Work Text:
“You can’t quit Y/n.”
He’s upset, I don’t blame him. Anybody in his position would be mad. The tone he uses blocks out any feeling of remorse I had walking into his office however. He sounds like a dictator, or my mother, telling me what I can and can’t do.
“I can and I will, I’ve read over the papers again and again Steve. I just can’t do it anymore, I wasn’t bred for this.”
I think i went too far, he’s tearing up now. I just can’t do this anymore. No amount of training could fix it either. I just want to go back to my shitty life. The life I had before I got dragged into all of this.
“Y/n, please. We need you. We’re not a team without you.”
Part of my heart chips away hearing him beg like that. I’ve known Steve for almost 3 years now, and never have I ever heard his tone shake like that. Then I’m hit with the smell of sulfur, blood, and fresh spring rain. I’m not in his office anymore, I’m in a forest. Standing in front of my sister. She’s the source of the sulfur and blood smell. She’s dying, and I realize it too late. No amount of superhuman abilities can bring her back and in that moment nothing seems right. I’m crying, and someone is calling out my name. I can’t tell what is real and what isn’t anymore.
“I can’t Steve, I can’t shake it. I’m a gardener from Boston. My place isn’t on the battlefield, it’s in a greenhouse.”
I turn to leave, leaving behind all my friends and family behind. My hand is on the doorknob, but I can’t turn it. Tears stream down my face, and soak my back. He’s crying into my back and hugging me.
“Please. I can’t do it without you. The Team can maybe, but I can’t. You’re My person Y/n. I need you, I need you.”
I sigh and open the door, gently shaking him off of me.
“When you’re ready to settle down Steve, you know where to find me.”
I never did see Steve again, or any of the avengers. They never visited, never tried to reach out and for the most part I never tried to reach out to them either. I moved back into my own house in Boston, continuing my study on plants. Stark had paid off any debt I had and my rent for at least another 20 years. I was able to get back onto my feet and get a job. Life was peaceful. I for the most part ignored the news, guilt filling me to the core whenever a news report about the avengers was on. Then a single phone call dragged me back in.
“I’m not calling to settle down with you, though I wish I was. It’s not just me that needs your help this time, it’s the universe.”