Steve Rogers one-shots

A dance of nightmares

Resume: Reader has nightmares and can't sleep either can't Steve and they end up dancing. A bit fluffy and sweet.

Word count: 1749

This one-shot is a bit longer than the other one-shots, but I hope it's okay.

"I have had dreams and I have had nightmares, but I have conquered my nightmares because of my dreams."
- Jonas Salk

When the Chitauri army invaded New York, the people lost control. Screaming, crying and hurrying feet were among the many sounds that you heard that day. Every night as you tried to fall to sleep, the nightmarish soundtrack infiltrated your thoughts. Sometimes you would be able to push it aside knowing it to be nothing more than your cruel imagination but other nights - including tonight - they kept your eyes from closing.

You had joined the Avengers thanks to the persuasion of someone called Agent Coulson who had appeared on your doorstep not a few months before the battle took place. Apparently your skills as an army doctor were noticed by SHEILD, the organisation for whom he worked, and that you were a prime candidate for the upcoming "Avengers Initiative". In that time, you were able to build strong friendships with your, then new, comrades.
You had found particular comfort in the company of Steve Rogers. Both having military experience, you felt a connection from the start and time only proved that you had a lot in common. Your wit, kindness, honesty, integrity and resilience were some of the few characteristics you shared and they only strengthened the bond between you. Though the relationship was platonic, it didn't stop another of your friends, Natasha, from trying to set you up countless times. Though you found Steve pleasing company and a true friend, you knew for the sake of the team that it was better to stay friends.

Your nightmares persisted to the point that you concluded this night would be yet another sleepless one. Whipping away the covers, you threw your legs over the side of the bed before feeling around the floor with your feet in search of your slip-on shoes. Eventually, you were wide awake and pacing the halls. Stark Tower had become the new base for the Avengers and the various members of the team often stayed there if they were not stationed elsewhere. As a result, it was always a lottery as to who would be in the building at any one time.
Quietly you had made your way to the kitchen where you proceeded to pour yourself some tea. As you padded through the hallways back towards your room, mug in hand, the sound of music reached your ears. Upon turning the corner of the corridor, you saw that the door to Steve's room was ajar and a soft light was spilling from the entrance. Approaching the doorway, the music got louder and you determined from the style it was something reminiscent of the 1940′s. The more you listened to the song, the more you recognised it. A sudden epiphany reminded you that it was a song by Harry James. The introduction of a woman's voice confirmed it, as you knew it to be Helen Forrest.

You peeked through the doorway to see Steve sat on the floor, leaning against his bed. Judging by his attire, he was clearly unable to sleep too. Though he was facing the door, his closed eyes hid you from his view so that you were able to slip into his room unnoticed. He waved his hand around in time with the melody, clearly in a dreamy state.
Not knowing how to announce your presence without startling him, you simply stood for a while, listening to Helen's smooth, honey-like voice sing. Eventually the track ended and you took the opportunity to clear your throat. Cap's eyes snapped apart to see you stood watching him from a distance. His face showed alarm and worry so you placed your mug of tea on the side before sitting next to him. The initial shock of discovering that he was not alone soon wore off so you rested your head on his shoulder and sighed peacefully - it wasn't often that someone else was awake when you were.
"Can't sleep?" He asked eventually, his voice faking pleasantry and bubbliness. He was so obviously sleep-deprived that you felt a pang of sympathy for him.
"How can I?" You say, mirroring his tone with a sad smile.
"Tell me about it." He mumbled quietly.
"So, are you gonna tell me what's going on?"
"Just... reminiscing, I guess." He said, tilting his head so that it rested on top of yours.
A few minutes of silence passed as you drank in each other's company. You secretly enjoyed times like this - it was reassuring to know your friendship was strong enough that you didn't even have to speak to comfort each other.