Into The Shadows
Chapter Fifteen
"Steve!" I screamed over the whining of the fire alarm. "Steve?"
"Claire!" His head popped into view past the dust from falling debris. The wall to my left had caved in, and I could smell smoke.
"There's a fire!" I grabbed for his hand, and, feeling the strong fingers link with mine, I allowed him to drag me towards the stairwell.
"JARVIS, what's going on?" I yelled as we raced down the steps.
"A bomb exploded rather close to your location, Miss Reynolds." JARVIS' automated voice remained ever calm. "Mr. Stark and Director Fury still wish to see you."
I cast a glance at Steve, who shrugged. leading me down the steps with an arm around my waist. The further we descended, the less destruction was visible, until finally, we were on the ground floor. Steve instantly started checking me for any serious lasting damage, but I gently pushed his shoulder back, looking him in the eye.
"I'm fine," I assured him, stroking a thumb across a fresh cut on the side of his face, "But something got you."
"I fought Nazis; I've hard worse."
"I'm sure you have."
"Tony, what the Hell's going on?" Steve snapped as we entered the workstation. Everyone, including me, took a double take. I'd never even heard Steve come close to swearing.
"Easy Capsicle." Tony soothed, turning on his swivel chair. "You two are both okay?"
"Barely." Steve spat, his face thunderous. I stepped up behind him and gently caught hold of his forearm, rubbing my thumb across it gently. It didn't seem to calm him down, but it did attract Fury's attention. He looked down at Steve's arm, and then slowly up to my face. The look in his eye was clear. See me later.
I turned my attention back to Tony, who was tapping away at his computer, no worse for wear after having a bomb blow up inside his house.
"Tony-?"
"It was Loki. Or your sister; hard to tell which. They planted the bomb on the floor your bedroom is on." He looked at the two of us grimly. "Judging by the size of it, and the amount of damage done, that bomb was intended for the two of you."
I took the few steps to Tony's computer with ease and examined the screen. He was right. JARVIS had given us the bomb's vital stats, and the size definitely wasn't enough to destroy the Stark Tower. I felt Steve brush my arm as he moved to stand behind me, reading the screen over my shoulder.
I tapped the screen, and it changed to bring me a visual of the outside of the building. I winced internally for Tony's sake.
"One thing's for sure," Everyone looked at me, and I grinned at Tony, "Your roof garden is fucked."
Tony laughed, but he was the only one. Fury glared at me, and I felt Steve stiffen behind me. At first I thought it was the profanity; he had a thing about me swearing, and usually picked me up on it at every opportunity. Today, it was something else.
"They planted that bomb for us?"
"Looks like it." I muttered, feeling cold inside as I brought the Bomb's stats back up. If that was true, it probably wasn't safe for Steve to be around me. If Loki and Anna were going to be trying to kill me, then Steve had to be kept away. I couldn't let him get hurt on account of me.
"Captain Rogers, go to the medical facility. Doctor Banner will give you an inspection." Fury ordered. Steve turned to look at him indignantly.
"What about Claire? She was standing much closer to the blast."
"Yet doesn't have a scratch on her."
Steve opened his mouth to protest, but Fury cut him off. "Now Captain Rogers."
We watched Steve stalk off back up the stairs, and I glanced sheepishly at Fury. "I uh... I guess we should talk then."
"Yes, we should. Mr Stark, give us a minute."
Tony looked from Fury's stony face to mine, "Uh, actually sir, I was going to-"
Fury slowly turned his head to fix the coldest stare on Tony, who admirably backed away. "I'll be right outside if you need me."
"We won't." The door closed, and Fury turned back to me. "Are we going to have an issue with you and Cap?"
I shook my head. "Of course not. This has been a thing for like two months now, and we're fine."
Fury stood a little straighter. "What about the issue with your sister? You do realize he's going to have to keep his distance?"
I nodded, "I know. He's not going to like it."
"You want me to tell him?"
"You want a broken jaw?" He flashed a smile, and I relaxed slightly. "No, thank you for the offer, Fury, but I'd better tell him."
"You alright? No cracked ribs, blurry vision?"
"I was a bit dizzy, but I'm fine now." I assured him, starting to leave.
"You're sure?"
I laughed openly, "You're sounding like Steve." I teased, stepping outside.
"Claire!" Steve stood up as I walked into the Medical Facility. I smiled gently as he enveloped me in a hug, squeezing him back. I wasn't sure how many more of these I'd be getting in the foreseeable future, so I clung on for a little longer than usual.
"You're sure you're alright?" he whispered into my hair, and I nodded.
"Yeah, but you won't be in a minute." I looked past him, further into the room, where I could see Bruce waiting patiently for Steve to come back and finish his physical. "Mind if I borrow him for a minute?"
"Be my guest," Bruce smiled warmly, "Just have him back in one piece."
Steve looked at me, confusing clearly written on his face as I dragged him into the corridor.
"We're going to have to keep our distance for a while." I murmured, keeping my voice low in case someone walked past. Steve's eyes widened, and his jaw dropped a couple of inches.
"Claire..." He began, and I could hear his heart breaking.
Oh my god, I thought, cursing myself, please don't do the puppy eyes, Steve. Please.
It was too late; Steve's blue eyes had widened to an almost impossible state. He stared at me dumbly, hurt and confused. I felt like I was kicking a puppy.
"Steve, it's for your own good," I promised, trying to keep the guilt from my voice. This wasn't going to be any fucking easier if I didn't have any conviction in my voice.
"Why?"
"If this is going to be a regular thing -" I gestured around the Stark Tower, "Then you aren't safe being around me."
His expression softened, and I felt my insides relax; he understood. He didn't hate me. Not completely, at least.
"Claire, I can make my own decisions." He smiled, touching a hand to my cheek, "If I'm around you, I can protect you."
I sighed, worrying my lower lip. He knew exactly how much I wanted to sink into his arms right there and then, and be completely safe.
Pull yourself together, Claire. I told myself sternly, and, feeling more and more guilty by the second, I pushed Steve's hand away.
"I'm sorry," I said, trying to put as much of an emphasis into the words as possible to let him know that I actually meant it. "I think you should find your own room, for the time being."
His face contorted for a few moments, and his jaw tightened. He blinked a couple of times, and I saw several emotions go across his face that I never wanted to be the one to cause. Hurt, anger, confusion, betrayal.
He clenched his jaw, stood up a little straighter, and nodded stiffly. "Okay, Claire. If that's what you think will be best. I have to go back and finish my physical." He turned and walked back inside, closing the door with a horribly final 'click', leaving me very much alone in the corridor.
I was wrong.
He did hate me.
I was going to fucking kill Loki.
"Claire!" His head popped into view past the dust from falling debris. The wall to my left had caved in, and I could smell smoke.
"There's a fire!" I grabbed for his hand, and, feeling the strong fingers link with mine, I allowed him to drag me towards the stairwell.
"JARVIS, what's going on?" I yelled as we raced down the steps.
"A bomb exploded rather close to your location, Miss Reynolds." JARVIS' automated voice remained ever calm. "Mr. Stark and Director Fury still wish to see you."
I cast a glance at Steve, who shrugged. leading me down the steps with an arm around my waist. The further we descended, the less destruction was visible, until finally, we were on the ground floor. Steve instantly started checking me for any serious lasting damage, but I gently pushed his shoulder back, looking him in the eye.
"I'm fine," I assured him, stroking a thumb across a fresh cut on the side of his face, "But something got you."
"I fought Nazis; I've hard worse."
"I'm sure you have."
"Tony, what the Hell's going on?" Steve snapped as we entered the workstation. Everyone, including me, took a double take. I'd never even heard Steve come close to swearing.
"Easy Capsicle." Tony soothed, turning on his swivel chair. "You two are both okay?"
"Barely." Steve spat, his face thunderous. I stepped up behind him and gently caught hold of his forearm, rubbing my thumb across it gently. It didn't seem to calm him down, but it did attract Fury's attention. He looked down at Steve's arm, and then slowly up to my face. The look in his eye was clear. See me later.
I turned my attention back to Tony, who was tapping away at his computer, no worse for wear after having a bomb blow up inside his house.
"Tony-?"
"It was Loki. Or your sister; hard to tell which. They planted the bomb on the floor your bedroom is on." He looked at the two of us grimly. "Judging by the size of it, and the amount of damage done, that bomb was intended for the two of you."
I took the few steps to Tony's computer with ease and examined the screen. He was right. JARVIS had given us the bomb's vital stats, and the size definitely wasn't enough to destroy the Stark Tower. I felt Steve brush my arm as he moved to stand behind me, reading the screen over my shoulder.
I tapped the screen, and it changed to bring me a visual of the outside of the building. I winced internally for Tony's sake.
"One thing's for sure," Everyone looked at me, and I grinned at Tony, "Your roof garden is fucked."
Tony laughed, but he was the only one. Fury glared at me, and I felt Steve stiffen behind me. At first I thought it was the profanity; he had a thing about me swearing, and usually picked me up on it at every opportunity. Today, it was something else.
"They planted that bomb for us?"
"Looks like it." I muttered, feeling cold inside as I brought the Bomb's stats back up. If that was true, it probably wasn't safe for Steve to be around me. If Loki and Anna were going to be trying to kill me, then Steve had to be kept away. I couldn't let him get hurt on account of me.
"Captain Rogers, go to the medical facility. Doctor Banner will give you an inspection." Fury ordered. Steve turned to look at him indignantly.
"What about Claire? She was standing much closer to the blast."
"Yet doesn't have a scratch on her."
Steve opened his mouth to protest, but Fury cut him off. "Now Captain Rogers."
We watched Steve stalk off back up the stairs, and I glanced sheepishly at Fury. "I uh... I guess we should talk then."
"Yes, we should. Mr Stark, give us a minute."
Tony looked from Fury's stony face to mine, "Uh, actually sir, I was going to-"
Fury slowly turned his head to fix the coldest stare on Tony, who admirably backed away. "I'll be right outside if you need me."
"We won't." The door closed, and Fury turned back to me. "Are we going to have an issue with you and Cap?"
I shook my head. "Of course not. This has been a thing for like two months now, and we're fine."
Fury stood a little straighter. "What about the issue with your sister? You do realize he's going to have to keep his distance?"
I nodded, "I know. He's not going to like it."
"You want me to tell him?"
"You want a broken jaw?" He flashed a smile, and I relaxed slightly. "No, thank you for the offer, Fury, but I'd better tell him."
"You alright? No cracked ribs, blurry vision?"
"I was a bit dizzy, but I'm fine now." I assured him, starting to leave.
"You're sure?"
I laughed openly, "You're sounding like Steve." I teased, stepping outside.
"Claire!" Steve stood up as I walked into the Medical Facility. I smiled gently as he enveloped me in a hug, squeezing him back. I wasn't sure how many more of these I'd be getting in the foreseeable future, so I clung on for a little longer than usual.
"You're sure you're alright?" he whispered into my hair, and I nodded.
"Yeah, but you won't be in a minute." I looked past him, further into the room, where I could see Bruce waiting patiently for Steve to come back and finish his physical. "Mind if I borrow him for a minute?"
"Be my guest," Bruce smiled warmly, "Just have him back in one piece."
Steve looked at me, confusing clearly written on his face as I dragged him into the corridor.
"We're going to have to keep our distance for a while." I murmured, keeping my voice low in case someone walked past. Steve's eyes widened, and his jaw dropped a couple of inches.
"Claire..." He began, and I could hear his heart breaking.
Oh my god, I thought, cursing myself, please don't do the puppy eyes, Steve. Please.
It was too late; Steve's blue eyes had widened to an almost impossible state. He stared at me dumbly, hurt and confused. I felt like I was kicking a puppy.
"Steve, it's for your own good," I promised, trying to keep the guilt from my voice. This wasn't going to be any fucking easier if I didn't have any conviction in my voice.
"Why?"
"If this is going to be a regular thing -" I gestured around the Stark Tower, "Then you aren't safe being around me."
His expression softened, and I felt my insides relax; he understood. He didn't hate me. Not completely, at least.
"Claire, I can make my own decisions." He smiled, touching a hand to my cheek, "If I'm around you, I can protect you."
I sighed, worrying my lower lip. He knew exactly how much I wanted to sink into his arms right there and then, and be completely safe.
Pull yourself together, Claire. I told myself sternly, and, feeling more and more guilty by the second, I pushed Steve's hand away.
"I'm sorry," I said, trying to put as much of an emphasis into the words as possible to let him know that I actually meant it. "I think you should find your own room, for the time being."
His face contorted for a few moments, and his jaw tightened. He blinked a couple of times, and I saw several emotions go across his face that I never wanted to be the one to cause. Hurt, anger, confusion, betrayal.
He clenched his jaw, stood up a little straighter, and nodded stiffly. "Okay, Claire. If that's what you think will be best. I have to go back and finish my physical." He turned and walked back inside, closing the door with a horribly final 'click', leaving me very much alone in the corridor.
I was wrong.
He did hate me.
I was going to fucking kill Loki.
