Chapter Twenty: Epilogue
"Nobody knows that the future holds / it's bad enough just getting old / live my life in self-defense / you know I love the past, 'cause I hate suspense." -Vampire Weekend
As soon as they were back in New York, Audrey and Steve found themselves at Stan's.
"Where to next?" she asked.
Steve took a thoughtful sip of his coffee. "You know, for all the years I've spent being called Captain America, I haven't really seen much of the place. I did the tour, but that was mostly theaters and buses. I feel like I should get to know the place better."
"So what are you thinking?" Audrey asked. "A road trip?"
Across from her in the booth, her dad shrugged. "That's not a horrible idea."
"Alright," Audrey said, thinking about how to plan a trip. She could get a car without much trouble, and a map. And some cash. She assumed that that was pretty much all they needed, aside from clothes and other personal belongings. And music-music was very important, too. Audrey already started composing a playlist in her head. David Bowie, Cyndi Lauper, and the Pixies were all featured. "When do you wanna leave?"
"I don't have plans," Steve said, a slight laugh bubbling up to accompany the words. "Is tomorrow too soon?"
She considered. "That's perfect."
Audrey spent the afternoon and the next morning buying a map, renting a car, and counting the money that SHIELD had given to Steve. They would drive from New York to Chicago, and then take Route 66 until it spit them out on the west coast, spending as much time in each city as they pleased. She met Steve on the street outside his apartment building at noon, armed with two duffle bags, some sandwiches for the road, and a beat-up red Volvo from the closest car dealership.
"Ready to go?" she asked him.
Steve nodded, giving her a grin. "Ready to go," he confirmed.
And then they were off, driving towards an unknown destination. So much of the world today was foreign to Steve. But despite all the uncertainty, with Audrey by his side, he was starting to believe that here and now was where he belonged.
monachopsis: the subtle but persistent feeling of being out of place
a/n: and that brings us to the end of Monachopsis! Thank you all so much for sticking with me through this book and the two years it took for me to write it, it means the world. I'm so excited to share book two with you, Nodus Tollens, and that will be posted shortly. I love you all so much.