AN: I mention characters who are in the Marvel universe but not part of the Avengers franchise/verse.
Steve sat on a parapet of the army base with a rifle set up before him looking out at the forest beyond the vibranium fences where a few zombies were hanging on, trying at a futile attempt to break through. They went largely ignored, they were no threat and there was no need to waste bullets. It had been one month since he arrived at Shield and in that month his life had taken a decided turn for the better.
It wasn't just that he didn't have to worry about food and water or that he and Shannon were living much more comfortably, what's more was they were living happily. Shannon was definitely happier being around other people as well as children and babies. Bucky and Becca showered her with affection, attention and gifts which she lapped up. Steve had made friends with people in the camp as well. He had had a brief squabble with the genuis, former billionaire, playboy and philanthropist Tony Stark. His arrogance had rubbed Steve the wrong way and his flippance towards soldiers and their sacrifice had angered him but ultimately they'd buried the hatchet. Plus, Tony mellowed out more when they had found some weirdly named friends of his. Then again he had a friend named Bucky so he wouldn't judge Happy, Rhodey and Pepper's names. They were nice people, they balanced Tony's large personality well.
He had gotten pretty close to Thor. The guy was big, he liked a good fight and he was all around a pretty jolly guy. He maybe took a bit too much pleasure in killing zombies but then Steve discovered that was because his brother, Loki, was turned into one and had ended up killing their parents. Thor had had to kill him after that. It explained the sadness and envy Steve saw in his eyes when Thor saw him, Bucky and Becca together or Tony and Rhodey together or Clint and Natasha. He felt bad because he understood the burden of having to put someone you love down. It broke something inside, tore some untouched innocent part of you to shreds.
Steve had also surprisingly gotten close to Natasha. Bucky was right, inside she was a softie. She taught the children how to defend themselves alongside Maria Hill and Ororo Munroe. All the children loved her and Shannon had taken a particular shine to "Tash" as the baby called her. Once Steve had met Nick Fury, Charles Xavier and Erik Lensher, the three leaders of Shield, and gotten their stamp of approval Natasha was more open to tolerating him. Turns out Nick Fury was her adopted father and had told her to be nicer. Her brother, Clint, had warmed up to Steve too and after a couple more talks from Bucky and Becca and Steve saving her life a number of times when they got stuck in the city during a supply run, she had finally taken him off her shitlist and they had grown close fast much to Bucky's delight and smugness, though neither knew what he was so smug about.
Then there was Sam. Steve had only really seen him in passing, that man could be friggin' elusive. He went to the garage twice over the last month but he wasn't there. He hadn't gotten to have a conversation with him again but their brief encounter had left an imprint on Steve's mind. He hadn't remembered feeling that light in a while at that point.
Steve stroked his bare chin, a habit he picked up from having a now nonexistent beard, and looked down as someone whistled. Logan stood down there ready to take over watch for him. He could see Peter Parker climbing up the other parapet with Gwen Stacy by his side. The blonde slipped down the parapet, wordlessly handed the rifle he had to the rough man and then walked away while giving Peter and Gwen a wave. He didn't know what to do but he felt keyed up and restless. Shannon was probably still asleep and she was with Bucky and Natasha anyway. Steve turned and saw the new track that had been installed. It actually looked good. Between Charles' architecture skills, Tony's secret stash of materials and manual labor from the residents of the camp it looked almost professionally done. Shield was fairly large and Charles, Erik and Fury were trying to make it more of a home than a safehouse. They had essentials: food and water. They had what was considered luxuries in this new world: plumbing, showers, electricity from both back-up generators Tony fixed and solar panels Tony, Bruce Banner and Reed Richards installed and they had working vehicles that Sam made sure kept running. Now they were adding leisure activities. They had installed a library that was slowly growing with each supply run and a system for checking out books. There were televisions and though there wasn't network television, they had acquired DVD and VHS players. There was a Best Buy in town and some smaller video stores that was raided regularly. There was even movie night once a week. They had radios and record players along with CDs and vinyls for music. There was a grass field in the middle of the track and basketball hoops on the other side of the track fence along with a tennis courts and a volleyball net.
Steve decided to make use of the entertainment and took off his jacket, feeling the cool breeze make the hair on his arms stand on end. He stretched before he began running along the track, letting the wind hitting his face block out his thoughts. It wasn't until he had almost made a full lap he realized Sam was running too. He smirked a bit as he passed him.
"On your left." He said as he passed. That went on for five laps (for Sam anyway), each time Steve passed him he'd say 'on your left' and his smirk grew wider as Sam got more and more frustrated every time until he made a final effort to chase after Steve. He failed of course but it was a valiant effort. Steve found Sam nearly passed out on the grass field, leaning against a tree.
"Should I go get Dr. Grey?" Steve said teasingly as he stopped next to him.
"If you do, tell Jean I need a new lung. Were you a damn track star before or something?" Sam asked grudgingly.
"Not really, no. Just always been a fast runner."
"Pretty sure you could give Usain Bolt a run for his money. If he isn't dead that is." Sam reached out a hand and Steve helped him stand up, ignoring the jolt of warmth Sam's hand in his caused. When Steve looked up Sam was staring at his face smiling.
"What? Do I have something on my face?"
"Just realized I was right is all. You do look half way decent without the homeless man beard, maybe even more than halfway. I might even venture to call you cute." Steve felt himself warming up at the compliment. Sam started laughing causing Steve to turn redder.
"So that's why. Bucky told me next time I talk to you I should say something to embarrass you. Said I'd be pleasantly surprised at the results."
Stupid Bucky. I'm going to kill him.
"Some days I wonder what it was I missed about him." Steve grumbled as his body temperature began returning to normal.
"His sparkling personality proceeds itself."
"You can say that again."
"So, how are you liking Shield so far?"
"Well it's a lot better than living on the top of a Gerber truck, I'll give you that." Steve said jokingly as he and Sam began walking around the track to cool down.
"Trust me, I know. I took refuge in the back of a Mac truck for longer than I'd like to admit to. Bucky and Becca would pass me on their runs. The first couple times they would ask me to join them here at Shield. After I'd refused about four times they started bringing supplies and rations for me. Then they started coming just to visit. Couldn't get rid of them, I didn't really want to."
"I know the feeling."
"One day, I just asked if the offer was still open and that's how I ended up here."
"Why'd you stay in the truck?"
"My boyfriend, Riley, he was bitten. I watched the fever burn him out until there was nothing of him left. I should've put him down. I wasn't strong enough. I stayed there because I kept hoping he'd wander back my way."
"Then what would you do?" Steve felt compelled to ask.
"Shot him. Let him bite me then turn. Tie him up until I decided what to do. I have no idea. All I know is Bucky and Becca saved me. But I would've been better off if I put a bullet in his head to begin with."
"Don't be so sure. I had to put down my girlfriend, Peggy, a while ago. It's different when you don't know what... who the thing you're killing used to be. When you loved that person, when you envisioned a life with them, when you survive war and hell with them and you have a kid with them it's just different. It... breaks something. That's why I stayed on that Gerber truck. I couldn't move. I was stuck and I kept Shannon stuck with me. If Bucky hadn't been with Thor I don't know if I would've moved even though it was best for my daughter. I just-"
"No, I get it. I was a pilot in the army. Riley was my wingman, he was my partner in more ways than one. We survived Afghanistan together but we couldn't survive this together. It's... a hollow feeling, a dull sort of ache but you keep going because they'd kick your ass if you didn't." Sam said, chuckling nostalgically. Steve looked at Sam and didn't notice he was staring until Sam said something.
"Sorry it's just. Bucky, Peggy and I were in the same troop in Iraq. When I thought they were both dead and I had survived I just... you really do understand. No one else really does. Bucky tries but he hasn't been faced with the decision of putting down someone close to you."
"Well, you can come talk to me whenever you want. Let's see how many times a conversation I can make you blush without you passing out." And of course Steve just had to go into another full body blush after the comment prompting Sam to laugh.
"I'm going to have so much fun."