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#then reader tells red skull to just give them the stone and they live happily ever after
unknownimagineblog · 1 year
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Just Say It // N.R
Warning(s): cursing, brief mentions of blood & gore, angst w/ a happy ending, long post
You were an anomaly to the team, mostly when it pertained to your abilities and their usage.
When working, rarely was it around the rest of the group. Rather, you’d be sent in after missions for reasons undisclosed to them, or sent alone altogether. If you were along with the team for a mission, it was hard to even entice you to speak.
The team wasn’t complaining about your presence tho, they were rather relieved you’d been around most of the time. Your proficiency in hand to hand combat rivaled that of Natasha’s, so you weren’t a hinderance to their mission, wether with them or away.
But another issue that cloaked you in mystery, was the fact you didn’t live at the compound like the rest of them, and rarely showed to any functions, events, or parties. Tony always extended an olive branch, yet you always denied him with a soft shake of your head.
Somehow, throughout your silent treatment, you got along well with two members of the team in particular.
Wanda was one of them, if outwardly appearance showed correctly. Anytime you were around, whether it be pre-mission planning or taking up space in the common room, you had always had an affliction to Wanda.
You’d sit down next to her with the warm smile you seemed to always bare, and she’d go on to tell you her activities that had transpired the past week. Sometimes she’d discuss her interests, and tried to prod at your own, but you only brushed her off with a wave of your hand.
Next was Natasha, although you were not as friendly to her as much as you were with Wanda. You’d always spar with her, and somehow give her a worthy opponent every time. With your soft smile, and kind eyes, you always lifted her off the mat after putting her on her ass.
And when you both weren’t sparring, you’d sit across the couch from her as she rewatched some spy movie for the millionth time. You never spoke up, and you never ruined the silence that always seemed to befall you both. In the beginning, Natasha felt uncomfortable about your silent presence, but now it had grown to be a constant. The movies never felt the same without you.
It made her wonder what Clint found so terrifying about you.
Clint always paled in your presence, and outright refused missions when you were involved. He’d go so far as to make his exit known whenever you arrived in the same room, and you looked almost sad to see him leave every time.
Natasha asked about it one night, turning the volume down on the TV in hopes that, maybe, you’d speak to her this one time. But you only shook your head, and the apologetic smile upon your face didn’t meet your eyes. You looked sad, and Natasha swore she watched tears well up in your eyes. She felt bad for even asking.
You had been scarce around the compound after that, much more than you were before. You did not linger after missions, and you no longer trained with the team. You’d give them a smile that never reached your eyes, then made your leave every time you had come into contact with them.
The next time Natasha had been around you was relieving, but questionable, considering the rather classified mission Fury had conscripted you both to do.
You both sat in the briefing room, minus the rest of the team, as Director Fury discussed your next mission. It was a recovery mission of a rather dangerous asset, and Fury was adamant on the retrieval of said asset be as easy as possible.
Quirking a brow in Natasha’s direction, Fury seemed to pick up on the question that hid within your gaze.
“She’s only a precautionary measure to ensure the safety of yourself, and the asset.” He said, and you were quick to push yourself from your chair. The stony glare on your face showed that you were not happy with this idea, and Natasha felt offended at the change in your demeanor.
“I know you work alone.” Fury said, not daunted by your uncharacteristic outburst. “But I assure you, she’s there if anything goes south. If the asset steps out of line in anyway, she will prioritize your safety over anything else.”
Fury seemed to turn to Natasha in a silent plea for support, but you were having none of it.
I do not need a guard dog. You signed aggressively, and Natasha was almost shocked to see you communicate with anyone so openly. You’d never signed to the team, and hadn’t even shown any indication that you even knew how.
Another issue came with the fact Natasha had no idea what you were signing to Fury. She had a basic knowledge of sign from what Clint had taught her, but nothing as advanced as you were using.
She almost felt left out of this squabble between you, and the Director.
“She will wear ear plugs throughout the duration of the mission.” Fury said, rubbing his temples to show his growing frustration. “Does that make you happy?”
You aggressively pushed the chair you had been occupying under the table, before slamming the door of the briefing room as you walked out.
“Is she that upset that I’m joining her on the mission?” Natasha spoke up a few moments after they had both been staring at the door in silence.
Fury sighed.
“If she was that upset about you joining her, she would’ve said it.” He said, before pointing toward the door. “Now go get your shit ready for the mission, you’re leaving now.”
The entire ride to the extraction point of the asset was silent, and you barely even acknowledged Natasha’s presence besides a few glances from the corner of your eye.
You were obviously upset from the way you kept sighing every time you looked at her, or the hunched way you sat in the copilot seat on the quinjet.
Natasha desperately wanted to discuss what happened in the briefing room, but the ear plugs within her ears caused every sound around her to be silent. Not even the quinjet could be heard, and it was almost unnerving.
She knew better than to question Fury on a precaution like ear protection, but it still left her with questions. What was so worth losing one of her greatest senses for? Why did you not have to wear them?
Finally, the jet landed in an open lot with various warehouses lining the perimeter.
Seemingly knowing the exact one the asset was within, you waved Natasha in the direction you had began walking toward. She followed at a slower pace, allowing herself to gain situational awareness with her vision, rather than relying on her hearing, or lack thereof.
Approaching the warehouse, Natasha noticed blood covering almost the entirety of the concrete floor and littered with corpses. She recognized the uniforms upon the mutilated bodies, and realized they were belonging to SHEILD agents.
Her hand moved to the gun holstered upon her thigh, but you caught her wrist to stop her. You shook your head, before trudging deeper in the darkness of the warehouse.
As both your eyes adjusted to the lack of light, there was a girl standing alone among the bodies. Like a grotesque centerpiece to the carnage.
The girl noticed your presence but before she could advance on your position, you opened your mouth to speak, causing the girl to stop in her tracks.
Natasha could not hear a single word coming from your mouth, and couldn’t exactly read your lips from standing next to you, but she knew you were speaking. It was daunting to see such a thing, and it seemed so out of character.
What the hell was going on?
You approached the girl, and when Natasha moved to follow, your jutted out your palm as an indication for her to stay behind. She felt uneasy about it, but listened to your instruction.
You continued to speak to the girl as you approached, if your jaw moving was any indication as Natasha was forced to stare at your back.
Minutes ticked by that felt like hours as your approached the mutant girl, and once you were within arms reach of her, the girl seemed to collapse into your arms. You hoisted up her unconscious form easily, and began to make your way back to the jet.
Even as Natasha piloted the quinjet back to the compound, the uneasy feeling had yet to leave her gut.
Upon returning, the recovered mutant asset was met with armored SHEILD agents anticipating her arrival. They took her unconscious body from your grasp before restraining her in a multitude of ways, and you watched from the jet as the carted her away.
Once the asset was out of sight with her cavalry of agents, Natasha was quick to rip the plugs from her ears. You turned to her with that warm smile upon your face again, but it fell the moment you noticed how tense she had become.
“What the hell was that?” Natasha said, and you seemed bewildered as you held up your hands in silent defense. She quickly slapped your hands down. “Don’t give me that, I know you can speak.”
You took a defensive step back, and your eyes glanced toward the door into the compound. The cogs of your brain started to turn, and Natasha noticed you were thinking of making a break for it. She then took a step to the left, ultimately blocking your exit.
You glared at her.
“Are you not going to answer me?” Natasha said, her tone still aggressive. She realized frustration began to tense at your muscles too, and she decided to see how far she could push this until your resolve for silence finally broke.
“Why is that murderous girl so worthy of you to speak to her, but not even the team? Not even me?” She spoke. Your frustrated glare turned questionable when you had realized her words, until you remembered you were upset with her sudden outburst, and your gaze became hostile again.
Your eyes were still glancing toward the door, calculating your possible escape even as she grew more aggressive toward you. Natasha realized she was going to have to push your frustration harder as she stepped into your personal space, practically chest to chest with you now.
“Seriously?” Natasha scoffed. She noticed the muscles of your jaw begin to tighten, but you made no effort to regain your personal space. Your eyes screwed shut, and you refused to even look at her anymore as she continued to assault you with questions.
“Did you think I was just going to let this go?” Natasha continued to chastise you, and you shook your head as your eyes remained shut. “Why have you never spoke to us?”
Your lips twitched, and Natasha froze as she watched you. She was hoping to hear you say something, but realized she had pressed you too far the moment she noticed the tears slipping down your cheeks.
Using her shoulder to shove her away, you retreated toward the doorway as you aggressively wiped the tears from your eyes.
Natasha watched the door slam shut behind you once again, and she felt guilt replace that uneasy feeling inside her. She realizes now she shouldn’t have chastised you as hard as she did, considering your desperation to even try to speak to her.
Then, without a sound Clint approached from behind her as she watched your retreat.
“She’s as silent as ever, I see.” Clint said, with a slight resentment in his tone, and his sudden presence caused Natasha to jump. He glanced her over, with a question on his brow. “She mess’ you up that bad?”
“What is that suppose to mean?” Natasha said, but Clint didn’t fail to notice her grow defensive once again.
“You mean to tell me she didn’t speak to you?” He asked, and now Natasha was growing confused all over again. “That’s not what that whole ordeal was about?”
“Great. Now you’re both being cryptic.” Natasha sighed, with a roll of her eyes. She shook her head, before sighing. “Why do you even despise her so much?”
“I don’t despise her.” Clint said, in a matter of fact tone that furthered Natasha’s sour mood. “I actually owe her our friendship, but it cost the friendship I had with her.”
“If you’re going to keep speaking in riddles, you might as well just shut up.”
“Natasha, I was going to kill you.” Clint said, with a heavy sigh as if the weight of that mission still sat upon his shoulders. “She’s the reason I didn’t release the arrow.”
He remembered the mission briefing, and how hesitant you had been to even participate in such an endeavor. Clint could see it on your face, especially when you glanced his way to see if he agreed with your uncertainties.
“Clint will deliver the killing blow.” Fury spoke, and you cringed at the idea. You were always the passive one in the friendship between you, and Clint. “And if he somehow misses-”
You raised a hand to stop Fury’s tangent, already knowing where it was going to go.
Even after the briefing was over you remained behind in silence, even as Fury had vacated the room. Clint stared at you in silence, and you could feel his gaze burning into the side of your face.
“You don’t think we should do it.” Clint’s voice filled the air, and you sighed even hearing such words spoke aloud.
This is not right. You signed, and it was his turn to sigh.
“She’s dangerous.”
She’s a victim.
“We don’t know her intentions.”
Why not help her?
“Let’s just go, perform the mission, and leave it behind us.” He groaned, and rubbed his hand across his face. “That’s all we can do.”
Weeks passed from such conversation between you, and your closest friend. And now, you both sat atop a roof within a city you couldn’t pronounce to track the target you had been searching for.
She had only moved below the cover of night, and her head swiveled around herself as she walked through the alleyway. Clint pulled the string of his bow taught as he trained his aim upon her back, he released a steady breath in preparation to release the arrow.
That was, until you spoke up.
“Don’t shoot.” You said calmly, barely loud enough for him to hear you.
Clint’s body began to tingle with a warm feeling prickling at his skin, opposing the harsh cold air of the night upon the rooftop. He turned toward you with an absolute look of betrayal upon his face.
His body worked against every plea he had to complete the mission assigned to both of you, to release the arrow within his hand. But rather, Clint replaced the arrow within his quiver.
“Stop!” Clint plead, but his body made no effort to oppose your words. “She’s dangerous, we can’t allow her to live.”
“Look at her.” You said, and his head snapped in her direction. “She’s not much different from a scared kid.”
“More like a cornered animal.”
“Either way, I think she’d be a good agent for SHIELD.” You said, and he grit his teeth at the words he knew were about to leave your mouth. With a look of sympathy, you spoke again. “Go recruit her.”
Clint grit his teeth in attempted defiance, before his body forced himself to perform your words. You watched as he approached the red headed woman in the alleyway below, before turning away to make your way toward the extraction point.
You were happy to see Clint arrive awhile after you, with the red head in tow.
During the debrief of the mission, Fury was beyond furious with both of your performances during the mission, although you took all the blame. You had betrayed Clint’s trust, and had gone off mission with an unauthorized use of your power against a fellow agent.
You were lucky that the only thing destroyed after the mission was your close friendship with Clint, considering Fury had half a mind to toss you into a super human prison for your insubordination. The only thing riding on your freedom was the possibility that Natasha might become a true asset to SHIELD.
“If you betrayed the agency, she was going to be sent to a maximum security prison for life.” Clint said in summary of his story, with a heavy sigh. “She risked everything.”
Natasha shook her head, feeling slightly overwhelmed by the story shared. “Why’d you listen if you were so adamant on killing me?”
“You don’t get it do you?” Clint said, with confusion creasing his brow. “She has the power of absolute suggestion. Everything she says has to be enacted out by anyone who hears, no matter the circumstance.”
Everything that conspired had suddenly began to make more, and more sense. Like your oath of silence, and Fury mentioning you would’ve said that you didn’t want Natasha to join you.
Suddenly, an overwhelming urge to chase after you flooded within Natasha. She quickly apologized to Clint, before rushing through the door she saw you escape to only awhile ago.
“Where is she?” Natasha asked the few teammates within the common room. Wanda hadn’t even looked up from the book in her lap, but rather just lifted a hand to point down the hallway behind her. She could hear Natasha’s rushed footsteps fade as she continued to chase after you.
Finally, Natasha was able to see your retreating form down the hallway, and her steps began to pick up.
“Wait!” She called out to you, fearing that you were once again going to run away from the questions, from the team, from her.
Much to her surprise, you stopped before turning her way. There were still tear tracks stained across your cheeks, and Natasha suddenly felt overwhelmingly guilty. You had risked everything to allow Natasha to be here, a part of the greatest team of superheroes to exist, and as payment she had left you crying.
Rather than speaking, Natasha simply rushed forward to wrap you within a hug. You seemed overwhelmed by the sudden display of affection from the usually bristly assassin, and wondered just where this uncharacteristic outburst had come from.
“I’m sorry.” She mumbled into your shoulder, and she felt you tense under her grasp. Pulling away, Natasha placed her hands upon our cheeks to wipe away the aftermath of your crying.
You continued to stare at her in confusion, before shaking your head as much as you were able as a silent way to tell her don’t be.
“I am.” Natasha pleaded with you. She felt tears prick at her eyes, as the feelings bubbling within her began to grow overwhelming. Leaning forward, she placed her forehead against your own as she closed her eyes.
“You we’re the only person who believed in me, who thought I deserved a second chance.” Natasha said, her voice wavering as she willed herself not to sob. “You risked everything, and looking back, even I think that was a stupid decision! I was a loaded gun just waiting for the perfect opportunity to go off, and we both would’ve faced the consequences of those actions.”
You looked at her, and if she opened her eyes, she’d see the soft smile that sat upon your face. You had begun crying with her, and she continued to rant about you.
“Why?” She asked you before a sob ripped through her chest. “What made you look at me, and think I deserved mercy? I was cold blooded, and ruthless.”
Rather than waiting for her to finish her rant, you silenced her yourself as you leaned against her to place a gentle kiss upon her lips. You sighed into the kiss, and you felt her tension melt into you.
Pulling away from you, she shook her head as fresh tears began to fall down her cheeks. You reached up to wipe them away, before tucking a stray red lock behind her ear.
“Because I love you, Natasha Romanoff.”
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crappyimagines · 5 years
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The One That Got Away (Part 2)
Pairing: Steve Rogers x Reader
Warning: angst, endgame and infinity war spoilers i guess. the timeline is fucked up so please nevermind it. annndd not proofread so doNt  jUdGe Me lOlLoloLOlOL
Summary: you were the one that got away lol
A/N: I made this one for a friend of mine. I promised her a oneshot so here it is. @fruithot
For Jeralyn :)
note: i tried so hard to finish this today so if it has errors, i totally saw that coming.
You had learned to accept the fact that Steve probably wasn’t just for you. Things with Sharon didn’t work out. Natasha thought that that was an opening for you to tell him what you really feel but you knew better. Steve was still depressed about Peggy. He never stopped loving the girl and he never will. Natasha respected your decision and backed off. It was better to give Steve the space he needed.
 Everything got worse when Thanos happened. You all did your best to fight the purple turd but he still succeeded. You were in Wakanda when it all happened. Thanos snapped and half of the universe disintegrated.
What was left of the team was left depressed and lost. Tony was nowhere to be seen. Bucky got turned into ashes along with most of the avengers.
Steve was lost but You were there for him.
 You were always there for him.
 Tony was taken home by Captain Marvel.
 Scott Lang happened and suddenly there was hope.
 The plan about time travelling was made real when Tony found a way to make it work.
The team was talking about who goes where. Who goes with who.
Natasha was able to find Clint so he was back.
Steve was going with Tony and Scott so you were assigned to go with Clint and Natasha to retrieve the soul stone.
You didn’t know anything about the place so you did your research and ask Nebula about it.
 She told you how Thanos was able to get the stone by using Gamora.
Your heart tightened when you realized the price to get the soul stone.
 You knew what you had to do.
Steve wanted to tell you about his plan before you guys go on with the mission.
“When this actually works, after all this is over and everyone is back.” He trailed off sounding excited.
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You urged him to continue with a smile and a nod.
“I think I would use the machine to go back in time to have that dance with Peggy.” he said happily and full of hope.
Y/N’s jaw dropped when she realized what he just said.
“Oh.” Was all she could say.
Steve’s smile left his face when she saw your expression.
“You think it’s a bad idea?” he asked, sounding a bit hopeful.
 You didn’t want to make him feel sad so you said the worst thing you could say.
 “I’ll support you with every decision you make, Steve.” You cupped his face.
“If you want to do it, then do it. I know how much you love Peggy. Do what you think is right. I’ll always support you, Steve. You know that.” You smiled.
 He smiled in response. The both of you got ready for the ultimate mission but you said something before you two left to go find the others.
 “I love you, Steve” you told him for the first time and probably the last.
 You panicked when he gave you a shocked face so you quickly added;
 “I’ll always be your best friend” it hurt to say that but it was for the better.
    Everyone was suited up and walked to the platform.
“Five years ago, we lost. All of us” Steve began.
“We lost friends. We lost family. We lost a part of ourselves” he continued.
“Today we have a chance to take it all back. You know your teams. You know your missions.”
 Y/N inhaled sharply and gulped.
 ‘She knew damn well what her mission is’
 “Get the stones. Get them back. One roundtrip each. No mistakes. No do overs. Most of us is going somewhere we know. That doesn’t mean we should know what to expect. Be careful. Look out for each other.” Steve warned.
 Y/N looked over to Natasha and Clint and smiled at them both.
 ‘I got their backs’
 Natasha gave you an excited smile while Clint nodded at you.
 “This is the fight of our lives. And we’re gonna win. Whatever it takes.”
 Y/N gulped  nervously.
 ‘Whatever it takes’
 “Goodluck” Steve finished his speech as Rocket and Scott commented about how good he is with speeches.
 “Okay. I’ll do my best” Clint smiled cheekily.
 “See you in a minute” Nat said excitedly to Steve and then towards you.
Steve smiled at her and then at you.
You breathed deeply and faked a smile.
 “Yeah. See you..”
 Steve pressed a hand onto your shoulders and squeezed it for support.
 “You’ll do good. Don’t be nervous.”
 You nodded at him and smiled.
 “Goodluck, Steve.” You said.
 Steve smiled back but something in the back of his mind told him that there was something more to what you said.
 You got transported back in time with your team along with Thor’s.
 After splitting with Thor’s team, your team started your hike Vormir.
 “Welcome”
 When you reached the top, a hooded figure greeted the three of you as you expected but Natasha and Clint wasn’t expecting him.
 “Natasha, daughter of Ivan. Clint, son of Edith. And Y/N.-“
You cut the floating figure off,
“Yes we know, we know. Now tell us who you are.” You pretended not to know.
“Consider me a guide to you and to all who seeks the soul stone.” He stated creepily.
“Oh good. You tell us where it is and we’ll be on our way.” Natasha said as she pointed her gun at the man.
 ‘I wish it was that easy’
 “If only it were that easy” the creepy floating guy voiced out your thoughts.
 He escorted the three of you towards the cliff.
“What you seek lies in front of you. It is what you fear.”
 Natasha and Clint looked down the cliff.
 “The stone’s down there.” Natasha stated.
 “For one of you.” Red skull informed.
 “For the other, in order to take the stone, you must lose that which you love. A soul for a soul.” He added.
 You stood in the back, watching the two contemplate on their plans.  
 The four of you have been standing for a while now. You were still stood far back when Natasha and Clint started to fight each other and beat the other for the soul stone and for death.
 Red Skull looked at you with a sad and knowing look as you nodded at him.
 You walked towards the cliff, looking at Natasha who on top of Clint.
You loved being there for Steve. You loved making him feel happy when he’s sad. You loved making him feel wanted when his lonely. You loved every moment you had with him. Even if it was heartbreak.
 You did your best to let go of him.
 Now it’s time for him to do the same.
 You were on the edge of the cliff as you spoke.
 “It’s okay, guys. I’ll do it.”
 Natasha and Clint looked towards you but didn’t have the chance to speak or move because you were already plummeting down.
They both ran towards the edge and looked down to see your body surrounded with your own blood. Natasha gawked while Clint just stood in shock.
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That was it. They got the stone. They got the soul stone but they lost you. Natasha, your best friend who treated you as her own sister cried in agony as Clint held her against him.
“She’s gone” she sobbed.
After everyone was back, Steve made a headcount but one was missing. His heart started beating faster and he started feeling anxious.
“Where’s Y/N?” he asked the two teammates.
Natasha and Clint looked at each other and then Natasha sobbed.
“She’s- I couldn’t stop her”
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Steve’s jaw clenched as he fell on his knees.
He fucked up.
He fucked up big time.
He lost his only chance and it’s all because he couldn’t see what was in front of him. He liked loved you but he never saw you reciprocate his feelings. That was until Natasha screamed at him about how she always wanted him and how she always planned on telling him until Peggy and Sharon.
The love has always been there.
‘I should have told you what you meant to me
Cause now I pay the price‘
“Do you ever just think if you could love someone knowing that you can lose them anytime?” Steve suddenly asked.
Y/N gave him a funny look but then answered. “Well I’d rather have spent a quarter of my life with someone I love instead of regretting every second of my life not having the chance to feel what it would be like to be with that someone.”
~end?
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spideyspoods · 5 years
Text
Promises
Pairing: Steve Rogers X F!Reader
A/N: I posted this and edited to add some tags and it deleted the ENTIRE (tout) the text. screw you, tumblr. Anyways I hope you enjoy this as much as I enjoyed writing it!
Warnings: Endgame spoilers & angst!
Word Count: 2,129
Masterlist!
Part One!
Part Two!
--
The minute each of them pressed the glowing blue button, they floated through the quantum realm. Admittedly, Y/N thought it was quite beautiful; blurs of blue and red circles whizzed past as they traveled at lightspeed. Beyond the beauty, she couldn’t quite shake the fear off her shoulders. Missions were never easy or safe, she knew that. But the realm itself was open. It spanned for who knew how long until you drift off into nothing.
It seemed that in an instant, they’ve reached Morag. Isolated and gloomy, a red beam of light was blocked by the dark clouds looming overhead. Rhodey looked over to Nebula, uneasy. “You’ve got this. Now go and kick some alien ass.” Y/N winked. Over his shoulder, Rhodey muttered, “Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that.” Both of them stepped foot on the rocky terrain and the remaining three still on the Benatar swapped positions. “Sorry, Y/N; Elders in the front.” Clint said as he dashed to take the passenger seat. Defeated, Y/N buckled up behind Natasha as she swiftly input the coordinates for Vormir. The ship trembled with turbulence once they sped through the universe at the speed of light.
“Looks like we’re a long way from Budapest.” which earned a chuckle from Nat. For the amount of times they’ve referenced it, no one truly knew what it meant. “What the hell happened in Budapest?”
The trio touched down on Vormir and it wasn’t any more welcoming than Morag. “With all of the alien invasions, you would think each planet would be crawling with them.” Y/N said. She stepped out of the spaceship and her sole of her boots slid amongst the mounds of sand. Natasha scoped, looking for the soul stone and ultimately pointed to the top of the only mountain on the planet. “Doesn’t look so bad.”
“Famous last words.”
It seemed like an endless trek to a summit that didn’t even exist. As they continued climbing upwards, it started to snow and the temperature dropped. At the top, each of them stopped to catch their breath. “Bet the raccoon didn’t have to climb a mountain.”
“Technically he’s not a raccoon.” quipped Clint. Y/N rolled her eyes, “You know her point, Barton. Let’s get this over with-”
“Who comes here?” A strained, hollow voice whispered. Like second nature, all of them pointed a weapon and turned. A ghostly figure floated in the air, a black cloak covering its features.
“Natasha, daughter of Ivan. Clint, son of Edith. Y/N, daughter of-”
“Let’s skip the pleasantries, shall we? Who are you?” Y/N stated rather impatiently. The figure seemed to drift closer.
“Consider me your guide. To you and to all who seek the soul stone.”
“Great. You tell us where it is and we’ll be on our way.” Natasha’s gun was still aimed at it, unwavering. Stepping out of the shade, it’s gaunt features sent a chill down her spine. With red skin and no flesh, it seemed to ring a bell in Y/N mind. She had remembered Steve mentioning Red Skull a few times, but wasn’t he already dead?
“If only it were that easy.”
At a slow and haunting pace, he stepped forward and gestured towards a cliff. Y/N shared an uneasy look at the two of them, feeling her heart drop to her stomach.
“What you seek lies in front of you, as does what you fear.”
“The stone’s down there.” Clint joined and looked down to the black abyss below.
“For one of you. In order to take the stone, you must lose which you love. An everlasting exchange,” he announced “a soul for a soul.”
Moments later, Natasha sat on a boulder deep in thought while Clint stood still. On the other hand, Y/N paced back and forth. “Maybe he’s joking, wouldn’t be the first time we’ve been played.”
“No. Thanos went here with his daughter and left without her.” Y/N turned around, grasping for anything. She couldn’t lose either one of them.
“Maybe it was just a coincidence, Nat.”
“Well I’ve never come across a coincidence I’ve liked.” She stood up as Y/N took a shaky breath. “Whatever it takes.” she echoed Steve’s words from moments ago, the weight of it all finally setting in. The pieces clicked together in Natasha and Clint’s minds and rushed towards the younger Avenger. “Y/N you can’t-” Clint grasped for her hand but she shook it off, “You can’t either! They can’t lose you, either of you!” she blinked away her tears before they could fall “The original six, there’s no way I’m letting you do it. Part of the journey is the end, isn’t that what Tony said?” Shaking her head, she defiantly stepped closer to the edge. “Y/N stop!”
“Your journey is just beginning, Y/N.”
“Clint, you have a family. Nat, you can finally find the peace you deserve. Safety. Home.” To that, the woman with red locks looked down, not being able to meet her gaze. Y/N had always been special to her. While they joked around, Y/N was always there for her no matter what. Clint held his head up. Ever since the day she joined them, he took her under his wing and made her feel at ease. He considered her one of his children, and he couldn’t possibly imagine saying his jokes to no witty responses anymore.
“What about Steve? You can’t leave him like this.” At the sound of his name, she stopped walking. Her heart ached, knowing that they’ll never reach their happy ending; but maybe happily ever after never existed. She thought back to their conversation just over a week ago, how they would reside in a small cabin in the woods and watch their children run around. She knew he would have done the same thing in her shoes. Maybe they were both reckless. It brought a somber smile on her face, to remember her last conversation with him.
“Wait for me?”
“I will.”
“Tell Steve to take all the time he needs. I’ll wait for as long as he wants.” with a teary eyed smirk, she composed herself.
“No! Y/N!” and she ran off the ledge, without looking back.
Present Time
With the press of a button, all of them were back in the Quantum Tunnel. Scott raised both his arms in the air and cheered, “Hell yeah! We did it!” shortly before everyone noticed someone was missing. Steve looked to his right, where Y/N should have been standing. Empty. “Clint, Nat? Where’s Y/N?” His blue eyes tried to find some answers in theirs, but to no avail. Clint dropped to his knees and Nat spoke barely above a whisper, “she’s gone.”
Hollow. That’s how Steve felt. He thought he knew what pain felt like; deep cuts and hits that would leave a mark on his skin. But through the entire century he had lived, he had felt nothing like this before. Steve felt absolutely shattered, depleting anything of his energy remaining dedicated to letting his anguish out on a few punching bags. Sometimes, he’d avoid walking past her old room in fear of reliving the times they spent together, not okay with the fact that they were nothing but mere memories now. He would grimace at the irony that he helped people cope with their pain, when it seemed that he lost any idea on how to. He heard a soft knock on his open door and he didn’t bother turning to check who it was. He found a photo frame perched atop the dresser. It was taken at the first ever Stark Gala they attended as a couple. Each of them smiled wider than ever as they looked into each other's eyes. God, he missed her.
“Steve, I miss her too.” Natasha sat on his bed, right next to him. His eyes were glossed over and bloodshot, dark circles around his eyes. She knew that he wouldn’t say anything, he hasn’t for the entire day. “You know she wanted me to tell you something before she,” she coughed “sacrificed herself.” He lifted his head up a little over an inch while turning to face Natasha. “She said ‘take all the time he needs. I’ll wait for as long as he wants.’” and to that, Steve let a tear drop onto the glass frame.
After collecting himself back together again, he jumped straight back into the mission. Y/N died for this, and he wanted to honor her. He vowed to give her a proper funeral afterwards, once the world went back to normal. After Bruce snapped with the gauntlet, their goal was over; save everyone else. The clear skies only lasted for so long before each of them realized that Thanos’ army would resurrect and wreak havoc. Steve didn’t really remember what happened, or if it even did. In the moments he would fall down, he’d think about Y/N and stood back up again. From the corner of his eye, he could see Tony wielding the gauntlet. He achingly got back up on his feet, in time to turn away from a blinding white light that lasted for a few seconds. Around him, aliens were reduced to nothing but dust. Thanos looked at his defeat, before his ashes fluttered away. For the first time in a while, Steve smiled. Quickly, he took in Tony’s pale and lifeless face. Steve watched from a distance, not wanting to interrupt his last few moments with the people he loved. Pepper pressed a lingering kiss to his cheek before the remaining life in his eyes faded away.
Tony’s funeral was merged with Y/N’s. Each avenger paid their respects as wreaths dedicated to them floated above the still water. A photo of Y/N was displayed on top of the wooden dock. Steve remembered how much she hated the photo; she would say that it wasn’t her best angle, but he loved it anyways. Her eyes sparkled and her smile brought the sun to shame. Steve finally came to peace with it, he’d meet her again soon; he just knew it.
With a briefcase filled with stones in hand, Steve looked to Bucky. He had told him of his plans already and with reluctance, Bucky ultimately let him. It was the least he deserved. “Don’t do anything stupid ‘til I get back.”
“How can I? You’re taking all the stupid with you.” They shared a brief hug before Steve stepped back into the tunnel. “How long is this gonna take?” “For him, as long as he needs,” Steve suited up hearing Y/N’s voice echo in Bruce’s words “but for us five seconds.” Five seconds pass and he hasn’t appeared. Calmly, Bucky pointed to a bench where an old man sat. Tentatively, Sam approached him.
“Hi, Sam.” Steve’s hair went gray, and his voice grew old.
“So did something go wrong or did something go right?” Sam immediately took in the fact that there was a solemn smile on his face. “Well after I put the stones back, I thought maybe I should try some of that life Tony told me to get.
“How’d that go?”
“It was beautiful.” Steve slowly reached for the circular bag and unzipped it to show a shield, in mint condition. “Try it on.” Carefully, Sam held it on his arm but it didn’t feel right.
“Thank you, Steve.” He caught a glimpse of a glimmering object on Steve’s ring finger; a golden wedding band. “Are you gonna tell me about her?”
“No. I don’t think I will.” Sam stepped back to Bruce and Bucky, giving the old man space. From a pocket on the inside of his jacket, Steve pulled out a photo that yellowed over time. He looked upon the figures on the sheet.
Y/N and Steve with their two children in their arms, relaxing near a picturesque lake similar to the one in front of him. 
He smiled, remembering the promise they’ve made to each other.
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