Crescent Acres (Steve Rogers AU)

25

Darby

I love waking up next to him...

Even now as I find myself awake before Steve for once (although it is after 5am so he's overslept), I can't help but feel butterflies whenever I look at him still. It's the same feeling I had when I was younger, and to feel it as strong as it was back then? That's how I know I truly am in love. It's even a feeling that I never felt with my ex husband - so that says lots without saying anything at all.

I sleepily snuggle into him more, fingers tracing over one of the many tattoos that he has. He told me that Sharon hated them, but I don't. If anything they make him a little rougher and sexier than he already is.

"What are you doing Darbs?" He asks in sleepy suspicion.

"Nothing". I say innocently, although quite frankly I want nothing more than for him to just rail me senseless right now.

Within seconds I'm under him, feeling that he's incredibly awake now - or at least something is. "You gonna show me why I should be getting up this early then?" He smirks down at me before lowering his mouth onto mine.

"Oh I think you already are". I tell him with a knowing look

"Because you're all it takes to get me this riled up".

Of course morning sex with him is the best wake up call, and today is no different, other than it's slower, more passionate in the sense that it leaves you yearning for more, focusing on every part that you know of one another.

And I know every part of him by now, just as he knows me. He's even found things I didn't even know I liked until now.

"Aaaaaand now I've really gotta get up". He smirks after we've somewhat recovered, then gets up and heads into the en-suite while I curl back up under the covers.

I don't have to get up yet, and first I'm gonna need a coffee fix before I get back to looking at colour swatches and the countless amounts of barn designers I have on papers littering the dining table. It's become my sort of workspace and I all but pretty much stay with Steve rather than in my own cabin. That just kind of came about naturally, but it doesn't feel rushed. That part feels right.

Once he's dressed, Steve leans down and gives me the usual morning kiss and tells me he'll be back later on in the morning. They're training up some of the newer horses who will take part in the rodeo as well as wrangling activities for next year. It's a process but one that needs time and dedication.

"I'll probably see you around noon if I don't before".

"Ooooor you could come back to bed and stay here with me all morning until you're summoned". I grin.

"Well I certainly have nothing on the agenda for this afternoon". He looks devilishly at me.

I pull him down to kiss him again. "You do now".

Once he's gone I stay in bed for a little while longer, before getting up and making a start on my own day. The last few have been spent at the dining table working on the designs for the barn's interior, changing things here and there if needed and going through samples, swatches, and palettes. From the paint right down to the kind of flooring.

Progress is being made daily and quite frankly I can't wait to get my hands on the barn so I can finally bring the design to life. That's when it all really falls together.

I'm lost in my thoughts, so much so that I don't see Sam until he starts banging frantically on the window - and rush out to see what's happening.

"Darby, you need to come with me now". He tells me hurriedly.

I begin to panic, seeing his face. "What's happened?"

"It's Steve, there's been an accident".

**

I see the group of staff in the corral as we rush to where the accident happened. Apparently he was training the horse when it became spooked by one of the machines that was passing to head to the barn area, and as a result it reared up violently and threw him off.

My heart is racing and I jump the fence, pushing past everyone until I come to where Sarah and Bucky are on the floor next to Steve.

He's not moving...

"Oh my god..." I cry and Bucky immediately is by me to console me. "He's breathing, but it looks bad". He tells it to me straight. "His head hit the fence so that's never good, especially after the previous accident. EMT's are on their way but right now all we can do is try to get him to come around, we can't move him, we don't know if anything's broken".

I look frantically at him. "Did you see it?"

He nods gravely. "The horse just threw him as he tried to keep it under control..."

I move to Steve's side across from Sarah and take his hand. His head isn't good and there's some bleeding. All the while Sarah is trying to get him to come around.

"C'mon kid we've been through this". She gently taps at his cheek, but the terror is there in her voice. "You've gotta wake up...please". There's urgency amongst it. She's sat by his side before and prayed for him to wake up, and now history seems to be repeating itself in another form.

I don't know how long it's been as we stay there, but soon the EMT's are there, getting him onto the gurney and into the ambulance so as they can get him to hospital as soon as possible.

"You go with him". I tell her, managing to get my head together for a moment or two "Bucky and I will follow".

If anything happens then Sarah needs to be with him, but I just hope that things aren't as bad as they look.

I need him, more than I could ever know - and this just proves how much I do.