Life With The Avengers (One Shots/Imagines)

Day Off..Or Not

To be honest, I was more than shocked when Director Fury had arranged a Saturday day off for me. Though the day off involved a bit of work, that was to take Steve out for a bit, according to Nick.

"He needs to take his head off things," Nick remarked, his back facing me as he gazed across the city that sat below his towering windows in his office. I found myself at a situation of course where I simply couldn't resist the idea of a day off. Without hesitating at all, I nodded furiously and flashed a promising beam at Nick, who shook his head and fell back to his work.

"Steve!" I shouted and pushed myself off his sofa. "I really want lunch. Can you just hurry a bit?"

I had been waiting in Steve's living room for ten minutes and he still hadn't stepped out of his bedroom. Groaning, I dropped myself on the sofa and stretched. His apartment was not especially modern or old fashioned. Since Tony had paid quite a lot for Steve's apartment, I was pretty sure that Tony prevented Steve from turning his flat into a ninty-year-old man's home. 

"Okay, I'm ready."

I flinched and jerked from the soft furniture. Steve, in his checked shirt and leather jacket, was standing right by the corridor, his facial expression was nothing but graveness. I clutched onto my chest and exhaled deeply. "You don't make much noise when you move, do you?" I muttered as I pulled myself up into a sitting position. Steve shrugged and slipped his hands into the front pocket of his pants. Smiling slightly, I got up and brushed past him in a breeze. "Come on, Rogers. It's not a mission. It's a day off." 

Ever since the New York incident, Steve had not been himself. 

He was always quiet, most of the time occuping himself with deep thoughts. Then sometimes, he would let loose and a few questions would escape his lips. 

"The Earth is pretty much defendless compared to the other worlds, don't you think?"

"How can I protect all these people? Afterall, I'm just a man."

"I wonder how she's doing?"

The thought weighed on my heart. I peered at the captain to see he had his head hung low as we walked down the street. When Steve mentioned 'she', it must have been his best girl then. Steve and Peggie's story had been a well told tale in SHIELD. It was one of the saddest and most herotic story I had ever heard of, like Romeo and Juilet.

Steve's eyes were unfocused as we wandered down the street. "What do you want for lunch?" I asked, hoping the topic of food would cheer him up.

"Whatever you want, Rach," Steve answered without even looking in my direction. I sighed and continued walking ahead in several heartbeats of silence before reaching out and tugged at Steve's sleeve. 

"This way," I nodded with my chin and led him down a quieter street, which I knew would take us to a peaceful square. It was a place for you to think. Steve arched an eyebrow at the desert street and caught up with me in a few quick steps.

"I don't see any restaurant."

We reached the square then. I pulled him over to one of the bench and with him peering at me quizzically, I took a seat on the bench and patted the spot next to me. "I thought we were having lunch," Steve commented and sat next to him, his gaze scanning our surroundings. When I didn't say anything, he glanced at me, a light smile played at his lips. "What's wrong? Do I have something on my face?"

I chuckled softly and glanced away. Daylight fell on us and warmed my skin. I enjoyed the sensation briefly and fluttered my eyes close. "Steve, we need to talk." A confused pause from Steve allowed me to continue. "It's a day off for you, Steve, and we don't get that very often. So it's very important for you to enjoy it." I turned to him and curved my lips. "At least, that's what I want you to do on a day off. Enjoy yourself."

Two pigeons landed in front of us and tiled their heads at us, as if we would be chucking out bits of breads in any time. Steve seemed to take a sudden interest in the pigeons. With his face turned away from me, he replied, "I am doing that now."

I straightened up and heaved a sigh. "Are you really?" When he didn't reply, I bit the inside of my cheeks, wondering how on earth I could make him open up to me. "Come on, Steve. I know what you're worried about. But you can't always worry about it. There are always going to be bad guys and dangers, but I know we will always try our best and defend the Earth."

Steve sat back slightly to look at me. Under the soft sunlight, his eyes glinted with gentleness and I thought I was going to die. He was gorgeous and just...so out of my league.

Startled, I resisted the urge to blush. How on earth could I jump to that thought.

"That's not the only thing that's taking up space in my head," Steve muttered. Blinking, I shook myself out of the trance mentally and focused on Steve again.

"What is?" His silence answered my question. "Is it about Peggy?" My voice dropped to almost a whisper. Steve glanced away and I knew it was about their timeless love. 

We sat for another heartbeat of quietness. The air was cool and breezy, the pigeons in front of us batted their winds and took flight. "Steve, you know she will want you to move on."

"I'm glad she's lived a full and happy life."

"I'm sure she will want the same for you."

At this, he turns to look at me, his eyes tight and his brows ceased. "How do you know? You're not Peggy."

His words must have been harsher than he had intended them to be. I swallowed my hurt and reluctantly, I touched his hand and held it in place lightly. "Because that is how love works."

Then everything stormy and winded up in his eyes dissolved, and he was nothing but a sad man waiting for his happy ending.

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The ending is not what I have been expecting, even though I'm the writer myself haha. I honestly didn't expect this chapter to be grim and sad but anyway, here you go readers:)