Avengers Imagines

Some Things We Have To Let Go

Requested by AstridStormfly
(immense gratitude for your patience)

(Steve x Reader)

After eighteen continuous hours of actively attempting to maintain world peace, you were finally back home. The mission had been tough. At the moment, all you really wanted was to drift off into an alleviating sleep.

The foot of the bed was occupied, where you sat, peeling the sweat-soaked combat clothes off of yourself. Steve was near the closet, pulling on fresh clothes after the shower. "You have to tell me how you did that! I mean, you took that guy down in two seconds flat!" He remarked as he pulled a T-shirt over his head and down his torso.

"Like you need my help! You're Captain America." You scoffed. Steve smiled as he wrapped his arms around you from behind, pulling you close. "And you're Captain America's badass girlfriend."

"Damn right I am your bada-" Your phone rang sharply, cutting you off mid-sentence. "I'm sorry, I have to take this." You pressed the phone to your ear and Steve nodded, walking toward the mirror to fix his hair.

The voice on the other end was still speaking, however, you could not perceive it anymore. Your eyes bore blankly into the wall as tears rushed down your cheeks. Reality was fleeting and you felt numb, to the point where you did not even feel the cellphone slip through your fingers and fall to the floor with a loud clank.

Steve whipped around to see what the hollow sound was when he noticed your knees beginning to buckle. He ran to catch you but his speed proved to be of no use. He caught the air where your arm used to be; meanwhile you landed on the ground with a gut-wrenching scream, and screamed until your throat was raw.

"(Y/N)!" Steve screamed as well, regardless of his intention not to, and took his place by your side, rubbing gentle circles in your back as you sobbed loudly into his chest.

A barrage of footfalls later, the team appeared in the doorway and dashed inside as soon as their eyes landed on your shriveled form. "(Y/N), what's wrong?" Natasha gently caressed your face.

Barely holding back a sob, you replied in a choked whisper, "Liam." The timbre of your voice ripped Clint from the inside."Liam?" He asked, "Isn't that her brother?" Natasha nodded solemnly.

Your pained sobs echoed throughout the room and no amount of kisses that Steve could place in your hair offered any consolation. Everyone eventually caught on about what had happened but no one could gather enough courage to ask, given your condition. Finally, Steve was the only one who could voice his desire for confirmation. "Honey, what happened?"

"They foun...they found his car two blocks from here. He's gone." The tears were relentless. You sunk further into Steve's chest. Clint took your hand in his and squeezed gently. "I'm sorry, (Y/N)."

"We got into a big fight right before I left for this mission." Your voice was low, almost as if you were no longer addressing anyone else in the room. "He wanted to buy a place right here in New York. I-I wouldn't let him, it was too unsafe. It feels like yesterday when Loki invaded."

The presence of everyone else was slowly fading and you were rendered circling around in the ruins of your mind. "Things got heated. He said I was manipulative, never wanted to see anyone do better than myself. I said he never cared about anyone but himself. That's why he left mom alone for his year abroad right after dad died."

You finally closed your eyes, letting the guilt consume you. "Liam died thinking I hated him."

Pin-drop silence reigned the room until Tony broke it. "You can't live like that (Y/N). My own father, I hated him all my life and made sure he knew it. I had good reason to, you know. He loved your boyfriend more than he ever loved me. And he was buried beyond sea level at the time! Holding on to it will only cause you pain. You have to let these things go and hope they are in a better place."

When your sobs mellowed a little, Steve carried you to the bed and laid down beside you, Natasha on the other side, Tony with his head rested on your knees and Clint sprawled on near your feet. "You want to go see him?" Steve whispered in your hair.

You shook your head. "I want to wait until they get him out of there." Steve nodded.

"It's going to be okay, love." He tightened his grip around you. You sighed warily. It certainly did not seem that way. "If you say so."

Steve ran his fingers through your hair, lulling you into sleep. "I say so."

So, hey! How's it going for y'all? Come on, spill some tea!

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