In Your Eyes // Steve Rogers

To See You Again

I left him on the dock. When I entered, I kept my back to the door, and threw my hands over my face to muffle my sobs.

I felt arms around me. I looked up, startled, until I realized it was Bucky. He and Sam had been sitting at the kitchen table. I hadn't noticed. He hushed me as I mumbled through my tears that I was sorry for not noticing them. He asked if Steve and I ended it. When I said yes, he rubbed my arm, then excused himself to check on Steve.

Sam patted the spot next to him on the couch. I trudged to him and collapsed on the seats, my body slouched beyond belief. I stared at the fireplace, squinting through my puffy eyes to keep them open.

Sam wiggled his arm around me and pulled my dead weight into his side. "Am I allowed to come visit you in space? Seeing space might be cool."

"It is cool," I mumbled. I sighed. "I hate to leave you just as I got you back."

"It's alright," said Sam instantly, shaking his head. "You're beyond Earth. I get it, Barnes gets it, Steve does, even if it hurts all of us to admit it. I'm proud of you, Clara. You've come so far since we met. I encourage you to go further."

"Are you guys gonna be okay, though?" I asked.

Sam laughed. "Yes, Clara. We're gonna be okay without you for a while. Just come back, okay? Before I'm Steve's age."

I wrapped my arms around Sam's waist. "Of course. You're my best friend, Sam. I've never loved any of my friends like I have you. I spent years missing you, wanting you there with me, wishing I had your advice. Wishing you just could make me laugh... I'm so sorry to leave you."

"Stop apologizing. I'm thankful for the time I had with you and Steve," said Sam, squeezing me. "I love you, Clar. You're gonna do great things up there."

After some time away from me, Steve returned inside. He and Bucky had been speaking just as Sam and I had been. Despite what had been the outcome of our talk, Steve and I both knew it was our last night together. I hadn't thought he wanted to spend it together, but when his outstretched hands were suddenly blocking my view of the fireplace, I knew differently. He scooped me up into his arms and took me back to our room.

I managed to laugh as he tossed me down lightly into the bed. He smiled brightly at the sound of my laugh. He sat down beside me and bent forward to kiss me softly. I pulled him down to lay with me. We spent the night in bed together. We shared kisses and we played with each other's hands, he kept trying to tickle my stomach, he would gather me up in his arms to hug me. We talked about endless things. It seemed tonight, after five years of almost silence, we had thousands of things to talk about.

We talked about if he went back, where would it be to. I asked him what he would miss, beside me, if he decided to stay with Peggy. He asked me what I would miss when I left Earth. We theorized about what the universe held for me. I told him I would send him pictures or use the Comms Hologram to show him.

I don't remember who fell asleep first. I remember us entangled in each other, our breathing synced, our hearts at peace, and the happiness in our hearts outweighing the grief for our last moments.

In the morning, it was somber throughout the house. We let Wanda sleep in as we made breakfast. Steve and I cooked together for Bucky and Sam. As the two of them were already bickering, Steve and I shared smiles and laughs. Kona paced throughout the kitchen waiting for table scraps. We had to yell at Bucky when he fed her a piece of bacon-- he pretended he had no idea what we were speaking about.