Her Second Soulmate | Steve Rogers

Chapter Ten

~Third Persons POV~

Angie sat upright, with sweat gathering on her forehead. At four years old she wasn't fully accustomed to nightmares, and was still unsure what to do when she suffered from one.

She clutched Mister Grumpy to her chest, nuzzling her face into his fur to try and seek some comfort from her pounding heartbeat. But the poor soft toy couldn't offer much, and her small hands scrambled with his body as she tried to shrink herself underneath her blankets.

But the monsters could still be hiding under her bed.

She looked around for something to protect her, only spotting her fathers beloved book sticking out slightly on her shelf. She squeezed her arms tighter, before peering over the edge of her bed. The shadows cast by her nightlight flickered, and she sprung backwards.

She wouldn't be able to save herself. Not this time. She slowly swung her legs over the edge of the bed, then ran out of her room and into the hallway.

Her short legs moved at speed, and with one arm still tightly wrapped around her favourite cuddly toy, she pushed open the door to her mums bedroom.

She still walked quickly, but a smaller wave of fear flooded over her at the thought of waking her mum up from her deep sleep. She didn't like waking her mum up, even though she was never upset with her, but there was something telling her she shouldn't.

As she crept closer, using the light from the hall to illuminate the bed, Angie realised her mum wasn't alone. Somebody was lying in her bed, with their back facing her.

She let out a small gasp, which seemed to be heard by the huge sleeping figure. They rolled to the side, eyes blinking as their arm lifted from her mums waist.

"Angie?" A deep croaky voice sounded through the silence, and with a feeling of relief, Angie moved forwards.

"Stevie?"

Steve pulled himself up from his lying position, and manoeuvred his body so he could see the small shaking girl stood in front of the bed, short arms wrapped around her toy.

She was peering up at him, worry and slight fear mixed with relief as she figured out who it was. "Stevie I'm scared."

Steve's body tensed in reflex, his own worry causing him to scan his immediate surroundings for a threat. He leant down and scooped Angie into his arms, holding her against his chest as he stayed sat on the bed. "Why are you scared Angie?" He whispered softly.

"I had a nightmare." She played with Mister Grumpys ears before looking up at him. "There are monsters under my bed."

"What kinds of monsters?" Steve asked gently, cradling her body against his. She was already calming down, settling back into his side as she made herself more comfortable.

"Scary ones." She whispered. "Can I sleep in here?"

Steve settled down as he understood this was a usual child's nightmare situation. "Shall I check the monsters have gone?" He asked gently. Angie whined, but nodded as she clutched his top tighter.

Steve carried her carefully, making sure she was secure in his arms as he walked across the short hallway. He placed her on the floor beside him, before kneeling down and peering under her bed. Dusty boxes of toys and clothes were tidily cleaned under her bed in their perfect spaces, showing no signs of scary monsters.

Angie clung to his side, before scrambling onto the bed. "Will you tell me a story Stevie?"

"Sure, which story?" He stood up, and stepped away to survey her bookshelf.