Everly || Steve Rogers

2 1/2. Let's Build a Fort

"We looked for you after." Bucky said, his hands buried deep in his pockets as he followed behind Steve. Everly kept her focus on the ground, unable to bring herself to look at him as she climbed the stairs with a heavy chest. She knew the pain he felt, she'd gone through it too. She wouldn't wish such pain upon her worst enemy, let alone her best friend. It wasn't so much a sharp pain, as an unbearable ache. Despite the time that passes, the ache doesn't fade. It only gets buried.

"My folks wanted to give you a ride to the cemetery." Bucky added.

"I know I'm sorry, I just- kinda wanted to be alone." Steve apologized, the hurt in his voice broke her heart. People all expressed feelings differently, that much was true. Another truth was that those who care about you can hear you even when you're silent. He didn't need to tell them what he felt or thought, they felt it too.

"How was it?" She asked quietly, afraid anything she said could potentially set him off, making him feel worse than he already did. From experience, she was well aware that some things got irritating to hear after a while. Most of the time, people mean the best, but don't know what to say. Words can't heal what's already been lost.

"It was okay. She's next to dad."

Everly's gaze fell to her shoes again. Though she'd lost one parent, she couldn't even imagine losing both. Sometimes she thought she would be better off having lost them both as opposed to being left with the empty shell that had become of her father. At least then the damage would be done. On the other hand, he was still her father whom she loved. If anything, that only made it hurt worse.

"I was gonna ask-" Bucky began, but was quickly interrupted.

Steve pushed away the hair that had fallen into his face. "I know what you're gonna say, Buck, I just-" He fumbled around his pockets searching for the key to the door the three had stopped in front of.

"We can put the couch cushions together on the floor like when we were kids. It'll be fun, all you gotta do is shine my shoes, maybe take out the trash." Bucky tried to lighten the mood. Everly pushed aside a brick with her foot and reached down to grab the key beneath it. She handed it to Steve and he took it gladly. "Come on." Bucky persisted.

"Thank you, Buck." Steve finally brought himself to look his friend in the eye. "But I can get by on my own."

"The thing is, you don't have to." Bucky sighed and grabbed Steve's shoulder. "We're with you to the end of the line pal." Everly sent him a smile to show that she agreed. She looked between them in admiration of the bond that they shared. They weren't just friends, they were brothers. Bucky shook his head, getting nowhere with Steve. He backed away slowly, not wanting to leave him by himself.

"Let me know if you need anything. Seriously, anything. I'll be there." He said before turning around and making his way back down the stairs. Everly lingered however, she wrung her hands shyly around one another and looked up at Steve who was playing with the key in his hands.

"Mind If I come in?" She asked softly. Nobody should be alone in a time like this, no matter how much they feel that they want to be. They needed someone to cry with and hold tight. When she had felt this pain, nobody was there to comfort her. As a matter of fact, she still had to do the comforting. The least she could do was give to him what she wished someone had given her. He hesitated before nodding, turning the key in the lock and pushing the door open, allowing Everly to go in first. Though she hadn't been there in a few months, the apartment looked just the same as she remembered.

Slowly, she stepped inside and shut the door softly behind her. The grainy photos that sprinkled the walls now hit differently. Her favorite had always been of a small, chubby cheeked Steve giggling atop his father's shoulders. The floorboards creaked with each step she took, piercing through the heart wrenching silence that flooded the apartment. She let out a breath she hadn't even realized she'd been holding and shrugged the jacket from her shoulders, hanging it on the wooden coat-rack beside her.

Steve sulked over to the sofa and plopped down, running his hands over his face. "I really just want to be alone right now."

"No you don't." She softly replied. Everly sat down beside him and offered a sad smile as he fixed his gaze on the floor beneath his feet. His chest rose and fell in an odd pattern and his hands trembled in the slightest. Her heart sank to her stomach and it felt as though her throat had closed. Gently, she placed a few fingers under his chin, lifting his head until his baby blue eyes met her brown ones.

"It's okay to cry, Steve." She offered him another small smile. He sniffled and let out a deep breath as a tear rolled down his cheek. Running a hand through his short blonde hair, he returned his eyes to the scuffed wooden floor. Everly fumbled nervously with her locket and watched with sad eyes. She understood that he didn't want to talk, for that she couldn't blame him. Or perhaps, he was dying just for someone to listen, but was afraid he couldn't manage the words. The couch bounced as she shifted awkwardly.

"You know, I lost my mother too." He looked up at her, his eyes red with tears.

She leaned back against the sofa and stared up at the spinning ceiling fan. "After that my father, well he was never really the same after that." She finished, rubbing the scar that stretched across her palm. In all the time Steve had known her, she neglected to go into detail about her family. It now made sense as to why. She had told them about having a little sister, but that was about it. He and Bucky were her family as far as she was concerned.

"Is that where this came from?" He asked quietly, surprising her as he took her hand in his. He traced a finger along the pink scar, tickling the skin of her palm.

"Uh- yeah." She cleared her throat, pulling her hand away and flicking her eyes to the ground. The awkward hanging in the air was so thick it could be cut with a knife. The silence of the room was deafening.

"How do I make it stop?" He said in a shaky voice, wiping away a few more tears.

"What?" Everly glanced at him, blinking a few times.

"The hurt." Her heart sunk even further if possible, the ache in his voice unbearable even to her. "Does it ever go away?" He whispered. She looked at him sadly and shook her head lightly, gazing back into her lap. Another tear fell down his face and he sighed.

Despite how hard she tried to avoid it, tears began forming in her eyes. Not only was she sad for him, she was angry at the world. Why take such a good person, especially when it leads to other good people getting hurt? It just wasn't fair. With a slight shake of her head, Everly bounced to her feet. Steve's attention snapped to his friend as she began plucking cushions from the couch and arranging them on the floor.

"What are you doing to my couch?" He sniffled.

"We are making a fort. Now get down here and help me."