𝗩𝗘𝗡𝗜, 𝗩𝗜𝗗𝗜, 𝗔𝗠𝗔𝗩𝗜 | steve rogers

XX. YOU PROMISED

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"STEVE," BEX SAID quietly. She still looked down blankly into the ravine, even though the train had driven far past where Bucky had fallen. Steve still hung onto the side of the train, breathing heavy.

"Steve, we have to finish the mission," Rebecca pleaded, finally looking back at him.  She went nearer to where he held onto the train, and touched his shoulder.  She felt him become less tense at her touch.

"Come on."

Steve picked his head up, then started climbing backward closer to the hole in the side of the train car.  Bex held out her hand and he took it for balance, holding onto the side of the train car with the other hand.  He got into the train car and stood up.  Rebecca did the same. 

He didn't look at her.  He just stared down at their feet, re-situating himself into reality.  Rebecca knew what he was feeling.  She didn't want it to be real, either. But she knew his feelings would be far stronger. 

"Are you okay?" she asked him softly. 

Steve finally looked up into her eyes.  They were full of tears, but none had dripped down his cheek.  His face was full of disbelief.  He wasn't frowning, and he didn't look sad— he seemed to be in shock. His eyes seemed to tell Rebecca the answer to her question— no.

Rebecca didn't need any worded, answer, anyway. She knew Steve. Instead of words, Rebecca walked up close to him and put her arms around him. She felt the cold shield on his back, but she didn't care. Their embrace lasted for a couple more seconds before Steve finally put his own arms around her, returning the embrace. As she laid her head against his chest, the situation became that much more sentimental, and she sniffled, though no tears came out of her eyes. Maybe she just had been cold.

"Promise me you won't cry, Rebecca," said Steve, his hands still around her back.

"Why?" said Rebecca quietly.

"Because if you cry, I'm going to. And then the mission's not going to be finished."

"I won't," Rebecca promised.

— ☆ —

They got out of the train safely, and the mission was completed— Gabe Jones, positioned on the top of the train, jumped into the main car and captured Zola.  Colonel Phillips was to interrogate him, and hopefully, the information they had would motivate him to give them something they could use to stop Hydra and its delusioned leader.

Now, Steve sat in the middle of a blackout in an evacuated London, sipping whiskey in a completely destroyed pub.  It had taken ages for Rebecca just to find him, and she'd looked in every building in the city.  Steve did not go to the briefing about what was to happen now that Zola was captured, and Bex had become increasingly worried.  But now, as she stepped over piles of rubble, she saw his tousled blond hair.  He sat at the only upright table in the entire pub, alone.  He glanced at her as she walked inside, then back down at his glass of liquor.  She walked around the front of the table. 

"Dr. Erskine said that the serum wouldn't just affect my muscles, it would affect my cells," he said, taking the bottle from across the table and pouring himself some more whiskey.  His eyes were red and puffy and his voice was rough. "Create a protective system of regeneration and healing.  Which means... I can't get drunk."  He took a sip.  "Did you know that?"

"It makes sense," said Bex.  She grabbed a chair from the ground that had been knocked over and sat it right next to him.  "Your metabolism burns four times faster than the average person."  Steve watched her as she sat down.  Rebecca hated seeing him this way.  She hated seeing him sad, because it made her sad.  She loved him.  All she wanted was for him to be happy.

Steve didn't reply, and just looked back down at the table.

"Steve, it wasn't your fault," said Bex.  She moved the chair closer to him.

"Did you read the report?" he asked, not looking at her.

"Yes, but—"

"Then you know that's not true."

"Steve, please," said Rebecca.  Tears began to build up in her eyes.  She hated watching him cry. "You can't possibly believe that.  You did everything you could."

"But it wasn't enough."

"Steve I can't let you believe that.  You need to stop blaming yourself.  Trust me, Steve, when someone loves you enough, they'd do anything for you.  You have to trust that Bucky made his choice." Rebecca's voice got weaker as she spoke.

"I still miss him," Steve said, after a second.

"I know," said Bex.  "So do I." 

Rebecca leaned on his shoulder.  He then put his head on top of hers, and with the hand on his opposite side, passed her the glass of whiskey.  She took a sip, then set it back on the table.

"I'm going after Schmidt," said Steve.  He still hadn't looked her in the eyes the entire time.  "I'm not gonna stop until all of Hydra is dead or captured."

"Then I'm coming with you."

"Rebecca, I'm not losing you too." He picked his head up off of her shoulder and sat up straight. She picked her head up as well, and for the first time that day, they looked each other in the eyes.

"You said whatever happens, we'd be together. That means if something bad happens, we go down together."

"Rebecca, I can't—"

"Please, Steve," she begged, taking his hands in hers. Both their hands were cold. Both of them had tears lingering in their eyes, refusing to fall down their cheeks. "You promised."

Steve closed his eyes for a moment and took a deep breath. When he opened them again, he wiped the tears from Rebecca's eyes. "And I'm going to keep that promise."

And at that moment, in the run down, rubbled pub, neither of them were alone, because they had each other.  And that's all they needed.