Begin Again | Sam Wilson

Chapter Nineteen

Brianna didn't move from her spot in the bed even after she saw the darkness from the night starting to disappear. Sunlight was filtering in from behind the curtains. It was morning. She knew that, but she didn't know the exact time. She supposed she could have just rolled over and looked at the time on Sam's alarm clock. However, that would involve her moving from being tangled in Sam's arms and that was something she didn't want to do. She also didn't want to wake him up.

At first, she thought she did. She felt his arms move around her slightly as if he were tightening his grip on her. A muffled cry...or was it a scream? formed in his throat but wouldn't fully sound. She drew back, confused. She could see his face contorting and then it was only then she realized that he was dreaming. Well, more like a nightmare. She gently reached out to touch his face and when she did, his eyes flew open.

"Riley!" Sam yelled and sat up in the bed.

Brianna drew back slightly and watched with wide eyes as Sam fought to breathe. She extended her arm to touch his shoulder, but he moved away from her touch.

"Just give me a minute." He told her quietly as he sat at the end of the bed.

"I'm sorry." She whispered. "I just thought something was wrong."

He looked over his shoulder at her. "It's okay, Bri."

She moved to sit next to him and rested her head against his shoulder. She could still feel the tension in his body. "Bad dream?"

"Yeah." He turned to look at her. "When it first happened, I couldn't even sleep at night. Every time I closed my eyes, I could see Riley falling. I got better, eventually, but sometimes I still have nightmares about it. When I saw Rhodey falling in the sky after Vision accidentally hit him, all I could imagine was Riley. I tried to save him. And a few months ago, when your chute wouldn't deploy, I was imagining Riley again."

"Why did you never tell me?" She asked.

"It wasn't your burden to carry." He said with the shrug of the shoulders.

"It is now. It isn't a burden either. You watched your best friend die. That's...fucking hard." She kissed the stubble on his face.

"Thank you. Now, enough being sad. How about I make some breakfast?" He suggested.

"I would love that. Is it okay I shower?"

"Yeah. I keep a couple travel size shampoo bottles under the sink if you want to use those. Might be better than the men's one I have." He told her.

She gave him one last kiss before disappearing into the bathroom. Just like he said, there were additional bottles under his sink. That still didn't stop her curiosity of smelling the soap he had in the shower that he used on a daily basis. It brought back memories of being on the run in Scotland. She could remember how he smelled just after he got out of the shower. It was a light scent, like cedar wood.

After the shower she ran her fingers through her hair, attempting to detangle it since she didn't have access to her hairbrush. She would more than likely let it hair dry and then pull it up. She found Sam's discarded shirt from the night before on the bed and slipped it over herself. It was a little big on her and stopped mid thigh. There was nothing more comfortable then a man's shirt. When she lived with her dad, she would often steal his.

"Damn." Sam remarked when he saw Brianna headed out of his bedroom. Her hair was causing drops of water to form on his t-shirt. "I didn't think a shirt could look that good on someone."

Brianna giggled as she took a seat on one of the barstools situated in front of the counter. "Is that so?"

"Oh, yeah." He told her with a grin and slid a plate of food towards her.

"Thank you. You know, I am capable of cooking as well." She said.

"I know, but I enjoy cooking. It's my love language."

"I had no idea cooking was a love language."

"In the South it is." He teased. "I do want to take you out on a proper date, Bri. I'm not the type to just sleep with a girl and form a relationship. How many more days do you get off?"

"Today and then Saturday, Sunday. I go back to work Monday."

"I have a proposition. You go home, pretty yourself up, pack a bag, come back here and let me take you out tonight. Then, spend Saturday and part of Sunday with me?"

She leaned across the counter towards him. Her arms rested on the cool counter and she grinned up at him. "I think that sounds like an excellent idea. Only if you agree to one thing."

"And what's that?" He asked.

"You let me cook at least one meal for you."

"I think I can do that." He said before kissing her softly. "Just remember to change. As much as I love you only wearing my shirt, it would look very bad if someone saw you in it."

"Any specifics on what I should wear tonight?" Brianna asked as she brought her plate to the sink.

Sam wrapped his arms around her from behind and pressed his lips against her neck. "Nothing."

"I meant for our date, Sam." She laughed.

"Anything you want. It won't be a five star restaurant if that helps. You've never struck me as a person who likes fancy things."

"You're right. Just let me change and then I'll head back to my place."

Brianna left Sam's home with a shit eating grin on her face. She only been with him for sixteen hours and she was already head over heels for him. Part of her was still worried though even if he promised her that he would never hurt her. She thought Steve would never hurt her either, but she been wrong. She just couldn't take another heartbreak. However, she was hopeful. Sam and her had known each other longer than Steve and her did before they started dating.

When she got back to her apartment, she pulled out a bag to pack a few days worth of clothes and some toiletries. As she packed, she wondered how the distance thing would work between the two of them. She lived and worked in New York. He lived in DC. Currently, all missions regarding the unknown group were put on hold. It would work out. She knew that in her heart. They would more than likely visit each other on the weekends when they weren't working.

After she packed, she needed to change out of her day old clothes and into something a little nicer. It would be the first time she dressed up since her mom's funeral. For a week she had been living in sweats and old t shirts with the exception of yesterday. She needed something nice, but not too nice. Her eyes landed on a light, baby blue wrap dress with tiny, intricate white flowers printed onto the dress. It had long sleeves, a tie in front and stopped mid thigh. It was girly and romantic which matched her mood.

She slipped on a pair of nude, platform sandals. Her hair had finally dried at that point, but it still looked slightly crazy since she didn't use her usual hair products in it. She pulled out her curling iron and wrapped a few sections around it to liven her hair up slightly. Once she was finished, she stood back to look at herself in the mirror. Suddenly, she felt nervous. Sam liked her, no, loved her. She had won him over years ago, but this was her first official date with him and she wanted him to be impressed.