At What Cost

Coming to a Close

"Sir, it think it's safe to assume that Ms. L/n-"

"FRIDAY, please don't try and get me to turn around....Not now....I'm to close..." Tony soared thru the cold New York City air as he scanned the area for Y/n location. The cheeky bastard had deleted all the files on the warehouses location. Every time Tony tried to pinpoint where she was on his computers, or thru the cameras, the system would shut down. He now regretted letting Y/n sit and watch him when he would fix the main frames.

Vision had decided to stay back. He said that he had already caused enough pain in this war, and he would not let his own carelessness hurt Y/n. Tony fought with him for a moment or two, but decided to leave him behind. He was done trying to make people do what they didn't want to. He learned that the hard way with Steve.

One thing was certain; the warehouse was in the city, or close to it. It would take him a little while but he knew he would find Y/n eventually. He would stay out all night if he had to. He was not going home unless Y/n was by his side. He had lost to many people due to his carelessness, he wasn't about to add Y/n to that list.

~

"But why?"

Steve questioned as he approached Y/n. She hung her head as he walked over to her. Her heart was aching and she wanted so desperately for all this to end. The room was silent, everyone awaiting her answer. Her mind was telling her to get out, to leave this place and have T'Challa take care of the rest. But her heart was screaming for Steve. It wanted to see him smile at her, it wanted to feel his arms encase her in a tight hug. Her heart was telling her to tell Steve that she loved him.

It sat heavy in her chest as the rest of the group began gathering things up. They had been told to pack their bags, because they would be leaving soon. Everyone had done as they were told; everyone but Steve. His mind was racing. He didn't know why Y/n was acting this way. She had always been so open, so lighthearted, but now she stood guarding something and her heart was weighing her down. Steve could see it in her eyes. The same look his eyes held for so many years. That glassed over, half alive look that he knew all too well. His heart screamed for him to hold her, to make things right. He knew deep down that Y/n had that look in her eyes because of him. This was his doing, it was his fault. He looked at her for a moment or two and saw something there he hadn't noticed before.

How truly beautiful she was.

Sure she had pleasant features and a dazzling smile, but none of that mattered. He knew deep down, under all the pain that filled her, she was the most beautiful person he had ever known. The way she spoke, the smell of her hair, the way her nose wrinkled when she was thinking and more little things like that were what he found truly beautiful. He felt like a fool for not seeing it sooner. He wasn't very good at knowing his own feelings. Or other peoples.

"Y/n...." He breathed

She looked up at the blonde with tear stained cheeks. She looked into those deep blue eyes and got butterflies in her stomach. He had always been there, he always would. He was the best thing that had ever happened to her. She loved him more than anything on this planet. Her heart was bleeding for him, but she froze when she remembered who Steve had to go home to.

Sharon.

The blonde woman's image appeared in her mind as she stared blankly at Steve's face. She was perfect. Smooth blonde hair, perfect body, clear blue eyes, and to top it all off she was a Carter. How the hell was Y/n supposed to compete with that? She knew that Steve had feeling for Sharon, and she was okay with that. She wanted nothing more than for Steve to be happy.
But at the same time she wanted to be happy too, and she couldn't see herself being happy without Steve.

"I'm going away..." She rasped as she faked a smile.
Steve froze, his heart snapped in two. The look on her face was killing him, and he did nothing to stop it. His brow furrowed as he exhaled, a look of confusion on his face.

She took a deep breath, "I can't go back to the compound." She sighed, "Now that I've been in contact with you, if I try and go home they could have me arrested. So I'm going away...." Steve walked up to her and took her hands in his. The size difference melted his heart. Her soft delicate hands felt perfect inside of his large gruff ones.

"Come with me..." He whispered. She looked up at him in shock. She shook her head softly as she maintained eye contact. "Yes, we can go to Wakanda together. If you come with me I can protect you. I can protect both of you." His eyes looked back at Bucky and then to Y/n. She placed a hand on his cheek and smiled. Steve felt his heart stop when she touched his skin.

"But who will protect you?"

~

Tony hovered above the city, a look of frustration on his face. His armored head turned in every direction, scanning every inch of the city. He felt angry tears well up in his eyes as he looked frantically for Y/n's location. Defeat was beginning to consume him as his heart sunk lower and lower. His breaths became shaky as he began to accept the fact that Y/n might be gone.
He felt like such an idiot for letting this happen. It was a foolish mistake to let Y/n go and question criminals alone. His froze when he realized what had just crossed his mind.

Criminals?

Is that what they had become? They were no longer family, just common criminals? The thought alone was enough to make him cry, but he took a deep breath and sorted his thoughts. He needed to think like Steve. If he was a 97-year-old super solider from Brooklyn, where would he hide?
He closed his eyes and thought long and hard. His mind passed thru every memory he had of Steve in hopes of finding something. Then it dawned on him.


Brooklyn......


His heart picked up pace as he turned his head towards the city. "FRIDAY, scan the Brooklyn area for Y/n tracker...." He spoke in a rushed tone as images began to appear on the screen before his eyes. "He wouldn't actually run back to his home town would he?" Tony asked himself, "He's not that stupid..."
An image of a broken down warehouse appeared on screen as FRIDAY began to speak. "Sir, her tracking beacon turned up here. It's faint, but still there." Tony shook his head and sighed, "Son of a bitch... FRIDAY set flight course for that location, it's time to bring her home..."

~

"But who will protect you?"

Those words were swimming thru his ears. Steve couldn't answer. He didn't know how. When he became Captain America he felt as though he out grew the need for protection. He was so used to protecting other people he hardly ever stopped to think about his own safety. This was yet another reason he had grown to love Y/n. She was always looking out for him, no matter what.

He closed his eyes and leaned into her touch earning a small gasp from Y/n. if she didn't know any better, she would think that Steve like her touch. But he couldn't.... Could he?

The thought was cut short when something in her belt began beeping. Steve's eyes flew open when the sound reached his ears. The rest of the team soon gathered around a frazzled Y/n as she pulled the small device from her belt pocket. The screen lit up with an alert in bright red letters. Y/n's heart dropped to her stomach as she stared at the warning. "No....." She breathed as she clutched the devise in her hands.

"What is it?" Bucky asked as he walked up behind Steve. Y/n looked up frantically, "T-Tony..." She stuttered. Sam grabbed the screen from her with a growl and Y/n looked over at him as he held it up for all to see.

"If you're not a spy....." Sam began, turning to look at Steve. "Then why is Tony in route to your location?"

She swallowed hard as she looked to Steve. His face fell as he looked over at Y/n. "You lied to me....." He whispered.

​​​​​​​Y/n shook as she watched Steve's expression turn dark.