Begin Again | Sam Wilson

Chapter Twenty Five

A/N: Just letting everyone know we are about to start moving into the Falcon and the Winter Soldier timeline. There will be spoilers for those who haven't watched it.

Moving in with Sam was easier said then done. She had to wait a month before she could even start the packing process. There were hoops she had to jump through with the landlord of her apartment building regarding her lease. She had to wait until the very end of the month to stop making payments on it so she could move. Then, she had to convince Fury to allow her to transfer to the Washington DC SHIELD building. He was actually more than happy to allow her since they had just finished reconstructing it after the whole incident with Hydra.

The DC office was in desperate need of field agents, so she had to agree to being sent out into the field when needed. It wasn't a huge issue, but she had to admit that she was a little nervous. It wouldn't be any more dangerous than what she did with the Avengers or Sam, but she wouldn't just be representing herself, but also SHIELD. There was also a good chance she would be given a partner.

Finally, she was able to pack her things up and move in. Brianna didn't have many things. She sold her bed and couch. The biggest things were her clothing, kitchen supplies and personal effects. She had never been so excited to move in with a person. There would be no more only seeing each other on the weekends. There would be no more video chatting when one person got torn away for work. They would be living under the same roof, sleeping in the same bed.

It was definitely an adjustment. The only person she had lived with besides her parents was Steve. When they moved into her dad's farmhouse they only brought clothing with them. Finding a spot to put all your items and intertwining two lives could be hard. Lucky for her, Sam had three empty bedrooms she could put things into it. A houseplant there. A few throw pillows and blankets on the once boring couch.

A month into living together and they had a routine set. Wake up at 5:00am and go for a run together. Come back to the house, eat breakfast, get ready for work. Then, they would come home and whoever got home first would be in charge of making dinner. At night they would usually just lounge around in the living room until they were tired. Weekends were still Brianna's favorite. They would still go for a run in the morning, but they would often stop by a bagel or smoothie shop and pick up breakfast while they walked back to their home.

The air was slightly cool as they ran around the Washington monument and reflecting pool. While it was early spring, the mornings could still be a bit chilly. Sam and her were quiet as they ran. They both got into zones listening to music.

"I'm going to visit my sister at the end of this week." Sam spoke up towards the end of their run.

Brianna turned her head slightly to look at him. "Do you want me to go with you?"

"You read my mind." He said with a grin. "Only if you want too."

She stopped running and fought to catch her breath. "I mean, I feel like I'm obligated to go at this point in our relationship. Things are...serious. You've been more that kind enough to meet my family on numerous occasions. It's time I meet your sister and see where you grew up."

"You could have just said 'yes,' and do you know you ramble when you're nervous." He teased her.

"I'm not nervous." She lied.

Sam put his hand around her waist and pulled her close to him, not caring she was sweaty. "Hey, she's going to love you. I promise."

She gave him a quick kiss before resuming heading towards downtown. "Still not nervous!"

"So," Sam spoke as he caught up to her. "What do you want for breakfast today?"

"Biscuits." She replied firmly.

"Biscuits? There ain't no good biscuits up here. The good ones are made in the South by someone's grandma." He teased her.

She hummed. "Hmm, how about French toast? I just want something savory."

"There's a place half a block away."

A thought appeared in the back of Sam's head as he walked. He was going to have to tell Brianna the decision he had made and he wasn't sure how she was going to react. He knew she didn't have a personal attachment to the shield, but he also knew how she supported Steve's decision to give it to him. It had been a while since they talked about that decision though. The damn thing was still inside the bag in one of the guest rooms of the house.

Sam could see how happy Brianna was as she ordered herself an iced coffee and French toast with a side of bacon. He knew how much she cherished their mornings together, especially on the weekend. He didn't want to damper that mood, but he also didn't want to keep it in much longer.

"So, are you going to give me the full Louisiana experience? I'm talking alligator hunting, eating beignets and po boys, getting eaten alive by bugs." She asked.

He chuckled as she continued to list things off. "I will try my best. There is something that I need to tell you."

"Okay..." she trailed off.

"You know that new Captain America exhibit they're putting together at the Smithsonian?" He asked.

"I do."

"Well, they called me yesterday asking if I had any words or anything of Steve's to add to it."

"And..."

He swallowed dryly. "I told them I had the shield and that they could have it."

"You did what?" Brianna asked a little too loudly and earned stares from everyone around them.

"Bri, the damn thing is sitting in our guest room collecting dust. At least at a museum it could be honored and people could see it."

Brianna closed her eyes, allowing herself to calm down before addressing him. "But he gave it to you for a reason. Not to be in a museum, but for the next Captain America which is you by the way."

"I know, but...I can't be Captain America." He argued.

"Why?"

"Because I'm black, Brianna. Because this world isn't ready for someone like me to take the mantle. Can you imagine how people will react?" He asked.

She could see the emotion in his eyes. She didn't know exactly what he was going through, but she also knew him and she knew that he could be the person to invoke change. It would be hard. Very, very hard, but he could do it. "But think about all the kids at home who look like you. Imagine how they would feel if they saw someone like you dressed in red, white and blue carrying the shield? I'm not going to obviously pressure you into doing it. I will honor your decision and stand by you and support you."

"Good, because I want you to go to opening of the new exhibit with me." He put the icing on the cake.

"You want me to go to a exhibit about my ex-boyfriend with my current boyfriend?" She asked.

"That's exactly what I'm saying." He told her with a smile. He was about to open his mouth to say something, but his phone went off. He pulled it out of his pocket to see it was the General of the Air Force. "Wilson....Yes, sir....Yes, sir...I'm with her now...We just need maybe an hour...okay, thank you."

"Who was that?" Brianna asked with a raised eyebrow.

"General Richardson. Looks like he's got a mission for us in Egypt."