The Night We Met | Steve / Bucky

forty-one - flares

Sam boarded the quinjet - the same one Katherine had boarded many times in Lebanon. Natasha made a quick stop off in the armory along with Rhodey, stocking up on anything they might need. A fight was coming and they needed to be prepared. Bruce and Wanda helped Vision to the quinjet, Vision taking a seat with Wanda beside him. Katherine hung around at the hangar, waiting for Natasha and Rhodey to arrive. 

Bruce boarded the quinjet, smiling at Katherine as he passed her. Katherine kept her arms folded, her hands tucked beneath her arms and out of sight. She wasn't embarrassed of her prothesis but she certainly didn't want to have the conversation with anyone and not right now. 

"Hey." She heard come up beside her, she jumped slightly as she wasn't expecting anyone. She turned around, her eyes meeting Steve. Katherine forced a smile on her face, "How are you doing?" 

Katherine nodded, looking for words, "I'm good."

The air was tense around the pair. The last conversation they had was the night before Katherine was taken - the night Katherine found Steve's compass and letters to Peggy. It was something that hurt her more than she thought. But Katherine kept herself preoccupied on healing and getting better than thinking about the past - something she had gotten very used to over the years. Steve looked Katherine up and down, "What are you not telling me?"

Katherine looked to Steve confused, "What are you talking about?"

Steve exhaled, "Look, I haven't been able to stop thinking about you since -"

" - Is that because you're remorseful or because you thought I was dead?"

Steve looked to Katherine, bewilderment taking over him, "It's because I still love you, Katherine." Steve reached out and placed a hand on Katherine's arm. Katherine would usually melt under Steve's words but this time it felt different. She didn't feel weak at the knees, she didn't have as many butterflies in her stomach. She felt different. As he encased his hand around her arm, his fingers brushed off of Katherine's hand. 

Steve furrowed his brows, removing his hand. He looked to Katherine puzzled, questioning himself on what he felt - he could of sworn it was a metallic material. It was cold and hard. Katherine sighed, untucking her arms. She held out her hands in front of Steve, "They beat my hands up pretty good." She sighed.

"Oh, Kat." Escaped Steve's lips looking down at the prosthetic hands sticking out from Katherine's sleeves. 

"They feel like my own." She spoke, folding her arms again, "Well as much as I can remember my own feeling like. But on a brighter note, whatever level of radiation they hit me with killed the tumor."

Steve nodded, trying to look happy for Katherine, "That's - great." Steve was obviously happy that Katherine no longer had to suffer the way she had been. She wasn't sick anymore but at what cost. Steve questioned if Katherine still had her abilities, still able to do things with her prosthetics. He couldn't help but feel responsible - he shouldn't have left her alone, he could have found her quicker, he could have done a lot more to prevent Katherine from being dragged into that van. He should have known she would be a threat, a target - he should have protected her. 

Natasha and Rhodey soon joined, boarding the quinjet, Katherine and Steve on their heels. Sam closed the ramp. Natasha sat in the co-pilot seat, Bruce standing next to her. Katherine and Steve stood to the back on opposite sides. Their arms folded and leaning against the wall. Rhodey approached Katherine, placing a soft hand on her cheek, "Tony is going to be fine." 

Katherine nodded to Rhodey, smiling lightly. Katherine believed he would be - she knew a bigger fight was coming. She couldn't cloud her mind with worry for Tony. "Thanks Rhodey." She smiled. Rhodey nodded to her before taking a seat. Katherine saw Rhodey as an uncle - as Tony's best friend and a solid support for her during her recovery, she considered Rhodey family.