Chapter Text
“Shit, there’s more of them then we thought.”
“Hey, watch your language.”
Steve turned his head to look back at you just long enough for you to catch the glare he shot at you. You couldn’t help the smug grin that captured your lips, patting him on the back, and mumbling an apology. It obviously wasn’t the time to be making jokes, being that you were on a mission and all. But you really couldn’t help making fun of your best friend. Especially when Steve just made it so easy.
“On my count,” Steve whispered, and even though you were right behind him, he was amplified over the comms, just in case you were to get separated. “Three.”
You tightened your grip on your ICER. Steve moved his shield to the magnets on the sleeve of his uniform.
“Two.”
Steve looked back at you again. A soft smile crossed your face, forgetting, just for that split second, what you were there for. He nodded, and you broke out of it and nodded back.
“One!”
You didn’t know when it happened. You didn’t remember when you lost sight of Steve. Or when you ended up in the basement of the base you were infiltrating, one of the last Hydra bases left after Zemo had uncovered more Russian information with the other Winter Soldiers scandal.
But you did remember when a bullet found its way under your suit, lodging in your side, and the searing, blinding pain that came from it.
And the shot from your own gun that brought the bastard who shot you down before you collapsed.
All you could hear was your heartbeat pounding loudly in your ears, your ragged breath as you sat slumped against a wall, losing more and more blood by the minute. You were sure you were going to die here.
You had your fair share of regrets. You pondered them as you made the weakest of attempts to press your hands against your side and try to stop the bleeding.
Your eyelids were starting to close. Your body was starting to give up. You could feel yourself slipping under. You didn’t know if you were ready for it. But it was starting to feel like you didn’t have an option.
“(Y/N)?”
A cough was all you could muster in response, swimming, your mind foggy, everything a blur.
“Oh my god, (Y/N).” You felt hands cup your face, taking some of the effort from you to keep yourself upright. You took the saved energy and forced your eyes to open.
Steve kneeled in front of you, covered in dirt, in blood, concern etched into every inch of his face. You never saw him like this. You never wanted to.
“Steve…” You croaked out, and soon after, another small fit of coughing.
“Hey, hey, don’t strain,” Steve said quietly, one hand moving to lay of yours on the wound. “You’re going to be all right, okay? The extraction team is two minutes out. You’re going to be fine. I promise.”
You swallowed, hard, and tried to sit up more against the wall, against Steve’s warnings. You hissed in pain as the movement angered the fiery pain in your side. “Steve, I have to…”
Steve’s attention was elsewhere for a moment. He was scanning the area around the two of you, looking for something to soak up the blood, to help more than your hands were.
“Steve.”
His icy blue eyes met yours, eyebrows furrowed. “If you’re about to make some sort of will, save your breath. You’re making it out of here whether you like it or not.”
You could see the pain in his own eyes. A part of you couldn’t help but feel some sort of relief in seeing how this was hurting him, seeing you like this. Because it only fed the idea that he really did care.
A weak smile tugged at your lips. “You know....” You closed your eyes for a minute and took a deep breath, as big as one as you could manage, trying to find just enough strength. When you opened them again, Steve was closer, although part of his trousers were missing and the fabric was being pressed into your side.
You groaned again, and when Steve apologized, you mumbled, “I made the biggest mistake of falling in love with my best friend .”
Steve stopped. He caught your eyes again, and if you weren’t nearly gone from the blood loss, you could have sworn there was some color in his cheeks. “What?”
Were you really about to do this now? When you were dying on the floor, his hands pressed into your side, trying to keep you alive?
Your head fell back against the wall, having no more strength to keep it upright by yourself. You winced, though the shock of it was nothing compared to the bullet still lodged in you. “You never give up. And even when I’m bleeding out in front of you, I can’t help but love you for it, even though I’ll die before you ever love me back.”
Steve was quiet for a moment. You could see it eating at him. He bit his lower lip, looked down at your side before he could meet your eyes again. You wished that you could read his mind. “You’re not going to die, (Y/N).”
You squeezed your eyes shut. “Steve.”
You felt his hands over yours, pressing, making you hiss in pain again. “Press, (Y/N).”
You didn’t want to, but you obliged.
Then his hands were on your face again, and you couldn’t help but open your eyes to look at him. Maybe for the last time.
“You’re not going to die. You hear me?” Steve murmured, his voice breaking. You blinked for a second, unsure if you were really seeing what you were seeing in front of you. You watched as tears started to slice through the dirt and blood on his face, rolling down his cheeks.
“Steve, don’t…” You weakly leaned your cheek against one of his palms, desperate to enjoy what little time you had left with him.
“You’re not going to die,” He repeated, his voice still wavering, but stronger. You realized he was holding it in for you. Trying to be strong. For you. His forehead pressed to yours, and his eyes fluttered closed. “You have to hold on. They’ll be here. I promise. Hold on for me.”
“You… Don’t pity me, Steve,” You whispered, your own eyes flooding with tears. “You can let me die. I’m okay knowing you don’t. It’s okay.”
“(Y/N), no.” Steve sucked in a sharp breath, his thumbs stroking your cheeks. “You’re not going to die. I—”
Your eyes fluttered closed, getting weaker by the second. You wouldn’t be able to hold on for much longer.
Then you felt his lips on your cheek. Felt his mouth tickle your skin when he murmured against it. “I’m not pitying you. I do love you, (Y/N), I do. You have to hold on. I’ll prove to you I’m serious. You just have to hold on. Please .”
It was the last thing you heard before you blacked out.