The Choice (Steve Rodgers x Reader)

Fifty Eight

Steve felt lost in the apartment. Everything had been moved, probably by Wanda as a small 'fuck you' like she normally did. He didn't blame her. If someone had caused this much trouble to his best friend, he'd do petty things too. Though he imagined Sam wouldn't approve, and Bucky wasn't even around.
Joey cried in his high chair as he waited for his food, Dot absentmindedly doodling in her book next to him as Steve raided the cupboards. He thought that being shot at by the enemy would be easier right about now. Then it dawned on him: you were getting shot at by the enemy right about now. His heart dropped and he tried to take a breath, but it was harder than he thought it'd be. He tried to take another and it wasn't long enough. Dot looked up from her drawing and watched as her dad grabbed his chest and gulped for breath. Over breakfast? She thought and got up, zooming around the kitchen to prepare Joey some cereal. Steve watched, panting as she whizzed around, placing the plastic bowl in front of her brother and then stopping in front of her dad with a bright smile. "Mommy will be okay." She simply said and Steve let out a surprised chuckle, his breath coming back to him. How was he more worried than his daughter who's nearly six years old?
He sat down and pulled her on to his lap, kissing her head lightly. "I know. But sometimes your dad can be a little silly and worries too much." Dot settled into her dads chest as Joey grabbed fistfuls of dry cereal and shoved it into his mouth. He smiled to himself. He'd missed domestic life so much. "It's just what parents do."

Meanwhile, in a small apartment somewhere in France, you and Nat ate pot noodles, passing binoculars between the two as you scope out the nearest building. "No movement in the last 20 minutes. Probably moved out back and relocated or they've transferred to a lower floor." You huff as you put down the binoculars, rubbing your eyes as Nat emptied the rest of the cup into her mouth.
Nat nodded, looking through the binoculars and confirming what you had said. "Well, let's tidy up and check out the back of the building, check for any signs of relocation and if there's none, we go in." She looked out the window until the last part when she looked at you.
You nodded once and then rifled through the duffle again next to you. "So..." you looked up at her with a smile. "How's Sam?"
She rolls her eyes and shakes her head. "Really? Now?"
You shrug and smile again. "You know I love any excuse to dish."
She sighs dramatically and continues to suit up. "Not much to dish about. We broke up." She said casually before loading her gun and walking out.
You stand with your mouth agape and take a second to understand what she said. Once you did, you chase after her. "What do you mean? There's so much to dish about there!" You squeal as you catch up with her.
She laughs a little and looks back at you as she shimmies down the stairs. "It just wasn't working. He was a great guy and I'm a great girl but it just wasn't meant to be." She shrugs again and tucks her guns in her thigh holders.
You snort and carry on. "Please." You mutter.
She stops before the last step and eyes you up. "What?"
You give her an incredulous look and scoff with a small smirk. "You got bored." You poke a finger into her side as you slip past her.
She stands for a minute before following you. "Did not!"
"Did too!" You shout back in protest.
She huffs. "Fine. I got bored but it's just not for me. Relationships mean putting down roots, getting comfortable and only have orgasms every few months. It's boring. I got bored." She points out. "As a spy, it's too risky to have roots." She's caught up with you now and gives you a pointed look.
You ignore it and shrug. "When me and Steve were together I was having orgasms every few days." You smile. Nat raises an eyebrow and smiles back. "What? The serum makes him ready to go at all times." It's true. If you were willing, Steve was right there with you. You wondered how we was doing...
"So you two aren't together anymore?" Nat asked, face straightening as you walked out the back door.
You screw your brows together. "You said "when we were together", so I just assumed..."
"Oh." You blurt. "I don't know. It's still a bit weird. I mean it's weird for me. Steve's more than ready to go back to domestic bliss but...I just don't know."
After looking around, you both carry on and Nat opens her mouth to answer, but it never came.
It happened so quickly. A loud band and a searing ripping pain through your shoulder. You stumble back and choke out, trying to turn and run before you fall at the sound of another bang catching you off guard. Nat whales and falls instantly to the ground, hand clamped on her abdomen that's becoming more and more red as the seconds go by.
You felt like you were watching your arms move by themselves. Gripping on to a scrambling Nat, you drag her back, not even registering the agony radiating from your shoulder. Another shot is fired but misses you both. You pick up the pace and grunt as you drag her, her body becoming more and more limp with each lug.
Finally, you make it inside the building and your quick to rip a piece of material from the curtains, wrapping it around her waist and tightening it into a knot, ignoring her grunt of pain.
You finally look at her face and panic as her eyelids start to fall. "No. Nat, come on, we've got to leave." You pant, gently hitting her cheek with a bloody hand. "Come on." You whisper in a frenzy, scrambling for your radio and quickly finding the required station. "Man down. We need immediate extraction and medics." You yell into it, waiting for a reply. It didn't come so you repeat the orders and finally hear a small. "Affirmative."
Outside you hear yelling and people growing closer.
You swallow your cries and look back at Nat, pulling her onto you lap and cradling her. "Come on, just a little longer and we'll be safe. Hey, Nat." She tries to keep her eyes open but she's lost a lot of blood. If only you had more time. You could help her, but with the enemy growing closer there was no hope.
The tears are rushing down your cheeks. "Don't leave me alone." You whimper.
You think of Steve back home, caring for the kids, food in his hair and his apron on as Dot rushes around and Joey giggles at her. You'd never see them again. You'll never read Dot a night time story or rock Joey to sleep. You'll never kiss Steve again or tell him you love him.
As you breath heavily, you bring the radio to your lips again and press the button. "Come in. I don't think we're coming home. There's not enough time." You grab one of Nat's guns and cock, holding it to the door ready to at least give yourself a few more seconds of life. "So tell my kids I love them, and that I'm sorry. And let Steve know that I love him too. I never meant to hurt him and I shouldn't of gone on this stupid mission. Let him know that if I came home, I would've happily gone into that domestic bliss he's always on about." You swallow another sob and clench your eyes shut as you hear footsteps near by.
You hands tremble but you keep the gun held high. With every footstep, your heart beat faster. This was it. This was the inglorious way you went out. And for what? To prove a point? Now you were going to die next to your best friend, filled with regret and self hatred.
A shadow loomed in the doorway and you held your breath. Maybe they wouldn't find you. But Nat let out a choke and you could hear their head turn. The footsteps grew quicker and finally they stood in the doorway, gun pointed at your face.
"Oh god." You choke out.
A gun fires and the radio drops to the floor.