Chapter 4: The Week Of Awkward

Disclaimer: Marvel may own my soul, but I do not own Marvel.

Secondary Warning: So, I'm still very obviously new to fanfiction writing. I hope I'm improving for you guys' sake, though. I'm currently writing this right after posting chapter 3 and it's hella late, I had finals today, and I'm exhausted, but I also super don't care because I have ideas. Per usual, if you have anything, I cannot stress that enough, to say please do. On to the thing! It's kind of on the longer side too btw.


Day 1 After Lunch:

After a not quite quick stop to get Steve the startings of a wardrobe and the essentials for life we get to the parking garage across from my apartment. Once there Steve asks yet again if I'm sure that I'm okay with all this. I shrug off the question just like I did all the other times he asked during our errands and grab two of the bags. As we head up the stairs I talk some more about the current state of the world. I know I have a lot to explain and I don't really mind. It's nice having someone to talk to honestly. My voice is probably going to give out from lack of this kind of rigorous exercise, though. I'm truly surprised Fury didn't keep him locked up at HQ until they got him caught up. It's make more sense than dumping him with a not even agent like myself. Once I've unlocked my door, I turn to Steve.

"Remember that dog I mentioned? Well, he can be a bit excitable, so I'm sorry in advance," I warn him as I push the door open. Dog is on us in an instant. Noticing someone is with me, he immediately maneuvers so he is between us until he decides Steve isn't a threat. I pat his head as I pass him. While I head for the table to dump the bags so we can sort them Steve follows me in and shuts the door. Seeing Dog silently glaring at him, Steve offers him a hand to sniff. Dog inches forward and noses the offered hand reluctantly. Then he instantly licks Steve and starts demanding attention and pets. I just stare at my dog before meeting Steve's eyes.

"He likes you," I beam. Steve surprises me by fully smiling back. A real, complete, and brilliant smile. "Come on, the spare bedroom is back here," I continue as I head for the hallway. He follows, carrying the rest of the bags and Dog follows him. I walk into the second bedroom and put the clothes down on the bed. The room is on the smaller side with only a small dresser, desk, and bed as furniture.

"Sorry that it's so bare. I'll leave you to settle in," I tell him as I head for the door.

"Thank you," Steve reiterates yet again.

"Anytime! I'm always happy to help. If you need anything, just holler, okay? I suggest to get some rest, you've just been through alot. You're free to do whatever you want, though. I've got movies, books, and the internet to keep you busy if need be. I'll make dinner whenever you want to eat and tell you anything you want to know, but for now let's focused on getting settled in," I insist. After some thought he nods his assent and I leave him to his own devices.

The rest of the night passes quietly. When he reemerges, I make us dinner. While we eat he asks more questions about the world and I answer to the best of my abilities. I feel horrible. He looks incredibly lost and sad when he thinks I'm too busy to notice, but I don't know how to comfort him. I know what it's like to wake up in a different world and I had to take a year sabbatical of self discovery to come to terms with it. Steve doesn't really have that option since S.H.I.E.L.D. found him. I'm the best he gets and I don't know what to do. So we just go to bed to try to get some sleep and hope tomorrow will look a bit brighter.

Morning of Day 2:

The next morning I wake while the world is still dark. Another dream pulls me from sleep, but at least this time it wasn't about him. No this dream was a standard run of the mill kind of scary. Probably cause I fell asleep watching a horror game let's play.

I pull myself from bed and get dressed. I'm making my bed when I realize Dog isn't in my room. He always sleeps in here. I wonder where he is? I shrug it off and head for the kitchen to put on the kettle. I fill Dog's bowl with his breakfast and start making waffle batter for my own breakfast. I would start playing some music, but Steve is sleeping and I don't want to disturb him. Though this quiet is kind of disturbing me. I'm about to make the first waffle when I hear Dog whine softly.

I immediately head after the sound. The only problem being I end up outside of Steve's room. The door is ajar, but I can't just peek in. I stand there debating what I should do when Dog whines again and instinct has me glancing into the room. It's dark, but I can make out Steve lying in bed with an arm thrown over his eyes and one over the side of the bed. Dog is sitting up beside him, nudging and licking his hand while whining in an attempt to wake him up… just like he used to do me when my nightmares were at their peak. Again my heart clenches painfully in my chest, but there isn't anything I can do so I force myself to walk back to the kitchen.

I continue making waffles even when I hear Steve getting up. I don't know what to say to him. I am powerless to help him. Dog comes and finds me as the shower kicks on. I motion to his food and he gobbles it down before starting to beg for more. What a butt.

"You're going to eat me out of house and home one day, you greedy beggar," I tell him as I rip off a piece of waffle for him. Though, I think, you're a lot more likely to help Steve than I am. What was Fury thinking assigning me to this (I ask myself for the millionth time)? Probably just wanted me out of his nonexistent hair. I wonder if knowing he isn't alone would help. I know I'm still basically a stranger to him, but I already know a lot about him. Just the historical fact stuff, mostly, but still I have an advantage. Perhaps if we even the scales a bit, he'll feel better about our situation and maybe he'll even open up with me a bit. That means I have to tell him about my past, but I'm pretty much an open book. Well, at least about the stuff that's already in my file. Huh, I feel an idea forming.

Steve makes his appearance while I'm frying up the bacon. Damp hair and new clothes do nothing to hide how exhausted he looks.

"Good morning, Captain," I greet him with a cheerful salute, "Coffee, tea, or OJ?"

"Morning, Eve. I'll take some coffee, if it isn't too much trouble," he replies formally as he sits at the breakfast bar. I'm guessing he reverts to his manners whenever he feels awkward. I push a mug full of coffee towards him.

"Steve,I just realized something. We're sorta stuck with either other, right? Cream and sugar?"

"If you want to put it like that I suppose we are stuck with each other," he responds with a grin, "And yes, please."

"Sure thing. So the real revelation was, I kind of have a huge advantage here."

"Thank you. And you do, do you?"

"Anytime. And yes I do. Not only did I grow along with this modern world and know it's workings, but I also have an unfair amount of knowledge about you previous to even meeting you. I have books in my library about you, for sugar's sake. Plus I read S.H.I.E.L.D.'s files on you. I don't really think that's fair, do you?" I ask him as I continue making breakfast for the two of us.

"I suppose not, but the world is rarely fair," Steve comments.

"Very true, but I think we should at least be fair and honest with each other as long we are stuck together, don't you?"

"Sounds like a good idea to me," he agrees. I nod and finish up preparing food and start plating all of it.

"So," I begin as I set his breakfast in front of him, "I think I should tell you who I am."

"Who you are?" he asks rather cheekily. "I don't know what you could possibly mean by that."

"I'll just start from the beginning," I sigh as I slide into my seat.

"Honestly, if I had the option I'd just give you my file because it sums it all up beautifully. I'm not good at keeping things brief and to the point as you've been free to observe over the last twenty-four hours alone, but I'm going to try to breeze through it, but I might get off track. Just tell me when I do, okay?

"Alright, so, I was born Sadie Cross in a small town in Iowa. I mentioned my family yesterday, but to recap I have four brothers and two sisters. I had a pretty normal childhood until I was fifteen. That year I passed some test. I was never really told what the test was, but I passed it. The next day, someone from the military was on our wasn't new to my family. Three of my older siblings went into different branches of the armed forces and I was seriously considering it myself. College is expensive nowadays, and the military would pay for it.

"Anyway, they offered me a scholarship into some prestigious military academy. It was an amazing opportunity so I jumped at it. The next day, my family was seeing me off at the airport," I pause to clear my throat, "That was the last time I saw them. I mean we wrote and called to keep in touch, but I never got to really see them again." I have to take a deep breath before continuing.

"One week later and I was halfway across the country attending Rogers Military Academy. It was named after you, by the way. At orientation they assigned us to personal trainers and told us to make up a new name to go by until we graduated. No one asked why. My trainer was a strangely young Marine named," Another pause and deep breath, "Evan Lucas and together we chose the name Luna Bennett for me. I went exclusively by that name for the next eight years," I can feel the tears gathering in my eyes, but I blink them away, "Evan was the best trainer I could have hoped for. He truly was the best of the best. Long story short, he became my very best friend. He whipped me into shape and I was good, but not the best.

"Either way, the Headmaster of the academy saw that I had a lot of potential so he kept me in the secret pool. When one of us turned eighteen we were tested one final time. Out of all 254 students I am the only one that passed."

"What kind of test," Steve interrupts for the first time. Surprising.

"Not important," I wave off his question before continuing, "Anyway, after I passed they told me the true purpose of the academy. They were looking for the perfect candidate to test their super serum on." I pause at the startled and bewildered look on Steve's face.

"They had recreated it from your blood samples, or at least they thought they had," I explain. "They asked me if I'd be willing to try it and I accepted. It nearly killed me. It was excruciating," I stop again, remembering the pain. "I survived, but was in a coma for a week. I woke up to a very enraged Evan," I can't help the smile that spreads across my face as I think about the tirade he went into. He was far too emotional for a soldier, just like me. "The scientists had isolated the main problem with the serum and it turned out to be their own tampering. They had wanted to improve it even further by not just enhancing my physique and healing abilities, but also my brain. On top of nearly killing me, the serum also has side effects and they will plague me forever.

"But hey," I add with a kind cheer that only come from accepting your lot in life, "It mostly worked! I'm "enhanced", especially my brain. Now, rather than just one train of thought, I have several! It's like being trapped in a crowded and busy subway or train station and never knowing which train I'm supposed to be on.

"I've gotten better at navigating it, thank goodness. This, however, caused the worse side-effect: the headaches," I flinch at the mere thought, "Sometimes all the trains just crash into one giant heap and it hurts like all the seven circles of Hell combined. My improved healing factor makes passing out from pain impossible so the only way to get through the headaches is to take a tranquilizer so strong that it could knock out like ten elephants.

"I'm getting off track," I catch myself before I start to ramble on about elephants. "To sum the rest up, I recovered and worked peace and relief missions until a mission went bad. My family almost got targeted so we faked my death to break all ties I had to them in order to keep them safe." I pause briefly to close my eyes before the tears can fall then continue, "Then it was just more missions. Until another one went wrong. My team got caught in some bad crossfire. I couldn't get them out in time. Three died and the rest were taken prisoner including Evan. They were later killed in an escape attempt. Luna died with Evan and I didn't know what to do anymore. I took the name Evangeline in honor of Evan and started a new life. Then, a year ago, I ran into S.H.I.E.L.D. and they offered me a job.

"So there you go. I'm who they call the Super Soldier Reject. I thought it was clever," I finish with a shrug.

"I'm sorry, Eve," Steve responds quietly. My hazel eyes open to met his blue ones and I nod. I clear my throat again before responding.

"So now we both know a decent chunk about each other. We have crossed the boundary out of strangerville into acquaintancetown. Anywho, whatcha want to do today," I ask to change the subject.

"How about you help me play some more catch up," he humors me.

"I'm down. Now, where do we start?"

Days 2 Through 6

We spend the week watching movies, listening to music, and talking. As the week wears on Steve warms up to me some more. Soon enough, we fall into a kind of friendship. It's mainly just sarcasm and witty commentary, but that's my favorite kind of friendship. When we simply cannot sit around any longer we go to the gym and work out. Steve is fond of the punching bags. A bit too fond seeing as he is constantly breaking them. Good thing I'm in good with the owner since I pay way more than necessary because I also break things on occasion.

Steve is remains distant about the sadness that lingers around his eyes. I know he isn't sleeping well, either. Dog is still staying with him at night so I know he's having nightmares. I've heard him get up in the middle of the night, too. I don't bring it up because I don't want to bug him, but I'm worried about him. I wish there was more I could do.

Night 6:

I'm jostled awake by a hand on my shoulder. I sit up so fast that my head spins.

"Woah, easy there, Eve," Steve chuckles as I struggle to right my vision.

"Dammit, Steve," I exclaim as I slap his chest in mock anger.

"I didn't mean to scare you," he chuckles.

"You didn't scare me," I protest vehemently. "Now, did you want something?"

"I can't sleep so I thought I'd go work out until I get tired. I thought I'd tell you where I'm going in case you notice me missing."

"Ugh, fine, but I'm coming with," I groan as I push back the covers and get out of bed.

"You don't have-"

"Yes I do. Fury assigned me to watch over you, and with him that means I'm to be glued to you until I get a new mission," I tell him as I start rummaging through my drawers for sweats. Steve sighs, but doesn't protest before leaving my room. I emerge in sweats with my hair pulled back and immediately make myself a thermos of tea before we leave.

Once at the gym, I find the spare key and let us in. Steve heads straight for the punching bags and I follow reluctantly. Rather than workout, though, I use the extra ones as a bed. I'm a tired person and am asleep in seconds.

And because I'm asleep, I don't hear the door open and Fury walk in.