“i’m… i’m trying. i really am.”
Steve can’t sleep, not that it’s big news that he can’t sleep but he just can’t. He’s slept for too long. His room is too big and too quiet. Even his goddamn bed is too soft. Lately, he’s been put through the paces in training and that helps him pass out from exhaustion but even at times, that’s not enough. Though training isn’t all that bad, far from it. He’s got a partner who’s got a few powers of her own. They’re a hell of a whole lot different from anything he’s ever seen but it seems that’s just par with the course in the future. Daisy is a damn good partner, tough and quick -- funny too. She’s got a lot of attitude and Steve finds that pretty amusing. It makes all this academy stuff a lot more interesting when she’s there beside him. It also helps that on their downtime she’s helping a lot with all this new future stuff. Daisy is handy with a computer and Steve’s a quick learner. They’re really just trading the tools of their trade. Steve helping out with teaching her combat and she helps him with well --- everything that is a step above a radio. Steve pushes up out of bed. The clock reads somewhere close to 2 am. He should really try to get a little more sleep but Steve doesn’t think he can. His fingers are already itching and his blood starting to pump with the idea of heading down to the gym for a few rounds at the punching bag. Stark has been working on prototypes to try and make on that Steve can’t break. If anything he’s being useful at this odd hour and helping Stark out with this challenge he’s presented. Steve decides to slip on a shirt as he packs up a few things for the gym if he was to see anyone he’d like to be a little decent. With his shoes tied on and sweats tugged on he heads out of his room and heads towards the gym. Steve thinks Fury had something to do with his room placement being so close to the gym, but he’s not complaining. It’s a short walk to the fully equipped gym and Steve is thankful for it. More often than not these late-night workouts are because he’s got too much on his mind that he doesn’t want to think about. So a short walk doesn’t let him do that. However, as Steve shoulders his way into the gym it seems he’s not the only one here for a late-night workout. He recognizes Daisy the moment his eyes land on her. Steve smiles a bit to himself as he tosses his gym bag down. “Can’t sleep either?” He asks her, but as Daisy continues her set and doesn’t acknowledge him, he frowns. It’s only a few moment’s later that it dawns on him. “Earbuds.” He mumbles to himself. Is he a little stupid to take this as a teaching moment when he knows her powers are still a bit out of control? Yes, he is but that doesn’t mean all that much to him. There isn’t a need to be quiet when she’s got earbuds in but he is careful not to cast a looming shadow over her that would let her know it was him. Instead, he crouches down a bit as he approaches her, hand coming to rest on her shoulder. It’s a quick reaction from there. Steve dodges out of the way of a swing as it comes his way, laughing a bit when Daisy all but rips her earbuds out of her ears. He gives an innocent shrug as the woman scolds him. “How else was I supposed to get your attention? Someone has to keep your senses sharp, and maybe it’s the 40′s talking but I’d leave one earbud out.” Daisy isn’t the only agent who listens to music while she works out. In fact many do. It rubs Steve the wrong way most of the time. They’re losing one of their most vital senses and unless they’re like Barton and don’t have the choice he thinks they should be listening to their surroundings at all times. But he digresses, Steve won’t bother her with his soapbox tonight. “Can’t sleep?” He asks again, knowing this time she’s heard it. He doesn’t get much more than a shrug in response and it’s a bit suspicious. Daisy liked to talk, not that Steve ever minded, but the quietness isn’t something he’s used to. For a while, he’s okay with the quiet, gives it up to the late hour but the longer it stretches the more Steve grows antsy. He waits until he breaks the first bag to actually break the silence. He watches the beans spill out on the floor before sighing a bit. “I don’t think Stark’s gonna like that I broke this one faster than the last one.” That earns him a bit of a laugh but nothing more. “Alright -- enough of the bags let’s have a little one on one.” He motions for her to follow and thankfully Daisy doesn’t seem to hesitate. The sparring is quick-fire. Both of them already awake and full of adrenaline from a previous warm-up. He’s careful with her as he always is, despite having powers that doesn’t mean she’s not prone to being hurt by actual hits by him. Their goal is to strengthen and perfect and not harm. It’s going well until Steve decides to kick it up a notch. He catches her fist easily and they both know what he wants. “You can’t hurt me. -- Try a little bit.” Expect the problem with that is she’s got no control. Her little bit is suddenly sending him flying across the room, back colliding painfully with the brick wall. The air is knocked from his lungs but nothing more than that. He pushes himself back up to his feet, brushing dust from his shoulders. “Don’t let me touch you, but don’t send me into the wall. Just stop me,” Steve tells her from across the room. Daisy looks a bit hesitant but seems to gear herself up. Steve tries to rush her and well -- she does send him flying into the wall again. Yet again, Steve rises back to his feet. There’s an ache in his back for a moment but the next moment it’s gone. “Again.” And they do this for hours it feels like until Steve can taste copper in his mouth. “I’m… I’m trying. I really am.” Daisy sounds defeated and Steve can’t have that. “Hey -- I know you are,” Steve speaks softly, a fond smile appearing on his lips. “You aren’t sending me through the wall anymore and that’s progress in my book.” He laughs a bit before reaching out to gently rest his hand on her arm in comfort. “It’s gonna take time, can’t deny that but you got the most indestructible punching bag on earth cheering for you.” He gets a bit more of a laugh from her and that makes Steve feel all the much better. With the rising sun, Daisy is the one to suggest breakfast and there’s no way in hell that Steve can refuse breakfast. Steve is confident that one day she’ll have perfect control over her powers even if that day is not today. Maybe then he could convince everyone else to let her join the Avengers team.
















