Out Of Time✔ (S. Rogers)

Chapter LXIV: The End

No one knew what to do. No one knew what to say. Steve became silent after the others helped with Kendra's body. Now he stood at Tony's lake house- a place Kendra had mentioned to Tony before the war started. Holding a small funeral for the fallen hero.

It wasn't actually small though, was it? Kendra had reached out to so many people. She was there for everyone when they needed her. The girl who saw time itself. But also the girl who ran out of time. It was kind of ironic. Since the man out of time was the one to fall so deeply for the woman. Not knowing she was harboring such a secret. Stephen Strange came up to Steve after they buried Kendra, his hand placed on Steve's shoulder.

"I'm terribly sorry for your loss." He told him quietly. Stephen felt deep down- he had to tell Steve. He had to know. "She wanted to tell you." He told him in a low tone. Steve snapped his head up, eyes showing confusion- with a hint of anger.

"What do you mean?" He responded back, keeping it short. Stephen sighed.

"If she had told anyone of the outcome of the future- it would have changed. It could have gone worse." Steve stared at the Doctor. His hands creating fists at his side.

"You knew? You knew she was going to jump in front of Thanos and you didn't think to stop her?!" Steve exclaimed. His voice building up. He lifted his fists about to punch the man before him- but Bucky came out of nowhere, catching him.

"What's going on here?" Bucky asked, glancing between the two men.

"He knew that Kendra would die." Steve said through gritted teeth. He had never been this angry. Never felt the need to punch someone before, at least not like this. "He knew she would die and said nothing about it. Just let her do it." Bucky glanced to the Doctor. He felt the same anger filling him as well- but he knew this was what Kendra wanted. For her death to be the outcome- not the others that were meant to be.

"Steve." Bucky breathed out. "Kendra prevented your death. You were supposed to die- not her." He told his friend. Steve's jaw ticked.

"It should have been me." Steve gritted out. Stephen shook his head at him.

"She prevented more than just your death. The outcome of that war was supposed to take Tony's life. Also Natasha's." He informed them. Steve's eyes softened as he glanced over to see Tony patting Pepper's stomach. She was pregnant- which was why she didn't fight. His eyes then looked to Natasha who was laughing with Clint and his family. A tear streamed out of Steve's eye.

"Go." Steve muttered, turning away from Strange and staring back out at the lake. Bucky stayed by his side as Stephen left. "She knew." Steve said softly. Bucky frowned, nodding. Placing his hand on his friends shoulder.

"Let's get you home." Bucky told him.

-

Bucky wanted to stay with Steve for the night- but Steve refused him. Telling him he needed time. Time. Such a dumbass thing. Steve shook his head as he entered Kendra's apartment. His eyes looking around before he walked to her room. Laying on her bed and breathing in her scent. It wasn't strong- but it was enough to make him release a shaky breath.

He stayed like that for an hour before he heard something in the living room. Like something falling over. With a huff, he got up to check it out- only to freeze in his place.

"Sorry I missed the funeral." The woman in front of him muttered as she stood in front of him. Her green vibrant eyes focusing on Steve. "Did it have a good turn out?" She asked as he blinked a few times.

"Ke-kendra?" Steve stammered out. He couldn't believe it. There was no way. He watched her die. He held her- he kissed her. He saw the light leave her eyes. How- No. She couldn't be.

"Steve? Let me explain- please." Kendra said, holding her hands up in caution. She didn't know if he would attack her, thinking she was someone pretending to be her.

"How are you here?" Steve asked as he took a slow step towards her. "You can see.." He added as he watched her eyes stay focused on him. Kendra nodded.

"I can. I-I knew I was going to die."

"But you didn't." Steve pointed out, seeing as she was right in front of him. He wanted nothing more than to grab her and hug her, kiss her, hold on to her until his dying breath.

"I did. But not the present me. Well- yes the present me, but not me-me. This is complicated." Kendra sighed, running her hand through her hair in a stressful manor. Steve kept staring at her, taking another step towards her. "I could always see my future. I knew I would die if I changed everything. So I found a way around it. You know- since I am related to Loki- mischief kind of runs in my blood."

"Loki knew?" Kendra shook her head.

"No. This was all me- well Sylvie and me." She told him. Steve furrowed his eyebrows, realizing that Sylvie was the variant of Loki. the one who just disappeared. "You see- the TVA was after me. They didn't appreciate me changing things. They didn't get a chance to restart the timeline- but they did get a chance to replace me."

"Wait- it wasn't you?" Steve asked, feeling a bit of betrayal. He had slept with a fake Kendra. His heart ached at that thought. Kendra shook her head.

"That was me. I was with you, Steve. The only time it wasn't me, was during the end. Sylvie helped me with that. Apparently once you have TVA tech in your hands, you can use it as a remote control. I basically could have my double do whatever I wanted. But I was the one with you." Steve nodded, feeling a bit better about it. But he still felt the sick feeling of betrayal. He wasn't good enough to be in on her plan. He felt used.

"So what? You used me to make it seem real? Get the TVA off of you?" Kendra shook her head, desperately.

"No! I would never- I love you Steve. I would never use you. Never." Kendra told him. He could see in her eyes that she meant it. "Sylvie and I destroyed the TVA. I don't have any need to run from them. But I knew I was still destined to die if I saved you all."

"So you used your own stunt double." Steve pieced together. Kendra nodded, smiling slightly.

"I did."

"And how can you see?" Steve asked, still confused on that.

"I went to see Doctor Strange before he became a wizard." She joked a bit, trying to lighten the mood. Steve smiled the tiniest bit. "He was a Nero surgeon before the accident that left his hands crippled. He was the best of the best. So I sought him out."

"And he didn't remember you? When he met you in the present?" Steve asked, wondering how it all worked.

"He did- but he didn't know it was me. Not completely at least." Kendra told him. She took a step towards him. "Steve, I-" Before she  could say anything, Steve had grabbed her and pulled her to his chest. Hugging her tightly- but not too tightly.

"I thought I had lost you." He mumbled, his face pressed into her neck. Kendra sighed out a breath of relief as she wrapped her arms around him. Hugging him just as tightly. "Don't ever do that- ever again." He muttered before pulling back. He stared into her eyes for a moment before crashing his lips onto hers.

That is the story of how the Man Out of Time fell in love with the Woman who Saw Time.

The End.