Callie has always lived in the darkness, men coming and using her at their will. She thought that this was all there was to life, she couldn't remember any different. That is until The Avengers pulled her out of the darkness and made her one of the...
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Steve P.O.V
I passed the baby off to Tony and my arms feel cold and empty. Since coming out of the ice last year, I never thought I'd be able to have a family of my own, the confusion and agony from waking up in a time where there could be no future with the woman I loved was excruciating.
But then Callie came.
When I hold her it's like a hole is filled, I love her as if she were mine, and when she's in my arms I can almost imagine that she is. But when Tony asks for her back I have to relinquish her and I am painfully reminded that she is his baby, not mine.
The loneliness is all encompassing, some nights I feel like I can't breathe from the crushing weight of it. I just want to hold her, to have her look at me that way, as if I'm all that mattered in the world. She doesn't see Captain America, she just sees me, and I'm able to forget that I've been placed in the wrong time period, she gives me somewhere to belong.
I watch Tony walk away with her, a lump in my throat. Sighing I turn back around and continue walking back to my room, shoving my hands in my pockets so they don't feel so empty.
When I get to my door I surprise myself by walking right past it, passing Bruce's and landing on Thor's, rapping my knuckles on the hard wood.
He answers within a few seconds, "Oh, Steven! What can I do for you?" He asks, jovially but with a hint of confusion.
"Uh, it's not Steven, just Steve." I correct him, and he grins at me admitting to the fact that it was deliberate. "I thought I'd see what you were up to, like if you wanted to catch a movie or something..." I suddenly feel foolish, and Thor's surprise sinks the feeling in even further.
"Ah, that would've been nice, but I was just about to go see Jane." He replies awkwardly.
"That's okay, next time then."
"Yes, next time!" He claps me on the shoulder and shuffles past me but stops a short way down the hall, looking back at me, the concern evident on his face. "Sorry, maybe Bruce and Natasha would though?"
I simply nod and tell him to have a good time, and amble back down the hall perking up when I see the aforementioned couple walking towards me.
"Hey guys, what are you up to?" I ask hopefully.
"Steve! We were just going out to grab a bite. What are you doing?" Natasha says.
"I was just seeing if Thor wanted to catch a movie but he can't." I shrug, trying to sound casual. I resist the urge to ask if I can go with them, unsure if I could handle the rejection.
"Oh, that's a bummer." Bruce says, a strange sympathetic grimace dancing over his complexion. "I'd invite you to come with us but we could only get a table for two."
"Oh that's okay," I stammer, receiving the rejection anyways. I try and smile, telling them to have a good time, but despite my best efforts they notice my disappointment.
