Work Text:
Steve startled awake to the sounds of a scream. He tried to stand but he realized he was tied to a chair.
Wait. He knew this place.
No. No this wasn't possible. Starcourt was destroyed and so was the Russian base under it. Yet here Steve was in the base that should no longer exist.
Steve could feel panic starting to bubble up inside him. He had barely survived this place once and if he was here then Robin-
His panicked thoughts were interrupted by another scream ringing out through the halls.
Steve's blood ran cold as he realized he knew that voice.
Robin.
Robin.
This wasn't how it was supposed to go. Steve was supposed to take the beating. Steve was the only one who should be getting hurt.
Yet he sat in the chair, unharmed, while Robin was screaming in pain.
He had to get out of here. He had to get to her before-
No. He wouldn't let himself go down that path. She was going to be okay.
Just as Steve was trying to formulate an escape plan the screaming intensified.
The sound felt like a stake being hammered into his brain. He wanted to claw his ears off and never hear the sounds of his best friend suffering ever again.
Abruptly the screams cut off. Silence.
Steve was going to be sick.
"Robin! ROBIN!" he screamed.
No answer.
Steve started to hyperventilate in his panic. She couldn't be-
No she was alive. She had to be.
Just as Steve thought the silence would suffocate him, he was thrown out of the chair, somehow free of his bonds.
His hands and knees slammed into the cold floor.
The room was dim but he could make out a figure a few feet away from him lying on the floor.
Steve felt like he would pass out from the relief that rushed through him.
"Oh Robin thank God I was-"
Steve's voice cut out as he got closer to the familar form when he saw the blood soaking her clothes. There was so much, too much.
She'sfineshe'sokayshehastobefine.
His thoughts were swirling too fast in his brain. This couldn't be happening.
She was just unconscious. That's why she wasn't moving. She's perfectly fine.
Steve's heart slammed in his throat as he reached to turn her over, trying in vain to calm himself.
Steve looked into Robin's face and her lifeless eyes stared back at him.
Steve woke up screaming, thrashing in his bed, desperately tangled in his sheets. He rolled off his bed and crashed into the floor. The pain jolted him out of his terror enough to realize that he had been dreaming.
It had just been a nightmare.
But was it? What if Robin really was gone?
Steve knew in the rational part of his brain that she was completely fine. However he was much too panicked to be logical right now.
He pushed himself off of the floor with difficulty and stumbled out of the room on unsteady legs in search of the phone. When he made it to the living room he snatched up the phone and had to redial Robin's number several times due to how badly his hands were shaking.
Steve tried to steady his breathing as he listened to the dial tone.
The phone rang.
And rang.
And rang.
Now Steve truly felt terrified. Maybe Robin really was gone.
He was planning to get in his car and break every traffic law to get to her house when he heard:
"Hello?"
Robin.
It was Robin.
"Steve is that you?"
"Robs?" Steve managed, his voice breaking.
"What happened? What's wrong?" Robin asked, sounding scared.
"I...you..." Steve could barely speak with all the emotions crashing around inside of him. He wanted to reassure her that he was fine that it was just a nightmare, but he couldn't.
"I'm coming over," Robin said.
"Wait wait wait," Steve blurted out. He wanted to see her but he was terrified that if she hung up she would disappear. Like he would realize he had simply been dreaming her.
"It's gonna be okay Steve I promise," Robin said, guessing his thoughts. "I'll be there in 10 minutes tops but I have to hang up to get there. Can you hang on until I get there?"
Steve inhaled shakily. "O-okay."
"Okay I'm going now. I'll be there really soon."
The dial tone droned into Steve's ear.
He tried to put the phone down but it was like he was paralyzed. All he could do was stare at the clock with a death grip on the phone while trying desperately to stop himself from spiraling into a panic.
Steve must've lost track of time because in what felt like the next second, Robin was standing in front of him, calling his name.
Steve finally dropped the phone and realized that there were tears streaming down his face.
Then they were on the floor, Steve clinging to Robin and sobbing into her shirt. She held him tightly, rocking slightly and murmuring reassurances but he didn't hear what she was saying because all he could think about was that she was here. She was alive and breathing.
"I'm sorry," Steve whispered after a moment. "It was just so bad this time. It felt so real."
"You have nothing to apologize for Steve. I get it. You know I do."
"You were dead," Steve choked out. "You were dead and it was my fault you weren't supposed to get hurt but I could hear you screaming and there was so much blood-"
Steve's voice broke off on another sob.
"Look at me," Robin said gently.
As much as he didn't want to, Steve pulled away to do as she asked.
For a moment he was afraid that all of this had been fake but then he looked into Robin's blue eyes and they weren't unseeing this time; they were warm and full of life and love and understanding.
Robin reached up to wipe the tears off of his face and cradled his head in her hands.
"I'm here Stevie I'm right here. I'm alive and I'm not going anywhere."
Steve gave a teary smile. He leaned forward to press his forehead against hers and closed his eyes. Steve brought his hands up to touch her face as they breathed together.
She was breathing and she was alive. Steve kept repeating that to himself until he could feel the terror of the dream start to relinquish it's hold on his mind.
After a while of just sitting there together, Robin started to get up.
Steve immediately began to panic and clutched at her arm.
"Where are you going?" he asked somewhat frantically.
"Oh right I'm sorry, I'm not leaving you. We're going to the kitchen." She pulled him to his feet and led him to the kitchen where she made him drink a glass of water. He didn't let go of her hand the entire time. Staying in physical contact with Robin kept Steve grounded in reality and stopped him from thinking back to the nightmare.
"Do you need anything else?" Robin asked.
"Just you," Steve replied.
"You're a dingus," she laughed, squeezing his hand.
Robin then told Steve he needed to sleep even though he argued that it was practically already morning and there was no point.
"You'll stay with me?" Steve asked terrified at the thought of having to leave her side now.
"Duh I said I wasn't leaving you."
Instead of going upstairs, Robin pulled him into the living room. They curled up together on the couch, Steve's head resting on Robin's chest. The sound of her heartbeat calmed him and Robin ran a soothing hand through his hair.
"Hey Robbie?"
"Hm?"
"Thank you. For everything."
"You don't have to thank me. You know I'll always be here when you need me."
As Steve felt sleep tugging at him he said, "I love you Robin."
"I love you too dingus."
For the first time in months, Steve slept through the night without a single nightmare.