Rhythm: End
A/N: Swearing
You get an Uber to the subway station and make your way to the address you’d been sent. It’s in a part of town that you’ve never been to before and the closer you get the more rundown and abandoned it gets. You get off the train and the second that you’re above ground your phone is ringing. You’re not surprised to see that it’s Steve.
“Hello?”
“Where the hell are you?”
“They have Mikey.”
“You-you’re-oh my god Darlin’ no. Please tell me where you are. Please.” You hear something fall to the ground through the phone.
“I’m going to get him.” You tell him trying to remain calm.
“No, no please tell me where you are. They’re going to kill you.”
“You don’t know that.”
“What do you think they’ve been trying to do!” He practically yells into the phone and you swallow thickly. “Please, please tell me where you are.”
“Steve I can’t trade my life for his. I can’t do that.” You mutter, tears are slipping down your face as you lean back against a wall. You’ve got the phone pressed tightly to your ear and your other hand on your forehead covering your eyes.
“I’m not asking you to. I’m asking you to tell me where you are, I want to help. Please Darlin’.” He begs and you know that you’re going to give in to him if you keep talking. He’s moving quickly, that much you can tell.
“I’m sorry Steve.”
“Wait, wait how did you know Mikey needed saving?” You hear a car door slam and you’re not going to fool yourself and think that Steve isn’t tracking you.
“Peter texted me and told me he was missing.” You tell him, you need to go, “Steve I need to get to Mikey. I only have ten minutes left.”
“Please baby don’t do this. Please don’t. Think about your fans, that feeling you get when you perform, how much Sam cares about you. Please, please just wait until I can get there.” You don’t think he realizes that he called you baby.
“I’m so sorry.” You choke out, “I-I have to go. Tell Sammy I’m sorry and that I’m so grateful for everything he’s done for me. Tell him he’s my brother and I love him. Tell Quill I’m sorry and that he’s an asshole, it’s a joke. He’ll get it.”
“Just let me get there. You can tell them yourself, I’m only ten minutes away, please just wait.”
“I can’t. They’ll kill Mikey. Tell him this isn’t his fault, that this was my decision.”
“No. Please no.”
“I’m sorry Steve. Thank you for, for everything. You’ve really been a knight in shining armor.” You want to tell him you’re pretty sure that you’re falling in love with him. That you could’ve completely fallen for him given a little more time but you don’t want to hurt him and that feels cruel.
“I’m begging you. Please please don’t hang up.” You do.
You have to get to Mikey and you only have three minutes left. You mute your phone, turn off the vibrate then shove it into your bra. Hopefully they won’t search you. You make your way to the building that has the address on it. You take a deep breath and push the door open, it’s musty in the building and it’s dark. You’ve never been more aware of life than you are now. The way that your heart pounds in your chest, how the air fills your lungs. The brush of your hair against your skin and the echo of the your feet on the hard floor.
“I knew you were stupid but I didn’t think you were this fucking stupid.” A cold and familiar voice comes from behind you.
“Mikey!” You gasp spinning around, “You got free! Let’s go!” Relief fills you, until you register what’s in his hand and pointed directly at you. “What-what are you doing?”
“What the men I hired apparently couldn’t.” He snarls as he tightens his grip on the gun.
“What?” You breathe, the horror fills you and you take a step back away from him.
“Surprise bitch.”
“What the hell! Why?” You demand, the fear and horror gives way rapidly to pure, red hot fury.
“I’m fucking sick of being backup. Everyone talks about how fucking perfect you are and how it’s all about you and your perfect voice.”
“You tried to kill me because you were jealous?” You hiss, hardly believing that could be the case.
“Why should you be the star of the fucking show? Without me you don’t have a guitarist, I fucking fix half of the songs that you write! I’m just as fucking important as you! But all they care about is the little punk pop princess!” He spits, “the pretty little girl with the pretty little voice who is always front and center! Who always has the longest lines! She’s so perfect and special!” Mikey roars, “You don’t deserve all the attention and all the fucking fame! You’re the fucking face of Trickster, without out me we wouldn’t even have the song of the summer!”
“Are you serious right now? Mikey, I always give you credit for helping me write our songs. I always make sure that you guys answer questions when we go on shows and I fucking sing your praises! This is insane. Let’s just go home and talk this out with Quill and Sam.”
“No. I’m done sharing the spotlight with you. I’m done. I’m going to kill you, I’m going to kill you then play the survivor of the attack and they’ll never know it was me.”
“I loved you like a brother. I would’ve died for you tonight.”
“No, you will die for me tonight.” He says with a cold smile, one that doesn’t reach his eyes. The gun cocks and he points it at your heart, “thank you for your sacrifice. I’ll be sure to write you a remembrance ballad.” You want to give some snappy response but when that gun points at you suddenly it’s hard to think. Your mouth goes dry. “Close your eyes.”
“If you’re going to kill me, you’re going to look me in the eye and do it.” You’re not going to make this easy.
“Or he could drop the gun and keep his brains in his head.” Steve snarls, his gun pressed against Mikey’s head. “Just twitch wrong you fucking piece of shit. Give me an excuse. Darlin’ get your ass over here. Now.”
“Don’t you fucking move.” Mikey threatens so you kick him in the nuts.
“Fuck you Mikey.” You snap, kicking the gun away from where he dropped it. Steve handcuffs him, picks the gun up with a piece of newspaper, then practically drags Mikey to the doors. You follow the two men silently, you know Steve is pissed at you, you can almost feel the rage rolling off of him.
“Buck we clear?” He must get the all clear because he shoves Mikey out the door and into the waiting fist of Sam.
“You fucking bastard! You fucking piece of shit! How dare you! How fucking dare you!” He roars as Quill and Bucky quickly drag him away.
Steve shoves Mikey at a waiting cop muttering a quick, “Thanks Tony.” Before stalking away. You follow him silently until you’re away from the prying eyes of the press then he spins and pins you between him and the wall.
“Don’t you ever, ever scare me like that again.” He growls ignoring the surprised squeak that has come out of your mouth, “I’ve never been so scared in my goddamn life.”
“Steve-”
“No, you don’t get to talk yet.” He says, his voice low and commanding, you expect him to keep yelling at you, to really let you have it. But instead he crushes your mouth with his, one of his hands wraps around the back of your neck while the other grips your hip. It takes you half a second to respond but somehow your hands end up with two fistfuls of his shirt and when his teeth drag across your lower lip he swallows the low moan you let out.
When you break apart for air Steve keeps his forehead resting against yours.
“I swear if you ever scare me like that again, I’ll shoot you myself.” He promises softly.
“Does that mean I get to keep you around?”
“Honey, if you think you’re getting rid of me now you’ve lost your damn mind.” He says before softly kissing you again, “I mean I bought you fucking tampons. I’m not going anywhere.”
You can’t help it, you laugh, and in that instant you know that even after all this shit, you’re gonna be just fine.
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