On Your Left (Steve Rodgers x Reader)

“I’m really glad we’re finally doing this,” Sam said as Y/n jogged beside him. He’d been asking her to be his running partner for over a month.

“Don’t get too excited, it’s a one time thing,” Y/n huffed. Their sneakers pounded the pavement simultaneously. “I only agreed so you would stop bugging me.”

“Who knows, you could get hooked.”

“I will not, I hate jogging.”

“No you don’t, you just hate waking up this early.”

Y/n laughed. The sun cast purple rays into the sky as it crawled out from the darkness of night. The national mall was deserted, which in Y/n’s mind, was the one and only perk of being up at the crack of dawn. Sweat gathered on her hairline and her legs burned comfortably.

“On your left.” A deep masculine voice said from behind the two friends. Y/n jumped slightly as she watched a fit man in a tight grey shirt pass them.

Sam groaned, “Oh this guy.” The girl could hear the grudging respect in his voice.

“Who’s he?” Y/n panted. Both friends picked up their pace as the man sped off in front of them.

“Don’t know his name,” Sam grunted. “Dude’s here every damn day. Loops me like five times in an hour.”

“No way, he can’t possibly keep up that pace.”

“Just wait you’ll see.”

Ten more minutes passed in agony. Y/n really did hate jogging. It was the devil’s exercise. She filled the time with small talk and complaining. Sam did the same (minus the complaining).

“On your left,” The man sped past the two again. He left them in a literal trail of dust.

“Holy shit,” Y/n swore. “You were right.”

“Yeah I was, now come on.” Sam grabbed her hand and pulled her into a sprint.

Y/n groaned, “Oh come on Sam, there’s no way we can keep up with him. My heart already feels like it’s about to give out.”

“Sure we can, we just have to push ourselves,” Sam panted. Y/n fell behind him slightly but Sam didn’t let go of her hand.

“Both of you are taller than me, I’m at a huge disadvantage.”

“Come on!”

---

“I can’t believe you,” Y/n fell to the ground on their five-minute water break. “Why must everything be a competition? Just let the guy be faster than you.”

“Not everything’s a competition to me,” Sam protested before he chugged half of his water bottle.

“My feet feel like they’re bleeding,” Y/n looked up at the sky. Blue was now spilling in behind the clouds. The world around them was waking up.

“Ok come on, enough break. Gotta keep up that heart rate.”

Y/n moaned, “What? It hasn’t been five minutes! You promised me five minutes.”

“Yeah but the guy’s coming back. I wanna get ahead of him.”

“Well then go,” Y/n shooed him away with a smile, “I’ll catch up.”

“Great!” Sam said as he sprinted away.

“Not everything’s a race!” Y/n yelled. She stretched out her arms and felt the grass beneath her body. She should not be up this early.

“Excuse me ma'am, are you alright?”

Y/n opened her eyes and saw the man in the grey shirt standing over her.

“Oh yeah I’m fine,” She said. She sat up. He was cute. The dim morning light sparkled in the stranger’s golden hair and Y/n could see the outline of his muscles through his shirt.

“Are you sure? Cause you’re laying on the ground.”

“Oh, yeah. I’m okay. Just resting. I’m out on an early morning jog.”

The man laughed, “I can see that. I’m Steve.” He held out his hand to help her up.

Y/n shook it. “Y/n. And thank you but I can’t get up. I think my blisters are bleeding.”

“Yikes,” Steve smiled, “Can I help you to your car?”

“Oh, thank you but I came here with a friend,” Y/n smiled. Cute and kind: rare. “He’s right over there,” She pointed to Sam, who was still running full tilt. “Oh, look,” She sighed, “He’s trying so hard.”

“Looks like he’s in pain,” Steve squatted down to her level as he watched Sam run.

“He’s trying to beat you in an imaginary race.”

“Me?”

“Yeah you. On your left,” The girl mimicked. Steve laughed bashfully and ran a hand threw his hair.

“You’re really fast.”

“Yeah well I have to be, Captain America has places to be.”

Y/n stared at him, “You’re…?”

“Yes I am.”

“Wow…” She was at a loss for words. “You’re like a hundred and you still work out. Iconic!”

Steve laughed, “Would you like help catching up to your friend?”

“That would be great,” She took the hand offered to her and he pulled her up.

Y/n winced as she put her full weight on her feet.

“You alright?”

“I’ll manage. But I wouldn’t be getting back into these sneakers for at least a week.”

“I could carry you.”

“Hmm?”

“I’ll give you a piggy back ride,” Steve said, a blush crept onto his face. “So your feet don’t hurt.”

A smile spread across Y/n’s face. “Okay.” Steve bent down and Y/n hopped onto his back. He boosted her a little higher and began trotting after Sam.

“Think you can catch up to him with me on your back?”

“Oh absolutely. He’s… not going that fast.” Steve began to run at his usual pace, which was way more intense than Y/n was used to.

The girl laughed, “Oh my god, please don’t say that in front of him, he’d freak out!”

---

Sam was proud of himself. He’d managed to keep his lead on the mysterious grey shirt man for over five minutes. He chuckled slightly as he continued to run. He was getting his edge back.

The sound of thundering footsteps reached his ears. “On your left!” Y/n yelled from behind him.

Sam turned to see his best friend on top of his running rival. “Oh come on! ” He shouted as the man in the grey shirt over took him with Y/n on his back. She flung her head back and laughed.

“Come on Sam! You just have to push yourself!” She teased. Steve slowed his pace with a good-hearted smile. He let the slower man catch up to him.

“You’re unbelievable,” Sam huffed. Y/n cackled.

“Sam, this is Steve. Steve, Sam.”

“Nice to met you Sam!” Steve said.

“Hi,” Sam panted.

“Hey Steve, we were planning on going out to breakfast after this. You wanna come?”

“That sounds great ma'am.”

“You don’t have to call me ma'am, Steve.”

“Yes ma'am, I mean… okay.”

Y/n giggled, “Then I was thinking we could go out for dinner sometime. Ya know, without Sam.”

Steve hesitated. Was she asking him out?

“Like a date?”

“Yeah, like a date.”

“Oh, yes, without me,” Sam wheezed. “I am not going to breakfast with you guys if you two get all doe eyed around each other.”

“Don’t sweat it Sam, you won’t be the third wheel.”

Unsurprisingly, Sam did end up being the third wheel. He was not happy about it.