You were his wife in the 40's through thick and thin, sickness and health, richer or poorer, and through all of the twists of life. Even 70 years later you continued to love him, and stay by his side.
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Steve sprinted across Central Park, zooming past the Heckscher Playground, and the Bethesda Fountain, the 1972 Marvin Gaye soundtrack titled "Troubled Man" blaring in his ears. A favorite of the hero's ever since his friend, Sam, told him about it.
He continued to run, trekking fiercely as if he was being chased by something, or someone, the number of miles he had already concluded a non-important factor in his early morning routine. He ran to run, to clear his head, and think. To have a moment of peace away from his hectic schedule.
The upstanding title of "Captain America" a burden sometimes, a weight on his shoulders along with being an Avenger, and protecting the world from all that may harm it. The burden he chose to bare not a sin, nor something he regretted, but with the load he toted around came very little moments of calm.
He didn't mind for he'd rather ensure that the people around him were able to live out calm lives while he dealt with all the worries, and concerns, but for him his daily jogs were treasured escapes away from everything.
Kids played Frisbee, and soccer out in the open green fields, couples walked their dogs, and millions of tourists crowded around the park, snapping pictures with their phones.
Beneath the lush trees, and flowering Dogwood blooms spring was alive, and well, spreading it's warmth. The sunrise poured out into the horizon like golden honey, and flocks of water birds dove into the water, separating the consistent tides of the current. The rippling surface balancing back slowly, and the smell of fresh lawn was in the air.
The Captain continued to run until he no longer could, until his legs felt like jelly, and his lungs burned like torches in his chest. Only then did he return back to his apartment, the light grey t-shirt he was wearing wet. Glossy perspiration caked across his toned arms, and beads of warm sweat dripped down his face.
Steve went over to his fridge, his Nike's squeaking against the wood floor, and he grabbed a bottle of water. Downing the refreshing liquid in one big gulp.
Abruptly, his phone began to ring, and he slid the pad of his thumb across the screen.
"Hey, Capsicle. I've got something for you to see." He heard Tony say on the other line, and the hero wiped his forehead with a towel.
"What is it?"
"Well, you know how Nick Fury's men found you in ice, and we defrosted you like a chicken? Seventy years later from the time you lived in?"
"Yeah, I think I vaguely remember that." Steve answered, his words dripping with sarcasm.
"Well, we've found a chicken friend of yours, or so we believe." Tony continued, not phased at all by the Captain's sarcastic comment for Tony's every sentence was built from sarcasm anyway.
"Do you happen to know a Mrs. Rebecca Barnes?"
Steve glanced over at a black and white photograph on the mantel above his fireplace. Him, Bucky, and her smiling together reflecting in his weathered blue pools. The bitterness of the picture overlapping with the fondness of memories, fluctuating back, and forth from sour, and sweet.
"Yeah, that name rings a bell. A loud one."
"That was a rhetorical question, Cap," Tony rebutted. "She's a leading figure in your exhibit at the Smithsonian. Wife of your bestfriend, like a sister to you, possible unrequited love there, and blah, blah, blah."
"There was no unrequited love, Tony. I was never jealous of Bucky." Steve spat back at bit too defensively, and he was sure that even through the phone he could feel Tony's all knowing smirk.
"Yeah, okay. Your hyper aggressive denial I'm sure is perfectly healthy, and not at all built from a long, long time of being stuck in the being like a "brother" seat with you the Mayor of friend-zone town."
"What about her, Tony?" Steve inquired, brushing past the previous topic to another.
"I just told you. Your frozen friend, she's at the Avengers Tower right now. Do you want me to defrost her, or not?"
"Wait, what?" Steve exclaimed. "She's alive?"
"Yep," Tony replied. "In ice, but alive. Hearts working, she's breathing, body stable."
"I'll be there in a minute." Steve said before fetching a jacket, and heading out.
He ran all the way to the Avengers Tower, and used the elevator to go to the Cryo-Chamber facilities, one of the ten science based floors within the building.
When he stepped out into the lab he heard Tony conversing with a few of the scientists in white lab coats, a glass of whiskey on the rocks in his hand.
"Isn't it a bit early for cocktail hour?" Steve commented, catching his breath, and his Iron Man teammate just took another sip of the caramel shaded beverage.
"Well, what did you come from, a triathlon? You're sweaty. Did you run here?"
"No." Steve denied, and the billionaire grinned smugly.
"Yeah, you did. Want to add Olympic runner to your agenda? They wear some tight shorts though, just warning you."
"Can I just see her?" Steve interrogated, his patience with his friend wearing thin.
"Yeah, did you happen to notice the giant chunk of ice in the room reminiscent of the ice burg that sunk the Titanic?"
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Steve looked over at the ice block that was clouded in a cloud of steam, melting slowly like a beautiful ice sculpture. The Captain saw your crystallized form within the block, a statuesque version of his dear friend.
He just stared at you intently, locked within a trance, inching his way closer, captivated, and hypnotized by you.
"Is he alright?" Natasha questioned, walking in, and handing Tony something to sign.
"Unrequited love." The playboy replied, and the red-headed S.H.I.E.L.D. agent nodded compassionately.
"It is not unrequited love." Steve shot back, his voice low with refusal.
"Okay, well do you want me to pull the plug on this, and just toss her back into the Alps where we found her, or do you want the defrosting to commence?" Tony urged, and Steve frowned, mentally stepping away from the conversation to think.
He stared at you again, your frozen form like a blurry, blue tinged painting, but separating all the icy blueness was the gold wedding band on your ring finger.
He weighed all of the pros and cons in his head, and thought about all of the hurt you'd have to go through if you were to wake up. Within ice you were in a frozen dreamlike state, at peace, unaware of the truth, and the pain. However, you were also trapped, stuck within the realm on 1945, oblivious to everything else. Basically dead, but not.
Steve thought about how he might regret this, but he wanted someone to remember things with. Someone who was there even before he became Captain America when he was still in his pre-serum state, and who had gone through everything he had as well.
"Bring her out." Steve finally said, the scientists commencing with the defrosting.
