Oops I Overdid It Again - for @americanass

[phasing_cat]

Kitty struggled out of the taxi, nearly falling to one knee when she stepped up onto the sidewalk. Every part of her felt like it was filled with lead, and her clothes and hair smelled like smoke. She assumed that she looked as disheveled as she felt, but that wasn't important at the moment. Looking up, she was greeted by a small miracle. Since the last time she'd been there, a shelter had been built over the bench at the bus stop just a few feet away. She shuffled over to it, planted her feet, locked her knees, and leaned back against it. Immediate threat of collapse handled. 

It was late, after midnight, and the street was deserted though the sounds of traffic from the main thoroughfare a couple blocks away floated in the air. This was a good neighborhood, on the nicer side without being obvious about it, and the building was very secure. She didn't have the key fob or code to get in on her own. So she pulled her phone from her pocket and dialed Steve's number. If she weren't so utterly exhausted it would have occurred to her to call while still in the cab, so that if he wasn't home she could have chosen a different destination. But she was committed now, for better or worse.  Glancing up at the darkened windows she knew looked into his bedroom and living room, she prayed that he was there. And awake. Or at least had left his phone ringer on.

Please pick up, please pick up, please pick up...

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[americanass]

Unreachable, at least when he wasn't on a mission, wasn't something Steve ever was. Even in the middle of the night as it was. There was no telling when he'd be needed of course, and even if he should be asleep, he rarely was. After all the time he'd spent asleep on ice? He rarely felt like he needed it anymore, and so most nights once he turned out most of the lights he found himself sitting at his kitchen table with cooling cup of coffee and a sketchbook. Something that relaxed him, recharged him in a different way.

So he picked up the phone after only two rings, a smile on his face that was clear in his voice. Nothing made his day the way talking to Kate did, except for maybe actually seeing her. He really owed a few favors for the two of them being set up in the first place, was thrilled with the way things were going between them so far. The connection from the very start had been clear and had only gotten stronger the more they talked, every time they had seen each other since.

"Hey," he greeted lightly. "You're up late."

[phasing_cat]

Oh thank God.

"Yeah, I know. I'm sorry." She had said she would call him when she got home, and she had expected that to be a while ago. She was just meeting with a girl, a mutant who was living on the streets, and that never took more than a couple hours. Just the time it took to get her comfortable, take her for something to eat, and tell what the school had to offer. Usually hearing about free shelter, food, and safety was all they needed before saying yes.

"Are you home right now?" she asked, still looking up at his windows. There was no plan B. She didn't have the energy left to come up with one. She was gambling all she had on him. It hadn't been that long since that first date, but she already knew that if it was remotely in his power to help her, he'd do it - or he'd bend over backwards trying.

"Things didn't quite go as planned and I really need somewhere to crash."

[americanass]

All at once Steve's tone shifted. She couldn't see that his demeanor did too. His pencil was set down on the table and his back straightened, already casting a look around to see where he'd kicked his shoes off. He had a bad habit of leaving them beneath chairs or in corners that left them difficult to track down when he needed them and he suddenly really needed them.

"Where are you?"

Turning her away wouldn't have been an option even if Steve hadn't cared for her; because he did, he was ready to storm out into the world and rush in to rescue her from anything and everything she didn't really need saving from. He knew she was capable, that she was alright enough that she was calling him instead of going for medical attention, but Steve also knew that if he'd been the one things hadn't gone as planned for, he'd be pushing through like everything was fine, not seeking help. Maybe not calling his girl but he was glad that they were different in that respect.

[phasing_cat]

His change in tone was a little startling. She'd never heard him sound that way before. She knew bemused Steve. Flirtatious Steve. Even happy Steve. In just 3 words, one question, he'd introduced her to... well, not Steve. A glimpse of battlefield Captain. She wasn't sure she liked it, and not just because he'd answered her question with a question. Where she was wasn't an answer to if he was home. Normally she'd tease him about that, but she didn't have the energy.

She started to answer when a cough snuck up on her, a raspy one that burned deep in her chest. She should have expected it to happen. Would have, if she'd been thinking straight.

"Out front," she coughed out, cursing on the inside. She'd hoped not to freak him out, or at least to delay it for longer than 30 seconds after he answered the phone. So much for that. She coughing fit subsided, and as she caught her breath she thought she caught a hint of movement in his living room window, but it could have been a trick of the light. Still, it gave her a little bit of hope.

"Could you come get me?"

[americanass]

The glimpse of movement she'd caught wasn't a trick. Steve had been on his feet the moment she started to cough, the search for his shoes shifting to a look out the window when she managed to tell him she was outside. And the second he confirmed that with his own eyes, he was headed out the door, shoed be damned.

So someone out in the world might see Captain America looking a little less than put together, so his socks might get ruined. What did that matter when the woman he cared about needed him?

"Hang on one second," was all he said, simply, a clear agreement and he was already taking the stairs down to the street a few at a time. His phone stayed in hand, though, and he wouldn't hang up until he was bursting out onto the street, expression painted entirely with determined concern. Not until he was sure that she'd seen him coming. Only then did Steve drop it into his pocket and hurry down the sidewalk to her side, immediately reaching to support her.

He just had to hope she wouldn't end up phasing right through him accidentally.

"Are you hurt?" Of course that was his first concern. If she needed medical attention, he'd get it for her, even if it wound up nothing more than his own first aid kit.

[phasing_cat]

As soon as he implied he was on his way she hung up and dropped her phone into the pocket of her sweatshirt. With the shelter still behind her, holding her up she leaned forward to better catch her breath, propping her upper body up by putting her hands just above her knees. In less than a minute Steve was there and her grip on her legs shifted to his upper arms as he held her up by her elbows. If she had known that part of the concern she saw on his face and in his eyes was that she would accidentally phase, she would have told him the truth - that she couldn't have phased even if she wanted or needed to.

Was she hurt? Not technically. She shook her head in answer to his question, her head falling forward a bit so her gaze shifted downward. Seeing his socked feet anchored her nearly as much as his arms and made her smile a little. There was a 20% chance he'd run out of his apartment without shoes to save time; an 80% chance he'd looked for his shoes but couldn't find them. It was the most adorable foible she'd learned about him so far. She coughed a couple more times but was able to stop it from becoming a full-on hacking fit.

"I'm just tired," she croaked, cringing at the way her voice sounded. Way to understate the all-encompassing exhaustion that was making it harder to stay upright with each passing second. But was she too proud to ask him to carry her? She wouldn't have thought so, yet she couldn't quite get the words out. She feared disappointing him. She'd told him she was invulnerable, that he didn't have to worry about her. Her selective memory had failed to remind her that she could still hurt herself.

"I don't think I can walk any more."

[americanass]

Tired really didn't seem to do what she was justice, but Steve wouldn't argue her. Tired was more than he'd have admitted to and at least she wasn't telling him she was fine when she so obviously wasn't. At least she wasn't injured anywhere, and so Steve didn't have any hesitation about helping her upstairs, taking care of her himself. About worrying over her in private where maybe he could let go of the part of him that needed action and to solve problems and could just be there and be worried without feeling like the world was going to collapse if he didn't hold it together.

"I've got you," he assured, promised, letting go of her arms to loop one of his around her waist, hoisting her easily into his arms, turned right around to take her back into the building.

He hadn't thought about it as he'd grabbed his keys on the way out, but he was glad that he had. Things were stable enough between them that he didn't mind her seeing him more casual than put together, in socked feet or sprawled on his sofa laughing with her, but he did still mind if she saw something as embarrassing as saying he'd take care of her and then ending up locked out of his building. That was one less thing to be worried about.

He took the time to take her upstairs in the elevator rather than bumping her around on the stairs, took her right into his living room, still dark but for the dim light coming from his kitchen, and settled her gently onto the sofa. "I'll get you some water."

Not an offer. She needed at least that much.

[phasing_cat]

When he picked her up she wrapped her arms around his shoulders and let her head rest on his shoulder. She normally would have been self-conscious, thinking about what his neighbors would think if they saw him carrying her down the hall. She would have told him it was okay to lie and say that she'd been drunk. As it was, the only thought she had was that he smelled nice.

"Turn the lights on first?" Finally being in a safe place on a soft couch, nothing was going to keep her awake other than sheer will power. And that would not be enough if he left her in the dark. Thankfully she got her request out before he disappeared into the kitchen. She took her phone out of her pocket and put it on the coffee table, then unzipped her sweatshirt, pulling it off her arms and balling it up on the couch beside her. That seemed to alleviate most of the smoky smell. With a sigh she let her head fall back onto the sofa cushion, not letting herself close her eyes. She had to stay awake. She couldn't do that to him. He deserved to know what happened to put her in this state.

He returned quickly and handed her a glass, which she took with both hands as if he'd just rescued her from a blizzard and the glass was full of steaming hot chocolate. She took a small sip, then a long drink. It was soothing, and when she was done she set the glass on the table next to her phone.

"Again, I'm sorry for doing this to you, I just.... I couldn't think of anywhere else I'd rather go."

[americanass]

"Don't apologize," Steve was quick to protest, shaking his head and moving to perch beside her. "I'd always prefer you come here." Would he prefer if she didn't come in a state like she was? Yes. He didn't love darting out in as near a panic as he got, terrified that she was hurt. He really didn't love answering the phone and hearing her needing help.

But Steve was so glad that she'd chosen him to provide it.

He reached out to brush his hand against her hair, needing to touch and reassure himself she really was alright, not injured at least, and offer whatever reassurance she needed from him. "You want to tell me what the hell happened?"

The question was gentle, and because it was Kate only because it was her and he was so relieved she was safe, he would accept it if she chose not to talk about it for now. If she didn't want to, he'd ask in the morning, but for now there was nothing but softness for her. Caring for her.

[phasing_cat]

She couldn't stop her head from falling back onto the cushion, but she could at least turn it in his direction. She hated the look in his eyes, and the fact that she'd put it there. She reached a hand toward him and sighed again. It wasn't a story that lent itself to a shortened version, but she'd have to try.

"I was talking to the girl I told you about when there was an explosion in the apartment building across the street. And I don't know what that place was made of but the fire spread so fast... you know I had to help. I can get to places firefighters can't. So I was helping get people out and it was hectic but going okay, and then this older lady in a wheelchair asked if anyone had checked the basement because a bunch of kids like to hang out down there." She didn't need to tell him that she'd immediately gone straight there. He knew her well enough.

"It was bad, Steve. The smoke was really thick and the stairs were blocked from shit falling down already and... I get down there and there's a sea of terrified little faces staring at me." Talking about it brought her right back there, and all of the emotions she had suppressed at the time came back with it. She wasn't expecting to be blinking back tears already.

"I don't even remember how many there were. 8, maybe 9? One older kid, maybe 16, and the rest were around ten-ish. I told them it was gonna be okay but inside, I didn't know if I could take that many at once. But there wasn't enough time to make more than one trip. I mean, I could never be the one to decide who to save and who to leave behind? And then look them in the eye and say 'sorry, you're screwed'?"

[americanass]

“So you put yourself on the line,” Steve supplied simply, understandingly. Of course he would understand that. That was what he’d have done, no question. It was what he did each and every time he saw anyone in danger. Steve couldn’t just stand by, and it made perfect sense to him that the woman he cared for, maybe more than just cared for, was the same.

"And you got them out." That wasn't a question either. She was too put together, even in her exhaustion, not to have. "But you overdid it in the process?" Either worked too hard or used her abilities too much. Steve didn't have any idea how her powers worked, but if he could push himself too far he figured she could too. It just took a lot more than they usually went through.

A lot more than he ever wanted for her to go through. He hated to see her like this, no matter how well he understood that it was who she was, what she did. Her job. He'd never want for her to give it up but seeing her after pushing too hard, going a little too far? It wouldn't ever sit right with him.

[phasing_cat]

She let out a full body exhale. He understood. She would figure out later that she had known that he would, which was why she instinctually went to his place. She finally lets her self close her eyes a minute but it doesn't stop the tears. She slumps toward him until she's lying down with her head in his lap.

"I've never been that scared. Not just for them but me, too. My ability is usually what makes it so I'm not scared. But I was pretty sure I was going to kill all of us." And those children's families would never have known what had happened to them, because their bodies would never be found. They would all have suffocated to death before she could phase them up above ground.

"I took them behind the building because the fire trucks were in front and that's where the news vans gravitate. And I didn't want.... any of that. We ended up on a basketball court and as soon as they all let go of me I know it was bad. I almost fell down right there. Thank God that older kid - I can't believe I never got his name - saw and he helped me out to the street and hailed me a cab." And that was how she'd ended up on his doorstep.

[americanass]

Steve immediately shifted when she leaned into him, quick to accept her into his space, his hand smoothing against her hair again when she wound up laying in his lap. And he just kept touching her, stroking her hair, or brushing his fingers against her arm, a gently soothing motion while he listened to her.

"You made the right call." Steve didn't think she needed his reassurance, didn't think his opinion on it should matter all that much in her decision making. At least not when it came to doing her job, or doing the right thing. He didn't think for one second that he would let hers influence him if he found himself in a similar scenario.

Of course, he'd have done exactly what she had, just in his own way, and maybe that was why.

"And I'm glad you came here." He'd said he'd always prefer she did already but knowing what happened? He absolutely wanted her to come to him. "You scared the hell out of me, but if nothing else, I'm closer than you trying to get home like this." He could take care of her, protect her, this way. Until she was feeling up to going anywhere else, and even then.

[phasing_cat]

"Yeah. I just need a few hours of sleep and then I can drive home." Her voice had grown softer, breathier, as the fumes she'd been running on finally started to run out. She wouldn't have called his overly-muscled thigh an ideal pillow but she had no complaints. He was warm, and his touch was soothing, and even though she hadn't even taken her shoes off yet, she was comfortable. Her eyes were closed, and she was entirely incapable of reopening them.

She was steadily sliding into sleep when she heard the text alert from her phone. She blindly reached for it, assuming it was Storm wanting to know why she wasn't home yet. Her fingertips grazed the edge of the coffee table, then her arm fell limp as she lost what last tiny grip she had on consciousness.

Unfortunately for Steve, Storm wasn't the kind of person to just sit and wait. The name "Aurora" would continue to flash on the screen of Kate's phone, until her level of concern grew past texting and she started to call.

[americanass]

He'd worry about arguing her out of driving home after just a couple hours when she woke up. For the time being, Steve was surprisingly alright with just keeping her there on his sofa, letting her sleep a while while he stroked her hair. He should get her something more comfortable to do it in, not that he had a single thing likely to fit her in his apartment, or at very least move her to his bed so she could be comfortable. But she was worn out and he didn't have the heart to disturb her just yet.

He didn't even have the heart to disturb her as her phone kept flashing until it wasn't just a text anymore. On the third call, he just sighed and shifted out from under her to pick it up. He couldn't just let it ring and let it wake her when she needed to rest and knowing the fear he'd felt getting the call from her, he could only imagine the worry no answer at all would inspire.

Steve wouldn't just let anyone have to feel that if he could help in any way.

So he stepped through into the kitchen, kept his voice pitched low even then, and answered with a quick: "Hey, Kate's not available at the moment. Can I ask her to give you a call back in the morning?"

And hoped that would be good enough, because he wasn't looking to get drawn into an interrogation.

[phasing_cat]

It was not, by any stretch of the imagination, good enough.

"Who is this?" It was extremely odd for anyone other than Kitty to answer her phone. Storm's voice carried concern under its austere and composed African accent.

"Is Katherine alright? This is her friend, Ororo. I saw a report on the news that has me... concerned." She couldn't betray more details than that - she had no idea who she was speaking to or how much they knew about Kitty's abilities. She was more than concerned, considering the report had been comprised of various accounts from residents of being rescued by an anonymous woman who'd walked through walls.

[americanass]

The sigh of resignation was stifled before it could surface. Steve could play the game, polite and well-mannered and helpful. He wasn't exactly thrilled to get pulled into answering questions, but it didn't seem fair for Kate's friend to be left in the dark. It was why he'd answered the phone in the first place.

"This is Steve," he answered, thought better of leaving it that and smoothly added: "Rogers." His name carried weight, and he knew that. Normally he wouldn't take advantage of it, but if it could maybe help the woman on the phone trust him and what he told her? He was going to use every tool in his kit. "And she's alright."

He wouldn't lie and say fine, she wasn't, but she also wasn't injured and she wasn't in any danger now that she'd made her way to him. So she was okay.

"It sounds like she just overdid it a little and needed to rest." Where, was none of Ororo's business unless Kate decided to make it so. Steve couldn't make that call.

[phasing_cat]

"Ah, Mr. Rogers. Katherine has told me a lot about you. It's nice to meet you, such as it is. I wish it were under different circumstances." Storm took a moment to consider what he'd said in combination with Kitty's actions. She would always think of her as Kitty, even if she no longer wished to be called that. And though she would prefer to be the one taking care of her, Kitty was no longer a child - even if Ororo did love her as if she were her own daughter.

"She chose you to help her, and I trust her judgment. But you should know what you are getting into. If the news report was remotely accurate, Katherine did not overdo it 'a little'. Rescuing those children alone would have exhausted her. She would have slept, well, for a night or two. But she had already helped nearly two dozen people before she went into that basement.

The last time something like this happened she was 16 and testing the limits of her ability. She phased herself and 3 adults through mostly air but some solid material for almost two continuous minutes. Afterwards she collapsed, and slept for about 36 hours, if memory serves. She is older now, of course, and stronger, but without knowing exactly how many people or long she phased them, I can't tell you for certain how long she'll be out. It could be days.

Do you think you can take care of her for that long? Because if not, we can come get her." She would not have thought less of him if he said it was too much. Having someone you care about be completely helpless and dependent upon you for their survival was more than the average person would ever want to deal with. But if Kitty thought that Steve could do it, then Ororo was willing to give him a chance.

[americanass]

The average person, Steve Rogers was not. There wasn't even a beat of hesitation behind his answer.

"I've got this," he insisted, his tone leaving no room for argument. Not that he expected one. The woman on the phone was giving him information and giving him the chance to back out gracefully, but she didn't know him. Didn't know that he couldn't back out. Kate had chosen him for safety and he couldn't let her down. Even if he hadn't cared for her the way he did, he wouldn't have run from that. His feelings for her just meant he was that much more determined to take care of her.

Knowing just how much she had to have done to be so exhausted just made the feeling stronger. She'd done the right thing and she deserved safety after all that. He could give that. Any urgent rush toward the end of the world that required him to step in again aside, but that sort of thing had seemed to die down in the last several years, leaving Steve a lot more reliable. He'd never been so glad of it as he was the second Kate had needed his help.

"I appreciate the offer, though," he added as diplomatically as he could. "I'll get in touch if there's a need, or keep you updated if that'd be better, but otherwise I'll let her know to call when she's up to it." And not a minute sooner. "

[phasing_cat]

Storm wished that she felt as confident as he sounded. Maybe she would, if he had any experience with mutants or medicine or had even known Kitty for more than a couple of months. She had to remind herself that she did not know him as well as Kitty did - maybe not enough for Storm's comfort level but obviously enough for her own. But how much could she trust the judgment of a girl so smitten, still looking at him through rose-colored glasses?

"Alright. Then... keep her comfortable. Keep her warm." A pause. "She will look worse when she wakes up than she does now. She is slender, as you know, so there's little for her body to draw on to heal itself. It'll use what little fat she has, then muscle." If she was at home they could give her IV fluids and nutritional support, lessening the impact on her body. Again, Storm had to defer to Kitty's choice.

"If she's not awake in 48 hours, or anything happens that concerns you in the slightest, call me. We can quickly come get her and bring her back to our medical facility." Where Storm preferred she already was, of course. Where she could watch over her, hold her hand, until she woke up.

"If everything goes perfectly, she'll need calories when she wakes up. Blueberry pancakes are her favorite." She found herself getting choked up, a rarity for her. She really did love her more than just about anyone.

"Steven... take care of our girl."

[americanass]

Her instructions were helpful, more than they were an irritating implication that he wasn't up to the task, and Steve filed each bit of it away. She needed more than just sleep, but sleep the most for the moment, and it very well could take days. It wouldn't be easy but Steve didn't run from hard.

And he couldn't help but smile, just a little, to himself at the knowledge that Kate liked blueberry pancakes. That was news to him, unsurprisingly, they were still very firmly in the stage of getting to know each other, but he found it endearing. Steve absolutely could not cook, but if he had a couple of days? Maybe he could figure that much out. It would be the thought that counted regardless.

"I will," he promised. "She's safe with me." No matter what happened, she would be safe and protected and cared for. He'd let her rest as long as she needed, do whatever he needed to do for her until she got her strength back. Make as many questionable blueberry pancakes as it took, or attempt it at least.

Steve didn't think he even had anything to make blueberry pancakes with.

Those were not immediate problems, though. Immediate problems included the fact that Kate was unconscious on his sofa and in clothes that he hadn't noticed smelled of smoke, but they probably did, and her shoes, that wasn't exactly keeping her comfortable.

[phasing_cat]

Storm sighed. There was nothing more to say, really. Even though she wasn't directly talking to Kitty, hanging up the phone felt like letting go of the only tangible connection she had to her. To think of doing so was disquieting, to say the least.

"I'm sure she is." If she kept saying it she would hopefully, eventually, believe it.

"Your offer of updates is appreciated, and will be go a long way in alleviating everyone's concerns. She is well loved here and will be missed." And with that she was completely out of stalling tactics, and had no choice but to let him go.

"Good night." She hung up and immediately went online to make sure the GPS in Kitty's phone was on and transmitting. There it was, right in the city where she was supposed to be.

[americanass]

Steve looked down at the phone in his hand for a moment and just shook his head. Really not the ideal way to meet, in some way, Kate’s friends, her family as far as Steve could tell, but it was what it was and what it was, was sort of nice to know that there were people like that looking out for his girl. He knew he wouldn’t always be so close by, near enough to call for help. He’d never doubted she had plenty of people who cared about her, but knowing it and experiencing it were different things. 

He moved quietly back to the living room, Kate’s phone placed quietly on the table again, paused only a second to just look at her. It might be smarter to have someone who knew her abilities better to take care of her, but the very thought of letting anyone else take over squeezed his chest. He’d just take every piece of advice Ororo had given him and layer it all with his good intentions and affections. 
He’d let her rest for now and worry about the rest as it came. 

Steve took a glance at her boots, decided those definitely weren’t helping anything, and moved to kneel on the floor beside her to take them off. 

[phasing_cat]

Kate would be disappointed to know she missed seeing something so adorable - big burly Steve, kneeling on the floor, pulling off her small-in-comparison boots. She would be touched to learn about the conversation between Steve and Storm, and of Steve's almost stubborn insistence on protecting her even if it was from someone she loved.

But at that moment, she was adrift in sweet oblivion. There was no exhaustion, pain, or fear. There was no discomfort, even though her body was contorted in a less-than-ideal position. The waistband of her jeans were cutting into her side. The underwire of her bra was poking her sternum. Thankfully she felt none of it.

Steve might wish the situation was different. He surely had questions about what she would want, what she would agree to, when it came to taking of more than her boots. She would answer those, if she could. She wasn't shy about her body, and she would tell him to do whatever needed done and not worry about it. She would suggest he order her some pajamas on an app with same day delivery. He should have been grateful, really, that she wasn't conscious. If she were, but too physically exhausted to move, she would be the grumpiest invalid in history. Not a good look, when you're in the beginning of a relationship.

[americanass]

It really was unfortunate she wasn’t conscious enough to tell him what was okay. Because no matter how Steve wanted to make her comfortable, he wasn’t about to do much more than get her out of her boots.

He did, though, after another moment of consideration, move to gently pick her up from the couch, carry her through to his bedroom and tuck her, smokey clothes and all, into his bed. He’d wash it all later, that was no issue. He did worry about whether or not Kate would mind any of it, all of it, but it was worth her minding if she woke up as comfortable as he could make her.

He wound up taking her phone in as well, leaving it on the bedside table along with a glass of water, just in case, and left the door open a crack while he went back to the drawing he’d abandoned in the kitchen. He’d just keep himself quietly busy, check in on her every now and then until she woke up or something changed.