I Thought You Were Different

Goodbyes

"Ultron thinks that we're monsters, that we're what's wrong with the world."

"You okay?" Bruce whispered, nudging you gently with his shoulder as he sat next to you on the quinjet. "You haven't looked up since we left."

"This isn't about beating him. It's about whether he's right." Steve finished, glancing at you briefly, though you didn't see him. You had completely avoided looking anywhere in his direction since you last spoke.

You gave Bruce a silent nod, trying to focus on preparing yourself for the fight; the fight that would put you side-by-side with your very recent ex. Steve had always been your partner on a mission, long before your relationship had begun, but this would be the first time that you were fighting him at the same time. "I just need to focus, Bruce. I can't let myself get distracted."

"I don't think that you're going to have much of a choice, (Y/N). He's been watching you since we boarded."

"Good for him," you whispered with a flat tone, standing to make your way to the pilot seat but pausing, pointing and looking at Wanda inquisitively when familiarity struck you. "Is that my jacket?"

Her head lowered immediately and turned away from you, her body language visibly uncomfortable. Steve cleared his throat slightly and turned towards you, but you still didn't acknowledge him. "She's with us now, (Y/N)."

"Still doesn't explain the jacket."

Tony let out a small chuckle, turning back to watch the sky and checking the controls for how much time you had left to be confined in the jet together, hoping to get there before a full-on brawl had a chance to start. Clint was next to him, groaning quietly to himself and shaking his head, "those two might forget that Ultron's even there. We might need a plan B just for them."

~~~

Even fighting with Steve, both next to him and with him, you hadn't said a word to each other during the battle. You didn't really need to though; your styles complemented each other and you had worked together so much that it was natural to be a team. When a pause finally came and you had a moment to catch your breath despite the thinning air around you, he reluctantly joined you at your side.

"I'm not leaving this rock with one civilian on it."

Steve was so noble and so selfless that you had no choice but to admire him for it, but you also knew exactly what he was saying to you. "There's worse ways to go," you agreed with a sad smile. "Where else am I gonna get a view like this?"

He wasn't expecting you to so readily agree with him; he was expecting you to put up a fight, given that he was the one saying that he was ready to die here and knew that it would take you with him. When he turned to finally look at you he thought that you would be watching the sky, but you were finally looking right at him. "(Y/N)..."

"Glad you like the view, (Y/N)," Fury interrupted as the helicarrier rose along side the city, "it's about to to get better."

"That's not possible," you replied quietly, both of you quickly turning to run back towards the crowds together.

~~~

The fight had ended with the team fractured and beaten, with a loss and a missing member. That small moment together during the rescue was the last time you had spoken to Steve; he had moved to the new training facility upstate while you had stayed behind to help Tony with the renovation of the tower. You had both agreed that time apart was what you needed, and this provided the perfect opportunity for exactly that. Several weeks had gone by before Tony felt it was time for him to pay the new group a visit.