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

[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?"