Burn Me Slowly With Your Love [40's STUCKY] ~Under Editing~

Chapter 19

Steve stared down at his glass, barely acknowledging Peggy as she sat down. His eyes were red and glassy as he stared down at the glass of alcohol.

"Dr. Erskine said that... the serum wouldn't just effect my muscles, it would effect my cells. Create a protective system of regeneration and healing. Which means um...I can't get drunk. Did you know that?" It hurt to speak with the lump in his throat.

"Your metabolism burns four times faster than the average person. He thought it could be one of the side effects." She paused, placing her hand over his. "It wasn't your fault." He knew what she meant instantly.

"Did you read the reports?"

"Yes."

"Then you know that's not true."

"You did everything you could."

"I could have grabbed his hand...Fell with him." He whispered, his eyes threatening to overflow.

"Did you believe in your friend? Did you respect him?" Peggy squeezed his hand. Steve looked at her as if to say yes. He respected him. He fucking loved him for god sake. "Then stop blaming yourself. Allow Barnes the dignity of his choice. He damn well must have thought you were worth it." Steve's breath was shaky as thought over her words.

'This is the end of my line, babydoll.' Those words couldn't leave his mind. Bucky hadn't said 'our line'. He said his line. Bucky wanted Steve to keep fighting. He wanted Steve to win this war and live his life. He didn't think he could without Bucky. But he knew one thing.

"I'm goin' after Schmidt. I'm not gonna stop till all of Hydra is dead or captured."

"You won't be alone." Peggy promised, and if Steve didn't love Bucky so much, he would have kissed for being his pillar.

⌛️⌛️⌛️

"Hydra's last base is here." Phillips held up a photo of the base. "In the Alps. Five hundred feet below the surface."

"So, what are we supposed to do? I mean, it's not like we can just knock on the front door." Jim said sarcastically.

"Why not?" Steve countered. "That's exactly what we're gonna do." He was going to kill Red Skull and crush Hydra into the deepest of manured dirt.

⌛️⌛️⌛️

Steve runs after the plane, but he's not fast enough as it goes down the runway. He couldn't let Red Skull escape. Steve looked behind him when he heard the sound of tires and an engine, Phillips and Peggy behind him in a car. He jumped into the car as it chased it up the runway

"Keep it steady!" Just as Steve is about to leap from the roadster onto Red Skulls's plane Peggy gripped his arm, making him look down at her.

"Wait!" She said as she leaned up to kiss him, but he noticed too quick and turning his head so it landed on his cheek. She looked hurt at the rejection.

"Thank you for everything Peggy." Steve whispered, swallowing thickly. "But I can't kiss you. I'm still in love with him." He didn't care anymore if they knew. He turned away from her wide, surprised eyes and jumped onto the plane before she can utter a word.

⌛️⌛️⌛️

Steve took over the plane's controls. He looked at the screen where it read the bombs positions. "New York City" was the target.
"Brooklyn..." He knew it would destroy his hometown if it reached, and millions of people along with it. He couldn't let that happen. He couldn't let his memories with Bucky die along with his community. Katherine deserved to live till she grew old and grey. Maria deserved to finally confess to Susan. The Happy Clam residents deserved to see an age where being themselves was okay.

It looked like he and Bucky would never see a time where they could walk the streets freely hand in hand or finally exchange vows at an alter like a normal couple. Peggy deserved to live to see an age where being a strong, independent woman was favoured.

He tried the radio, trying to contact Peggy, Phillip, anyone really.

"Come in. This is Captain Rogers. Do you read me?"

"Captain Rogers, what is your..." The man was cut off by Peggy's voice.

"Steve, is that you? Are you alright?" Worry was clear in her voice.

"Peggy! Schmidt's dead." Relief coursed through him.

"What about the plane?"

"That's a little bit tougher to explain." Steve said, controlling his voice so it wouldn't shake.

"Give me your coordinates, I'll find you a safe landing site." Peggy said instantly.

"There's not going to be a safe landing. But I can try and force it down." Steve said, already getting ready too.

"I'll get Howard on the line, he'll know what to do." Peggy said desperately.

"There's not enough time. This thing's moving too fast and it's heading for New York." Steve looked out to the icy helps below him. "I gotta put her in the water." Steve said determinedly.

"Please, don't do this. We have time. We can work it out, Steve." Peggy's voice shook.

"Right now I'm in the middle of nowhere. If I wait any longer a lot of people are gonna die. Peggy..." He took a deep breath. "This is my choice." He slowly forced the plane down towards the water. "Peggy?" He said, softer this time.

"I'm here."

"I'm gonna need a rain check on that dance. I still wanna dance with you, you know. You seem like a good dancer."

Peggy felt tears in her eyes. "Alright. A week, next Staurday, at the Stork Club."

"You got it." The water was coming closer as Steve lied, biting his lip to control his shaking breathing.

"Eight o'clock on the dot. Don't you dare be late. Understood?" His heart broke at her hoarse voice.

"You know, I still don't know how to dance with a girl."

"I'll show you how. For Bucky. Just be there."

"We'll have the band play somethin' slow. I'd hate to step on your-" The line goes static and Peggy let the tears fall, covering his mouth to hold in her sobs.

"Steve...? Steve? Steve?!" She called in anguish as nothing came back to her.

Icy water flooded his lungs as he crashed, choking him with painful ice shards. His body went numb, tears turning to ice as they leaked from his eyes.

'I wonder if it was this cold for you Buck...' His vision went black and the pain faded, only a numbing icy freeze left behind. 'This is the end of my line, love.'

19 KISSES LOST