Let Me Love You

Patience

Kate's POV

"So? What's the news?" I ask after washing the paint off and putting my shirt back on.

Tony sighs and his cocky attitude disappears. "It's not looking too good." I feel my heart sink to my stomach. "We have no idea how to work with this type of thing and no idea what it's composed of let alone how to counteract it."

I take a deep breath as both of us sit in silence. "How long do I have?"

He looks up at me as he fumbles with his hands. "A few days, at most." I sit there, speechless. "I think you should tell the others.. especially Steve."

"Why?" I ask, not wanting to burden them with this news.

"They care about you, Kitten." Tony presses his lips together. "They deserve to know." I sigh and nod in agreement with him.

"We'll keep trying." He says, caressing my face in his hands. "We're doing everything we can."

After he leaves the room I groan. How am I going to tell everyone that I have a few days left before I die? I make my way to my room to think but my heart drops as I open the door.

Steve's POV

After I leave Bucky's room I decide to wait in Kate's room to talk to her about whatever her and I are. I sit at her little desk and look at the pictures she has framed. I smile as I pick up one of her as a little girl posing with sunglasses on and can't help but chuckle.

I accidentally knock a few of her notebooks off of the desk and sigh. I bend over to pick them up but the writing in one of them catches my eye.

'Steve,

I'm not really sure what to say other than I'm sorry. I know this must be hard for you and I wish I could be there to help you through it but at least you have Bucky and the others. I should've told you the moment I found out but I couldn't bring myself to do it, I hope you can forgive me.

I wish things didn't have to be this way. Most of all, I wish I told you how I really felt before it was too late.

I need you to promise me that you'll move on and find someone. But make sure she treats you the right way, I give Bucky the honor of judging each girl you bring home.

I don't know how much more I can write before I start crying so I'm going to end it here. Goodbye Steve.

Love always,
Kate'

I furrow my eyebrows at her writing, trying to process whatever this means. Is she leaving? Is she going back to Tony?

My thoughts are interrupted by a the door opening. I turn to find Kate standing there with a shocked look on her face.

"Steve? What're you doing in my room?" She asks, walking in and sitting on her bed.

"What's going on, Kate?" I cut her off, showing her the note that I found.

She looks up at me for a moment before looking away again. "You might want to sit down for this."

I take a seat on the edge of her bed beside her and look down at her as I nervously wait for her to speak.

"The other day, one of the HYDRA agents let it slip that they injected me with something called the Extremis Virus. It's what gave me my powers." She begins and I begin to panic at the word 'virus'. "She told me that the first few doses have killed their previous subjects but that I made it much further, which is why they were so invested in me." My head shoots up as I process her words. I see tears building in her eyes and begin to worry even more.

"This morning I felt nauseous and ran to the bathroom to throw up much like what just happened. Then my body started glowing out of nowhere before fading away. A while ago my knees almost gave out and I felt lightheaded so Bucky and I made the fort to lay in and when we were walking before I got a sharp pain in my head." She explains.

"So what're you saying?" I ask, not wanting to believe my assumptions.

"Well I went to the lab earlier with Bruce and Tony, they're running some tests to find a cure." She stalls.

"And if they don't find a cure?" I ask.

She looks up at me, tears rolling down her cheeks. "Then I planned on giving you that letter, but I guess I don't need it anymore."

"You weren't going to tell me?" I ask, starting to cry as well.

"I didn't know how to!" She cries. "I didn't want you to worry."

"So, what? You were just going to die and leave me here wondering how and why?" I raise my voice, fear and sadness taking over. "Didn't you think about how that would make me feel?"

"I did!" She looks up at me. "I.. I just-"

Her door creaks and we turn to see Bucky standing there. "I'm guessing you told him?"

I turn back to her and she looks down. "You told Bucky and not me?"

"Give her a break, Steve. She did what she thought was right." Bucky says, standing next to me.

I sigh, holding my head in my hands. "Do you know how long you have?" I ask, not looking at Kate.

"A few days.." Her voice cracks as she sniffs.

I feel a sharp pain in my chest and look toward Kate to find her looking down. I immediately wrap my arms around her, allowing her to cry into my shirt as I do my best to hold myself together. Bucky joins out hug, also crying quietly. She's right, the last thing she needs right now is me falling apart.