Avengers/X-Men One Shots - The Blood/White Phoenix Saga

ONE-SHOT XLV: Rushed Goodbyes

Set after Blood Phoenix 6

Adelaide Lehnsherr

The cold of Bucky's metal hand still seeped through the thick winter glove and into my warm hand as we walked through the mall, at a semi-rushed pace. People moved past him and bumped all around him, and I felt the bionic arm tense around my hand.

'Just relax, James. It's okay. Look, the sooner we get out of here, the sooner we're out of the country. Okay?'

'Right. It's just - there's so many people. And they're so close, and they're bumping into me and-'

'Just... breathe. Slow down and breathe.' He nodded and took a deep breath in and out. 'You feel looser, yes?' He nodded again, and we kept walking. Along the way, the two of us got something to eat. We sat at a table in the middle of the mall, eating. James would constantly scan the room, his wary blue eyes dancing around for dangers. He was hardly eating. I put my hand on his and he looked down at our hands, my thumb rubbing the back of his hand.

'You okay?' he asked.

'Eat, James. Please. You need it more than I do.' He looked at me with uncertainty in his eyes. He pulled a french fry out of the basket and ate it, keeping his eyes on mine.

'I have no idea why the world today feels the need to fry everything,' he mused, shoving another fry in his mouth. 'Still, it's better than what I used to eat, well, back in HYDRA.' I laughed.

'Can you believe that was even classified as food?' This caused him to laugh too.

'Yeah, that food was shit.' He gave me a small smile, then returned to his food.

'Steve -' I started to say, and at this I knew I had made a mistake. His eyes flashed up to mine.

'Steve?' he asked, his voice dark and strained. His eyes were clouded over. I put my hand on his.

'It's okay. I'm right here. You can fight this. I'm here.' He breathed in and out, his breathing husky and ragged as he fought to keep his composure. He relaxed eventually and sat back. 'I mean, Cap - Captain Rogers, he told me the food wasn't much better when you were growing up in the 40's. He said they boiled everything.'

'Yeah, quite literally,' he replied snarkily, making me laugh. Just then my phone rang and his eyes shifted to mine in alarm.

'It's okay, James. It's just my phone.' I waved it in front of his face to reassure him, and he nodded, his face still a mask of literal worry. I put the phone to my ear. 'If you are here to kidnap me, take me back to HYDRA or kill me, that's not going to work. I have a certain Winter Soldier here with a bionic arm, and he will not very happy if you hurt either one of us.'

'Relax, Adelaide. It's me, Steve. Nat and I are on your six, at the entrance to the flower shop.' I turned and saw two people standing there. One was short, with red hair poking out her hood, wearing sunglasses, chewing a stick of gum. The tall male was wearing a dark blue hoodie, his hands in his pockets and aviator sunglasses over his face. I heard a small squeaking of the chair in front of me and turning slightly, it became apparent that James had seen him as well. He looked on the verge of a panic attack. I stood.

'Stay, Winter. I'll call for you if I need. Capiche?' He nodded.

'Got it.' I walked over towards the flower shop, where Steve and Natasha were waiting. I ducked into the flower shop and faced them. Steve took off his aviators, revealing his blue eyes to me.

'For the record, you guys suck at disguises.'

'So I'm told,' Steve replied. 'You weren't there.'

'Come again?'

'You weren't there,' Nat said. 'When Steve woke up.'

'Nat was there. Sam was there. I was - when I woke, I was hoping you would be there. I missed you, that's all.' He looked over to the still semi-vigilant former Winter Soldier, eating his cheeseburger while looking around for potential threats.

'We thought you would be there,' Natasha said. 'Are you -' she started to say, struggling to ask it, '- are you safe with him?'

'Yes. He doesn't hurt me, not really. Part of him still thinks I'm his partner or something.'

'Bring him back to the tower, Adelaide. Me and you and Bucky can -'

'No, Steve. He's - he has to work this out on his own. I'm really sorry I wasn't there, I really am. I don't know why he rescued me. I don't know what was going through his thought process when he pulled me from that river, then took me with him.'

'So you can't come back?'

'No. Not for a while. Not for a while. I would love to, but James and I have to figure ourselves out. We have to do this together - and alone.'

'Please -' Natasha said, her eyes watering as she captured me in a hug, 'please just be safe. Be safe with him.' I gave her a hug back, smiling against her jacket sleeve.

'I always am, Nat. I will.' I gave Steve a hug next.

'I'll miss you.' He grabbed my shoulders gently.

'I'll miss you too, Steve.'

'If you ever need anything, Adelaide, don't hesitate to call. You know my number.'

'Likewise. And if anyone else finds themselves in a stick of trouble, call me. That goes for Stark and Banner too.'

'We will. Please be careful.'

'Always am, Cap,' I said, saluting. He laughed, then I turned and went back to James. I took his hand, and we got up and disappeared into the crowd.

Third Person POV

Steve Rogers watched the crowd. Any sign of them... anywhere. The six-foot brunette with the dark baseball cap. The five-foot-three girl with the red baseball cap and the leather jacket. They'd disappeared like the ghosts they were - completely swallowed up into the hustling and bustling crowd at the mall. He peered further, but there was no sign of them. He looked down to see Natasha rubbing his arm.

'They'll be safe. She gave us her word.'

'I know,' he replied, but his eyes were were still on the crowd. 'I know.'