Into the Unknown || A Captain America Love Story

45

Tori

"Clint, it's the enhanced," I say into the comm. "That's why no one's responding."
"Everyone but us and your brother," Clint replies over the whizzing of his arrows.
I wrap my legs around the neck of a suit and spin him to the ground. I land on my feet with a grunt and dig my knife into the back of its neck. Then, I continue to run through the base.
"Have you seen anybody yet?" I ask.
"Nope, I'm stuck up here."
"Not even the enhanced?"
"Nope,"
I sprint to where Steve, Tony, and Thor were at the start of this madness. I march across the bridge and glance at a corner. I see Steve slowly rising from the pile of large guns, stumbling as he rips off his helmet.
"Clint, I found Steve." I say into my comm.
"Oh good, how is he?" Clint questions.
"Oh, just peachy," I comment. "Like he's a zombie."
"This shouldn't be something to joke about, but it sounds like Natasha in the morning. But anyway, snap him out of it," he commands. "You've done it before, you can do it again. I know you can."
I gulp and take my boyfriend's hands in mine. His eyes are red and he seems to be in a faraway land.
"Steve?" I beg. "Honey, listen to me."
He doesn't do anything. He continues to walk into space without looking at me.
When my lips form his name, I'm off into the same world as him.

•••

I stand outside of S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters with my hands by my sides. I am wearing the same blue dress that I wore the day that I saved Steve from the bullet in London when we had recently first met. I gently brush a lock of hair that escaped my bun behind my ear. Agents rush around me in the afternoon sun, readying the landing area for the quinjet.
Memories of Steve flash before my eyes—our first kiss, ice skating, comforting me from my nightmares, our apartment, and then things that were unknown to me. We walk along the beachside at sunset and he gets on one knee with a velvet box containing a shining ring in his hands, me wearing a white gown and kissing him, a large house, and then I am back into headquarters.
I look down at my hands which are now together. A small paper is between them. My eyes shift to the sparkling wedding ring that is on my left hand. I feel heat crawling across my cheeks as I move my thumbs to see the photo. It is black and white with a small white dot in the center. It's something I've never seen in real life before, let alone being mine. My smooth handwriting is along the bottom, spelling out something that I've only daydreamed out.
The humming of the quinjet becomes louder and louder as it lands. My heart beats with anticipation when the hatch opens. From experience, I expect Steve to be barreling out to kiss me; however, this time is different. Every other Avenger, even Bruce and Thor, slowly steps out with a melancholy expression. I furrow my eyebrows when Tony approaches me with tears filling his eyes. He doesn't even have enough time to utter "I'm sorry" before my tears start to spill.
"Where is he?" I ask, my stomach beginning to churn with grief. My brother glances at the ground with sadness. "Where is my husband?"
Tony takes me into his arms as I violently sob. He strokes my hair and his own tears begin to fall.
I now know what it feels like to die. It hurts so much, like your heart is being ripped from your body piece by piece. Like your soul is being deducted from your whole. In the end, they all leave you with nothing but a physical form, without the capability to live.
"I'm going to have to tell it to you slowly," he chokes out.
I nod, letting out another sob.
"Steve was rescuing children from a building near the H.Y.D.R.A. base," Tony begins. "He ran inside only to find out the building was already cleared. A-A bomb went off when he was so close to coming out. H-H-He ended the way that he wanted to, Tori."
"N-N-No," I cry. "He's not gone. He's not dead!"
"I'm so sorry," he says. "I tried to help, we all did. We just didn't make it in time."
"I-I-I can't do this without him, Tony. I-I can't!"
"I know, that's why we're all here for you. We're gonna help you every step of the way."
"I can't do it without Steve," I sob.
Just his name coming out of my mouth is like flame rolling off my tongue—painful and unforgettable.
When the sympathy from my friends comes to a close and they go to inform Fury, I glance back at the photo. I read over the print one last time. I take each edge of the photo and rip it to shreds. My breakdown coming to a climax, I walk away with the words on the ultrasound imprinted in my memory: Congratulations, Daddy.

•••

I gasp loudly when I'm shaken out of my thoughts. I'm on my knees with tears streaming down my cheeks. Steve kneels in front of me with his eyes full of terror. My face is in his trembling hands.
"Victoria?" Steve asks. "Can you hear me?"
"Oh my god," I breathe.
I bury my face into the crook of his neck, wrapping my arms around him. He strokes my hair and has an arm around my waist.
"I love you," I whisper.
"I love you too," Steve coos. "W-We really need to get outta here. She got Bruce too."