✪ American Noise ✪ [Captain America]

Chapter 12: Steve IV

Steve shut off his motorcycle and dismounted before entering the parking lot behind his apartment building. He did not want to risk waking his neighbors at this late hour. He knew that the twins' bedroom window, in particular, faced this way, and the engine of his Harley-Davidson could be quite loud even while idling. Steve grimaced as he walked the bike to the space that Pops had set aside for him in the garage. A pain shot up his left arm and lingered in his shoulder as he did this, the result of being knocked against a wall when an unexpected explosion erupted during that night's mission. The grimace pulled on the few stitches that had been sewn into the end of his eyebrow to close a cut; another souvenir from the eventful evening. Steve touched his fingers to the wound. Finding that there was no blood escaping onto his fingertips, he shut the garage door and locked it. Steve unhooked his shield from his back harness to carry it in his good arm as he headed around the corner to the apartment residents' entrance.

He climbed the stairs slowly, trying not to let his heavy footsteps make too much noise, but fighting his oncoming weariness proved to make that much more difficult than it needed to be. Steve lost his battle with a yawn as he ascended the last staircase on his journey to the third floor. It's been a while since I've felt this tired, Steve thought as he reflected on his very long day, But I have been awake for almost twenty hours... The night had seemed to catch up with him sometime during the mission debriefing back at S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters within the Triskelion. He had almost dozed off during Clint's report of his secondary team's actions. At the present moment, the thought of sleep could not be more welcomed.

Steve reached the third-floor landing and made to turn right towards his apartment, but stopped short. Sitting there on the floor was Liz, her back against his apartment door and her computer in her lap. He furrowed his eyebrows as she looked up at him suddenly, "Liz?" Steve questioned, "What are you doing on the floor?" Steve watched as Liz's expression quickly turned into a deadly glare. She did not speak a word. What on earth has her looking so cross? Steve thought to himself, but his quickening heart rate suggested that he might already know...

Liz released the dog tags that she had been holding near her chin. They clinked lightly, falling onto her chest as she pushed one of the many buttons on her computer and spun it around so that Steve could see the screen. Steve instantly found himself reliving the key moments of tonight's events. He saw Captain America fully suited, shielded, but (most importantly) without his helmet as he guided civilians to safety from the smoking building. Steve saw his own face on the screen, sure as sunrise.

He looked away and closed his eyes as his heart pounded in his chest. She knew. She had seen everything before he had had his chance to tell her. Steve struggled to find words; he took a slow breath to compose himself. He opened his eyes and looked at Liz, her gaze piercing as she waited for him to respond.

"I can explain..." Steve said softly, trying to tread lightly, but he had lit a fuse.

"You can explain?" Liz said over the sound of the computer still playing the news report. She snapped the screen shut — silencing it — and stood up, holding the evidence to her chest tightly, "You can explain how you have been lying to me this whole time?" Liz's voice slowly began to rise in volume.

Steve gave a quick, nervous glance at Kate's door adjacent to his, then set his shield down in the corner against the other wall. He approached Liz at his door. "I understand you're upset, but let's talk inside," Steve said gently as he opened the door with his keys.

But Liz continued, "You understand I'm upset? Do you really? I thought we were friends, but now I find out you're freaking Captain America!" Liz was shouting now.

Steve picked up his shield from the floor, "Liz, please. Not here. Come inside," he urged as he gently, but firmly, ushered her into his apartment by placing his palm on the small of her back. Steve closed the door behind him and flipped on a light switch.