"Do I have to?" Eva asked, "I mean, I have a taser and I know where to kick. This really ain't necessary."
"Yup," Sam replied, and tapped her hands. "Guard your pretty face. C'mon, fists up- thumbs over your fingers, not under."
"Fine," she muttered, raising her hands.
"Uncurl them a little." Sam raised his own open palms up in front of her. "Unless you wanna break your hand, that is. Okay. Right hand punch straight ahead, go." She slammed her fist into his hand as hard as she could, and he didn't even blink. "Good. Across your body with a right-"
"Cross?" she asked, raising an eyebrow as she hit him.
A glimmer of mischief appeared in his eyes, and as her fist made contact he grabbed it and yanked her off-balance, so the only thing keeping her from falling to the ground fully was him.
"Oi!" she giggled, and hooked her leg around his knee in an attempt to pull him down with her. He wobbled a little, then regained his balance and jabbed her side in retaliation, making her squirm. "Tickling is not okay!" she wheezed, twisting away from his hand.
"Tap out?" he grinned, as she shrieked.
"Never!" She wrapped both legs around his waist instead, then hooked one over his shoulder and fell backwards, slamming into the floor with him collapsing on top of her. "Ow."
"You winded yourself there, didja?" he smirked.
"Little bit," she admitted, hoping she hadn't cracked the back of her head open. "Worth it, though."
"Am I interrupting something?" said a vaguely amused-sounding voice from the doorway, and the two of them blushed as they scrambled to their feet.
"Uh," said Sam, still rivalling the Cheshire Cat for widest grin, "this isn't what it looks like, Cap. I promise."
"I'll give you the benefit of the doubt," Rogers said, as Eva struggled to retain a straight face. "We need you in command."
Sobering immediately, and without asking questions, Sam kissed Eva on the cheek and ran out of the room.
"I forget he's a soldier sometimes," she thought aloud, "he doesn't seem the type to take orders." She glanced at Rogers. "Neither do you actually, Captain."
He shrugged his ridiculously broad shoulders. "Sometimes you don't have a choice," he told her, and she supposed he had a point.
"Oh," she said, "I started visiting your Peggy. I figured you wouldn't have much time to, with all the stuff going on here, and what can I say? She's pretty cool."
"She is," Steve agreed. "How is she?"
"Old," said Eva. "I- I have to keep reminding her you're alive, and most of the time she forgets halfway through me being there anyway. But she remembers me," Eva continued, "and that's hardly fair, is it?"
Steve looked down, straightening the cuffs of his super suit. "Life very rarely is," he said. "Mind if I admit something to you?"
She shrugged. "Go ahead."
"It… it seems futile. Every time I go, it's so emotional for her, and that's hardly good for her health even if she was going to remember me the moment I turn away." He passed a hand over his brow. "Sometimes I think it would be easier for both us if I just… stopped."
"Do not go gentle into that good night, Steve Rogers," she said severely. "Old age should burn and rave at the close of day."
"Rage, rage against the dying of the light," he finished for her, lips curling into a sad little smile. "Didn't have you down as the poetry type, Miss Kresk."
"I'm full of surprises, and don't change the subject. You and Peggy are both fighters- look at the stuff you did during the war! And you're going to give up and let her memory beat you? I know it hurts, Steve, but you're the strongest person I know. You need to keep doing this for her."
"You don't think it's just a waste of time?" he asked. It must have really been wearing him down; he looked broken, and so much smaller than Captain America.
"It makes her happy. Of course it isn't." She stuck her hands deep into her pockets. "Come with me, next time. She remembers me, after all, and it might make you stick."
"It's a date," said Steve, then blushed. "I just- I meant- I gotta go, miss."
"Miss?" she raised an eyebrow. "Seriously? You gonna offer to carry my purse or something next?"
He chuckled, and she waved goodbye as he followed Sam down the corridor. Poor bastard.
A/N as I've said many times before, I am still stunned at how popular the Civilian Chronicles are. My goal is to get so established that people much more talented than myself make fanart/vids/just general awesomeness, etc. I love the idea of my dumb little stories inspiring some incredibly cool stuff.