UNRAVELED ~ STEVE ROGERS [3]

Chapter Twenty One

"HELL YEAH!" Sam's excited scream came through the comms and I remembered everyone could hear what we were saying. Shit. I leant back against the plane, Steve's hand resting on my thigh, natural and normal, like it was meant to be there.

"You do not know how long I have been waiting for you two to finally get together!"

"Alright Sam," Steve chuckled. "What's the play?"

"We need a diversion. Something big," Sam said.

"I got something kinda big, but I can't hold it very long," Scott said. I swear, this guy didn't know who the hell anyone was, he was just excited to be here.

"On my signal, run like hell. And if I tear myself in half...don't come back for me."

"He's gonna tear himself in half?" Bucky said, his handsome face mortified. His expression read, 'how the hell did I get into this mess?'

"You sure about this Scott?" Steve asked.

"Yeah, Scott, I've seen a lot of stuff, but I don't particularly want to see you torn in half," I added, skeptical.

"I do it all the time. I mean once...in a lab. And I passed out. I'm the boss," he began talking to himself, giving himself his own little pep talk. "I'm the boss, I'm the boss, I'm the boss, I'm the boss, I'm the BOSS!"

Scott launched himself from the mobile stairs and onto Rhodey's back as he flew past. I saw him close his eyes tight, and then push the button on his suit. I flinched.

He got big. I mean, really big. I'm talking Goliath big. He grew rapidly and as Rhodey tried to fly away, grabbed his leg, bringing him to a halt.

"Holy shit!" The Spider-man yelled. I gaped in awe.

"Ok, Tony dude is big now. He's big," Rhodey said in disbelief.

"I thought I'd seen everything, but I have been proven wrong," I muttered.

"I guess that's the signal," Steve said, and without hesitation grabbed my hand in his and pulled me upwards, avoiding the chaos that Scott was causing and following Bucky in the direction of the hanger where the Quinjet sat.

"It's still kind of crazy that Captain America himself just told me he loves me. I'm kind of in shock," I said, and felt Steve squeeze my hand.

"I'm shocked you love me back," he replied. Bucky rolled his eyes.

"Really? This is not the best time," Bucky said, irritated. I laughed, a deep sound I hadn't heard for a long time. There was a crackle in my comms.

"Am I through, F.R.I.D.A.Y? I am? Good. Keight, you there?" Tony's voice came through, but by the looks on Steve and Bucky's face they couldn't hear him.

"Yeah, I'm here," I said bluntly, my face hard.

"Ok, uh, we don't have much time here. But, just, come back. You don't have to run," he said, the pleading hint in his tone leaking through.

"I can't. I can't come back knowing it's the wrong thing," I said, a deep chasm in my chest. I couldn't stay, but it didn't mean it wasn't going to hurt when I left.

"We can sort this out. We can get you help, we can fix you-"

"Fix me?" I said, my voice low, dangerous. "Is there something wrong with me?"

"No, god no there's nothing wrong with you Keight. I just...I don't want you to leave. I can't..." he trailed off, but I knew what he meant. He couldn't do it without me. We had grown so close, like family, and although we fought at times, and our similar personalities clashed, we had a bond, ever since that day on the SHIELD helicarrier, when he helped me back to my room, and told me to call him Tony.