I come up hard but that's okay

[thekidfrombrooklyn]

'Cause trouble man don't get in my way

The shield is found in the river by a salvage team. The man who finds it knows it should go right back to the Captain, but he can't help himself--he takes a picture of himself holding it, and snapchats it to his family and friends with the caption, "I believe in the shield."

It's reblogged hundreds of times. Then thousands. People start adding their own pictures, with homemade shields or Captain America memorabilia, captioning them things like "I still believe in the shield" and "I stand with the Captain."

The shield itself ends up at the Smithsonian, at the Captain America & the Howling Commandos exhibit. There's a note attached: "Please make sure this gets back to the Captain."

It does, of course. Of course it does.


Don't care about trouble, sugar, I'm moving down the line



In his hospital bed, Steve hears music.

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[notapilot]

Sam started hunting for Steve as soon as the last helicarrier fell. He started on the grounds of the Triskellion, moving outward to the banks of the Potomac, and finally moving out to the nearest hospitals, until he found him. Somewhere along the way Natasha, Fury, and Hill disappeared.

Now he's sitting in Steve's room at the hospital and listening to Marvin Gaye while reading his Twitter feed; smiling at the #beliveintheshield tag.

[golden_lyre]

Orpheus wasn't sure if he could believe the note he got at Milliways at first, but part of being favored of Apollo meant that he had an affinity for the Truth, and this had that ring to it. He almost doesn't want to know what could possibly have landed Steve in the hospital. He almost wants to shake him awake just to say, 'I told you you weren't invincible,' but more than that, he wants to be here when Steve wakes.

Which is why he enters quietly, carefully setting his guitar aside and dropping into the seat on the other side.

[thekidfrombrooklyn]

Steve doesn't stir at first. Every part of his body aches. At least his accelerated healing means the gunshot wounds in his stomach isn't fatal.

[notapilot]

As soon as Sam's aware of the other man's presence, he scoots forward to the edge of his seat, legs shifting to be able to throw himself in front of Steve or at Orpheus if an attack comes. He's still on high alert for all the relaxing he's been managing.

"Hello," he says easy enough, though tension is clear to one as tuned to sound and music as Orpheus is. The man kind of looks familiar, but Sam isn't going to trust anything just yet.

[golden_lyre]

Orpheus can't help his amused smirk--the expression incongruous with the pronounced worry on his face--or his arched eyebrow. As though Steve might need protecting from him, even in this state.

"Orpheus," he says, by way of an introduction. He's not entirely sure he trusts this guy either, but he thinks it unlikely the man is waiting here to hurt Steve.

[thekidfrombrooklyn]

Steve's finger twitches.

The music plays softly from Sam's iPod.

"Got me singin', yeah, yeah, ooh
Come up hard, baby, I had to fight"

[notapilot]

At the name, things click in Sam's head and he sags in relief.

"Sam Wilson," he replies with a wide and honest smile. "I guess you could say I'm his wingman. Wait, I mean that as a airman, not...let me get you a chair. Actually, here take mine, I'll get another."

[golden_lyre]

It's still quite strange to Orpheus to be recognized here. It was strange enough in his own world, where he was recognized for his own work rather than as an associate of someone else.

Sam gets a bemused smile as he offers a seat and then another, but Orpheus is happy enough to take it.

"I'm familiar with the term," he says. And getting so much better about jealousy. Though if he ever actually meets Tony, he might have some issues.

He glances at Steve when that finger twitches, lips pulling down into a frown. "How is he?"

He knows, a little. He'd gotten the next of kin spiel from the doctor when he arrived.

[thekidfrombrooklyn]

Steve's toes move, just slightly, under the sheets.

[notapilot]

Sam's eyes zero in on the toes, waiting to see if they move again.

"He's beaten up pretty badly. The doctors say if he was anyone else, they would say he might not make it. But given this is Steve, they don't really know. At least that's my take on it. Doctors never like to say they don't know."

"He's been sleeping pretty deeply."

[golden_lyre]

Orpheus' gaze is drawn to Steve's feet as well. His hand moves slightly toward them before pulling back, almost without his intent.

"Good," he says, nodding, though he's still worried about what it means that Steve is this badly hurt.

And then he isn't quite sure what to say. He's usually good at conversing easily, but he isn't usually faced with an unconscious lover when he meets new people.

[thekidfrombrooklyn]

I know those voices.

He turns his head slightly towards Sam, with a soft, "On your left."

And then toward Orpheus, with a more tender smile -- though he can't smile much, with the wound to his face and mouth -- "Hey, sweetheart."

[notapilot]

Sam half turns and smiles in relief. If he's talking and joking, they're out of the woods right? Just in case, he turns to look at the monitors to see their readings. All seems good.

[golden_lyre]

Orpheus' relief comes out in a rush of breath and a soft, "Gods," as he reaches for Steve's hand, fingers curling around his fingers.

"Hi."

[thekidfrombrooklyn]

"Hi," Steve says, still faint, and his fingers curl into Orpheus's. "I hope you didn't have to wait long."

[notapilot]

Sam can tell when he's intruding and so he stands, leaving his iPod for some mood music. Nothing beats Marvyn in his world view.

"How about I go and get some coffees? Give you two a chance to catch up?"

[golden_lyre]

Orpheus really doesn't have the words to say how grateful he is to Sam for being here when he couldn't be. And that's saying something.

He squeezed Steve's hand a little before looking over to Sam. "Thanks." He knows he should probably say that it's okay for him to stay, that he and Steve have things to talk about too.

He doesn't, though.

[thekidfrombrooklyn]

"Thanks, Sam," Steve murmurs, and looks back at Orpheus.

"Missed you."

[golden_lyre]

"Missed you too," Orpheus says, Sam all but forgotten as he scoots his chair closer, lifting Steve's hand gently to his lips, pressing them to the back.

[thekidfrombrooklyn]

"Did you have a wait a long time? It's only been a few days here...I think..."

He touches his stomach. He can't really go by how healed he is, or isn't.

[golden_lyre]

"An eternity," Orpheus says, watching with concern as Steve's hand moves.

"Or a few days. I'm not sure which."

[thekidfrombrooklyn]

He reaches up to stroke Orpheus's cheek, though he can only do it briefly.

"Did anyone tell you what happened?"

[golden_lyre]

Orpheus leans into the touch while he can, humming a soft refrain of comfort and ease.

"No," he says after a moment. "There hasn't been much for time."

[thekidfrombrooklyn]

Steve is quiet a moment.

"I think the most important thing to know is that the Winter Soldier, the assassin with the metal arm, is Bucky. My Bucky."

[golden_lyre]

Orpheus frowns, straightening up and leaning forward. "The...the guy who was after you is Bucky?"