For the Love of a Patriot || 𝗖𝗮𝗽𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝗔𝗺𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗮 ✔️ [#wattys 2018]

34 | Level Headed People

~Jungle~
~H.E.R.~

•••

August 10th.

"Don't tell me I have to relax you all over again." I grinned, resting my chin on his shoulder. "Because that took a lot of effort."

He smiled a little, sitting up. "I'm fine."

"You sure?" I shifted, lying back on the pillow. "You've been looking tense."

"Everything's okay." He looked down at me with a soft smile.

"Everything's okay?" I repeated softly with raised brows of confirmation.

He looked back at me with a confused smile. "What are you so worried about?"

"I'm not worried about anything, it's just..." I shook my head, propping my head up with my fist. "You stay up all night, working..." I pursed my lips to the side. "You leave before you can even kiss me goodbye..." I quirked a brow so it didn't seem too bad. "What's up?" I inquired softly.

He took a small breath. "It's..." He started, looking down and shaking his head. "Nothing."

I creased my brows and frowned. "Steve..." I shifted, sitting up a bit. He knew I wasn't going to let it go until he told me what was wrong.

He looked back at me, leaning back on my elbows with my brows creased upwards a little worriedly.

He opened his mouth to speak, hesitating for a moment before looking back down. "There's a man." He shook his head. "Misha Solokov."

I raised my brows slightly.

He sighed. "He's a man, capable of horrible things." He shook his head, trying to piece together what he wanted to say.

I was patient.

"Do you ever wonder what drives people to do the sick things they do?" He inquired, facing away from me.

My lashes fluttered sadly. "Every day."

"I met him once...he bombed a shelter full of Siberian refugees, thirty-six men, nineteen women, and ten children." He shook his head at the memory. "He was gone before we could catch him, but I saw his face."

I listened with a deep sense of sadness. For some odd reason, I was far too familiar with the idea of a certain psychopath. I had no idea that Steve was capable of the feeling so wary at the expense of the villainous. He sounded so shaken.

"There wasn't any logical motivation there." He said. "There was no hate, no anger...he just seemed so..." He couldn't find the phrase.

"At bay," I answered with a mutter, looking away in my own thoughts. "Do you..." I started, taking a small breath before looking over at him. "Dream about him?"

I could tell he didn't want to answer at first, but then he saw my face and slightly swallowed. "Yes."

I knew what it felt like to have unwanted visions of those who scarred me, and those who terrified me most. It felt a little like hope dying and blame shifting to reasons why things were so greatly demolished. It wasn't a friendly feeling, and the thought of it plaguing Steve's mind hurt even more.

Without speaking, I crawled over to him wrapping my arms around him, resting my chin affectionately on his shoulder blade. He slowly wrapped his arms around me until he was fully hugging me.

We stayed that way until I pulled away, holding his face in my hands. "The world isn't perfect." I frowned sadly. "We can't change the way people are." I shook my head. He was visibly saddened by this. "Hey..." I muttered softly, catching his falling eyes. "But we can keep the madness at bay." He was holding me in his lap, arms wrapped around me as I spoke to him calmly. "You are an incredibly loving individual," I said. "You're dutiful and full of confidence." His blue eyes searched mine as I spoke. "You are what saves the world from people like Solokov and Finn Cassio." I shook my head.

At the mention of the latter's name, his attitude changed a little. He slightly clenched his jaw and looked down. "He hurt you, Rachel."

"Hey, no he didn't." I lifted his face so he was looking at me again. "He may enrage me, but he never hurt me." In a literal sense, he did, yes, but not emotionally. Finn Cassio might have been an enraging asshat who was concerningly terrifying, but that alone would never break me. "Because you keep me sane." I smiled slightly. "I promise you, the pain that asshole Solokov has caused will not go unpunished."

I noticed the corner of his mouth beginning to raise.

"The world only has so many level-headed people, Steve." I shook my head. "You have to be it," I said. "I'll be your person." I smiled a little wider. "And you can be mine."

It made Steve chuckle a bit, the idea of it, with his face still in between my hands and me in his lap, the two of us, a team.

I pursed my lips with a little grin. "You can be the Cristina to my Mer."

He obviously didn't understand the reference because he creased his brows and opened his mouth to ask who I was talking about but I only chuckled and shook my head. "Don't worry about it."

He grinned. "Alright."

I smiled again before leaning in and pressing my lips to his.

"I love you." He muttered into my mouth and I adjusted my arms around his shoulders.

"I love you more." I pulled back to look at him with an affectionate smile.

He kept me sane.

I couldn't help but hug him again, as he placed soft gentle kisses on my neck and face, making me laugh a bit.

I was his person.

And he was mine.

•••

There are only five chaps left, I jus wanted to let y'all know, but I just also wanted to thank you guys for your support and good-willed wishes. High key would go crazy without Y'all.

Also note, I wrote this while watching Not Another Teen Movie and didn't feel like proofreading so um if you saw something suspect I apologize.

Kisses, LB3.