Not Without You: Book 1 (Canon-Divergence Stucky Fix-it-Fic)

Seven

Filled with enough sugary, savory breakfast foods to feed a family of seven, and the caffeine from the subpar coffee pumping through their veins, the trio left the diner in better spirits than any of them had had in a long time. Especially Steve as he reached into the saddle bag on his bike while the Langs climbed into the van. Slipping the postcard into the old, worn journal, he took a moment to smile at the vintage photo of his one true love.

Tu tutu tu tu
Tu tutu tu tu
Tu tu tutu tu tu tuu

The horn blared the tune of La Cucaracha, startling Steve and causing him to nearly drop the stuffed journal. Snapping it closed, he looked over to the van and found Cassie leaning out of the driver side window as she cheerfully demanded, "Let's get this show on the road, grandpa!"

Chuckling to himself, he shook his head as he safely tucked the journal back into the saddle bag. Checking his phone, he noted the time and acknowledged that there was another handful of missed calls before shoving it back into his pocket. Sliding behind the steering wheel, Steve was ready to get a move on it.

So, that was what they did.

Taking coffee breaks and stopping at rest stops more often than Steve had on the way to San Francisco. Eating at a pizzeria where Cassie ordered a veggie pizza for Steve while she fought her smirk, because, "You're vegetarian, remember?" Or the diner with the interesting sign that caught Cassie's disgust as she read, "JD Coffee Shop: pancakes, steaks, seafood." Or whenever they stopped for bathroom breaks and Steve would look over the map regardless of whether, "Don't you have that memorized yet? Boy, those history books really like to exaggerate your abilities, huh?"

Really, Cassie just spent the whole time mocking him no matter what he did or where they stopped. But unsurprisingly so, he didn't grow annoyed. Not even when he pulled off for the night. Another empty field just outside of St. George, Utah, that earned Steve a well-earned jab about trespassing and how, "Captain America is a criminal? Isn't that just the damndest thing."

Making sure that they were far enough away from the road where they wouldn't be seen, Steve parked. Figuring that they'd leave as soon as they woke up, Steve didn't bother unhooking the popup from the van. Instead, just allowing the camper to expand to three times its size.

Thankful for Stark technology and the solar panels on the roof as he entered the camper to plug in his phone. Idly wondering if fixing the van's cigarette lighter would mess with the machine in the back, and whether the risk would be worth it just so he could charge his phone throughout the day. Especially when his phone instantly started going off with notifications.

"Captain America has a social life, who would've guessed," Cassie stretched her arms above her head, touching the camper's low ceiling.

Even Scott laughed at that. Albeit, a little high pitch and encroaching on hysterical. Cassie and Steve both turned their attention to him at the sound. All humor was sucked out of Cassie as she asked, "Dad?"

Steve set his phone on the counter and questioned, "Are you alright, Scott?"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. Of course," Scott rushed as he continued to laugh, causing Cassie and Steve to exchange a look of concern with each other.

Instantly, Cassie pulled out one of the benches while Steve grabbed a bottle of water from the mini fridge. The pair working together to get Scott to calm down. Perhaps Steve should've been more diligent after Scott popped out of the machine. Feeling especially negligent since he, instead, immediately dragged the Langs onto the road in his selfish attempts to get his lover back.

"Just focus on your breathing, alright?" Steve instructed, while trying to ignore the flurry of memories that simple phrase brought up. He needed to focus. Now wasn't about him, it was about Scott. Inhaling with the brunet, he counted, "One, two, three, four, five," holding it, and then exhaling, "One, two, three, four, five."

Glad that Scott was following Steve's instructions as they continued to breathe together. With a shaky hand, Scott brought the bottle of water to his mouth and managed to get some into his mouth. Even if more of it sloshed over the side of his hand.

"Dad? Are you okay?" Cassie asked, rubbing his back, "Do you need to lay down?"

"I just --" Scott cut himself off. Setting the water down, he brought Cassie close and held her tightly to him as he started over, "Five years ago, I entered the Quantum Realm."

Steve's brows furrowed, but he wasn't going to interrupt. Even if he had no idea what Scott was talking about.

"The Quantum Realm is like its own microscopic universe," Scott explained resting his cheek on the top of Cassie's head. "To get in there, you have to be incredibly small. Hope --" he held his daughter just a bit tighter as he grappled to explain who Hope is... was. "She's my... she was my... She was supposed to pull me out. And then..."

"Thanos," Steve supplied with a clear of his throat.

Scott nodded his confirmation, "Then Thanos happened. And I got stuck in there."

"I'm sorry," Steve lamely attempted to comfort as he reasoned, "That must've been a very long five years."

"But that's just it. It wasn't," Scott moved, allowing Cassie to take up a more casual, comfortable seat beside him. Scott continued, "For me, it was five hours."

"How is that possible?" Cassie asked while Steve questioned, "What are you talking about?"

"The rules of the Quantum Realm aren't like they are up here. Everything is unpredictable," Scott clarified.

Thickly swallowing, Steve turned around to reach for his phone. Knowing that despite him not fully understanding what Scott was talking about, someone else might. Or at least be able to help him better understand. And even if they couldn't, Steve would rather still have them with him.

"Ya got any idea what time it is, Rogers?" That familiar raspy voice answered, thick with sleepiness.

"You're the one sleeping with your phone, Romanoff," Steve teased back. Seeing that Scott and Cassie were huddled together as they quietly discussed what this could mean, and he asked his teammate, "You know anything about Quantum Physics?"

A rustling came from the other side and what sounded like a lamp clicking on as she confirmed, "Only enough to make conversation. Why?"

"Because you're never going to believe who I found in San Francisco," Steve answered.