#cop!au

~

The man behind the counter welcomed you with a warm smile as you approached. Maybe he could sense your uneasiness as you hesitantly placed your hands on the counter, looking at him with a nervous smile.

“Hi,” you quietly greeted. “Um… I need a gun.”

The brunette chuckled, blue eyes filled with mirth as he eyed you.

“No kidding,” he replied, gesturing around to the rest of the gun and hunting and supplies store.

“Right,” you chuckled. “I just… I need something small and easy to handle.”

You bit your lip, and his face slowly grew solemn as he ran his eyes over you.

“You don’t look like a hunting kind of gal,” he quietly insinuated.

You shook your head.

“No.”

He nodded in understanding before inhaling as he straightened, turning to eye the wall behind him. He paced, eyes roaming over the assortment of guns, and you took the time to look around. Never in your life did you imagine yourself in a place like this, but you were tired of being a sitting duck in someone else’s twisted games. You’d been through that once already…

“Here…”

You turned, eyes falling to the small gun in his hand as he neared the counter again. It was small enough to throw into your purse or hide in your car, whenever you got a license, and it looked easy enough to operate. It was perfect.

“I want this one,” you told him.

“Figured you would. It’s a Ruger LC9. It’s a 9mm caliber semi-automatic. Super simple to operate and will still get the job done,” he murmured.

He showed you how to load it, turning the magazine over and going over its features. You nodded as you followed along and grabbed your wallet without hesitation. He eyed you again as he took your cash.

“You talk to the police?”

“For what?” you wondered.

“For whatever’s got a girl like you buying a gun on a Monday morning,” he explained.

You sighed.

“Yeah, I’ve talked to them, but since no crime has been committed, there isn’t much they can do. I refuse to just sit around and wait for someone to hurt me. I’m done with that,” you told him.

He nodded and stuck his hand out.

“The name’s Clint. If you have any questions or…need to come back here, you know how to find me.”

You shook his hand and threw him a grateful smile.

“Thanks.”

The weapon felt so heavy in your purse, and even though the safety was on, you were careful in placing the bag in your car. The ride home was spent stewing over your thoughts. There was too much that you had to consider, and instead of spending the rest of the summer making lesson plans for when school started back, you were worrying about some stranger stalking your house at night.

Here you were doing the cops’ job for them.

That thought drew your mind to Officer Rogers, and you clenched your jaw. There was a time when you gave people the benefit of the doubt, but after your marriage, you couldn’t afford to do that anymore. How glad you were to be wary of the blond cop from the beginning.

His behavior had officially crossed questionable and dove straight into terrifying. You feared to imagine what would have happened had you accepted his proposal for dinner. You didn’t understand his behavior…not one bit. Was he punishing you for turning him down? Surely, that couldn’t be it. It seemed so…silly. Childish even.

Wanda had stated that just about every woman in town had been trying to lock down the man since he moved here. You could believe it. You’d have to be hard of seeing to deny how attractive he was, and coupled with his profession, you could definitely see why he was popular with the women in town. He was a seemingly kind man with the face of an angel, sworn to protect those in need. He was like something out of a cheesy romance novel.

You knew better though.

You’d been on the receiving end of his gaslighting tactics, his nicely veiled threats, and his wandering hands. The real kicker about his behavior though, was that he hadn’t done anything concrete enough to go to anyone with. None of what he did was objectively outright enough to report him with. Wanda had already asked you if you’d misunderstood his quip about your past abuse. You could just imagine anyone else’s face when you told them of how he brushed your waist and held your hand. ‘Oh, the horror!’ they’d say.

You hid your gun in your nightstand as soon as you got inside of your house. You hoped that you wouldn’t have to use it. You’d never been the type to resort to violence, but your ex-husband had changed all of that. If the cops wouldn’t do their job and protect you, without an incentive, then you’d do it yourself.

Hours later, you did just that.

You were half asleep anyway, having been going in and out of consciousness all night. The noise had come from the front of your yard this time, and you peeled your eyes open, slowly blinking as you heard it again. You had swiftly flicked the switch on your lamp and slipped your hand into your drawer to grab the weapon you’d bought.

You licked your lips, slowly sitting up. You looked down, making sure that the safety was off just before exiting your room. It was quiet outside as you quietly crept downstairs. You felt silly, standing in your living room in your oversized t-shirt, both hands on this toy-sized gun. You glanced at all of the windows, and when you didn’t see anything, you crept into the kitchen.

The silence made you nervous because you knew he was still out there. You turned towards the window and didn’t see anyone through the curtain. You weren’t convinced though, and you remained still. Sure enough, a bulky silhouette came into view as they glided past the kitchen. With wide eyes, you raised your arms, the gunshot making your ears ring as glass shattered.

You watched as he clutched his arm before taking off, a deep grunt traveling through the broken window. Hurriedly, you ran after him, throwing the door open before sprinting outside. Your yard was empty, and you had your gun raised before you as you paced the yard, spinning around. It was quiet…empty of anyone else it seemed.

They were gone, but fortunately, you knew that you’d hit them. You were just about to lower your weapon when you had a thought. With wide eyes, you ran back into the house. You were quick in grabbing your phone from upstairs before sprinting back outside. You turned the flashlight on as you neared the grass just below your window.

There, before you, were a few spots of blood, and hope bloomed in your chest. You let out a chuckle, feeling confident for the first time in a while. You put the safety back on the gun and laid it on the kitchen counter as soon as you were back inside. You grabbed a paper towel, stepping back out into the cool night air. You were wiping up the blood with the napkin when red and blue flashes suddenly filled your vision.

You stood and turned, watching as a police cruiser parked along your curb. The cop who stepped out was familiar to you, but it wasn’t the last person you wanted to see. Bucky strode across your yard to approach you, a less than enthusiastic look on his face.

“We got a call about gunshots. They listed your residence as the source,” he said as soon as he was close enough.

Your lips parted, and you glanced away. The blue-eyed man sighed at that.

“Ms. Y/L/N,” he admonished.

“What other choice did I have? None of you can do anything until I get hurt, and why would I wait around for that? The state doesn’t require a license to keep one on my property. It was self-defense,” you defended.

He frowned at that, running his eyes over you, alarmed.

“What was self-defense?” he slowly questioned.

You shoved the napkin at him, and his eyes widened.

“I shot him…Officer Barnes. I know I did! I got him in the arm, and now you have his blood, his DNA! You can test it, see if there’s a match in the system-.”

“Woah, woah, woah,” he said, attempting to calm you down.

You hadn’t realized that you were talking so fast, and you apologized.

“Here,” you said, turning to walk into your house.

He followed you, watching as you put the bloody napkin into a Ziplock bag before handing it to him. He gingerly took it, eyeing it before heaving a sigh.

“Well…the evidence is pretty damning. We’ll test it as soon as possible,” he eventually said.

Sighing in relief, you nodded. You watched as he leaned against the wall, crossing his arms over his chest as he studied you. There was a twinkle in his blue eyes, and it struck you how much like Steve’s they were.

“Ms. Y/L/N…is there anyone who’d want to hurt you? Anyone at all?”

You opened your mouth to reply in the negative when you suddenly froze. Familiar blond hair and blue eyes came to mind, and you blinked, a realization falling over you.

“Killian,” you murmured as if just remembering him.

“Sorry?”

You shook your head, eyes meeting Bucky’s again.

“M-my ex-husband. He’s the only one I can think of…”

“I assume it ended badly?”

“That’s an understatement,” you scoffed. “He was advised by his lawyers to go through with the divorce when I filed. It wasn’t his choice, at all, but it was in his best interest.”

The other man simply stared at you.

“He wasn’t…a good man. Not at all. I wish I could say all of it was verbal and psychological, but I had no choice but to come clean when I landed in the hospital. It wasn’t looking good for him and refusing to go through with the divorce would make him look worse,” you explained.

Bucky sharply inhaled, nodding.

“I see…”

“I…can’t believe that I’d never considered him before. He has money, but I’d never thought he’d find me so quickly,” you murmured.

Bucky made his way to the door, and you followed.

“I’ll get this down to the station. You be careful with that gun,” he advised, and you nodded. “Have a good night.”

And for the first time in weeks, you did.

“You look well rested,” Wanda complimented, bringing your plate to you.

You returned her smile with a genuine one of your own.

“I feel well rested. Hopeful, actually,” you replied.

“That’s good! So I take it things are a lot better at your place, now?”

“They will be,” you cheerily said, digging into your food.

“I’m glad to hear it, and what great timing too. It seems like Steve might be out of commission for a few days,” she told you. “So, it won’t be him responding to any 911 calls.”

You blinked up at her. You couldn’t care less about the blond cop in any way, and the information actually filled you with relief, but your curiosity got the better of you.

“Why?”

“He was shot,” was her simple response.

However, it made you feel anything but simple. You almost dropped your fork as you eyed her, brows furrowing as your heart dropped to your stomach.

“…what?”

“Yeah, in the arm…”

It felt like someone took a knife to your chest.

“…the word is that he was involved in a hunting accident.”

You forced yourself to swallow, mind whirling.

“When?”

She hummed, thinking.

“The day before yesterday, I believe,” she answered.

You wanted to be relieved at that, that it wasn’t last night, but…it all seemed too coincidental. No…there was no way. The thought alone made you want to be sick.

“How…awful,” you whispered.

“I know,” she pouted. “I’m baking him a cake tonight. Figured I’d head up to his house to deliver it to him.”

You pressed your lips together, trying, and failing, to talk yourself out of what you were about to do. You knew that you were paranoid, you’d never deny that, but you owed it to yourself. If only to quell your fears. You had to see…

“Uh…when are you heading over?”

“Probably in the morning,” she said just before welcoming some customers in.

“Can I come with? I’d like to check in on him too…”

She looked at you with a sly smile, and you grimaced.

“Growing on you, is he?”

“Hardly,” you scoffed. “It’s just… He’s always entertaining my concerns, responding to every call I’ve made. I feel like the least I can do is check on him, you know?”

She nodded, buying your lie.

“That’s really sweet of you. I’ll swing by your house around 8,” she said. “He lives pretty far out, so it’ll take about 45 minutes to get there.”

You nodded, and she left to go deal with some customers.

You swallowed, appetite lost, and you pushed your plate away. Your paranoia was really getting the best of you because a part of you actually believed that the person you shot last night was Officer Rogers. It was the most outlandish thing to think. The man was an officer of the law, and even though he proved that he didn’t deserve that title, there was a pretty big gap in between some creepy touches and a full-blown stalker.

You knew how it would sound if you voiced your fears to Wanda. People hunted around here all the time, hunting cabins forever common. It was perfectly believable, but…it seemed too coincidental. Besides, you figured there was no harm in seeing for yourself just to put your fears to rest. However, a small voice in your head wondered what you would do if you didn’t put them to rest at all, but only increased them?

What if you only confirmed your suspicions?

This plagued you all throughout the night and well into the morning when Wanda pulled into your yard. You locked up your house and hurried to her car, goosebumps rising on your flesh from the cool early morning air.

“So how far does he live?” you asked as soon as you were in the car.

“Do you remember where Dr. Banner lived before he left town?”

You nodded.

“Past that,” she replied, and you blinked.

“Why so far out?” you wondered.

“Steve likes his privacy. Plus, he’s really a nature kind of guy. Homebody too. I know our town is no New York, but even it gets a bit too much for him sometimes,” she explained.

“Being secluded in a big house with Steve Rogers, out in the woods, sounds like something most women would be interested in. He definitely strikes me as the type to want kids and the whole nine, so why hasn’t he ever taken any offers? You said it yourself that he’s had plenty…”

You were beginning to realize that you didn’t know much about this man, at all. It seemed strange that someone like him hadn’t dated anyone in 6 years. You already knew that there was definitely something wrong with him, but could there be more? Like making you feel unsafe in your own home more?

“I don’t know,” she hummed. “He did have a short thing with Peggy when he first got here-.”

“Peggy? I could see that,” you said to yourself, wondering what had happened.

Wanda answered your unspoken question.

“Yeah, it didn’t last very long though,” she sighed. “She left as soon as it ended. I never did find out what happened exactly, but she was just gone one day. House emptied of everything, and her car was gone. I guess it ended pretty badly. Steve never talks about it.”

You frowned at that. You’d known Peggy growing up, and that didn’t seem like her. Unlike you, she was never the type to just take off. But so many years had passed. Steve came to town about 4 years after you left, and a lot could happen in 4 years. People could change, and you supposed that’s what had happened.

The rest of the car ride was filled with idle talk about things that had happened in the years. Wanda told you about her boyfriend, Vis. He’d move here about two years ago, and he apparently made her very happy. She’d been lonely ever since her brother Pietro had moved away not long after you did, and Vis apparently made her smile more.

Eventually the topic somehow came back to Steve...and Bucky and Sam.

“His name is James, but everyone calls him Bucky. Him and Sam were roommates in college and just remained that way ever since. They both moved down here about…4 years ago? They’re all like 3 peas in a pod, like brothers…”

Sam was Officer Wilson. You’d seen him in passing a few times, usually with Bucky. He seemed nice enough.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if one, or both, of them was up here already,” she said, taking a left into the trees.

The driveway was paved and long, curving every which way before it eventually straightened out. You realized that the car was going up an incline, and thick trees surrounded you on both sides. When Wanda said that he liked his privacy, she wasn’t exaggerating. The seclusion of it all could be considered peaceful if you ignored who lived here.

She pulled up in front of a nice two-story house, the light blue paint standing out amongst the dark trees. You had the small cake in one hand while you closed the car door with the other. You admired the scenery as you followed her. It was beautiful, there was no denying that, but the battered woman in you couldn’t help but to think how easy it would be to get away with anything. If you screamed, nobody would hear you.

You followed her around the side of the house towards the back deck, and with a start, you realized that the hill that the house sat on led down to a rather large lake. Fog hovered over the water in the early morning, and your lips parted at the sight, eyes running over the thick trees on the other side.

“Pretty, isn’t it?”

“Yeah,” you murmured.

“He had it built before he officially moved down here. I don’t blame him for spending all of his free time at home. Who’d want to leave this?”

She knocked on the backdoor, and your nerves spiked as you realized that you would soon be coming face to face with the erasure of your fears…or something that would only worsen them. It took a few minutes before you heard him approaching the door. A greeting was already on his lips when he opened it, but it died when his eyes landed on you.

“Wanda…and Ms. Y/L/N. Come on in,” he greeted, stepping back.

“Hey, Steve. I wanted to bring that cake by before I had to go to work,” she said with a smile.

You followed her inside and shuddered when your shoulder grazed Steve’s chest.

“Y/N wanted to check on you too, make sure you’re alright,” Wanda added.

You looked at him with a small smile, noticing the long-sleeved shirt he had on.

“It’s the least I can do after responding to all of my calls,” you told him.

He returned the smile, but it didn’t reach his eyes.

“I appreciate that,” he whispered. “You can just put it on the counter.”

He gestured to the kitchen, with his right arm you noted, and you followed his instruction. You could hear him and Wanda talking in the living room while you slid the plate on the granite countertop. You glanced around, noting how homey it looked. You weren’t sure why that surprised you.

“Rough night?” you heard Wanda ask him as soon as you reentered the living room

Your eyes followed as she gestured to the several empty beer cans on the tv stand. Steve chuckled, placing his right hand on his hip, the left hanging limply at his side.

“Hardly. Sam and Buck came by last night. We just got into a few beers, watching some game that was on,” he replied.

You licked your lips.

“How’s your arm? Wanda told me it was a hunting accident…”

His gaze met yours, and the corner of his lip quirked up into a small smirk. He gestured to his arm, his left one, and relief filled you as he spoke.

“Yeah, Sam and I got a little careless out there. It’s just a graze, but nothing to worry your pretty little head about,” he responded.

Wanda chuckled at that while you fought not to sneer. You were just thankful that you’d put your fears to bed. The man you’d shot last night, you’d gotten him in his right arm. Steve was injured in his left, and you allowed yourself to breathe now.

“Can I use your bathroom?” you suddenly asked him.

“Yeah, sure! Just down the hall there,” he told you, gesturing behind him.

You thanked him and walked past him, Wanda’s voice reaching your ears as she asked him something. You went for the first door on your right, hand on the handle, when you were startled by a presence.

You looked up as Steve placed his hand on the small of your back, eyes widening as he pushed you along. His fingers pressed into your waist, and you shrunk in on yourself, a frown covering your features at his close proximity.

“Not that one,” he quietly told you. “That’s the basement.”

Your eyes met his now, and you quickly looked away at the intensity there.

“This one’s the bathroom,” he continued, opening a door, and flicking on the light for you.

You murmured a quiet ‘thanks’, flinching when he squeezed your hip one last time before returning to the living room. Your jaw clenched. He may not have been a stalker, but he was still a creep.

“I... I don’t understand. How long does it take to test some blood?”

The policewoman before you pursed her lips, arms resting on her desk.

“It can take up to a few days-.”

“Which it has been.”

“Yes, but the sample has to be sent to a lab, and we have to wait for the results,” she explained. “I understand your concern…”

“Do you?” you mumbled.

She chuckled, green eyes sparkling with mirth.

“I do. Why do you think I have the job I have anyway? I like being able to protect myself and other people,” she told you. “There was a time when I wasn’t able to…”

You sighed, glancing around the busy station. It was empty of a certain blond cop, and you were happy.

“I’m sorry. You’re right. You’re also a woman, so there’s no doubt that you definitely understand what I’m feeling. I just…I have to know who this person is. I don’t feel safe in my own house.”

“I know,” she replied. “Steve talks about you a lot.”

Your heart skipped a beat at that, face falling.

“…he does?”

She hummed.

“He wishes that he could do more,” she said. “He worries about you. Of course, with this blood sample, I imagine he’ll be doing a lot more worrying. This is proof that someone is out there every night, messing with you.”

“Do you think this will be enough to convince your boss to let someone stakeout my house?”

She mulled it over, humming.

“You know what? It might be. I’ll definitely bring it up,” she replied, and hope bloomed within you.

You fidgeted in your seat, worrying your lip, and she frowned.

“Was there anything else you wanted to discuss?” she asked.

Her tone of voice told you that she knew you did, so you figured it was best to just come right out and say it.

“If you are able to get someone to watch my house at night…can it not be Officer Rogers?”

Her frown deepened, and she ran her eyes over you. She leaned in, a red strand grazing the side of her face as she studied.

“Now why would you request that?”

You didn’t feel like you had a valid reason to give her, not one that she’d believe anyway. Steve was a town favorite, so you had to come up with something that would make her listen to you.

“You and Officer Rogers are friends, right? You care about him?”

“Of course,” she said, urging you to continue.

“I know that he worries about me, and that’s why I think someone else should be assigned to this. If it gets approved, of course. I just worry that lines may start to blur…”

She straightened up at that.

“How do you mean?”

You let out a soft sigh.

“He did ask me to dinner a while back, and seeing as I only recently got divorced, I refused. I’m just not ready, and I know that he understands and has no problem waiting, but…”

You chuckled.

“He’s just so sweet. I still feel so bad about it, and I don’t want to make this any harder on him. Until I’m ready, I don’t want to give him the wrong idea. I think it’d be best for everyone if an objective pair of eyes were on this. Especially for his sake…”

She hummed, nodding in understanding.

“No, Ms. Y/L/N, that’s perfectly reasonable. I’m glad to hear that Steve is finally trying to get back into the dating pool though,” she said, standing, and you followed her lead. “It took him long enough.”

You simply threw her a smile.

“Well, thank you for listening to me, and please, call me as soon as those lab results come back.”

“I will,” she promised.

Your shoulders felt lighter as you stepped out of the police station. Soon, you could find out who was tormenting you and they’d be locked up. In addition, you wouldn’t have to deal with Steve for a while…or ever again. You could finally breathe again. Soon you’d have nothing at all to deal with aside from lesson plans, and bratty kids were nothing in comparison to this.

As you neared your yard, you realized, with disappointment, that you would be eating your words. A sleek black car was parked on the curb, and it took a minute for you to realize that it belonged to Steve. You’d just seen him a few days ago, so you were unsure why he was paying you a visit. Apprehension filled you as you parked.

He was already out of his car and slowly making his way towards you when you stepped out of your own. You sent him a tense smile, standing beside your driver’s door as you eyed him.

“Ms. Y/L/N,” he greeted.

“Officer Rogers.”

“I came by to thank you for the cake,” he told you.

“Oh,” you said with a frown, shaking your head. “There’s no need. Wanda made it. I just carried it in the house.”

You brushed past him, nearing your house, and you could hear him following.

“Still. It was very thoughtful of you to come by and check on me. Especially considering the night you had before…”

You paused and turned to look at him, brows furrowed. He had one foot on your steps while you stood on the porch, neat blond hair pushed away from his face.

“…sorry?”

“Bucky. He told me about what happened,” he explained.

“Ah,” you softly said.

You shouldn’t have been surprised. Wanda did say they were like brothers, after all.

“I confess that’s partially why I’m here. I wanted to see how you were fairing. That must have been terrifying for you,” he admitted, blue eyes inquiring as they drank you in.

You glanced down.

“Yeah…it was, but…I didn’t have much of a choice,” you said, looking at him. “I know you all are just doing your job, and I suppose I can’t blame you for that, but… I couldn’t just sit around and wait for someone to hurt me.”

He hummed, eyeing you.

“So do you know who it is?”

You shook your head.

“No, but I did get some of his blood. I talked to Officer Romanoff today, and she said that the lab results should be in any day, now,” you repeated what she had told you.

He nodded, making his way onto your porch now, and you stumbled back.

“Look, if you need-.”

“Officer Rogers,” you boldly interrupted, giving him pause.

His blue eyes were focused entirely on you as you swallowed, determined to put an end to this.

“Um… I have something to say…”

He straightened up, crossing his arms over his chest as he stared you down, waiting for you to continue. Your tongue darted out to swipe over your bottom lip, and you took a deep breath.

“I’ve always tried to give people the benefit of the doubt. Always, but…since my ex-husband, I don’t think I can really afford to do that anymore. For my own sake…”

Steve’s eyes had darkened, and you fought to hold his gaze.

“Your behavior makes me uncomfortable…and I want to say that perhaps you aren’t aware of it, but I don’t believe that. I think you know how you make me feel.”

You watched as he looked down his nose at you, jaw clenching and eyes hard, and you forced yourself to continue.

“If I offended you…or hurt you when I turned you down, that wasn’t my intention. Believe me, that was the farthest thing from my mind, and I don’t appreciate you acting so inappropriately towards me for it.”

His chest heaved with his deep breath, and you watched the way his cheek poked out, probably from his tongue. Satisfied with yourself, you took a step back.

“That’s all I had to say,” you finished, turning to go inside.

“Ms. Y/L/N, wait,” he finally spoke, reaching for your arm.

“Officer Rogers, please! I-.”

Your words were cut off by his loud grunt, pain lacing his tone. You had reached out to push him away, not liking the way he’d grabbed you. You frowned, chest clenching, feeling like someone had dropped a bucket of ice water over you as you watched him clutch his arm…his right arm.

He had reached for your right arm with his right hand, and in retaliation, you’d turned and pushed your left hand against…his right arm. Realization hit you, and your eyes widened as you looked at him with different eyes. Eyes filled with a fear unlike any other you’d ever experienced.

You stumbled back, heart dropping into your stomach as his gaze finally met yours. He opened his mouth to speak, but you were already rushing inside, locking the door behind you just as his fist banged against it.

“No,” you whispered to yourself, shaking your head.

He didn’t knock again, and you moved to the side, watching his silhouette through the curtains. It was getting late, the setting sun casting shadows everywhere, and feeling like you were going to be sick, you noted that the shape looked awfully familiar. He just stood there for a painful amount of time before eventually taking a step back and leaving altogether.

You placed your hand on your couch, struggling to stand. It was no use. You collapsed to the floor on your knees, taking your table and lamp with you, the fragile décor shattering upon impact with the floor. You pressed your hand to your forehead, entire body trembling as you realized what your subconscious had always suspected.

Officer Steve Rogers was the one tormenting you every night.

 ~

tags: @xoxabs88xox @darkficreposter @mcudarklibrary @captainchrisstan @nickyl316h @buckybarnesplumwhore @harryspet @readermia @sebabestianstan101 @villanellevi @opheliadawnwalker3 @notyourtypicalrose​

~

The next day, you took the time to go outside and walk around your house. You stopped below your bedroom window, eyeing the wall and frowning as you looked around. You weren’t getting much sleep, so perhaps Officer Rogers was right. Maybe it could have been an animal…

Your thoughts turned sour as you thought of the blond man.

It was impressive really, how quickly his demeanor had changed in only a matter of hours. You didn’t know the man, at all, so perhaps it was a bit assuming of you to think such a thing, but you couldn’t ignore the evident shift in his behavior. Was he…upset that you’d turned him down?

With a shake of your head, you made your way to your car. As soon as you settled inside, something felt off. You looked around, unsure as to why that was, but something just did. Brushing it off as your own paranoia, you started your car and began your drive to Walmart.

You hadn’t brought much when you moved back, and you found yourself in need of the simplest of things like tape and a hammer…possibly even a machete. You shook your head, determined to swallow your paranoia. You had grown up here. You knew firsthand how safe this town was.

Your shopping excursion didn’t last long, but when you left the store and made your way back to your car, you noted a police officer behind it. You frowned, picking up your pace when you realized that he…was writing you a ticket.

“Excuse me,” you called.

He looked up, and the familiar blue of his eyes gave you pause, but other than that, he was completely unfamiliar to you. His neat brown hair was pushed away from his face, and light stubble decorated his jaw.

“Is this your vehicle?” he asked.

“Yes, it is. What’s going on?”

He didn’t respond, instead beckoning you forward before pointing. You stood beside him and blinked at your busted taillight.

“Normally, I’d give a warning to get it fixed as soon as possible, but the boss has been cracking down lately. Sorry,” he halfheartedly apologized before handing you the slip of paper.

You sighed when you realized that the man who towed your car to your house must have been extremely rough. You called out to the brunette as he turned to leave.

“Um… Look, this isn’t an excuse or anything, I promise, but my car was brought to my house yesterday. The man who brought it was clearly careless with it. I didn’t even notice…”

He sighed, eyeing you.

“I’m sorry to hear that, but unfortunately, there isn’t much I can do. Just pay the fine and get it fixed as soon as possible,” he told you.

You opened your mouth to respond, but you were interrupted.

“Is there a problem officer?”

You turned towards the familiar voice with wide eyes and noticed the teasing grin on his lips as he stared at the other man.

“This man bothering you, ma’am?” he wondered, looking at you.

“Steve, let me do my job,” the cop huffed.

“It’s a broken taillight, Buck. Hardly a danger in this tiny town…”

With a start, you realized that they knew each other. Of course, they would. There were only so many cops in this town, and they all worked at the same station. Steve’s grin, however, told you that they were closer than just the average coworkers though.

“Giving poor women tickets for a taillight isn’t what the boss meant by do better, and you know it,” he said, taking the paper out of your hands before you could protest. “Besides, I’m responsible for it, anyway, so I’ll deal with it.”

Your eyes widened when he ripped up the ticket, but the officer, Buck is what Steve called him, didn’t protest. He merely sighed, tone filled with exasperation.

“It’s your ass,” he threw at Steve before glancing at you. “Sorry to bother you. Have a great day.”

“You didn’t have to do that,” you said as soon as the other cop was gone.

“Don’t be silly. I am responsible. Can’t let you pay for something so ridiculous,” he said, reaching for you. “Come on, I’ll drive you home.”

You hesitated with a frown.

“My car is perfectly fine. I can drive home but thank you though.”

Steve eyed you.

“You have a broken taillight. If another cop stops you, you will get a ticket, and I won’t be there to intervene that time,” he responded.

You wanted to tell him that you didn’t ask him to the first time, but you held your tongue.

“Really, Officer Rogers, it’s-.”

“My car is just over here,” he pointed to a sleek black vehicle.

Again, you were reluctant. He’d asked you out, and when you turned him down, it would be stupid to deny the 180 his attitude had taken. You didn’t want to send the wrong message by accepting yet another ride home from him. But unfortunately, he was making some points.

“Look, I’ll get your taillight fixed, and leave the rest to you so that you can make sure no harm comes to your car this time,” he offered.

Again, if you agreed, you didn’t want him to get the wrong idea.

“I don’t know. I don’t think it’s appropriate-.”

He cut you off with a laugh.

“I’m not gearing up to ask you out again. Scout’s honor. I just feel bad…”

Your heart clenched, realizing that he was offering out of guilt, and reluctantly, you agreed. He led you towards his car and opened the passenger door for you. He waited until you were settled in, but unfortunately, you were having trouble with the seatbelt.

“Here, it’s tricky…”

You sharply inhaled when he bent down to lean in, reaching over to click it in place. His hand brushed over your stomach when he pulled back, and you blinked, wondering if you read too much into that. He had closed the door and was slipping into the driver’s side in no time.

The ride to your house was silent. There was tension in the air, but you wondered if it was purely your own doing. You didn’t feel comfortable accepting rides from strangers, no matter what their profession was, and a few run ins with Steve didn’t mean anything to you. He was still a stranger.

You quietly thanked him when he pulled into your yard, exiting the car without a backwards glance. You waved him goodbye as you entered your house, but just like last time, he didn’t leave right away. You watched through the window as he sat there for a worrying amount of time. His windows were tinted, so you couldn’t see what he was doing, but you could’ve sworn you felt the heat of his gaze. Eventually, he drove off, and you sighed in relief.

The next night, you were woken up by a noise coming from behind your house. Rousing from sleep, you were convinced you’d imagined it. You had rolled over, determined to go back to sleep, but your eyes flew open when you heard it again.

You sat up in bed with wide eyes, listening for it. A few minutes passed with nothing but silence, but then you heard a noise coming from below your window. Frozen with fear, you listened as the bumping noises traveled around the house. Swallowing that fear down, you threw your covers back and slowly, but surely, descended the stairs.

One of your steps creaked, and you remembered to step over it. You glanced at all of the windows as you stood in the living room, not seeing any shadows through the thin curtains. You heard another noise coming from your left, and you slowly made your way into the kitchen. You didn’t hear anything else and considered going back to bed, telling yourself that it was just some animal.

You aren’t in the city anymore, you had to remind yourself.

However, when you turned your head to the right, towards the kitchen window, you could see a shadow through the curtains. A yelp left your lips, and you stumbled back before hurrying up the stairs. You could hear banging on your front door, now, but you were already dialing 911.

You locked yourself in your room as you waited for the police to arrive. Like before, it took no time to hear the sirens approaching, but this time, you didn’t open your door until you heard your name being called. You shakily exited your house, arms folded over your chest as you came face to face with Steve again…and the officer from earlier.

Steve approached you while you stood on the front porch, and you explained to him what happened. The other man stood by the car, looking around, gaze hard. Steve told you that they’d secure the perimeter of the property. You leaned against your door and waited while they did so.

Frustration bubbled up within you minutes later when Steve shook his head, approaching you. His partner slowly went to stand in between him and the cruiser, eyeing both of you.

“Can you…check again? Please? This is the second time this has happened, and I know I’m not going crazy,” you begged. “They were banging on my door.”

Steve exhaled before he slowly nodded. He made a gesture to the other cop, and you watched as he moved to scope out the property again.

“Bucky’s going to check out the place again. Are you getting enough sleep?” Steve asked you.

Your eyes cut to him, and you frowned, not liking his insinuation.

“Of course. There was someone here,” you told him.

He nodded.

“I want to believe you. You say you saw someone in your yard, and I’ll believe that you did. Its just…”

He looked away with a sigh.

“We don’t get a lot of crime in this town. Nothing more serious than some bored teens stealing some gas, anyway,” he told you.

You did your best to keep your voice even as you narrowed your eyes.

“I know that. I grew up here, Officer Rogers.”

His lips thinned, and he nodded.

“I understand. I’m just saying that it’s unusual.”

“Believe me, I know that its unusual. Hence, why I’m calling you guys because this isn’t okay. Someone is skulking about my yard and making noises and-.”

“It’s all clear,” the other officer, Bucky, said as he glided around the side of the house.

You heaved a heavy sigh at that, placing your hands on your hips as you looked to Steve again.

“So what are my options? What can I do about this?”

His lips parted, and he glanced away, seemingly hesitant to speak. You blinked and let out a scoff, a humorless chuckle escaping you.

“Let me guess… There really isn’t much you can do because, as far as you know, no crime has been committed. Am I correct? I’m not hurt, and no one has been caught on the property, so…until then, your hands are tied,” you recited the words you’ve heard on thousands of crime documentaries.

“Everything you’ve said is correct,” he confirmed.

“So that’s what we do? Wait for someone to break into my house and kill me?”

“I’m just doing my job,” he defended, and you fought the urge to roll your eyes.

“Yeah…I know,” you murmured. “Thanks, anyway.”

You left him on the porch and closed your door just a tad too hard behind you.

Unfortunately for you, the nights that followed went much the same. You’d be roused from sleep sometime in the night, and again, you’d convince yourself it was some animal, but like always, you’d go downstairs. It would take some minutes, but eventually you’d see a silhouette through your curtains, and every time, you’d call 911.

It was always Steve who showed up. Sometimes he was alone, and sometimes he’d have that other officer, Bucky, with him. For some reason, you got the feeling that Bucky didn’t like you. You supposed that you couldn’t blame him. Night after night you called the cops on some perpetrator who they had yet to even see. It was probably frustrating, but you guaranteed it was a thousand times more frustrating for you.

On the 7th night, after walking around the property a total of 3 times, Steve approached you with a sigh. You already knew where this was going before he even opened his mouth, and you rolled your eyes.

“I’m not crazy,” you told him before he could even speak.

“I never said you were,” he responded in that placating tone that was becoming all too familiar to you.

It was starting to wear on your nerves.

“Someone is out here every night. They are messing with me!” you desperately said.

He pursed his lips, taking a step towards you, and you eyed him.

“Look, Y/N… I’ve seen this behavior before, and it isn’t uncommon-.”

“What are you talking about?”

“I’m talking about victims of abuse.”

Your eyes widened, and your heart dropped to your stomach. You looked at him as if he’d punched you in the gut, and never mind how he knew, but the audacity to throw it in your face so callously. You took a deep breath before you spoke.

“Excuse me?” you gasped, a frown on your face.

He sighed.

“Your body language,” he explained. “I could tell from the first moment I met you. They train us for things like that.”

“I don’t care what they train you for. It’s incredibly rude of you-.”

“This is common with people like you. You’re paranoid, your thoughts get the best of you, you convince yourself of things that aren’t happening…”

Your head started swimming, and you felt like you were going to pass out. How dare he!

“You’re not crazy, just…traumatized, Y/N” he finished.

You clenched your jaw, glaring at him now. God, you wanted to wipe that look off of his pretty face, but he’d probably arrest you.

“Whatever has happened in the past has nothing to do with what’s happening now. Someone is tormenting me every night, and it seems like you won’t take me seriously until I’m dead,” you spat. “…and that’s Ms. Y/L/N to you.”

You turned and slammed the door in his face before he could respond.

You didn’t sleep much that night, too frustrated and angry. Why did he think it was appropriate to throw that in your face like that? It didn’t negate the fact that someone was prowling around your house almost every night, and no one was taking you seriously. You were growing worried, and you knew it wouldn’t be long before this started to affect your daily life too. You couldn’t be dealing with this when school started, and Wanda agreed.

“Have you tried talking to someone?”

You frowned at her.

“What? Like…a therapist?”

She rushed to continue at the look on your face.

“I’m not saying that you’re imagining it. We both know that nothing serious ever happens in this town, but I’m not naïve enough to completely write off any possibility. I just think that if you show that you’re dealing with whatever happened to you, and you have credible support to agree that you aren’t imagining things, maybe Steve and the rest will be more inclined to take this seriously.”

It sounded like a good idea, but you didn’t think it should come to that, and that’s what you told her.

“You’re right, but what else can you do? Eventually, they’re going to stop taking your calls seriously and might even charge you for a false 911 call.”

You groaned.

“God, I bet Officer Rogers is telling everyone at the station what a nut I am,” you whispered, resting your forehead on your hands.

“Steve’s not like that. He’s just concerned. Are you sure you didn’t misinterpret what he said?”

You scoffed.

“There was no misunderstanding about it. He threw my past in my face in the most callous way possible and proceeded to use it as evidence to support his claim that I am simply imagining things.”

“That just…doesn’t sound like Steve,” she hummed.

“Of course, it doesn’t,” you mumbled just as the bell dinged, signaling customers entering the diner.

Wanda looked up, and by the look on her face, you knew who had just come in.

“Welcome in,” she greeted, standing.

Her voice drifted away, and you assumed she was seating them to a table. You closed your eyes and rubbed your temples, mulling over what to do. You were preparing yourself for another sleepless night. You were pulled from your thoughts by the clearing of a throat, and you opened your eyes, gaze connecting with a familiar one.

Steve stood in front of you, sans uniform, and threw you a small smile. His hair wasn’t so neat today, a couple strands kissing his forehead. He was wearing a plain fitted white tee. The last time you saw him out of uniform, he’d had on a leather jacket, and it put your nerves on end to confirm that he was indeed as muscular as you thought.

“Ms. Y/L/N,” he greeted. “Can I steal you away for a moment?”

The hesitation must have been written all over your face, so he continued.

“I wanted to apologize for last night.”

You gave a jerky nod and stood, following him outside. You folded your arms over your chest as you waited for him to speak.

“I shouldn’t have said that last night. It was uncalled for, and while I had the best intentions, it was still wrong. I’m sorry,” he said.

You simply nodded and watched as he darted his tongue out to swipe over his bottom lip.

“…I was correct in my assumption though, wasn’t I?”

“I don’t really think that’s any of your business. Besides, you seemed sure enough in your assumption last night,” you told him.

Steve took a step towards you, and you eyed him.

“I know it isn’t any of my business, but it doesn’t have to be that way…”

Your brows furrowed.

“People in this town, they don’t just see Officer Rogers when they look at me. They see someone they trust…a friend. They confide in me, and I want you to feel comfortable to do the same.”

You weren’t sure how to respond to that.

“I do want to help you. I know it may not seem like it, but it’s the truth. I imagine this is quite hard for you,” he continued.

“It is,” you confirmed. “…and that’s why its so frustrating that nothing is being done.”

“I wish I could do more, but my ranking prevents that. If I had it my way, I’d stakeout your house every night,” he confessed.

“You’d do that?” you wondered hopefully.

He took another step towards you.

“I would. My superiors don’t have to know everything I do at night…”

You only took note of his close proximity when you realized you could feel his body heat. You squirmed under his gaze, and he chuckled.

“Unfortunately, I can’t though. If they found out, I’d have no good excuse for being there so late at night. It would be a different story if we were, let’s say, seeing each other, but that isn’t the case…,” he trailed off.

Your heart skipped a beat, and your mind whirled, wondering if you were imagining the implications behind his words, perhaps misinterpreting the way he worded that. You blinked when he took another step closer, eyes gleaming.

“It’s really a shame too, because I know it won’t be long before they hit you with a charge for a false emergency call,” he admitted, and your eyes widened.

He tilted his head at you, a frown on his own face.

“If things were perhaps…different, there’d be a lot more that I could do, but unfortunately for you, they aren’t.”

No.

You weren’t crazy.

The man before you was definitely insinuating what you suspected he was, and your stomach churned. You stumbled back, away from him, heart going haywire in your chest as you ran your eyes over him.

“No…they aren’t. If you’ll excuse me,” you rushed out, jerking the door of the diner open.

You were quick to grab your purse, tensing when you heard him enter behind you. Wanda called out to you, but you were already out of the door, not sparing Steve Rogers a glance.

Days later, you were pushing your grocery cart to your car, glad to have it back. Your taillight was fixed, and you’d been the only one responsible for driving it home. Per your inspection, there was no more damage done to it.

You’d just parked it beside the vehicle, preparing to load your groceries inside when you heard someone calling for you. You didn’t realize they were trying to get your attention at first, after all “ma’am” wasn’t exactly specific. However, when you looked up, your eyes met the grocer who often bagged them for you.

He was holding a bag as he ran towards you, brown hair bouncing, and he panted as he slowed. He held the bag out, nearing you with a smile.

“You forgot this,” he said, short of breath.

“Oh! Thank you,” you told him, taking it from his hand. “I didn’t even notice. Sorry you had to run all the way out here.”

“It’s no problem,” he cheerily told you. “I wanted to anyway. Didn’t want you to miss them.”

You threw him an appreciate smile, and he opened his mouth to say something else when something over your shoulder caught his attention.

“How would May feel about you flirting with customers instead of doing your job?” a familiar voice teased.

You jumped, glancing over your shoulder to find none other than Steve there, in uniform as he leaned against the back of your car, a smile playing on his lips. The kid before you grumbled.

“I wasn’t flirting, Officer Rogers,” he mumbled, face flushed. “I was just returning some groceries she left.”

“Sure,” Steve mocked, making the kid’s face redden more.

You frowned at him, not liking the way he was embarrassing the teen.

“Thank you,” you told him again, throwing him a strained smile, trying to convey how sorry you were for the blond man’s behavior.

He nodded, throwing one last look at Steve before sulking away. You sighed, unlocking your car.

“You didn’t have to embarrass him like that, you know.”

Steve stepped closer, and you threw him a withering look.

“I was only teasing. Peter knows that. Here, let me help you-.”

“I’ve got it,” you interrupted, but he didn’t listen.

You huffed as he loaded your groceries into the backseat. When he was done, he stepped back, and he placed his hand on your waist to move you back while he closed the door, causing your eyes to widen. His fingers trailed from your waist to your stomach when he moved to push the cart away, and you stumbled back. The encounter happened so fast that you wondered if you’d imagined it to be something it wasn’t.

You were still stunned when he made his way back to you, and you made sure you were far away when he opened your door for you. Eyeing him, you tightened your grip on your purse and your keys before shakily sliding into the seat. You went to close the door, but he prevented you from doing so.

Your grip on the door handle tightened as he pressed one hand to the top of the door, stepping closer as he pressed the other to the hood of your car over your head. Goosebumps broke out over your flesh at his close proximity, and as you looked around, you realized that no one would think anything of it. Officer Steve Rogers, ever the helpful gentleman, was simply helping a woman with her groceries and into her car.

You looked away from him, staring through the windshield just as he spoke.

“I see you haven’t called the station in a few days. Does that mean everything’s alright?”

You swallowed.

No. Everything wasn’t alright. In fact, it was the opposite. The noises had never stopped, sometimes even escalating to knocks on your door. That never lasted long though. 5 to 7 minutes at the most, and each night you just had to force yourself to ignore it. What could you do? If you called again, and they found no one there, you’d be charged. Steve had said so himself.

“Yes,” you lied. “Everything’s fine, now.”

He hummed, leaning in, and you darted your eyes to meet his.

“I’m glad to hear that. I thought that maybe you’d heeded my warning. Either way, I’m happy. The last thing I’d want to see is you doing some minor jail time for a false 911 call. That’s a misdemeanor, you know,” he informed you.

You clenched your jaw.

“Yes, I know,” you bit out.

The arm that was above you moved, and paranoid as usual, you jumped, dropping your keys into your lap. Steve reached for them before you could, and your eyes widened, heart dropping to your stomach as his hand slid between your thighs. He was quick in grabbing them, hand grazing along the inside of your thigh just before placing them in your trembling hand.

He wrapped his own hand around yours as he did so, and you looked at him with glassy eyes, somewhat in disbelief of what had just happened. What was currently happening. His blue eyes sparkled as they bore into your frightened ones, and he leaned in.

“I’m glad you’re being smart about this. Believe me, I wish I could do more. I’d love nothing more than to protect you properly…”

His voice was scarily calm, and you attempted to pull your hand out of his grip, but he tightened his hold, the corner of his lips quirking upwards.

“…but the way…circumstances are right now, I can’t. But I am here if you decide to give it any more thought.”

You frowned, lips trembling when he finally let you go. You hugged your hand to your chest as he stepped back, refusing to look at him now.

“Drive safe,” he said, just before closing your door for you.

You immediately locked it, breath shaky and body trembling. You blinked back the tears that had started to collect, and it took you a whole 20 minutes to finally get your bearings and start your car. If you had doubts about Steve’s behavior before, they were long gone now.

~

~

You threw the last of your empty boxes into the garbage in front of your house. Your back ached, and your legs were screaming for a reprieve, but you’d been determined to finish unpacking by the end of the day. And so you had.

The cicadas were loud in the nearby trees, the dark sky decorated with stars. Though you were back down south, you’d forgotten how cool the nights could get. You tightened your sweater around you as you looked along the street. In the years past, so much had changed…but a lot had remained the same.

With a sigh, you turned to make your way back into the house. You’d been running like a train nonstop for the past 3 days, determined to completely unpack and get settled long before school started back. You wanted one less thing to worry about.

You placed your back against the door as you closed it, taking a calming breath and locking it. You closed your eyes, reminding yourself that you were safe. Your ex-husband was far away and none the wiser to your location. You had nothing to be afraid of. You chanted this to yourself until you were able to finally move away from the door.

Your modest house was so quiet, and you welcomed the silence as you made your way upstairs. The atmosphere was so peaceful, and for the first time in a long time, you could hear your own thoughts. Living with Aldrich for so long, you’d forgotten what that had felt like.

He was regularly criticizing anything he could think of, his biting words packaged in a smile that was a tad too wide. Kissing you a tad too harsh and grabbing you a tad too tight. You honestly didn’t know how you’d put up with it for so long. You were disappointed with yourself, but even more disappointed that it took a miscarriage for you to finally leave him.

It should never have come to that.

You settled into bed, somewhat uncomfortable, but only in a way that was unfamiliar to you. You were alone and safe and at peace for the first time in years. Determined to have a good night’s sleep, you pushed painful thoughts out of your mind, and vowed to make your regrets fuel your new future.

The grocer handed your bags to you with a shy smile on his face, cheeks flushing when your fingers brushed over his.

“Thanks,” you told him.

“Have a good day,” he recited, something he probably said a hundred times a day.

You left with a quiet ‘you too’ thrown over your shoulder before making your way outside. The town was filled with both familiar and unfamiliar faces alike. Sure, you’d been gone for almost 10 years, but you hadn’t expected your small town to have expanded this much in a million years.

You noticed a scratch on the side of your car when you neared it, and you took a closer look. With a huff, you looked around, but no one was parked near you and no shopping carts were close by either. Convincing yourself that it wasn’t that big of a deal, you settled into your car and placed your groceries in the passenger seat.

As you drove down the familiar street, you chuckled to yourself, recalling how you vowed to never return here. The universe had a twisted sense of humor that way because here you were, almost 10 years later, seeking sanctuary in the one place you hated most. Perhaps, in a way, this was your life lesson.

You’d been so desperate to get out of this backwards small town that you’d run off with the first man to give you the chance. How foolish you were then to think you were in love. You were just barely an adult, could hardly even be called one. Aldrich Killian was older and gorgeous and most importantly, he’d been going places.

A chance of luck, or perhaps misfortune, had placed him in your nowhere town, and you’d fallen head over heels immediately. He took to you just the same, and there was no hesitation whatsoever to run off with him to the big city. You left everything and everyone behind without a backwards glance.

He hid his true nature well. So well that it took you an entire two years into the relationship to learn about the other women. Having traveled all the way to New York on his coattails, you’d been distraught…and hurt. You may have been silly then, but not that silly.

He came home the next day to find you gone. His money made it easy for him to track you down at a friend’s place though, and the romantic in you was swayed by the sight of the powerful man on his knees, begging for your forgiveness. Surprisingly, he was true to his word, and from then on out, you were the only one.

But your relief was short-lived. You soon came to find out that these other women had something in common with the way he treated them, and with them out of the picture, you soon had that very same thing in common too.

It started out small. A raised voice here, a harsh grip there, but then he’d slapped you. Real hard too. It had left your ears ringing, and you’d been so shocked, that you didn’t see the next one coming. It became a regular occurrence, but it was always followed up by gifts and apologetic words. He’d be good for a few days, and it became easy to believe things would change. But like clockwork, the cycle repeated.

You hadn’t even known that you were pregnant when he shoved you down the stairs. You could only blink in shock when the doctor told you that you’d suffered a miscarriage. That was one of the first things you heard when you woke up inside of the hospital, and the sudden loss of something you didn’t even know you had was heartbreaking.

So when they asked for the truth, suspicion already in their eyes as they looked at the fading bruises and the fresh ones, you gave it to them without hesitation. Proving it was easy enough, and the divorce papers had been drawn up in no time, but Aldrich had money. A lot of it too.

He didn’t even do some measly community service.

You scoffed in the quiet car, hands tightening on the wheel. All of that was over now. You were back home and far away from him. Things would be different now. They had to be…

You frowned when your car started to sputter, confusion filling you as your eyes widened. You looked at the dash, and your confusion grew as you realized you were completely out of gas. A disbelieving scoff left you as you had no choice but to turn your car off. You sat back in your seat with a sigh, blinking as you realized that you had no one to call.

All of your family was gone, and all of your former friends had long left. The ones that hadn’t, the bridge had been burned long ago. Grabbing yours keys and your purse and the few grocery bags you had, you decided you’d have to walk home. It wasn’t too far of a walk. In New York, it’d be considered nothing.

It was late in the evening though, and you were sure it was going to be dark before you reached your house. You didn’t feel comfortable just leaving your car on the side of the road, but you didn’t exactly have a choice. This stretch of road was lengthy, and the thought of being out here at night made you nervous.

You squinted when red and blue reflected off of the pavement from over your shoulder. You looked over just as a police cruiser pulled up beside you. Your heart skipped a beat when the person inside turned it off and proceeded to exit the car. He curved around the front of the car, and you blinked at the full sight of him.

His blond hair was neatly pushed away from his face, and you sharply inhaled at his handsome features. He was tall, and his blue eyes were focused entirely on you as he approached you. His smile was kind, inviting even, and you were tempted to return it, but something prevented you from doing so. He reminded you of your ex-husband, and you warily eyed the way his uniform hugged him, plastered to the bands of muscle that were his arms.

“Evening, ma’am,” he greeted.

“Good evening,” you murmured.

“Was that your car I passed not too long ago?”

You looked in the direction of where you left your car before nodding.

“I…ran out of gas. Which is odd because I was sure I had over half a tank when I left home,” you told him.

He chuckled, and you frowned at him. Catching sight of your glower, he shook his head, taking a step towards you.

“I’m not laughing at you, I promise. It just seems that the punks in this town got another victim.”

He pointed in the direction of your car.

“You got yourself an older model, one that doesn’t require the gas cap to be opened from the inside. They like to steal gas from whoever they can,” he explained.

With a scoff, you realized they were still pulling that mess the teens did before you left. How silly of you to think the kids here would move onto bigger and better things. The blond before you spoke before you had the chance to.

“You live far?”

You squinted up at him, hesitating before eventually shaking your head.

“Not really…no.”

You watched as he walked to the passenger side, opening the door as he faced you.

“Let me drive you home,” he offered.

Your face pinched, wondering how to refuse. You didn’t get in the car with strangers, no matter their profession. You started to shake your head.

“It’s not that far. I can walk-.”

“It’s going to get dark soon, and you need to get those groceries in the fridge.”

He wasn’t wrong, but still, you hesitated. He threw you a crooked smile, leaning his arm on the open door now.

“I won’t be able to rest if I don’t know you made it home, so if you don’t get in, I’ll just have to ride alongside you,” he teased.

Although, you got the feeling that he was entirely serious. Reluctantly, you walked towards the cruiser.

“Okay.”

He closed the door for you as you made yourself comfortable, clicking your seatbelt into place.

“Are you really that responsible or is it just because you’re in the car with me?” he wondered with a chuckle as he sat beside you.

“Just that responsible,” you murmured as he started the car.

You gave him directions to your house, and he followed them with a hum.

“You’re new,” he suddenly said.

It was a statement, not a question, and you frowned.

“Hardly,” you said, shaking your head.

“Huh. I’ve never seen you around…”

You squirmed in your seat at his questions, and you fought with yourself. You told yourself that you were just so skittish after your ex-husband, and you told yourself to calm down. This man wasn’t him.

“I only recently moved back,” you eventually replied.

“How long you been gone?”

He took a left, and you blew out a breath.

“Almost…10 years?”

He let out a low whistle, tapping his finger on the wheel.

“No wonder. I moved to town about 6 years ago. 10 years is an awfully long time,” he noted. “What made you come back?”

“Divorce.”

He didn’t respond right away, and you could feel him eyeing you.

“I’m sorry,” he quietly said.

“Don’t be,” you honestly replied.

You pointed at your house, and he pulled into the yard. You tried not to be so obvious as you hurried to get out of his car. You were halted by a hand on your arm, and you looked over at him.

“Don’t worry about your car. I’ll get some gas in it and make sure it arrives here safe and sound,” he said with a smile.

“Oh, you don’t have to-.”

“Don’t worry about it. Consider as part of my job description.”

You nodded, finally throwing him a small smile.

“Thank you…” you eyed his badge. “Officer Rogers.”

He chuckled, shaking his head.

“Please…call me Steve.”

You simply replied with a strained smile before exiting the car. He watched you as you made your way to your door, and when you finally got it open, you waved him goodbye. He returned it, but he didn’t drive off. Not even when you closed and locked the door.

Through the window, you watched him sit there for a while, longer than you deemed necessary. Eventually, he pulled out of your yard, and you turned to put your groceries away with a frown.

“Y/N Y/L/N… I haven’t seen you in ages…”

You glanced up at the familiar voice, and your eyes widened as they connected with familiar blue ones. You blinked.

“Wanda,” you greeted in surprise. “…hi.”

She placed her hand on the chair across from you, grinning as her reddish-brown hair spilled around her shoulders.

“So you’re back,” she said.

“So I am,” you nodded. “You look great!”

“You’re one to talk. When you skipped town, you were this confused little girl who didn’t know who she was trying to be. Now you come back here and you’re like something out of every miserable husband’s wet dream,” she teased.

You scoffed at that, shaking your head.

“Hardly…”

“Still as blind as ever, I see. Are you back in the old house?” she wondered.

You shook your head.

“No. I considered it, but… It’s too painful,” you told her.

She solemnly nodded, and you perked up.

“So…do you work here?” you wondered, glancing around the impressive diner.

She smirked.

“Sort of. It’s actually kind of mine now…”

Your lips parted, and a genuine smile fell over them.

“You bought it,” you said, in awe.

“I did,” she breathed, glancing around. “I always said I would…but part of me didn’t think I’d ever do it.”

“…but you did! And it looks amazing! You actually turned this place into something worth coming to,” you complimented her.

She hummed, taking the seat in front of you as she looked around with a wistful sigh.

“This could’ve been ours, you know…”

She looked at you, and you glanced away.

“Yeah, well… I was too busy chasing dick,” you replied, and she laughed.

“You were young and in love! If I’d had an Aldrich Killian offering to whisk me away from here, I’d have done the same too.”

“…and I would have locked you away to prevent you from ruining your life,” you threw back.

Her smile fell, and her eyes dimmed a tad as she studied you.

“Trouble in paradise?”

“There is no paradise. I’m not sure there ever was…”

There was a brief awkward silence, and she suddenly sighed.

“Was he the reason you didn’t come for the funerals?”

You didn’t reply, but there was no need to. She shook her head.

“I knew you wouldn’t just…not come. Everybody else was so convinced, but not me. I knew there had to be a good reason… Where did he drag you to anyway?”

You leaned back in your chair with a wistful smile.

“New York.”

“Was it at least fun?”

You mulled over her question before you shook your head.

“No. Aldrich…liked women,” you said with a shrug.

Wanda’s face fell at that.

“…and…when he gave those women up so I would stay, I found out that…he liked hitting women even more,” you quietly continued.

“Y/N,” she whispered, reaching across the table to take your hand.

“I’m past it…mostly. Some of us just have to learn our life lessons the hard way,” you told her with a shrug.

“Don’t say that. You loved him! That’s hardly worthy of a punishment. Sometimes, people are just shitty, and it has nothing to do with us.”

The bell over the door rang from behind you, and Wanda loudly welcomed them without even glancing up. Several voices filled the establishment, and you noted that they traveled and congregated to a table in the back corner, behind you. You heard footsteps approaching, and Wanda finally glanced up. You watched as she grinned at the newcomer.

“Steve!”

You followed her gaze, and sure enough, it was the officer from the other day. You didn’t know if he was on break or getting off of a shift, but he was still in uniform. His hands were on his hips as he looked between you two, a slow smile moving along his pink lips.

“Wanda…ma’am,” he greeted.

Wanda gestured to you.

“This is my friend-.”

“We’ve actually already met, but I never did get the pleasure of learning your name…”

You cleared your throat, feeling put on the spot as Wanda looked at you.

“Y/N,” you told him.

His smile slowly widened, and he ran his eyes over your face, drinking you in.

“Y/N,” he greeted again. “It’s nice to put a name to the face.”

You simply replied with a tense smile as you laid your arms on the table.

“Wanda, me and the rest of the crew are going to have the usual,” he told her.

“Of course! I’ll get Gwen to get right on it.”

He smiled at her.

“Thanks.”

He looked to you, blue eyes connecting with yours.

“Y/N,” he acknowledged with a nod just before leaving.

“You’re in town for five minutes and already have an admirer,” she slyly said once he was out of earshot.

“No, I’m in town for five minutes, and you’re already trying to set me up,” you corrected.

She waved you off.

“I’m just saying…he’s nice. I’m not telling you to marry the guy, but he’s a good man. As squeaky clean as they come,” she told you.

“So you’re saying that’s what I need?” you sarcastically wondered.

“I’m not saying you need anything. I just think it’d be nice for you…and he clearly likes you. Leave it to you to be back for five minutes and catch the eye of the most sought-after man in town,” she breathed. “Every woman within a 75-mile radius has been trying to bag Steve Rogers ever since he breezed into the city limits 6 years ago.”

“Well then you take him.”

“I would, but I’m happily taken. Besides, he seems to have his eye on someone else. How did you meet him anyway?”

You happily told her of your embarrassing encounter with the man that was sitting not even 5 tables away.

You watched as the tow truck pulled your car just beside the curb in front of your house. Officer Rogers and his cruiser were parked on the other side of the driveway, and the blond man leaned against the vehicle as he supervised the process. Only a few minutes later, and your car was back, and the truck was driving off as Steve waved them off.

You hugged your sweater to you as you approached him. He met you halfway, and you sent him an appreciative smile.

“Thank you,” you breathed. “You honestly didn’t have to do that. I could’ve easily put some gas in it and drove it home.”

“…but you would’ve had to walk to the gas station to fill a gas jug, and then walk to your car,” he said, shaking his head. “It was nothing, really.”

“Either way, I still feel bad. I was more than capable…”

He chuckled.

“So how do you know Wanda? You girls go way back or something?”

“Yeah,” you said with a nod. “We were two troublemakers.”

He found that funny, maybe because Wanda was so different now. He rubbed the side of his neck, and his face slowly began to fall.

“When you told me your name, I thought it sounded familiar, you know. You’re Y/N Y/L/N…aren’t you?”

Your own visage grew solemn, and you slowly nodded.

“I’m sorry about your family. I know it happened years ago, but… I wanted to offer my condolences all the same,” he whispered.

You took a deep breath, chest clenching.

“Thank you. I really appreciate that…and for my car,” you added, trying to lighten the mood. “You really didn’t have to do that…nor drive me home that night.”

The corner of his lips quirked upwards ever so slightly, and his blue eyes sparkled.

“Well…if you’re feeling that bad about it…treat me to dinner,” he offered.

You blinked, taken off guard by his bold proposal, and your lips parted as words failed you. He ran his eyes over you as he waited for your response. You thought about Wanda’s words. She assured you that he was a good guy, and to be honest, you wanted a good guy…but not yet.

Your divorce had only been finalized a few months ago, and you really needed time to yourself. You were barely an adult when you ran off with Aldrich, and you’d spent the last decade with him. You wanted to know who you were when you weren’t with him. You owed yourself that.

“I uh…I’m flattered, really, but… I’m not really interested in anything like that for the time being,” you honestly replied.

His eyes dimmed just a bit, but the smile never wavered. You felt bad.

“I’m really sorry. Besides, it just…doesn’t seem appropriate for some reason.”

Steve sharply inhaled and nodded.

“I understand. Have a good night,” he said before taking a step back and turning to go to his car.

You sighed as you watched him go, but you knew that it was for the best. You made your way inside of your quiet house, hoping for a good night of sleep, but sleep did not easily find you.

Too many things were on your mind.

Seeing Wanda brought back so many memories that you would honestly rather forget. She reminded you of a time you spent sneaking out to meet her, idly dreaming of things you halfway hoped to accomplish. An already rocky relationship with your family that only crumbled when you took off.

You thought about how you didn’t talk to them for years, too busy following Aldrich around like a lost dog. You’d thought you had more time. You had put off what you knew you needed to do again and again. You thought the chance would always be there…until it wasn’t.

In a single night, your entire family had been ripped away from you. A car accident. Something so simple. Aldrich hadn’t even let you go to the funeral. By then, he’d grown possessive, and it wasn’t long after that he started putting his hands on you. Part of you thought he’d waited until you had no one to run to.

You sat up in bed when you heard a noise on the side of your house. You were upstairs, and the fact that it was loud enough to reach your ears worried you. Slowly, and quietly, you left your bed, creeping towards the window.

At first, you didn’t see anything and thought that you’d imagined it. However, what you thought was a part of the general darkness, moved. Your eyes widened, and you reached for your phone, immediately dialing 911.

“911, what’s your emergency?”

You stumbled over your address, the numbers and street name still new to you, but you shakily told her about the strange man in your yard. Your eyes didn’t leave him the entire time, and relief didn’t fill you when the silhouette eventually left.

One of the upsides to a small town was that it took no time for you to hear sirens coming from down the street. You hurriedly ran downstairs, opening the door as the cruiser pulled into your yard. Steve greeted you, and you did calm down a bit at the familiar face.

“Is he still here?” was the first thing he asked, one hand on his gun.

“I don’t know,” you whispered, placing one hand on your heart and the other on your forehead.

He briefly touched your shoulder before telling you he was going to secure the perimeter of the property. You stood in your doorway while he did so, trying, and failing, to convince yourself that you’d imagined it. After all, the worst thing to happen in your town was your family’s car accident. Strange men skulking about people’s homes was unheard of.

When Steve was done, he shook his head at you, one foot on your steps.

“It’s all clear.”

You didn’t know whether or not to be relieved.

“Are you sure it was a man? Not some animal?”

You shrugged.

“I…don’t know. I was trying to fall asleep just before so it’s possible. I’m sorry,” you apologized.

He sighed.

“It’s alright. This is my job, remember? This is what I’m here for,” he told you.

“Thank you,” you breathed. “I appreciate it, Steve.”

He paused, blue eyes connecting with yours as the corner of his lips curved upwards into a smirk.

“That’s Officer Rogers to you.”

You blinked, brows furrowing just a tad as he turned away.

“You try to get some sleep,” he threw over his shoulder.

You hurriedly closed your door as he drove away, frown deepening as you mulled over his cold behavior.

~