Captain's Vigilante • Steve Rogers

End

She was right there.

And she saw the wrong thing.

"[Y/N]!"

Steve ran after her, kept shouting her name, indifferent to all the people he bumped into along the way. He saw her, and he just got her back; and he'd be damned if he loses her again.

Steve stopped, looking all around, breathing fast. There was no more people around, yet, he couldn't find her. He ran a hand through his hair, slowly getting more and more desperate. He couldn't lose her. Not like this.

He didn't stop looking. She couldn't have gotten far. He ran and ran and it wasn't long until Steve saw that blob in the distance.

"[Y/N]!" He shouted, eyes locked on her. "[Y/N], wait!"

Steve forced his legs to go faster, arm extending forward. This scene felt awfully familiar, bringing back the most hurtful memories. He was going to reach her this time. Steve wasn't about to make the same mistake. He wouldn't let her disappear from him again.

He finally reached forward, grabbing her by the arm and pulling her back to face him, causing both of them to stumble.

"Steve," [Y/N] whispered out, almost in shock to see him.

His forehead were furrowed deeply, back lightly hunched over in exhaustion as he slowly let go her arm, relieved to moon and back that she was still here. But [Y/N] only stared at him in disbelief. She didn't know why he'd go after her.

"Why- why are you here?" [Y/N] wiped the wetness off her cheeks. The fake cheery tone in her words sickened her, pretending like nothing was wrong, like he just didn't catch her crying. "Shouldn't you be with her?

"[Y/N], that wasn't-" he paused, trying to find the right words as he searched her face for any purchase. "Let me explain."

But [Y/N] only stared back at him. Her features overcame with a strange sense of peace and calm as her voice mirrored them. "Why?"

Steve felt like he could cry. "Please. This isn't what you think it is."

"I just- I just thought that..."

"I had a chance to-" He appeared desperate, eyes fixated at the ground, glaring at his feet, feeling as if he didn't deserve to look at her. He tried to find any justifications for what she saw but Steve only fumbled with his own words. His thoughts got all tied up in his head and nothing came out. He didn't know how to explain it, he just knew that he had to.

"Going back is- it wasn't a choice before-"

"But now it is," [Y/N] finished for him.

Steve stopped at that, looking up at her, finally getting to see the look on her face. [Y/N] was smiling. Through all the tears, [Y/N] was smiling so so sweetly. There was no trace of malice in her words as if she knew that was his answer and she already accepted it. At that point, it felt like she already let go.

[Y/N]'s lips curled to a wider grin, a genuinely happy one. She shrugged. "Then stay."

She said it like it was the most obvious thing in the world. "No one's asking you not to."

Steve reach her hand, begging, in an effort to stop her from saying all these painful words. "[Y/N], please, don't say that. Please, just-"

"No, Steve. I understand." She sniffed, only now realizing that there were still tears welling up, begging to fall. But she didn't want that to be what stops Steve from getting what he wants. "I'm not upset."

[Y/N] let her eyes roam around, taking in the peaceful suburbs they currently stood in the middle of. The houses were all quaint and homely. The quiet chirping of the birds and the relaxing breeze fanning against their faces accompanied them, contrasting the confrontation they were having that Steve almost wanted to curse it all. "You want to stay here?"