New Avenger (A Steve Rogers love story)

SHIELD Is Gone

I awoke in a familiar setting, a hospital room. Machines were attached to me, making sure I was alive. And amazingly, I was. Blood was being pumped into my body, as well as morphine and water.

As I sat up, my stomach hurt a bit, and I remembered the feeling of the knife entering my stomach, then being ripped from me. Someone grabbed my hand and I looked toward them.

"Miranda?" I asked.

She smiled sadly. "Yeah, it's me." Tears well up in her eyes and fell down her cheeks.

I gently squeezed her hand, still a bit weak. "I'm so glad you're all right." I whispered.

Miranda pulled away from me. "Yeah, I'm all right. But look at you, you almost died!"

"Yeah, almost. I definitely would have if I was completely human."

I swung my legs over the side of the bed and groaned, my left thigh wrapped in a bandage, which was a bit covered in blood. 

"W-What are you doing? You're still recovering!" Miranda moved to stop me.

"I need to see Steve. Is he okay?"

"He's fine, little love bird." Miranda smiled knowingly.

I blushed. "Th-that's not what this is. I just haven't seen him awake since before we fell from the helicarrier."

A doctor walked into the room and smiled. "Miss Monroe, I didn't think you'd wake up so soon. How are you feeling?"

"Better, but still in pain." I sighed. "Can I please see Steve?"

"Mr. Rogers?"

"Yes. Of course Mr. Rogers. I need to see him."

The doctor nodded. "I guess you can see him. You just need to be careful. You may have been able to heal your other injuries a bit, but you are still recovering."

I nodded. "Yeah, I'll be careful."

The doctor brought over a wheelchair and he and Miranda helped me into it. He unplugged all of the machines and pulled out the IVs, then left.

Once he was gone, I nodded and motioned to Miranda. "Let's go."

Miranda wheeled me to Steve's room. When we got to the door, there were two armed guards. Miranda stopped before the door and gave me a hug. "I'll see you soon." 

I nodded and hugged her back. The two armed guards nodded to me and one of them opened the door to Steve's room. I wheeled myself in, and he closed the door behind me. 

Sam sat in a chair next to the hospital bed, reading a book. Several machines were hooked up to Steve. I wheeled myself beside Steve, who was still unconscious, cuts and bruises littering his face. Sam looked up from his book and gave me a warm smile. I returned the smile and sighed.

I looked around the room, which was very similar to mine. On the table against the wall, next to Steve's bed was a tray with an apple and a banana on it. I grabbed the banana and, considering they'd only have this in here because Steve was well enough to eat it, I peeled it and took a bite. It was the perfect texture and sweetness. 

Sam's phone sat on the table next to the tray, Marvin Gaye's Trouble Man soundtrack was playing.

I stayed beside Steve's bed, finishing the banana. 

"On your left."

I looked up toward Steve and smiled, putting the banana peel in the trash. I scooted closer to Steve and I gently slid my hand over his. I was surprised when Steve turned his hand over and laced his fingers with mine, squeezing tightly as if I would disappear when he let go.

"Are you okay?" Steve asked as he looked at me sitting in a wheelchair.

"I'm all right. Are you okay?" 

Steve nodded. "Yeah, I'm okay now."

"Want me to leave you two alone?" Sam asked, smiling wryly.

I blushed and shook my head. "No, you're okay. Um...we should plan a vacation. I think we've earned some time off."

Steve softly chuckled and nodded as I looked into his eyes. The warm feeling in my chest grew, a fire inside of me. When Steve was shot in the helicarrier, I realized what the burning feeling in my chest was. At first, I didn't know what it was. I had never felt it before.

But now, now I knew what it was. 

I loved Steve.

***

Sam, Steve and I stood in front of Nick's grave. Steve and I had healed nicely, both because of my fire but also due to our power of quick healing. Footsteps came up behind us and I knew it was Nick without having to turn around.

"So, you've experienced this sort of thing before." Nick said as he stood beside us.

"You get used to it." Steve replied.

Steve and I had been out of the hospital for a few days, mostly hanging out at Steve's apartment. Bucky had disappeared after rescuing Steve. No one had seen him since.

"We've been data mining HYDRA's files. Looks like a lot of rats didn't go down with the ship. I'm heading to Europe tonight. Wanted to ask if you'd come." Nick offered.

"There's something I got to do first." Steve replied, turning Nick down.

"How about you, Wilson? Could use a man with your abilities."

"I'm more of a soldier than a spy." Sam said.

"Monroe?"

I shook my head. "I just got a new power and some vacation time." I smiled at Sam and Steve, who returned the smile.

Nick looked toward his grave. "All right, then." Sam shook his hand, as did Steve and I. "Anybody asks for me, tell them they can find me, right here." Nick nodded to his grave before leaving.

"You should be honored. That's about as close as he gets to saying thank you." Natasha said, walking toward us.

"Not going with him?" Steve asked, walking toward her.

"No."

"Not staying here." I said, a bit disappointed.

"Nah. I blew all my covers. I got to figure out a new one."

"That might take a while." Steve said.

"I'm counting on it. That thing you asked for, I called in a few favors from Kiev." Natasha handed Steve a manila folder and he looked at it for a moment. "Will you do me a favor? Take care of Alexx."

"I will." Steve looked at me and smiled softly.

"Good. She's nice." Natasha pulled Steve down a bit and kissed his cheek.

Natasha hugged me, then turned and started to leave. "Thanks for helping us, Natasha."

She turned back to me. "You can call me Nat." She smiled. "Be careful, Steve." She stopped and turned toward him. "You might not want to pull on that thread." She turned back and left.

Steve opened the folder. I looked past his shoulder at the contents. A picture of Bucky in cryosleep was in the folder, a smaller, older picture of Bucky paper clipped to it. Sam stood on the other side of Steve.

"You're going after him." Sam said.

"You guys don't have to come with me." Steve replied.

"We know."

"When do we start?" I asked.