Time Unchanging

Chapter 79

Eva looked around her, not liking that she was in the med bay. She went to remove the monitors but Steve stopped her. This had her worried.

"What happened?" Eva asked.

"You fainted and have a minor concussion," he said.

Eva just gave him a sad look. As a scientist, she knew what the dizziness had meant, but that didn't mean she wanted everyone to know.

"Why didn't you say anything?" he inquired. "Why did you try to hide how bad it was?"

Eva sighed and replied, "Loki made such a big step forward. He used his powers after being cut off from them." Steve returned the sad look. "He deserves a moment that's all about him. I didn't want to take that away from him."

Steve moved a strand of her hair from her face. "Baby, he would have you safe and healthy over all of that."

Eva yanked her hand away. "All his life, people have looked down on him. He needs to feel that people care for him."

"And we do." Steve went to take her hand again. "Baby, this-"

Eva scoffed and crossed her arms. "No, Steve. You don't understand." He waited for her to explain. "The year we were prisoners, when she wasn't killing him, people only wanted his body. He needs real compassion."

Steve seemed to finally catch on. "And you honestly thought telling us you were hurt would take the moment from him?"

"I know it would. Loki deserves so much more than what he's been dealt. He isn't like everyone thinks."

Steve moved to sit on the bed, uncrossing her arms to hold her hands. "And we see it now. But you can't hide something like this. It's dangerous." Even to super soldiers.

"But-"

Steve sighed. "At least tell me. I want," he shook his head, "no, I need you safe, Evelyn."

She could see he wasn't going to budge on this. "Okay, Stevie."

He kissed each of her hands and moved back to his chair. He knew it would take time for her to get used to relying on him again. Okay, in general, but he got a promise from her and she never broke those.