Winter's Weakness

Frustration

For a week Steve had kept what was happening to himself. Until everyone began asking questions. Reluctantly he gathered everyone at the compound, not wanting to explain things more than once. The tension was thick in the air, everyone holding back their opinions so they didn't upset Steve further. He'd lost the woman he loved and his best friend was fighting to regain his memories.

There was one however that could care less about what Steve was going through. Loki couldn't believe what he was hearing. A palpable sense of anger washed over him as he roared at Steve. "What do you mean she left?"

"She made it clear what she wanted." Steve didn't much care for Loki's outburst, it was the least of his concerns right now.

Loki turned glaring at Steve. "Where is she?" He could be there for her if he could just find her. He owed her that and so much more.

"You think I'd be there if I knew that?" Steve shouted back.

He had let her go but it had taken a toll, he missed her. He missed every single thing about her, had been up all night searching. His annoyance about her leaving Bucky was one thing he was holding back from everyone, even himself.

"Bucky is your priority. Not her." Loki snarled at him.

Steve clenched his jaw, shaking his head at him. Loki may have been one of her best friends but he knew nothing of the pain Steve was going through.

"Am I wrong?" Loki challenged when Steve didn't respond.

"I have to think of Bucky because she didn't!" He snapped, his frustration coming to the surface.

Y/N not only left him but she'd left Bucky when he needed her the most. She may have been hurting but what she'd done, disappearing into the night was selfish. She hadn't given him or Bucky a choice but to accept her decision.

Loki stalked towards Steve. "Watch your mouth Captain." As Steve shook his head once more, Loki became more enraged at him. "You never loved the darkness in her."

Abruptly Steve stood squaring up to Loki. "I love every part of her!" He may have struggled with it in the past but not now. There wasn't a single part of her that didn't reside deep within his heart.

Everyone kept quiet as they argued it out, no one knowing quite what to say to make things better.

"If that's true then why didn't you stop her?" Loki growled.

Steve had pondered all night the answer to that question. Had he wanted to he could've stopped her, forced her to stay even if she resented him for it. Her words to him before she left was all that held him back.

"Even you can't ask that of me."

He couldn't. Just the thought of her not remembering him was painful. While he was annoyed with her choices, he respected them.

"Because I love her too much to let her live through that pain."

Nat felt a glimmer of hope, maybe things would work out after all. "So what about Bucky?" She played the supportive friend role almost too well as she thought about ways she could make Bucky see she was better for him. "He loved her before she became Y/N."

Steve had his suspicions about Nat but bit his tongue, he had enough battles going on to worry about that particular one.

"We have to find her."

Before Steve could question why she suddenly cared about finding Y/N his phone chimed in his pocket.

A location flashed across the screen accompanied by the words 'come alone.'