Loving The Captain

Chapter 5

Steve watched as Cora left. Sighing, he glanced around the room. It was good size and had hardwood floors. The walls were painted off white and the rafters in the ceiling were bare, giving the room a rustic feel. There was a large stone fireplace with a flat screen TV above it. In the area behind where his chair sat, there was an antique desk, with a computer and a lamp. Next to that was a bookshelf that matched the desk. There was also a set of French doors leading out onto the wrap around porch.

"Alright, Captain. Take your suit off." Cora came and sat on the ottoman in front of Steve's chair, rummaging through the medical supplies as he pulled the top half of his suit off, followed by his under shirt.

"Lean back," Steve obliged her, gritting his teeth as a wave of pain danced across his ribs and stomach. Cora ran her fingers across the ribs on his left side, feeling for breaks. As she made her way lower, looking at the purple and yellow bruises, she jerked her hand back at what she saw on his hip. "Did you get shot?!"

Steve gasped when her fingers accidentally brushed across the bullet wound on his hip. Panting he said,"It's not a problem. The bullet passed clean through. It'll heal."

Cora shook her head. "Yeah, and possibly get infected in the meantime and hurt like hell." She cleaned the wound, being as gentle as she could. Still, Steve gritted his teeth and gasped when she poured cleanser on the wound.

Once both sides of the wound were patched up, Cora moved back to his ribs. "It looks like you took the brunt of everything."

Swallowing Steve watched as her hands ran over his uninjured side, making sure she hadn't missed anything. She moved her hands up to his left pectoral where a piece of shrapnel had pierced through his suit at just the right angle. It hadn't been deep, so at the time he had pulled it out and kept moving.

"Rather me than one of them," Steve spoke quietly as Cora cleaned and placed a bandage over the wound.

"As admirable as that is Steve, you're not indestructible. You need to at least try to take better care of yourself. And don't be so reckless." Motioning to his ribs, Cora said "I didn't find any breaks. I think you've got a few cracks though. Do you want me to wrap them?"

Shaking his head slightly Steve said "No, it should improve by morning."

Cora nodded and made to scoot back on the ottoman from where she had been leaning in close to Steve to tend his wounds, but before she could Steve reached out and cupped her face in his large hand.

Cora closed her eyes and leaned into his touch. Her eyes teared, but she did not cry. Swallowing she said "I tried to call you. I was worried."

Steve nodded and pulled her closer, leaning forward to be closer to her. "I know. We were ambushed. The phone got damaged and I couldn't call back."

Reaching her hand up, Cora placed it over Steve's. "Was it because I called you?"

"No, it just happened simultaneously."

Cora nodded and did her best to slow her heart. "For a while there I thought..." Her voice broke, and she tried to swallow the lump in her throat.

"I know, I'm sorry." Steve leaned over and pressed his lips to her forehead, letting them linger, as he inhaled her sweet scent.

"It's okay Steve. What matters most is that you got Bucky and brought him back." Cora jumped in surprise when Steve pulled her against him in a crushing hug.

Gingerly she wrapped her arms around him, being mindful of his various wounds. "I missed you Steve. But how does that even begin to make sense? How can I have missed you so much, when we've only known each other for a short time?" Burying her face in his neck, she inhaled his masculine scent mixed with the natural scent of sweat.

"I know. I missed you too. The entire time, I felt like I couldn't focus. I kept thinking back to you, wondering what you were doing, if you were thinking of me or not..."

Cora blinked back her tears, refusing to cry. "I feel like I know you Steve. Like I've known you my whole life. But how can that be?

Steve pulled back, out of the hug, but still kept her close. "I don't know, Cora. I don't know about any of this. This is something entirely knew to me." Looking into her eyes, Steve saw the unshed tears glistening. Pressing his forehead to hers he spoke. "I'm here now. I'm not leaving again. Not for a while at least. I promise."

Cora closed her eyes and pressed her lips to his. Bringing her arms up she kept one hand on his bare chest and the other went to the back of his neck.

Their kiss was hot. Desperate. Deep. It sent shivers through Steve's body, igniting a flame that he thought had long since gone out.

He hadn't lied. While he had been in love with Peggy, and a part of him always would be, this was something entirely different from what he had felt with her. Back during the war, there had been a sense of urgency. Even back then, he felt as though he knew he would never truly be with Peggy.

Whatever this was that he shared with Cora, it was deafening. It came from the depths of his very being and shook him to his core. He knew in this moment, that he wanted to be with her. That he needed her. Despite the fact that it went against everything he thought he knew.

Pulling out of the kiss, Cora smiled up at him and said "You look exhausted. Let me show you to your room."

Steve followed her up the stairs and to the landing. "Your room is here." She led him to the room at the far end of the landing. "Sam's is next door. There's your guys' bathroom, and my room is on the right of the landing."

Steve nodded "I'll see you in the morning." He placed a quick kiss to the top of her head before going into his shared room and closing the door.