A lil somethin somethin

-

Steve looked down at the two sleeping forms in the bed, dressing as quietly as possible. It was 3 in the morning, and he couldn't sleep after holding Athena as she cried herself unconscious. Steve wanted nothing more than to eliminate the threat that still breathed somewhere in the tower.

Shoes in hand, Steve turned to leave but stopped when he noticed the covers shift. Bucky now held Athena against his chest, both arms locked around her body. His eyes open and aware, staring back at Steve.

"I'm going to finish this." Steve's voice was barely above a whisper, but he heard him. Bucky didn't respond, not wanting to wake Athena. He only gave the slightest nod and closed his eyes, snuggling closer. His friend was more than capable of completing this mission. When Athena nuzzled closer in her sleep, Bucky knew he was exactly where he was needed.

It hadn't taken Steve any effort to find Ralph; a message had been waiting on his phone from an unknown sender that disappeared seconds after he read it, alerting him to the prisoner being held in a locked room after making it through emergency surgery. After walking past two agents who acted as if he were invisible, Steve stood over a lone hospital bed.

Ralph lay sleeping, the monitor steadily beeping next to him. The chart at the end of the bed listed his extensive injuries. Picking up the folder, Steve flipped to the next page.

Shattered Jaw
Two Broken Knees
Four Cracked Ribs
Two Broken Ribs
Left Lung Puncture
Ruptured Spleen
Intestinal Bleeding

The list continued, but Steve stopped reading, uncaring for the rest of the notes. Walking towards the head of the bed, he took in the bars encasing Ralph's head, the bulge of his lips from the metal that held his mouth shut. His face was a mottled mess of bruises and swelling; any past looks lost now. Facial reconstruction would be his only route.

Steve gave him one more once over before pulling his hand back and slapping Ralph across the face. The sting of the metal didn't register with Steve as he relished in the cries of pain. The noises were muffled by his own trapped jaw as Ralph's eyes bulged open in agony. Steve gave him a moment to find his senses as the sniveling man finally locked eyes with him. The whimpers that followed were just as loud.

Steve was sure if the man could move his jaw, please of mercy would fall from his lips. Begging Steve to let him live, to not hurt him any longer, to apologize for touching their woman. But Ralph could not speak and tell anyone anything for the next month if the doctors were to be trusted. Steve didn't need to wait a month to find out his motivations behind kidnapping Athena; it was evident to anyone with ears after listening to Athena's story. Having seen the infatuation firsthand, Steve only wanted to have one question answered.

"You know, Ralph. You're really a lucky guy because if I waited till the morning, Athena would be the one standing over you. And my soulmate can be quite messy when she's in a mood."

Ralph tried with little strength to thrash away from Steve, who prowled closer. The heart monitor beeps faster and faster.

"Instead, you get me." Steve said with a quark of a smile as two knives were pulled from his pocket, one now in each hand. "but I'm not too happy either, Ralph."

The monitor began blaring alerts, but they were silenced as Steve flicked a switch.

"You made her cry. The strongest woman I have ever met, reduced to tears because she was so terrified of you." Steve hovered over him and could practically smell the terror dripping off of Ralph. "She would have killed you if we didn't get there fast enough. Whether it was in the sky or when you landed. She would have torn you to shreds and then flown herself back to us because, to her, you mean nothing." The hatred flared in Ralph's eyes, some of his defiance still alive in the depths of his mind. Steve only gave him another cold grin, one he had never used before; no one had ever warranted such visceral emotions from him.

"You're going to die, but before that, I want to know," Steve leaned in, staring into the tear-filled eyes, watching for any emotions. He only had one question, and it was the difference between a swift death and elongated torture. "Did you watch her in the bedroom?"

The look in Ralphs's brown eyes was enough confirmation for Steve; in a flash, the two short knives were embedded in his eyes. The screams and jerking of metal when Steve removed the daggers was a symphony to his ears as he stood, blood splattering up to ruin the shirt he had thrown on.

"She was never yours to see." Steve growled out, "Never yours at all."

It took almost half an hour for Ralph to finally bleed out in his hospital bed; Steve stayed and watched the entire time. Listening to the last tired thrumbs of the brunette's heart before it sputtered out. Only then did Steve leave.

At the end of the hallway, Nick Fury waited. That explained the disappearing text message, Steve mused to himself.

"Is it done?"

"Is what done?" Steve replies innocently, the splatters of blood contradicting his words.

"Exactly." Fury quipped back, patting the soldier on the shoulder before turning on his heels. A small group of agents bustled into the room, the door shutting behind them. Steve didn't want or need to know what they were doing inside. All he wanted was to get back to bed and sleep. When Ralph was dead, it was as if a weight lifted, and Steve was granted a moment of peace.

Steve slid back into their bed after showering and scrubbing himself four times in hopes that Athena would not smell any new scents. Bucky was awake, waiting for him. Athena was in the same spot she was when he had left. The tiny puddle of drool on Bucky's chest was a clear sign of her deep sleep.

"Get some sleep, Buck." Was all he said before pressing himself into Athena's back and closing his eyes. No more words were spoken as both men got their first good night's rest in weeks.
-

Y'all thought someone could touch their girl and live? Babes plleeaaassseeee. It be a cold day in hell before they let that slide.