You were waiting for the call from your friend and long time crush, Steve Rogers, aka Captain America, to tell you guys that he was okay. You were pacing back and forth, getting more and more worried as you waited.
"Hello?" came Steve's voice. "Anyone there?"
One of the other officers began to talk, but you pulled him away to talk to Steve.
"Steve? Is that you? Are you alright?" you ask.
"Kerry!" Steve exclaimed. "Schmidt's dead!"
You felt your heart light. Steve was okay and Schmidt was dead. That's how it's supposed to be.
"And the plane?" you ask.
Steve hesitates before saying, "That's a little bit tougher to explain."
"Give me your coordinates, I'll find you a safe landing site."
"There's not gonna be a safe landing, but I can try and force it down."
Your felt your heart get heavier. You tried to steady your breathing so that Steve didn't think you were upset over this news, although you were.
"I'll get Howard on the line," you decide. "He'll know what to do."
"There's not enough time!" Steve says, stopping you in your tracks. "This thing's moving too fast and it's heading for New York." He paused before adding, "I gotta put her in the water!"
You feel tears sting your eyes. First, you lose Bucky to Hydra. Now, you're losing Steve for the same reason. You blink quickly, wiping away one single tear that managed to fall.
"Please don't do this," you say, your voice soft. "W-We have time. W-We can work it out."
"Right now, I'm in the middle of nowhere. If I wait any longer, a lot of people are gonna die. Kerry, I'm sorry. This is my choice. Please don't be mad."
You sniffle, tears now falling freely and you didn't care.
"Kerry?" he asks.
"Yeah?" you reply.
"Are you crying?"
"Of course I'm crying, Steve. I'm about to lose one of my best friends. This time, it's real, just like Bucky's," you say. But that's only half the truth. Yes, you are crying because you're losing your second best friend. You're also crying because you're losing your crush. The man you've loved for years.
"Kerry," Steve says softly after silence.
"I'm here," you say.
"There's something more than that. More than the best friend thing."
"There is," you confirm.
"What is it? We're friends, right?"
You sniffle again and wipe your face with a tissue. You decide now is the right time. You have to tell him. It's now or never, literally.
"Steve," you say, your voice breaking. "Steve Rogers, I-"
There was static. Your heart broke in pieces.
"Steve?" you question. There was no response. "Steve. Steve!" Your voice broke. "Steve?"
You rest your head on your hands and cry. You lost him. Your best friend. The man you've loved. The sweetest, most kindhearted person you've ever known. He was gone and you couldn't bring him back. And you didn't tell him you loved him. It was too late.