#but the folks living upstairs sure knew for weeks and didn't tell me!

[naomiknight-17]

Waiting for roof repair guy right now cuz guess whose roof has sprung a leak!!!!

[midnightswithdearkatytspb]

You’ve Been Everything (Steve Rogers x OFC!)

Pairing: Steve Rogers x OFC!Orchid Black

Rating: PG-13 - Cursing & Angst

Word Count: 1,787

Side Characters: Natasha Romanoff and Frank Castle

Synopsis: They haven’t shared a bed in months, the snap has changed them both. There is no one to blame.

Info: Based off the song If This Is The End by Ryan McMullan. All mistakes are mine and the dividers are from @firefly-graphics ♥️ This was going to be a Drabble but it got away from me and also it was not my intention to use my face claim for Remedy for Orchid, but Ksenia Solo just fit.

Being a vigilante wasn’t easy when in a relationship, it especially wasn’t easy when you were with the one and only Steve Rogers, the former Captain America. Things had been hard for Steve way before the snap had even happened, it was straining their relationship, with him on the run, Orchid back in New York, working alongside the likes of Frank Castle, Matt Murdock, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, and occasionally the Spiderkid who had help and forcing Steve to go into hiding. (Not that Orchid blamed Peter, she had no one to blame really but Tony and Steve. Why couldn’t they be like two normal grown men and work their problems out, hell even go to couples counseling?) When the snap happened Foggy, Karen, Jessica, and Luke disappeared, Hell’s Kitchen needed Frank, Matt and her more than ever, along with Queens when Spiderkid didn’t return, Orchid was running ragged. While Steve was silent and stoic, it unnerved her.

What used to be nights curled up on the couch watching documentaries together, playing board games, and cooking together, turned into Orchid staying out late, walking the streets late into the early mornings, oftentimes sleeping on the couch, taking meals from Frank’s fridge of leftovers. Steve had taken to sleeping over at the compound many times, avoiding going back to the apartment in Brooklyn, any chance to avoid having to speak to his girlfriend. He had let Orchid down one too many times and the longing stares she gave him were just a reminder of it.

It was spring going on 3 years after the snap, Frank noticed the dark circles under Orchid's eyes were getting darker and darker. Sighing he scratched his jaw before clearing his throat earning the dark haired girl's attention.

“If Karen was here I would ask her to have this conversation was here, fuck, even Jessica, but since their not, I’ll do it. I think you need to break up with Nomad or whatever Stephen is going by these days. You can’t keep losing sleep over this relationship because whatever you guys have now is not a relationship. I mean you share more meals with me than you do him, I’ve shared a bed more with you than you have with him just this past year.” Before Frank could continue, Orchid reached out silencing the big guy.

“First off it’s Steve, and secondly I know you're right, it’s just, part of me still loves him. I mean whoever thought me Orchid Black would date a man like Steve? He was just so great at the beginning and even just before the whole Tony debacle. Even while searching for Bucky he made time for us, I made time for him, then when he went on the lamb, he made sure to get letters to me, he was a dream. It’s just fallen apart Frank after he lost Sam and Bucky, and I get it, I really do. I just wish he would let me in, but maybe I have this wall up to and it’s over you know?” Orchid felt the tears building up but she wasn’t going to let them fall, no she was going to be strong. She hadn’t cried since that day when she was at a steak out with Karen and Jessica, for both an article Karen was writing, bad guy she and Jessica were trying to take down, when suddenly her friends turned to ash right before her eyes. When she got back to Frank’s place she found out about Foggy and Luke, she cried.

“Then you know what needs to be done.” Frank sighed, taking a gulp of his freshly poured coffee. Reaching into the pocket of her ripped skinny jeans she pulled her phone out reading the time behind the cracked screen. If she left now, she could beat Steve back to the compound upstate and actually have a talk with him.

“Yeah, yeah I do. Can I borrow your truck to go upstate, to the compound?” Orchid looked up to see the keys to the Chevrolet that she had helped him restore hanging from his pointer. With a promise to return it safely within the next 12 or so hours she turned on heel making her way to say her goodbye.

Friday had just let her drive write on through the gates even though it had been over a year since she had last stepped foot on the compound. Orchid pulled as close as she could get to the front doors so that way she could get away fast, it also looked like it could rain any minute. Keeping her head down as to not bring attention to herself she walked into the building making her way to the Avengers living quarters.

“Hello Miss. Black I have informed Miss. Romanoff of your arrival and she asks you to please join her in the main conference room, she has the sangria.” letting a silent Fuck out from under her breathe, getting off the elevator she cracked her neck and knuckles trying her best to relax. Natasha stood in the doorway down the hall leaning against the door jam, a tiny smirk on her face, her red hair was growing in, mixing in with the white blonde she had gone while on the run, it was doing a nice ombré effect.

“You don’t call, you don’t text back, you don’t write to me, what did you do?” Orchid hugged Natasha as she walked into the conference room, she owed her everything, from her life, to the fact she was even ever with Steve. Blushing Orchid took a seat beside Natasha and crossed her legs in an extravagant leather highback chair, immediately taking a sip of the fruity wine drink, avoiding Natasha’s question.

“Okay, seriously this is unlike you, usually when we get together you have so much to talk about, but lately you have been avoiding me. Come to think of it, both you and Rogers have been avoiding me, him I can understand somewhat, but when I ask him about you he just changes the subject. Talk to me Black.” It was Natasha’s turn to take a drink of her wine, while examining her friend, her ex-protégé of sorts that she and Clint once saved while on a mission. The circles under her eyes were much darker than they once had been, she was thinner than she had been before the snap, not that she had much to lose, she looked to be in a state of permanent melancholy, which wasn’t hard to be in the state earth was in.

“I’m breaking up with Steve.” Natasha stopped mid-sip and looked Orchid in the eyes, the trained assassin almost looked surprised but she was trained so well that if you didn't know her you wouldn't know. “It’s just that as much as I love him that we could have found our way back to each other after the snap.” Orchid placed her glass on the table and pushed her long locks of hair back with her other hand, a nervous tick of hers. Natasha sighed before slugging back the rest of her drink.

“You know you’d think as someone who runs group therapy he would be trying to make things work with you.” Scoffing Natasha leaned back crossing her arms clearly annoyed with her super soldier friend. Orchid just shrugged, and stared out the windows as the rain was starting to come down heavily.

“Well, just because you aren’t with Steve anymore doesn’t mean you can’t come see me or you can’t talk to me anymore. You were mine and Clint’s friend before you ever started dating him, Clint would be upset to see you like this.” the familiar feeling of tears building up came back, but she swore she wouldn’t cry and she won’t. Friday alerted them to Steve arriving back at the compound, Orchid got off the expensive chair so she could meet Steve at the elevator, in hopes of speaking with him in the living room. Natasha grabbed her hand giving it 3 squeezes, Orchid returning the sentiment.

Steve wanted to eat and catch up with Natasha and see if she found out anything new from anyone, then hopefully turn in for the night. Today’s group had been longer than usual, Mark who lost both his wife and daughter in snap, had finally gotten the courage to tell his story, and because he did, Luciell who lost her folks, wife, and son spoke for the first time as well. The meetings by the end of them always had him thinking of Sam, making him wonder what he would say, what he would do for the folks, was he making him proud?

Orchid, she stood right outside the elevator when he got off it. He had not seen her since he had gone home  to their shared apartment to get more clothes to bring back to the compound a couple weeks before. Orchid he noticed looked almost gaunt, not like the woman who had captured his attention years ago, the one he loved. Steve stood frozen staring at her, he didn’t notice the duffle at her feet till she slid it over to him.

“At one point in time I would have said you were the one for me and I’d like to think maybe you thought the same, but with all the pain we just didn’t cope all that well. It obviously tore us apart and we have been avoiding this for much too long trying to spare each other’s feelings, look where it’s gotten us.” Orchid’s voice cracked, so much for not crying. “We can’t even be in the same room as each other anymore and that’s not love Steve, so I’m doing you a favor and letting you go. You’ve been everything I could have ever asked for and so much more.” Getting on her tippy toes, Orchid leaned forward kissing Steve on the lips one last time. Not giving him a chance to talk or make a move, she sidestepped around him getting on the elevator letting the tears fall.

Perhaps part of her hoped that Steve would follow but the other part of her was just so relieved to have said goodbye. It was done and over. Upstairs Steve stood frozen eyes shut with a single tear slipping down the side of his face almost in shock. He knew it had been a long time coming but it still had hurt to see her go. An arm to his bicep pulled him from his gloom, a hope hit that it would be her coming back, but when he opened his eyes to Natasha’s green eyes.

“It’ll be okay.”

“Will it though?”

“Yeah.”