On Your Left

[captain_asthmatic]

Months after being cleared for mission duty, things were settling into a normal routine for Steve. He got up before dawn, his mind clearing of the dreams - (nightmares) - he usually didn't remember. Usually he went for a run. Even in downtown Manhattan there were places to go for a good run, and he was always back by eight on the dot for inspection and mission briefings, if there were any.

This week, he had been brought back to D.C. for the first time in a while. Pierce was entertaining some U.N. dignitaries, and wanted Captain America to have a presence. So this morning was the first time since before Insight that Steve had run the Mall.

He ran at his usual easy pace, and as the sun just began to touch the buildings, he came up behind an African American man who was running as well. "On your left," he said automatically as he got close.

Comments

[airfoil]

Sam could consider himself lucky too, maybe more than Steve if what he'd been seeing and hearing was true. A sketchy smile pulled at his lips once Steve fell into step and they started to stroll. Nothing but two joggers doing a cool down, right?

"They let you out for runs?" he ventured, starting with that. He wanted to honestly divulge everything but there were people aside from himself involved in his survival and he wasn't about to endanger them. Only Natasha knew that he was doing this and that was to make sure someone back at base would be aware if he went missing.

(She does a little lip quirk when she thinks he's being stupid. It was in full effect as he snagged her last night.)

[captain_asthmatic]

Steve had appeared on the television, and so it was natural that Sam would know that he'd changed allegiances. No secret had been made of that, though no one outside of HYDRA knew the lengths that had been gone through to make that happen. Even Steve had little idea of what had happened.

He glanced at Sam sidelong at the question. "Well...sure, of course. Why wouldn't they?" He had been a prisoner at one time, but not any longer.

Sure, he had a handler, and Steve had strict rules to abide by, but that was a matter of order - and because he had been their enemy for so long. Besides, he was an important asset, and the world was quite unsettled these days. It would be terrible if something happened.

[airfoil]

Sam's head ducked and he stuffed his hands into his pockets, drawing in air and just holding it. He definitely had appeared on TV; speaking strong and proud but the words that had inspired those who weren't living double-lives at SHIELD weren't anything close.

He spoke for HYDRA. As HYDRA. As their damn new world order.

"Don't know," he ventured, though he was getting the strong impression that his concerns were pretty confirmed by now. "Maybe they'd be worried you'd run off."

Terrible. Sure would be terrible if something happened, indeed.

[captain_asthmatic]

Steve chuckled and wrapped his arm around Sam's shoulder, tugging him in for a one-armed hug. He was just so glad that Sam was alive, and here.

"Well, that's not gonna happen. No need for them to worry about that."

[airfoil]

Staying in that hold was harder than it had right to be and eventually he had to shrug himself out of it, ducking his head after shaking it off as if to ward him off. He missed him; he seriously did but-

"Steve-"

He stopped walking, stood stock still and tense with his brows knit tight between his sunglasses and the top of his hoodie.

"Why are you sticking around?"

[captain_asthmatic]

Steve let Sam pull away, disappointment and uncertainty clouding his face. He hadn't meant to make Sam feel uncomfortable, but it did seem like his manner was growing more and more tense with every passing moment, and that made Steve draw himself up and turn serious, watching Sam's demeanor.

Still, he wasn't sure exactly what Sam was asking. "Sticking around here? We're friends, I thought-- Aren't we, still?"