SOKOVIA ✦ marvel oneshots

i love you

She wanted to ask Steve a million questions about their life, but then the horror of what was happening in the present crept back into her mind and she had to stop herself. She had a mission to do, and even though she wanted nothing more than to stay in the future, she had to make sure the present would be saved so that this future could be.

Steve propped himself on his elbow and gave her a quick peck on her forehead. "I'll make us breakfast. Do you want pancakes? Or are you craving anything?"

"Uh, pancakes sound lovely," Y/N replied and then slowly sat up in bed, watching Steve as he threw on a shirt and left the room. She took a few moments observing her surroundings, and herself, noting that her future self decided to go for a drastically different, but suiting, hairstyle.

Once she was changed into clothes that were hers, yet weren't at the same time, she made her way to the kitchen. She propped herself up onto a chair and rested her hands on the counter island, studying Steve as he flipped pancakes.

"So," she spoke up, this time hoping to get some information on what they did right, "You remember the attack, right?"

Steve looked down, his peaceful expression faltering. "How could I forget?"

"Right, so... We tried everything, and what was it we did that finally had us succeed?"

Steve set down a plate in front of her, frowning as he did so. "You don't remember?"

"No, I do... But I just feel like I need to talk about it again... It felt so unreal at the time. I just need reassurance."

He nodded. "I understand. Bruce's the one who can take you back to then, since he's the one with all the in depth details."

"Do we know where Bruce is today?"

"He's at the mansion, as always," Steve remarked as her poured syrup onto the pancakes. "You've been acting different from the moment we got up. Are you feeling okay? Do you want me to call ---."

Y/N covered placed a hand on his to calm him. "I'm fine, beyond fine actually." She bit the inside of her cheek. "One more weird question, do we know where Stephen would be today?"

"He should be at the mansion as well. Look, are you sure you're feeling up to today? We have Peter's graduation but if you're not feeling well..."

Letting out a sigh of relief upon knowing that Stephen would be able to get all the answers they needed from Bruce, Y/N grinned. "No, I'm fine. Peter must be excited to finally be done with High School."

Steve frowned and held up a hand to her forehead. "Honey, Peter's graduating from college today."

Y/N gasped, her hand shooting up to clutch her chest as pride filled her. "What? I mean, yes. I am so ready to go to his graduation. Sorry, I didn't sleep well."

A look of understand settled onto Steve's handsome face as he let out a breath of relief. "Did you have nightmares again? This explains why you were asking all these questions now." He held both of her hands, his thumb drawing soft circles. "It's over. We made it. I couldn't be happier to have you as my wife, and I can't wait to spend the rest of our lives together with our little one. Nothing can take us back to then."

As Y/N reached out for Steve, the world around her darkened, and she felt herself being pulled away from him. Then, her eyes shot open, and unlike what her future self experienced, her eyes with filled with horrors of a world torn apart, and the echoes of screams as smoke and dust filled her lungs.

"No!" An anguished cry rang out. Y/N craned her neck to find the source of the voice. It was Stephen. He was being carried away from what was the Milano. Whatever wasn't on fire was ripped to pieces. "We needed more time! I was so... so close."

The words settled over her like a heavy fog, and she knew in that moment they had failed.

"Y/N, are you okay? Are you hurt?" Steve's voice snapped her out of her thoughts, and it was only then that did she realize she was being carried by him. His face was covered in soot and dried blood, his beard marred with dust, and his eyes, eyes that moments ago were so happy, were now full of pain.

"I'm so sorry," she sobbed against his chest. The future was so close, and now it was being harshly taken from them.

"It's not your fault, it's his," his voice was harsh, and full of anger as he stared passed her.

"Put me down, I can walk," she told him. He obliged, and as her feet touched the ground did she see him, the ever present smirk of someone who knew they had won still mocking her.

Steve coughed, it was harsh and bloody. Droplets of blood littered his hand when he pulled it away from his mouth. The smell of copper was so strong that she was surprised she didn't notice it sooner, or realize that it was coming from Steve.

A shard of metal had lodged itself into his side, digging into his ribs and inching closer to his heart with each movement. His legs buckled beneath him, what strength he had left was used to save her, and she swiftly lunged forward to stop him from hitting the ground.

"It can be molded with such care, but in the end, the future is a fragile thing, and it doesn't take much to shatter it," the cruel and smug voice echoed around her as he came closer to them. Stephen was being held up by Natasha, and Y/N didn't know where the others where. There was no way to fight back. She did everything she could to block out his words and to stop the blood that was gushing from her boyfriend's side, but she knew her efforts would be in vain. "Tell me, what was it like? Was it everything you ever wanted?"

"Don't listen to him, Y/N," Steve said, putting a hand on hers to stop her from helping him. "Go with Natasha and Stephen, the others weren't on board when we crashed. Find them."

Tears filled her vision as his words cut through her. "No. I am not leaving you."

"You have to!"

"Steve, please ---."

He cupped the side of her voice. "Tony has one last plan. He needs your help."

Thunder roared in the distance, and the man who had taken everything from them laughed. "There they are. You've served your purpose, so I will leave you to say your goodbyes." He turned, stopping one last time to sneer at Y/N and Steve. "And to think, if they had just chosen to leave you here, they might have succeeded with their plan and you would have had your future, although without your love."

Steve cursed, and Y/N held him closer to her. He had brought down the ship to lure out the rest of the team, and they had fallen for it.

Once the titan was gone, Natasha took shaky steps towards them as Stephen clung to her for strength. "We need to go. Now," she ordered.

"We can't leave Steve!"

A stray tear ran down Natasha's face. She swallowed, looked away and said softly. "Say your goodbyes."

Steve's face was pale, and his breathing shallow. Y/N cradled him close to her as she sobbed into his shoulder. He reached into his pocket to pull out a small, black box. Flipping it open, with weak hands, he removed a diamond ring and held it up to her. "Will you, Y/N Y/S/N, marry me?"

Y/N nodded furiously. "Yes, a million times, yes."

He grasped her hand gently, and slowly slid the ring onto her finger. Once the ring was securely on, his hands dropped to his sides, and his body stilled. His eyes, once bright and blue, stared up at her, dull and emotionless.

A sharp cry escaped her lips as she held the lifeless body of the man she loved in her arms.