The Demigod From Asgard - A Steve Rogers x Reader Story

Chapter 76: The Garden

Warnings: Heavy Angst! Grief! PTSD! Canon Typical Violence! Panic Attacks!

Steve sighed tiredly as he walked through the compound, his hand running down his face. He was making his way towards the compound kitchen to grab a glass of water, as he rounded the corner he froze when he saw someone standing in the kitchen with his back to them. He let out a shuddering breath as he watched you kneed some dough against the counter. He took a small step towards making you look over your shoulder at him a smile appearing on your lips when you saw him.

"Hey Stevie I didn't hear you come in" you smile brushing off your hands as you turn to face him.

"what- what are you doing here?" Steve mutters as he walks over.

"I don't know, with everything going on I needed to take my mind off it all, so I thought I'd made some bread" you shrug with a deep sigh.

"The cut on your head is healing nicely" you add reaching up, Steve's breath hitches as you touch his forehead, your thumb running over his scar.

"Y/N- I how are you here? I saw you-" Steve said cupping your cheeks, unable to finish his sentence tears collecting in the corner of his eyes.

"It's okay Stevie- I'm right here" you smile putting your hands on his wrists.

"Please tell me this is real" Steve mutters a stray tear falling down his cheek.

"I'll always be real Stevie" you smile, thumbs rubbing over his skin soothingly.

Steve closed his eyes leaning down to press a kiss to your forehead. His lips never meet your skin, only millimetres away when you dissolved into dust once more. His eyes fly open in fear, desperately grasping at the ash as it fell to the floor. He fell down to his knees breaking down.

He woke up with a start, instantly sitting back up clutching his chest feeling his heart hammering in his chest. He looked around the room checking his surroundings, realising where he was and everything he'd just witnessed was just a nightmare. Arguably one of the worst he'd ever experienced. His eyes fall on JJ in his crib on the other side of the room, sound asleep barely aware of the devastation around him.

From that night Steve continued to see you around the compound, haunting him like a ghost. He'd see you stood by the lake, sat in the corner of the room reading a book, everywhere he turned he saw you. It was a cruel reminder that you weren't here anymore, the only thing getting him through it was the chance they had of getting you back.

It was a couple weeks post snap that Pepper came by the compound to find out if there was any news on Tony. Steve could see her barely holding on when they told him they still hadn't found him. He expected her to leave straight after but she stuck around, sitting down in one of the common rooms with him and JJ. The both of them watched as JJ played with some toys on the ground.

"I still can't quite believe you two had a kid" she sighs as she looks down at JJ.

"I know I find it hard to believe sometimes" Steve agrees with a small smile.

Silence falls in the room as they just watch JJ play, the only sound in the room being the noise of him hitting one toy against another.

"How are you finding it? doing this without Y/N?" Pepper asks after a few moments.

"um I don't know" Steve admits "It's harder, but Thor and Nat help"

Pepper nods slightly biting her lip as she looked down at her lap, fiddling with her nails slightly.

"I um only ask because- because I'm pregnant and I don't know if I can do it without Tony" she admits looking over at him sadly.

"oh, Pepper" Steve sighs unsure whether he should congratulate her or not.