AMERICA'S POV

I spend the next few hours running around the capital. Hours of running, running until each muscle aches. I need to stay in shape, just in case of the unlikely event that I ever get sent on a big mission. I just run and let my thoughts wander.

I don't know where Steve is. I don't know what it was in particular that affected him the most. Maybe it was his friend or the woman. Maybe it was all of it. I'm also worried that I did something wrong. He seemed more distant towards the end. I'm hoping he doesn't do anything rash, but I trust him.

My phone buzzes in my pocket, and I slow down as I pull it out.

Where are you? You're not in the apartment.

It's from Steve. At least he's worried about me. That's probably a good sign.

I'm out where we were running this morning. Want me to come home?

No, it's okay. I'll come to you.

For a second, I think he's done. Then he sends a second text.

We need to talk.

Butterflies fill my stomach. What's wrong? Is it something I did? He's going to break it off with me. I don't even know what I did wrong.

All I know is I'm going to be completely lost if he leaves me.

I absentmindedly twist the necklace he gave me as I wait. It takes him a few minutes, but I see his frame in the distance. I go to meet him, hoping to get it over with quickly.

"Hi," I say, avoiding his eyes.

"Hey," he replies. He seems unsure of where to start. I decide that I'm not going to push him to talk. He never pushed me, after all. "About earlier..."

"Yeah. About that..." I finally look up at him.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have ran off like that. I-"

"Steve, it's okay. Really. I know you needed space, and I was okay with giving it to you." I swallow my fear to try to push the conversation forward. "Whatever I did, I'm sorry, and if you don't want to do this anymore, I... I understand."

"What?" Understanding dawns in Steve's eyes as he realizes what I mean. He steps closer and pulls me into a tight hug. "America, I'm not going to leave you."

I look up at him. "You're not?" I whisper.

"No. I'd never. You didn't do anything wrong. You're the best thing in my life right now. I just-" He struggles with his words for a second. "That exhibit brought up a lot of memories for me. Good and bad."

"Tell me," I whispered. He hesitated. "Steve, trust goes both ways." He met my eyes. I trust you. You can trust me.

"Okay." We slowly start to walk towards the apartment. "I knew all of those people. Most of them survived the war, except, um, except Bucky. When I woke up after the ice, I thought they were all dead. So Fury recruited me to the Avengers, and I said yes, because I had no one left anyway. But I was wrong. Someone was left after all."

"Peggy, right?" I whispered. He nodded.

"Yeah." The look in his eyes is one of nostalgia and wistfulness. It hurts a little bit, if I'm being honest.

"You loved her."

"Yeah." He shakes his head. "I've visited her a few times. She's old now, America- she's dying. Dementia. And that video just brought back a lot of memories."

"I'm sorry," I say, grabbing his hand and giving it a squeeze of comfort. He holds open the door to the apartment building.

"It's okay. I mean, that's where I would be if I hadn't gone into ice." He looks me in the eyes. "Listen, I want to make one thing clear to you. All of that stuff in the past is just that: the past. Whatever I felt for her is gone. You are the girl I love, without a doubt. Okay?"

"Okay." While I still feel shaken from my fear, I also feel better. When we reach the top of the stairs, I almost run into someone. Kate, our blonde neighbor, who is juggling a huge basket of laundry and talking on the phone.

"That's so sweet! That is so nice... hey, I gotta go, though. Okay, bye." She turns to us, smiling. "My aunt, she's kind of an insomniac. Yeah." Steve grins.

"Hey, if you want...if you want, you're welcome to use my machine," Steve offers. "Might be cheaper than the one in the basement." I get that he's just being nice and polite like always, but considering I thought he was going to break up with me about ten minutes ago, the offer is a little irritating to me.

"Oh yeah? What's it cost?" Is she flirting?

"A cup of coffee?" Is he seriously flirting back? She's too attractive to just be being nice right now. I shoot her a glare, and her eyes widen.

"Thank you, but um...I already have a load in downstairs, and, uh...you really don't want my scrubs in your machine. I'm just finished orientation in the infectious diseases ward, so..."

"Ah. Well, we'll keep our distance." I give Kate a fake sweet smile.

"Well, hopefully not too far." Why doesn't she just go? "Oh, and I think you left your stereo on."

"Oh. Right, thank you," Steve says, shooting me a look.

"...yeah." Kate finally leaves, thank God, and we turn to stare at his door.

"Someone's jealous," Steve whispers playfully in my ear. I swat him away.

"Oh, shut up. Did you leave your stereo on this morning?"

His grin fades. "I didn't even turn it on."

"That's what I thought, too." We automatically start for the roof to enter the room through the window. Steve slides in first, and I follow. I grip the knife I always keep in my shoe. He snags his shield as a precaution and holds it protectively in front of us as we creep forward.

Whatever I expected to see, it was not Nick Fury lounging on Steve's couch idly in complete darkness.

Steve sets down his shield. "I don't remember giving you a key."

"You really think I need one? At ease, Evans," he says, and I slowly lower the knife, rolling my eyes as I do so. "My wife kicked me out."

"Didn't know you had a wife," I say.

"A lot of things you don't know about me." Steve turns on a light, and I hold in a gasp when I see his injuries, but he gives me a look that clearly says leave it alone, so I do. Fury turns the light back off, types something into his phone and shows it to us.

Ears everywhere.

"I'm sorry to do this," Fury continues as if nothing is wrong, "but I had no place else to crash."

SHIELD compromised.

"Who else knows about your wife?" I ask, trying to be nonchalant.

You two and me.

"Just my friends."

"Is that what we are?" Steve asks him.

"That's up to you." Out of nowhere, gunshots break through the wall and pierce Fury, who instantly collapses.

"Fury!" I instantly look out the window for the shooter as Steve drags him to the next room. No one. I run in to find Fury on the ground next to Steve. I bend down, and with shaking hands, Fury holds a flash drive out. Steve takes it.

"Don't...trust...anyone..."

He passes out, and the door opens in the other room. I grab the shield.

"Captain Rogers?" A woman's voice asks. Does she ever go away?

"Kate?" Steve asks. She walks in pointing a gun. What kind of messed up world is this?

"I'm assigned to protect you."

"On whose order?" I exclaim, throwing my free hand up in the air.

"His." She nods to the injured Fury before speaking into her radio. "Foxtrot is down, he's unresponsive. I need EMTs."

"Do you have a twenty on the shooter?"

My eyes shift to the window, where I can now clearly see the shooter. Steve does, too. "Tell him I'm in pursuit." He nods to the shield. "I'm gonna need that."

"No."

"America-"

It's too late. Using the shield for protection, I break through the window and run after the assassin. I catch up with him on the top of a building. We both stare at each other. He has long dark hair, and half of his face is covered with a black mask. Black makeup surrounds his bright, emotionless eyes. I throw the shield at him like Steve taught me, but he catches it. I pull out my knife and approach. He moves to leave, but I'm faster and end up on his other side. He throws a punch, I dodge.  We participate in this dangerous game for a few minutes until I hear a new set of footsteps. I turn to see Steve a building away, but my moment of distraction costs me the fight. His metal arm connects with my cheek, knocking me down. He throws the shield to Steve and hops off of the side of the building. I can barely see all of this, however: it's all blurry and shaky. Steve pulls me up to my feet.

"Mer, are you okay?" He pushes some hair out of my face and his fingers come back dripping in blood.

"Just peachy, Steve," I snap, but my bravado quickly fades as the pain sets in. "That hurts."

"I know. You've got a pretty nasty gash, doll. We need to get it fixed up." I would run, but the whole world seems to be slanted. He must have hit me harder than I thought. Instead I lean on Steve, and we trek back to the apartment together. "Who was that?"

"I don't know."

Hey! New chapter, hope you guys enjoyed!