ᴛʜᴇ ᴏɴʟʏ ʟɪɢʜᴛ ɪɴ ᴛʜᴇ ᴅᴀʀᴋɴᴇss ❹

Chapter 7

7: The Release

Steve came back to her apartment at noon with his arms full of grocery bags.

"Where have you been?" Nat sprung on her feet when she saw him entering the apartment.

Her first reaction to his presence caught her off guard when she felt the urge to lung forward and hug him tightly in her arms but years of training had her pushing that feeling away.

Where the hell was that coming from?

Steve put the bag on the kitchen counter and turned his attention back to Natasha.

"On the rooftop, done some thinking and went to grocery store just around the corner."

"Fury came to see me this morning."

"A mission?"

"No, it was something else. It's about...our current situation."

His expression had gone blank again and he turned away, heading for his room but he turned to her again,

"I'm sorry about last night." He said, "You don't have to forgive me either."

"I will never forgive you, Rogers." She replied coldly

___________________

Steve went to see Peggy the next day since morning and Natasha had to come along with him again. She didn't like it. She hated every minute of it but she has no choice.

The Captain was sitting in the room with Peggy Carter and talking again. They did a lot more of talking than he did with Natasha.

But there was something off about him that Peggy could easily notice. She saw him often drift into deep thoughts and sometimes he didn't listen to what she said.

"What is it?"

Steve snapped out of his deep thoughts and turned his gaze to her, "Sorry?"

"What is it that's bothering you?"

Steve was visibly hesitating to tell and Peggy could read all the emotions shown on his face. He was always an open book to her.

"You're feeling guilty about something."

"Yeah…"

"You don't have to hide it from me."

"I know…I just…I shouldn't tell you about this. I will disappoint you with it."

"Just tell me, Steven."

"You're not gonna believe this but I met my soulmate." He said, "She's waiting for me right outside."

"I'm glad for you, Steve. You deserve to find that someone more than anyone else."

"But I don't want her, Peggy. I don't love her."

"You have to let her in, Steve. And move on with your life. You should do the right thing with her."

"How can I do the right thing to you and to the woman who claims to be my soulmate? I don't know what to do anymore. My love is for you but at the same time, I have to be her soulmate."

"Steve, don't let me be your excuse for this. You shouldn't hang on to your past when there is a good life awaiting for you. I found my soulmate too. We loved each other. We lived happily together and you should have that too."

"I almost killed her yesterday." Steve finally told her what was troubling him, "She tried to say the same thing as you but it provoked something in me and I ended up almost breaking her neck."