Living & Loving-A Marvel Story

Chapter 32: Lost and Found

After a few moments pass, you right yourself, and lean over to turn the light on.  

His face, unmarked except for a few light patches of bruising, fully comes into focus.

"Oh my god Steve," you exclaim.  "It's you?  It's really you?"

Steve looks down at the floor briefly before looking back up at you.

"It's me," he replies.  "I'm alive."

Shock is still clear across your features, before a jolt back to reality makes you remember Pepper, Nat and Tony.  

"We need to get everyone!" You say excitedly.  "Tony, Nat, Pepper-they'll all want to know you're OK Steve!"

"They already do." Steve says calmly back.  "They were all in the main room when I came back in, and told me you were sleeping, so I filled them in before I came in here."

You take in a shaky breath.  

"Jesus Steve."  You say in disbelief.  "Do you have any idea??  We thought you were dead!!!  I thought I'd never- "

Steve interrupts you.

"I know, and I'm so, so sorry for that.  But I had to let everyone believe I was gone, so I could try and fix this.  They were after me, and you'd already been in too much danger.  I knew there was only one way to protect you, so when the opportunity arose and I could find a way, there was no question that I had to take that chance."

"You went after them didn't you?" You ask.  "You went after Bucky and Zemo.  Did you even find them?"

Steve shakes his head slightly.

"I found Zemo.  He's now someone else's problem after I found out it wasn't just me he'd p*ssed off.  I looked everywhere for Bucky.  I remember him saving me from the water after the explosion.  He pulled me out.  But I couldn't find him anywhere.  Zemo hinted that he had done a runner to friends of his that could help, but I have no proof of that."

"So....was it worth leaving for then?  Was it worth leaving me?"  You ask solemnly.

Steve pauses before answering.  

"Honestly?  You're the only reason I gave up the search for Bucky and came home.  I promised you I would didn't I."

"You did yeah."  You reply.  "But in that promise there was no talk of faking your own death....."

Steve doesn't reply.  His guilt is written all over his face, and he just looks down at the ground, unable to make eye contact with you.

"I thought I'd lost you forever Steve..."  You say in barely a whisper.

His head snaps back up and his eyes find yours, filling with tears.

"Never."  He says.  "I will always, ALWAYS find you."

The tears you were managing to hold back, finally spill over.  

"When I found out you were gone, I realised I'd never get to tell you-"

Steve interrupts again.

"Not here, not now."  He says.  "Tomorrow.  Get some sleep and we'll talk properly tomorrow, I promise."

You know you won't sleep after the events of this evening, but you lay back anyway, safe in the knowledge that he is home, and you can now tell him exactly what you thought you'd never be able to.....