glow [s. rogers]

15

when the drive was finished and they had parked the truck back at the training complex, steve made a move to get out of the car. delilah, however, stayed curled up in the leather seat, her knees brought to her chest and her hair remaining a golden, tangled mess.

"come on, lilah" he urged, looking back into the car, "you gotta get up."

she let out a small sound, it would be her usual groan but it was reduced to only a whimper, she is broken.

hastily, she unbuckled her seatbelt and got out of the truck, but she just stood by the door, not sure if she really did want to go inside and face other people.

upon seeing her this hurt, this broken, steve could only feel himself and his sympathy for the girl intensifying.

"come here." he murmured and pulled her into a hug that she graciously accepted. she began to cry again, hiccuping sobs that echoed off the walls of tony's expensive garage.

she, once again, stayed still, she just wanted to sleep it all off and hope it would vanish with her consciousness.

steve knew the pleading look she gave him, he had seen it before. the first day they brought her in. he obliged to her and picked her up like anyone would with a small child, holding her by the back of her thighs and placed her on his hip before walking inside.

as he walked by his fellow avengers that seemed to be waiting for them to eat dinner he put a finger up to his lips to signal them to be quiet. because somehow she managed to fall asleep between steve picking her up and walking to his room, where he had planned to set her down.

but as he began to lay her on the bed, she woke up.

"can you take me to my room, please, steven?"

steven? he thought, never once had she ever called him steven. he just nodded, picking her back up and taking her to where she wished to go. this time he lied her down on her own black comforters, as she curled up on the duvet.

"do you want me to stay?" he asked, hoping with all of his heart that she would say yes.

she sadly shook her head, "i have a lot to think about right now. i'll just scream if i need you."

he cocked an eyebrow about her screaming but nodded, pressing a kiss to her forehead before leaving the room, leaving her alone like she asked.

the minute he left she broke down into a mess of tears and anger, growing so worked up to the point where she was lying in her bed, but managed to glow while she was coursing with anger.

delilah struggled to keep herself from screaming out in internal pain but she covered her mouth and decided screaming into her pillow was the best she could do for now.

steve walked by himself to the dining room where everyone else was seated, some had begun to eat while others had patience. those who started to eat must have not yet watched his patience video.

"where's delilah?" wanda asked, she had yet to touch any of her food.

the blonde super soldier just shook his head, "she's having a bit of an identity crisis."

forks dropped and suddenly everyone was paying attention, "an identity crisis?" bruce started, easily becoming frazzled, "steve, that's a very serious thing she could be at a major risk."

he was forced to shake his head again, trying to calm everyone who was worried, "her dad finally told her the truth. i was there, i heard it, i saw it."

"what was the truth?" natasha asked, she hadn't been this interested in anything for a long time, ever since clint left.

"it's not really my place to tell everything personal about her life, it was a lot of unpacked baggage and she's not in a good place."