Not Without You: Book 1 (Canon-Divergence Stucky Fix-it-Fic)

Thirteen

With new purpose and the possibility of avenging those taken, the compound was abuzz with new life. Everyone there seemingly having their own private vendetta against Thanos, and working on their own missions. For Rocket and Tony, they were working on building a larger, better, Quantum Tunnel. Bruce was modifying the new time travel suit with Scott. Rhodey was trying to get in contact with Carol, while Natasha and Nebula were teaching Cassie how to throw knives and mastering her aim. And Clint...

"What are you doing?" Steve questioned, nearly running into the man as he stood outside of the shooting range.

"Just observing," Clint shrugged. Crossing his arms as he mocked, "I heard she wants to be an Avenger."

"She wants to help people," Steve corrected. Tucking his journal under his arm, "I remember some other kids who wanted to follow in their dad's footsteps, too."

Sure, it was a low blow, but Steve's patience for Clint had run out a while ago. Not agreeing with his mourning practices that involved mass murder. Even if the people were criminals, Steve couldn't agree with Clint taking out his frustration and pain on others like that.

After all, Steve didn't turn to murder in his own heartache.

Clint's jaw clenched. Always hitting his target, this was no different as he commented, "You're lucky to have Barnes, always thought he'd be a good father."

Painfully grinding his teeth, Steve forced himself to not smash Clint's face through the observatory window, and instead, turn and leave. Not stopping until he found himself in the kitchen on the other side of the compound. Where he happened to find Thor, too. Making an absolute mess. With cheese overflowing from a homemade quesadilla, and burning as it fried on the iron skillet, causing Steve's nose to scrunch at the wretched smell.

"Need help?" Steve asked, setting his journal down on the table; a safe distance from the cooking war zone.

"No, no, I've got it," Thor reassured with a shaky grin before returning his attention to the stovetop. Taking a drink of the beer in his left hand while holding a spatula in his right, so he could unsuccessfully flip the quesadilla to cook the other side.

Walking around the island, Steve gathered some of the paper towels and started wiping down the counters. The paper towels weren't enough to clean it properly, so he knew that he'd need to get a sponge out later. But that could wait. Instead, he started putting the ingredients back in their places, so Tony wouldn't have a conniption.

Seeing the misshapen mess in -- and on the outer edge of the -- skillet, Steve repeated, "Need help?"

"I can manage," Thor drunkenly smiled at him, breaking Steve's heart.

Sadly, Steve grinned and leaned on the counter. Knowing that he definitely should've visited more in the past five years than he had. Shouldn't have had such a one-tracked mind as he went there looking for clues. For magic. A miracle. Anything that would help them.

"Steve...?"

Help everyone.

"... are you, alright?"

Help Bu--

"STEVE!"

Blinking away the unshed tears, Steve looked at Thor's scared-sober expression and the concerned way he was reaching out to him. Following Thor's line of sight, Steve found that he had broken through the marble counter top. Marble dust and blood from his healing cuts ran up his forearms as he leaned, elbow-deep, in plastic lidless containers.

"Fuck," Steve sighed in annoyance. Removing his arms from the containers and hunk of counter top, Steve looked over the damage done to the piece of furniture and annoyedly muttered, "Fuck."

Cautiously, Thor asked, "Are you alright?"

"Fine," Steve snapped as he started washing his arms off.

Before anything else could be said, the loud high-pitch beeping of the smoke alarm started blaring. Wincing from the sound, Steve looked over his shoulder at the stove. Smoke was billowing up from the burning quesadilla and causing the room to fog.

Without thinking, Steve removed his soapy, dripping wet arm from the running faucet to grab the burning hot skillet. As he removed it from the high -- much too high -- heat, Steve was only vaguely aware of how the palm of his hand was starting to blister as it burned him while he turned the hob's heat off. Setting the whole thing in the sink, he knew he was going to throw it out as soon as it was cool enough to do so. There was just no way that Steve was going to scrape off burnt cheese and melted flesh.

"What the hell is going on?" Tony questioned as he entered the kitchen with his hands over his ears.

Deciding not to yell over the obnoxious noise, Steve climbed onto the counter. Choosing to ignore Tony as he yelled at Steve, "For fuck's sake, Steven, who fucking raised you!"

Rolling his eyes, Steve removed the blaring smoke alarm off the wall and ripped the batteries out of it. Once there was finally silence, Steve sassed, "Sarah Rogers raised me, you pompous ass."

"Still," Tony crossed his arms and double downed, "There's no need to climb on the counter like a barbarian."

Hopping down from the counter, Steve crossed his arms, "Happy?"

"Nah, you should've down a backflip," Cassie joked, entering the kitchen.

"Next time," Steve deadpanned as he carelessly tossed the abandoned smoke alarm on the counter.

For a moment, Steve hoped that Tony wouldn't notice the hole in the counter. However, Tony seemed to not be on the precipice of pure exhaustion nor shaky from the abundance of coffee yet. So, unfortunately for Steve, Tony did see the counter. He even spotted the ruined cast iron skillet cooling in the sink.

Throwing his arms up in frustration, Tony exclaimed, "I'm living with a bunch of Neanderthals in my own personal hell."

"Oh, don't be so dramatic," Cassie rolled her eyes, grabbing a bottled water from the fridge.

Tony's jaw dropped, and that was when Steve broke out into hysterics. Tony might not have been running off fumes, but Steve was. And that was the last straw that broke the camel's back as he doubled over, clenching at his stomach as his laughter rumbled from his shaky frame. Although Tony looked positively mortified, and Cassie was immediately concerned, Steve couldn't stop the laughter. Especially not when Thor's own nervous, drunken giggles joined in.

And yeah, maybe this was all a really bad idea.