Avengers One-Shots

Reader x Steve - Fire

Au: Your house burns down and your parents die, your boyfriend Steve comes and comforts you through your panic attack. (In this, he's not Captain A.)
Hazy.
Everything is hazy as the smoke clouds the room, causing you to choke when oxygen is pushed out of your lungs instead of in. The fire is spreading as you feel the heat surround you and your ash covered bathrobe, its once baby blue fabric now streaked with grey. Hair askew and tangled atop your head, you push yourself up off the couch and blink quickly, the fire causing your eyes to water. On the far side of the room, the wall and ceiling are aflame, the fire rippling like water in a creek. Furniture covered in ash and destroyed, the fire spreads quickly. Standing on shaky legs, your ears ring as you stable yourself.

Mom, dad!

You search the room for them and worry fills your body. You won't leave until you find them. Looking through the fog of smoke helplessly, you yell and scream for your parents, but no answer is returned. Walking with bare feet through your flaming house, you find your way to your parents bedroom. You walk through the doorway to find the room filled with hot, orange flames, the smoke so thick you're having trouble breathing. Coughing, you look around from behind your arm, shielding you from the heat only just. All you can see is burned furniture and so much smoke.
And that's when you see them.

Two bodies that resemble your parents...laying on the floor...burnt to nothing. Nothing but embers. Their dead bodies are holding hands, as moments before, they were helpless to defend themselves against the raging inferno that's now taken over your childhood home.

"No..." You cry out. "No, no, no. Please no!" Covering your mouth with your free hand, tears fall from your eyes as you close them and fall to the floor, trembling.

This can't be happening. This isn't fair. Just an hour ago you were watching tv with your parents, throwing popcorn at each other and laughing. And now everything is crumbling to pieces...

"PLEASE!!!!! NO!!!" You yell heartbroken, banging your fists against the floor. Tears never stop falling down your face, obscuring your vision of black and orange and death. You gasp out for air, wishing to turn back time. To stop this horrific event. Wrapping your arms around yourself, you cry forever. You've just lost your parents. Your mentors, friends, family. You'll be lost without them. You'll be gone.

The house creaks as you come back from your trance, the fire worse than before. Coughing like never before, you can't move. You have no reason to, right? No feeling. Nothing. Just the lack of air in your lungs and the ache in your heart. The misery.

"(Y/N)!!! (Y/N), WHERE ARE YOU??!" You hear Steve's voice but can't focus on it. You can't focus on anything. You're empty. "(Y/N)!" He calls again.

You call out weakly, "Steve." He's looking through every room, but there's no sign of you. "Steve." You call out again. He can't hear you. The fire is licking around you now, so close the heat is unbearable but you still can't move.

"Steve!" You call louder, eyes clouded over, but mind a little less fazed. "Help..." The flames brush against your skin, bright white pain shooting through your body. Steve enters the room and sees you, eyes widening as he runs over to you and pulls you from the fire, wearing only a white tshirt and jeans (**Again, he's not Cap). He quickly but carefully picks you up and leaves the room, rushing through the blaze to get through the front door of your house. Carrying you to the stretcher and the ambulance, he places you on it and graps your hand.

"(Y/N), where are your parents?! Are they still inside?" His eyes display worry as he looks at the trembling house and back at you. Your thoughts are jumbled and you can't form words. Steve places a hand on your cheek, and your eyes lock.

"They..they're gone..they're gone Steve!!" You're in hysterics as you squeeze his hand dangerously. Your eyes flit around, filling with hot tears. "They burned in their bedroom holding hands, and I-I couldn't s-stop it! I COULDN'T STOP IT!!!!!" You gasp, as Steve holds you in his arms, no amount of comfort helping after what just happened.

"I'm so sorry, (Y/N). I'm so sorry." He pulls you back from his embrace, wiping your tears away. You notice tears falling down his face as well. You lift your good arm slowly, slipping your hand from his, and wiping his tears with your thumb. You move to hold his face, leaning your forehead against his, closing your eyes. As the adrenaline of the event wears off, you grow tired, slipping away from Steve, and falling down onto the stretcher. Your eyes flit shut, Steve holding your hand as you're loaded into the ambulance. "Fight for me, (Y/N). Don't give up."