (18+)

Steve Rogers - Cirque USO (AU) PT 2

During the winter seasons, the show did limited travelling and its residents all headed back to their main base where they lived. Camp Lehigh. It was tucked away to prevent people from simply stumbling upon it, but it gave everyone a chance to rest up and for any repairs and maintenance to be undertaken.

Steve preferred the comfort of the cabins over the wagons they lived in for the majority of the year, and was grateful to be back, away from the eyes of everyone who stared in awe, and occasionally those who would simply come to judge. He was called The Captain for a reason. Styled to be the hero. It was what he'd been created for after all, with the potential threat of war - except it had never come to light and he'd found himself here. Performing night after night to women who would fawn over him and little boys who wanted to be him.

He would never wish that upon them. He'd been granted with enhancements and yet now they were of limited use. He was just a dancing monkey of sorts - but at least he had a place. Even if it wasn't the one that he wanted.

Saying good morning to Wanda and Pietro, who were just getting ready for their day, he finished his usual morning run and passed the line of quiet cabins. He liked an early morning run. It helped to clear his head and give him a better mindset for the day.

"On your left..." He stopped and looked to his left where Monroe was curled up on a chair on her cabin's porch, a cup of hot cocoa in her hands. "Good morning Captain". She smiled and took a sip from her mug. "Want some?"

Ok, that could be anything she was offering him, but of course she meant the drink.

"Well I wouldn't wanna pass up an offer like that". He smiled, swallowing the anxiety that was brewing a little and then putting on the same level of confidence that he gave his shows. Heading up the steps of the porch, she swung her feet off the chair and got up. She was petite compared to him, beautiful hair of a periwinkle shade. That was one of the things that had first caught his eye.

"Come in". She looked back at him with a small smile as she made her way through the door.

So he did, stepping into the cabin and seeing that it was very cosy. Monroe poured him some cocoa and then pushed the mug across the counter to him. "Thanks...nice place".

She smiled lightly. "Aside from the wagons, it's home".

This was good cocoa, it seemed she possessed more talents than he'd first realised. "Come on, how'd you end up in a place like this with people like us".

"Howard". She smiled knowingly, but behind it there was sadness. "He was scouting for recruits that were normal in comparison to..." she then trailed off, hoping she hadn't said the wrong thing.

"It's fine, go on..."

"Well, he came to the circus I used to perform in, he liked what he saw but not the way I was kept or treated..." She swallowed. "He got me out of there that very same night". Her smile was now one of fondness. "I couldn't thank him enough, but anyway - they used to keep me in a cage in between performances, so that I couldn't run. I only had a hanging hoop and would just entertain myself while people stared at me. So we came up with the idea of the birdcage, an ode to my former life, except it's never locked, and kind of shows that I can choose when to be as free as a bird".

He felt sorry for her. So that was why she had the cage. It hadn't escaped Steve's notice that Howard did pay her attention, then again he loved women, but Monroe? He held her in a certain regard that Steve had already come to realise long ago was something more than a friend. Whether she paid him any attention of her own was unknown to him.

"Damn...I'm sorry".

"It's ok. I get treated far better than before, and I guess the views I see aren't all that bad". Her eyes went to him knowingly.

Did she mean him?

"So, erm...you and Stark?"

She smirked. "What about me and Stark?"

"I'm guessing you're close after all that".

Monroe nodded. "In some ways, but I like to keep him on his toes. I think he believes that perhaps one day I'll marry him, but that won't happen".

"Why not?"

"He's not the right partner, well, at least not for me anyway. Could you imagine me as a Ringmaster's wife?" She shook her head at this, "No. I can't".

"I mean...Stark's got a lot of money, good looking, a genius...you can't get any better than that".

Why are you saying this?!

Monroe just smiled to herself. "Oh, I think I can do far better than that..."