𝙳𝚎𝚜𝚝𝚛𝚞𝚌𝚝 | 𝙱𝚘𝚘𝚔 𝟷

𝙲𝚑𝚊𝚙𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝙵𝚘𝚛𝚝𝚢 𝚃𝚠𝚘

𝚂𝚘𝚏𝚒𝚊

☆═━┈┈━═☆

Fire, there was fire everywhere.

I paused at the entrance of the restaurant, eyes flickering to all the tiki torches that were lit, illuminating the table where our families and friends sat. I felt the heat encapsulate me again, throwing me back to that night I was locked in Saint Michales Cathedral, where Bucky threw me into the center and bolted the doors. Steve felt my body freeze, his hand squeezing mine as we stood in the threshold of the doorway. "Baby," Steve leaned down, my clouded vision being filled with him, with the man I love, "I love you, you can do this."

"Bucky did it," I whispered, blinking rapidly to try and get rid of the tears, my heart was thumping in my chest so fast I feared it was going to bust out of my ribcage and plunge to the wooden floor. I shook my head, trying to rid myself of the memories, of Bucky's hands shoving me into the cathedral, of the scent of gasoline that filled my nostrils when the I was sealed into the church, of the way I gave in accepting that my life was about to be over, just because Bucky Barnes saw me as a threat, when all I wanted was to be like them.

"What?" Steve hardened his gaze, and I knew he wasn't going to believe me, why would he? Just because Bucky was tormenting us now, there was no way he could believe his friend wanted to kill the girl he was going to marry. "Bucky's crazy, sure, passionate as fuck, but he wouldn't want to kill you, he panicked that night when he saw you in the road."

"I know what happened that night, you don't have to believe me," I took a step back, my eyes never leaving the fire flickering above me, "but I know what happened when my life was nearly ended over you. Why would I lie about that?"

The panic flourished in my body, heart beating wildly in my chest when eyes turned to look at us. I had my entire family staring at me, not just mine but Steve's and our friends. Tears flooded my eyes, and Steve softened, hands coming up to cup my cheeks, keeping me close. "Can we talk about this later baby," he lowered his mouth to mine, speaking against my lips, my stomach rolling at the feeling of losing everything again, "let's not do this here."

I pulled my head back, blue eyes looking at me with sympathy, "you think I'm lying."

"Sofia-"

I pulled his hands off my face, the sand filling my heels when I stepped out the door of the restaurant, sticky air pushing my mint green dress against my skin. "Oh god," I felt my stomach burn, shaking when I ran my hand down my throat, "oh god Officer Hill was right," Steve was watching me wide eyed, his blue eyes trailing down my body when I pulled my heels off, tossing them aside, I didn't care what happened to them, "none of you would ever believe me. Your loyalty is with Barnes."

"Baby, please, let's not do this here."

So much fire, fire in the restaurant, in my veins, in my memories.

Before I could bolt, run from my problems, from Steve, his hand gripped my wrist, pulling me up to him. "We don't run from each other," I felt his disappointment, looking up to see the hurt in his eyes, "my loyalty is with you, my future wife, that doesn't make it an easy pill to swallow finding out that my best friend, the kid I grew up with, the person I have twenty three years worth of memories with, tried to kill the only woman I've ever loved," his mouth came down on mine, dominating my mouth, the tension in my shoulders disappearing, his hand released my wrist, moving to grip my hips, holding me so I couldn't leave him.

It took him devouring me to realize Steve's biggest fear. Losing me.

I don't remember too much of the night, I remember moments that lead up to the fire. I remember Bucky leading me to the church, and then the smoke that claimed my breath. I also remember Steve's panicked face when we reached the hospital, the red emergency light illuminating him as he cooed gently, whispering that he had me before he was rushing me into the waiting room, commanding nurses and doctors. I remember waking up and my mother in the room, telling me that Steve had stayed and not believing her because I was just a one night thing. I was a weight he was ready to get rid of.