Avengers One shots

Saviour (Steve x Reader)

You went into it like any other battle and maybe that was your mistake. Thinking you had a chance. Thanos ripped through your world and you weren't enough. 

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You take a step towards Steve brushing the stray hair out of his eyes, grazing over the age lines forming on his eyes and down to his jaw. All the fighting and running, it had taken it's toll.

"I love you." You both whisper and Steve closes his eyes with a sigh. You tilt his chin and place a tender kiss on his lips, letting him deepen this kiss, pouring all your heart into savouring him, remembering him.

"You can still go back." There was nothing left to go back to, nowhere to escape to. Not that you would ever consider leaving him. You shake your head, feeling the brush of leather and the rough skin on his fingers before you entwine them with your own.

You look up into his blue eyes, hoping to convey your conviction, "Steve, we're with you-"

"Till the end of the line." Bucky finishes your sentence and smirks.

T'challa, his army, Nat and Hulk in armour all stand beside you. You know what you have to do. Your mission was to protect Wakanda and Vision. To keep Thanos busy long enough for Strange to activate the time stone, he was your only chance now.

"You ready pal?"

Steve takes hold of Bucky's hand and the three of you watch thousands of Thanos' outriders and spaceships concentrate their fire on your section of the shield. With waves of blasting energy, the shield protecting Wakanda finally fails and you grip Steve's hand harder. You never want to let him go, overwhelming fear crushing at your chest as the creatures come charging towards you, their screams turning your stomach.

You went into this like any other battle and maybe that was your mistake. Thinking you had a chance. Thanos ripped through your world and you weren't enough. Wakanda was in ruins, the sky a dirty red from the fire and smoke. All its technology, it's ships and warriors, it wasn't enough.

One by one you witness everyone fall. There's just too many of these creatures, so violent and hard to kill. They start to push you back to the city and you start to lose. Yet you kept fighting, staying close to Steve and Bucky and covering them when you can.

T'challa's ships explode in the sky, raining debris onto those below. Hulk comes hurtling past you, bringing up earth and bodies, plowing through creatures and humans. When he finally came to a stop he wasn't moving. Your one advantage against Thanos was gone.

Even though you were way past exhaustion, your energy reserves all but empty, your faith in Steve never wavered. You never once thought of giving up, until that one second. The moment you truly saw Thanos up close, the moment Steve charged away from you and Bucky. You knew it was over.

Steve won't let Thanos win, he'll fight to his last breath and that realisation terrified you. Bucky screams and you do the only thing you can, the only thing you would ever do. You both charge in after him.

Thanos sends Steve flying through the air with one swipe of his hand. Dazed, he struggles back to his feet while you and Bucky train your weapons on Thanos. They're useless and you scream in frustration, he just absorbs the energy and fires it back at you. You go for his legs with your knives, still it has no effect and you just miss his punch, Bucky using his arm to block the blow.

You hear his pained scream as you clamber to your feet, seeing Thanos crush Bucky's arm, ripping it from his shoulder. Steve manages to knock Thanos over using his shield and he throws Bucky down. You run over to help and miss Thanos turn in your direction. Bucky doesn't though and meets you half way covering you from the blast with his body, you both hit the ground and it all goes dark.

When you came to, Bucky was on top of you. The grass charred and smoking around you both. You try to wake him, shaking him gently, getting no response. He's too still. Panicking you roll him off you, turning him over and gasping at the wound where his bionic arm used to be. He's lost so much blood, his blue jacket is completely stained red and you feel sick again.

You feel for a pulse and check his breathing, only confirming what you already knew. Bucky, your best friend, he was gone. You're covered in his blood and you can't breathe, your body shaking as you place a kiss to his forehead.

Steve's fighting wildly with no thought for himself. You scream for him to stop, but he's so consumed with rage he can't hear you. Steve thought you were both dead, he thought he'd lost everything.

Thanos crushes Steve's shields, leaving him to fight with his bare hands and you gathered all the strength you had left, managing to stand and throw your knife, aiming for the back of Thanos' head. It's futile, but it might distract him long enough to give Steve an advantage.

The same moment you lock eyes with Steve and they regain a small piece of hope. Your smile gets wiped away as Thanos snatches the knife from the air and hurls it back at you. So fast it goes straight through you, tearing through your body.

Steve screams your name and you feel numb, not registering the wound in your stomach, dropping to your knees in shock. Thanos laughs and his fist comes crashing toward Steve. He catches the punch, tears in his eyes as he roars in defiance.

Steve pushes back with every last ounce of strength he has. Thanos says something to Steve and he looks back to you. You want to say you're sorry, I love you, I'm here. The anguished look he gave you silencing any reply, it wouldn't be enough. He's your only love, your heart and he's saying goodbye.

Thanos forces him to this knees and his eyes leave yours, sparing you from seeing him in pain. Tears fall down your cheeks and you scream for Thanos to stop, begging him to kill you instead. You're still trying to reach him clawing at the grass, desperately trying to pull yourself towards him. You can't just watch him struggle, watch him die.

Steve's still fighting as Thanos pushes him to the ground, slowly increasing the pressure on his chest until even his body fails. Steve coughs up blood and you hear his wheezing breaths, slow and laboured. You can't let it end this way. Let his last moments be full of pain, let him die on his own. He was the only person that deserved to survive this fight. He deserved a peaceful death, surrounded by his family and Thanos was taking that away from him.

Thanos smirks down at Steve and you realise he's won. The world was lost. With no more thought to Steve, Thanos turns towards Wakanda trampling over the bodies of the fallen.

You listen for any sounds of Steve breathing, hearing only static and distant rumbles of explosions. Unable to hold yourself up you collapse onto the grass, your vision slowly darkening.

I'm sorry Steve. I wasn't enough to save you.

You can't even move your head anymore, can't turn away from Thanos' ships that soar above you, leaving white trails across the red sky. They're heading for what's left of Wakanda and you pray T'challa and Nat survived, that there was someone left to fight.

You want to say goodbye, be with Steve one last time, but all you're left with are memories and pain. The rhythmic thump of your heartbeat gets fainter, your breathing slower and you remember your Steve. The brave, kind, troubled man that never backed away from a fight. That would do anything for his family, his world.

You remembered the Steve that would wrap you up in his arms. Telling you he loved you every morning in case it was his last. The Steve that kept you safe, made sure you were loved, you were happy and somehow he even made death easier, made the darkness less frightening. Even as your memories became cloudy, he was with you. He was your saviour. No one could take that away.

Steve would always find you.

Always.