Of Love and Lines (MCUxReader)

Fifty Four

Steve POV

Steve felt it the moment Penelope completely closed off the connection they shared and his legs stopped their motion so quickly he skidded on the snow and ice beneath him. The bond in his chest panicked and grabbed onto the remaining thread, reaching out to Bucky. Feeling his presence still with him was only slightly reassuring. Still, the separation for Penelope was more than he could handle. When she turned and entered the jet, the door closing behind her with finality as the machine lifted off the ground, Steve's knees gave out and he dropped to the snowy ground beneath him.

His body bent forward, his forehead resting in the icy mix as his fingers dug into the snow. He could feel Bucky's urgency to get to him down their bond. When Buck finally made it, he knelt down by his hands. Steve sat up on his heels, reaching to pull Bucky forward. Their foreheads met and Steve clenched his eyes shut as their bond flared, opening fully and allowing their feelings to meld. Bucky's worry and anxiety matched his own. Tears dropped down his cheeks as Bucky's hand came up to grasp at the back of his neck, holding their heads tighter together.

They sat in each other's grasp long enough for the remaining Kraken teams to disperse. As much as Steve wanted to get up and retaliate, his body wouldn't allow it, too consumed with his need to be close to his remaining bond.

As Steve's mind cleared, he was able to pinpoint his bond with Penelope. It was still there, just blocked off from him. When he tried to push at it, it answered with a jolting pain through his skull, through his very soul. One Bucky felt too, his head jerking against Steve's.

"Don't." Buck spoke. "She doesn't want us to know."

"Know what exactly? We need to know. How else are we going to be sure she's alright?"

Bucky shrugged and Steve felt his apprehension down the bond.

Penelope had shut them out. They had no way of getting back in, no way of knowing what she was going through. Steve's hurt turned to anger that flared in his chest.

He pushed away from Bucky, glaring at him. "How did she get away from you?"

Bucky stayed silent, he didn't need to speak. Steve felt his guilt.

His face drew back in disbelief. "You let her go?!" He shouted.

Bucky flinched.

"You- you let her go." Steve whispered into the cold wind.

Tony's voice permeated his mind through the comm in his ear. "Listen, I know you two are having a moment. But we need to get out of here. We've got a few of them in custody, the rest are on the retreat. We need to get back to the jet, back to the compound so we can figure out what to do next."

Steve's glare deepened. "This conversation isn't over." He told Buck as he stood from the snow.

Turning, he marched with everyone else to the quinjet in the middle of the field.

The atmosphere inside the jet was thick with tension, most of it Steve's. He kept his back ramrod straight and ground his teeth together to fight the killing urge within him. No one dared to speak to him. Something he was thankful for as he continued to glare at Bucky where he stood off to the side.

Ignoring him, Bucky took point in informing everyone of the situation. Steve only half listened, his mind already on Bucky's punishment.

Because he'd certainly earned it.

When they made it back to the compound hours later, Steve's thoughts still hadn't cleared. He left the team for Tony to handle, Bucky following along behind him. When they made it back to their suite, Steve went right to his room, setting his shield down in its place by the door before moving to stand with his arms crossed as he looked out the windows at the forest beyond. It was nighttime, the darkness of the trees broken up by the light of the half-moon shining down on their branches.