Loving The Captain

Chapter 20

Song to go along with this chapter: When You're Gone by Avril Lavigne
Also, sorry this took so long. I've been trying for two days for this to upload and keep having issues.

Steve lay in bed on his back, Cora wrapped intimately around him. Her head rested on his chest above his heart, an arm stretched over his stomach, and her left leg was draped across his. He ran his fingers through her messy hair, a small grin stretching his lips as he remembered just what they had done to mess up her hair. Steve wished this moment could go on forever. That time could stop, at least for a moment, and that he could stay with her. But like all wondrous things, even this had to come to an end.

Sighing, he gently maneuvered Cora so that she was no longer laying on top of him. Once he was out of bed, he tucked the thick blue comforter around her, shivering as the cold air surrounded his naked body.

Making his way into the bathroom, Steve started the shower, giving the water a moment to warm up before stepping inside. Once in, he turned his back to the steady stream of water, feeling his tense muscles relax in the heat.

Early morning, getting ready for a long mission, even the pre-mission anxiety. These were all things he was used to. Accustomed to. But having someone in his bed, sleeping while he readied himself...this was something new entirely.

Even when he had left for the war, he hadn't had to leave someone behind. The only person he'd had back then was Bucky, and Bucky had shipped out months before Steve had even gone overseas with the USO show.

Lathering the shampoo into his hair, Steve closed his eyes, tilting his head so that the water would rinse his hair. He felt the streams of water running down his face, his back, his neck and chest. Reminding him of Cora's touches the night before.

They'd returned from the cemetery, had made a simple meal together, and when they'd finished they had spent the evening in each others' arms. Neither had spoken of what morning would bring, both in a sort of denial. And that night, they had made sweet, sweet love. Slow and steady until they had both been exhausted.

After rinsing the soap from his body, Steve turned off the tap and stepped out. Grabbing the towel that hung by the shower, Steve dried himself off, then wrapped it around his lean hips.

Steve took a few minutes at the sink to shave, saying a silent goodbye to the stubble he had allowed to grow over the last few days. Cora had teased him one morning that she liked the look on him, and so, while he didn't want a full beard, he had cut back on shaving to let the stubble grow a bit.

Going into the bedroom, Steve smiled as he watched Cora sleep for a moment. She had curled into his side of the bed, and held his pillow in her arms.

After dressing in his uniform, sans cowl, Steve made his way into the kitchen. Normally he would join the team for breakfast before heading out, but Steve couldn't quite bring himself to leave the apartment yet.

He started a pot of coffee and made himself some eggs and toast. After heating up some left over sausage from the fridge, Steve took his plate and coffee to the table.

Lifting the tablet the Tony had given him, he pulled up the day's weather and also the projected weather for their destination. The snow had moved through the Alps and had time to settle. The worst thing they would have to combat would be the cold.

Steve felt his gut twist in anticipation. His seventy years in the ice had left him with a strong aversion to the cold, and while he could easily handle New York City's winters (he'd grown up here after all) it was nothing compared to the weather of the Alps.

Sighing, Steve took his plate and mug to the counter, washing and rinsing them, he put them in the drainer to dry. 4:45 a.m. Fifteen minutes until the team was to meet on the landing bay. They would meet at 5 a.m and leave by 5:10 a.m.