Timeless (Captain America x Reader)

Chapter One Hundred Twenty-One

Steve slowly took the wrapping off of Y/N's hands and his own before he pulled her to her feet.

Y/N winced slightly as she put weight on her leg, nevertheless, she stepped forward and leaned against Steve's side as he walked her towards their bedroom, his arm was tightly wrapped around her waist.

"How are you feeling?" he asked as the pair continued to walk through the bunker.

Y/N sighed softly, her head resting against Steve's shoulder, "Like you were right when you said I needed to wait a little longer before training again."

Steve pulled Y/N closer as he placed a gentle kiss on the top of her head, "You'll be fine, just give it a little time."

Y/N nodded, "I know," she told Steve as the two entered their bedroom, "But I feel pretty useless sitting here at the bunker while you and the team are out there running missions," she explained. "You are making a difference and doing something, meanwhile I'm stuck here all alone."

Steve placed his hands on Y/N's shoulders, moving her to stand in front of him, "Y/N," he said softly as he lifted her chin, forcing her eyes to meet his own. "You are anything but useless."

Y/N had a smile tugging at the edges of her lips from Steve's words as he pulled her close to him, "You are a valuable member of this team, whether you're running tactical from here, or on the ground right by my side. You got injured on a mission, and now you need to take a break...and that's okay," Steve told her.

Y/N nodded slowly as Steve continued, "You had a building dropped on you, that's not something you just bounce back from," Steve added. "No one is expecting you to rush right back into the line of fire again anytime soon."

Y/N leaned forward, wrapping her arms around Steve's neck as she hugged him tightly. Steve returned the hug gladly as he snaked his arms around Y/N's waist snugly.

Steve simply held Y/N close for a few minutes, he had no desire to do anything else. Neither of them said anything, just the presence of one another was enough to satisfy them both.

"Thank you," Y/N murmured as she pulled back slowly.

Steve furrowed his brows as he met YN's eyes, "What are you thanking me for exactly?" he asked.

"For knowing exactly what to say to make me feel better," she replied as she ran her fingers through Steve's hair gently.

Steve smiled, humming at the feeling of Y/N's warm touch, "I love you."

"I love you too..."

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A few weeks later Y/N was fully healed and ready to go on a mission, her first one back since she had been injured.

She was feeling excited as she suited up with the rest of the team, she had waited months for this, and it was finally time for her to get back in the field.

The other members of the team didn't share Y/N's enthusiasm, they had all been there when Y/N had been injured, they all remembered how painful it was for both Y/N and themselves. They all had to watch one of their own suffer, it was something none of them wanted to experience again.

Steve was nervous, he knew Y/N was healed and she had been given the stamp of approval from her doctors in Wakanda, but he still felt on edge for some reason. He too, like the rest of the team, didn't want to see Y/N get hurt again.

He knew that she had been waiting so long for this moment, to have something to go wrong would only spoil her mood all over again, he only wished that this mission would go well.

Nevertheless, the team, and Steve, pushed their personal feelings aside and supported Y/N as she joined them on the quinjet before they took off. They were bound for an illegal arms deal in New York...

Y/N smiled as she stood beside Steve on the quinjet, "Someone's happy," he noted as he looked down and met Y/N's eyes.

"How can I not be?" she countered. "I am finally back where I've wanted to be for weeks."

Steve sent Y/N a small smile, "You ready to prep the team?" he asked.

Y/N nodded as she followed Steve towards the center of the jet, Sam and Nat joined them.

"Okay, you guys know the drill. Two entrances, Y/N and I will take the front, Sam, Natasha, you two have the back. Our latest scans show an escape tunnel near the South stairwell, Sam, your Redwing drone will monitor that exit. Meanwhile, we stop the arms deal quickly, and quietly. Stay close and keep your eyes up," Steve explained.

Everyone nodded in agreement before branching off. Within the hour the team had landed the jet, Y/N was putting in her comms when Steve joined her by her side.

"Secure channel seven," he said lighty nudging her side.

Y/N smiled, "Seven secure," she replied. "Are you ready for this?" she asked.

"Are you?" Steve countered.

"Ready as I'll ever be..."

It wasn't long before Y/N, Sam, Steve, and Natasha found themselves standing over a pile of unconscious bodies in an abandoned warehouse on the outskirts of New York City.

"Told you I was ready," Y/N told Steve as she turned to him and flashed her signature smile at him.

Steve shook his head playfully, "I never said you weren't ready for this," he reminded Y/N.

"Alright lovebirds, I've got NYPD on the way, so how about we get the hell out of dodge before we get arrested," Sam suggested as he broke up Steve and Y/N's conversation.

Natasha smiled, "I think they're cute," she mentioned as she and Sam headed back to the quinjet, Steve and Y/N weren't far behind.

On the way back to the bunker, Y/N was standing silently as she gazed out the windows of the quinjet. Steve noticed how silent Y/N was, she had been so happy earlier, he knew something had to be wrong. He walked over and stood beside her, he too looked out the window and realized why she was being so quiet.

They were flying directly over the Avengers Compound, a place both Steve and Y/N had once called home.

"Do you miss it?" Steve asked, breaking the silence that had fallen between him and Y/N.

Y/N nodded, "Sometimes, but then I remember why we left, I remember who made us leave."

Steve furrowed his brows, "You mean Tony?" he assumed.

Y/N nodded, her arms folded across her chest, "I haven't had a real family in a long time, so I've always relied on people to be like my family, like you and Bucky. And then I let the Avengers be my family, and that included Tony."

"Y/N, you haven't mentioned him in a long time," Steve cut in.

"I know, it's because I haven't seen our old home in a long time...God, I trusted Tony with everything, and he betrayed me...some family," she scoffed.

Steve sighed softly, "Are you saying you don't want to go back?" Steve wondered.

Y/N sighed, "What's the point, there's nothing to go back to," she said turning to meet Steve's eyes. "Our friends who considered to be family betrayed us, they didn't believe us when we told them the truth, and because of that we lost our home, we're wanted fugitives now...so you tell me, what is there to go back to?"

Steve dropped the subject for the rest of the way home. He knew that at first, Y/N had missed New York, and she had been sad that she had to leave it all behind. But now, her sadness had been replaced with anger, and it was mostly directed at Tony. Though Steve couldn't blame her, Tony did betray her, when she needed a friend most, Tony wasn't there for her, and Steve was on the run, so he wasn't there either.

Maybe they would never go home, but both Steve and Y/N had accepted that, because they still had each other, and that was home enough for both of them...