Winter's Nightmare

Returning to Asgard

Lia's POV

It'd been two weeks since Kat had been rescued and a week since Steve had really talked to Lia. Once their daughter had been returned and things had leveled out with Bucky's health he had pulled away from her again. She couldn't blame him after what she had done, but enough was enough. They needed to talk and soon. Knowing that Kat was with Bucky for his physical therapy, Lia searched out Steve.

She found him sequestered away in his office. Lia knocked on the door as she opened it, "Hey, can we talk?"

He glanced up at her and nodded, setting down a mission report he'd been reading and motioned for her to sit down. Closing the door behind her she walked over to sit on the small couch that held a lot of memories for them. Before and after they had become a couple Lia had hung out here. She'd keep him company while he worked. Or more often than not she had distracted him and they'd talk for hours. Later when they were dating there had been many a makeout session on this couch.

Sitting down she nervously rubbed her palms along her thighs to wipe off the sweat that was collecting there. Taking a deep breath Lia carefully worded what she wanted to say. "I have two things I need to talk to you about. One has to do with Kat and the other has to do with us."

Setting the report down, Steve turned his chair to face her give her his full attention. "Okay."

She couldn't get a read on him. He had shut her out completely. Lia didn't blame him. She'd hurt him, but he'd never shut her out before. Not like this.

Nervously she bit her bottom lip before glancing down at her hands that she clasped together to still their shaking. "I have to go back to Asgard to check in with Odin and wanted to know if you would keep Kat with you while I was gone? It would only be for a day or two. There's some stuff I have to wrap up and then I'll be back."

For a split second she had felt Steve's anxiety spike at the mention of her leaving, but he relaxed when she asked him to keep Kat here with him. "After everything that's happened I know that she'll be okay with you while I'm gone. In fact I think she'd throw a fit if I said we were leaving." Her forced laughter trails off when all she gets is a tight smile in return.

"I would love for her to stay here. Thank you for trusting me." Steve patiently waits for her to finish talking. He's probably thinking of ways to get her out of here so he doesn't have to deal with the awkwardness between them.

This was a mistake. She had already lost him and it was her own damn fault. She should have listened to what everyone had been telling her, but she was too blinded by what if's. Abruptly standing up she tells him to forget the other reason of why she came to see him. "You know what, I can talk to you another time. I just really needed to know if you'd watch Kat for me."

"Aurelia, stop." His commanding tone had her frozen in place with her hand on the doorknob. "What did you want to talk about?"

"It's nothing. I just wanted to clear the air, but we can talk when I get back." She says to the door not able to face him because then he'd see the tears in her eyes. Opening the door she goes to take a step out, but a large hand on the door firmly closes it.

Keeping his hand on the door, Steve softly tells her, "Turn around and look at me." Lia shakes her head no. She can't because now those damn traitorous tears have slowly begun to fall down her face.

"Aurelia, look at me, please." Steve's voice ghosts across her cheek when he hears her sniffle. She can't do as he asks her, but doesn't fight him when he gently turns her around. Tipping her chin back with his index finger he makes her look up at him.

Brushing away her tears he asked, "Why are you crying, sweetheart?" Lia bit her lower lip harder and shook her head to let him know she didn't know. "Come here. Let's sit and when you're ready we can talk." Before he can direct her back to the couch she's wrapped her arms around his waist and buried her face in his chest.