through a glass, darkly {closed to notyourgerbil}

[throtteen]

[Four weeks have passed; leisurely, pleasantly, wonderfully passed. Nights filled with moans, sighs, gasps, and lips; days filled with laughs, sighs, smiles, and caresses. Sharon can't imagine being happier than right now and right here as Steve's wife in the White House. The meeting with the British Prime Minister goes smoothly, and Sharon is there by Steve's side as she meets him with a wide grin. The charity dinner for the Veterans of Foreign Wars goes off without a hitch, and Steve is there by her side as Sharon basks in the glory. Waking up in the morning in his arms with soft words of love and endearments, gently drifting to sleep with him still in her, soft touches when no one's looking, stolen kisses behind the rose bushes; you make her feel like a schoolgirl, Steve.

Things are perfect.

Amidst cries of protest and confusion, Sharon enters the Oval Office, a mob of flustered aides and assistants behind her suddenly quieting at the sight of President Steve Rogers with some members of his cabinet.]

I need to talk to you. [Arms at akimbo, jaw clenched, eyes cold and hard, and voice rigid, she's either unaware of the meeting or she doesn't care. Survey says, it's the latter; Sharon's so blind with rage and her brain filled to the brim with anger that she just doesn't care.]

Now.

*

Comments

[notyourgerbil]

[Steve hadn't been this happy in a long, long time. Life with Sharon was an exhilarating experience; she seemed to want him to much and so often, and he was more than happy to oblige. It made him feel much younger than he was, like he didn't have to worry about anything at all. And she was happy, he was sure; so much better than that awful arrangement they had before, where she agreed to marry him only to spare her friends, but refused to give him any chance. Now, though, she wouldn't be miserable, and it was just one less thing he had to worry about. As time on, in fact, he felt more like every time he said he loved her, he wasn't lying about it anymore.

And then she entered the Oval Office looking firm, and the coldness in her eyes surprised him. He shoved away his oncoming panic; what if she'd found out the truth? What if, somehow, Faustus hadn't done a good enough job?

But that couldn't be it, she would've probably reacted much worse than that. Likely in a way that involved violence and weaponry. No, this was something else. He hoped.

He looked around at the men and women in the room, who were all giving him questioning looks now.] Get out, we'll finish this later. [He waved a hand toward the door to add further motivation. At once they all snapped to do as he told them, vacating the room.

Steve looked at Sharon with worry as the door closed. He moved toward her, laying a hand on her shoulder, every part of him alert in case she tried something.] Hey, what's wrong?

[throtteen]

[Though her shoulder may relax from his touch, her face remains its determined, cold façade.] Laboratory facility 21b... what are you doing to that man? Why is he there?

[A few hours earlier, Sharon was visiting Laboratory facility 21b when she spotted an expanding then contracting patch of green through a window. Demanding answers and access to the room from the scientist there, she was able to catch a glimpse of the green skin shrinking to pale skin and an outline of a man's face, before being herded out.

Her assistants, handlers, and bodyguards were all giving each other nervous looks as they pulled into the White House; they had a good idea of what was to come. As soon as the car stopped, Sharon made her way to the Oval Office and, well, you're pretty much up to speed now.]

[notyourgerbil]

[... Oh. Oh, right, that. For a moment Steve wrestled with whether to tell her the truth and justify it or to just lie to her about it. He couldn't believe how much he hated the latter, but it seemed like the best option.

He supposed Faustus couldn't really remove Sharon's strong moral centre, no matter how hard he might've tried.

So he put on a concerned, puzzled look, adding a frown to it.] What man? You mean...Dr Banner? Sharon, what'd you see?

[throtteen]

[The name's greeted with a faint hint of familiarity, like she once saw it in a file or in a newspaper years ago.] I can tell you they certainly weren't treating him to a tea-party.

[She takes hold of his hand on her shoulder, a concern plead edging into her voice.] Steve, tell me why he's there. And don't lie because you don't want to worry me.

[notyourgerbil]

Hey, I'd never lie to you... [He spoke to her in a soft voice, trying to sound reassuring. And what he was about to say wasn't exactly a lie. Not entirely, not too much. He gave her hand a gentle squeeze.] Dr Banner's got... long story, but he's got a problem. Whenever he gets angry, he turns into this monster. And we're supposed to be helping him fix it.

Was he-- were they hurting him? That's not the way it was spose to work. [Really, the lie wasn't entirely false. Steve did want the scientists to find a way to undo what had happened to Banner, if only so the Hulk no longer posed any threat to him. And while Banner hadn't asked for it, as far as Steve was concerned, he was doing him a favour. Even though it was going to hurt.]

[throtteen]

Yeah, yeah they were. [She looks away, taking her hand away from his to fold her arms across her chest.

Sharon has a vague feeling that Steve was lying to her or, at least, wasn't telling her the whole truth. She hates having this feeling, like she couldn't trust her husband. They could always tell each other everything, regardless of the subject; their relationship was based entirely on trust and was open. While it doesn't come as entirely surprising that there's some things Steve can't tell Sharon since becoming president, that fact doesn't make it go down any easier. She hates having this feeling and she hates having to ask.]

Steve... did Dr. Banner ask for your help?

[notyourgerbil]

[He sighed, his hand falling back to his side.] No. Sharon. Dr Banner's... He's dangerous to us, he's with the people who don't think I should be here. Figured this would be the best way to help him, make it so he wasn't a threat... He could be normal. But I didn't say they could hurt him or experiment on him to reverse it.

[throtteen]

[Gaze still away from his and voice quiet.] So he's a lab rat.

[notyourgerbil]

He isn't supposed to be. I'll talk to them, make them stop. That's not what I asked for. [Steve's voice is soft, too. He put a hand under her chin then.] You believe me, don't you?

[throtteen]

[Her head snaps to him, mouth set firm and eyes wide as if he just insulted her.] Of course I do. Just, Steve?... [Sigh.]

You have to let him go. Even if you don't hurt him, it still isn't right.

[notyourgerbil]

[He didn't know her well enough to realize he'd insulted her, but the look on her face made it plain that he must've said something wrong.] I'm sorry. [He moved his hand to her cheek.

But her request? He tried not to frown; he couldn't possibly do what she was suggesting, Banner was too much of a threat, and he would probably throw himself at the prison where Stark and Fury were being kept as soon as he could. The Hulk was among the most powerful of Steve's enemies. He just couldn't do it.]

I'll think about it, but they won't hurt him anymore. Promise.

[throtteen]

[She let out a sardonic laugh, turning her head away and her face back to its original, firm look.] You shouldn't have to think about it, Steve. You should know it's wrong. I mean -- how is it any different than what the Army was doing to you? Is it because it's not happening to you that it's automatically morally correct?

[notyourgerbil]

No, Sharon, I never-- [He sighed and shook his head. Why couldn't she just be alright with it and agree with him? He'd never win, would he?] Sometimes I gotta do things.... I don't like them, but I have to.

If I let him go, he could kill us, kill you, bring this whole thing down. Can't just make that decision lightly. I'm sorry. I have to think about it.

[throtteen]

[She tries again, looking up at him with determined eyes.] Steve, what if curing Dr. Banner kills him? What if all the diseases, injuries, and fights he's been in were all kept in check because of the, uh, Hulk?

You don't even have to let him stay here. He seemed happy traveling around the world anyways. [She doesn't know how she knows that, but she does.]

[notyourgerbil]

[Hmm, she had a point; he would have to ask the doctors to look into it. But for now he just nodded, making himself look a little regretful, as if this revelation had dawned on him.] I'm glad I got you, you make me a better person.

Guess I could let him go, so long as he didn't come back. But... were you talking to him? Did he tell you that he wanted to travel? [Or she was remembering things she wasn't supposed to.]

[throtteen]

[Letting out a long sigh, her body deflated from exhaustion, the anger and determination flooding from her body like water. The slight purple bags under her eyes and the slight redness in her eyes more noticeable since she's calmed down.] Alright. Thank you.

[A soft smile, Sharon wraps her arms around his waist, setting her cheek against his chest.] Hm? Oh, no. I've never talked to him before. Banner just seems like the type of fella that enjoys traveling.

[notyourgerbil]

[He did notice the bags under her eyes, and it made him worry. He returned her embrace, nodding at her words, though he seriously suspected there were some lapses in the brainwashing, and that her mind was making up for them by making accurate assumptions about people she wasn't even supposed to know in the life Faustus had constructed for her.]

Hey, Sharon, you alright? Looks like maybe you haven't slept much, or there's something else wrong.

[throtteen]

I'm just a little exhausted, that's all. [And a little nauseous. And throw up-y. Her eyes slip close and her hold around him tightens a little.]

We did stay up late last night.

[notyourgerbil]

[He holds her when she tightens her grip, his eyes cast down for a moment until she mentions staying up late. And he has to smile at that.]

Yeah, we did. Maybe we should stop that for a few days.

[throtteen]

[Softly laughing, she looks up at Steve with a cocked brow.] Hey, I'd be more than happy to sleep for eight hours if someone stopped wearing those tight, thin shirts.

[She looks away for a second, frowning, then looks back at him with a sigh.] I'll go to the doctor today, alright?

[While she hates and distrusts doctors, what she hates even more is not being able to stay up most of the night with Steve. Having sex with him is only a small part of what they do during the night. They don't get to spend that much time together during the day and the few hours they have alone together at nighttime is really meaningful to her. And, yeah, the sex is really good.]

[notyourgerbil]

[Yup, the sex was definitely very good; and he did enjoy all the time he spent with her, outside of that, too. Very occasionally he thought he'd be happy if he just went and lived with her and let all of this go, but of course he was never going to do that. He was committed.

He kissed her hair, laughing softly at her words.] Really? Maybe I'll just have to wear those more often from now on.

If the doctor says everything's alright, I mean.

[throtteen]

[She smirks wryly at him.] I'd like to see that in writing please. [Though, as long as he wore shirts and didn't go bare-chested (or didn't let his hair on his chest or on his face grow out), things would get done, the country won't go to shambles, and they won't die of starvation.]

Don't worry. If I'm dying, I won't tell you. You know how I like to surprise you anyways. [That little wry smirk is still on her lips.]

Would it be too much to hope that you're free for lunch?

[notyourgerbil]

[He pretended to look offended.] You would? Don't trust me? [He moved his thumb over her lips, his hand resting on her face.] You're not dying, maybe you're just working too hard. You'd better not be dying.

And I guess I could be free, for you. [In other words he'd put off whatever he had to do to spend time with her.]

[throtteen]

I just like making things official. "Officially Steve Rogers can wear nothing but tight, thin shirts." That should be the law. [Fingers fiddling with Steve's tie, her lips smooth into a thoughtful frown.] And if I was and did, I hope you wouldn't look over your shoulder.

Oh no, if you're busy I don't want to interrupt.

lol every time you use that icon, man....

[notyourgerbil]

Right, but only if we add that it's just for you. Hope I'm allowed to wear other stuff over those tight, thin shirts, too. [He stroked her cheek, tilting his head and frowning slightly.] I'd hate to lose you, not sure I could go on. [Ok, that was a lie.... And he doubted that would ever be true, he'd lost other people he cared about and still went on. But it didn't make it any less difficult. And she was actually on his side, even if he'd brainwashed her into it.]

Nah, I'm never too busy for you, specially when you're feeling bad.