Avengers x reader

Pietro /Fallen Soldier/ 2

The bullets ripped through his body, the agonizing sound of silence filling the air around him. He looked up at you, and your frozen form cradling the child. He glanced at Clint and muttered his famous phrase.
                                                "Didn't see that coming."
As his world began to fade, his last thoughts were embedded into him, a broken pact, a sad oath.
                                         I'm sorry I couldn't keep my promise

...

Wanda was crying again.

This was the fifth day in a row. Not that you could blame her, she had every right to wail and scream. After all, Pietro was her brother. But, his death was nearly a month ago.

You, on the other hand, were cantankerous. You never shed a tear over his death, you wanted to, oh how badly you wanted to let the anguish out. But you didn't allow it, you knew you should have seen the bullets coming, if only you hadn't been so distracted. Distracted by the very person who died.

Whatever. It wasn't worth it any more now. You just became a hard shell, matching the emotionless expression of the winter solider himself. Well, from photos Fury had shown you, anyway.

"Y/n." You glanced up, mouth never leaving it's now-usual scowl. "How are you?"

It was Steve.

"Well, I don't know anymore. I guess I just don't."

Steve pulled out a chair and sat down next to you.

"Listen, y/n. People all grieve in different ways, but that shouldn't--"

You scraped your chair against the floor, now standing you glared down at Steve. "I'm fine."

His brow furrowed, "Obviously not. Listen, where did your spirited personality go? You've built a wall, y/n. A wall that-" he made air quotes with  his fingers "-is supposed to keep you from harm, right?"

His tone was gentle, yet you flinched anyway. The past few days he was sweet and loving, the same conversation since Pietro died, now he just seemed ready to tell you the facts, not sugar coat it. Now he was hitting the nail on the head.

"I have not seen you cry. Crying, believe it or not, will help believe me. So cry like it's a dam breaking, but don't act like you don't care and your some emotionless void."

You turned away, "What do you know? Have you ever felt someone you cared about get stripped away, before you even got to know them?"

Your realization hit you like a bus. Peggy.

He had gone through this before, except no one was there to help him. He had the harsh reality, the crushing thought of being a super solider gone to do a job. Taken from his past to wake up 70 years later to some future where he was still a soldier, still a weapon. But no one ever asked him how he was... He overcame it all on his own.

You felt your wall tearing down, your eyes burning with tears threatening to fall. You didn't deserve this pain, Steve didn't deserve all his suffering, Wanda didn't deserve half the stuff that happened to her. Tony and the rest of the team never deserved what has happened to them.

You turned back around, Steve was still there.

You feverishly hugged him, allowing your pain to finally be free. You cried, allowed the waterworks to flood. You felt him hug you back, cradle you with his pain that he had long ago.
You gasped when you felt another pair of arms wrap around you, Wanda. She smiled with tears in her eyes as you looked up at her.

"I'm so sorry, Wanda. Steve, I'm so sorry," you choked out. "I'm sorry I've been so heartless."

"It's okay, y/n. We understand."

Wanda nodded, they had grieved long ago, back when it was their time. Now, it was yours.

It was time.

You stood at Pietro's grave, and smiled.

"How's the afterlife? Still running circles around all the dead people?" You laughed. "I bet you are."

You kissed your fingertips and placed your hand on the tombstone and closed your eyes.

"Keep an eye on means the team, okay? Hopefully you can keep that promise."

The breeze rustled around you, agreeing to your words.

"Goodbye, Pietro."

"One of the most courageous decisions you'll ever make is to finally let go of what is hurting your heart and soul"
-Brigitte Nicole