#Captain America: The First Avenger 10th Anniversary Challenge

[wiypt-writes]

Stark Spangled Rebirth

Chapter 5: Rescue And Requisition

Summary: Steve, aided by Peggy and the Stark siblings, heads to the HYDRA base on a rescue mission, but little does he know Katie has a mission of her own.

Warnings: Bad Language words.

Pairing: Steve Rogers x OFC Katie Stark

Word Count: 8.2k

A/N:  This series is my contribution of sorts to the CATF 10 Year Anniversary Challenge.  As always, some creative liberties taken. And for anyone who is interested, Katie uses the term Midnight Requisition which is a military term- “To steal, scrounge. To acquire supplies for a unit from another without their approval or knowledge, usually after business hours/dark.” 

This is the LAST catch up post, Chapter 6 onwards is NEW CONTENT!!! And continues the story, I’m so PLEASED finally to be able to share it!

Disclaimer: This is a pure work of fiction and classified as 18+. Please respect this and do not read if you are underage. I do not own any characters in this series bar Katie Stark and the other OCs. By reading beyond this point you understand and accept the terms of this disclaimer.

SSR Masterlist // Main Masterlist

Chapter 4

As soon as Howard Stark saw Steve, the Inventor’s face split into a huge grin and he shook his hand with vigour. Katie then explained that they needed his help to go rogue and bust the men out from behind enemy lines, causing her brother’s face to split into a huge grin and nod. The three agents quickly bustled around Howard’s tent, Peggy and Katie talking in low, hushed voices as they hurriedly grabbed various pieces of equipment before the four of them quietly and efficiently left the base, Howard slipping the guards on the perimeter gate a decent wad of cash for their silence.

It took them a little over an hour and was just starting to go dark when they reached the private airfield where Howard had stationed his plane. The waning light suited them, as Katie pointed out, it would be easier for them to operate under the cover of darkness, less chance of being detected. More money exchanged hands, something Steve had always hated, the fact that money seemed to be able to buy you anything you needed no matter how morally corrupt, but at that moment he couldn’t have given less of a shit if he tried. Before long they were in the air, Howard informing them that the trip of just over a hundred and fifty miles would take them roughly an hour and a half, which was far less than the four hours or so he anticipated it would have taken Steve in the jeep.

“You’d have run out of gas after about fifty clicks.” He had teased the soldier who had inwardly groaned as Howard pointed out the flaws in his plan. But then again Steve hadn’t been thinking all that much had he? He never did when it came to the people he cared about. He was a jump first, think later kind of guy, and the serum hadn’t done anything to change that part of his personality.

“So we’re here…” Peggy spoke, leaning forward slightly in her seat opposite Steve, pointing to the map in her hands as he checked the straps on his chute. “The HYDRA camp is in Kreischberg, tucked between these two mountain ranges.” She moved her finger a little right and from the distance it travelled and the scale on the map, Steve estimated they were no more than five miles out.

“Looks like a factory of some kind.” Katie mused, glancing at the map where she sat next to Peggy, flicking her braid back over her shoulder.

“We should be able to drop you right on the doorstep.” Howard called from the front of the aircraft, which was now shaking slightly with a mild bout of turbulence.

“Just get me as close as you can.” Steve called, before he looked back at Katie and Peggy, his voice dropping slightly. “You know you three are gonna be in a lot of trouble at the lab.”

“What else is new?” Katie shrugged, and Steve heard Howard chuckle.

“I’m surprised Old Chester ain’t sent you packing yet, Kiddo.”

“Well like you’re his best mechanical engineer, I’m his best front line agent.” She shrugged, “no offence, Peg.”

“None taken.” Peggy said somewhat sardonically, before she snorted. “We all know I’m the brains behind this operation.”

“Don’t hear me arguing.” Katie shrugged before she looked at Steve. “And you’re gonna be in just as much trouble.”

“Well, where I’m goin’, if anybody yells at me I can just shoot ‘em.” Steve replied, grinning a little. His spirits had been lifted exponentially now he was actually about to do something worthwhile, despite the fact he knew he was going to literally leap feet first into danger.

“They will undoubtedly shoot back.” Peggy fixed him with a look.

“Well,” Steve looked round at his stage prop shield that he had brought with him, which was leaning against the wall of the aircraft, “let’s hope it’s good for somethin’.” His knuckles rapped on the metal as Katie gave a little shake of her head and a side smirk, bending over to check the laces on her boots.

“Agent Carter, if we’re not in too much of a hurry I thought we could stop off in Lucerne for a late night fondue.” Howard called over his shoulder from the front of the plane and there was a moment’s silence as Peggy shifted a little awkwardly on the seat.

“Jesus, Howie, really? You’re doing this now?” Katie groaned as her brother chuckled.

“Hey, you asked me to come on this kamikaze mission.” He shot back. “I was just trying to lighten the mood a little.”

As the two siblings began to bicker Steve glanced at Peggy as he tugged on his gloves and the Agent rolled her eyes slightly. “Stark is the best civilian pilot I’ve ever seen. He’s mad enough to brave this airspace, we’re lucky to have him.”

“So are you two…do you…” Steve waved his arm between Peggy and Howard “…fondue?”

Peggy looked at him, completely ignoring his question and Steve supposed he couldn’t blame her, it was a personal question after all.  His eyes then flicked to Katie who had stood up and was making her way towards the cockpit, swaying a little with the motion of the aircraft. With a swift flick of her hand she slapped Howard round the back of the head.

“Ouch, Kiddo! Do you want me to crash this thing or what?”

“Stop being a schmuck.” She shot at him before Peggy extended her arm towards Steve, a device held in her hand.

“This is your transponder. Activate it when you’re ready and the signal will lead us straight to you.”

Steve took it from her. “Are you sure this thing works?” he looked at it a little sceptically, turning it over in his hand, his attention flicking to the cockpit.

“It’s been tested more than you, pal.” Howard shot over his shoulder and Steve looked at him before his eyes flicked to Kate who was looking out of the cockpit window straight ahead of them. She raised her arm and pointed at something, her eyes narrowing in concentration.

“Howie…” she began to speak but before she could finish her sentence the plane lurched violently sideways and Steve gripped onto the side as the sky was suddenly filled with flashes and bangs from anti-aircraft shells which exploded all around them. Realising that it was now far too dangerous for them to take him any further, Steve shot to his feet and made his way to the door, grabbing his shield as he went.

“Get back here! We’re taking you all the way in!” Peggy’s voice rose but for the first time since he’d known her, Steve completely ignored the agent, exhaling loudly before he dropped and shuffled to the edge of the plan.

“As soon as I’m free, you turn this thing around and get the hell outta here!” he turned and looked up at Katie and Peggy.

“You can’t give us orders!” Katie scoffed, her hands on her hips.

“The hell I can’t!” Steve looked up at her, unable to stop the cheeky little smirk playing on his face, “I’m a Captain!” and with that he pulled his goggles down and flung himself out into the starry sky. The noise was deafening as he plummeted through the air, the sheer force of falling whipped his body with such ferocity he was sure his hair was going to fly clean off his head. With a sharp tug of the rip cord he deployed his chute and with a sharp jolt he was pulled upwards slightly before he began to fall at a much more civilized pace.

After what seemed like an age, Steve’s sharp eyes spotted the ground rising towards him and he landed heavily in a thud. With an easy, fluid motion he yanked his parachute down to the ground and then untangled himself from the harness. Once he was free, he glanced around and realised he’d landed on the outskirts of a thick, wooded area, the earthy smells of pine, dirt and damp filled his nostrils. He took a moment to get his bearings, pulling out the compass he had in his pants. He knew that from the direction the aircraft had been travelling in he needed to head due north. As the needle settled on the point, he realised he was currently facing East so he spun to his left and was just about to set off at a run when he heard something flying in heavily from above.

He spun round, just in time to see another chute sailing towards him and in a flash he whipped out his pistol as whoever it was landed with a thud some hundred yards or so behind him..

“At ease, Soldier,” a familiar voice, soft and quiet in the cover of night, spoke and Steve felt a cold feeling of utter shock and horror fill his chest.

“What the hell are you doing here?” He hissed as he strode towards Katie who was now untangling herself from her harness.

“Same thing as you.” She replied flippantly as she took a look around and began to take a few steps away from him.

“Are you insane?” He glared at her, his hand wrapping around her arm to stop her. He could have sworn she felt the tremble in his finger tips if it weren't evident in his voice.

“Not last time I checked, no.” She wrenched free of his uncharacteristically brash grip and spun to face him, her eyes blazing at him in the dim moonlight.

“You could get yourself killed!” He pressed, his voice carrying a little more than he'd liked. He failed to keep the element of concern out of it.

“Keep your voice down!”

“Damned it Katie, this wasn’t part of the plan!”

“No, it wasn’t part of YOUR plan.” She shot back. “It was, however, always part of mine and Peg’s.”

“Peggy knows about this?”

“Of course she does.”

“And Howard?”

“No way,” Katie snorted. “I'd guess Peggy is currently getting the full force of one of his verbal bashings.” At that she pulled out her compass. “We need to go North.”

“I know.” Steve said a little sullenly, a growl in his chest.

“So let’s move. Sooner we can fulfil our missions, the better.”

The plural of the word didn’t pass him by and through the downright anger and frustration, and dare he say it, fear he was feeling at the current situation, his logical side started to kick in and he knew there was nothing he could do about any of this now, bar keep her safe. So with a sigh, he shook his head and turned to follow her as she’d begun to walk away, his brain registering her last words.

“Missions?” he asked, stressing the word. “We have more than one?”

“One each.” Katie shot over her shoulder. “You’re on a rescue mission. Mine’s more of a midnight requisition.”

“Midnight requisition? For what?”

“Intel, tech, anything we can get our hands on.” She picked up her pace, scrambling up a slight incline. “I told you in the plane, I’m a damned good field agent and this isn’t my first raid. We’ve done a few over the past couple of months. But they’ve all been bust, well almost all anyway.”

“Bust?” Steve frowned “How?”

“They were smaller Nazi controlled labs.” She continued to speak as she weaved through the forest “The more we raided and the more intel we gathered, the more it became apparent we were right, Schmidt is marching to his own tune.” She paused and looked around. “The fight at Azzano wasn’t his first move, he advanced a load of troops into Norway a month or so ago of his own accord. Then, at Azzano, he opened fire on both Allied and Nazi troops alike.  My guess is, and Peggy agrees, that this base will likely be under his control alone. And probably house more information about where his other ones are hidden.”

“Others?”

“This won’t be the only one.” Katie shrugged as she looked at her compass and turned right. “And without that information, Steve, we’re fighting blind. We can’t defeat HYDRA if we don’t know where they are.”

“You should have told me.” He replied, his tone still a little sullen. He didn’t like being in the dark.

“What, so you could blow the plan in front of my brother?” She scoffed. “He’d have refused to take us had he known what I was planning, he was bad enough when I had a full troop behind me.”

“You led a troop?”

“Don’t sound so surprised.” She chuckled. “You know I’m actually an ‘honorary’ Lieutenant, thanks to Colonel Phillips. Didn’t go down well at first, most of the men weren’t keen on taking orders from a woman.”

“So that’s what you meant when you called them all jerks earlier by the stage.” Despite himself Steve felt a smile curl across his face.

“Yup. They soon fell in line when a few of them ended up with my fist in their mouth. Not to mention a good number also found themselves on the end of a Phillips’ Special.”

“A Phillips Special?”

“Yeah, the term coined for when they’re stripped naked and made to run ten miles round camp by the Colonel.” She shrugged. “For all his bluster, Chester’s actually been really supportive of both me and Peggy. That, and he doesn’t like subordination in any form.”

“You don’t say.” Steve muttered as Katie continued, her foot-falls light and quiet as she weaved her way through the thicket of the trees.

They continued for about an hour, alternating their pace between a jog and a fast walk. Had Steve been on his own he no doubt could have run the entire distance a lot faster but he didn’t raise that issue, and there was no point being frustrated about it either. Firstly, there was nothing he could do about it, secondly, to be fair, Katie kept up a decent enough pace and thirdly, had he been running as fast as he could have he would no doubt have run straight into one of the various HYRDRA patrols they encountered within the woods. As it happened, the pace they were going at was perfect for his sharp senses to alert him whenever a passing patrol was near, enabling them to duck out of sight.

Eventually, the trees began to thin out and through the gloomy mist that had descended, which he had to admit was incredibly useful to keep their presence as covert as possible, Steve saw the perimeter fence and gate to the camp. He stopped dead, his arm out causing Katie to also pause and as he studied the gate, trying to figure out the best way in, he heard the rumble of trucks coming from his side. He spun just in time to see them approaching down the road which led through the wooded area and he crouched down, pulling Katie down with him.  

“Reckon you can make the last one?” He asked, turning to face her.

“Yeah.” She nodded. “They’re not going too fast.”

Steve took another look around before he nodded and the two of them ran for the last truck, Katie springing up first and he heard her give a little sigh as he pulled himself up over the tail gate. “Crap.”

The reason for her curse soon became apparent as Steve landed in the back of the truck and came face to face with two HYDRA guards.

"Fellas." He nodded. There was a split second and they both lunged at him at the same time. He pushed Katie a little harshly to the right as he hit one with straight punch to the face, the other dropping with a groan as Katie had connected a well-aimed boot to his stomach. As both guards tried to scramble to their feet, Steve grabbed both their heads, smashing them together like a pair of cymbals before he tossed them straight out of the back.

“Impressive.” Katie looked at him, smirking and Steve rolled his eyes as she turned and looked carefully through a small tear in the side of the canvas of the truck. “They’re taking us straight in.”

“And then what?”

“I dunno, you tell me, you’re the Star Spangled Man with a Plan after all.”

“Oh for the love of…this isn’t some kind of fucking day’s outing!” He practically exploded and Katie groaned.

“Lighten up, Steve.” She turned away, looking back through the hole in the side of the truck. “It was a joke.”

“Well I see nothing funny about any of this, at all.”

“And you think I do?” Katie turned, her eyes once more full of an angry fire. “Let me tell you, Captain, my unit has seen things these last four months that no one should ever have to see. And you know how we dealt with it? By NOT dealing with it.” She brushed a piece of hair off her face. “We joked, made light of the situations we found ourselves in because they were downright fear inducing, and if we didn’t none of us would have lasted five minutes. So take that stick out of your ass and stop being so goddamned self-righteous.”

Steve blinked, but before he could respond to her angry outburst the truck slowed and then began to reverse. Eventually it came to a stop and Steve could hear someone at the tail of the truck so he gestured for Katie to get behind him, which she did. He simply raised his shield in front of his body and waited. The flap to the back of the truck opened and without hesitation Steve smashed the shield straight into the guard’s face, sending him flying backwards. Quickly and quietly, shield on his arm, he jumped out of the truck, turning to help Katie down and the pair of them turned left, jumping off the raised loading platforms and jogging, all the time keeping their bodies stooped and low.

There were lines and lines of tanks emblazoned with the HYDRA symbol and the two of them shared a glance at one another. It was clear to Steve that Katie and Peggy were right, Schmidt had been gearing HYDRA up to be far more than a science division for some time if this equipment was anything to go by. Together, they weaved their way through the lines of armoured vehicles, taking care to keep to the shadows and out of sight as they made their way towards a smaller outbuilding that looked like it led into the main base.

“Come on.” Steve gently nudged Katie and the pair of them ran across the ground. Steve hopped up onto a tank that was conveniently parked by the annex, offering his hand to Katie to pull her up. They both scrambled onto the flat roof and ran, hopping up onto a slightly higher roof before they reached a set of metal steps which led up the side of the huge base. Katie went first, scrambling as fast as she could up them where she paused on a platform approximately halfway up. She nodded to a thick, iron door which led inside the building and Steve moved to try it, shaking his head.

“It’s locked.”

“Yeah, and you have the strength of like thirty men or whatever.” She rolled her eyes “Open it.”

He looked at her, narrowing his eyes at the fact she was bossing him around but he didn’t argue. He moved towards the door, shaking his head “This isn’t gonna-“ he gave a sharp tug and with a squeal the door pulled straight off the hinges “-work.” He finished lamely, looking from the door to Katie who stood there, arms folded, smirking.

“If only you had as much faith in you as I have.” She said a little sardonically and once more he glared at her. Pulling out her pistol Katie made to go in the door and Steve put his arm out.

“No, I’ll go first.” He stopped her.

“That’s not gonna work because you need to prop the door back up, so when that guard patrol comes back it doesn’t look like someone broke in.” She shook her head. Steve let out an exasperated sigh, more frustrated that she’d pointed out yet another potential issue he hadn’t considered in his haste and she smiled at him, “This is what I’m trained in, stealth.” She shrugged

She stepped inside, keeping herself flattened to the wall as Steve followed, leaning the door back up before he paused as they both looked around, finding themselves in a corridor of sorts.

“Any ideas on which way?” He asked and Katie pondered for a moment.

“Well, the front of the camp is left.” She frowned and Steve nodded his agreement.

“So we go right.”

“Yup.”

“Keep behind me, stay in the shadows.” He couldn’t help himself but instruct her, but to her credit she didn’t argue, merely gave him a little salute as the two of them set off through the factory.

A short while later they reached another door, only this one was guarded, they could see through the etched glass window embedded within it. Steve signalled to Katie to keep back before he knocked. The guard turned and came towards them, and as soon as the door opened Steve punched him hard in the face before smashing his head between the door and the wall. As the guard went down he caught him, pulling him silently out before the two of them headed inside, taking care to shut the door behind them. They appeared now to be in the main munitions storage area of the factory, and it was busy. Guards swarming all over, people driving pickups laden with crates, and each soldier seemed to be carrying guns powered by some form of liquid that was glowing a bright, cobalt blue.  

They dodged between aisles, using whatever they could to keep out of sight and as they snuck between a collection of huge metal containers of some kind, they both paused as they spotted what appeared to be racks of small, rectangular shaped metal items all containing the mysterious blue liquid. It was eerie, like nothing Steve had ever seen before and he gently moved to a closer look, picking one up.

“What the hell is that?” Katie whispered as he turned it over in his hand.

“I have absolutely no idea.” He shrugged “Except, to state the obvious, it looks like some kind of grenade. But, I’ve never seen anything like it before.”

“We should take them back to the lab.” She stated and Steve nodded his agreement, sticking the item into the pocket of his fatigues before they set off to continue their search heading even deeper into the base.

After another fifteen minutes or so of dodging as many HYDRA agents as they could, and subduing the ones they couldn’t, they reached a large room deep in the belly of the base and Steve took a deep breath as he looked around the room at the huge metal cages that contained easily over a hundred soldiers, if not two. He felt Katie still besides him as she also glanced around, her eyes flashing as she scanned the room, her attention instantly shooting upwards when they saw a warden walking above the cages on some kind of gangway, in which the large, circular tops of the cages were embedded. Steve also spotted another guard weaving his way amongst the large cells on the floor and took a deep breath.

“Right,” he turned to Katie. “I’ll take the one up top first, then I’ll drop down and-“

Katie took an exasperated breath, “don’t you trust me or something?” She hissed.

“Of course I do, but-“

“Then you go up high, I’ll take the one down below. I can do this, I’m not some fairy-tale princess that needs protecting. And whilst I appreciate your chivalry, as well you know, now is not the time, Soldier.”

Steve inhaled deeply and looked at her, her green eyes bored into his and he gave her a sharp nod deciding to go along with her, despite every part of his brain screaming at him not to.  Without looking back, he ran around the side of the large room and found a set of metal steps which led up the side. He took them two at a time and then continued along the raised platform that ran round the side of the room, crouching as he went to keep out of the dim light that the small, barred windows let in. He spotted the guard coming his way and ducked even more, waiting, and once the man was within reach he grabbed his shield from his back and swung it with a huge arm straight at his face. The guard topped backwards and landed heavily on top of one of the cages out cold.

As Steve moved and began to search the guard for his keys, all the prisoners stood up, their eyes wide with shock and surprise.

“And who the hell are you supposed to be?" One of them spoke as the rest continued to simply stare at him in stunned silence and he didn’t miss the way a few of them eyed him up and down, taking in his helmet and shield painted in the stars and stripes of the American Flag.

“I’m…” Steve answered a little breathlessly as he hesitated for a moment as he began to look around for Katie, but he found no sign of her, “Captain America." He finished a little lamely, glancing back down.

"I beg your pardon?" Another man spoke, this one in a British accent as Steve grabbed the keys from the guard’s belt and ran back the way he had come. As heard he ran across the floor to the first cage, he heard the hisses and rumbles of excited murmurs he glanced up to see Katie jogging towards him.

"Merde," one of the prisoners uttered as all heads turned in her direction.

“Language!” Katie turned her eyes to the soldier who had spoken, giving a slight smirk which the man returned as Steve unlocked the cage he was in.

“You okay?” He asked Katie as they moved to the next cage and she nodded.

“Yeah, took him down with a choke hold then kicked him in the face for good measure,” she shrugged as they moved down to the next cage, then the next.

“Well, well, well, Lady Lieutenant!” A tall, wide man spoke and Steve saw Katie’s head snap in his direction, her smirk turning into a huge smile. “What took you so long?”

“Got here as fast as I could. I'll be outta here just as fast when Phillips finds out where I am.” Katie grinned, before she shook her head and sighed, her voice cracking. “Damned it Dum Dum, we thought you were all dead!”

“Take more than that to get rid of us.”

Systematically, they moved through the room, unlocking each cage as they went until they reached the last one, all the time Steve scanning the faces of the prisoners all as they all emerged, shaking hands and hugging one another. But the face he had been hoping to see wasn’t amongst any of them.

"Are there any others?" Steve whispered, pushing his way between the man he knew only as Dum Dum and an Asian man who was holding his dog tags up, looking slightly affronted.  “I'm looking for a Sergeant James Barnes." He asked, turning to the British soldier who began walking alongside him and Katie.

"There's an isolation ward in the factory, but no one has ever come back from it." The British Man spoke.

“Alright,” Steve spoke, considering his options as he continued walking towards the door through which they had entered. "The tree line's northwest, about eighty yards past the gate. Agent Stark knows where it is.” He stopped and turned, nodding towards Katie, his eyes returning back to the group of men “You follow and take your instructions from her, you got it?”

The British man and a few others began to nod, the excitement and anticipation of a fight was easily sensed and Katie stepped forward, shaking her head.

“Steve,” she began to protest but this was one order he was not going to let her ignore.

“You said your mission was requisition.” His eyes locked on hers “So use these guys and do it. Get out fast and give ‘em hell. I'll meet you in the clearing with anybody I find inside."

For a moment he thought she was going to argue but she didn’t. Instead, she took a deep breath and nodded, her eyes still locked onto his. In that split second, Steve hesitated. There was so much he wanted to say, but, he couldn’t find the words to express what he was feeling. He wanted to tell her to stay safe, to keep herself out of danger, make sure she got out alive…but instead he looked at her, swallowing and she gave him a soft smile.

“I know.” She said gently, “you too.”

Steve gave her another curt nod, his chest tightening a little as he turned to go.

"Wait, you know what you're doing?" A soldier shouted after him, and Steve looked back over his shoulder about to answer before he heard Katie quip.

“He’s knocked out Adolf Hitler over two hundred times."

The prisoners furrowed their brows, before glancing around at each other with confused expressions on their faces and despite himself Steve gave a little chuckle, looking at Katie’s grinning face once more before he turned around and jogged out of the door, her voice ringing in his ears as she issued instructions to the troops.

“You heard the Captain. Now the base is heavily armed so we’re absolutely going to have to fight our way out. On the way, we grab as much tech and weapons as we can. Not only to use but also for further analysis by my unit….”

Her voice died down as Steve picked up a jog, shield on his back and headed off back the way they had come.  It wasn’t long before a loud siren rang out and Steve took a deep breath, trying to push his worry away as shouts and loud explosions boomed in his ears, signalling the fight had begun. He continued making his way into the factory, fighting his way through a number of guards easily as gunfire sounded all around him, the angry yells and screams of fighting filled his ears as the freed prisoners began to engage with the HYDRA soldiers.

He fought his way up onto the gangway that circled the main factory floor, dispatching another guard with a swift, hard boot to the abdomen that sent him flying over the railing and he took a look around, the sheer size of the factory floor catching him off guard for a moment before he remembered what he was here to do. Pulling out his pistol he turned right, jogging round the gangway until he hit a dimly lit corridor. He continued round and, as he quickly made his way through in search of the isolation ward, he saw a short man in thick glasses, carrying a briefcase and a number of files in his arms emerge from a room. The man stopped dead, looked at Steve and then turned and sprinted away from him, heading round the corner. Steve began to run after him, but as he passed the room the man had emerged from, he slowed when he heard what sounded like someone talking, mumbling even.

Taking a deep breath, he entered the room, following the sound as it became clearer and then his heart stopped and he grew hot, his breathing deep as he knew that voice. It was weak but still so familiar, even if it had been months since he had heard it.

"Sergeant. 32557…"

He hurried through another door, glancing towards the end of the room and saw the man he’d come to this very place for, strapped to a reclined medical chair.

"Bucky?" Steve shot over, pausing at the side of the chair and looking down at his best friend. Bucky’s eyes didn’t move, instead he kept chanting his rank and number as he stared blankly up at the ceiling. "Oh my God." Steve swallowed was his eyes travelled over Bucky’s body, taking in the restraints that kept him strapped to the chair. He looked tired, weak, sick even, and it hurt Steve to see him in such a state. Bucky had always been the strong one out of the pair of them, normally looking after him. But, well, now it was time to return the favour.  He swallowed and began ripping the straps around him with ease.

"Is that…?"

"It's me. It’s Steve.”

"Steve?" Bucky murmured, his face breaking into a smile as recognition flooded his features.

"Come on." Steve helped Bucky to his feet, holding onto his arms as he steadied himself before he gently reached out and patted the side of his friends face.

"I thought you were dead," Steve sighed as Bucky frowned, his eyes fixed on where Steve’s face would normally have been, and when he instead found himself looking at Steve’s chest, he raised his eyes up wards, puzzlement etched across his face.

"I thought you were smaller.” Bucky swallowed and Steve kept hold of him, helping him to stand upright as he became more coherent. Whilst Bucky was gaining his senses, Steve took a quick glance around and his eyes focussed on a map pinned to the wall, various positions highlighted upon it across Europe. Committing it to memory he then slung Bucky's arm over his shoulder, for the first time ever bearing his friend’s weight.

"Come on," he urged as he began to lead him out of the lab.

"What happened to you?" Bucky asked as Steve pretty much hauled him out of the room, keeping him upright as he stumbled, his feet struggling for traction.

"I joined the Army." Steve replied simply.

As they made their way back down the corridor, Steve felt Bucky becoming able to bear some of his own weight, and then gently nudge at Steve to let him go so he did. Bucky followed behind a pace or two his arm clutched over his ribs.

"Did it hurt?" He suddenly asked.

"A little," Steve replied, his head still looking around.

"Is it permanent?"

"So far."  Steve nodded as they continued.

Suddenly, there was a loud explosion which rocked the factory and the two men paused for a second before they picked up the pace. Eventually they emerged onto the gangway Steve had walked round before and immediately recoiled back as another explosion sent a huge ball of fire up into the air. Steve held his shield up to protect his face as Bucky ducked slightly, his hand gripping one of the railings, other hiding his face.  Turning away from the railings, Steve started to head up a set of stairs immediately behind him, Bucky following. The heat was stifling and it made Steve feel like he was stuck in a furnace as they quickly sprinted up the metal steps and emerged onto another gangway. Taking a right, they began to sprint down it, explosions and flames roaring below them. Steve’s brow beaded with sweat and he wiped it with the back of his hand, taking another look down.  He had no idea whether the fire had been started by the men led by Katie or some self-destruction ploy by HYDRA to prevent any of their plans or weapons getting into their hands, either way he found it hard to care. One less base to deal with he supposed.

“Captain America!”

Steve stopped dead, turning to his left to see two men on the other side of the factory by an elevator door. One was the shorter bespectacled man Steve had seen before, and the other he recognised also, but only from photos. Johann Schmidt, HYDRA leader. He was dressed in a long black trench-coat of sorts, a large silver buckle bearing the HYDRA symbol spanned his waist and he turned towards Steve as he handed the other man a silver briefcase.

“How exciting! I'm a great fan of your films.” Schmidt’s thick German accent carried across the factory as he began to walk over the gangway towards Steve. Steve took a deep breath, his jaw setting as he strode towards the man, the anger surging through his body.  “So, Dr. Erskine managed it after all. Not exactly an improvement, but still impressive."

At that Steve swung his right arm back and bridged the two or so feet in between him and Schmidt with a punch straight to the man’s face, the impact forcing the HYDRA leader back a few steps.

"You've got no idea," Steve snarled.

Schmidt merely smirked, before standing up, cracking his jaw slightly and Steve frowned at the way the right hand side of his face appeared to have sagged away from his eye socket.  "Haven't I?"

Quickly, the man’s fist flew towards Steve, but equally as quickly he raised his shield to block it. The metal vibrated in his hands and to his utter shock the item dented with the force of Schmidt’s blow. It was then that Steve recalled Erskine telling him how the man had taken the serum, and that it had enhanced him too. In a flash he reached for his pistol but Schmidt was too quick and laded a punch straight to the left hand side of Steve’s jaw. He was knocked completely off his feet, falling backwards onto the metal of the gangway, the pistol he had been holding slid straight out of his hand and over the edge. Schmidt advanced towards Steve but he threw all his weight into a huge double kick, which sent the man sprawling backwards.

As Steve got to his feet, the gangway he was on suddenly began to move backwards, separating him from Schmidt who stood up, the two men not moving a muscle as the metal walkway drew them both back to their respective sides.

"No matter what lies Erskine told you, you see I was his greatest success!" Schmidt yelled as Steve stood still, his chest heaving, as Schmidt reached up for his face, grabbing at the skin at the left hand side of his jaw. As Steve watched, to his horror, he began to peel back the skin revealing that it was a mask, and underneath was a grotesque, featureless red skull.

Steve swallowed, his face wrinkling up as he tried to understand what the hell he had just seen. What he was still seeing, for that matter.

"You don't have one of those, do you?" Bucky mumbled, his attention also on the man in front of them.

"You are deluded, Captain. You pretend to be a simple soldier, but in reality,” Schmidt tossed the mask down into the flames, Steve following it with his eyes before he glanced back across the factory room “,you are just afraid to admit that we have left humanity behind.” At that Schmidt turned to his right and walked towards the now open elevator “Unlike you, I embrace it proudly. Without fear!" he gestured with his hand as he made his way into the elevator.

"Then how come you're running?" Steve yelled back. It was a pathetic shot really, all things considered, but it was all Steve could think about saying given what had happened. As expected, Schmidt completely ignored him and merely smirked as he pressed a button to his right and the doors closed.

Steve paused, still not completely sure what the hell had gone on when a large explosion rocked the platform they were stood on, causing both him and Bucky to duck once more from debris that shot up all around them.

They needed a way out. Steve’s eyes fell back on the elevator and he followed the shaft upwards spotting a set of doors right at the top which led, he assumed, to the roof. He followed the line of the ceiling, noticing there was a thin gantry that led over to the side they were on, and he spun round to spot another set of steps which led upwards.

That was it, their only way out.

"Come on," Steve turned around, grabbing Bucky’s arm and leading him to the stairs. "Let's go. Up."

Together they hurriedly climbed and reached the highest walkway that stretched across the factory floor that was now burning, Steve felt, hotter than hell itself. Explosions rocked the catwalks causing everything to shake and Steve glanced at the flimsy gantry that led over to the side they needed to be on, then back to Bucky.

“Let’s go. One at a time.” He moved to help Bucky climb over the railings to allow him to cross first. Bucky made his way tentatively across the thin beam of metal and as he was roughly at the halfway point, it began to give way. Bucky picked up his pace and threw himself off the edge grabbing the railings at the other side, but the gantry collapsed behind him leaving Steve stranded.

Steve watched as Bucky hauled himself over and then tuned to face him, the realisation that Steve was stuck evident on his face as he looked back at him.

"Gotta be a rope or something!" Bucky shouted hopefully. At that point another part of the factory below them fell with a loud crash into the fire below and Steve swallowed, shaking his head.

"Just go! Get out of here!" he bellowed, waving Bucky away. Bucky shook his head, his hands gripping the railing around the walkway.

"No! Not without you!" He screamed back, desperation lacing his tone.

Steve looked over at him, then peered down at the fire, before taking another look up. If he stayed where he was, he was a dead man. If he jumped and didn’t make it, he was a dead man. But if he didn’t jump, well he had no chance of making it at all.

Decision made, he pushed the now broken bars of the railings in front of him, bending it out of the way to create a gap large enough to jump through. He took a few steps back, once more gaging the distance before he sighed and grimaced a little at what he was about to do. His thoughts flashed to Katie, his only comfort out of all of this was that she wasn’t stuck with him now and had a good chance of having made it out. With a deep breath he set off at a sprint before he launched himself off the side, over the huge chasm below. His arms flailed, as did his legs as he spun them to try and maintain momentum, the flames and explosions licking at his boots and with a loud grunt he landed, his arms gripping tightly onto the remainder of the railing beside Bucky. Bucky was quick to grab him, hauling him over, the pair of them falling to the metal walkway. Steve landed with a grunt on his back and took a huge breath, turning to look at Bucky who was led besides him, his chest heaving.  

“Thanks.” Steve panted as Bucky looked at him, incredulously.

“You’re thanking me? Whatever, punk.”

Another large explosion rocked the gangway they were on and they both rolled over, before pushing themselves up, stumbling a little as they made their way hastily through the door, bursting out into the cold night air. Steve took a split second to gather his bearings, his eyes flicking to the front gate of the camp before he located a set of the metal railing type rungs the same as the ones he and Katie had used to gain entry at the side of the building.

“This way.” Steve instructed as he led Bucky towards it, and started to descend, all the time keeping one eye on his friend in case he lost his grip and Steve needed to catch him. When Steve’s feet finally touched down on solid ground he felt like yelling in utter relief, but they weren’t clear yet. Once Bucky landed besides him, they both set off at a sprint across the outside area of the camp. There were still a fair number of soldiers running around but they were too busy trying to escape the burning building to pay him and Bucky any attention. Nevertheless, they kept to the shadows and made their way out of the gate, Steve taking a sharp right following the way he had come with Katie before.

As they walked towards the clearing they were aiming for, the hushed sound of voices and chatter hit their ears and he heard Bucky take a sharp breath.

“Steve?” Bucky asked as Steve continued walking, his feet crunching over the frosty ground under his boots. “Is that…”

“No, it’s not HYDRA.” Steve assured him. “We found a bunch of other prisoners before you, got them out first.”

“We?” Bucky asked, “there was someone else with you?”

“Yeah, it was….” Steve trailed off as they emerged into the clearing and a number of men wheeled round, guns raised. As they spotted who it was, their weapons dropped but before Steve could say anything, Katie pushed through the middle and stopped dead, her chest heaving. She looked a little roughed up- some of her uniform was torn, there was a cut to her right temple, a trickle of blood having seeped down her cheek and the same side of her face looked a little red and bruised, but other than that, she seemed fine.

Steve felt relief flood his system at the sight of her, and without a word he strode quickly towards her and she threw herself at him, wrapping her legs round his waist as he held her tight, one hand supporting her lower back, the other gripping at the back of her head, fisting softly in her untidy hair.

“Thank God.” he mumbled, closing his eyes as he held her close, pressing his face into her hair.

“You’re late.” She stuttered and he let out a splutter of a laugh as he pulled back to look at her. “I thought you were gonna stand me up.”

“Never,” he shook his head, his eyes locking onto hers. They stood still, no attention being paid to anyone around them at all and Steve swallowed, his eyes flicking down to her mouth. His face dropped towards hers, and then a voice spoke from behind them, completely interrupting him and reminding him that firstly he was in the middle of a still heavily occupied with enemy troops forest and secondly, that they were most certainly not alone.

“Well, this is nice.”

Steve closed his eyes and let out a sigh as he set Katie onto her feet, stepping back out of her space, blushing furiously. She peered round him, as he turned and saw Bucky smirking at the pair of them. He jerked his face towards Katie, arching an eyebrow.

“Hey, Doll face.”

“Barnes.” She scanned him up and down, taking in his appearance before she smiled. “Good to see you in one piece.”

“Yeah, I hate to break this little reunion up,” Dum Dum spoke and they all turned to face him, “but I suggest we get moving and tie up with the rest.”

“The rest?” Steve frowned, looking around, and for the first time he noticed that there were a lot less men than he had anticipated “Where…”

“We split into three main groups. We took a few losses but most of us made it. My group managed to take a few vehicles.” Katie explained. “Some kind of tank, two trucks. We also found a huge storehouse too and loaded both trucks with as much as we could take, weapons, ammo, and equipment, what ration packs we could find.” She took a deep breath. “There’s an old abandoned allied base some ten miles South East which someone suggested would be easier for us to hold up in whilst we waited for help. I sent a group ahead with the seriously wounded along with support. Said we would meet them there.”

Steve blinked, astounded at her planning, although he knew he really shouldn’t be. He nodded and then looked around, before a huge explosion made them all jump and Steve turned to see an enormous fireball erupt into the sky signalling that the HYDRA base had finally gone up completely.

“Okay, let’s move.” He instructed, as Katie began to bark out instructions again, before she hurried forward and fell into step alongside Dugan, who pulled out his compass before he pointed and began to bellow out for everyone to make tracks.

“So,” Bucky fell into step alongside Steve, and Steve kept his eyes focussed ahead as they began to walk “Somethin’ going on between you two or…”

“Don’t know what you mean.” Steve replied, but couldn’t help the smirk that spread across his face as he continued to avoid Bucky’s searching glance.

“You’re a punk.” Bucky snorted, nudging him.

“Jerk.” Steve replied simply, the smile on his face growing bigger by the second.

***** Chapter 6

#stark spangled rebirth #steve rogers x ofc #steve rogers x original female character #steve rogers fanfiction #steve rogers #Katie Stark #CATFA 10th anniversary challenge #captain america the first avenger #chris evans #chris evans characters

[sweater-daddiesdumbdork]

Nomads Mission

Summary- 3.1k Nomad Steve Rogers x Reader featuring Natasha Romanoff, Sam Wilson and Red Wing. You might all be wanted by the Government and considered enemies of the state, but that isn’t going to stop you all from doing what has to be done. That includes collecting and destroying any information Hydra might have on the other Avengers. You are all aware of the risks each mission you run has. Warnings- violence. Divider made by @firefly-graphics​ Written for @what-is-your-plan-today​ Captain America: The First Avengers 10th Anniversary Challenge. Picture Prompt used in mood board, Quote Prompt is in Bold. Song lyrics are Vaughan Monroe Red Roses For A Blue Lady and Ev’ryday I Love You (Just A Little Bit More) 

A/N- This is also for your birthday! Happy Birthday and Love you so much. Thank you a thousand times for everything, all the chats, movie dates, getting me up at 3 am to watch The Falcon and The Winter Soldier, dealing with my moments of uncertainty in myself, sharing pictures of the best boys ever, the little terror Thor and big beautiful girl Del. There is so much more, but you get the picture. I hope you have the best day ever with your very own Steve. Much love always babes. 

Chris Evans Characters Masterlist

You and Natasha were ducked behind a wall, waiting patiently for Steve to engage the hostiles. Normally neither of you would be avoiding the action, well equipped between the two of you for hand to hand combat as well as various devices hidden on your persons thanks to Stark. But that wasn't why you two were here. 

Get ready to go. 

Steve's voice echoed in your ear, neither of you answering. It was too risky to confirm with the Nomad. He had to trust you and Natasha just as you both trusted him. 

It wasn't hard to do, so far Steve has never let you down, on and off the field. 

You and Natasha exchanged a look when there was a loud crash, the agents sitting at their computers looking up in shock and arming themselves, most of them streaming out of the room. 

Just a few left, supposed to guard the intel, they would be easy for the two of you. Both you and Natasha broke cover. The second you did, skidding across the floor while kicking out your leg in a well placed aim, the closest one's chair flipped from your foot hooking around it, sending the rather large looking hostile falling backwards unaware. You used the heel of your boot to crash against his windpipe to leave him gasping out clutching at his neck with bulging eyes when you crashed your heel against him again, this time effectively knocking him out. 

Natasha was engaged with the other two when she flicked one of her spider bytes at one and focused on the other when he went crashing down stunned. Knowing she was able to handle the situation, you focused on the computer system, working on crashing into it to pull the intel. 

All the records of previous hits, the wealthy around the world they were dealing with through cash payments or black mail, the next targets on their lists, bank accounts that were laundering funds, anything they might have on the Avengers teams. Sure you, Steve, Sam and Natasha might not be a part of the team anymore, but family was still family, regardless of what happened. The biggest part of the intel you were hoping for, which would be hidden, the locations of experimental facilities trying to make more enhanced people, and you were that close, your fingertips itching as they flew over the keyboard, eyes scanning as you started to take down their security firewalls. “Come on… come on... “  

All those innocent people who had no idea what they were signing up for. Promises made to fix their problems if they let the organization give them experimental treatments. It rarely ended with them surviving. Those that did became tools. So far from what you have seen in the files and person, it was nauseating. You just had to get that information. Your teeth nipped at your bottom lip with anxious energy as you continued. Your gaze once in a while fell to the man crumpled at your feet to make sure he was still unconscious before going back to your screen. 

“You close Y/N?” You heard Natasha across the room, keeping watch at the main entrance to make sure you weren't interrupted. 

“I'm close Nat, another five minutes.” 

You don't have another five minutes Y/N. Sam hollered in the comms, the background noise muffling part of his voice. 

“Four and a half Sam, I know you can give me that.” You muttered when you heard Steve pipe up. 

It's time to go, NOW. Pull back. 

Natasha poked her head around the corner to see a group coming back, racing down the hallway. “He's not wrong Y/N, pull the memory card and let’s go. We will work with what you got.” 

“I'M ALMOST THERE!” You cried out as the loading bar was almost there. “Sam, use Red Wing to scan outside the building? They are in the hallway.” 

Got you Y/N. 

You pulled out your gun, rushing to Natasha who was now crouched, letting off her own shots while trying to duck out of the way from ricochet bullets. 

I told you to get out. Steve snapped in the comms and you took aim, firing back before answering. 

“Steve, it's almost finished. Another 30 seconds and we will pull out.” 

There was a crackle of a curse, you knew Steve was frustrated, but he would have to be frustrated with you later. Just as you ducked out of the way, pings started bouncing off the hallway walls, sharp bullets crashing precisely through cement walls with precision, each person in the hallway slammed from the impact of Red Wings bullets, splattering red against the wall and crumbling. 

“Thanks Sam.” You scramble back to the computer just as it flashed ‘LOADED’ and yanked the chip, slipping it in your suit as Natasha headed out the door, you right behind her. “Left or right?”  

I'm at the west end. Steve informed the two of you which caused you two to turn right in a bolt. Redwing followed along past the windows to cover the two of you. 

Sam piped up in the comms. Why are you thanking me? Thank Redwing. 

“Im not fucking thanking that thing.” Natasha huffed out as she paused at a corner and peaked around it. “I don't trust it.” 

You are gonna hurt his feelings you know. 

She signaled just one and back to back you both stepped out, you guarding her while she picked off the lone agent. “That's why I don't trust him. The last robot that had feelings went crazy.” 

“Thanks Redwing” You muttered to kill the conversation. “Now can we get out of here, please?” Your eyes roving into all the doorways as you passed when Steve yanked open the door at the end of the hallway, waving you two forward. “This end’s clear, let's get out of here.” 

You grinned at him in relief at seeing his shaggy hair falling in his face, a slight cut above his cheek, but nothing more. It was a success, something your little rag tag team needed and he matched your grin. “Get it all.” 

“Every last bit, I think we finally got it.” You loosen your stance the closer you and Natasha get to him. Feeling at ease and your guard dropped seeing Steve. Big mistake. Suddenly Sam yelled in the comm. Y/N on your left! 

You felt hands on your upper arm and gave a yank, pulling you into the room while the steel door slammed. 

“NO!” Steve screamed out and sprinted forward, Natasha already checking the door. The two of them started trying to stronghold it open, Steve grabbing the handle and straining, making the steel groan in protest. 

You weren't even given a chance to see who had grabbed you as you dropped your weight, hoping it would throw him off balance and tumble forward. Instead it rewarded you with a bash of your head into the door, making you see stars while you cursed out at the shock. Dazed you tried pushing away from the force behind you that grabbed the back of your neck to bash your face in once more when you kicked out behind you blindly, hoping for anything that would release that hold on your. 

A grunt and forceful shove of your body sent you bouncing off the steel and you had the sense of mind to roll away while your assailant doubled over. A smirk formed on your face as you slipped your fingers into your suit, drawing out a switchblade you flicked open. You had managed to get the money shot, the kick hitting him right in his groin. 

His head lifted, tears streaming down his face, but murder glaring in his eyes. “You will pay for that Little Girl, your Captain America won’t get in here in time to save his little prize.” 

You shifted to the balls of your feet, swinging the blade in your hand for optimum use. “He has nothing to worry about.” 

His head cocked over at the vibrating steel door that kept rattling in its frame. “Doesn’t look it to me.” 

“Maybe he is trying to get in here to save you from getting your ass kicked by a woman.” His focus on your hand with the knife kept him from noticing you pulling out one of the spider bytes from your belt and flicking it at him, the blue sparks sizzled up his arm making him seize for a second in surprise and you lunged at him, slashing towards his unprotected neck with the switchblade. 

He managed to pull away at just the right second, getting a good gash on his jaw instead. His anger propelled him forward, the two of you colliding together. His blows hurt with the force behind them, but you were agile with ducks and sways, using the blade to nick him in various areas whenever you were in arms length, switching to kicks, purposely aiming at his weak points. “You little bitch!” he grabbed at your hair, wrenching at your head to push you around. You spun in the action ignoring the searing pain to land your heel into his shin, hearing the distinct crack that sent both of you to the floor. His next scream was one of pain. 

“The Nomad’s little bitch.” you hissed while whipping the man to his back, plunging the blade into his neck, and spurting blood all over you in the move when you yanked it out, his struggles were panicked and quickly grew weak as his life was racing out in red spurts and gurgles. “Get it right.” you hissed out at him. 

Steve was losing patience in the few moments him and Natasha were trying to pull the door open. Sam kept monitoring their escape route for any hostiles. “Move Nat.” Steve instructed and wrapped his hands around the handle. Natasha stepped aside while Steve's foot lifted and planted on the wall next to the door. 

He pulled back with everything in him. His muscles straining under his suit, and his head falling back as he strained, his body vibrating in power as he groaned in exertion. The door started to groan louder, bolts starting to pop around the door. 

“Its almost there Steve!” Natasha encouraged and he gave a yell from exertion, wrenching the door to swing open freely, the bolts popping and the locking mechanism from the other side completely crushed out of shape. Natasha sprang inside, Steve crowding behind her to see you wiping the blade on the agent's shirt, then lifting your sleeve to swipe at the blood on your face. 

Steve brushed past Natasha, holding out his hand to help you to your feet and grasping at your face to have you look at him. “Damn it, are you okay.” His eyes worriedly search for any injuries and you grasp at his wrists to ease his hole. 

“I’m okay Steve… it's okay.” You assured him while bringing his hands down, giving a reassuring smile. “Promise, I shouldn't have let my guard down.” 

“He caught us both by surprise.” Natasha pipped up while checking the body to see if he had anything that would further there intel gathering mission. But nothing was to be found, so she pushed back to a stand and pressed her finger to her comm in her ear. “Back en route Sam, we're heading home.” 

‘Bout time, still clear. Let’s get out of here. 

The trio made their way from the room and bolted out the west end door, mission complete. 

The water pressure was wavering in and out just as you were rinsing the soap off your body, the heat fluctuating too, but you didn't care that the rundown shower was starting to give out. It felt good on your slightly battered body and you were grateful to have it to come back to. As far as hideouts, this one was one of the better ones Steve had managed to secure for the group. Small efficiency apartments in a long forgotten apartment building. The owners were an older retired couple in Florida most of the year, giving them the privacy that a hideout required. 

You hummed to yourself as you ran a towel through your hair and slipped into shorts and one of Steve’s shirts, picking at the necks hem to your nose, inhaling slightly. It reminded you of your old home you two shared before all this happened. 

The old Brooklyn Brownstone apartment felt like a lifetime ago now and as much as you missed it, you wouldn’t change where you were now with everything that happened. Hanging your towel up, you flicked off the light as you left and paused in the doorway to glance in the efficiencies space. A bed barely big enough for the two of you made up one corner with an old tv that you nor Steve once turned on since using this place. Across the room was a small kitchenette where you could see Steve at now, the slight sway of his shoulder muscles pressing through the fabric of his shirt showed him stirring. A drop to your sight showed two soup cans, the simple quick dinner for both of you. You smiled to yourself feeling affection blossom in your chest at the sight. Maybe neither of you were home in that Brownstone. But that's not what made it home. 

It was Steve, it had always been Steve since you knew you loved him.

You made your way into the room and paused at one of the features of this apartment you did love in this old building. An old record player was sitting in the dusty corner when you two first arrived, along with a handful of records. This time you shifted through them, pulling out a Vaughan Monroe’s greatest hits. Easing the record into the cradle, you flicked it on to spin. You noticed Steve tilt his head to listen as you eased the spindle down in the spinning record. 

The cackle smoothed out to the smoothness of a slow tune.

I want some red roses for a blue lady,

Mister florist take my order please...

Steve twisted the stoves nob down low with a final stir of the soup before turning towards you. His hand held out for you while you slipped yours into it and drew you closer to him. One of his hands moving to the dip in your waist. 

We had a silly quarrel the other day, 

I hope these pretty flowers chase the blues away…

You hummed along as you leaned into Steve, pressing your face into his chest as the two of you shuffled over ages old linoleum that was peeling in places, in front of newspaper covered windows that was maybe to keep out the cold as well as maintain the security of this hideout. 

I want some red roses for a blue lady, 

Send them to the sweetest gal in town, 

And if they do the trick, I will hurry back to pick, 

Your best white orchid for her wedding gown… 

“Mmhh, thank you for cooking us something Steve.” You muttered against the center of his chest, tilting your head up to look at him. His beard was getting shaggier now, but it did nothing to hide the angles of his jaw as hard as it tried, nor his lips that fell to press against your forehead in a gentleness that not many got to see from him. One of your arms circled around his neck to hold on as Steve led you away from the stove towards the center of the room, the single light above them casting shadows around the two of you. 

Here it was just the two of you, following the gentle tones of Vaughan Monroe as he sang about picking his best girl flowers. This was home, right here together. 

“Thank you for insisting on getting that intel. Sam stopped in while you were in the shower. Natasha is shifting through it all now. There's a lot, more than any of us expected.” His fingers flexed through his shirt, sliding from grasping your hip to the small of your back, pressing you in close while gentle sways took over both of your bodies. 

We had a silly quarrel the other day,

I hope these pretty flowers chase her blues away…

“Anytime, I don't mind defying your commands and doing what I want anyways.” You teased, drawing him into a genuine laugh as he shook his head, dropping a signature reprimanding glare at you. One you wouldn’t take seriously this time. 

“Why does that not surprise me.” He scoffed as you tangled your fingers in the longer strands at the nape of his neck, pressing down so you could arch to your tiptoes to press your lips against his own, letting the two of you get caught up in the moment together. 

“Cause you know me so well Rogers?” Once you two parted you inquired. “That soup is heated through Handsome.” 

“Damn straight I do Sweetheart. It can wait, it's not often I get to slow dance with my best gal.” Steve countered and you arched a brow up at him as you two danced back towards the stove, you reached to flick off the stove with a smile before the two of you moved back through the small space of the room. 

“You are not even the least bit tired?” 

A bit of a secret smirk played the corner of his mouth, lifting it as his eyes roved over your shoulder, studying something before going back to you. 

“I can do this all day, Sweetheart.” Steve whispered to you and moved his hands to grasp your hips gently, giving a slight toss so you landed on the squeaky mattress with a yelp of surprise while he followed you over the bed, hands planting by your head as he nipped at your chin and along your jawline, your hands moving to tangle in his hair while you giggled at the sensations of his affection. 

“Oh you plan on showing me Nomad?” 

He pressed a smile against your neck, muttering. “All night too if that's what it takes.” 

The gentle song turned upbeat to an upbeat one, filling the room with the lyrics as you wrapped your hand into Steve’s shirt and pulled him down closer to press you into the mattress as you sought his mouth, whimpering into the kiss you two heatedly shared. 

Ev’ryday I love you just a little bit more, 

Just a little bit more, just a little bit more’

Ev’ryday I want you just a little bit more,

Then I did the day before… 

Tags- @jtargaryen18​ @what-is-your-plan-today​ @stardancerluv​ @patzammit​ @princess-evans-addict​ @fckdeusername​ @onetwo3000​ @stargazingfangirl18​ @navybrat817​ @nekoannie-chan​ @angrythingstarlight​ @ransoms-sweater-holes @donutloverxo​ @natasha-romanova-anon​ @jennmurawski13​ @that-damn-girl @rainbowkisses31​ @pandaxnienke​ @verdandi-storm​ @gotnofucks​ @kelbabyblue​ @sagechanoafterdark​ @archy3001​ @aliceaddellheidde​ @princesssterek​ @goldenfightergir​ @autumnrose40​ @flannellover67​ @itsmycorneroftheinternet​ @bluemusickid​ @jeremyrennerfanxxxx123​ @thatweirdwalangpake​ @sweetllamaparadise​ @badbleep88​ @viinchester​ @babiiface95​

#catfa 10th anniversary challenge #amber writes #sweater writes #nomad steve rogers x reader #steve rogers x reader #marvel fanfiction #steve rogers fanfiction #steve rogers

[secretswiftymarvelfan]

Star-Spangled Man (Steve Rogers X Reader) CATFA 10th Anniversary Challenge.

Word Count: 2.4k

Warnings: Swearing, tad of violence, (Spoilers: Enemies to lovers) 

Summary: You and Cap really don’t get along. Like give each other migraines don’t get along. But when a mission goes south and the both of you are literally trapped together, will true feelings be revealed? 

A/N: This is for @what-is-your-backupplan-today​ Captain America: The First Avenger 10th Anniversary Challenge! An awesome challenge if you want to get involved the link to the prompts is here.

Prompt: Well if it isn’t the star-spangled man with a plan! And what’s your plan today?

My Master List / Challenge Master List (Because we love supporting other people’s work!) 

You weren’t exactly sure what Fury was thinking when he practically forced to join the Avengers. He knew you didn’t exactly get along with them. Well correction you liked and got along with Nat and Clint. Bruce was also nice, Thor too. However stark was incredibly annoying and nobody pissed you off like Captain America.

The hatred towards the star spangled man was based off of the fact he had the biggest ego and a stick up his ass. The first time you ever had to go on a mission with him it nearly end-ed in a physical fight between the two of you. You were swearing at him as Nat and Clint dragged you away.

Before you met him you actually really admired the guy. He was one of your favourite history topics in school and you could remember arguing with your friends over which of the howling commandos was the cutest. And yes you may have favoured the Captain. So when you first got the opportunity to work with him you were so excited. The excitement was soon replaced by frustration when he questioned every choice you made and would treat you like a rookie. Despite you working with Shield well before he defrosted.

Quite often post mission you’d be in the gym working out your anger, either via target practice or a punching bag. This is where you currently were, you hadn’t been on a mission. Steve had just managed to piss you off in general.

Every bullet you fired you grumbled to yourself stating everything Steve had done to aggravate you.

“Surprised you didn’t add a star on the chest and an A on the head” Nat says grabbing your attention.

“I was tempted but that was too much effort, my imagination is good enough” you tell her not taking her eyes off the target as you shot another couple rounds.

“What did he do this time?” Nat asks picking up her own gun to join you.

“Same old same old, being hard ass about everything. Like seriously who does he think he is, insinuating I can’t do simple things. I’ve been doing this shit for years, well before he came out of the ice” you grumbled reloading your gun.

“I don’t know why Fury put me here, he knows I hate working with him yet he won’t let me leave” you add firing another round.

“Well you’re a good addition to the team and he was probably hoping you’d kick rogers down a peg or two” Nat tells you as she shoots a couple shots.

You shake your head at the idea “doubt it that man’s head is stuck so far up his own ass, he’s practically inside out. It’s impressive he even got it up there considering his inflated ego” you tell her making Nat laugh.

“Why do you care so much about what he thinks? You’ve never cared about what people think before” Nat asks putting her gun down turning to face you.

You turn to face her an incredulous look on your face “I don’t care what he thinks, i know my worth” you state.

“Good because Fury wants you and him to go on a mission together” Nat tells you with a smile.

“Fuck off” you groan shaking your head.

“Briefing is in 5 minutes, it’s my plan so it shouldn’t be too tedious for you” Nat says knowingly taking your gun from you.

“I hate you” you grumble as you follow her out of the gym.

“No you don’t” Nat laughs.

As soon as you walk into the conference room you see Steve sat down at the table.

“Nat no” he complains when he saw you.

“Yes Steve now suck it up” Nat states as you say down beside him.

“Okay the deal is that this arms dealer is throwing this gala. We’re pretty certain that it’s a front for a sale, but either way we need information” nat says pulling up the information on the target.

“Okay so we’ll-“ Steve starts but nat interrupts him.

“The plan is already in place Steve, you two are going in while the target is distracted (Y/N) will go in and get any information possible, while you keep on eye on the target ” nat ex-plains.

“Won’t they know us?” You ask her.

“No you’re still relatively unknown, a simple wig should suffice. Steve however we’ll dye your hair and you need to grow a beard. One last thing... your aliases are gonna be married” nat explains.

“No Nat, come on” Steve says complaining instantly.

“Yes Steve, this is the best way yo get both in there” Nat intersects.

You grumbled to yourself also not liking the idea. You disliked that fact Steve wasn’t happy about it either. Did he really despise you that much. Did he not think you could do it. You clenched your jaw sitting up in your chair.

“When do we go” you ask not missing the incredulous look Steve gave you.

You weren’t enjoying this mission at all. You thought Stark parties were bad enough but at least they were entertaining. This gala was incredibly boring, your company did not help. You had to try your hardest not to look up at Steve in disgust. Especially since you were sup-posed be married. Did kinda help that his blond hair was coloured brown and he’d grown a beard to help hide his identity.

Whenever the two of you walked around the gala he’d have his hand on your lower back. You had to try and not flinch at the spark like feeling whenever he did it. The two of you were currently at the bar, Steve had his arm around your shoulders as you looked around for your target.

“On the dance floor” Steve states flatly.

You have to try and not snap at him as your back bristles and you look over to the dance floor to see your target.

“I saw him” you lie grabbing your glass of wine and taking a large sip.

“Why you still looking around them” Steve retorts with a small scoff.

“Because I’m trying to be subtle unlike someone” you spit glaring up at him.

Steve doesn’t say anything but clenches his jaw and you feel his arm around you tense.

You down the rest of your drink before grabbing Steve’s hand and pulling him towards the dance floor. You turn to face him placing a hand on his shoulder, grabbing his other hand and placing it on your hip.

“Try and not look so uncomfortable” you tell him as the two of you begin to dance and you see him visibly gulp.

“I’m not uncomfortable” he grumbles looking over your shoulder.

“He’s on the move” Steve tells you.

You glance over your shoulder to see your target moving over to the bar.

“It looks like the deal is going down, keep an eye on him while I snoop around” you tell him not waiting for him to protest as you walked away.

You made your way to the targets office, which was surprisingly and stupidly not monitored. Slipping inside you start looking through all the drawers taking photos of everything.

You pause for a moment when you realise how easy this all was. It shouldn’t be this easy right? You push that thought down, your target clearly was an idiot considering the lack of security. This was your job of course you’d find it easy.

You were just about to leave when guards burst through the door quickly surrounding you.

“Whoa whoa whoa, I was just looking for the bathroom” you say playing innocent as you held up your hands.

You see your target walk through the door with a smirk on his face. Where the hell was Steve!

“Give up the act sweetheart, you and cap couldn’t sell being a married couple” he tells you.

You move to make your escape but two large guards grab you quickly pinning you to the floor.

“Maybe but he won’t let you get away with this” you warn him with gritted teeth.

“Maybe but I don’t think he’ll be a problem” the guy states bending down beside you “take her away” he orders.

You try to fight but you feel a sharp prick in your neck and your limbs start to grow heavy. You try and fight the effects of whatever they injected you with but it was no use and you soon slumped in the guards arms.

When you woke back up it felt like you had the worst hangover in the history of hangovers. Sitting up you found your hands and ankles tied together. The room you were in definitely wasn’t the same place as the gala. It was a cold and damp cement cell with no windows.

You tried to free yourself but the it was no use the restraints weren’t budging. You were just hoping that the team knew something was wrong and were trying to find you. You had no clue where Steve was, you assumed he got out but you weren’t sure. Either way you weren’t happy with him, since he was supposed to watching your back.

You question was soon answered when the door to your cell opened and two large guards threw a restrained Steve into the cell.

“Well if it isn’t the star-spangled man with a plan! And what’s your plan today?” You state glaring over at him as he shuffled to a sitting position opposite you.

“Shut up” he grumbled.

“No seriously Steve what’s the plan because we wouldn’t be here if you were watching my back” you argue.

“I was watching your back!” Steve argues back.

“Then how the hell are we in the situation Steve! And you can’t blame me like you normally do because I followed the plan exactly” you yell glaring over at him.

“I don’t always blame you” Steve grumbles shaking his head.

“Yes you do! I don’t know why you hate me so much Steve! But you’re constantly on my case, insinuating I’m doing something wrong or that I’m bad at my job! It’s exhausting!” You cry out swallowing the lump that was forming in your throat. You looked away as your emotions began to get the better of you.

You hear Steve sigh deeply “I’m just trying to keep everyone safe” he says.

“Then why do you treat me differently to everyone else! You aren’t like this with Nat or Clint or even Tony!” You exclaim refusing to look at him.

“Because I don’t care about them as much as I care about you” you hear steve says quietly.

You look back over at him shocked, watching as he refuses to meet your eyes. Looking down at his restraints his fists clenching and unclenching.

“What?” You ask quietly.

“It’s nothing I know you hate me so just forget it okay” he sighs shaking his head sadly.

“Try me” you push making him look up at you.

“I’m on at you so much because if something happened to you I wouldn’t know what to do with myself” Steve admits shaking his head.

You look over at him lost for words at his admission.

“Steve I-“ you start unable to finish your train of thought let alone your sentence.

“It’s fine, I know you hate me its why i guess I’ve been a bit cold towards you. It was easier to pretend to hate you than let myself get hurt” Steve sighs.

“I don’t hate you, you irritate me yeah but I don’t hate you” you tell him making him scoff in disbelief.

“I’m serious, you know before we started working together I admired you, still do if I’m honest. Everything you did in the war and New York. So when I thought you didn’t think I was good enough it hurt because I did want to please you. I only had a problem with you because I thought you had a problem with me” you explain shrugging your shoulders with a sigh.

You hear Steve chuckle slightly “so you’re telling me that all this time we’ve caused each other headaches wasn’t because we hate each other” he says.

“Yep” you agree with a chuckle.

Silence falls between the two of you and you start to mull over what he said properly.

“Steve when you said you cared about me?” You start making Steve look over at you with a small nod.

“Is that care as in friend care? Or care as in more than friends care?” You ask him.

You watch him bit his lips slightly, and you knew he’d probably be scratching the back of his neck if he could.

“As in more than friends” Steve answers looking down avoiding your gaze and you could feel your heart flutter.

You nod your head taking in the new bit of information. You mind starts to replay moments that at the time you thought were only happening because of your distaste towards Steve. But maybes they were because deep down you actually really liked him. Like when you’d feel sparks whenever he touched you.

“Good, because I feel the same” you tell him making him look back at you surprised.

“Really?” He asks.

You nod your head before shuffling over towards him until you were knelt beside him. Lift-ing your hands as best as you could you cupped his cheeks and pressed your lips hesitantly against his.

He instantly responds kissing you back, you could feel him trying to move his hands to you but his restraints stop him.  You couldn’t help but melt into the kiss. Yeah you liked him, you definitely 100% liked him.

The two of you were so preoccupied you missed the sounds of the team coming to rescue you until the cell door opened and you were met with the sight of Tony looking down at you.

“Not a word Stark” the both of you warn simultaneously.

“Not a word just glad the sexual tension finally amounted to something”  Tony says walking in and freeing the both of you.

You just rolled your eyes at him and Steve scoffed quietly.

“The team have the base pretty much secured so we just got to get you to the jet” Tony explains as the three of you start walking out.

Steve halts grabbing your hand also pulling you to a stop. You raise a brow looking up at him about the question him but you don’t get a chance before he grabs you by the hips and crashes his lips against yours.

You smile into the kiss wrapping your arms around his shoulders pulling him closer. You hear tony groan in annoyance but you really don’t care. You were enjoying kissing Steve far too much.

PLEASE LIKE, FOLLOW AND REBLOG. CHECK OUT ALL THE OTHER ENTRIES HERE AND GIVE THEM A LIKE, FOLLOW AND REBLOG TOO! 

#CATFA 10th anniversary challenge #Writing challenge #Steve Rogers #steve rogers x reader #steve rogers x y/n #captainamerica #mcu #marvel #Avengers #The Avengers

[before-we-get-started]

Safe Landing

One shot that is my entry to @what-is-your-plan-today’s #CATFA 10th Anniversary Challenge

Story:  You’re facing the most difficult time of your life and you’re doing it without the person that means the most to you.  Will your seatmates on an important flight help you make it through?

Pairing:  Steve Rogers & Ransom Drysdale x Reader (plus a surprise special appearance!)

Warnings:  Bad language, light smut, angst

10,000+ words

There’s not going to be a safe landing.

It was the unknown that was the hardest.  The what if.  What if you’d taken the time to slow down?  What if you’d given more than you took?  What if you’d appreciated it, not taken it for granted, not just assumed that it would always be there?

You were alone now.  You didn’t have anyone.  It was probably what you deserved.  You’d persevere, you always had, but knowing you wouldn’t have to if you’d been better caused your heart to clench.

The longest flight of your life was coming to an end, and you considered the travelers making this journey with you by chance.  You’d all shared a row on the plane that was taking you to meet your fate.  One - cynical, crass, growing up longing to be loved, incapable of committing, but under it all, possessing a fierce loyalty for those he deemed worthy.  The other – a gentle, loving soul, committed to service with honor and willing to give all, not just for those he loved, but for the greater good.  They were complete strangers who had seeped into your soul, spirits that would forever fill you, thoughts of them making you smile.

For better or worse, they’d helped you navigate the mine field that was your future. Now you’d endure the unbearable wait, the long walk, watching others unite with loved ones, hoping that maybe, despite all odds, there would be a reunion for you too.  You hoped the soul-soothing moments you’d shared with these two travelers over the last three hours would ease you into whatever awaited you at the airport gate.

Despite everything, you wished he’d be there.  

Three hours earlier

“Thank you for flying National Airlines.”  You forced a smile at the flight attendant as you boarded the plane.  It was going to be a full flight and you were stuck in a middle seat.  Appropriate, given the mood you were in.  You waited impatiently as everyone made their way down the aisle, hoisting bags that were too large to fit in the overhead, straps smacking you as they did.  You pitied your seat mates. You were in no mood for idle conversation. Your temper was wearing thin.

Finally reaching row 12, you were thrilled that no one else had arrived. You plopped into your seat, pulled out your compact and opened it, and grimaced as you took a quick look.  There were circles under your eyes, telling everyone you’d not slept well for days.  You’d definitely lost your sparkle.  You swiped some powder over your nose and ran gloss over your lips, something to make you look less stressed.  You opened your backpack and got a whiff of your grandmother’s scent. You ran your hand over her letter, lingering.  With a sigh, you took the cell phone, headphones and book out of your bag, tucked the letter into the book and stowed the bag under the seat in front of you. You found your seat belt and clicked it, giving it a tug.  Whoever was sitting by the window would have to step around you, you weren’t getting up again.  Music on, book open, you pushed all the sad and empty thoughts aside and got lost in another world.

Within a couple of minutes, you heard shouting and pulled off your headphones. 

You looked up to see a tall man in a blue cashmere sweater and gray silk trousers with his finger in the face of an attendant.  

“Let me tell you something.  You don’t know who you’re fucking with.  Drysdales don’t fly fucking coach – ever.  I’ll sue you and I’ll own this stupid airline.”

“Mr. Drysdale, I’m sorry.  This was the seat that was chosen when the ticket was purchased,” said the flight attendant in a surprisingly calm manner.  “This is a full flight and there is no room for you to upgrade to first class.  And despite what you may think, I had absolutely nothing to do with how the ticket was booked, nor do I have any ability to change the fact that you are in seat 12D.  Now, can I help you stow your bag?  I’ll have a cocktail cart here for you soon.”

You thought he might continue the fight, but he didn’t. Instead he slammed his jacket down on the seat next to you and made a show of slinging his bag into the overhead, muttering a string of expletives the entire time.  Then he looked down at you.

“Just fucking awesome,” he said angrily, picking his jacket up and wedging into the seat.  He was tall and he worked to figure out how to fit his long legs in the legroom designated for the impoverished that were banished to coach.  He sighed in disgust, his knees against the seat tray.  

You studied him for just a second, not wanting to stare.  He had a strong profile, chiseled jawline, dark blonde hair perfectly styled.  His skin was gorgeous, with a slight hook in his nose.  You looked down and caught how his biceps were stretching the sweater a bit and his big hands with long slender fingers settled in his lap.  He smelled of expensive cologne – musky and woody, and he probably had a cigarette before he came into the airport.  He laid his head back against the seat and closed his eyes.  You took the hint and put your headphones back in, finding the folded page corner in your book.

Within a minute or so, you were aware of a buzz among the other passengers.  You paused the music and pulled out a headphone, looking around and listening.

“I’m certain that’s him,” whispered the woman behind you.  

“No way.  There’s no way Captain America is sitting in coach,” said her husband.

“Do you think he’d take a selfie with me?” said their daughter.

You couldn’t see anything down the aisle and certainly didn’t want to stretch into your neighbor’s seat space given his attitude about having to fly with the peasants.  No need to stress about it though, because the overhead light was suddenly blocked out by an incredibly wide set of shoulders.  The tall blonde man looming over top of you in the aisle took your breath away.  Ice blue eyes, those shoulders as broad as a building, a t-shirt that was screaming to break free from the massive pecs, abs and biceps it struggled to cover, and jeans that hugged his tree trunk thighs.  You weren’t sure how this guy made it through the door of the plane, let alone how he was going to fit into a seat.  

“I’m sorry,” he said to Mr. Attitude next to you.  “I’m the window.”

“You’ve gotta be shitting me,” said Mr. Drysdale.

The blonde adonis just smiled and apologized again.  “Sorry, I should’ve already been seated, I got held up in security.”

The crab apple next to you rose and stepped out into the aisle. They were both the same height, and you took a long look, your breath catching in your throat.  There was a lot of handsome man standing in the aisle, and they were getting ready to make a hottie sandwich out of you.  You quickly unsnapped your seatbelt and stood so the blonde god could get past.

“Hi,” he said, a smile that revealed his pearly whites taking your breath away again.  “I’m so sorry, promise you won’t have to get up again.”

“No worries,” you barely squeaked out as that incredible ass in those tight jeans brushed past and slipped into the window seat.  You sat down, your arms at your sides, absolutely no room on the armrests for you with all of this man surrounding you.  Holy shit.

You looked to your left and the blonde extended a hand. “Steve Rogers,” he said, that million watt smile on again.  

“I’m Y/N,” you said, feeling the warmth and strength of his hand. How in the hell had you ended up on a flight next to Captain America?  You didn’t think anything could change your mood, but maybe you were wrong.

He extended his hand across you to the aisle seat occupant.  “Steve Rogers,” he said in his sexy baritone. Mr. Drysdale raised an eyebrow in annoyance and hesitated, then quickly shook his hand.  “Ransom Drysdale.  And I shouldn’t be sitting in this seat,” he said sourly.

Steve raised an eyebrow at you and grinned, unsure what to think about your seatmate.  You shrugged and smiled.

“We’ve been cleared for takeoff. Be sure your seatbelts are fastened, all items are stowed and tray tables are up.  We’ll be taxiing out to the runway in a few minutes.” The flight attendant walked up the aisle, making sure all the overhead compartments were secure.

You were glad you had pulled what you needed from your bag when you sat, because it would take a can opener to pry you out of your seat at this point.  You opened the book again and tried to concentrate on the words.  Captain Rogers was settling into his seat, turning off his cell phone and trying to pull the seatbelt around his waist.  With some effort, you finally heard it click.

“These seats are incredibly tight.  I’ve never flown coach before.  It’s crazy how little room there is.”

“Tell me about it,” said Ransom, rolling his eyes.  “When I get home, I’m firing my assistant over this reservation and making sure no one else will ever hire her,” he snarled.

You tried looking back and forth during the conversation, enjoying the view, but even that movement was difficult.

“So I thought Avengers traveled by quinjet,” you said to the captain.

He smiled at you.  “We normally do, but I had to get out of town quickly and there wasn’t one available. My wife is having early labor pains and I need to get to her as soon as I can.”  There was worry in his blue eyes.

“Oh, I love your wife,” you said.  “She’s amazing.  She has raised so much money with her foundation, done so much for so many. She’s an inspiration, and a badass,” you added.

He chuckled.  “Well, her badass days are behind her.  Being a mom kind of makes that difficult.”

You smiled at him and shook your head.  You were conversing with Captain America about his family.  Had this day taken a turn or what?

“I can’t believe they couldn’t find you a private plane or something,” said Ransom.  “I would’ve bitched to the airline if I were you.”

“It’s hard to find air transportation right now with all the events happening here and the weather cancelling flights.  I’m just grateful that I got what I got.  The doctors gave her something to slow her labor so I should get there in plenty of time,” said Steve.

“It’s your second, right?” you said.

“Yes, we have a son.”

“Do you know what you’re having?” you asked.

He smiled broadly, all the way to his eyes.  “It’s a girl,” he said, and you thought about what a lucky little girl she was to have a daddy so thrilled to be having her.  It wasn’t that way for everyone.

The plane jerked a bit as it began backing away from the gate.  You laid your head back against the seat, fighting the anxiety that was suddenly overtaking you.  You’d only flown a once before and you’d found taking off and landing nearly more than you could take.  On that flight, he was with you, his hand over yours, whispering in your ear that it would be ok and “I’ve got you, baby girl.”  You closed your eyes and smiled at the memory, imaging him next to you.  Then just as suddenly, the memory of him pressing you against the wall, kissing you with abandon flooded your brain and your eyes flew wide open, your body jerking a bit.

“You ok?” Steve asked.

You could feel the heat rise in your neck.  “Yes,” you said shyly.  “Just not a fan of takeoffs.”

“Flying is the safest form of transportation,” said Ransom matter-of-factly.  “You’ll be fine.”

You looked over at him, that chiseled profile staring straight ahead, a scowl on his face.  He’d better watch out or he’d freeze that way.  You grinned at the memory of your grandmother telling you that every time you rolled your eyes.

Steve reached over the armrest and took your hand, covering it with his.  “Flying isn’t my favorite thing either,” he said with a smile and you wrapped your fingers around his thumb.

The flight attendant announced that the cabin was secure and takeoff could commence and the plane slowed, stopping to let another plane pass. The engine whirred and the plane jerked forward, gaining speed, the noise louder and louder.  You squeezed Steve’s thumb a little harder and he returned the squeeze, holding your hand tightly in his big warm one.  The plane began to lift, knocking you back slightly and you went with gravity, straightening your back and laying against the seat, eyes closed, working on breathing normally.  It was unnerving feeling your body lifting from the seat a little.  The loss of control made your heart race, but gently, as the plane rose and then leveled off, your body was once again calm.

You looked over at Steve and he gave you a reassuring smile. “Thanks,” you said softly.  You let go of his thumb.

“No problem,” he said softly, pulling his hand away.  

“My boyfriend normally does that for me,” you said.  And, you were sad again.

“Is that where you’re traveling, to see him?” Steve asked.

You chewed on your bottom lip, looking down at your lap.  “No, my grandmother passed away and I’m going to sort out her home and belongings,” you sighed.  “He won’t be there.  He’s done with me.”  

“What does that mean?” asked Ransom.

You sighed.  “It’s kind of a long story.”

“Well, we’ve got three hours to kill,” Steve said with a smile.

“Jesus Christ,” muttered Ransom, pulling out the airline magazine in an attempt to disappear.

Steve nudged your elbow and smiled.  “Tell me about him.”

You smiled.  “I’ve known him since second grade,” you smiled.  “We started dating in seventh grade.  He’s the only guy I’ve ever been with.”

Ransom let out a disgusted laugh next to you.  You looked over at him.  “Not a romantic, Ransom?”

“Uh, no,” he sputtered.  “Hell no.  Seriously, how old are you?”

You told him your age.

“Jesus, and you’ve only ever been with one guy?  That’s ridiculous.”

You felt Steve’s hand pat your arm.  You looked at him and he rolled his eyes, looking at Ransom.  “I think it’s great you’re with your school sweetheart,” he said.  “You must have some pretty strong feelings for him if you’ve been that loyal to him.”

“I do,” you sighed sadly.  “I thought he was my forever.”

“How can you possibly know that?” said Ransom.  “He’s the only guy you’ve ever been with.”

“I just know,” you said.  “We have a history.’

“Tell me more,” said Steve.

“Well…”

“Where is she?”

“She’s up front, sitting on the pew.”

“What’s going to happen?”

“I heard she’ll go with her grandmother.”

The chatter continued at the back of the church just after the funeral had ended. Sitting all alone in the front was an 8-year-old girl in tights, a black velvet dress, black patent shoes and a bow in her hair.  A large spray of pink tulips flowed over the edge of the oak casket in front of her.  

While the adults gossiped, an 8-year-old boy in a suit and tie emerged from the back and walked up the aisle.  He stood at the edge of the first pew, then sat at the end and slid down until he was next to the girl.  He took her hand in his and when she looked at him, he gave a gap-toothed smile. “It’s ok Y/N.  I’ll take care of you.”  The little girl smiled back.

 “My grandmother passed away last month,” you told Steve.

His blue eyes showed concern.  “I’m so sorry.”  He patted your arm.

Ransom let out a sarcastic chuckle.  For someone who didn’t want to talk, he was finding his way into your conversation.  You turned your face to him, unsure what type of asshole laughs at someone’s death.

He looked at you and immediately his face was serious.  “I’m sorry too,” he said.  “I was laughing because my grandmother was the only person on the planet that ever gave a shit about me.  She was the most amazing person I ever knew.”

You couldn’t help but feel for him, despite his incredibly rough edges.

“Well, my grandmother was really amazing too,” you said.  “She got stuck with me when I was little and she did a great job raising me.”

You’d moved in with her at an incredibly difficult time.  Your grandfather had passed less than a year before, and then your mother, her only child.  Taking you in was never in doubt, she would do so gladly, but it was a challenge that she struggled with many times.

Enter him.  He was only a child, but he had, as they say, “an old soul.”  He became your constant companion and a fixture in your grandmother’s home.  You could feel her tension ease when he arrived.  For a little while, she didn’t have to worry if she was making the right decisions for you, bridging the generation gap.  When the two of you were together, you were in sync and well behaved.

You told them how, from the time you moved in with your grandmother, he became your protector.  He walked you to and from school every day, carrying your lunchbox so you could pick flowers along the way.  At recess, he ran to the teeter totter to save it until you got there, and when you climbed on a swing, he pushed you so high you felt like you were flying.

You played baseball with boys until sixth grade and he was always on your team.  When you made the cheerleading squad, he helped you learn all the cheers and during the game, you’d see him on the sidelines with the team, miming your cheers from memory.  

His family was difficult.  His father drove a truck all over the country and was gone for long periods of time.  His mother liked to drink, a little too much, and wasn’t always kind to her children. Despite her treatment, her neglect of her children, he had grown up well-mannered and respectful.  You liked to think your grandmother had a lot to do with that.

“I lost my Ma when I was in my teens,” said Steve.  You knew his story, and that he would have lost her decades ago, but losing your mother was still hard.

Ransom scoffed.  “I should be so lucky,” he said under his breath.

You looked at him.  “Did you just wish your mother dead?” you said sternly.

He looked at you.  “Trust me, the world would be a much better place,” he muttered.

You glared at him for a minute, then turned your attention back to Steve.

“My mom was wonderful,” you said, the memory of her flooding your mind. “She was that mom – the one that did all the fun stuff.  She was creative and an incredible cook and her house was open to everyone.  She was just, she was the best,” you said, tears creeping into your voice.  You felt Steve’s arm push into yours just a bit, the contact easing your sadness.

“My mother is a spoiled rotten bully.  All she cares about is spending money and making people think she’s better than everyone,” Ransom spat out.  “I honestly don’t know why she even had me – actually, I do.  She wouldn’t be nearly as happy if she didn’t have the opportunity to tell me what a disappointment I am every occasion she gets.”

“She sounds like a character out of a movie,” you said.

He looked at you.  “Absolutely fucking no one would watch that movie,” he said deadpan.

Steve cleared his throat.  “So, when did you and your boyfriend get serious?”

“I think we just always knew we’d be together,” you said.  “We were inseparable and we loved each other from that moment in the church.  No one ever invited just one of us to something, it was always both of us.”

“That’s special,” said Steve.  “Some people never find their soulmate.  I was so lucky to find mine when I did.  She helped me discover the world when I came out of the ice.  She’s truly the better half of me.”

You couldn’t help but poke the bear a little.  “Ransom, you’ve never been in love?  Ever?”

He looked at you and rolled his eyes.  “Nope,” he said, popping the P.  “Love is for fools.  Life is too short to be with one person.  There’s a buffet of beauty out there and I’m happy to be the first in line.”

You looked at Steve, who was suppressing a little smile.  “You just haven’t found the right person,” he said, also poking the bear a bit.

“There is no ‘right person’ for me, of that I am sure,” he spat. “I’m fine taking care of me. Don’t need to worry about anyone else expecting something from me I can’t give them.”  He was back to looking at his magazine, acting disinterested. “Besides, anyone that claims to ‘love’ me is lying – they’re really only in love with my money.”

“Aw, Ransom,” you said with a grin, “are you saying you’re not lovable?”

“Wouldn’t you like to find out,” he said in a deep, flirty voice, and for the first time, he smiled.

You could hear Steve chuckling softly next to you.

“Y/N, he’s here!”  You could hear your grandmother’s voice from the bottom of the stairs.  You looked in the full length floor mirror one more time. She’d spent hours making your prom dress, just like you’d asked.  It was a beautiful coral color, strapless with a beaded bodice and lace around the top and bottom.  It flared as it reached the floor, and you poked your pink-painted toes in strappy gold heels out from under it.  Around your neck were the pearls your mother had gotten from your great-grandparents for her high school graduation.  Your hair was half up with braids on either side joined in the back with a ribbon clip, the rest down in waves on your shoulders.  

Waiting for you was the guy you wanted to spend your life with.  Every moment with him was special.  Your love for him had blossomed and thinking of a future with him filled your heart.  Tonight, you were sure the two of you would come together in a way you never had. You were ready, past ready, and you knew he was too.  What you felt for him was so deep, you wanted to give him all of you, and you knew he’d take you, just as you are, and cherish you.

As you descended the stairs, he looked up at you and you thought, this must be how the bride feels when her groom sees her for the first time.  He consumed you with his eyes, taking you in from head to toe. With three steps to go, he stepped forward and reached for your hand.  He was so warm and he pulled you to him, a hug and sweet kiss to your glossed lips.  His smile was contagious.  

“You’re my dream,” he said, placing a corsage around your wrist, a pink tulip (your very favorite) in the center.  “Let’s go so I can show you off.”

When you walked into the gymnasium, you saw the looks you got.  Girls were wearing expensive dresses from the best designers, hair and makeup done professionally.  You knew your dress wasn’t as nice and that you stood out in comparison.  But he made you feel as if you were more.  He danced with you all night, making sure to stand in the center of the dance floor so everyone could see you.  “You’re so beautiful,” he whispered in your ear. “You’re exquisite.”  As you both worked the room, talking to friends, he would start the conversation with “how did I get so lucky?” or “look at my beautiful girl.”  You were so happy to be on his arm, by his side.

The evening flew by, the last song played by the DJ, and kids started filing out of the gym. You were sad to leave but your entire body was tingling with anticipation.  He opened the door to his dad’s car for you and as you drove away, you wondered if he was as excited as you.  You weren’t nervous, just anxious.

He drove you down the long road to the lake you’d been visiting since you were kids. He parked the car in a grove of trees, shielded by overgrown bushes.  When he looked at you, it felt like he looked deep inside you.  

He pressed a kiss to your lips, his fingers under your chin, lifting your mouth to his. You let out a little noise, deepening the kiss.  He pressed his forehead to yours, eyes closed, savoring your touch.

“Are you ready for this?” he whispered.  It sent chills all over you.

“Yes,” you breathed, kissing him again.

“We don’t have to do anything you don’t want to,” he said reassuringly, but you were already pulling off the tie to his tux, unbuttoning the buttons at his throat and down his chest, your fingers brushing his pecs as you went.  He gently pulled the dress down your arms, exposing your bare breasts.  You’d seen him so many times but tonight, you wanted to devour his toned, muscled body, his tanned skin, the prize for hard work at his uncle’s farm.  You wanted to worship him the way he’d always worshiped you. You kissed his soft lips, pressing your breasts to his chest.  

He took a shuddering breath, moving down to kiss and nip along your collarbone to your neck as you pulled the shirt from his body.  You laid your head back, exposing your throat, allowing him to kiss along the shaft to your chest, down your sternum.  You looked in his eyes as he gently touched your breast with his hand, then dipped his head down to gently take a pebbled nipple into his mouth. He was so warm and gentle, you thought you might explode right then.  You lifted yourself to pull the dress off, leaving you in your lace panties and your gold high heels.  He leaned back to take a look at you, then dove in again to your breasts, giving each of them attention.  

Slowly his hands made their way down your belly to the edge of your panties.  He gently laid you back on the seat and you lifted your legs, reaching to undo his belt and pants.  He toed off his shoes and socks, then managed to pull his pants and boxers off under the steering wheel.  He pulled the condom from his wallet and stretched it over his hard, weeping cock.  With a look that made you shiver, he crawled over you, his arms caging you on either side of your head.  It was a tight squeeze but it worked.  As he began kissing you, you lifted your hips, touching him.  He was ready for you and you for him.  He lined himself up with you and very slowly entered you. You winced and his hands went to your hair, kissing your forehead, your nose.  

“You ok?” he asked softly.

“Mm hmm,” you hummed, pulling at his hips, feeling him go deeper inside you.  His lips found yours as he found a gentle rhythm. He took you in, his eyes roaming your face, that smile that melted your heart.  You laid your head back and he assaulted your neck with kisses as his rhythm picked up.  

No matter what you had imagined, nothing would feel like this.  He fit you perfectly.  Your heart swelled and you let out a little sob of happiness as his rhythm grew faster.

“I love you Y/N,” he said in your ear.  “Always.”

“I love you too,” you managed, followed by a moan from deep in your throat that made him growl in approval.  

He quickened his pace and you lifted to him even more, feeling the coil in your lower belly tightening.

“I’m – oh, I’m so…”

“It’s ok baby, I’ve got you.”

His voice was so soft and husky in your ear, you let go, a sound you couldn’t describe escaping as you reached your climax.  You ran your fingernails down his muscular back, then settled in the hair at the nape of his neck, pulling him in for a kiss.

“God Y/N, fuck, you feel so good, you’re so good for me.”  His movements began to stutter as he found his release and you held him tightly to you as he finished, his head falling to your shoulder.  You both lay there in the dark, panting, your bodies on fire.  

“You’re amazing,” you said in a soft voice, your fingers running down his back.

He lifted slowly, propping his head in his hand.  He trailed his fingers down your chest to your breasts.

“You’re not so bad yourself,” he grinned.

“It was so good!” you said.  You nuzzled his neck, kissing him softly there.  “I want more,” you breathed into his ear.

He laughed and kissed you. You both cleaned up a bit and you started all over again, this time straddling him on the seat.  He let you lead this time and you explored his hard, fit body, covering his face and chest in kisses.  When you lowered yourself onto him, your palms were flat against his chest as you mewled your release, and you held him through his.  It was incredible.  When he walked you to your door early that morning, you wrapped your arms around his neck and kissed him as if it would be the last time you’d have the chance.  You could tell you took his breath away as he came up for air.

“I love you,” you said, looking into his eyes and never meaning anything more in your life.

He smiled and pulled you to him.  “I love you too,” he whispered in your ear.

As he drove away, your mind was filled with your future, the two of you living a life full of nights like tonight.  As you drifted off to sleep, you could still feel his skin on yours.

 You shared, but not quite all of it, with your seatmates.  

“So if he’s so amazing, why won’t he be there when you arrive?” Ransom asked.

You knew hurt crossed your face, it was impossible to hide.  “Our lives, they just went different directions. I never thought they would, but they did.  And then –“ You let out a shaky sigh.  “Then he didn’t need me anymore.”  Your voice trailed off.

“You don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to,” said Steve, sounding like a father.  “It’s ok.”

“Maybe you should,” said Ransom, “get it all out so that if you’re disappointed when we land, it’s not so bad.”

You rested back against your seat and played it in your mind again. You told them a little about after high school and where you both ended up.

“It was my fault.  I gave up on us.  I pushed him away.  He wasn’t my priority.  For all I know, it didn’t even hurt him.  I’m sure it was much easier with me out of the way.”

“That’s a lot of conjecture,” said Ransom.  “Sounds like you had your reasons.”

“I guess he couldn’t really help being away from you,” said Steve sympathetically.  “I can tell you from experience there’s nothing worse than being separated from the one you love most.”

Ransom rolled his eyes.  “We all make choices,” he said sarcastically.

Steve sighed.  “I don’t regret any I’ve made,” he said sternly.

“Then be prepared to deal with the consequences.”  He looked at you.  “If your boyfriend really loved you, he wouldn’t have taken a job shrouded in so much mystery.  He would’ve been available to you.  Maybe him taking the job was just the coward’s way of saying he wanted to explore other options.”

“Or maybe he felt it was what he needed to do to take the best care of her,” said Steve.  You heard what you bet was probably his captain’s voice.

Ransom looked him dead in the eye.  “Look Captain Self Righteous, if love is that important to you, there’s nothing that says you’ve had to take the chances you’ve taken.  You didn’t have to become a super soldier either. Choices.  If Y/N’s boyfriend had made her a priority, we wouldn’t be having this conversation.”

Steve gave an exasperated sigh and shook his head.

“I honestly don’t blame him for moving on, I just wish he’d tried harder to tell me we were through.  That’s all.” Tired of talking, you opened your book, put on your headphones and tried to get lost in the story.

 “Y/N, can you hear me?”

“Yes, barely,” you answered.  The connection was bad.  Who knew where he was calling from, or what kind of signal he had.  

“Don’t hang up,” he said hopefully.

“I won’t.”

It was the next natural step for you to go to college, but he needed something else. He was adventurous, energetic, crazy almost, and he needed something else.  So he’d joined the Army as you went away to school.  You were scared to be separated but he’d assured you the bond you had couldn’t be broken.  He got to explore the world, facing difficult situations and enjoying the adrenaline rush. You couldn’t help but worry but he told you not to, he was in his element.  And despite the distance, you’d made up for the time with letters, texts, phone calls, photos and even intimacy via cell phone.  Your senior year of college began the same time as the last year of his enlistment.  About halfway through the year, you sensed something had changed.  He was disillusioned with his superiors and had fallen in with a group of soldiers that were fed up.  

Each time he’d visit somewhere new, he’d send you a memento.  “Wish you were here with me.  This would be so much better with you.  Someday, I’m taking you all over the world.  I can’t wait until we’re together.”  You dreamed of it too, if you could just find the path to come back together.

Soon, many of those calls, texts and letters seemed to be from someone you didn’t know. And as he was moving forward and finding his path, you were finding yours.  You’d taken a job in Chicago, hundreds of miles from him and your grandmother.  It was your dream job, and you’d always imagined life in the city.  Some of your friends were headed that way and you talked of sharing an apartment and all the fun you’d have.  For the first time, you questioned whether he’d be a part of it.

Once graduation was over, you’d said goodbye to your grandmother and the small town where you’d grown up and headed off for your next adventure.  And he had begun his.  He left the service and took a job with the chance to make a lot of money so that the two of you could pick where you wanted to be and settle down, build your dream house and fill it with kids, just like you’d always hoped.  He just needed you to be patient with him.  

The job was tough.  He traveled for weeks without communicating and you found yourself living as if he wasn’t there anymore.  When you did speak, for the first time in your lives, it would end in a fight.  

“I’m doing my best here,” he’d say.  You could hear the stress in his voice.  “This isn’t forever.  I’m going to get to a place where we can be together and our lives will be just like we imagined.”

“How can you be so sure?” you asked, the words stinging as you said them.  “How can you be sure we should even still be together? We’re both so different.”

“We’re not, Y/N.  You’re still what I want.  We just have to hold on for a little while longer.”

 “Sounds like his job was pretty intense,” said Steve, his face looking serious.

“It was.  And very secret. He couldn’t tell me much.  I’m sure you know about that.”

“I do,” he said.  “It’s not easy to not be able to share everything with the one person you trust the most.  But sometimes it’s for your own protection.”

“I know,” you said.  “And I’m proud of him.  He didn’t always have it so easy,” she said, glancing at Ransom, “but he worked hard, and he was doing it for me.”

Ransom raised an eyebrow at you.  “I see.  I was handed everything and you think I’ve never done an honest day’s work in my life.”

You looked at his velvety smooth, sexy hands.  “Have you?”

He blinked.  “Probably not the way you think, but I’m not totally useless.  And you don’t have to risk your life every time you go to work to be successful,” he said, shooting Steve a look.

Steve grinned.  “Trust me, it’s not exactly what I would’ve chosen for myself.  It’s a situation that found me and I’ve worked hard to accept it.”

“Yes, must be brutal to be built like that.  Do you carry a club to beat the women away?  Or do you just ask them nicely to stop climbing you,” Ransom said with a sardonic smile.

You cleared your throat.  “Anyway, I could just feel things changing between us and I felt really lost, but also kind of empowered.  I’d moved away from home, stepped away from him and I was a success. And if I’m honest,” she said, eyeing Ransom, “I wondered what it might be like to date someone else.”

He let out a sarcastic laugh.

“And then everything changed…”

 A few weeks later, you’d received a text in the middle of the night.  “Meet me at the wheel at Navy Pier on the 25th at midnight.  There’s something I need to tell you.”

You’d scoffed at the invitation.  “If you’re coming to Chicago, come stay with me.  Why are we meeting at midnight?”

“It’s just the way we need to do it, for now.  Promise me you’ll be there.”

As the day approached, you found yourself immersed in work and trying to finish a project with an approaching deadline.  You didn’t understand why, after not seeing each other for so long, he wouldn’t just come to your place, let you make him dinner, spend the night with you.  Why must it be so clandestine?

You texted him – “You need to come to me.  I have a lot of work and I’m on a deadline.  If you love me, you’ll come stay with me so we can catch up properly.”

You didn’t hear back from him and on the evening he’d asked to meet you, you’d fallen asleep at your desk at home while working to finish your assignment.  

“Y/N, are you coming?”  “Where are you?”  “Please, I need to see you.”  He kept texting but the late hours you’d been keeping had you in a deep sleep.  

When your alarm went off for work, you shuffled into the shower, the hot water serving as a wake-up call.  Suddenly your eyes flew open – you’d slept through midnight!  You jumped from the shower, shampoo still in your hair, and grabbed for your phone.  It was dead. You plugged it in, finished bathing and scampered back to your nightstand for the phone.  

You read his texts and tears flooded your eyes.  He’d come all the way to Chicago and you missed him.  You called, then sent a flurry of texts but there was no response.  

He’d wanted to tell you something urgently and you’d totally blown him off.  How did you get here?  This was the love of your life.  You should’ve been there with open arms.  How long had it been since you’d held him, kissed him?  You suddenly felt as if you’d been punched in the gut.  You tried to catch your breath, frantically calling him again and again but no answer.

You began a series of texts explaining that you’d gotten caught up in work, and even though it wasn’t more important than he was, you’d fallen asleep and lost track of time.  Could you please meet him somewhere else?  You’d come to him, wherever he was.  You wouldn’t tell anyone where you were going, you just needed to see him. Despite pouring your heart out to him, there was no response.

Until one night, when you’d phoned him for the millionth time, and someone answered. “Hello?” said a sultry female voice.  Thinking you had the wrong number, you were about to speak when you heard his voice in the background.  She said his name and you heard his husky baritone, a laugh in his voice.  You quickly ended the call.

This was what he wanted to tell you – he’d found someone else.  No wonder he never called back, never returned your texts. It was over and you’d made it easy for him.

Despite the cramped quarters, both of your seatmates managed to doze off during the flight.  Steve had crammed his jacket between his head and the wall of the plane and was softly snoring.  Ransom, with no respect for body space, had allowed his head to dip over onto your shoulder.  You didn’t mind, you were glad he could rest.  You couldn’t help but feel for him.  It would be awful to have so much money, but be completely without anyone to love you, even your family.  He smelled good and you settled down into your seat, staying as still as you could.

The time was counting down until you arrived at your destination and you hadn’t read the letter.  You just didn’t think you could take it.  Hearing your grandmother’s final thoughts when she knew her life was ending (but no one else did) was almost too much.  Her last wishes were important, it was your responsibility to see them through.  With each of your seatmates comfortably resting, you slowly opened the envelope.  Your grandmother’s scent hit you immediately, and you felt tears burn at your eyes.

You unfolded the delicate stationery.  It was powder blue with a scalloped edge.  You’d bought if for her for Mother’s Day a few years back.  She loved writing letters and leaving you notes, and the delicate femininity of the paper fit her perfectly.

“My Sweet Y/N,

As you read this, please know that I’m so sorry that I’ve left you.  Raising you was my greatest accomplishment.  I made mistakes with your mother, so I worked hard to be patient with you, and really listen.  I cherish what we had and want you to know how proud I am of you, the wonderful young woman you’ve become.”

You wiped the tear that had begun to roll down your cheek and sniffed softly.  It was harder than you’d even imagined.

“I’m sorry I didn’t share my diagnosis with you until the end, but I wanted you to continue to move forward.  I knew that if I told you, you’d insist on being with me.  I didn’t want you sitting by my bed while I slept when you could be enjoying your life.  You gave me your very best, I owed it to you to let you go and find your future.”

You thought of all the times you’d meant to pick up the phone and call her, but something else had come up and you’d simply pushed her to the back of your mind.  The thought of it made you wince.  How hard would it have been to just call and say hello?   Had she not earned that from you?

“I’m not leaving much behind.  The house is yours to do with as you please.  I know it’s old and not what you might want, but I can’t help but think, knowing how good you are with decorating, that you could make it a home you’d love and enjoy.  However, if you choose to sell it, please know I’m fine with that decision as well. Don’t feel guilty.  Your future is where you make it.”

The house was certainly old and dated, not what you had in mind.  Not to mention you never planned to return to your old hometown.  You didn’t know what you’d do there if you did.  And now, there was even less reason to return.

“My biggest regret is not seeing your face when he proposed to you.  I can only imagine how it felt when he put your mother’s ring on your finger and asked you to be his wife.  That giant Ferris wheel at Navy Point was a perfect backdrop.

When he came to pick it up, he said he’d always dreamed of settling in this little house, but he knew Chicago was your home now, so he wanted to ask you in the place that was important to you.  I will rest peacefully knowing that you have someone so special to take care of you.”

You froze, then let out a strangled cry.  Steve jerked awake, his hand flying to your shoulder.

“Y/N, what is it?  Are you ok?”

Finally, you let go.  There was no holding back.  You put your face in your hands, sobs shaking your shoulders.

“Jesus, what did you do?” Ransom asked Steve as he touched your other shoulder, bending down to look at you.

“Nothing!  I woke up and she was crying.”

How could you have not seen this? Why did you doubt him?  It suddenly washed over you how he must’ve felt, standing there in the dark, alone, waiting for you, to ask you the biggest question of your lives.  

Your sobs increased, though you were trying to stifle the noise, considering you were on a full airplane with two beefcakes on either side of you worried.

“Y/N,” Ransom said, his lips close to your ear.  He put his hand on your back and rubbed gentle circles. “Talk to us.  What happened?”

You slowly sat up, Steve taking your hand in his.

“Oh my God, you guys, I blew it.  I totally blew it.  I broke his heart.  I can’t believe I did this to him.”

The two men looked at each other, question on their faces.

“Did what?” Ransom said softly.

You held up the letter.  “This is from my grandmother.  I’ve put off reading it because I was so sad to know it was the last communication I’d have with her.  He was coming to propose to me.  At Navy Pier. He picked up my mother’s ring from my grandmother,” you said softly.  Saying it out loud made it even worse. You couldn’t stop the flow of tears that fell from your eyes.

“Oh man,” Ransom said quietly, rubbing your back even more.

“Y/N, are you sure?” said Steve.

“Yes,” you sobbed, handing him the letter.  Ransom put his hand on your side and pulled you toward him, cradling you against his chest.

“It’s going to be ok,” he soothed.  “You didn’t know.  He should’ve told you he wanted to ASK you something instead of TELL you something.”

You blinked and sat up, looking at him.  “I mean, I don’t know if it would have mattered.”

“Of course it would’ve,” he said.  “This isn’t on you, it’s on him.  He should’ve been adamant that he wanted to ask you something.”

Steve handed you the letter back.  You could see the sadness on his face.  “I’m sure he was upset,” he said softly.  “He’d probably been waiting until the right moment.”

You scrunched up your face, fresh tears flowing.

“Jesus,” Ransom whispered to Steve, “you could at least be supportive.”

You wiped your finger under your eye to catch a tear before it dropped on the letter.  Your heart was racing and you couldn’t catch your breath.  You felt as if your stomach had dropped to your feet.  It was a desperate feeling, knowing what you knew and not being able to reach out to him and tell him how badly you’d screwed up.  

“You ok?” Steve asked softly.

“Yeah,” you said.  “And here I thought when I sat down in this seat I couldn’t feel worse.”

Steve laid his hand on your arm, squeezing a little.  “If everything you said about the two of you is true, this is something you can overcome.  It was a misunderstanding.  If those feelings are there, you’ll be able to fix it.”

You sniffed and wiped at your nose.  “Well, that’s the burning question, isn’t it?  How could he still have feelings for me after what I did.”

It was Ransom’s turn to bolster your confidence a bit.  “Look, misunderstandings happen all the time. And honestly, you hadn’t seen him in so long – did he not think you’d have misgivings about what he had to say when he wouldn’t come and stay with you?  He could’ve come to your place and then taken you somewhere special to propose. This isn’t on you, Y/N.  This is on him.”

You gave him a half-hearted smile.  “It doesn’t really matter though, does it.  In the end, he’s gone and I’m alone.”  You laid your head back on the seat, closing your eyes to ward off more tears.

Your mind whirled with memories – the two of you hiking near your home with your beloved dog joining you; going to the annual fair and riding all the rides that made you squeal and him laugh at you; laying side-by-side in your grandmother’s hammock on the front porch.  He never just held your hand – he always intertwined your fingers. He said if you looked from above, you couldn’t tell where he began and you ended.  

 Had you really been part of such an amazing love story?  You could hear his voice saying your name as he wrapped a hand under your ear to kiss you goodnight, and you could hear it when he called you from oh-so-far-away where he was lonely and probably afraid but never let on so you wouldn’t worry.

You let out a giant sigh and pulled your phone from the storage pocket in front of you.  You’d texted him before you got on the plane because it seemed like the right thing to do as you traveled back to your past.  He was too big a part of it not to.

“Did you get a text from him?” asked Steve, looking down at your phone.

“No,” you said, “I sent him one before I got on the plane.  I always imagined he’d be there with me through everything.  I just needed to reach out to him.”

“Mind if I look?” he asked.

“Sure, why not,” she half laughed.

She scrolled to the top of the message and handed the phone to him. Steve read silently, his eyebrows scrunching in concern.

I know we haven’t talked in a long time but today is going to be hard and I need you to know how much having you in my life has meant to me.  Even though we didn’t make it to the end, like we’d hoped, my life is so much better because of you.  If I were to die tomorrow, I’d do it knowing that in my life, I was truly loved by someone special.  For so long, I didn’t know how to be me without you.

I’m so proud of you, serving our country and then taking on a dangerous job to protect others.  I never told you enough how brave you are.  When I was worried or afraid, you’d be there like a safety net, making sure my heart was protected.  I’ll never be able to thank you enough for loving me.

This is going to be a hard day.  There’s not going to be a safe landing.  Everything I had, everything that made me secure, it’s all gone.  I’m sorry that I gave up.  I’m in uncharted waters.  I should’ve fought with everything I had for you.  I hope you’re happy with someone who will appreciate you and all you have to give.  Whoever she is, she’s a very lucky girl.

Steve cleared his throat, trying to remove the giant lump that had formed there.  “Wow,” he said.  “Those are beautiful words.”

“They’re from the heart.  I felt foolish as soon as I sent them and now I feel even more stupid.  I can’t imagine how much he hates me.”

“Mind if I look?” said Ransom.

“Yeah, and then if you want, pass it across the aisle,” you said sarcastically.

Ransom rolled his eyes and his mouth turned up in a grin.  He scanned over the text.

“Damn,” he whispered.  He looked at you.  “Look, I know I don’t know you at all and this has been a little slice of our lives, an unpleasant moment we’ll forget quickly, but if this guy got this text and doesn’t respond to you, he isn’t who you say he is.  Ok, you fucked up.  You should’ve met him that night.  But this right here would be enough for me to make a U-turn.  You had something really good.”

You grinned at him.  “Ransom, are you telling me it’s possible that a girl could win your heart?”

His face flooded with color.  “No,” he said a little too boisterously.  “Trust me, anyone that can take a little of me has their hands full.”

Steve chuckled.

“What?” said Ransom defensively.

“Something tells me you’re all talk.”

Ransom narrowed his eyes at Steve.  “What does that mean?”

Steve smiled a true American hero smile.  “It means, watching you with Y/N, I think you’re really a pussycat. Go ahead and act like a tough guy, but we all know the truth.  You’re a softie just looking for the right girl.”  He couldn’t help the smug look that replaced his smile.

“Alright Captain Jackass, you go ahead with your self-righteous psychoanalysis.  I’m capable of being nice to a woman without being a softie.  Seriously, the 1940’s called and they want their word back.”

You couldn’t help but smile at the two of them.  You never thought when you sat down between these two incredible hunks that you’d share your life story with them and they’d comfort you as you discovered a secret that would haunt you the rest of your life.

Ding

“You’ll notice the fasten seat belts sign has been activated as we make our descent.  Please secure your belongings and return your tray tables to their original position. We should be arriving at our destination in a few minutes.”

“Seriously,” grumbled Ransom, “how many people have died from errantly deployed tray tables.  Is that really our biggest concern?”

You giggled a little at his words and he looked at you, the first real smile he’d smiled all day gracing his handsome face.  He had the most piercing blue eyes.  You wished he would find someone who’d give him a chance. Underneath that gruff exterior, you just knew there was a loving, caring guy.

“Need a hand?” asked Steve, taking yours in his.  You smiled and squeezed gently.

It suddenly occurred to you what awaited when he arrived.  “You must be so excited!”

“I am,” he beamed.  “I’m going to meet my baby girl soon.”

“She’s a lucky little girl,” you smiled.

“Poor thing, just trying to imagine the first guy that comes to pick her up for a date,” Ransom grinned.

Steve raised an eyebrow.  “She’ll never know, I’m locking her in her room when she turns 15,” he smiled.

Slowly the plane began to descend.  Your heart suddenly leaped into your throat as you thought about what lie ahead for you.  You thought of walking through your grandmother’s home and a feeling of loneliness washed over you, causing an ache in your chest.  

“Doing ok?” Steve asked.

You turned to him and smiled.  “Yes, thank you.”   You looked to Ransom and back to Steve.  “This has been a great flight.  Thank you both for indulging me and listening, and for your support.”  You looked at Ransom.  “I know you said this is just an unpleasant moment we’ll soon forget, but I can tell you both I’ll never forget either of you.”  You fought the tears stinging your eyes.

“Yeah, well, it’ll probably be awhile before I forget you as well,” said Ransom.  

Steve pulled a pen from the bag in front of him and wrote his cell number on your palm.  “Put it in your phone.  Call or text me anytime you need to talk.  I mean it.”

That ache in your heart suddenly subsided.  “Thanks.  And I mean it too.”

Within a few minutes, the plane touched down roughly on the runway, then slowed and taxied to a stop at the gate.  You pulled your bag from under the seat in front of you.  You felt lightheaded so you closed your eyes and took a deep breath.  You could do this.  

Ransom took your hand and helped you up, and you made your way behind him into the aisle, Steve behind you, his hand on your lower back.  You walked out into the boarding bridge, walking slowly behind the crowd of passengers.  In a few minutes, you’d leave these guys who you’d never see again. You took your time shuffling along, prolonging the moment.

The crowd in front of you slowed and then stopped, as passengers found those that were meeting them.  That ache clenched your chest again.  You’d make your way to the rental car desk and get a ride to take you to what would surely be a sad, nostalgic evening.

“Hmm,” said Ransom.  “Interesting.”

“What?” you asked as he blocked your view.

“Probably just a coincidence.”

“I don’t know,” Steve said skeptically.  “Seems like too much of a coincidence.”

Now you were behind both of them and you couldn’t see anything but the backs of their gorgeous heads and their pants hugging their fine asses.  It was definitely the best view of the trip and probably the best you’d have for a long time.  You snickered thinking about it.

“Well, guess we’re going to find out,” said Steve as he took a couple of steps to his right and stopped.  

You were able to see ahead now as they parted, and the first thing that caught your eye was the pink tulips – a huge bouquet of them.  You looked above the flowers at the pink Petunias t-shirt, the blonde Van Dyke on his chin, his round wire framed glasses and spikey blonde hair.  Your breath caught in your throat and you stopped, unable to move.  You felt a hand at your elbow – Steve.  You looked up at him.

“You ok?” he asked.  It was a fatherly tone and you smiled a million watt smile at him, grabbing his hand and Ransom’s arm, pulling them forward.

You walked up to him, taking him in.  He was beautiful, even better than you remembered.  His body was toned and solid, tattoos peeking out from under the t-shirt.  Blue jeans graced his long sexy legs, high top Chucks rounding out the look.  You were overwhelmed by how much you needed him. How had you lived without him for so long?

“Hey beautiful,” he said in that sexy baritone voice.  He extended the flowers to you and you took them, inhaling deeply.  

“I can’t believe it.”  Your voice was so quiet you were sure he didn’t hear you.

“I’m here Y/N.  I’m here for you.”  He pulled you to him and you lifted the flowers, wrapping your arms around his neck. He touched his nose to yours. “Did you think I’d leave you to do this alone?”

You looked into his beautiful blue eyes and tried so hard to believe this was really happening.  “I didn’t expect you to be here.  Not after what I did to you.  I’m so sorry. I didn’t know.  Not until I read Gramma’s letter on this plane did I know. I can’t imagine how badly I hurt you.” You swallowed, pushing the hurt down deep.  “I understand why you moved on, I do.  And it’s ok.”

You saw the pain in his eyes, but it disappeared as quickly as it had appeared.  “There’s no one else,” he said, “never has been.  I screwed it all up.  I just did it all wrong.  I should have come to you.  I wanted to see you so bad.  I just didn’t want to put you in danger.”  He looked down and swallowed, then looked back into your eyes.  “Did you mean it?  All those things you said in that text this morning?”

“Yes,” you said, your voice strong.  “Every word.  I love you so much.”

He pressed his lips, so soft, to yours and gave you the sweetest kiss. “I love you too.  Always, Y/N.”  He kissed you again, this one deeper, his arms wrapped around you so securely.  You could die right now and it would be ok.

Suddenly, you were aware of your surroundings.  You pulled away from him, an arm around his neck, and you looked at your seatmates.

“Ransom, Steve, this is the love of my life, Jake Jensen.  Jake, these are the superstars of Row 12 that got me through this flight.”

Jake extended his hand to each of them.  “Thank you guys.  Flying is not her favorite.  Appreciate you both being so good to her.”

Ransom eyed him carefully.  “You’ve got a really great girl here,” he said to Jake.  “Don’t fuck it up.”

Steve smirked at Ransom.  “He’s right,” said Steve.  “Take good care of her.”  He looked Jake up and down with his best Captain look.

“Shit,” Jake muttered and you laughed, kissing him reassuringly.  

“Thanks guys.  You’re the best.”  You stepped forward and kissed each of them softly on the cheek.

Steve nodded and smiled, then walked towards his handler, who’d escort him to a car and whisk him away to the hospital to be by his wife’s side.

“Good luck!” you called to him and he smiled.

Ransom secured the strap of his bag on his shoulder as he approached a leggy blonde in a tight designer dress with a figure to die for.

“Hey baby,” she said as she wrapped her arms around his neck and laid a kiss on him that would make a stripper blush.

“Easy babe, save some for the hotel,” he said, wrapping an arm around her waist and walking away.  He turned and gave you a last look, flashing you a gorgeous smile.

“Damn,” said Jake, “if I was another guy, I might be kind of jealous and insecure about that, but I’m not some other guy, I’m your guy,” he said, rubbing his nose to yours.

“And don’t you forget it,” you said, kissing him deeply before pulling him by the hand away from the gate.  

“We’re going to have to go through all of the pictures you know,” you said with a devilish grin.

“Oh God, do we have to?  I don’t need to be reminded of what a dork I was back then.”

“You’re still a dork, but a very sexy one,” you said as you walked hand in hand towards your future.

Tags:

@what-is-your-plan-today  @captainsteveamericarogers

#chrisevans steverogers captainamerica ransomdrysdale cafta mcu

[impactcomicscbr]

NEW STUFF FRIDAY 28th JULY 2017

Add to your standing order

START A STANDING ORDER

New Release Comics & Magazines

ACTION COMICS #984

ACTION COMICS #984 ALTERNATE COVER

ADAM WRECK #2 (OF 3)

ALL NEW CLASSIC ARCHIE YOUR PAL ARCHIE #1 COVER A DAN PARENT

ALL NEW CLASSIC ARCHIE YOUR PAL ARCHIE #1 COVER B LES MCCLAINE

ALL NEW SOULFIRE #5 COVER A CAFARO

ALL STAR BATMAN #12

ALL STAR BATMAN #12 ALTERNATE ALBUQUERQUE COVER

ALL STAR BATMAN #12 ALTERNATE FIUMARA COVER

ARCHIE 75TH ANNIV DIGEST #12

BACK TO THE FUTURE BIFF TO THE FUTURE #6 (OF 6) S/O SUBSCRIPTION COVER

BATGIRL #13

BATGIRL #13 ALTERNATE COVER

BATMAN BEYOND #10

BATMAN BEYOND #10 ALTERNATE COVER

BATMAN THE SHADOW #4 (OF 6)

BATMAN THE SHADOW #4 (OF 6) ALTERNATE EPTING COVER

BATMAN THE SHADOW #4 (OF 6) ALTERNATE SALE COVER

BEAUTIFUL CANVAS #2

BEN REILLY SCARLET SPIDER #5

BETTY & VERONICA JUMBO COMICS DIGEST #255

BLACK HAMMER #11 MAIN ORMSTON COVER

BLACK HAMMER #11 ALTERNATE LEMIRE COVER

BLACK PANTHER #16

BLACK PANTHER #16 VARIANT 1:10 KIRBY 100TH COVER

BLACK PANTHER #16 VARIANT MCKELVIE CONNECTING COVER

BLACK PANTHER #16 VARIANT X-MEN ‘CARD’ COVER

BLADE BUNNY VOL 2 #8

BLOODSTRIKE #1 REMASTERED ED COVER A FRAGA

BLUE BEETLE #11

BLUE BEETLE #11 ALTERNATE COVER

BPRD DEVIL YOU KNOW #1

BPRD DEVIL YOU KNOW #1 VARIANT MIGNOLA COVER

CABLE #3

CANNIBAL #7 (MR)

CAPTAIN AMERICA SAM WILSON #24 Secret Empire

CAPTAIN AMERICA STEVE ROGERS #19 Secret Empire

CAPTAIN AMERICA STEVE ROGERS #19 VARIANT X-MEN ‘CARD’ COVER

CONAN THE SLAYER #11

CROAK #2 (OF 3)

CROSSWIND #2 COVER A STAGGS (MR)

CROSSWIND #2 COVER B STAGGS (MR)

DAMNED #3 (MR)

DEADPOOL #34 VARIANT KOBLISH SECRET COMICS COVER

DEADPOOL #34 Secret Empire

DETECTIVE COMICS #961

DETECTIVE COMICS #961 ALTERNATE COVER

DF HARLEY QUINN #1 AOD COLLECTIBLES COLOUR WITTER EXC

DF JUSTICE LEAGUE VS SUICIDE SQUAD #1 AOD WITTER EXC

DF SUICIDE SQUAD #1 DF EXC TOP SECRET CGC GRADED

DOCTOR WHO 10TH YEAR THREE #7 COVER A HACK

DOCTOR WHO 10TH YEAR THREE #7 COVER B PHOTO

DOCTOR WHO 10TH YEAR THREE #7 COVER C SHEDD

DOCTOR WHO 11TH YEAR THREE #7 COVER A MYERS

DOCTOR WHO 11TH YEAR THREE #7 COVER B PHOTO

DOCTOR WHO 9TH #14 COVER A MYERS

DOCTOR WHO 9TH #14 COVER B PHOTO

DOLLFACE #7 COVER B MENDOZA TATTERED & TORN (MR)

DOOM PATROL #7 (MR)

DOOM PATROL #7 ALTERNATE COVER (MR)

EDGE OF VENOMVERSE #3 (OF 5)

EDGE OF VENOMVERSE #2 (OF 5) ALTERNATE LIM COVER

FAITH AND THE FUTURE FORCE #1 (OF 4) COVER A DJURDJEVIC

FAITH AND THE FUTURE FORCE #1 (OF 4) COVER B KANO

FLASH #27

FLASH #27 ALTERNATE COVER

GHOSTBUSTERS 101 #5 (OF 6) COVER A SCHOENING

GHOSTBUSTERS 101 #5 (OF 6) COVER B LATTIE

GO GO POWER RANGERS #1

GO GO POWER RANGERS #1 VARIANT 1:15 INCV WONG COVER

GUARDIANS OF GALAXY TELLTALE SERIES #1 (OF 5)

GUARDIANS OF GALAXY TELLTALE SERIES #1 (OF 5) ALTERNATE GAME COVER

GWENPOOL #18

GWENPOOL #18 VARIANT X-MEN ‘CARD’ COVER

HAL JORDAN AND THE GREEN LANTERN CORPS #25

HAL JORDAN AND THE GREEN LANTERN CORPS #25 ALTERNATE COVER

HEAVENLY BLUES #1

HELLBLAZER #12

HELLBLAZER #12 ALTERNATE COVER

I AM GROOT #3

ICEMAN #3

INFAMOUS IRON MAN #10

JIM HENSON POWER OF DARK CRYSTAL #5 (OF 12)

JIM HENSON POWER OF DARK CRYSTAL #5 (OF 12) S/O SUBSCRIPTION COVER

JOE GOLEM OCCULT DETECTIVE OUTER DARK #3

JOHN CARPENTER TALES OF SCI FI VAULT #1 (OF 3) (MR)

JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #11

JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #11 ALTERNATE COVER

KAMANDI CHALLENGE #7 (OF 12)

KAMANDI CHALLENGE #7 (OF 12) ALTERNATE COVER

LITTLE NIGHTMARES #2 (OF 4) COVER A ALEXOVICH

LOONEY TUNES #238

LUMBERJANES #40

LUMBERJANES #40 S/O SUBSCRIPTION SOTUYO COVER

MASS EFFECT DISCOVERY #3

MASS EFFECT DISCOVERY #3 ALTERNATE NIEMCZYK COVER

MIGHTY CAPTAIN MARVEL #7 Secret Empire

MILLENNIUM GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO #2 COVER A IANNICELLO

MILLENNIUM GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO #2 COVER B HOMS

MOON GIRL AND DEVIL DINOSAUR #21

MOTHER PANIC #9 (MR)

MOTHER PANIC #9 ALTERNATE COVER(MR)

MY LITTLE PONY MOVIE PREQUEL #2 VARIANT 1:10 COVER

MY LITTLE PONY MOVIE PREQUEL #2 COVER A PRICE

MY LITTLE PONY MOVIE PREQUEL #2 COVER B FLEECS

NAMWOLF #4

NAMWOLF #4 ALEXIS ZIRITT COVER

NANCY DREW HARDY BOYS #5 COVER A DALTON

NANCY DREW HARDY BOYS #5 COVER B CHARRETIER

NO WORLD #4 COVER A GUNDERSON

NO WORLD #4 COVER C ARCHER

NORMALS #3

OCCUPY AVENGERS #9 Secret Empire

OLD MAN LOGAN #25 2ND PTG VARIANT DEODATO COVER

OUTCAST BY KIRKMAN & AZACETA #29 (MR)

PAKLIS #3 (MR)

PATHFINDER RUNESCARS #3 COVER A LAU

PATHFINDER RUNESCARS #3 COVER B QUALANO

PATHFINDER RUNESCARS #3 COVER C BORGES

PLASTIC #4 (OF 5) COVER A ROBINSON (MR)

PLASTIC #4 (OF 5) COVER B HILLYARD (MR)

POSTAL #21 (MR)

PROJECT SUPERPOWERS HERO KILLERS #3 COVER A WOODS

PROJECT SUPERPOWERS HERO KILLERS #3 COVER B BROWNE

PUNISHER #14

PUNISHER #14 VARIANT X-MEN ‘CARD’ COVER

REBELS THESE FREE & INDEPENDENT STATES #5 (OF 8)

REDNECK #4 (MR)

REVOLUTIONARIES #6 S/O SUBSCRIPTION COVER A

REVOLUTIONARIES #6 S/O SUBSCRIPTION COVER B

RICK & MORTY #28

ROBOTECH #1 COVER B KERSCHL

SAGA #45 (MR)

SAVAGE DRAGON #225 25TH ANNIVERSARY COVER A LARSEN (MR)

SCOOBY DOO TEAM UP #28

SECRET EMPIRE #7 (OF 10)

SECRET EMPIRE #7 (OF 10) VARIANT 1:50 JS CAMPBELL COVER

SECRET EMPIRE #7 (OF 10) VARIANT MORA VILLAIN COVER

SECRET EMPIRE #7 (OF 10) VARIANT SORRENTINO HYDRA HEROES COVER

SHIRTLESS BEAR-FIGHTER #2 (OF 5) COVER A ROBINSON (MR)

SHIRTLESS BEAR-FIGHTER #2 (OF 5) COVER B FOX (MR)

SHIRTLESS BEAR-FIGHTER #2 (OF 5) COVER C MACLEAN (MR)

SHUTTER #30 (MR)

SPAWN #276 COVER A ALEXANDER (MR)

SPAWN #276 COVER B MCFARLANE (MR)

SPIDER-GWEN #22

STAR TREK BOLDLY GO #10 COVER A CALTSOUDAS

STAR TREK BOLDLY GO #10 COVER B BADOWER

STAR WARS DOCTOR APHRA #10

STAR WARS DOCTOR APHRA #10 VARIANT 40TH ANNIV COVER

STREET FIGHTER SWIMSUIT SPECIAL 2017 COVER A STAR

STREET FIGHTER SWIMSUIT SPECIAL 2017 COVER C KINNAIRD

SUICIDE SQUAD #22

SUICIDE SQUAD #22 ALTERNATE COVER

SUPER SECRET ROBOT CLUB (ONE SHOT)

TAROT WITCH OF THE BLACK ROSE #105 (MR)

TEEN TITANS #10

TEEN TITANS #10 ALTERNATE COVER

TEKKEN #3 (OF 4) COVER A ANTON K

TEKKEN #3 (OF 4) COVER B VILENELLI

THANOS #9

THANOS #9 VARIANT X-MEN ‘CARD’ COVER

THE LAST HUNT

TMNT ONGOING #72 VARIANT 1:10 COVER

TMNT ONGOING #72 COVER A WACHTER

TMNT ONGOING #72 COVER B WHALEN

TMNT USAGI YOJIMBO VARIANT 1:10 COVER

TMNT USAGI YOJIMBO COVER A SAKAI

TMNT USAGI YOJIMBO COVER B ARAGONES

TOMBOY #12 COVER A WONG (MR)

TRANSFORMERS LOST LIGHT #8 VARIANT 1:10 COVER

TRANSFORMERS LOST LIGHT #8 COVER A LAWRENCE

TRANSFORMERS LOST LIGHT #8 COVER B ROCHE

TRANSFORMERS LOST LIGHT #8 COVER C WHALEN

UNDERWINTER #5 COVER A FAWKES (MR)

VAN HELSING VS THE WEREWOLF #1 COVER A JOHNSON

VAN HELSING VS THE WEREWOLF #1 COVER B DIAZ

VAN HELSING VS THE WEREWOLF #1 COVER C ORTIZ

VAN HELSING VS THE WEREWOLF #1 COVER D OTERO

WAYWARD #22 COVER A CUMMINGS & BONVILLAIN (MR)

WAYWARD #22 COVER B SEJIC (MR)

WEAPON X #6 WMD

WONDER WOMAN #27

WONDER WOMAN #27 ALTERNATE COVER

WWE #7

X-MEN BLUE #8 Secret Empire

X-O MANOWAR (2017) #5 COVER A LAROSA

X-O MANOWAR (2017) #5 COVER B JOHNSON

X-O MANOWAR (2017) COVER E #4-9 PRE-ORDER EDITION BUNDLE #5

PREVIEWS #347 AUGUST 2017

MARVEL PREVIEWS VOL 04 #1 AUGUST 2017 EXTRAS

IMAGE PLUS #16 (WALKING DEAD HERES NEGAN PT 16) (MR)

COMIC SHOP NEWS 90CT BUNDLE #1571

CARTOONS MAGAZINE #10

New Release Books TPBs GNs & Hardcovers (plus merch)

AQUAMAN KINGDOM LOST TP

AVENGERS EPIC COLLECTION OPERATION GALACTIC STORM TP

BATMAN SUPERMAN WONDER WOMAN TRINITY TP NEW EDITION

BATTLESTAR GALACTICA GODS & MONSTERS TP

BLACK ROAD TP VOL 02 A PAGAN DEATH (MR)

BLACK SINISTER HC

BY CHANCE OR PROVIDENCE TP

CERTAIN SCIENTIFIC RAILGUN GN VOL 12

DARK TOWER ART OF THE FILM HC

DOCTOR WHO TP EMPEROR OF DALEKS

EXTRAORDINARY X-MEN TP VOL 04 IVX

FLASH REBIRTH DLX COLL HC BOOK 01

FLASH TP VOL 03 ROGUES RELOADED (REBIRTH)

FROSTBITE TP (MR)

GENERATION WITCH GN VOL 01

HOW TO WIN AT LIFE BY CHEATING AT EVERYTHING TP

JIM HENSON THE DARK CRYSTAL TALES HC

LEGEND OF KORRA TP VOL 01 TURF WARS PT 1

LIFE AFTER TP VOL 04 (MR)

MAGICAL GIRL SITE GN VOL 03 (MR)

MIGHTY THOR TP VOL 02 LORDS OF MIDGARD

MURDER BALLADS TP (MR)

MY MONSTER SECRET GN VOL 07 (MR)

NOT SO SECRET SOCIETY ORIGINAL GN

NOVA RESURRECTION TP

PERSONA 3 VOL 06

SERENITY HC VOL 05 NO POWER IN THE VERSE

SOLID STATE TP

STREET ANGEL GANG HC

SUPERMAN SAVAGE DAWN TP

TESTAMENT OF SISTER NEW DEVIL GN VOL 06

THERES A DEMON LORD ON FLOOR GN VOL 03

UNCANNY AVENGERS UNITY TP VOL 04 RED SKULL

UNCANNY X-MEN SUPERIOR TP VOL 04 IVX

USAGI YOJIMBO SAGA LEGENDS TP

WARLORDS OF APPALACHIA TP

WASTELAND COMPENDIUM VOL 01 (OF 2) (MR)

STAR WARS ARTOO SEETHREE BLUE HEATHER BLACK T/S LG

STAR WARS ARTOO SEETHREE BLUE HEATHER BLACK T/S SM

STAR WARS THE NEW TREND BLACK BLUE T/S MED

STAR WARS THE NEW TREND BLACK BLUE T/S SM

STAR TREK DEDICATION PLAQUE #2 USS ENTERPRISE E

DC WATCH COLLECTION #15 WONDER WOMAN MOVIE

Back in Stock Products

Back in Stock Comics and Magazines

ANGEL SEASON 11 #7 HANS VAR

ANGEL SEASON 11 #7 MAIN FISCHER COVER

BACK TO THE FUTURE #20

BANE CONQUEST #3 (OF 12)

BEAUTY #16 COVER B WHITE (MR)

BTVS SEASON 11 #9 JEANTY & VINES VAR

CEREBUS IN HELL #1

CEREBUS IN HELL #2

CEREBUS IN HELL #3

CEREBUS IN HELL #4

CINEMA PURGATORIO #11 MODDED COVER (MR)

DETECTIVE COMICS #960

IMAGE FIRSTS LOW #1 (MR)

JAMES BOND #5 COVER C ZIRCHER

RAT QUEENS #4 COVER A GIENI (MR)

STARGATE UNIVERSE BACK TO DESTINY #1 PHOTO COVER

STRANGE ATTRACTORS TP

X-MEN BLUE #7 X-MEN CARD VAR SE

ZODIAC STARFORCE CRIES OF FIRE PRINCE #1 BARTEL VAR

Back in Stock Books TPBs & Harcovers

AMAZING SPIDER-MAN TP VOL 01 PARKER LUCK

AMAZING SPIDER-MAN TP VOL 02 SPIDER-VERSE PRELUDE

ANCIENT MAGUS BRIDE GN VOL 07

ANOTHER CASTLE GRIMOIRE TP VOL 01

ANOTHER SUBURBAN ROMANCE COLOR ED TP (MR)

ANT-MAN LITTLE GOLDEN BOOK

ARCHIE COMICS SPECTACULAR SUMMER DAZE TP

ATOMIC ROBO PRESENTS REAL SCIENCE ADVENTURES TP VOL 01

AUTUMNLANDS TP VOL 01 TOOTH & CLAW (MR)

AVATAR LAST AIRBENDER RIFT LIBRARY ED HC

BATMAN & ROBIN TP VOL 01 BORN TO KILL (N52)

BATMAN 66 TP VOL 01

BATMAN A DEATH IN THE FAMILY TP NEW ED

BATMAN ADVENTURES TP VOL 02

BATMAN ARKHAM ASYLUM 25TH ANNIV DLX ED HC (MR)

BATMAN ARKHAM KILLER CROC TP

BATMAN BY SCOTT SNYDER & GREG CAPULLO BOX SET 1

BATMAN DARK KNIGHT TP VOL 01 KNIGHT TERRORS (N52)

BATMAN DETECTIVE COMICS TP VOL 01 FACES OF DEATH (N52)

BATMAN KNIGHTFALL TP NEW ED VOL 02 KNIGHTQUEST

BATMAN KNIGHTFALL TP NEW ED VOL 03 KNIGHTSEND

BATMAN THE KILLING JOKE SPECIAL ED HC

BATMAN THE LONG HALLOWEEN TP

BATMAN TP VOL 07 ENDGAME

BATMAN WHATEVER HAPPENED TO THE CAPED CRUSADER TP

BLACK DOG DREAMS OF PAUL NASH TP

BLACK SINISTER HC

BUFFY HIGH SCHOOL YEARS PARENTAL PARASITE TP

CARNAGE CLASSIC TP

COLOR YOUR OWN SPIDER-MAN TP

CRIMINAL TP VOL 06 LAST OF THE INNOCENT (MR)

CRIMINAL TP VOL 07 WRONG TIME WRONG PLACE (MR)

CROAK #2 (OF 3)

CROSSED TP VOL 01 (MR)

CROSSED TP VOL 02 FAMILY VALUES (MR)

DARK KNIGHT RETURNS TP NEW EDITION

DC COMICS DARK HORSE BATMAN VS PREDATOR TP

DC ELSEWORLDS JUSTICE LEAGUE TP VOL 01

DC SUPER HERO GIRLS TP VOL 01 FINALS CRISIS

DC SUPER HERO GIRLS YR HC WONDER WOMAN AT SUPER HERO HIGH

DEADLY CLASS TP VOL 03 THE SNAKE PIT (MR)

DEADLY CLASS TP VOL 04 DIE FOR ME (MR)

DEADLY CLASS TP VOL 05 CAROUSEL (MR)

DESCENDER TP VOL 01 TIN STARS (MR)

DIVINITY III HEROES OF THE GLORIOUS STALINVERSE TP

DIVINITY III STALINVERSE TP

FABLES TP VOL 01 LEGENDS IN EXILE NEW ED (MR)

FEAR ITSELF TP

FLASH TP VOL 01 MOVE FORWARD (N52)

FLASH TP VOL 02 ROGUES REVOLUTION (N52)

FLASH TP VOL 06 OUT OF TIME

FLASHPOINT TP

FLASHPOINT WORLD OF FLASHPOINT BATMAN TP

FLASHPOINT WORLD OF FLASHPOINT GREEN LANTERN TP

FLASHPOINT WORLD OF FLASHPOINT SUPERMAN TP

FLASHPOINT WORLD OF FLASHPOINT THE FLASH TP

FLASHPOINT WORLD OF FLASHPOINT WONDER WOMAN TP

GOD IS DEAD TP VOL 08 (MR)

GOTHAM ACADEMY TP VOL 01 (N52)

GRAYSON TP VOL 01 AGENTS OF SPYRAL

GUARDIANS OF GALAXY BY JIM VALENTINO TP VOL 01

HARLEY QUINN TP VOL 01 HOT IN THE CITY (N52)

HAWKEYE VS DEADPOOL TP

HELLBLAZER #12

HELLBOY TP VOL 01 SEED OF DESTRUCTION (NEW PTG)

HOUSE OF M TP

HOW TO RAISE BORING GIRLFRIEND GN VOL 01

HUMANOIDS PRESENTS JODOVERSE

IMAGE FIRSTS MAGE #1

IMAGE FIRSTS MANIFEST DESTINY #1

IMAGE FIRSTS PAPER GIRLS #1

INJUSTICE GODS AMONG US YEAR THREE HC VOL 01

INJUSTICE GODS AMONG US YEAR TWO COMPLETE COLL TP

INVINCIBLE HC VOL 08 ULTIMATE COLL

INVINCIBLE HC VOL 09 ULTIMATE COLL

JOKER DEATH OF THE FAMILY TP (N52)

JUGHEAD TP VOL 01

JUSTICE LEAGUE DARK TP VOL 01 IN THE DARK (N52)

JUSTICE LEAGUE TP VOL 01 ORIGIN (N52)

JUSTICE LEAGUE TP VOL 01 THE EXTINCTION MACHINE (REBIRTH)

KILL OR BE KILLED TP VOL 01 (MR)

KINGDOM COME TP NEW PTG

LAZARUS TP VOL 02 LIFT (MR)

LEGEND OF ZELDA LEGENDARY ED GN VOL 04 MINISH CAP & PHANTOM

LOONEY TUNES GREATEST HITS TP VOL 01 WHATS UP DOC

LUMBERJANES TP VOL 01

LUMBERJANES TP VOL 02

MANHATTAN PROJECTS TP VOL 01 SCIENCE BAD

MONSTRESS TP VOL 02 (MR)

MY GIRLFRIEND IS T REX GN VOL 02

NAILBITER TP VOL 04 BLOOD LUST (MR)

NIGHTWING TP VOL 01 BLUDHAVEN

NIGHTWING TP VOL 02 NIGHT OF THE OWLS (N52)

ODYC TP VOL 01 (MR)

OVERSTREET GUIDE SC VOL 06 COLLECTING VIDEO GAMES

PAPER GIRLS TP VOL 02

PAX ROMANA TP VOL 01

PREACHER TP BOOK 01 (MR)

PREACHER TP BOOK 02 (MR)

PREDATOR VS JUDGE DREDD VS ALIENS HC

PRIDE & PREJUDICE MANGA CLASSICS GN

PUNISHER VS MARVEL UNIVERSE TP

RAT QUEENS TP VOL 03 DEMONS (MR)

SAGA TP VOL 03 (MR)

SAGA TP VOL 04 (MR)

SAGA TP VOL 05 (MR)

SAGA TP VOL 06 (MR)

SAGA TP VOL 07 (MR)

SANDMAN TP VOL 01 PRELUDES & NOCTURNES NEW ED (MR)

SERENITY HC VOL 05 NO POWER IN THE VERSE

SEX CRIMINALS TP VOL 01 (MR)

SEX CRIMINALS TP VOL 02 TWO WORLDS ONE COP (MR)

SIMPSONS TREEHOUSE OF HORROR TP VOL 06 BEYOND THE GRAVE

SIN CITY NEW MILLER COVER TP VOL 01 HARD GOODBYE (MR) NOTE PRI

SMURFS GN VOL 10 RETURN OF SMURFETTE

SPAWN ORIGINS TP VOL 01

SPIDER-MAN BLUE TP

SPIDER-MAN MAXIMUM CARNAGE TP

SPIDER-MAN TP AMAZING ORIGINS

SPIDEY TP VOL 01 FIRST DAY

SPONGEBOB COMICS TP VOL 01 SILLY SEA STORIES

STAR WARS LITTLE GOLDEN BOOK ATTACK OF CLONES

STAR WARS LITTLE GOLDEN BOOK EMPIRE STRIKES BACK

STAR WARS TP VOL 05 YODAS SECRET WAR

SUPERGIRL TP VOL 01 LAST DAUGHTER OF KRYPTON (N52)

SUPERMAN TP VOL 01 WHAT PRICE TOMORROW (N52)

SURGEON X TP VOL 01 PATH OF MOST RESISTANCE (MR)

TESTAMENT OF SISTER NEW DEVIL GN VOL 06

ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN ULTIMATE COLLECTION TP VOL 01

UNCLE SCROOGE PERIL OF PANDORAS BOX TP

USAGI YOJIMBO SAGA LEGENDS TP

V FOR VENDETTA NEW EDITION TP (MR)

VELVET TP VOL 01 BEFORE THE LIVING END (MR)

VELVET TP VOL 02 THE SECRET LIVES OF DEAD MEN (MR)

VISION TP VOL 01 LITTLE WORSE THAN MAN

WALKING DEAD COMPENDIUM TP VOL 03 (MR)

WALKING DEAD TP VOL 04 HEARTS DESIRE

WALKING DEAD TP VOL 19 MARCH TO WAR

WALKING DEAD TP VOL 20 ALL OUT WAR PT 1 (MR)

WALKING DEAD TP VOL 21 ALL OUT WAR PT 2 (MR)

WALKING DEAD TP VOL 25 NO TURNING BACK (MR)

WALKING DEAD TP VOL 26 CALL TO ARMS (MR)

WICKED & DIVINE TP VOL 05 IMPERIAL PHASE I (MR)

WOLVERINE OLD MAN LOGAN TP VOL 04 OLD MONSTERS

WONDER WOMAN BY GREG RUCKA TP VOL 02

WONDER WOMAN TP VOL 01 THE LIES (REBIRTH)

WORLD OF THE WITCHER HC

WORLDS FINEST TP VOL 04 FIRST CONTACT (N52)

X-MEN FATAL ATTRACTIONS TP NEW PTG

Y THE LAST MAN TP BOOK 01 (MR)

Y THE LAST MAN TP BOOK 05 (MR)

YO-KAI WATCH GN VOL 01

YO-KAI WATCH GN VOL 02

YOUNG AVENGERS BY HEINBERG AND CHEUNG COMPLETE COLL TP

YOUNG JUSTICE TP BOOK 01

COMICARE SHORT COMIC BOX (SOLD IN 10)

FULL BACKS CURRENT (ORDER IN 50)

#featured

[nfcomics]

Night Flight Comics—6222 South State Street Latest Arrivals: Wednesday—January 25th 2017

ACTION COMICS #972 ACTION COMICS #972 VAR ED ALIENS 30TH ANNIVERSARY ORIGINAL COMICS SERIES HC [R] ALIENS DEFIANCE #9 ALIENS DEFIANCE TP VOL 01 ALIENS MINIMATES DLX SPACE JOCKEY SET ALIENS OMNIBUS TP VOL 02 [R] ALIENS VS PREDATOR LIFE AND DEATH #2 ALL NEW WOLVERINE #16 BENGAL CONNECTING D VAR [R] AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #23 CC [R] ANIMOSITY THE RISE #1 ONE SHOT AQUAMAN TP VOL 01 THE DROWNING (REBIRTH) [R] AVATAR LAST AIRBENDER TP VOL 01 PROMISE PART 1 [R] AVATAR LAST AIRBENDER TP VOL 14 NORTH SOUTH PART 2 AVENGERS #1.MU BACK TO THE FUTURE BIFF TO THE FUTURE #1 (OF 6) BACK TO THE FUTURE BIFF TO THE FUTURE #1 (OF 6) SUB BATGIRL #7 BATGIRL #7 VAR ED BATMAN 66 MEETS WONDER WOMAN 77 #1 (OF 6)

BATMAN 66 MEETS WONDER WOMAN 77 #1 (OF 6) VAR ED BATMAN ARKHAM ASYLUM 25TH ANNIV DLX ED HC [R] BATMAN ARKHAM ASYLUM 25TH ANNIV DLX ED TP [R] BATMAN HC VOL 05 ZERO YEAR DARK CITY (N52) [R] BATMAN BEYOND #4 BATMAN BEYOND #4 VAR ED BATMAN DARK KNIGHT RETURNS TP—Frank Miller [R] BATMAN TMNT ADVENTURES #3 (OF 6) BATMAN TMNT ADVENTURES #3 (OF 6) VAR BATMAN TMNT ADVENTURES #3 (OF 6) SUB VAR BELLADONNA #4 NUDE CVR BETTY BOOP #4 (OF 4) CVR B BONE BLACK EYED KIDS #2 [R] BLACK MONDAY MURDERS TP VOL 01 ALL HAIL GOD MAMMON BLACK PANTHER #10 BLACK PANTHER #10 RIVERA CONNECTING F VAR BLOODSHOT USA #4 (OF 4) CVR A BRAITHWAITE BLOODSHOT USA #4 (OF 4) CVR B HENRY BLOODSHOT USA #4 (OF 4) CVR C JOHNSON BLUE BEETLE #5 BLUE BEETLE #5 VAR ED BOYS TP VOL 02 GET SOME [R] BRIGGS LAND #6 BTVS SEASON 11 #3 MAIN MORRIS CVR BTVS SEASON 11 #3 VAR ISAACS CVR CAPTAIN AMERICA STEVE ROGERS #10 CAPTAIN AMERICA STEVE ROGERS TP VOL 01 HAIL HYDRA [R] CARNAGE #14 [R] CARNAGE #16 CHEW TP VOL 01 [R] CINDERELLA SERIAL KILLER PRINCESS #2 CVR A PANTALE CINDERELLA SERIAL KILLER PRINCESS #2 CVR B MALSUNI CINDERELLA SERIAL KILLER PRINCESS #2 CVR C RUIZ CIVIL WAR II #7 (OF 8) [R] CIVIL WAR II OATH #1 CIVIL WAR II OATH #1 ALBUQUERQUE VAR CLONE CONSPIRACY #1, #2, #3 (OF 5) [R] CLONE CONSPIRACY #4 (OF 5) CC [R] COMIC BOOK HISTORY OF COMICS #3 (OF 6) COMIC BOOK HISTORY OF COMICS #3 (OF 6) SUB CONAN THE SLAYER #6 CONAN OMNIBUS TP VOL 01 BIRTH OF LEGEND [R] DANTE ONE-SHOT DAREDEVIL #16 DARK SOULS WINTERS SPITE #3 (OF 4) CVR A QUAH DEAD INSIDE #2 (OF 5) DEADPOOL #25 DEADPOOL BEGINNINGS OMNIBUS HC DEADPOOL BY DANIEL WAY COMPLETE COLL TP VOL 02, VOL 03 [R] DEADPOOL TP VOL 06 ORIGINAL SIN [R] DEADPOOL TP VOL 08 ALL GOOD THINGS [R] DEADPOOLS SECRET SECRET WARS TP [R] DEATHSTROKE #11 DEATHSTROKE #11 VAR ED DEPT H #10 DETECTIVE COMICS #948 [R] DETECTIVE COMICS #949 DETECTIVE COMICS #949 VAR ED DISNEY DARKWING DUCK #7 DIVINITY III STALINVERSE #1 2ND PTG DIVINITY III STALINVERSE #2 CVR A DJURDJEVIC DOCTOR STRANGE #16 DOCTOR STRANGE SORCERERS SUPREME #4 [R] DOCTOR WHO 10TH YEAR THREE #1 CVR A BURNS [R] DOOM PATROL #4 DOOM PATROL #4 VAR ED ELFQUEST FINAL QUEST #18 ENCHANTED TIKI ROOM #4 (OF 5) ENCHANTED TIKI ROOM #4 (OF 5) CHRISTOPHER AF ENCHANTED TIKI ROOM #4 (OF 5) GRANDT CONNECTING VAR ETHER #3 EXTRAORDINARY X-MEN #18 IVX FLASH #15 FLASH #15 VAR ED FROSTBITE #5 (OF 6) FUTURE QUEST #9 GARTH ENNIS RED TEAM DOUBLE TAP #7 (OF 9) GFT GRIMM TALES OF TERROR VOL 3 #1 A CVR WATSON GFT GRIMM TALES OF TERROR VOL 3 #1 B CVR BIFULCO GFT GRIMM TALES OF TERROR VOL 3 #1 C CVR CASAS GHOST RIDER #3 GI JOE (2016) #2 GI JOE (2016) #2 ARTIST ED VAR GI JOE (2016) #2 SUB VAR GI JOE A REAL AMERICAN HERO #236 GI JOE A REAL AMERICAN HERO #236 SUB VAR GREEN LANTERNS TP VOL 01 RAGE PLANET (REBIRTH) GRIMM FAIRY TALES #2 CVR A JOHNSON GRIMM FAIRY TALES #2 CVR B LUIS GRIMM FAIRY TALES #2 CVR C OTERO GRIMM FAIRY TALES #2 CVR D BIFULCO GRIMM FAIRY TALES OMNIBUS TP VOL 02 [R] GRIMM V2 #4 CVR A SANAPO [R] GRIMM V2 #5 (OF 5) CVR A SANAPO GRIMM V2 #5 (OF 5) CVR B STRAHM MASK GUIDE TO MARVEL CINEMATIC UNIVERSE CAP AMERICIA CI HAL JORDAN AND THE GREEN LANTERN CORPS #7 [R] HAL JORDAN AND THE GREEN LANTERN CORPS #13 HAL JORDAN AND THE GREEN LANTERN CORPS #13 VAR ED HARROW COUNTY #20 HE MAN THUNDERCATS #1 (OF 6) 2ND PTG HEAVY METAL #284 CVR A ROYO [R] HELLBLAZER #6 HELLBLAZER #6 VAR ED HELLBOY WINTER SPECIAL 2017 ONE SHOT HELLCHILD THE UNHOLY #3 CVR A SILVA HELLCHILD THE UNHOLY #3 CVR B RIVEIRO HELLCHILD THE UNHOLY #3 CVR C ABEL HILLBILLY #5 HORIZON TP VOL 01 [R] HULK #2 IMAGE FIRSTS I HATE FAIRYLAND #1 [R] INFAMOUS IRON MAN #4 ISLAND #14 IVX #2 (OF 6) SYAF INHUMANS VAR [R] IVX #3 (OF 6) IVX #3 (OF 6) CHO VAR IVX #3 (OF 6) DODSON INHUMANS VAR IVX #3 (OF 6) SYAF X-MEN VAR IMAGE FIRSTS MONSTRESS #1 [R] JASON SHIGA DEMON SC GN [R] JEM & THE HOLOGRAMS #23 SUB VAR JESSICA JONES #3 [R] JIM HENSON STORYTELLER GIANTS #2 [R] JUST THE TIPS HC [R] JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA KILLER FROST REBIRTH #1 JUSTICE LEAGUE POWER RANGERS #1 (OF 6) [R] JUSTICE LEAGUE POWER RANGERS #1 (OF 6) GREEN LANTERN JUSTICE LEAGUE SUICIDE SQUAD #2 (OF 6) [R] JUSTICE LEAGUE SUICIDE SQUAD #6 (OF 6) JUSTICE LEAGUE SUICIDE SQUAD #6 (OF 6) CONNER VAR JUSTICE LEAGUE SUICIDE SQUAD #6 (OF 6) GARCIA LOPE KAMANDI CHALLENGE #1 (OF 12) KAMANDI CHALLENGE #1 (OF 12) EAGLESHAM VAR ED KAMANDI CHALLENGE #1 (OF 12) GIFFEN VAR ED KILL OR BE KILLED #4 [R] KISS DEMON #1 (OF 4) CVR A STRAHM KISS DEMON #1 (OF 4) CVR B MANDRAKE HOMAGE KISS DEMON #1 (OF 4) CVR C ADAMS 8 BIT KISS DEMON #1 (OF 4) CVR D PHOTO LETTER 44 #29 LETTER 44 TP VOL 04 SAVIORS LOONEY TUNES #235 LOOSE ENDS #1 (OF 4) LOVE & ROCKETS MAGAZINE #1 [R] LOVE HC VOL 04 THE DINOSAUR MARVEL SELECT DR STRANGE MOVIE AF MARVEL TSUM TSUM TAKEOVER TP MARVEL UNIVERSE ULT SPIDER-MAN VS SINISTER SIX #7 MOON GIRL AND DEVIL DINOSAUR #15 MY LITTLE PONY FRIENDS FOREVER #36 MY LITTLE PONY FRIENDS FOREVER #36 SUB VAR NEIL GAIMANS FORBIDDEN BRIDES SLAVES DREAD DESIRE NEW SUPER MAN #7 VAR ED [R] NEWTYPE NOV 2016 [R] NIGHTWING TP VOL 01 BETTER THAN BATMAN (REBIRTH) ODYSSEY OF THE AMAZONS #1 (OF 6) ODYSSEY OF THE AMAZONS #1 (OF 6) VAR ED ONE PUNCH MAN GN VOL 01 [R] OPTIMUS PRIME #3 OPTIMUS PRIME #3 ARTIST ED VAR OPTIMUS PRIME #3 SUB VAR OVER GARDEN WALL ONGOING #10 SUB OSBORNE PATHFINDER WORLDSCAPE #4 (OF 6) CVR B MANDRAKE PATHFINDER WORLDSCAPE #4 (OF 6) CVR C EXC SUB POP BTAS JOKER VINYL FIG [R] POP BTAS POISON IVY VINYL FIG [R] POP CONAN THE BARBARIAN CONAN VINYL FIG [R] POP IZOMBIE OLIVIA MOORE W/GLASSES VINYL FIG [R] POP LABYRINTH JARETH VINYL FIG [R] PREDATOR OMNIBUS TP VOL 01 [R] PROVIDENCE #1, #2 (OF 12) DREAMSCAPE WRAP CVR [R] POWER RANGERS PINK #6 PROWLER #4 CC PUNISHER #8 PUNISHER MAX COMPLETE COLLECTION TP VOL 05 REBORN #4 CVR A CAPULLO REBORN #4 CVR B CAPULO RED HOOD AND THE OUTLAWS #6 [R] RED SONJA #1 CVR C PETERSON [R] REVIVAL #46 RICK & MORTY LIL POOPY SUPERSTAR #1, #5 (OF 5) [R] RICK & MORTY #22 RICK & MORTY #22 VAR BING ROCK & ROLL BIOGRAPHIES WHITE ZOMBIE [R] SAGA #42 SCOOBY DOO TEAM UP #22 SERENITY NO POWER IN THE VERSE #4 (OF 6) MAIN SANT SERENITY NO POWER IN THE VERSE #4 (OF 6) VAR JEANTY SHADOWS ON THE GRAVE #1 [R] SHE WOLF #5 SIMPSONS COMICS EXPLOSION #3 [R] SIMPSONS COMICS KNOCKOUT GN [R] SIMPSONS ILLUSTRATED #27 SIN CITY MAGNET SET #2 [R] SIN CITY PLAYING CARDS (2ND ED) SIXPACK & DOGWELDER HARD-TRAVELIN HEROZ #6 (OF 6) SKYBOURNE #1 [R] SKYBOURNE #3 SLAPSTICK #2 [R] SLAYER REPENTLESS #1 (OF 3) MAIN FABRY CVR SLAYER REPENTLESS #1 (OF 3) VAR POWELL CVR SOLO #4 SOUTHERN BASTARDS #16 CVR A LATOUR [R] SPIDER-GWEN #16 NOW [R] SPIDER-MAN DEADPOOL #1.MU SPIDER-WOMAN #15 STAR TREK GREEN LANTERN VOL 2 #2 STAR TREK GREEN LANTERN VOL 2 #2 ARTIST ED VAR STAR WARS #27 STAR WARS #27 CHRISTOPHER AF VAR STAR WARS DOCTOR APHRA #1, #3 [R] STARFIRE TP VOL 02 A MATTER OF TIME STRAIN MR QUINLAN VAMPIRE HUNTER #5 (OF 5) [R] SUICIDE SQUAD #10 (JL SS) SUICIDE SQUAD #10 VAR ED (JL SS) SURGEON X #5 TAROT WITCH OF THE BLACK ROSE #102 TARZAN ON THE PLANET OF THE APES #5 (OF 5) TEEN TITANS #4 TEEN TITANS #4 VAR ED THANOS #3 THE MUMMY (HAMMER) #3 (OF 5) CVR A MCCREA THIEF OF THIEVES TP VOL 06 THUNDERBOLTS #9 TITANS #7 VAR ED [R] TMNT ONGOING #66 TMNT ONGOING #66 ARTIST ED VAR TOMB RAIDER 2016 #12 TOTALLY AWESOME HULK #15 NOW UNCANNY X-MEN #17 CHOI VAR IVX [R] UNCANNY X-MEN SUPERIOR TP VOL 03 WAKING FROM DREAM UNHOLY #1 ADULT EXTREME CVR UNHOLY #1 FEMME FATALE NUDE CVR UNWORTHY THOR #2 (OF 5) 2ND PTG COIPEL VAR VAMPBLADE #12 CVR A YOUNG VENOM #3 [R] WARHAMMER 40000 WILL OF IRON #4 (OF 4) CVR A PERCI WARLORDS OF APPALACHIA #4 WAYWARD #20 CVR A CUMMINGS & BONVILLAIN WAYWARD #20 CVR B SCHANK WONDER WOMAN #15 WONDER WOMAN #15 VAR ED WONDER WOMAN 77 BIONIC WOMAN #2 (OF 6) CVR A STAGG WONDER WOMAN 77 BIONIC WOMAN #2 (OF 6) CVR B LOPRE WORLD WAR X #2 (OF 6) CVR B PERCIVAL ZOMBIE TRAMP ONGOING #31 CVR D MENDOZA RISQUE

Night Flight Comics—6222 South State Street Last Arrivals: Wednesday—January 25th 2017

#New Comics Wednesday • January 25th 2017 #Night Flight Comics

[before-we-get-started]

Masterlist Updated May 2, 2021

One Shots

Colin Shea x Reader

My Favorite Mistake

Your sexy neighbor across the hall has caught your attention. You know he's a player but you just can't help yourself. Will he break your heart?

Mystery

You help Colin buy something for his mother's birthday and make plans for later :)

Steve Rogers/Ransom Drysdale/Jake Jensen x Reader

One Shot

Safe Landing

This is my entry for What-Is-Your-Plan-Today's 10th Anniversary of Captain America: The First Avenger Challenge. You're flying home, facing the biggest challenge of your life and you don't know if your boyfriend is still your boyfriend. Your two seatmates on the plane become your confidantes as you navigate your future - and make two amazing new friends.

Chapter Fics

Dream Come True

Colin Shea x OFC Corinne MacAdam

Colin Shea and his band Rock the Cradle are finally making it big - until something unexpected happens. When he meets a girl that makes him reconsider his player ways, he thinks his life may be coming together, until she blows it apart.

#chris evans #chris evans fanfic #chris evans fanfiction #chris evans fic #steve rogers #steve rogers fanfiction #steve rogers x reader #steve rogers x you #colin shea #colin shea fanfic #colin shea fanfiction #what's your number #ransom drysdale x you #ransom drysdale #ransom drysdale fanfiction #ransom drysdale fic #jake jensen #jake jensen fic #jake jensen fanfiction

[before-we-get-started]

Safe Landing

Summary: At the most difficult time in your life, you board a plane and find solace in your two seat mates – can they help you find your way back to the love of your life?

Warnings: Angst, fluff, light smut, death of family members, some bad words.

Pairing: Steve Rogers x Reader, Ransom Drysdale x Reader, and an appearance at the end by a fun mystery character :)

Disclaimer: This work is a pure work of fiction and my fics are classified as 18+. Please do not read if you are underage. Any likeness to real life people/scenarios is purely coincidental. I do not own any characters in this fic. If you continue to read, you understand and accept the terms of this disclaimer.

W/C: 11k

A/N: This was an entry in the 10th Anniversary of Captain America: The First Avenger Challenge hosted by the amazing @what-is-your-plan-today. You can find my work on Wattpad as well.

There’s not going to be a safe landing.

It was the unknown that was the hardest. The what if. What if you’d taken the time to slow down? What if you’d given more than you took? What if you’d appreciated it, not taken it for granted, not just assumed that it would always be there?

You were alone now. You didn’t have anyone. It was probably what you deserved. You’d persevere, you always had, but knowing you wouldn’t have to if you’d been better caused your heart to clench.

The longest flight of your life was coming to an end, and you considered the travelers making this journey with you by chance. You’d all shared a row on the plane that was taking you to meet your fate. One - cynical, crass, growing up longing to be loved, incapable of committing, but under it all, possessing a fierce loyalty for those he deemed worthy. The other – a gentle, loving soul, committed to service with honor and willing to give all, not just for those he loved, but for the greater good. They were complete strangers who had seeped into your soul, spirits that would forever fill you, thoughts of them making you smile.

For better or worse, they’d helped you navigate the mine field that was your future. Now you’d endure the unbearable wait, the long walk, watching others unite with loved ones, hoping that maybe, despite all odds, there would be a reunion for you too. You hoped the soul-soothing moments you’d shared with these two travelers over the last three hours would ease you into whatever awaited you at the airport gate.

Despite everything, you wished he’d be there.

Three hours earlier

“Thank you for flying National Airlines.” You forced a smile at the flight attendant as you boarded the plane. It was going to be a full flight and you were stuck in a middle seat. Appropriate, given the mood you were in. You waited impatiently as everyone made their way down the aisle, hoisting bags that were too large to fit in the overhead, straps smacking you as they did. You pitied your seat mates. You were in no mood for idle conversation. Your temper was wearing thin.

Finally reaching row 12, you were thrilled that no one else had arrived. You plopped into your seat, pulled out your compact and opened it, and grimaced as you took a quick look. There were circles under your eyes, telling everyone you’d not slept well for days. You’d definitely lost your sparkle. You swiped some powder over your nose and ran gloss over your lips, something to make you look less stressed. You opened your backpack and got a whiff of your grandmother’s scent. You ran your hand over her letter, lingering. With a sigh, you took the cell phone, headphones and book out of your bag, tucked the letter into the book and stowed the bag under the seat in front of you. You found your seat belt and clicked it, giving it a tug. Whoever was sitting by the window would have to step around you, you weren’t getting up again. Music on, book open, you pushed all the sad and empty thoughts aside and got lost in another world.

Within a couple of minutes, you heard shouting and pulled off your headphones.

You looked up to see a tall man in a blue cashmere sweater and gray silk trousers with his finger in the face of an attendant.

“Let me tell you something. You don’t know who you’re fucking with. Drysdales don’t fly fucking coach – ever. I’ll sue you and I’ll own this stupid airline.”

“Mr. Drysdale, I’m sorry. This was the seat that was chosen when the ticket was purchased,” said the flight attendant in a surprisingly calm manner. “This is a full flight and there is no room for you to upgrade to first class. And despite what you may think, I had absolutely nothing to do with how the ticket was booked, nor do I have any ability to change the fact that you are in seat 12D. Now, can I help you stow your bag? I’ll have a cocktail cart here for you soon.”

You thought he might continue the fight, but he didn’t. Instead he slammed his jacket down on the seat next to you and made a show of slinging his bag into the overhead, muttering a string of expletives the entire time. Then he looked down at you.

“Just fucking awesome,” he said angrily, picking his jacket up and wedging into the seat. He was tall and he worked to figure out how to fit his long legs in the legroom designated for the impoverished that were banished to coach. He sighed in disgust, his knees against the seat tray.

You studied him for just a second, not wanting to stare. He had a strong profile, chiseled jawline, dark blonde hair perfectly styled. His skin was gorgeous, with a slight hook in his nose. You looked down and caught how his biceps were stretching the sweater a bit and his big hands with long slender fingers settled in his lap. He smelled of expensive cologne – musky and woody, and he probably had a cigarette before he came into the airport. He laid his head back against the seat and closed his eyes. You took the hint and put your headphones back in, finding the folded page corner in your book.

Within a minute or so, you were aware of a buzz among the other passengers. You paused the music and pulled out a headphone, looking around and listening.

“I’m certain that’s him,” whispered the woman behind you.

“No way. There’s no way Captain America is sitting in coach,” said her husband.

“Do you think he’d take a selfie with me?” said their daughter.

You couldn’t see anything down the aisle and certainly didn’t want to stretch into your neighbor’s seat space given his attitude about having to fly with the peasants. No need to stress about it though, because the overhead light was suddenly blocked out by an incredibly wide set of shoulders. The tall blonde man looming over top of you in the aisle took your breath away. Ice blue eyes, those shoulders as broad as a building, a t-shirt that was screaming to break free from the massive pecs, abs and biceps it struggled to cover, and jeans that hugged his tree trunk thighs. You weren’t sure how this guy made it through the door of the plane, let alone how he was going to fit into a seat.

“I’m sorry,” he said to Mr. Attitude next to you. “I’m the window.”

“You’ve gotta be shitting me,” said Mr. Drysdale.

The blonde adonis just smiled and apologized again. “Sorry, I should’ve already been seated, I got held up in security.”

The crab apple next to you rose and stepped out into the aisle. They were both the same height, and you took a long look, your breath catching in your throat. There was a lot of handsome man standing in the aisle, and they were getting ready to make a hottie sandwich out of you. You quickly unsnapped your seatbelt and stood so the blonde god could get past.

“Hi,” he said, a smile that revealed his pearly whites taking your breath away again. “I’m so sorry, promise you won’t have to get up again.”

“No worries,” you barely squeaked out as that incredible ass in those tight jeans brushed past and slipped into the window seat. You sat down, your arms at your sides, absolutely no room on the armrests for you with all of this man surrounding you. Holy shit.

You looked to your left and the blonde extended a hand. “Steve Rogers,” he said, that million watt smile on again.

“I’m Y/N,” you said, feeling the warmth and strength of his hand. How in the hell had you ended up on a flight next to Captain America? You didn’t think anything could change your mood, but maybe you were wrong.

He extended his hand across you to the aisle seat occupant. “Steve Rogers,” he said in his sexy baritone. Mr. Drysdale raised an eyebrow in annoyance and hesitated, then quickly shook his hand. “Ransom Drysdale. And I shouldn’t be sitting in this seat,” he said sourly.

Steve raised an eyebrow at you and grinned, unsure what to think about your seatmate. You shrugged and smiled.

“We’ve been cleared for takeoff. Be sure your seatbelts are fastened, all items are stowed and tray tables are up. We’ll be taxiing out to the runway in a few minutes.” The flight attendant walked up the aisle, making sure all the overhead compartments were secure.

You were glad you had pulled what you needed from your bag when you sat, because it would take a can opener to pry you out of your seat at this point. You opened the book again and tried to concentrate on the words. Captain Rogers was settling into his seat, turning off his cell phone and trying to pull the seatbelt around his waist. With some effort, you finally heard it click.

“These seats are incredibly tight. I’ve never flown coach before. It’s crazy how little room there is.”

“Tell me about it,” said Ransom, rolling his eyes. “When I get home, I’m firing my assistant over this reservation and making sure no one else will ever hire her,” he snarled.

You tried looking back and forth during the conversation, enjoying the view, but even that movement was difficult.

“So I thought Avengers traveled by quinjet,” you said to the captain.

He smiled at you. “We normally do, but I had to get out of town quickly and there wasn’t one available. My wife is having early labor pains and I need to get to her as soon as I can.” There was worry in his blue eyes.

“Oh, I love your wife,” you said. “She’s amazing. She has raised so much money with her foundation, done so much for so many. She’s an inspiration, and a badass,” you added.

He chuckled. “Well, her badass days are behind her. Being a mom kind of makes that difficult.”

You smiled at him and shook your head. You were conversing with Captain America about his family. Had this day taken a turn or what?

“I can’t believe they couldn’t find you a private plane or something,” said Ransom. “I would’ve bitched to the airline if I were you.”

“It’s hard to find air transportation right now with all the events happening here and the weather cancelling flights. I’m just grateful that I got what I got. The doctors gave her something to slow her labor so I should get there in plenty of time,” said Steve.

“It’s your second, right?” you said.

“Yes, we have a son.”

“Do you know what you’re having?” you asked.

He smiled broadly, all the way to his eyes. “It’s a girl,” he said, and you thought about what a lucky little girl she was to have a daddy so thrilled to be having her. It wasn’t that way for everyone.

The plane jerked a bit as it began backing away from the gate. You laid your head back against the seat, fighting the anxiety that was suddenly overtaking you. You’d only flown a once before and you’d found taking off and landing nearly more than you could take. On that flight, he was with you, his hand over yours, whispering in your ear that it would be ok and “I’ve got you, baby girl.” You closed your eyes and smiled at the memory, imaging him next to you. Then just as suddenly, the memory of him pressing you against the wall, kissing you with abandon flooded your brain and your eyes flew wide open, your body jerking a bit.

“You ok?” Steve asked.

You could feel the heat rise in your neck. “Yes,” you said shyly. “Just not a fan of takeoffs.”

“Flying is the safest form of transportation,” said Ransom matter-of-factly. “You’ll be fine.”

You looked over at him, that chiseled profile staring straight ahead, a scowl on his face. He’d better watch out or he’d freeze that way. You grinned at the memory of your grandmother telling you that every time you rolled your eyes.

Steve reached over the armrest and took your hand, covering it with his. “Flying isn’t my favorite thing either,” he said with a smile and you wrapped your fingers around his thumb.

The flight attendant announced that the cabin was secure and takeoff could commence and the plane slowed, stopping to let another plane pass. The engine whirred and the plane jerked forward, gaining speed, the noise louder and louder. You squeezed Steve’s thumb a little harder and he returned the squeeze, holding your hand tightly in his big warm one. The plane began to lift, knocking you back slightly and you went with gravity, straightening your back and laying against the seat, eyes closed, working on breathing normally. It was unnerving feeling your body lifting from the seat a little. The loss of control made your heart race, but gently, as the plane rose and then leveled off, your body was once again calm.

You looked over at Steve and he gave you a reassuring smile. “Thanks,” you said softly. You let go of his thumb.

“No problem,” he said softly, pulling his hand away.

“My boyfriend normally does that for me,” you said. And, you were sad again.

“Is that where you’re traveling, to see him?” Steve asked.

You chewed on your bottom lip, looking down at your lap. “No, my grandmother passed away and I’m going to sort out her home and belongings,” you sighed. “He won’t be there. He’s done with me.”

“What does that mean?” asked Ransom.

You sighed. “It’s kind of a long story.”

“Well, we’ve got three hours to kill,” Steve said with a smile.

“Jesus Christ,” muttered Ransom, pulling out the airline magazine in an attempt to disappear.

Steve nudged your elbow and smiled. “Tell me about him.”

You smiled. “I’ve known him since second grade,” you smiled. “We started dating in seventh grade. He’s the only guy I’ve ever been with.”

Ransom let out a disgusted laugh next to you. You looked over at him. “Not a romantic, Ransom?”

“Uh, no,” he sputtered. “Hell no. Seriously, how old are you?”

You told him your age.

“Jesus, and you’ve only ever been with one guy? That’s ridiculous.”

You felt Steve’s hand pat your arm. You looked at him and he rolled his eyes, looking at Ransom. “I think it’s great you’re with your school sweetheart,” he said. “You must have some pretty strong feelings for him if you’ve been that loyal to him.”

“I do,” you sighed sadly. “I thought he was my forever.”

“How can you possibly know that?” said Ransom. “He’s the only guy you’ve ever been with.”

“I just know,” you said. “We have a history.’

“Tell me more,” said Steve.

“Well…”

“Where is she?”

“She’s up front, sitting on the pew.”

“What’s going to happen?”

“I heard she’ll go with her grandmother.”

The chatter continued at the back of the church just after the funeral had ended. Sitting all alone in the front was an 8-year-old girl in tights, a black velvet dress, black patent shoes and a bow in her hair. A large spray of pink tulips flowed over the edge of the oak casket in front of her.

While the adults gossiped, an 8-year-old boy in a suit and tie emerged from the back and walked up the aisle. He stood at the edge of the first pew, then sat at the end and slid down until he was next to the girl. He took her hand in his and when she looked at him, he gave a gap-toothed smile. “It’s ok Y/N. I’ll take care of you.” The little girl smiled back.

“My grandmother passed away last month,” you told Steve.

His blue eyes showed concern. “I’m so sorry.” He patted your arm.

Ransom let out a sarcastic chuckle. For someone who didn’t want to talk, he was finding his way into your conversation. You turned your face to him, unsure what type of asshole laughs at someone’s death.

He looked at you and immediately his face was serious. “I’m sorry too,” he said. “I was laughing because my grandmother was the only person on the planet that ever gave a shit about me. She was the most amazing person I ever knew.”

You couldn’t help but feel for him, despite his incredibly rough edges.

“Well, my grandmother was really amazing too,” you said. “She got stuck with me when I was little and she did a great job raising me.”

You’d moved in with her at an incredibly difficult time. Your grandfather had passed less than a year before, and then your mother, her only child. Taking you in was never in doubt, she would do so gladly, but it was a challenge that she struggled with many times.

Enter him. He was only a child, but he had, as they say, “an old soul.” He became your constant companion and a fixture in your grandmother’s home. You could feel her tension ease when he arrived. For a little while, she didn’t have to worry if she was making the right decisions for you, bridging the generation gap. When the two of you were together, you were in sync and well behaved.

You told them how, from the time you moved in with your grandmother, he became your protector. He walked you to and from school every day, carrying your lunchbox so you could pick flowers along the way. At recess, he ran to the teeter totter to save it until you got there, and when you climbed on a swing, he pushed you so high you felt like you were flying.

You played baseball with boys until sixth grade and he was always on your team. When you made the cheerleading squad, he helped you learn all the cheers and during the game, you’d see him on the sidelines with the team, miming your cheers from memory.

His family was difficult. His father drove a truck all over the country and was gone for long periods of time. His mother liked to drink, a little too much, and wasn’t always kind to her children. Despite her treatment, her neglect of her children, he had grown up well-mannered and respectful. You liked to think your grandmother had a lot to do with that.

“I lost my Ma when I was in my teens,” said Steve. You knew his story, and that he would have lost her decades ago, but losing your mother was still hard.

Ransom scoffed. “I should be so lucky,” he said under his breath.

You looked at him. “Did you just wish your mother dead?” you said sternly.

He looked at you. “Trust me, the world would be a much better place,” he muttered.

You glared at him for a minute, then turned your attention back to Steve.

“My mom was wonderful,” you said, the memory of her flooding your mind. “She was that mom – the one that did all the fun stuff. She was creative and an incredible cook and her house was open to everyone. She was just, she was the best,” you said, tears creeping into your voice. You felt Steve’s arm push into yours just a bit, the contact easing your sadness.

“My mother is a spoiled rotten bully. All she cares about is spending money and making people think she’s better than everyone,” Ransom spat out. “I honestly don’t know why she even had me – actually, I do. She wouldn’t be nearly as happy if she didn’t have the opportunity to tell me what a disappointment I am every occasion she gets.”

“She sounds like a character out of a movie,” you said.

He looked at you. “Absolutely fucking no one would watch that movie,” he said deadpan.

Steve cleared his throat. “So, when did you and your boyfriend get serious?”

“I think we just always knew we’d be together,” you said. “We were inseparable and we loved each other from that moment in the church. No one ever invited just one of us to something, it was always both of us.”

“That’s special,” said Steve. “Some people never find their soulmate. I was so lucky to find mine when I did. She helped me discover the world when I came out of the ice. She’s truly the better half of me.”

You couldn’t help but poke the bear a little. “Ransom, you’ve never been in love? Ever?”

He looked at you and rolled his eyes. “Nope,” he said, popping the P. “Love is for fools. Life is too short to be with one person. There’s a buffet of beauty out there and I’m happy to be the first in line.”

You looked at Steve, who was suppressing a little smile. “You just haven’t found the right person,” he said, also poking the bear a bit.

“There is no ‘right person’ for me, of that I am sure,” he spat. “I’m fine taking care of me. Don’t need to worry about anyone else expecting something from me I can’t give them.” He was back to looking at his magazine, acting disinterested. “Besides, anyone that claims to ‘love’ me is lying – they’re really only in love with my money.”

“Aw, Ransom,” you said with a grin, “are you saying you’re not lovable?”

“Wouldn’t you like to find out,” he said in a deep, flirty voice, and for the first time, he smiled.

You could hear Steve chuckling softly next to you.

“Y/N, he’s here!” You could hear your grandmother’s voice from the bottom of the stairs. You looked in the full length floor mirror one more time. She’d spent hours making your prom dress, just like you’d asked. It was a beautiful coral color, strapless with a beaded bodice and lace around the top and bottom. It flared as it reached the floor, and you poked your pink-painted toes in strappy gold heels out from under it. Around your neck were the pearls your mother had gotten from your great-grandparents for her high school graduation. Your hair was half up with braids on either side joined in the back with a ribbon clip, the rest down in waves on your shoulders.

Waiting for you was the guy you wanted to spend your life with. Every moment with him was special. Your love for him had blossomed and thinking of a future with him filled your heart. Tonight, you were sure the two of you would come together in a way you never had. You were ready, past ready, and you knew he was too. What you felt for him was so deep, you wanted to give him all of you, and you knew he’d take you, just as you are, and cherish you.

As you descended the stairs, he looked up at you and you thought, this must be how the bride feels when her groom sees her for the first time. He consumed you with his eyes, taking you in from head to toe. With three steps to go, he stepped forward and reached for your hand. He was so warm and he pulled you to him, a hug and sweet kiss to your glossed lips. His smile was contagious.

“You’re my dream,” he said, placing a corsage around your wrist, a pink tulip (your very favorite) in the center. “Let’s go so I can show you off.”

When you walked into the gymnasium, you saw the looks you got. Girls were wearing expensive dresses from the best designers, hair and makeup done professionally. You knew your dress wasn’t as nice and that you stood out in comparison. But he made you feel as if you were more. He danced with you all night, making sure to stand in the center of the dance floor so everyone could see you. “You’re so beautiful,” he whispered in your ear. “You’re exquisite.” As you both worked the room, talking to friends, he would start the conversation with “how did I get so lucky?” or “look at my beautiful girl.” You were so happy to be on his arm, by his side.

The evening flew by, the last song played by the DJ, and kids started filing out of the gym. You were sad to leave but your entire body was tingling with anticipation. He opened the door to his dad’s car for you and as you drove away, you wondered if he was as excited as you. You weren’t nervous, just anxious.

He drove you down the long road to the lake you’d been visiting since you were kids. He parked the car in a grove of trees, shielded by overgrown bushes. When he looked at you, it felt like he looked deep inside you.

He pressed a kiss to your lips, his fingers under your chin, lifting your mouth to his. You let out a little noise, deepening the kiss. He pressed his forehead to yours, eyes closed, savoring your touch.

“Are you ready for this?” he whispered. It sent chills all over you.

“Yes,” you breathed, kissing him again.

“We don’t have to do anything you don’t want to,” he said reassuringly, but you were already pulling off the tie to his tux, unbuttoning the buttons at his throat and down his chest, your fingers brushing his pecs as you went. He gently pulled the dress down your arms, exposing your bare breasts. You’d seen him so many times but tonight, you wanted to devour his toned, muscled body, his tanned skin, the prize for hard work at his uncle’s farm. You wanted to worship him the way he’d always worshiped you. You kissed his soft lips, pressing your breasts to his chest.

He took a shuddering breath, moving down to kiss and nip along your collarbone to your neck as you pulled the shirt from his body. You laid your head back, exposing your throat, allowing him to kiss along the shaft to your chest, down your sternum. You looked in his eyes as he gently touched your breast with his hand, then dipped his head down to gently take a pebbled nipple into his mouth. He was so warm and gentle, you thought you might explode right then. You lifted yourself to pull the dress off, leaving you in your lace panties and your gold high heels. He leaned back to take a look at you, then dove in again to your breasts, giving each of them attention.

Slowly his hands made their way down your belly to the edge of your panties. He gently laid you back on the seat and you lifted your legs, reaching to undo his belt and pants. He toed off his shoes and socks, then managed to pull his pants and boxers off under the steering wheel. He pulled the condom from his wallet and stretched it over his hard, weeping cock. With a look that made you shiver, he crawled over you, his arms caging you on either side of your head. It was a tight squeeze but it worked. As he began kissing you, you lifted your hips, touching him. He was ready for you and you for him. He lined himself up with you and very slowly entered you. You winced and his hands went to your hair, kissing your forehead, your nose.

“You ok?” he asked softly.

“Mm hmm,” you hummed, pulling at his hips, feeling him go deeper inside you. His lips found yours as he found a gentle rhythm. He took you in, his eyes roaming your face, that smile that melted your heart. You laid your head back and he assaulted your neck with kisses as his rhythm picked up.

No matter what you had imagined, nothing would feel like this. He fit you perfectly. Your heart swelled and you let out a little sob of happiness as his rhythm grew faster.

“I love you Y/N,” he said in your ear. “Always.”

“I love you too,” you managed, followed by a moan from deep in your throat that made him growl in approval.

He quickened his pace and you lifted to him even more, feeling the coil in your lower belly tightening.

“I’m – oh, I’m so…”

“It’s ok baby, I’ve got you.”

His voice was so soft and husky in your ear, you let go, a sound you couldn’t describe escaping as you reached your climax. You ran your fingernails down his muscular back, then settled in the hair at the nape of his neck, pulling him in for a kiss.

“God Y/N, fuck, you feel so good, you’re so good for me.” His movements began to stutter as he found his release and you held him tightly to you as he finished, his head falling to your shoulder. You both lay there in the dark, panting, your bodies on fire.

“You’re amazing,” you said in a soft voice, your fingers running down his back.

He lifted slowly, propping his head in his hand. He trailed his fingers down your chest to your breasts.

“You’re not so bad yourself,” he grinned.

“It was so good!” you said. You nuzzled his neck, kissing him softly there. “I want more,” you breathed into his ear.

He laughed and kissed you. You both cleaned up a bit and you started all over again, this time straddling him on the seat. He let you lead this time and you explored his hard, fit body, covering his face and chest in kisses. When you lowered yourself onto him, your palms were flat against his chest as you mewled your release, and you held him through his. It was incredible. When he walked you to your door early that morning, you wrapped your arms around his neck and kissed him as if it would be the last time you’d have the chance. You could tell you took his breath away as he came up for air.

“I love you,” you said, looking into his eyes and never meaning anything more in your life.

He smiled and pulled you to him. “I love you too,” he whispered in your ear.

As he drove away, your mind was filled with your future, the two of you living a life full of nights like tonight. As you drifted off to sleep, you could still feel his skin on yours.

You shared, but not quite all of it, with your seatmates.

“So if he’s so amazing, why won’t he be there when you arrive?” Ransom asked.

You knew hurt crossed your face, it was impossible to hide. “Our lives, they just went different directions. I never thought they would, but they did. And then –“ You let out a shaky sigh. “Then he didn’t need me anymore.” Your voice trailed off.

“You don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to,” said Steve, sounding like a father. “It’s ok.”

“Maybe you should,” said Ransom, “get it all out so that if you’re disappointed when we land, it’s not so bad.”

You rested back against your seat and played it in your mind again. You told them a little about after high school and where you both ended up.

“It was my fault. I gave up on us. I pushed him away. He wasn’t my priority. For all I know, it didn’t even hurt him. I’m sure it was much easier with me out of the way.”

“That’s a lot of conjecture,” said Ransom. “Sounds like you had your reasons.”

“I guess he couldn’t really help being away from you,” said Steve sympathetically. “I can tell you from experience there’s nothing worse than being separated from the one you love most.”

Ransom rolled his eyes. “We all make choices,” he said sarcastically.

Steve sighed. “I don’t regret any I’ve made,” he said sternly.

“Then be prepared to deal with the consequences.” He looked at you. “If your boyfriend really loved you, he wouldn’t have taken a job shrouded in so much mystery. He would’ve been available to you. Maybe him taking the job was just the coward’s way of saying he wanted to explore other options.”

“Or maybe he felt it was what he needed to do to take the best care of her,” said Steve. You heard what you bet was probably his captain’s voice.

Ransom looked him dead in the eye. “Look Captain Self Righteous, if love is that important to you, there’s nothing that says you’ve had to take the chances you’ve taken. You didn’t have to become a super soldier either. Choices. If Y/N’s boyfriend had made her a priority, we wouldn’t be having this conversation.”

Steve gave an exasperated sigh and shook his head.

“I honestly don’t blame him for moving on, I just wish he’d tried harder to tell me we were through. That’s all.” Tired of talking, you opened your book, put on your headphones and tried to get lost in the story.

“Y/N, can you hear me?”

“Yes, barely,” you answered. The connection was bad. Who knew where he was calling from, or what kind of signal he had.

“Don’t hang up,” he said hopefully.

“I won’t.”

It was the next natural step for you to go to college, but he needed something else. He was adventurous, energetic, crazy almost, and he needed something else. So he’d joined the Army as you went away to school. You were scared to be separated but he’d assured you the bond you had couldn’t be broken. He got to explore the world, facing difficult situations and enjoying the adrenaline rush. You couldn’t help but worry but he told you not to, he was in his element. And despite the distance, you’d made up for the time with letters, texts, phone calls, photos and even intimacy via cell phone. Your senior year of college began the same time as the last year of his enlistment. About halfway through the year, you sensed something had changed. He was disillusioned with his superiors and had fallen in with a group of soldiers that were fed up.

Each time he’d visit somewhere new, he’d send you a memento. “Wish you were here with me. This would be so much better with you. Someday, I’m taking you all over the world. I can’t wait until we’re together.” You dreamed of it too, if you could just find the path to come back together.

Soon, many of those calls, texts and letters seemed to be from someone you didn’t know. And as he was moving forward and finding his path, you were finding yours. You’d taken a job in Chicago, hundreds of miles from him and your grandmother. It was your dream job, and you’d always imagined life in the city. Some of your friends were headed that way and you talked of sharing an apartment and all the fun you’d have. For the first time, you questioned whether he’d be a part of it.

Once graduation was over, you’d said goodbye to your grandmother and the small town where you’d grown up and headed off for your next adventure. And he had begun his. He left the service and took a job with the chance to make a lot of money so that the two of you could pick where you wanted to be and settle down, build your dream house and fill it with kids, just like you’d always hoped. He just needed you to be patient with him.

The job was tough. He traveled for weeks without communicating and you found yourself living as if he wasn’t there anymore. When you did speak, for the first time in your lives, it would end in a fight.

“I’m doing my best here,” he’d say. You could hear the stress in his voice. “This isn’t forever. I’m going to get to a place where we can be together and our lives will be just like we imagined.”

“How can you be so sure?” you asked, the words stinging as you said them. “How can you be sure we should even still be together? We’re both so different.”

“We’re not, Y/N. You’re still what I want. We just have to hold on for a little while longer.”

“Sounds like his job was pretty intense,” said Steve, his face looking serious.

“It was. And very secret. He couldn’t tell me much. I’m sure you know about that.”

“I do,” he said. “It’s not easy to not be able to share everything with the one person you trust the most. But sometimes it’s for your own protection.”

“I know,” you said. “And I’m proud of him. He didn’t always have it so easy,” she said, glancing at Ransom, “but he worked hard, and he was doing it for me.”

Ransom raised an eyebrow at you. “I see. I was handed everything and you think I’ve never done an honest day’s work in my life.”

You looked at his velvety smooth, sexy hands. “Have you?”

He blinked. “Probably not the way you think, but I’m not totally useless. And you don’t have to risk your life every time you go to work to be successful,” he said, shooting Steve a look.

Steve grinned. “Trust me, it’s not exactly what I would’ve chosen for myself. It’s a situation that found me and I’ve worked hard to accept it.”

“Yes, must be brutal to be built like that. Do you carry a club to beat the women away? Or do you just ask them nicely to stop climbing you,” Ransom said with a sardonic smile.

You cleared your throat. “Anyway, I could just feel things changing between us and I felt really lost, but also kind of empowered. I’d moved away from home, stepped away from him and I was a success. And if I’m honest,” she said, eyeing Ransom, “I wondered what it might be like to date someone else.”

He let out a sarcastic laugh.

“And then everything changed…”

A few weeks later, you’d received a text in the middle of the night. “Meet me at the wheel at Navy Pier on the 25th at midnight. There’s something I need to tell you.”

You’d scoffed at the invitation. “If you’re coming to Chicago, come stay with me. Why are we meeting at midnight?”

“It’s just the way we need to do it, for now. Promise me you’ll be there.”

As the day approached, you found yourself immersed in work and trying to finish a project with an approaching deadline. You didn’t understand why, after not seeing each other for so long, he wouldn’t just come to your place, let you make him dinner, spend the night with you. Why must it be so clandestine?

You texted him – “You need to come to me. I have a lot of work and I’m on a deadline. If you love me, you’ll come stay with me so we can catch up properly.”

You didn’t hear back from him and on the evening he’d asked to meet you, you’d fallen asleep at your desk at home while working to finish your assignment.

“Y/N, are you coming?” “Where are you?” “Please, I need to see you.” He kept texting but the late hours you’d been keeping had you in a deep sleep.

When your alarm went off for work, you shuffled into the shower, the hot water serving as a wake-up call. Suddenly your eyes flew open – you’d slept through midnight! You jumped from the shower, shampoo still in your hair, and grabbed for your phone. It was dead. You plugged it in, finished bathing and scampered back to your nightstand for the phone.

You read his texts and tears flooded your eyes. He’d come all the way to Chicago and you missed him. You called, then sent a flurry of texts but there was no response.

He’d wanted to tell you something urgently and you’d totally blown him off. How did you get here? This was the love of your life. You should’ve been there with open arms. How long had it been since you’d held him, kissed him? You suddenly felt as if you’d been punched in the gut. You tried to catch your breath, frantically calling him again and again but no answer.

You began a series of texts explaining that you’d gotten caught up in work, and even though it wasn’t more important than he was, you’d fallen asleep and lost track of time. Could you please meet him somewhere else? You’d come to him, wherever he was. You wouldn’t tell anyone where you were going, you just needed to see him. Despite pouring your heart out to him, there was no response.

Until one night, when you’d phoned him for the millionth time, and someone answered. “Hello?” said a sultry female voice. Thinking you had the wrong number, you were about to speak when you heard his voice in the background. She said his name and you heard his husky baritone, a laugh in his voice. You quickly ended the call.

This was what he wanted to tell you – he’d found someone else. No wonder he never called back, never returned your texts. It was over and you’d made it easy for him.

Despite the cramped quarters, both of your seatmates managed to doze off during the flight. Steve had crammed his jacket between his head and the wall of the plane and was softly snoring. Ransom, with no respect for body space, had allowed his head to dip over onto your shoulder. You didn’t mind, you were glad he could rest. You couldn’t help but feel for him. It would be awful to have so much money, but be completely without anyone to love you, even your family. He smelled good and you settled down into your seat, staying as still as you could.

The time was counting down until you arrived at your destination and you hadn’t read the letter. You just didn’t think you could take it. Hearing your grandmother’s final thoughts when she knew her life was ending (but no one else did) was almost too much. Her last wishes were important, it was your responsibility to see them through. With each of your seatmates comfortably resting, you slowly opened the envelope. Your grandmother’s scent hit you immediately, and you felt tears burn at your eyes.

You unfolded the delicate stationery. It was powder blue with a scalloped edge. You’d bought if for her for Mother’s Day a few years back. She loved writing letters and leaving you notes, and the delicate femininity of the paper fit her perfectly.

“My Sweet Y/N,

As you read this, please know that I’m so sorry that I’ve left you. Raising you was my greatest accomplishment. I made mistakes with your mother, so I worked hard to be patient with you, and really listen. I cherish what we had and want you to know how proud I am of you, the wonderful young woman you’ve become.”

You wiped the tear that had begun to roll down your cheek and sniffed softly. It was harder than you’d even imagined.

“I’m sorry I didn’t share my diagnosis with you until the end, but I wanted you to continue to move forward. I knew that if I told you, you’d insist on being with me. I didn’t want you sitting by my bed while I slept when you could be enjoying your life. You gave me your very best, I owed it to you to let you go and find your future.”

You thought of all the times you’d meant to pick up the phone and call her, but something else had come up and you’d simply pushed her to the back of your mind. The thought of it made you wince. How hard would it have been to just call and say hello? Had she not earned that from you?

“I’m not leaving much behind. The house is yours to do with as you please. I know it’s old and not what you might want, but I can’t help but think, knowing how good you are with decorating, that you could make it a home you’d love and enjoy. However, if you choose to sell it, please know I’m fine with that decision as well. Don’t feel guilty. Your future is where you make it.”

The house was certainly old and dated, not what you had in mind. Not to mention you never planned to return to your old hometown. You didn’t know what you’d do there if you did. And now, there was even less reason to return.

“My biggest regret is not seeing your face when he proposed to you. I can only imagine how it felt when he put your mother’s ring on your finger and asked you to be his wife. That giant Ferris wheel at Navy Point was a perfect backdrop.

When he came to pick it up, he said he’d always dreamed of settling in this little house, but he knew Chicago was your home now, so he wanted to ask you in the place that was important to you. I will rest peacefully knowing that you have someone so special to take care of you.”

You froze, then let out a strangled cry. Steve jerked awake, his hand flying to your shoulder.

“Y/N, what is it? Are you ok?”

Finally, you let go. There was no holding back. You put your face in your hands, sobs shaking your shoulders.

“Jesus, what did you do?” Ransom asked Steve as he touched your other shoulder, bending down to look at you.

“Nothing! I woke up and she was crying.”

How could you have not seen this? Why did you doubt him? It suddenly washed over you how he must’ve felt, standing there in the dark, alone, waiting for you, to ask you the biggest question of your lives.

Your sobs increased, though you were trying to stifle the noise, considering you were on a full airplane with two beefcakes on either side of you worried.

“Y/N,” Ransom said, his lips close to your ear. He put his hand on your back and rubbed gentle circles. “Talk to us. What happened?”

You slowly sat up, Steve taking your hand in his.

“Oh my God, you guys, I blew it. I totally blew it. I broke his heart. I can’t believe I did this to him.”

The two men looked at each other, question on their faces.

“Did what?” Ransom said softly.

You held up the letter. “This is from my grandmother. I’ve put off reading it because I was so sad to know it was the last communication I’d have with her. He was coming to propose to me. At Navy Pier. He picked up my mother’s ring from my grandmother,” you said softly. Saying it out loud made it even worse. You couldn’t stop the flow of tears that fell from your eyes.

“Oh man,” Ransom said quietly, rubbing your back even more.

“Y/N, are you sure?” said Steve.

“Yes,” you sobbed, handing him the letter. Ransom put his hand on your side and pulled you toward him, cradling you against his chest.

“It’s going to be ok,” he soothed. “You didn’t know. He should’ve told you he wanted to ASK you something instead of TELL you something.”

You blinked and sat up, looking at him. “I mean, I don’t know if it would have mattered.”

“Of course it would’ve,” he said. “This isn’t on you, it’s on him. He should’ve been adamant that he wanted to ask you something.”

Steve handed you the letter back. You could see the sadness on his face. “I’m sure he was upset,” he said softly. “He’d probably been waiting until the right moment.”

You scrunched up your face, fresh tears flowing.

“Jesus,” Ransom whispered to Steve, “you could at least be supportive.”

You wiped your finger under your eye to catch a tear before it dropped on the letter. Your heart was racing and you couldn’t catch your breath. You felt as if your stomach had dropped to your feet. It was a desperate feeling, knowing what you knew and not being able to reach out to him and tell him how badly you’d screwed up.

“You ok?” Steve asked softly.

“Yeah,” you said. “And here I thought when I sat down in this seat I couldn’t feel worse.”

Steve laid his hand on your arm, squeezing a little. “If everything you said about the two of you is true, this is something you can overcome. It was a misunderstanding. If those feelings are there, you’ll be able to fix it.”

You sniffed and wiped at your nose. “Well, that’s the burning question, isn’t it? How could he still have feelings for me after what I did.”

It was Ransom’s turn to bolster your confidence a bit. “Look, misunderstandings happen all the time. And honestly, you hadn’t seen him in so long – did he not think you’d have misgivings about what he had to say when he wouldn’t come and stay with you? He could’ve come to your place and then taken you somewhere special to propose. This isn’t on you, Y/N. This is on him.”

You gave him a half-hearted smile. “It doesn’t really matter though, does it. In the end, he’s gone and I’m alone.” You laid your head back on the seat, closing your eyes to ward off more tears.

Your mind whirled with memories – the two of you hiking near your home with your beloved dog joining you; going to the annual fair and riding all the rides that made you squeal and him laugh at you; laying side-by-side in your grandmother’s hammock on the front porch. He never just held your hand – he always intertwined your fingers. He said if you looked from above, you couldn’t tell where he began and you ended.

Had you really been part of such an amazing love story? You could hear his voice saying your name as he wrapped a hand under your ear to kiss you goodnight, and you could hear it when he called you from oh-so-far-away where he was lonely and probably afraid but never let on so you wouldn’t worry.

You let out a giant sigh and pulled your phone from the storage pocket in front of you. You’d texted him before you got on the plane because it seemed like the right thing to do as you traveled back to your past. He was too big a part of it not to.

“Did you get a text from him?” asked Steve, looking down at your phone.

“No,” you said, “I sent him one before I got on the plane. I always imagined he’d be there with me through everything. I just needed to reach out to him.”

“Mind if I look?” he asked.

“Sure, why not,” she half laughed.

She scrolled to the top of the message and handed the phone to him. Steve read silently, his eyebrows scrunching in concern.

I know we haven’t talked in a long time but today is going to be hard and I need you to know how much having you in my life has meant to me. Even though we didn’t make it to the end, like we’d hoped, my life is so much better because of you. If I were to die tomorrow, I’d do it knowing that in my life, I was truly loved by someone special. For so long, I didn’t know how to be me without you.

I’m so proud of you, serving our country and then taking on a dangerous job to protect others. I never told you enough how brave you are. When I was worried or afraid, you’d be there like a safety net, making sure my heart was protected. I’ll never be able to thank you enough for loving me.

This is going to be a hard day. There’s not going to be a safe landing. Everything I had, everything that made me secure, it’s all gone. I’m sorry that I gave up. I’m in uncharted waters. I should’ve fought with everything I had for you. I hope you’re happy with someone who will appreciate you and all you have to give. Whoever she is, she’s a very lucky girl.

Steve cleared his throat, trying to remove the giant lump that had formed there. “Wow,” he said. “Those are beautiful words.”

“They’re from the heart. I felt foolish as soon as I sent them and now I feel even more stupid. I can’t imagine how much he hates me.”

“Mind if I look?” said Ransom.

“Yeah, and then if you want, pass it across the aisle,” you said sarcastically.

Ransom rolled his eyes and his mouth turned up in a grin. He scanned over the text.

“Damn,” he whispered. He looked at you. “Look, I know I don’t know you at all and this has been a little slice of our lives, an unpleasant moment we’ll forget quickly, but if this guy got this text and doesn’t respond to you, he isn’t who you say he is. Ok, you fucked up. You should’ve met him that night. But this right here would be enough for me to make a U-turn. You had something really good.”

You grinned at him. “Ransom, are you telling me it’s possible that a girl could win your heart?”

His face flooded with color. “No,” he said a little too boisterously. “Trust me, anyone that can take a little of me has their hands full.”

Steve chuckled.

“What?” said Ransom defensively.

“Something tells me you’re all talk.”

Ransom narrowed his eyes at Steve. “What does that mean?”

Steve smiled a true American hero smile. “It means, watching you with Y/N, I think you’re really a pussycat. Go ahead and act like a tough guy, but we all know the truth. You’re a softie just looking for the right girl.” He couldn’t help the smug look that replaced his smile.

“Alright Captain Jackass, you go ahead with your self-righteous psychoanalysis. I’m capable of being nice to a woman without being a softie. Seriously, the 1940’s called and they want their word back.”

You couldn’t help but smile at the two of them. You never thought when you sat down between these two incredible hunks that you’d share your life story with them and they’d comfort you as you discovered a secret that would haunt you the rest of your life.

Ding

“You’ll notice the fasten seat belts sign has been activated as we make our descent. Please secure your belongings and return your tray tables to their original position. We should be arriving at our destination in a few minutes.”

“Seriously,” grumbled Ransom, “how many people have died from errantly deployed tray tables. Is that really our biggest concern?”

You giggled a little at his words and he looked at you, the first real smile he’d smiled all day gracing his handsome face. He had the most piercing blue eyes. You wished he would find someone who’d give him a chance. Underneath that gruff exterior, you just knew there was a loving, caring guy.

“Need a hand?” asked Steve, taking yours in his. You smiled and squeezed gently.

It suddenly occurred to you what awaited when he arrived. “You must be so excited!”

“I am,” he beamed. “I’m going to meet my baby girl soon.”

“She’s a lucky little girl,” you smiled.

“Poor thing, just trying to imagine the first guy that comes to pick her up for a date,” Ransom grinned.

Steve raised an eyebrow. “She’ll never know, I’m locking her in her room when she turns 15,” he smiled.

Slowly the plane began to descend. Your heart suddenly leaped into your throat as you thought about what lie ahead for you. You thought of walking through your grandmother’s home and a feeling of loneliness washed over you, causing an ache in your chest.

“Doing ok?” Steve asked.

You turned to him and smiled. “Yes, thank you.” You looked to Ransom and back to Steve. “This has been a great flight. Thank you both for indulging me and listening, and for your support.” You looked at Ransom. “I know you said this is just an unpleasant moment we’ll soon forget, but I can tell you both I’ll never forget either of you.” You fought the tears stinging your eyes.

“Yeah, well, it’ll probably be awhile before I forget you as well,” said Ransom.

Steve pulled a pen from the bag in front of him and wrote his cell number on your palm. “Put it in your phone. Call or text me anytime you need to talk. I mean it.”

That ache in your heart suddenly subsided. “Thanks. And I mean it too.”

Within a few minutes, the plane touched down roughly on the runway, then slowed and taxied to a stop at the gate. You pulled your bag from under the seat in front of you. You felt lightheaded so you closed your eyes and took a deep breath. You could do this.

Ransom took your hand and helped you up, and you made your way behind him into the aisle, Steve behind you, his hand on your lower back. You walked out into the boarding bridge, walking slowly behind the crowd of passengers. In a few minutes, you’d leave these guys who you’d never see again. You took your time shuffling along, prolonging the moment.

The crowd in front of you slowed and then stopped, as passengers found those that were meeting them. That ache clenched your chest again. You’d make your way to the rental car desk and get a ride to take you to what would surely be a sad, nostalgic evening.

“Hmm,” said Ransom. “Interesting.”

“What?” you asked as he blocked your view.

“Probably just a coincidence.”

“I don’t know,” Steve said skeptically. “Seems like too much of a coincidence.”

Now you were behind both of them and you couldn’t see anything but the backs of their gorgeous heads and their pants hugging their fine asses. It was definitely the best view of the trip and probably the best you’d have for a long time. You snickered thinking about it.

“Well, guess we’re going to find out,” said Steve as he took a couple of steps to his right and stopped.

You were able to see ahead now as they parted, and the first thing that caught your eye was the pink tulips – a huge bouquet of them. You looked above the flowers at the pink Petunias t-shirt, the blonde Van Dyke on his chin, his round wire framed glasses and spikey blonde hair. Your breath caught in your throat and you stopped, unable to move. You felt a hand at your elbow – Steve. You looked up at him.

“You ok?” he asked. It was a fatherly tone and you smiled a million watt smile at him, grabbing his hand and Ransom’s arm, pulling them forward.

You walked up to him, taking him in. He was beautiful, even better than you remembered. His body was toned and solid, tattoos peeking out from under the t-shirt. Blue jeans graced his long sexy legs, high top Chucks rounding out the look. You were overwhelmed by how much you needed him. How had you lived without him for so long?

“Hey beautiful,” he said in that sexy baritone voice. He extended the flowers to you and you took them, inhaling deeply.

“I can’t believe it.” Your voice was so quiet you were sure he didn’t hear you.

“I’m here Y/N. I’m here for you.” He pulled you to him and you lifted the flowers, wrapping your arms around his neck. He touched his nose to yours. “Did you think I’d leave you to do this alone?”

You looked into his beautiful blue eyes and tried so hard to believe this was really happening. “I didn’t expect you to be here. Not after what I did to you. I’m so sorry. I didn’t know. Not until I read Gramma’s letter on this plane did I know. I can’t imagine how badly I hurt you.” You swallowed, pushing the hurt down deep. “I understand why you moved on, I do. And it’s ok.”

You saw the pain in his eyes, but it disappeared as quickly as it had appeared. “There’s no one else,” he said, “never has been. I screwed it all up. I just did it all wrong. I should have come to you. I wanted to see you so bad. I just didn’t want to put you in danger.” He looked down and swallowed, then looked back into your eyes. “Did you mean it? All those things you said in that text this morning?”

“Yes,” you said, your voice strong. “Every word. I love you so much.”

He pressed his lips, so soft, to yours and gave you the sweetest kiss. “I love you too. Always, Y/N.” He kissed you again, this one deeper, his arms wrapped around you so securely. You could die right now and it would be ok.

Suddenly, you were aware of your surroundings. You pulled away from him, an arm around his neck, and you looked at your seatmates.

“Ransom, Steve, this is the love of my life, Jake Jensen. Jake, these are the superstars of Row 12 that got me through this flight.”

Jake extended his hand to each of them. “Thank you guys. Flying is not her favorite. Appreciate you both being so good to her.”

Ransom eyed him carefully. “You’ve got a really great girl here,” he said to Jake. “Don’t fuck it up.”

Steve smirked at Ransom. “He’s right,” said Steve. “Take good care of her.” He looked Jake up and down with his best Captain look.

“Shit,” Jake muttered and you laughed, kissing him reassuringly.

“Thanks guys. You’re the best.” You stepped forward and kissed each of them softly on the cheek.

Steve nodded and smiled, then walked towards his handler, who’d escort him to a car and whisk him away to the hospital to be by his wife’s side.

“Good luck!” you called to him and he smiled.

Ransom secured the strap of his bag on his shoulder as he approached a leggy blonde in a tight designer dress with a figure to die for.

“Hey baby,” she said as she wrapped her arms around his neck and laid a kiss on him that would make a stripper blush.

“Easy babe, save some for the hotel,” he said, wrapping an arm around her waist and walking away. He turned and gave you a last look, flashing you a gorgeous smile.

“Damn,” said Jake, “if I was another guy, I might be kind of jealous and insecure about that, but I’m not some other guy, I’m your guy,” he said, rubbing his nose to yours.

“And don’t you forget it,” you said, kissing him deeply before pulling him by the hand away from the gate.

“We’re going to have to go through all of the pictures you know,” you said with a devilish grin.

“Oh God, do we have to? I don’t need to be reminded of what a dork I was back then.”

“You’re still a dork, but a very sexy one,” you said as you walked hand in hand towards your future.

[before-we-get-started]

Masterlist updated May 2, 2021

One Shots

Colin Shea x Reader

My Favorite Mistake

Your sexy neighbor across the hall has caught your attention. You know he's a player but you just can't help yourself. Will he break your heart?

Mystery

You help Colin buy something for his mother's birthday and make plans for later :)

Steve Rogers/Ransom Drysdale/Jake Jensen x Reader

One Shot

Safe Landing

This is my entry for What-Is-Your-Plan-Today's 10th Anniversary of Captain America: The First Avenger Challenge. You're flying home, facing the biggest challenge of your life and you don't know if your boyfriend is still your boyfriend. Your two seatmates on the plane become your confidantes as you navigate your future - and make two amazing new friends.