When You Saved Me

Chapter 27

Sorry guys, I know it's been a hot minute since I updated. Heres a new chapter though, and I hope you enjoy it!

Steve P.O.V

Thor just snagged Callie from Banner saying something about ruining her appetite before leaving the room, and I'm pretty jealous that he got to her first, I had hoped to use her as a way to get out of this awkward situation.

Tony and Pepper are having a heated conversation about nannies. Not that I have been trying to eavesdrop but it's difficult not to over hear when they're whisper-yelling 2 feet away from me. What I've gathered from the conversation is that Tony has agreed to look into a nanny but he wanted to give it some time before hiring one so Pepper and Callie could actually get acquainted. But Pepper doesn't seem even mildly interested in that idea...like I said, their whispering skills aren't well practiced.

Bruce and Natasha have meandered to a couch and are thoroughly engaged in their own conversation and I am increasingly aware of how awkwardly alone I am standing in the middle of the room.

I casually try to leave unnoticed but Tony catches me in the hallway, "Cap wait up."

"Yeah Tony what is it?" I slowly turn to face him.

"I was hoping you could do me a favour." He says, uncomfortably rocking back onto his heels with his hands buried in his pockets.

"Alright?"

"I was sort of hoping you'd take the Callie shift tonight; you know, so Pepper and I don't get... interrupted," he blurts; his hand is pulling at his hair, a habit of his when he's nervous.

I'm taken slightly aback; from my perspective the two of them had been fighting all evening. "Really? You're expecting to spend the night together?" I ask, an awkward silence hanging in the air between us.

"Well, I don't know," he blushes, "but it's been over a month, if theres a possibility I'm not taking any chances."

"Just a month?" I scoff, "try talking to Bruce about dry spells."

Or me for that matter... my inner voice reminds me bitterly.

"Oh please," Tony rolls his eyes dramatically, "Bruce is probably getting more than all of us combined." He smirks.

"What? How do you figure?" I ask, thoroughly confused.

"Oh right, I'm not supposed to talk about it," Tony is grinning like a kid with a secret, "I'd avoid adding 'observant' to your resume though." He laughs.

"Hey now, I wouldn't mock the guy you're trying to get a favour out of." I remind him coldly.

"Right, I'm sorry." He chuckles, "can you watch her though? Please." He clasps his hand in a begging motion.

"Fine," I concede, rolling my eyes at him.

"Yes! Thank you, I owe you one." He says, clapping me on the shoulder, and turning back into the room.

"You're welcome," I say quietly to no one. I slowly start making my way to the kitchen to try and find Thor and Callie.

My mind is wandering though, I can't stop thinking about what Tony said about Bruce. He obviously knows something or he never would have implied that Bruce is "getting some".

The way he said it though made it sound like the person has to be living here otherwise how could he be "getting more than all of us combined?"
Suddenly my memory reflects back to the image of Nat and Bruce sitting side by side on the sofa, talking animatedly to one another and I gasp audibly.

"Oh my God!" I say aloud, "no way." How did I not see it before? Now that its come to my attention its painstakingly obvious that they've been hooking up for atleast a few weeks.
The realization that Bruce and Natasha are an item makes my thoughts drift back to Peggy... literally a life time ago, my heart aches for it. For a normal life with a woman of my own to love and spend my days with--a reality that was stolen from me. These are feelings that I've done fairly well at pushing aside; immersing myself into missions and training so that I was too busy to think about anything else. But this feeling of loneliness is like a punch to the gut, leaving me out of breath and yearning for a life before this one.
•
•
•
Callie P.O.V
We all had dinner, which I'm sure was delicious but I wasn't super hungry after the ice cream and twinkies Uncle Thor had fed me earlier. Luckily--or unluckily--Daddy didn't seem to notice my lack of appetite, he was too busy ogling over Pepper.

Now he's snuck off and left me with Uncle Steve. I'm trying not to be too sulky about it, I like Uncle Steve, and it's not his fault my Dad is obsessed over a redheaded witch...but I am feeling a little abandoned.

I glance up at Cap who is fiddling with the remote to the television, he seems to be feeling lonely, a sensation that is all too familiar to me.

I lean my head on his arm in an attempt to lift his mood, it seems to work a little. He smiles down at me and says, "I think you'll like this movie. Everyone insisted that I watch it when I woke up--said it was a classic."

I shrug as he presses play and loops an arm over my shoulder. I snuggle into his side as the film starts. It begins with a bunch of symbols rolling across the screen and loud theatrical music. "I can't read." I state.

"Oh right sorry," Uncle Steve clears his throat and begins telling me about a galaxy far far away and a bunch of political stuff that makes no sense but his demeanor has definitely improved so I just let him carry on reading.

It's definitely an entertaining movie, much more interesting than the cartoons Daddy puts on for me. It's about a boy named Luke who loses his family and travels across the galaxy to save a princess.

One scene in particular peaks my interest. The old man is trying to teach the boy how to use 'the force', which is basically lifting and moving objects with your brain. Just then Uncle Steve pauses the film and gets up saying he's going to make some popcorn, and leaves me to my own thoughts.

'The force...' I think to myself, 'doesn't look that hard.' I glance around the room for something to focus on. I decide on the DvD case resting on the T.V stand.

I reach out my hand and squint my eyes, mentally pulling the object towards myself. I shifts slightly but I'm not sure whether or not I've just imagined it. I think I'll need a little more effort to pull this off, I shift myself forward as much as possible with the cast on my leg and close my eyes--straining my arm and thinking of the DvD just a few feet away.

I picture it flying across the room and catching it in my hand, I imagine this over and over until suddenly it happens. Something flies into my palm and I grasp my fingers around it tightly. I squint my eyes open slightly and see the sleek DvD case clasped in my hand. I thrust my arm up in triumph, "I did it!" I yell excitedly.

Suddenly these is a cacophony of clanging behind me. I spin my head around quickly to see Uncle Steve standing at the door, a bowl laying at his feet and popcorn sprawled across the floor, his mouth his gaping open and a look of utter disbelief on his face.

"Holy shit." He says, completely stunned.

I grin at him, "watch your language," I say sassily, sticking out my tongue.