The Captain

23. Write My Story (Steve)

"Hey, Rogers," Nat says softly as she opens the door to my apartment and steps in. "You got a minute?"

I close my laptop as I look up at her, saying, "Yeah, of course. What's up, Nat?"

"I heard that you accepted an offer earlier," she says.

I smile gently as I nod, saying, "Yeah, a few different radio stations, networks, and talk shows reached out for an interview. Most of them wanted to discuss the case against the UN and the countries involved in Bucky's apprehension, and I shot them down immediately, but one station had no interest in it whatsoever. They want to know what I have to say about Bucky being frozen, what our life was really like before the war, what it was like growing up in the underground LGBT community, and what our future holds. They want it to be about us, not the world we're fighting."

     She hesitantly comes closer, finally dropping down onto the couch where Subira is sleeping.

     She scratches behind the sleeping panther's ears as she says, "So you're heading out then?"

"I'll be at the SiriusXM Octane studio in New York for my interview on Friday," I tell her. "Tony and Wanda want to go with me, just for security and sanity's sake."

Her green eyes light up.

"Can I go with?" She asks. "Peter wants to introduce me to Gwen and Ned. He said something about introducing me to a Michelle too."

"Of course," I tell her.

She smiles a little brighter, eyes sparkling like emeralds.

"When are we leaving?" She asks.

"Tonight," I tell her. "I have to stop by the White House, and Tony has a few errands to run tomorrow after we get to the tower."

Her eyes darken.

Oh no.

     "Any idea what errands he's running?" She asks.

     "Tony hasn't signed off on the plans for the new compound in New York yet," I tell her. "He wants to review them in person, and he also has a few personal items on his list. All I know is that he's asked me to go with him as backup."

I can't tell her that he's going to go see Pepper, to finalize her resignation paperwork.

She'd probably throttle him if I told her.

"So his errands aren't personal then," she points out.

I shrug, "He didn't tell me anything specific, but since he's bringing me along, I can only guess that it's far from personal. We're still working on that friendship thing, you know."

"I know," she says.

Subira purrs as she opens her eyes and looks up at Nat, who just smiles and uses both hands to scratch behind her ears.

"While you two are off on a business venture, I'll be with Peter and Aunt May," she says, her eyes losing some of their sparkle. "But, just so you know, I want to go to your interview. It's bound to be hilarious, especially if they get you talking about your dumb ass in the 1940s."

"Wanda said the same thing," I tell her. "Something about Bucky and I being reckless in Germany and a tent."

"Yeah, you would have been killed right away by the Nazis, or by HYDRA, if they had known about you two back then," she says. "They only know now, though."

"Because it's a different time, a different place," I explain. "We can actually be ourselves and do things that normal couples do, like go on dates and take pictures and wear cute couple t-shirts. We were lucky to not have been outed back in the day, but we can do things on our own terms now. We don't have to hide or fear for our lives. In some countries, we still have to, but as far as the majority of the world goes, we don't face that persecution. We might get weird looks from time to time, but we won't be shot on sight or anything like that. We're safe, and we're free."

     She nods. She knows that it's been hell, and she's not about to discount anything I've been through.

    But enough about me.

    "How's Tony doing, in the sense of you two and whatever you are, anyways?" I ask her.

     She grins, "Only you would remember that I hate labels."

     I shrug, "I know it better than anyone. Labels cause division, and division creates dissent. Buck and I didn't pay attention to labels, we didn't have to, we were so well covered and protected. But, we're getting better at handling labels, and now we get to write our own story in the history books. Like I said a moment ago, we don't have to hide."

"You sure you want the general public, let alone the government, to know all of the details about you and Barnes?" Nat smirks.

"I'm coming clean when I go to New York, and it's already decided that my interview at Octane will break the internet, and their hosts are ecstatic," I tell her. "They're drawing straws to see who gets to interview me."

"Don't scandalize then too much," she says.

"I'm more worried about Tony's reaction, actually," I smirk.