Whatever It Takes

Chapter 105 - That's The Other Thing

*A few days later*

You hadn't spoken to, or seen Sam or Bucky since that day, and surprisingly it hadn't been a relief. Now that your life was wholly based on moving on, you felt their absence more sharply. The problem was, you had taken a page out of Nat's book, and were being stubborn.

The last few days had been spent with Bruce and Steve, the latter not bringing anything up, thankfully. Bruce's priority, however, was getting the stones back to their timelines; a promise he'd made when he'd received the time stone. And this time, there was no team effort to accomplish that: most were relishing in spending time with those that returned, and despite your failed attempts, how could you deny them that?

The next biggest concern was how to do it. Bruce's arm was slung to his side, the effects of the gauntlet still weighed heavily on him, and he would have to stay behind to run the DIY device he and Rocket had managed to scrape together out of the compound wreckage.

That left you and Steve. Except, well, it didn't. Steve had been emphatically adamant that he'd do it alone. Nothing you could say would make him change his mind. In a small way, it angered you being sidelined, but another part of you was glad you'd never have to deal with those damn stones again.

Bruce needed another couple days to run through some simulations of the machine, leaving you ad Steve to once again go over and pinpoint not only the location of the stones, but the actual timings as well.

Since you and Bucky had 'broken up' you'd been living in a small hotel on the outskirts of the now destroyed compound. The thoughts of eventually returning to Washington or Wakanda had crossed your mind, but there was still work to be done. Maybe once these stones were gone you could plan a future.

"Fancy a beer?" Steve asks you as you walk away from yet another planning session with Bruce. "Come on Volkova," He laughs when you roll your eyes. "Until Bruce says we're ready we deserve a break?"

"Fine," You agree, knowing that spending some down time with Steve wasn't a bad idea, like almost always the man knew what he was talking about. As you reach your bike, something else that you'd managed to salvage from the wreckage, thankfully unharmed, you catch him eyeing it up so you throw him the keys. "Hey, you can drink and drive," You laugh. "Not my fault I can't stay sober."

Steve simply smirks and shakes his head as you take your seat behind him, before taking off at top speed. He drives past bar after bar, sending you for a loop; when you discover that he's heading for Brooklyn you assume he's opting for a bar closer to home, rather than his own apartment. When you pull up, a shiver of nerves runs through you, so much so that you almost refuse to get off the bike.

When Steve sees the fear, mixed with anger on your face, he raises his hands in mock surrender. "He's not here," He reads your mind as thoughts of Bucky form in your mind. After how you'd behaved around Sam, you'd tried to avoid any thoughts of either of them, for now. "I just thought we could have a catch up, the two of us."

Although he's trying to sound comforting, another wave of nerves run through you, but you eventually get off the bike, following him in in silence. The first thing you notice when you walk in is the bundle of bedding piled up in front of the TV. You sidestep it and take a seat near the window. It had been your second favourite thing about living at Steve's: the view.

"Ok. What's this all about then Steve?" You sigh when he hands you over a bottle. "What's really going on?"

"Can't get anything past you," He smirks, but you don't respond, simply staring at him as he sits beside you. "Before I get down to it tell me the truth. How are you REALLY doing?"