"Hey, kid. Are you ready to go?"

"Yeah," you sighed, looking around your now empty living quarters at the tower. The closet that held your clothes, and once Steve's, was nothing more than empty hangers now. The dresser that had been overfilled with Steve's workout shirts and the worn but comfortable pajamas that you just couldn't part with was now easily closed. The bathroom that used to be a mix of his body wash and your perfume now smelled only of bleach and clean linens. "I think I've got everything."

"Oh, I can see that," Tony agreed with a nod, leaning against the door frame. "But that's not really what I meant. Are you ready?"

You grabbed your suitcase and swung it off the bed, giving your friend a quick smile as you walked past him, doing your best to look confident. "Ready as I'll ever be, Tony. Waiting any longer isn't going to make it any easier."

~~~

"Hey, man. When does she get in?"

Steve leaned back in his chair and turned to face Sam with a weak smile, tapping his pen anxiously on the desktop. "Any minute now, why?"

"I was gonna offer to grab a drink first," he replied, entering the room and taking a seat across from the Captain. "I thought maybe you'd need it." Sam paused and watched his friend, seeing how nervous he was and feeling a bit helpless. He had watched Steve over the past three months, struggling to stop calling you, fighting the urge to just go to the tower and fight for you. He watched Steve suffer in his loneliness and regret for how things had ended. "Have you talked to her at all?"

"No," he sighed, dropping the pen and bringing his hands to his face, rubbing his eyes in both fatigue and frustration. "The last time I tried, Tony answered. She had FRIDAY re-route any calls from me through her."

"That's cold."

"No, it's smart is what it is." Steve stood and dug his hands into his pockets, moving to stand at the large windows that overlooked the small lake behind the training facility. "She told me we needed time apart, and what do I do? I turn into a lovesick puppy that can't stop chasing her around. It's not a good look for Captain America, right? I have the best thing that's ever happened to me, and I push her away. I push her away, and all I can think of is to get her back. I don't blame her one bit for leaving. Hell, I'd leave too."

"Don't be so hard on yourself, Steve. Being in love is hard." Sam stood and made his way to stand next to Steve, putting a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "Look at it this way, okay? She's on her way. She's moving in. If she wanted nothing to do with you, why would she put herself in a position to be closer to you?"

Steve sucked in a harsh breath and perked up, catching the sight of Tony's car in his peripheral vision. He tried to shake off the sick feeling in his stomach, giving Sam a quick nod as he hurried to welcome the two of you. "I guess we're about to find out."

~~~

Tony's hand slid over and rested atop yours when Steve came into sight, bringing the car to a stop a few feet away. "So, I've been thinking, maybe I just turn this thing around and you stay with me, huh? We could have a great time, right? Movie nights, we hit the theater a few times, no drama...no Cap..."

"You're sweet, Tony, but I'm fine." You gave his hand a squeeze and looked at Steve, taking a deep breath before finally opening the door. When he saw you exiting, he hurried over to take your suitcases from the trunk.

"Hi, (Y/N)," he smiled, "how was the drive?"

"A little long, but we had a nice lunch on the way. Tony went on and on about something with physics, or the suit, or something I didn't understand anyway," you said with a quiet chuckle. "After about mile twenty I just tuned that out."

"I heard that," Tony grumbled, taking your other two suitcases in hand and pointing you towards the building. "Get your smart ass in there already."

Steve went out ahead and pulled the door open for you, raising his arm so that you could pass under; you swore you heard him take a deep breath as you crossed him, remembering that you were still using the shampoo that he always liked. You quickly made a mental note to go shopping as soon as you had settled in.

"I have your room ready, it's on the fourth floor, facing the lake." He paused for a moment, glancing at Tony and then to you before looking ahead and passing you to summon the elevator. "It's next to mine," he mumbled.

"Steve..."

"It was the only one left, I swear!"

"Mmm hmm," Tony growled, growing increasingly frustrated with the Captain and his eagerness to push you, having only been there for less than five minutes. "Smooth, Cap. Completely subtle." The three of you pushed into the elevator, the discomfort at close proximity feeling immediate as you stood between the two men. "So, now what? You gonna tell us that you don't have a key to her room so she has to bunk with you?"

"Tony, stop."

"No, (Y/N), I should have expected this," he continued, dropping your suitcases at his sides with a loud thud, pointing harshly at Steve. "You call for her at all hours of the day and night, and don't get the hint when I'm the one who always answers? She isn't ready for this. I can see that, so why can't you?"

"Wait," you interjected, holding up your hands at Tony, "you answered my calls? Those were supposed to go to FRIDAY."

When he looked from Steve to you, his expression softened and he looked almost apologetic. "Technically, they did. I...I had her re-route them to me. I wanted to protect you, that's all."

"So what you did is just fine, but not what Steve's doing?"

"I'm not doing-"

"Give it a rest, Rogers," you huffed, "you suck a lying so please, don't insult my intelligence." Taking your suitcases from the floor, you turned and watched the doors open, pushing through them and towards your room as quickly as possible, completely exhausted from dealing with them both. "Go home, Tony."

~~~

"Since when do you hit like a girl?" Natasha taunted, bouncing slightly with her fists up and ready to strike. "I thought you were different. I thought you were better than this, but you're fighting like a recruit. Too much time away has made you soft."

You were panting, leaning forward with your hands on your thighs, trying to open your chest to take deeper breaths, but the pain from her last strike was clutching at your muscles. "You're such a bitch, Nat. God, I've missed you." Leaning farther forward, you moved quickly into a roll, swinging your leg out to catch hers, dropping her onto her back with a sharp slap on the mat. You threw yourself on top of her, flipping her onto her stomach and yanking her arms roughly behind her until she let out a small yell.

"I'm sorry, did I step on your moment?" you chuckled, still slightly breathless.

She tried to kick her foot back to strike, but you saw it in your periphery and grabbed it from the air, slamming it back to the ground. "No, no, Nat, I've got you pinned. Just call it, already."

"I think she's got you, Romanoff," Steve laughed, entering the gym as he wrapped his hands for the punching bag. "Best to call it before she chokes you out. It's her signature move, remember?"

"Fine," she groaned reluctantly, resting her forehead on the mat, "I'm out."

"Always a pleasure," you said as you released her, grabbing your water bottle from your bag and taking a long drink. You watched Steve from the corner of your eye, trying not to focus on the tight blue workout shirt that you had bought for him; the one that hugged every muscle in his arms and back, accentuating the rigid curves of his abdomen. It was your favorite, and he knew it. "Have a good workout, Steve," you said with a small wave, "I'll see you later."

He spun around quickly, taking a step forward and reaching out to take your arm but pulling his hand away quickly. "Actually, (Y/N)," he paused, glancing at Nat, "I need you to stay for a minute. I, um...I need to talk to you about the mission tomorrow. Really quick, I promise."

You waved Nat off and dropped your bag back down on the bench, taking a seat next to it to watch as he started his punches. "Okay, what's up?"

"Are we gonna be okay?"

"With what, exactly?"

"Working together," he grunted, his punches getting stronger. "We haven't worked together since Sokovia, and I need to know that we'll be okay. We've always been partnered on these things, and I'd like it to stay that way if we can."

"Of course you would," you mumbled under your breath, looking down at the floor, but with his damn super soldier hearing, he picked up on it.

"Stop doing that," he spat, hitting the bag a final time with all of his strength, shaking the rafter that it was attached to. "That's not what's going on here."

"Are you sure?" you challenged, standing and stepping in front of him. "Because I've been here less than two days now and between being shacked up next to you, you showing up during my workouts, and now wanting to work side-by-side again, it's pretty suspicious."

Steve stared at you, his mouth open slightly but no words coming out. His eyes searched yours, trying desperately to find something in them that he wanted; anything that would tell him that you still had feelings for him that he could reach. He wanted nothing more than to kiss you and hear that everything was okay again, but he knew that wasn't going to happen. Not now, anyway. "I can see how you would get that," was all he could say in his defense. "And you're not wrong, (Y/N)."

"I'm not?"

"I told you that I wouldn't stop trying," he said in a low voice, still holding his eye contact, still mesmerizing you with his deep blue eyes. "And I can't say that I ever will." He took a step closer to you, the space between you nearly gone. You took a few steps back, but he followed, having you now backed against the gym wall.

"I don't want to love you, Steve," you whispered, your voice faltering and unsteady. "But...I can't...I can't..."

He took the opportunity and took the final step forward, pressing his lips against firmly against yours, his tongue grazing across your lip and desperately searching for yours. He grabbed you in his arms and lifted you from the ground, holding you tight against the wall, moving his hands into your hair. He had waited months for any contact with you, even just to touch your skin for a second, but in this moment, he had to have more.

"I don't want to love you," you whispered again between gasping breaths, wrapping your legs around his waist as he carried you to his room, refusing to let you go again.

~~~

The quinjet shook and faltered as it headed to the ground, with Clint struggling to keep control. Steve grasped the roll bar over his head, standing next to you while strapped tightly into your jump seat next to Natasha and Tony. "Hang on! This is gonna hurt!" Clint called out as the jet finally hit, sliding into a large grove of trees. Steve looked at you just as it touched down, but he couldn't maintain his hold and flew to the back and out of your sight.

"Steve!"

"I'm...okay..." he groaned, crawling back to his feet and hurrying to you, quickly releasing your straps. "You're bleeding." His hand went to your forehead, making you wince at his touch.

"I'm fine, let's just get this done," you insisted, waving him off. Natasha and Tony stood slowly, shaking off the force of the impact before opening the door of the jet. "I've got a date with a really hot guy after this."

"Aw, sorry, Cap," Tony laughed, "I thought you guys had worked it out."

"That's hilarious. Stark, take the perimeter. Barton, you and Romanoff get to the hostages, (Y/N) and I will catch any runners." He grabbed your arm and turned you to him for a quick kiss before you all followed him into the action. "Be careful," he called out to you as you split into your assigned jobs.

~~~

The fight was fast, intense, and exciting. You had been out of action too long and you yearned for more. Fighting along side Steve was as easy as it had always been, but likely because of what had happened the night before. It was difficult to not allow your mind to wander each time you looked at him; fighting the tingle in your skin as you remembered his touch after being away from him, how his lips felt as they left warm kisses on your neck, and how he looked at you when you woke that morning. It was if time had stopped and you were never apart.

"Coming to ya," Clint called out over the comms, pulling you back into the moment. "Meet us back at the jet."

Steve waved to you from the other side of the clearing, jogging towards you to rejoin you so that you could leave. He spotted one final sniper in the distance taking his aim, so he quickly raised his shield to deflect the hit; seeing this, you reflexively spun and aimed to take out the assailant, but a sharp sting hit you from behind when the bullet deflected from Steve shield.

"Well that stings like a son of a bitch!" you yelled, dropping to your knees and onto your stomach, quickly finding it harder to breathe. Steve was at your side in seconds, grabbing the gun from your hand and making short work of the man who had shot at him.

"Where is it?" he asked desperately, tearing your uniform away so that he could assess your injury. Once he had removed the first layer, your shirt was soaked in blood and he didn't care anymore where it was coming from. He just needed to move. "Hang on, baby, I'm gonna lift you, okay?"

"Mmm hmm," you groaned, wincing at the slightest movement, but clenching your teeth as hard as you could to keep from screaming. He rolled you over and lifted you to his chest, holding you tightly as he ran. "Hold on to me," he whispered into your hair, your head resting against him, bouncing slightly with his steps as you grew rapidly weaker. He felt your body relax and began to panic. "I'm not going to say goodbye to you again, (Y/N). Do you hear me? I won't."

His words sounded distant, and your body felt heavier, colder. The colors around you became duller and darker, and just breathing was taking every ounce of your effort. "Steve...isn't this supposed to hurt?"

"Don't do this to me, (Y/N). Don't you dare." Steve was in a full sprint now, passing up the team, who quickly fell into line behind him. "If we aren't in the air in one minute, I'm leaving without you!" he yelled to them, entering the jet and laying you on the table at its center.

Tony pushed past and to the cockpit, frantically getting the plane into motion. "Cap? How's she doing? We're gonna make it, okay?" He looked down at the panel in front of him, plotting in the course to the tower and calling the medical team in. "She's gonna make it," he whispered to himself.

Steve secured a strap over you to keep you in place as the jet moved, glancing at the rest of the team and meeting eyes that looked as worried as his. When he looked down at you again, you were much paler and your eyes were closed; he touched your cheek but it was cool against his warm skin. Your chest was barely moving with your breaths, and he shifted into a full, shaking panic.

"Stark! Move faster!"