Artemis : The Seventh Avenger ➳ Steve Rogers [1]

02 [ 07 ]

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We walked in silence thorough the woods. It was comfortable between us, as always. But something didn't feel right.

"How are you feeling?" I asked, breaking the silence.

"That Maximoff girl really messed with our heads, huh?" He tries to laugh it off, but it comes out sounding more like a cry for help.

"She did." I agreed, eyeing him worriedly.

"Everything's going to shit." He mutters.

I gasp theatrically, "Steve, I'm honestly disappointed. We don't use that kind of language."

He lets out a laugh, the alleviated tension makes his shoulders slump slightly.

"They told you too, huh?" He asks shaking his head, a hint of a smile still on his lips.

"Clint and I had a lot of time to chat on the way here. He told me everything." I smiled, "Language!" I imitated.

"I didn't mean to say it, alright. It just slipped out." He tries to defend himself.

"Sure, it did." I say sarcastically between laughs.

He catches my hand, pulling me into his arms.

"I'm never going to hear the end of this, am I?" He grins.

"Nope." I answer.

My heart skips a beat as his eyes meet mine, he inches in and for a moment I think he's going to kiss me, but he stops himself.

He stares at me, like he always does, fond and intimate. But soon, those emotions were replaced with something else entirely. Something that resembled sadness and desolation.

His smile fades and he lets out a heavy sigh, "I love you." He says, making my heart flutter. "But I can't do this." He mutters.

"D-do what?" I ask, thoroughly confused.

I swallowed at the lump in my thrown, feeling as if a though bucket of ice water had been dumped over me.

"This." He answers, "Us."

My heart squeezes at that, feeling as if it's just been shattered into a million pieces with just those few words.

I stumble back and out of his arms, trying to find the words to say to him, but failing to.

"Ever since I've woken up, my world has been a mess. But for some reason when I met you, everything just fell into place and things felt right for the first time. You're more than anything I could ever ask for." He continues, making me even more confused. "Which is why I can't do this to you."

"What does that even mean?" I finally speak.

"Don't you see? Everyone that I've ever loved, ends up getting hurt in one way or another. I can't do that to you, Cam. I can't." He says, looking physically broken.

I nod, expecting myself to feel angry, but I don't, instead, I feel tears threatening to fall.

"So, is this what you want then?" I ask, trying my best to keep my voice as steady as possible.