She was such an idiot. The second she'd felt the table tilt from his body jerking in reaction to her appearance, she'd realized just how much she'd screwed this up. He was a soldier who had only been back from a war for a few months - she knew what that was like and she had given absolutely no thought to how her actions might startle him. She was incredibly lucky that his reaction hadn't been bigger, louder, or more violent, though she honestly would have deserved whatever she got for her stupidity. He wasn't the normal guy he was pretending to be and she should damn well have remembered that.
Remaining quiet while he spoke and seemed to try to gather himself together, she kept her expression as neutral as possible, though there was likely a good measure of concern that crept in at the edges. When he'd apologized and accepted her offer, she just shook her head and gave him a small smile.
"Steve, I'm the one who's sorry," she told him gently, keeping her voice low so no one else would hear. "I shouldn't have startled you like that. I should have known better; I have those moments myself." There was just a moment of hesitation before she reached over to set her hand on his where it held the table, smoothing her thumb over the back of his hand. "I promise not to surprise you without warning if you do the same, okay?"
She worried about whatever it was what had made him angry, because it was clearly something big enough to make him forget himself and risk his identity like that. It wasn't anything that she had done at least, or she felt certain he would have said something to her about it, but that really didn't make her any less worried.
I just want to hug him. So many feels.
Remaining quiet while he spoke and seemed to try to gather himself together, she kept her expression as neutral as possible, though there was likely a good measure of concern that crept in at the edges. When he'd apologized and accepted her offer, she just shook her head and gave him a small smile.
"Steve, I'm the one who's sorry," she told him gently, keeping her voice low so no one else would hear. "I shouldn't have startled you like that. I should have known better; I have those moments myself." There was just a moment of hesitation before she reached over to set her hand on his where it held the table, smoothing her thumb over the back of his hand. "I promise not to surprise you without warning if you do the same, okay?"
She worried about whatever it was what had made him angry, because it was clearly something big enough to make him forget himself and risk his identity like that. It wasn't anything that she had done at least, or she felt certain he would have said something to her about it, but that really didn't make her any less worried.