The Memories of Night | 18+

𝗧𝗲𝗻

𝗔𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗱

≫ ──── ««•◦ ✪ ◦•»» ──── ≪

My eyes fluttered open, and it took me a moment to realize where I was.

From the glow of the moon filtering in through the open window, I could tell it was an older building, the walls were sage green, and the room had minimal furniture, no television, and books were stacked on the dresser, in a neat line that made my head spin. The mattress was thin, yet comfortable, and situated on a simple iron bedframe. It felt like I had stepped back in time. Time, of course, Steve, I groaned when I tried to sit up, my ribs ached and then the door opened, showing me Steve in all his relaxed glory. Shirtless, with some sweats hanging low on his hips, "You're awake," his smile melted me, and I settled against the pillows again, watching Steve round the bed to sit on the edge, his hand sitting on my thigh, "How are you feeling?"

"Sore," I muttered, wincing when I took too deep of a breath, "Confused. What happened?"

I didn't remember anything that happened after I found Steve, I know he kissed me, but after that, everything was a blur. People talked to me but their voices were muddled, it sounded like everything was underwater. They were saying something about the Winter Soldier, and that made me flinch. I wasn't prepared to come in contact with that legend, and it showed because now I'm paying the price. It hurt to breathe, to swallow, he must've injured me more than I could have imagined. "You have three broken ribs," Steve's thumb rubbed circles into my thigh, "A broken nose, three fractured fingers on your right hand, a broken wrist on your left," I hadn't even noticed the casts on me, "No internal bleeding, though you seemed to have taken a pretty hard hit to the kidney so you're going to have a pretty nasty bruise down your back, brain activity is normal, but you're on bed rest for at least a week."

I groaned, and Steve chuckled, leaning forward to brush hair out of my face. "Why am I at your place? Not my own?"

"Because I told you, Astrid, you're not leaving my sight, not after I watched you kick ass and then get your ass kicked."

I grinned, "My Captain Rogers, are you cursing?"

He chuckled, shifting me over in the bed so he could lay beside me, and I hated to admit it but it felt good, to have someone with me in order to heal. Steve carefully maneuvered my injured body, so my head rested on his shoulder and his arm wrapped around my shoulder, taking my less injured hand in his. "I'm selecting you as my partner," I looked up at him, trying to see if there was a joke, a taunt on his face, "I'm never sending you into a mission like that alone again Astrid, and making you my partner secures that, on top of you being one of the most skilled agents I've ever seen. There's no one I'd rather have as my partner."

"I can handle myself," I smiled softly, relaxing when his lips met my forehead.

"Sure, no one is saying you can't," Steve squeezed my hand lightly, "But you don't have to defend yourself alone anymore, not when I want to help you, want to defend you and help protect you," I linked my free fingers with Steve, ignoring the binding around my torso when I turned into him further, "Even if we fought, I know you would have my back, and I would have yours. It's the trust in you that's making me select you. You more than proved yourself today."

"You're not just saying that because you slept with me right? Did I earn this? Fairly?"

"You earned it fair and square," Steve leaned down to ghost his mouth over mine and my world froze because I wanted him so badly it ached, I wanted to feel his hands on my body, his mouth on mine again, to hear his words praising me for existing. Steve was the only person who made me feel things since Hunter died. And what I feel for Steve is so different than what I felt for Hunter. "Though if you wanted to sleep with me again I wouldn't be opposed, this time I wouldn't do it in a bar bathroom."