Come home

She opened her eyes to the pitch black darkness of her bedroom and needed a moment to figure out what had woken her up. Silence stretched around her as it dawned on her, Steve's breathing couldn't be heard. She reached over to his side of the bed and was met with rapidly cooling sheets. Suppressing the deep sigh that overcame her, she tried to hear where he was in the house. She knew better than to hope that he had only woken to drink some water. The soft rushing of water from the tab told her that he was in the bathroom—probably washing the sleep from his eyes. Relief washed over her, she hadn't missed him yet.

The light of his phone broke through the darkness and she flinched at the sudden brightness. Glancing at it through her lashes, to ward off the glare, she noticed it was a text and not a call. That didn't require any action from her and she leaned back into her pillows, though not before the screen died down a little and informed her of ten unseen messages. Worry instantly gripped at her heart—this was serious.

In the other room Steve closed the faucet and she could hear him softly rummaging through a drawer, before he entered their bedroom a few short moments later. Dressed in a simple white shirt and his boxers, he walked to the closer and pulled out his freshly cleaned uniform. She wondered is he knew how long it had taken her to remove the blood from his previous mission. Not that it really mattered, she'd most likely have to repeat the action when he came back from this one.

Despite the inky darkness, Steve easily manoeuvred through their room. Though she had trouble following him even in his white shirt. She knew his movements from memory, rather than vision. The curtains that covered their windows successfully kept out the moonshine, which would otherwise be shinning through the glass this time of night.
She usually liked the darkness—she had trouble sleeping with any light seeping in—but she didn't care for it tonight. She wanted to see him, caress his features with her eyes, drink in the image of him. She loved his handsome face and would stare at it every opportunity she had. And with the prospect of him jumping headfirst into danger soon, she wanted to commit him to memory. Just in case. Always, just in case.

Reaching for the light on her nightstand, she switched it on and Steve jumped at the sudden intrusion of light—he hadn't been prepared for it and had still been operating under the idea that she was sound asleep. Blinking against the brightness, he offered her a smile which she returned happily.
He quietly continued to get dressed, his eyes focused on her as she watched him—he was drinking in her features, his eyes full of love and she felt her heart flutter. For a moment she wondered if she would ever get used to those looks. She certainly hoped not. After two years of dating, she loved that he still made her heart race.

Steve only stopped looking at her when he sat down on the edge of the bed to put his boots on. Once that was done, they both knew he had to go soon. Peopler were waiting on him.

He took quick steps as he rounded the bed, closer to her and then he bend down to kiss her. It was a sweet, gentle kiss that somehow held the immensity of love they held in their hearts for one another. Her heart rate slowed as she leaned into him, feeling completely at ease with him. He was the first guy to ever make her feel this calm and she loved it.

Steve filled her life with certainty, calm and happiness. Even amongst all the missions that worried her enough to make her heart ache each time. She feared for his safety, every time. Even though she knew he had a team with him, a team that she trusted with her life, with his life. The worry still took over as soon as he walked out of their apartment. She always tried to keep the intensity of her fear from him, not wanting to plague his mind with those thoughts as he fought to keep the world safe. But the more serious they got, the better he got at reading her expressions—still she tried.

"Don't get sliced up," she said, trying to make light of her worries to alleviate the mood. She failed miserably, they both knew that.

"I wasn't planning on it today," Steve joked back. It was as forced as her joke, but there were points to be given for effort right? She quickly kissed him again and smiled as brightly as she could manage.

"I'll be careful," Steve added after a few moments and she couldn't stop a chuckle from escaping her. He frowned at her response and tried to look at least somewhat apologetic.

"Liar," she chided him with a smile, "you've never NOT jumped head first into trouble."

Steve got a guilty look on his face as he opened his mouth to protest her statement, though he knew she was right. She held up her hand to silence him before any words came out.

"It's okay, love, I would never ask you to change who you are. I like who you are," she offered and he sighed and placed a quick peck on her lips.

"I'm just asking you to come home," she added as he pulled back, placing a hand on his cheek and caressing it for a moment before adding; "I'm kinda fond of this face."

"Coming home to you is my most important mission," Steve whispered and she smiled as a single tear slipped down her cheek. She worried, she would always worry, but his words didn't miss their mark. Pulling him down, she kissed him, trying to sink all her love into it—wanting him to understand just how much love she had for him and his eagerness to return the kiss told her that he felt it too.

"I love you," he whispered before standing up and moving towards the door that led from their bedroom. In the dooropening he stopped to look back and offered a final smile, before finally walking away to to the front door.

"I love you too," she whispered, knowing full well that he was still in hearing range. And when the front door closed behind him, more tears filled her eyes. Laying back on the pillow, she didn't bother to turn the light off, she wasn't getting any more sleep tonight.

A/N: Just a little story to offer as I work on a few longer ones.
Not much editing has been done and no beta was consulted, so all mistakes are my own.