Second Chances

Eight

Steve brusted into his apartment, startling Peggy who was reading on the couch. She jumped up from her curled postion and held her hands up ready to fight whoever barged into her apartment. When she heard sniffling coming from the door, she inched her way over so that she could see past the small wall that seperated the living room from the foyer. She then saw Steve, dressed in his tight clubbing clothing, his head dipped to his chest. He took in several deep breaths, closing his eyes tighter and tighter.

"Someone's home early." Peggy crossed her arms over her chest, and Steve lifted his chin enough so only their eyes would meet.

"Yeah, yeah." Steve attemped to compose himself, wipping at his nose with the back of his shirt.

Peggy raised a perfectly-styled, brown eyebrow, and Steve began to chew on his bottom lip. She walked over to Steve, forcing him out of the way, so she
could open the door. She looked around the dark, empty street and let out a dissapointed sigh.

"Where's Tony?" Peggy asked, and Steve looked down at his feet.

"Steven, answer my question." Peggy hissed, and Steve lifted his gaze.

"At the club." Steve mumbled, and Peggy let out a groan.

"Brilliant Steve! You left the man at the party! Why the bloody hell did you do that?" Peggy hissed, her british accent coming out more due to her anger.

"I just did okay? I got umcomfortable." Steve murmed, spinning on his heel, so he could leave.

Peggy grabbed the collar of Steve's shirt and spun him around. Steve let out an annoyed sigh once he was faced towards his friend again, and Peggy's face hardend.

"Why did you get uncomfortable?" Peggy sneered.

"Because." Steve grunted, wanting to go to his room and be alone.

"Because? Because what?" Peggy spat.

"Just because! Leave me alone Carter!" Steve snapped, and Peggy's nostrils flarred.

"No Steven! I'm not going to leave you alone because I have been leaving you alone for two bloody years! You have been sitting on your arse for two years moping around while I make you food, clean your house, and make sure that you aren't killing yourself! You need to move on! Bucky is dead! D-E-A-D, dead! You cannot get him back!  Leaving a perfectly okay guy at a club because you've gotten 'uncomfrotable' is codswallop! You are such a damn drama queen!" Peggy yelled, and Steve felt his chest tighten.

"You don't think I know Bucky's dead! I want to move on but everytime I do something to move on, the fact that he's gone hits me harder. My brain keeps and keeps remindeing me that Bucky's gone, and that I'm not. I was the one that should have run into the building because I was the fucking Captain. When I was a sick kid, and who saved me? Bucky. I was the only openly gay kid, and I got picked on day and night for it. Who stood by me? Bucky. My parents died, and I was being kicked out of my house by the government. Who saved me? Bucky. Bucky did everything he could to help me, and I lived to make him proud. To pay him back for everything he did, because I loved him so fucking much! Bucky saved me so many times, and I couldn't even save him once! And tonight, I'm was out with the guy that is known for fucking people, but I like him! Because he's nice, and he's smart, and he's funny, and he reminds me of Bucky." Steve yelled back. "Maybe...maybe if you are so done with my drama you should leave."

Peggy gasped at what Steve said, and Steve ran a slow hand through his hair. 

Steve was a bruden. That was it. He would lean on people, only complaining about his problems. When he went to work, he stayed in the room he and Bucky used to share unless he had something to do. He no longer went out with his friends. He barley talked to Sam and Phil anymore, and Clint only hung around because they were three doors down from each other. After a few years Sharron had stopped visiting because of a opportunity Steve was too caught up in himself to remember. Steve pretty much missed Thor and Bruce's wedding. Yeah he was there, but he sat in the back and stared down at his hands tunning everything out. Mostly, Steve was being a burden on Peggy. He was making her stay by his side and do things he is capable of doing, and he barley even thanked her for it. No wonder Peggy snapped. No wonder Clint talked about Tony in the supermarket. No wonder Sam and Phil felt like they had to tiptoe around Steve. No wonder Thor had become closer friends with all of Tony's friends. Lastly, Tony would never want Steve. Steve wasn't fun, he was depressed. Steve wasn't egar, he was still hung up on his dead husband. Steve didn't dream anymore, he sat and stared around not waiting for anything to happen. He didn't imagine the possiblities out there. He never thought about doing something crazy, like running away for a weekend with some friends so he could feel young again. Steve was just Steve, and he was surrounded by all these great people that didn't deserve having to look out for a incapable child.

"Leave." Steve repeated, looking up at Peggy, and her face softend slightly.

"What?" She muttered, and Steve felt the back of his eyes brun.

"Please go. You deserve so much more." Steve said softly, his voice on the verge of a crack.

"Steve..." Peggy started, her voice soft.

Steve didn't deserve soft.

"Peggy," He said a little harsher than he had inteded, and he took in a large gulp of air.

"Please." Steve asked again, and Peggy sighed.

"Okay." She said after a few minutes of slience, and Steve looked up at Peggy.

"I love you." She said softly, and Steve nodded.

"I love you too. Go have some fun Pegs." He whispered, and Peggy lifted her heels in order to place a kiss to Steve's cheek.

"Thank you." She looked at the ground.

"Are you going to be okay?" She wondered, and Steve nodded.

"I think I will be." He forced a smile looking away from Peggy.

"Call me if you need anything." She said, and Steve nodded.

Peggy then walked off to her room, and Steve helped her get her stuff packed. She then left, and Steve wandered back to his room. He sat down on the bed, looking through old photoalbums of all his friends and Bucky. He sighed closing the book once he came across wedding photos, and he looked up thinking about Tony.

Tony had such confidence and style. He walked into a room and everyone silenced. He was graceful, and he was funny. He always looked towards the future, and never looked back. He had a kind spot, that he didn't show often, but Steve caught several glimps of it. Tony was smart too, with the way his brain pieced together everything, and he could read people like books. Tony seemed perfect, and Steve was far from perfect. However, everytime Steve thought of Tony there was almost something like hope spinning in his head.

Maybe, just maybe, Tony could help Steve? But would Tony want too?

Steve sighed, looking down at his watch, and he saw it was midnight. He pulled his phone out of his back pocket, seeing that he did have to be at the sation the next day. His phone began to buzz in his hand, and Steve noticed that Clint had called Steve eleven times, and Tony had called him four. Steve sighed, deciding to call Tony back later and talk to Clint in the morning. He turned his phone off, and then ambled over to his small closet. He got dressed in something to wear to bed and looked at himself in the mirror.

He had bags under his eyes from sleepless nights. He was slightly skinner, making his wide shoulders look awkward. His hair no longer had a blond shine to it. Steve smiled in the mirror, telling himself that he was okay. Steve was being weak, and he knew too much about being weak. Yet, the saggy way his lips turned upward made Steve force them back down. He sighed climbing back into his bed, and he sat silently, his brain still running faster and faster by the second, but he finally fell asleep.

***
What do you think about Steve?

What do think Tony's reaction to Steve leaving is?

Don't forget to comment and vote! Thank you for reading!!!!

(I read a story and someone asked questions like this, and they got a ton of great comments, so I might start to do it too...idk yet.)