Once again, I find myself in need of apologizing. As I have previously stated, I am very busy with the beginning of college. I must quickly thank reviewer MissGrimes for her incredibly flattering comment. It helped to rekindle my motivation. I always read comments even if I do not directly acknowledge them. Any and all comments serve to motivate me. Please enjoy!
Judging by the faint glow outside the curtains when I woke, it was early morning. I rolled onto my back and realized that my bladder was full. Reluctantly, I got out of bed and shuffled my way to the bathroom. In the living room, I came upon Loki sleeping quietly on the couch. He was facing away from me and I could see the metal band of the muzzle wrapped around the back of his neck. It seemed so inhuman that, for a moment, I wondered if it wasn't just my imagination.
I was about to reach out and touch it, when a soft noise from the kitchen caught my attention. I padded into the room to find Steve hard at work making breakfast. As my feet slapped on the wooden floor, Steve turned around to see who had entered. At the sight of me in a state of semi-undress, he nearly dropped the spoon he was holding. He spun back away from me, but not before I saw his violent blush. " I... I am glad to see you're awake. " He stuttered.
Feeling a blush race across my own cheeks, I rushed to the bathroom to my left. "Sorry." I said quickly, shutting the door behind me. I had forgotten about my decision to sleep without pajamas and I now wondered if it was indeed the right choice. I shrugged. If I had to be in a house with two men and decide to sleep in underwear, I was sure that Steve and Loki were the best I could have ended up with.
I turned on the shower and stepped under the warm stream of water. Closing my eyes, I imagined that I was simply visiting my grandparents and that nothing was wrong in the world. Most of me really wished for that to be true, but part of me, the part that I hadn't buried in denial and false hope, reminded me that my fantasy was ridiculous. That tiny bit of me insisted that all I had been put through, everything that was happening was too much to simply forget about. Everything that was going on was affecting me in ways that changed my whole being. Nothing could go back to the way it was. I gave up on my fantasy and finished scrubbing myself clean.
When I stepped out of the bathroom wrapped in a thick white towel, I felt refreshed and surprisingly happy. Steve was setting the table and kept his eyes carefully on the silverware. I could see a faint blush tickling his cheeks. " There is clothing in both of the bedroom closets." He said. "I hope you can find something to fit you." I smiled at his embarrassment. "Sure" I replied with a giggle.
I walked into the living room to find Loki sitting, hands folded neatly in his lap, on the couch. He looked at me with a raised eyebrow. He seemed to be questioning the modesty of my towel. I straightened my back to say that I had no problems with my choice of after shower garb, and walked back to my guest room.
I spent longer than necessary rummaging through the closets. At first I felt like I was looking through an unusual second hand store. The array of clothing was amazing. I found business attire, cocktail dresses, job uniforms, furs, t-shirts, undergarments whose purposes escaped me, various components of fat suits, and even a few Halloween costumes. There was a closet dedicated to men's clothing as well. It took me a moment to realize that this house was not owned by a family, but by an accomplished spy. The men's clothing made more sense after that realization. I finally found the section of the closets containing the most basic items and selected pieces from there. I also took a while sifting through the drawers of undergarments. Despite the impressive variety of sizes and styles, I had a hard time finding ones acceptable for me.
By the time I had found a pair of sweats that fit decently, the scent of Steve's food was sending my gut into a frenzy. I was incredibly hungry. I practically ran back through the house and into the kitchen. Steve was shoveling omelet onto two plates already containing hash browns and toast. I sat down at the place opposite Steve. He finished dishing out food and took his seat. I picked up my fork and began to eat. The omelet was filled with cheese and vegetables. Despite the fact that the eggs were powdered and the vegetables canned, the meal was delicious. I had finished my whole plate by the time Steve had eaten half of his. I finished off the last gulp of powdered orange juice and leaned back in my chair.
"Steve," I said. "Why did you decide to help us?" Rogers swallowed a bite of omelet. "I believe that I have a duty to do what is right. I also have a duty to my superiors, but I think that that duty is nullified when the superior is morally wrong." He clenched his fist on the table. "I am not as concerned with what is done with a war criminal, it is the innocents and civilians that I am sworn to protect." He took a swig of juice and continued. "I didn't want to see you hurt" Steve's gaze met mine and I could see how intensely he felt. I was at a loss for words.
I broke the contact and moved to take my dishes to the sink. I lingered at the faucet, debating how to respond. Not finding an answer, I moved to leave. Upon reaching the living room doorway, I felt compelled to say something.
/
Steve let his thoughts flow, unfiltered, to answer Elizabeth's inquiry. He watched her confused reaction and wondered if it was right of him to burden her with his thoughts. She was already struggling under the weight of her own experiences and the strange relationship she has with Loki. Rogers recognized her ever present denial of the situation as a symptom of dealing with it. She maintains the belief that she can return to her previous life and that these experiences are happening as a brief sidetracking of her life. Steve knew that Elizabeth was aware her belief was wrong, but she ignored that fact by separating her life into what was happening, and what she had originally planned for herself.
When Elizabeth left the table, Rogers did not expect a response from her at all, so he was pleasantly surprised when she paused in the doorway. "Thank you," she said quietly, "for everything." With that, she turned and left. Steve sat at the table a while longer, letting the meaning of her words settle over him. He felt a tension disappear from his chest. He was doing the right thing.