Wouldn't Leave You (A Captain America Fan fiction)

Breakfast at Sam's

Chapter 31 - Rachel Stark

Steve helps me out of the car once we reach a house on the outskirts of D.C. We 'borrowed' a second car once we got far enough away from Camp Lehigh. He takes my hand, gently pulling me out of the car, and leads me to an unfamiliar house. 

"Where are we?" I ask weakly. He looks down at me, soot still covering his face. He stays quiet, leading me up a few steps and to a door. He knocks gently, dropping my hand. We wait in tense silence as the blinds behind the glass door get opened. 

Sam. 

He opens the door quickly, looking around what I assume is his backyard for danger. I sigh, thankful for a somewhat familiar face.

"Hey man," he says, looking at Steve. 

"I'm sorry about this. We need a place to lay low." Steve mumbles. I look up to Sam with foggy eyes.

"Everyone we know is trying to kill us," I drone, stiff with shock.

"Not everyone," he says, standing back from the doorway, letting us through. We walk through swiftly, a collective sigh passing between Steve and I. Sam stays at the door briefly, scanning his yard again for any sign of trouble. He shuts the door and lowers the blinds, double-checking the locks. Steve and I stand awkwardly in the kitchen, awaiting instructions from Sam. He notices, pointing at the set of stairs behind us. "Bathroom is upstairs."

I walk up the stairs first, getting to the bathroom quickly and shutting the door. I flip the lock, making sure no one else will come in and bother me. I hear a conversation faintly from downstairs alerting me that I will not be disturbed for a while. I stand over the sink with my hands resting on the edges, trying to calm my racing mind. The cool sink does nothing to ground me. I slowly look up from the bowl and meet my eyes in the mirror. 

I look awful. There is soot covering my face and hair, the dust settling into every fine line of my face. My hair is a mess. The back of my head is matted up from being on Steve's arm and the back of the car seat. My curls are pulled out with only a single ringlet left. My eyes look tired. Thick blue bags line my under eyes, reminding me that I haven't slept well in a long time. I fell asleep on the way here but that only lasted for an hour. I awoke to a very panicked Steve, who recounted what I had said in my sleep. 

It wasn't pleasant. 

I sigh, pulling away from the mirror and starting the shower. I pull off my clothes and hop in, running my hands through the cool water first. I watch as all of the dirt gets swept down the drain. Sometimes I wish I could follow that dirt, down the drain and out of sight. I definitely wouldn't have to deal with all of the stuff I have to now. I shake the thought, turning around and placing my whole head under the stream. I let the water cascade over my face. 

I wash my body quickly, already feeling a little more alert. After five or six minutes, I get out. I wrap a soft towel around myself, grabbing my clothes off of the floor and unlocking the door. I pull it open slowly, revealing Steve on the other side. I feel the heat rise to my cheeks but I am still too out of it to fully recognize it. I watch as Steve's worried eyes scan my face. I shake my head, walking past him. He takes my place in the bathroom as I dry off in the bedroom that was connected. I put my clothes back on, leaving my jacket next to me on the bed. 

My clothes feel gross. They're quite old, I haven't really been home to change since... Since after the Lemurian Star mission. My t-shirt and jeans are dirty and feel awful against my clean skin. I sit on the bed, uncomfortable. I use my towel to start drying my hair, switching between patting it dry and combing through the long mess with my fingers. 

Steve opens the door, revealing his clean form after a few minutes. I look up to him, my face expressionless. His skin creates a stark contrast against his dirty undershirt and jeans. I watch carefully as he moves across the room, drying his hands on a towel. He sits slowly across from me, his eyes watching me as well. I keep drying my hair as he begins to talk.