The Memories of Night | 18+

𝗦𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗲𝗻

𝗦𝘁𝗲𝘃𝗲/𝗔𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗱 

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𝗦𝘁𝗲𝘃𝗲

I had run into Bruce and Natasha at the local deli when the crash sounded.

We were right outside the door when the helicopter crashed into Stark Tower and my heart stopped because I left not only Astrid but Sam. "Steve," Natasha placed her hand on my elbow, drawing my attention away from the falling glass, "It's a Hydra helicopter, you can see the emblem on the left side." My stomach rolled and I took off sprinting for the tower, hearing the heavy steps of Natasha and Bruce behind me.

"Move!" I yelled shoving people out of the way as I ran the three blocks to the tower, panic rushing through every vein in my body. I've been a soldier for the majority of my life, I loved Peggy, but Astrid, the idea of her being in danger made me sick, she didn't deserve it, not after the hell she's survived. And I keep putting her in it, they wait until I'm not around to strike, because they knew the two of us, while we haven't fought together, I would die protecting her, and I knew Astrid would die protecting me.

I reached the doors of Stark Tower as Sam spilled through them, nearly crashing into me. "Where is she?" I asked, looking behind Sam and grabbing his shoulders when he doubled over, trying to catch his breath. "Sam, where is she?"

"She went with them."

Everything came crashing down as I looked at Sam, there was no anger, just pure fear. Astrid was vulnerable last night, and I knew she thought I hadn't felt her stir beside me. But I felt her jolt, I felt her hand on my face, tracing the lines and I knew my heart melted, because as much as I put her away, tried to act like we were partners with a casual hook-up once in a while, what I was doing with her, what I felt with her, was nothing other than a man falling in love with of the most complex, beautiful souls I've ever encountered. There was a roaring in my head as I thought of the ways Hydra would torture her because she escaped The Winter Soldier. After all, she hacked into their servers, she killed their men. She was a target that meant something to me, and therefore, she was the person they were going to focus on.

"I need more than that Sam."

Sam looked at me, his chest heaving before he stood back up. "We were talking, and she was telling me about Hunter, how she felt about her grief with him, we noticed the helicopter circling around, for at least ten minutes, and when she finally got up to arm herself, that was when I threw her to the ground so she wouldn't be hit," Sam ran his hand down his face, "She asked me the layout of the floor, I told her and she told me to run to the door to find you, she knew one of the guys, dark hair, dark eyes, and then she was scared when some man with a mask appeared," Sam was breathless as he told me, "When he pointed the gun at me, she offered herself to them, I ran before I saw what happened, she wanted me to get out and find you."

Bile rose in my throat and Natasha had to hold me up as my head spun. She wasn't willing to lose another person, she was willing to sacrifice everything, herself, Astrid was going to let herself suffer so she wouldn't have to lose anymore. "She's a pain in my ass," I whispered, looking up at the helicopter that was rocking, my brows furrowing. They were over Central Park by the looks of it, but there must be a struggle, and my heart fluttered. "Jesus, she's gonna kill herself if she's not careful."

"We saw her," Natasha explained, looking over at Bruce, "She's not one to be careful."

"I'm sorry," Sam spoke quickly and I turned my head to look at him, "I should've stayed, but I watched her fight, she stabbed a guy without a second thought, and I ran to get help."