An Untold Legacy (FATWS X Reader)

[9] Legends Never Die

It was Tuesday when the call came. YN was sitting at the counter in the kitchen, a mug of coffee in her hand as she stared at her laptop screen, details of their suspended mission dancing across it. She had stared wide eyed at the screen, as the phone vibrated in her hand, her mouth running dry.

"Hello?" She answered quietly, getting to her feet and moving toward the front door, already half way through pulling her shoe on.

"Hello, Miss Rogers. I'm calling in regards to Steve?" YN swallowed, quickly responding and urging the nurse to continue. "I'm sorry, but are you able to head to the hospital quickly? He has gone downhill and we aren't sure if he has much time." YN felt her eyes fill with tears as she tried to pull her other shoe over her foot.

"Okay..." YN sniffed, tipping her head back to try and halt any further tears escaping. "Okay, I'll be there as quick as I can." The call ended and YN's phone dropped from where it was pressed between her ear and shoulder. Both of her hands were struggling to pull her trainer over her heel and the longer it took the more she grew frustrated. "Bucky?" YN called, hiccupping around a sob. "Bucky!" Bucky and Sam came into view quickly at the distress in YN's voice, finding her resting her head against the wall, small sobs falling from her mouth.

"Hey, hey, what's going on?" Bucky exclaimed, coming to her side and helping her finish sliding her shoe on.

"They... they called." Bucky stopped his movements, quickly glancing back at Sam. "It's happening."

YN, Bucky and Sam arrived at the hospital in a flurry, YN barging through groups of people, leaving Sam to apologize as the two men followed. Her feet halted right outside Steve's room, the woman swallowing around a lump as she caught sight of her brother laying limply under his sheets.

"Did you want to go in alone?" Bucky whispered, standing a few feet behind her and avoiding looking in. YN didn't answer for a moment, debating whether she would be strong enough to face Steve on her own. Finally deciding she needed to persevere, YN nodded, not saying anything before slipping through the door and leaving a deathly silence behind her.

"Steve?" YN whispered, placing her hand gently down on his. "Hey, it's YN." Steve turned his head slowly, the oxygen tube by his nose lifting as he attempted a smile. "Hey, there you are."

"Hey, beautiful." YN clenched her teeth at Steve's raspy tone. "How are you?"

"Been better, Stevie." Steve's eyes grew sad as he turned his hand over and grasped YN's. "How are you feeling?"

"Content." YN lowered her head as tears finally slid down her cheeks and off her chin, the woman unable to hold them back any longer. "Don't cry." He whispered, coughing slightly as he tried to move to face her. "I'm right here, always." Lifting his hand, he placed it against YN's chest, which was shaking with the effort of holding her sobs in. She felt something rattle against her skin, and she gasped as she realized what it was.

"Is this?" Steve nodded as YN opened the compass, biting the inside of her cheek as her eyes danced over the picture he'd placed over the one of Peggy that used to occupy it. "This was after the snowball fight on fifth street, right?"

"Right." Steve said, also staring at the picture of her, Steve and Bucky, absolutely covered in dirt and snow, giant smiles on their face. "Just something for you to hold onto, something that you can look at and smile."

Nodding, YN forced her mouth to pull upward, trying to tell Steve how appreciative of the gift she was. "I love you so much." YN whined, pressing her face to the sheets as Steve sighed. "I don't want you to go, please."

"YN-" YN shook her head as she sobbed, letting another wave of tears fall down her cheeks.

"No," she said. "No, you can't. I lost you and Bucky already, I just got you both back, and we've finally stopped fighting. We lost Tony and... and Nat and..." YN stood to her feet, the chair clattering to the ground behind her.

"Hey," Steve said, grabbing her hand with the limited strength he had left. "Look at me." YN obliged, meeting Steve's eyes as her chest heaved in shaking sobs. "This is how it was meant to be."

Sam and Bucky entered after half an hour of YN and Steve being together, both just sponging the remaining time they had with each other. Bucky lowered his body into the chair opposite YN, on the other side of Steve's bed, and Sam stood at Steve's feet, both having equally solemn looks on their faces.

Steve was very pale, and he'd gone quiet nearly ten minutes prior to their entering, making YN's stomach curl in fear. The blonde super soldier forced a smile, trying to ease the nerves of his two best friends. The three of them watched as Steve sunk further into the bed, his body slowly losing its battle with old age.

"Hey, Buck." Steve whispered, collecting Bucky's hand in his as YN lifted her legs to her chest, hiding her wet face behind her knees.

"Hey, pal, how're you feeling?" Bucky squeezed Steve hand lightly, leaning over to place a chaste kiss on his knuckles.

"Take care of her, won't you?" Steve avoided the question. YN made a muffled noise, sounding like a wounded puppy as her body shook in her seat. "Both of you?" Sam nodded, glancing at YN with a pursed lips, his hand landing on Steve's shin.

"She might be looking after us, man." Sam responded with a small smile, finally moving to stand next to YN as Steve let out a shuddering breath. Steve winced as he tried to say something more and Bucky clenched his teeth, shaking his head as the blonde looked to him.

"It's alright, we know." Steve nodded, letting his body relax, his eyes moving to YN who lifted her head just in time to see Steve's understanding eyes before they fluttered shut. "We love you, pal."

The monitor in the corner of the room let out a long, heartbreaking sound as Steve's chest stopped moving. Sam felt YN's hoarse cry before he heard it, he felt it crawl up her back, under where his hand was placed, and he heard it fall into the air as the rest of the room fell silent.

Sam dropped into a crouch and pulled YN to his chest as she broke down, the loss of her brother tearing a man-sized hole in her chest. YN fell into the embrace, making the two bodies collapse to the ground. Bucky cried silently in his chair, his hand still enveloped by Steve's, the appendage limply covering his own.

A few hours later, YN was sat on her bed, staring at the door of her room. She'd had a shower, but didn't quite remember getting in or getting out, she just knew she'd had one because her body was wrapped in a towel and her hair was wet.

Sam had knocked on the door after another stretch of time, and YN couldn't gather the energy to call out, let alone get up to open the door. Sam eventually entered anyway, sighing as he took in the blank stare on the woman's face.

"How are you feeling?" YN shrugged, barely blinking as Sam sat next to her. "Do you need some help?" Sam sighed again as another shrug shook YN's shoulders. He got to his feet and moved to YN's closet, gathering together some sleep clothes and setting them by her. He picked up the shirt and looked at her. "I'm going to put this over your head, okay?"

"Okay," she finally whispered, allowing the fabric to cover her head and pool at her shoulders. Sam helped her pull her arms through, and pulled it down over the towel on her chest. He finished by helping YN pull the sweats up her bare legs, removing the towel after they were situated around her hips. YN sniffled as Sam placed the blanket over her shoulders, brushing wet strands of hair from her face. "Thank you."

"Anytime." Sam responded, leaving the room quietly. Once in the hall, he rested his forehead against the wooden door of YN's room, finally allowing his own tears to fall down his cheeks.6+