Out Of Time✔ (S. Rogers)

Chapter XXXVI: Night Terrors

Nightmares were the thing most people received. Sometimes often- sometimes rarely. A vivid reality that could leave anyone with the biggest fear of living. From falling to your death to Spiders swarming your body. Anything could happen to you. Even with rumors of if you die in your sleep, you die in real life. Though that has never been proven.

After a long night of cuddling and eating pizza, Steve ended up sleeping on the couch for the night. Being the Gentleman that he is. Kendra in her bedroom. Anyone that was watching from afar could see her eyes moving around frantically under her eyelids. You would think she was having a nightmare from how the beads of sweat were leaving her hairline or how her lips were in a parted frown.

But that wasn't the case for Kendra. She never had nightmares. They were more so for normal people. But Kendra was definitely not normal. She had visions. And thats exactly what Kendra had when she slept. It was like a whirlwind of visions- one after the next. Nonstop war- death.

A whimper left her lips as she rewatched the war between the large Titan and the Avengers. Watching as people faded into dust, blowing off into the wind. Loki getting his neck snapped as he tried to fight against the purple being. Natasha being dead at the bottom of the cliff after sacrificing herself for the world.

Steve jolted up as he heard a soft cry followed by a muffled scream. Standing to his feet quickly, he ran into Kendra's room. Not bothering to knock after hearing the whimpers of fear. He looked around her room frantically, checking for an intruder or something amidst. But saw nothing. His blue eyes landing on the bed where Kendra was tangled in her thin sheet. Sweat dripping down her face as her back arched. If Steve didn't know any better, he would say she looked to be possessed like in the movie Exorcism.

Steve jogged over to the side of her bed, reaching out to lightly grip her shoulder.

"Kendra?" He whispered softly, not wanting to frighten her more. His hand moved slightly, shaking her shoulder causing a gasp to leave Kendra's lips. "Hey- hey its okay. It was only a dream." Steve tried to sooth her as she sat up straight, breathing heavily. He got in the bed next to her, pulling her sweaty body to his, laying her head on his chest. "Listen to my breathing, focus on my heart beating." He whispered calmly. Kendra had tears flooding her green eyes, listening to Steve trying to coax her down.

Kendra closed her eyes, trying to push the visions of the horrid future out of her mind. Listening to Steve's heart beating steadily against his chest. His hard chest. Listening to the air fill his lungs before blowing out of his nose quietly. Steve held her tighter, his fingers carding through her hair as he hummed quietly. Pulling her focus even more.

"Shh." He shushed softly. Once Kendra's breathing was slowed, the tears no longer following the dry stream on her cheeks. Steve glanced down at her. "Do you want to talk about it?" He questioned. Kendra shook her head before sighing. Keeping her face squished to his chest before pulling away slightly. "It was only a dream, it's alright." Steve tried to help, but Kendra shook her head at him.

"But it wasn't a dream, Steve. It was real." She breathed out, her breath coming out a bit airy from her panic attack. Steve furrowed his eyebrows at her. Confused. He grabbed her hand, rubbing his thumb over the bumps of her knuckles that seemed to have turned a light shade of pink from her stress.

"What do you mean?" He asked, leaning in slightly. "Was it a vision?" Kendra shrugged.

"It was many." Kendra told him after a small silence. Steve raised an eyebrow, his blue eyes filled with concern and sympathy. "The final battle- the Endgame.. It haunts my sleep. The million ways it can end. An Infinity War....Never ending." Steve frowned. Wanting to ask her to tell him about it, but knowing it was probably for the best he didn't. What would even happen if he knew the future? Would he be able to help her tame it? "It never used to get to me this badly." Kendra spoke up causing Steve to stop his thoughts and glance at her. Her small hand squeezing his.

"What do you mean? You- why would it change?" Kendra blushed slightly. Clearing her throat a bit from the possible embarrassment that this information would cause her.

"Because I don't see you anymore." Kendra admitted bashfully. Steve felt the heat rush up his neck, but smiled towards her. Giving her hand a gentle squeeze back to encourage her to go on. "I used to look for you in the visions- you were my anchor. The moment your blue eyes would find mine- it was like nothing could harm us. Like I was the strongest person there. That I could handle anything." She explained. Steve tilted his head a bit, listening.

"You can though. Even if you don't see me anymore. You are strong, you can handle anything. You don't need my eyes to tell you that." Steve tried, but Kendra shook her head.

"It's like how you had me focus on your breathing or heartbeat to calm me. Your eyes were my focus." She looked downward, frowning. "Now I don't know how I will get through these visions at night." Steve sat there for a moment. Thoughts flooding his brain. Thinking of ways he could help her. He hated seeing her so upset- so fragile. She was anything but that. He knew it. He had seen it first hand how strong she was.

"What if I stare in here? Just for the night. You can focus on my heartbeat while you get some sleep." He offered. Kendra wished she could have seen him as she glanced up at him. Feeling his rough thumb run over the skin of her hand gently. She nodded slowly, accepting his help, before she moved over in her bed. It was a shame that she only had a Twin size bed. Steve got in the best he could before pulling Kendra to lay on his chest. Feeling her small hands trace up his torso to find a comfortable space to lay.

Steve was starting to wonder if this was a good idea. Feeling her adjust and move slightly- it caused a deep blush to rush over his skin. Not that she was meaning to- hell she could even seen where her hands were. Nope that it was inappropriate, his chest was anything but inappropriate. But- something about this, about how her hands traced over his muscle, it was tranquil. Relaxing. It was...his Homcoming.