Steve? Can you hear me?

The Kid

2 weeks after the Hospital-

Steve and Tony were standing opposite Fury with each a different expression on their face; Fury looked weary, Tony was angry and Steve was just plain worried. The deaf man tried to read the other's lips as they argued and he could only hope that Tony was representing his point of view well.

"He doesn't want to do it." Tony was trying not to raise his voice at Fury but he wasn't particularly good at keeping a level head.

"He has to do it. He got hurt in the last mission and the public want to know what has happened to their favorite hero." The eye-patched man sighed, "He just needs to let them know that he's made a full recovery and answer a couple of questions."

Tony turned to Steve and signed, He's saying you have to do it. You have to answer questions about your health. The public need to know, He pulled a face as a signed the last sentence.

Steve huffed out a breath and looked helplessly around the room, No choice? Fine but I want you there instead of an interpreter.

Tony nodded, "He is willing to do it on the condition I can be his interpreter." His fiery stare dared Fury to not allow them Steve's one request.

"Fine but we'll be watching you carefully." The boss replied as he strode for the door, "Now come on, they've been waiting for hours."

Tony nodded at Steve to confirm that his condition had been met so they followed Nick out towards the media room where they held all of their broadcasts and interviews.

Steve was nervous; his palms were sweaty and he was glad he didn't have to speak as he could feel dryness in his mouth so could only imagine the difficulty in speech. The soldier didn't mind talking to large groups but his deafness wasn't something commonly known yet which, he was certain, might make for an awkward interview. SHIELD had offered to release a statement when he first joined the team but Steve didn't want to make a big song and dance over something he considered so everyday. Why should they have to announce his deafness when they'll find out naturally anyways; he was tired of always been a spectacle.

Steve felt a squeeze around his hand just before they walked through the door which caused him to peer across gratefully to his partner. They smiled before dropping hands and entering the room. Today wasn't the day to reveal their relationship when it was all so new.

Cameras flashed as he climbed on stage and took his seat behind the table. People were moving around and talking, journalists were interspersed with members of the public, and Steve could imagine that it would be so much more overwhelming if he could hear the maelstrom of noise.

Tony touched his arm and Steve looked over at the man. He signed, Ready?

The soldier nodded even though he knew Tony could probably read the nervousness in his face. The inventor turned to the crowd.

"Before we start with questions, Steve would like to make a statement regarding his injury and recovery." After finishing the sentence, he turned to Steve to indicate that he was ready to interpret.

Steve began signing and suddenly the flashing of cameras suddenly exploded as many got the very first shots of Captain America signing in ASL. Every journalist in the room knew full well that this would make headlines despite the original story just being a regular interview. He watched the crowd suddenly become chaotic as he described his experience.

Unfortunately, as is the nature of our work, sometimes things happen unexpectedly. This was one of those occasions as, due to my deafness, I was unable to respond sufficiently when warned of danger. However, a new alert system has now been utilised to ensure it never happens again and that we can maintain the safety of the whole team.