Things We Lost - Bucky Barnes Fanfic

17. Shawarma

Jessie got up and off of the car she and Steve had landed on. She helped him get down from it and keep his balance as he stood. They watched as police men and firefighters began to direct the civilians out of the building. Steve looked at the ground in a guilty way. The two made their way back to the bridge they were at earlier. Thor was there as well. All three began to fight the Soldiers. One shot Jessie which knocked her down. She tried her best to stand up as Thor hit a car making it fly back into the Chitauri. Steve threw his shield at the other Soldiers knocking them down. Thor walked over to Jessie and helped her stand up.

“Are you ready for another bout?” he asked as she stood up. Steve walked over to them.

“What, are you getting sleepy?” Jessie asked jokingly. Thor looked from her to Steve.

“I can close it,” Natasha said through the earpiece. “Can anybody copy? I can shut the portal down.”

“Do it!” Steve ordered.

“No, wait,” Stark said, stopping Steve.

“Stark these things are still coming,” Jessie told him.

“I got a nuke coming in. It’s gonna blow in less than a minute... And I know just where to put it.”

“Stark, you know that’s a one way trip.”

“Save the rest for the turn, J.” They heard Tony flying toward their direction with a missile bigger than him. He flew up toward the portal and disappeared into it. Thor, Steve and Jessie looked around as the Citauri began to fall around them. They heard a muffled explosion.

“Close it,” Jessie ordered to Natasha. The portal close just as Tony began to fall through it. “Son of a gun.”

“He’s not slowing down,” Thor remarked. Just as he was about to go and save Tony, Hulk grabbed the man of Iron and jumped down to the bridge. Thor, Steve and Jessie ran over to Hulk and Tony. Thor grabbed the front piece of Tony’s helmet and threw it to the side revealing Tony’s face.

“Is he breathing?” Steve asked as Jessie got to her knees and leaned over Tony to check for breathing. She rested her hand on his chest to feel if it was moving from breathing. When she didn’t feel anything, Hulk stood up and roared loud enough to wake Tony.

“What the hell?” Tony asked in shock. “What just happened? Please tell me nobody kissed me, unless it was Evans.” Jessie smiled and chuckled at his remark.

“We won,” Steve stated.

“Alright, yay! Hurray. Good job, guys. Let’s just not come in tomorrow. Let’s just take a day. You ever tried Shawarma? There’s a Shawarma joint about two blocks from here. I don’t know what it is, but I want to try it.”

“We’re not finished yet,” Thor said referring to Loki.

“And then Shawarma after.” The five met up with Hawkeye and Natasha in Stark Tower. Loki was trying to stand up. He stopped when he saw their shadows, and turned to look at them. Natasha had the scepter while Hawkeye pointed an arrow and Jessie pointed her gun at Loki. He looked to Tony.

“If it’s all the same to you,” he spoke. “I’ll have that drink now.” The group brought Loki back to S.H.I.E.L.D. Like Tony suggested, they all went to the Shawarma joint he spoke of. They all silently ate at the table while the workers were sweeping up from the attack. Hawkeye was reading while Jessie was falling asleep on Steve’s shoulder while she ate. He too was falling asleep. Tony, Bruce, Thor and Natasha sat quietly either looking to each other or looking at the two falling asleep or the one reading. The news was on. The report was about the attack and one of the women being interviewed Steve and Jessie recognized to be the blonde waitress from the restaurant.

“What, this is somehow their fault?” she asked the reporter. “Captain America and Winter Patriot saved my life. Wherever they are, and wherever any of them are, I would just... I would want to say thank you.” The next day, the seven Avengers took Loki and the Tesseract to the front of Central Park. All of them were wearing modern clothes and were cleaned up from the fight. Bruce, Selvig and Tony put the Tesseract into a container which would keep it safe. Jessie and Steve kept their eye on the Tesseract for they knew what power it held. Thor took it and used it to teleport him and Loki back to Asgard. After they left, Steve went over to Tony and shook his hand. Natasha gave Jessie a quick hug, same with Clint. She shook hands with Selvig and gave Tony and Bruce a hug before walking back over to Steve who was getting on his motorcycle after shaking hands with the others. Steve started up the bike they were on, and drove away. The Avengers were free to live in the world without answering for the attack.

Jessie and Steve got back to their apartment. When they walked in, Jessie went over to the couch in the living room and laid down on it. Steve laughed and walked over to the couch, moving her head to sit down. She looked up at him with her bright blue eyes. He smiled at her.

“Tired?” he asked. She nodded. “It has been a long fight... A long fight...” Jessie looked at the sad look on her friends face. She sat up and turned to face him.

“Steve, what’s wrong?” she asked. He wouldn’t look at her. Steve shook his head as if nothing was bothering him. She turned his face toward her. “Steve, look at me.” There were tears building up in his eyes as he remembered the past. “What’s wrong?”

“We almost lost one person yesterday. We lost a friend years ago. We didn’t need to almost lose another one.”

“But we didn’t lose him, did we? It’s not your fault we lost Bucky... He sacrificed himself for his country.”

“He was our friend. Jess, it’s my he died. I wasn’t quick enough to save him.”

“Steve, I miss him too. I really do. But you have to put the past behind you. It’s hard to do. I know, I’ve tried. But it helps.”

“Easy for you to say. You were unfrozen a year before they found me. You had the time.” Jessie stayed quiet. After that short conversation and the battle with the Chitauri, Jessie stopped talking again. Steve figured out that whenever she’s around Stark or Banner, she talks more than she does around him. He decided to let her have her space and that they should move to Washington D.C. to get away from the memories, but still work for S.H.I.E.L.D. and lay low. He found a two bedroom apartment in a quiet space area of D.C. near the Washington monument. He believed moving would make a changed and difference in their lives, and maybe be a life changer more than waking up in New York was.