EXECUTIONER'S SONG. ❪ Steve Rogers ❫ ✓

twenty-one

☆

☆

Steve drove a 1930 Blackhawk because he didn't know how to drive the new cars and felt uncomfortable in most of them. He asked Tony if he had a car he could drive, which he did. Tony had kept a 1930 Blackhawk his father bought long ago.

Darcy was content spending two hours in a car with Steve. He had gotten her a donut for her and himself at the beginning of the car ride. He stopped the car by a hillside and the two watched the scenery while eating their donuts. Once they were done, Steve started driving again.

"Are you nervous?" he questioned.

He was wearing sunglasses, blocking out the sun that invaded his eyes. Darcy had the visor done in order to block the sun. She didn't want to wear sunglasses because it would take away the color of the scenery.

"Yes," she whispered, looking out the window.

If it weren't for his enhanced hearing, he wouldn't have been able to hear him through the loud rustling of the wind that invaded their ears since the car windows were down. He pressed a side button and the windows rolled back up.

"This is good for you," he said. "How are you liking the ride?"

She smiled, looking at him. "It's nice."

Steve nodded in confirmation. Nothing was said after that, but neither of them minded. Steve had learned long ago how to be comfortable with Darcy's silence.

"Thank you," she added.

He smiled. "No, thank you, Darcy."

She hummed, not asking what he meant by that because she had an inkling as to what he was thanking her for. After all, she had told him they would learn how to love again.

The rest of the car ride was spent in silence with the exception of the sounds of other cars and the road beneath the tires of the drive Steve drove. He was focused on the road, determined to not crash the valuable car. Darcy had curled up into a ball and fallen asleep in the middle of the road trip. Steve wished he wasn't driving so he could have taken a picture of her.

When they arrived at their destination and Steve parked the car on the edge of the farm, Darcy had woken up from the stillness of the car. When she realized it was because they had arrived, she was frozen. He had to coax her to leave the car, promising he would be there every step of the way. She exited the car at the same time Steve did. She didn't move until he walked toward her on the other side and grabbed her hand in order to make her feel safe.

They walked around the farm, hand in hand. It was exactly like she remembered it in her memories, but there was more that she had missed. It was an apple-picking farm and there were a few other people out in the field picking apples from trees and placing them into baskets.

There was a middle-aged woman running a booth where the baskets would be weighed and people would pay for it. There was a middle-aged man working in a shed farther away. They were not Darcy's parents, but she was not disappointed because she was sure they were dead.

"I want to talk to her," whispered Darcy.

Steve nodded, taking his hat off in order to fan himself. The sun was blaring and he was sure everyone would be able to recognize him if he kept fanning himself.

"Let's talk to her then," he said.

Hand in hand, they walked over to the woman who was finishing up with another couple in front.

"Have a lovely day, y'all!" exclaimed the woman. "How can I help you?"

Darcy shuffled closer to Steve, glancing up at him.

"We were just wondering how long you've been working here," said Steve. "We - uh - love visiting farms."

"Well, my husband's sister and her husband owned this farm, but they died, unfortunately. We took over this farm and harvest in order to make people happy."

"Did they have a daughter?" Darcy asked. "That's unfortunate," she added, placing a hand over her own stomach. "I couldn't imagine the pain."

"They did have a daughter who disappeared by the time the police found the bodies. When are you expecting?"

"Oh, it's recent, so seven months," answered Darcy. "Lovely farm."

"Thank you, dear. Basket?" the woman, asked holding up a basket.

"Yes, please," said Darcy, taking it from the woman.

"Enjoy!" exclaimed the woman as they walked away.

"Pregnant?" questioned Steve.

"She would have gotten suspicious if I randomly asked about a daughter."

"So, was it them?" asked Steve.

Darcy nodded. "Yeah, I think so. That one looks nice. Can you grab it?" She pointed to a red apple high up in the tree.

Steve reached up on his toes and pulled it off the branch, placing it into the basket. "Never done this before."

She smiled. "Neither have I. It's nice."

"It is," he responded, looking around at the apple trees.

They continued down the rows of apples, carefully picking each apple to place into the basket. Once they had enough, they paid the woman and left with a basket full of apples. Darcy was happy. She got to see the farm she grew up on and pick apples with someone very dear to her.