The Girl & The Hound | Winter Soldier

SEVEN

I'm going to do all that I can to help you. I promise.
- Sawyer

Her bedroom was softly lit with morning light seeping through her opened curtains as she adjusted her ponytail in her mirror. Satisfied with how it looked, she absentmindedly tilted her head to see her neck, softly smiling to herself at how extremely well she'd hidden the bruises before her eyesight landed on the reflection of her journal on her bed, having left it where he first picked it up to read.

Glancing over her shoulder to gaze at it, she drew in a hopeful breath he'd come back to read the message before she reached for her converse which were sitting on the floor at the bottom of her bed. Unlacing them, she sat on the edge of her bed before sliding them on, her eyebrows suddenly furrowing at the sound of snores from her living room.

Pausing for a second to listen, she listened intently as a man snored heavily on her sofa, the gap in her bedroom door showing a man asleep on her sofa as the Alsatian continuously licked his dangling hand. She shook her head, laughing to herself as she laced her shoes up, his snores continuing as she climbed to her feet.

As she silently pulled her bedroom door open, the Alsatian grew ecstatic as she waved to it, a wide smile on her face as the dog darted to her, desperate to give her love and slobber as she detained her laughter not to wake Sam, crouching down to the dogs level as she fussed him.

"Where do you think you're going?" Sam startled her, groggily pulling himself to sit up on the chair as she glanced up to him, slightly confused as the dog continued to devote all of his attention to her through licks and slobber.

"To work?" she needlessly replied, her voice still thick with a distant rasp whilst she continued ruffling the dogs fur before she smiled at Sam's fatigued face whilst it contorted, his eyes averted to her neck as she smiled at the eager dog.

"Where's the marks?" He questioned as she climbed to her feet, the dog following loyally as she traipsed to the kitchen, Sam climbing to his feet to follow as she made into the kitchen.

"Makeup," she softly replied, taking two mugs from her cupboard before twisting around to Sam, "do you like tea?" she laughed softly as Sam rolled his eyes.

He shook his head, "no, thank you," leaning against her kitchen counter as she placed the mug back, the dog crossing its front legs on her left foot as she giggled, Sam's face suddenly sadly lighting with realisation at the invisibility of the marks, "do you have experience hiding bruises?"

She paused, restraining from looking at him as she took a biscuit from the packet on the counter, gently giving it to the dog as she fumbled with a convincing lie, "not exactly," she mustered out, not at all convincing Sam as he nodded slowly.

"You know," she mumbled, turning around to face him before leaning against the sink, aiming to change the subject, "it was extremely kind for you to crash here last night despite me not knowing, but I don't want to burden you out anymore, I would have been fine with just me and this little gift," she murmured as she ruffled the dogs forehead fur, his tail waggling ferociously as Sam burst into a smile.

"Oh, so that's how it is? I'm not as good as the dog?" He mocked as Sawyer playfully grimaced, shrugging as she failed to detain her laughter, loving the ache on her cheeks from not laughing in a while as he shook his head.

"And you're not going to work today," Sam blurted as her laughter fell quiet, contorting her expression as he stared defiantly at her, "and don't defy me, they're Steve's orders."