Frail heart

Intimation

Chapter nineteen

The new boundaries and rules that had been appointed in the compound seemed a little over the top if you were being honest, but you understood why they were in place. You had considered telling Steve about the man or...thing rather, that you had seen consequently only a few days before the mission, but you didn't exactly know how to. You could remember the vision you'd had so vividly, but not only was it something you didn't want to recall, you didn't want anyone knowing what you had done that day.

The mission of February 21st, it was one of your earlier missions as a renowned soldier, and by far one of the most horrifyingly memorable. Despite all the brainwashing and stripping of any trace of consciousness you had left, this was a mission that stayed with you throughout it all. Your greatest burden, you suppose.

It was after that mission that you vowed to never break again, to never show any semblance of vulnerability...mercy to those who weren't worthy of it. It only debilitated you and what worth did that have in a world like this, you'd have been walked over if that was the way you lived. But now you think, in some backwards way, that maybe that's what you would have preferred. Maybe then you would have known peace, but peace was ignorance and the mere thought of it; what you'd have to do to get it, places you on a tipping scale you're not quite sure what side you're standing on.

Steve deserved to know at the very least that there had been someone lurking where they weren't supposed to be, the part where the unwanted trespasser knew frighteningly too much about you, maybe not so much.

It was with these looming thoughts whirling around your head that you hesitantly approached the compound's gym. You'd hazarded a guess as to where Steve would be, and to your dismay, you were right. Over on the far-left side of the gym was where he stood, feat planted firmly on the floor and fists steadily colliding with the punching bag in front of him.

It was comical how often he sensed your presence in his space, so you weren't surprised when he wrapped his arms around the bag to stop it swinging and looked over in your direction, "Y/N...I didn't know you had training today."

You shook your head, stepping further into the room, "That's...not why I'm here. I actually wanted to talk to you about something."

Steve's brows twisted in concern at your uneasy demeanour, and he quickly abandons his previous focus to centre his attention on you. "What's going on?" he gently utters, blue eyes softening at your hesitance.

You steady yourself as you try and find the words, "Something happened... something I don't entirely understand but, I don't think it was a coincidence."

Steve appears more alert now, unwrapping his hands as you navigate your way through your thoughts, "What happened?"

You chuckle dryly at your sudden lack of the ability to speak. You hated how such a minor inconvenience was having such an effect on you, how you could barely even articulate yourself. It made you feel like a child.

"Y/N? What happened?" You could feel the underlying persistence in his words, your silence was worrying him and you feared that once he finally got his answer, it would do little to ease that worry.

"A few days before the mission, I went outside to get some air."

Steve nodded as he started stringing the pieces together, "When Thor was here, right?"

"Right," You wrung your hands together, the memories of the interaction rising to the surface of your mind and rousing each hair on your skin, "I didn't go far, a few metres from the compound maybe. But there was this... guy, I couldn't get a good look because... I don't know, he didn't even look...real."