The Memories of Night | 18+

𝗧𝘄𝗲𝗹𝘃𝗲

𝗔𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗱

≫ ──── ««•◦ ✪ ◦•»» ──── ≪

"You shouldn't be here yet."

I sighed, leaning against the punching bag when Steve approached. "I shouldn't be doing a lot of things," he was right, my ribs were still healing and sometimes taking a deep breath made me nauseous, but I'd been cooped up in his apartment for a week and a half, waiting every single day for him to get back, and it's boring. "I'm not exercising, I'm just walking around, I'll go home in a little bit, please just let me have some time out of the apartment." I've taken to calling Steve's apartment home in the past week, I haven't been to my own place since before I got my life nearly beat out of me. And he's taken to telling me he'd be home after a few hours at headquarters. We've become this domestic partner on top of our professional partnership, and that both scared and excited me.

"Three hours max," Steve reached forward, dragging my bottom lip down before watching it snap into place, "Your bruises are healing pretty well, maybe you should see Banner before you leave."

"Aye aye, Captain."

"King's back!" Steve and I both looked over his shoulder when Michael Thompsons' voice entered the training room, and suddenly the group of trainees I had been assigned with came rushing in, all wide eyes as they took me in. Without a shuttering breath, or a chance to brace myself, seven sets of arms wrapped around me and I was crushed, gently but firmly, in a dog pile of men. I laughed, wrapping my hands around the forearm of Chad Blake, which was wrapped loosely around my throat. It was like coming home to all my brothers, that was something different from the FBI training camps, these people were happy to see me, happy to have me alive. "Congratulations King!" Thompson nudged my shoulder lightly when everyone backed off, Steve was in the corner, leaning against the wall watching me and I tried to hide my grin when he winked, "You deserve the position more than anyone!"

"Now I wouldn't say that," I pat Thompson's arm when he threw it around my shoulders, trying not to wince at the added weight to my already injured body. The bruises on my face have managed to fade, but the ones on my shoulders and spine haven't yet, I still have a boot mark on my lower back. "I hear you all got put onto various Strike Teams as leads, that's amazing guys."

"Come out to the bar with us tonight," Quinton looked over his shoulder at Steve, "You too Cap, as a celebration!"

Steve and I glanced at each other, both trying to come up with an excuse to get out of it, but when Quinton tossed his arm around my shoulder on top of Thomposon's and I stumbled forward, breaking off my gaze from Steve I sighed, plastering on a smile, "I'm game, it'll be fun," Thompson cheered, leaning down to press a smacking kiss to my cheek, a ring of saliva being left behind and I gagged. But he was so happy, cheering as he pulled me between him and Quinton. I grunted quietly, my ribs being touched by my fellow trainees as they crushed me in a hug.

"Easy on her," Steve's voice brought them out of their celebration, every single one of their faces sobering up, "She's here, but she's still healing, I'm down to join you guys tonight, but now I've got to escort Agent King here to Dr. Banner, get to training."

Steve and I walked side by side, ever the professionals as we reached the elevator, but breathing was getting harder again, my ribs were aching, and now I had to go out tonight. But it was nice, to be surrounded by people who cared. Steve didn't know, but the terrors of my dreams haunted me even in the daylight hours, he would leave for work and I'd be hunched over the toilet, dry heaving because my tears never slowed. And I didn't want him to know what I was dealing with, what I was seeing in those dreams. Because it was all Hunter, my best friend dying in every way possible, in front of me, beside me, by my hands. It still knocked the breath out of me to think about. And after that first night, the night I completely shattered because I was ruined, mentally, physically, and emotionally, I've been reaching for Steve, in every dream. Hold onto me. Those three words echoed in my head like a melody, and in every dream, I reached for Steve, letting him pull me up for air.