Pairing: Pre-Serum Steve Rogers/Steve Rogers x Reader
One night, Steve Rogers met a beautiful dame named Y/N. He hadn’t intended on letting her get away. But fate had other ideas. Y/N appeared and disappeared in his life so hauntingly that Steve started to wonder if she was an angel meant to watch over him.
A/N: Inspired by the film The Time Traveler’s Wife. But not one of those fics that just literally rips off the whole movie and plugs in characters where they please.
Pairing: Pre-Serum Steve Rogers/Steve Rogers x Reader
One night, Steve Rogers met a beautiful dame named Y/N. He hadn’t intended on letting her get away. But fate had other ideas. Y/N appeared and disappeared in his life so hauntingly that Steve started to wonder if she was an angel meant to watch over him.
Word Count: 2,770
A/N: Inspired by the film The Time Traveler’s Wife. But not one of those fics that just literally rips off the whole movie and plugs in characters where they please.
Chapter 5
Steve almost found it strange how quickly Y/N and him settled into normal. They had already been through so much together that it wasn’t hard to settle into their relationship. Steve felt like he could finally be intimate with her and Y/N finally felt like should could trust him.
The hard part was Steve trying to balance having his own life while still feeling responsible for protecting the world.
Living with the love of his life was all he ever wanted. But when he woke up in the 21st century, he didn’t think that would ever be a possibility. So he dedicated himself to selflessness and made a promise to look after everyone but himself.
But how could he do that now with Y/N being the biggest priority in his life?
“What’s going on in that head of yours?” Her voice brought him out of his thoughts.
Y/N was sitting on his couch with her glasses on, editing photos on her computer. With her condition and sporadic time travel, she couldn’t work a normal 9 to 5 job. She was a freelance photographer.
She hadn’t even looked up from her computer when she accused Steve of being caught up in his mind.
“What makes you think there’s anything going on up there?”
She still didn’t lift her gaze. “I can hear your thoughts. They’re ridiculously loud.” Then she finally looked at him, her gaze soft and patient. “Want to talk about it?”
Steve smirked at her thoughtfulness. He walked over to the couch and plopped himself down, lifting her legs so they were now sitting on top of his thighs.
“It’s nothing,” he lied.
Y/N watched him for a moment. Her eyes made it clear that she didn’t believe him.
“Hey, Tony wanted me to ask you to come to dinner at the compound tonight,” he changed the subject.
“Oh, yeah?” Y/N hummed as she went back to editing her photos.
Steve nodded his head.
“This doesn’t have anything to do with Tony, Bruce, and Vision trying to figure out how to cure me?” Her eyes narrowed as she asked the question.
“Y/N, come on. We’ve talked about this. Everyone’s just trying to help.”
“Steve, I’m tired of feeling like a lab rat. But more importantly, I’m sick of getting my hopes up. This thing…it’s a cancer, alright? It’s never going away.”
“Y/N, people get cured of cancer!” He tried to urge.
“But not everyone does, Steve!” She snapped.
Then she closed her laptop and quickly moved off the couch, putting distance between them. Steve instantly missed the weight of her body against him.
“Y/N,” he cooed, “I’m just trying to help you.”
Her eyes narrowed with challenge. “Help me or change me?”
Steve’s stomach dropped at what she was implying. That wasn’t what he was trying to do at all.
He quickly stood up from the couch.
“Y/N, I would never try to change you,” he whispered. “I’m just trying to keep you safe. For Christ’s sake, you almost froze to death because of me. What happens if you get stuck somewhere dangerous like that again? I’m not trying to change you. I want to help you control it so you can protect yourself.”
Y/N stared at him. Then her eyes went wide with panic. She looked down at her hands. They started evaporating.
“No,” Steve gasped. “No, no, no, no, no.”
But when he stepped forward to grab her, she was already gone.
Steve looked around at where Y/N once stood.
“God damn it,” he hissed angrily.
——————————
1944 - Italy
Steve had been staring at the map for so long that his eyes had become dry. Their next move had to be careful. They had cut it close on their last mission. HYDRA was becoming more and more aware of the threat that was The Howling Commandos.
He rubbed his eyelids roughly and finally took a step back.
“You OK?” Bucky asked, watching his friend closely.
“Yeah, I’m fine. I’m gonna go for a walk,” Steve sighed.
Their camp was in the middle of a forest. It was good cover and it bought them time to plan their next attack.
But it also started messing with Steve’s mind. He was a kid from Brooklyn who always wondered what it would be like to substitute the noises of a busy city with sounds of nature. Now he had finally found out, but it came with the cost of war.
The air was so fresh and clean, the birds always chirping.
It gave him a false sense of calm. He had to fight it to stay on his toes and make sure he kept himself and his men safe from a surprise attack.
Steve was lost in his thoughts when he heard a gasp and the sound of twigs snapping, just a few yards away. He immediately went on high alert.
His shield was always strapped to his back and ready for combat. He grabbed it from behind him and quickly placed it on his forearm.
Despite his large and heavy stature, his footsteps were almost completely silent as he tiptoed toward the sound.
He moved a heavy branch aside that was obscuring his view.
When he saw what was waiting for him behind it, his breathing stopped.
“Y/N?”
No, not here. Anywhere but here.
“Steve?” Her voice shook as she covered her naked body as best as she could.
He rushed forward, instantly dropping his shield and ripping off his brown leather jacket to cover her.
“Goddammit, Y/N. You shouldn’t be here,” he grieved.
But he still pulled her into his body, scared that she was going to freeze to death. After the serum, he ran hotter than a normal human. Now he was hoping it would help warm her.
Y/N actually had the nerve to shakily laugh at him. “Not like I can help it.”
“Come on,” he started pulling her back toward the camp. “Let’s get you warm.”
She nodded and pulled his leather jacket tighter around her body self-consciously.
Steve snuck them through the camp, weaving around tents to void running into any of his comrades.
Eventually, he got her into his tent unnoticed.
He immediately shuffled around, trying to find any extra clothes he could find, which wasn’t much. In the end, all he could do was wrap his extra blanket around her, over his jacket. He tried not to think about how his leather jacket was touching her naked skin.
After they had settled, Steve realized how abnormally quiet Y/N had been this whole time.
When he looked at her, she was staring at the ground as she sat on his cot. But she was spaced out, lost in her head.
“Y/N?” he asked gently.
Suddenly, she snapped her gaze up to look at him. There was something in his eyes that made her own start to water up. She was crying.
Steve jumped into action. “Hey, hey, hey. It’s OK.” He sat beside her and wrapped an arm around her. She immediately buried her face into his chest and cried harder. “You’re OK.”
After a few minutes, Y/N managed to pull herself together and stop her crying.
The only other time Steve had seen Y/N cry was when his mother passed. She always felt like the stronger one between the two of them.
Y/N was embarrassed now, hastily trying to wipe away her tears. She probably looked like a crazy person to him. Here he was, in the middle of a war, and she was crying like a fool.
“I’m sorry,” she muttered as she sniffed.
“You’ve got nothing to be sorry for,” Steve promised as he helped wipe away her tears.
Y/N made no move to get out of his arms.
“Now, you gonna tell me what’s got you so upset?”
She looked up into his bright blue eyes. The same eyes she had just left moments ago in another time.
“I…I can’t really–”
“You can’t tell me,” Steve cut her off with his knowing tone.
She nodded gently.
“Well, maybe you can keep out the specifics,” he urged. “I hate seeing you upset.”
Y/N pulled the blanket tighter around herself. “My…My boyfriend and I got into a fight. I traveled right in the middle of it.”
Steve couldn’t stop his stomach from dropping at the word ‘boyfriend’. He knew it wasn’t fair to feel jealous. She wasn’t his. She never was and she never would be.
“Sounds like a bastard,” he muttered playfully.
It made Y/N laugh, which was his intention.
“No, he’s not. If anyone was being a bastard… it was me.”
Steve’s gaze softened. “Now I find that very hard to believe.”
“He was just trying to protect me and I basically ate him alive for it,” Y/N muttered, guilt finally settling in.
“Well…I can’t blame the punk for that,” Steve tried to tease, but there was a serious underlying tone that he couldn’t seem to hide.
Y/N exhaled and watched Steve for a moment.
“Does he love you?” He finally whispered.
Y/N let out a breath, but nodded. “Yeah, he really does. He loves me more than I ever thought someone could.”
That at least gave Steve a little peace of mind.
“And do…uhh…do you love him?” He asked.
Y/N could see his body tense as he waited for her answer. Then she finally realized how hard this was for him. Steve was jealous of his future self without realizing it. It had always just been him and her, no prospects between the two of them. But that had all changed now.
“Yeah, I do. I really, really love him.” Y/N finally answered.
Steve nodded, trying his best to control his reactions. “And does he know that?”
“Maybe. I don’t know.”
His eyes stared into hers then. “You should tell him.”
Y/N nodded. “You’re right. I should.”
“Hey, Steve, Agent Carter is looking–” Bucky’s voice cut off at the sight before him.
Steve shot to his feet, standing protectively in front of Y/N and obscuring Bucky’s view of her.
But Bucky leaned over to make sure he wasn’t seeing things. “Y/N?”
Steve held up his hands calmly. “Bucky, I can explain…”
Bucky glared at him. “Have you completely lost your mind? This is is a war zone. What were you thinking, bringing her here?”
Y/N stood up, holding the blanket tightly around her body. “He didn’t bring me here.”
Bucky looked her up and down, catching sight of her bare legs and feet. He put together that she was naked underneath the blanket and Steve’s leather jacket. Bucky looked at his best friend with slight shock.
“It’s not what you think, Buck.” Steve’s voice was hard and even.
“Then please explain because you’ve got a naked girl in your tent, Steve. And I’m struggling with how she got all the way over here from Brooklyn.”
“Hey!” Steve snapped and took a step toward him. “Don’t talk about her like that!”
Y/N finally rushed forward and put herself between them. “Enough, you two.” Her hand was softly placed on Steve’s chest, calming him instantly.
She looked up into his eyes. “Peggy’s looking for you, Steve.”
His eyes widened. Bucky hadn’t said her first name, therefore Y/N shouldn’t know it. Suddenly, a wave of a guilt washed over him.
Did she know? Did she know about him and Peggy?
Y/N had just told him about the man he loved, yet Steve felt like he betrayed her by falling in love with another woman.
“Y/N…” his voice felt desperate as he said her name.
“It’s OK, Steve. I know. It’s OK,” she promised him. “Just go.”
“I was going to tell you…” he tried again.
“You don’t have to tell me anything, Steve. Go.”
Steve nodded slowly and opened the flap of his tent, turning around to give her once last look before he went to find Agent Carter.
An awkward tension filled the tent when Bucky and Y/N were left alone.
“What the hell is going on?” Bucky asked roughly.
She smirked at him. “I think it’s time we let you in on the secret, Buck.”
He narrowed his eyes. “What do you mean?”
But then her amusement vanished when she realized where she was in Steve and Bucky’s timeline. Bucky had already been taken by HYDRA and rescued by Steve. That meant that he had already been given the serum. He’d probably already started noticing the changes in his body, but kept them to himself. Bucky always would do anything to stop Steve from worrying about him.
Y/N stepped toward him with sympathy in her gaze. “I know what’s been happening. And I understand why you didn’t want to worry Steve about it. You’re going to be OK, Bucky.”
He let out a shaky breath and his eyes widened in shock. How did she know?
“Do you believe in time travel, Bucky?” She asked.
“What?”
“I’m not from your time. I’m from the future.” Y/N didn’t hold back. She said it all as straightforward as possible. “I can’t control when I leave or where I go. But I…I always seem to find my way back to Steve. He’s an…anchor of sorts for me.”
Bucky shook his head and took a step back. “Oh, come on, Y/N. This isn’t funny.”
She shrugged. “It doesn’t really matter if you believe me or not. Soon enough you’ll see it for yourself.”
“Is that so?” He asked, voice thick with sarcasm.
Y/N stepped forward and cupped his cheek. “You two keep looking after each other. OK?”
Bucky stared into her eyes, trying to find some source of dishonesty or ridicule in them. But there was nothing except sincerity. He gripped her wrist that was touching his cheek.
“You’re really not kidding, are you?” He whispered.
She shook her head.
Then her body started disappearing.
“Y/N!” Bucky gasped and took a step away from her.
She gave him a sad smile until she was fully gone.
Bucky jumped slightly as he heard the leather jacket and blanket hit the ground with a plump.
He ran a hand through his hair. “You’ve got to be kidding me…”
—————
“What’s got him so bent out of shape?” Tony asked Nat as he watched Cap beating the punching bag to a pulp.
Nat glanced over and shrugged. “This is the first time Y/N’s traveled since he found her in the present.” Then she sighed. “Probably doesn’t help that they got into a fight right before she left.”
“Well, that’s a relief,” Tony commented.
Nat glared at him. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Now we know they’re human. I was sick of feeling like I was watching a Nicholas Sparks’ movie every time I saw them together. At least we’ve now confirmed that they’re normal and not some lovebird freaks of nature.”
“Real nice, Tony.”
Then they watched Steve punch a rip in the giant punching bag. The super-soldier caught his breath as he glared at the sand now pouring down onto the gym floor.
“I’m gonna start charging you for that!” Tony called from the other side of the gym.
Steve glared at him and grabbed his gym bag before leaving to go to his room.
Fresh out of the shower, Steve heard a knock at his bedroom door.
Assuming it was one of his teammates, he didn’t bother putting on a shirt and answered it with only black sweats hanging low on his hips.
He didn’t expect to open his door to find Y/N standing on the other side.
Her eyes looked sad, yet apologetic.
It had only been a few hours since she’d left.
“Did we just have our first fight?” She asked quietly.
Steve gave her a sad smile and hung his head. “I guess so.”
“I’m sorry,” she whispered.
“I’m sorry too.” Then he looked into her eyes. “Where did you go?”
“It was during the war. Italy. I told Bucky my secret. And…you were with Peggy.”
Steve zoned out, trying to recall the memory. “You had told me about your boyfriend. Said that you loved him.” Then his eyes widened with realization. “You…You were talking about me.”
Y/N nodded shyly.
“You love me?” He gasped.
She stepped toward him and leaned forward to press her forehead against his. “Yes, you idiot. Of course, I love you.”
Steve kissed her slowly. “I love you too,” he managed to whisper in the few seconds he allowed their lips to separate.
------------------------------
Chapter 7
I do not do taglists.
Here is the series’ masterlist: Non-Sequential
Pairing: Pre-Serum Steve Rogers/Steve Rogers x Reader
One night, Steve Rogers met a beautiful dame named Y/N. He hadn’t intended on letting her get away. But fate had other ideas. Y/N appeared and disappeared in his life so hauntingly that Steve started to wonder if she was an angel meant to watch over him.
Word Count: 2,880
A/N: Inspired by the film The Time Traveler’s Wife. But not one of those fics that just literally rips off the whole movie and plugs in characters where they please.
Chapter 6
Steve was leaning against the doorway for one of the many labs in the compound. Y/N was sitting on a stool across from Nat. On the table between them were countless mock door knobs and locks. Nat was talking in an quiet and patient tone. And Steve could tell from Y/N’s expression alone that she was listening as intently as possible.
“How long you think your boyfriend is gonna stare at us for?” Nat asked so seamlessly after her instructions that it Y/N had to process what she actually asked.
Y/N blinked and then looked to the door. Her face immediately broke into a loving smile when she spotted Steve. She jumped up from her seat and practically skipped to him, giving him a quick peck on the lips as her greeting.
“How’s my little criminal doing?” He joked.
“I already told you. I’m only using my skills for survival.”
He smirked at her. “That’s what you keep saying. But when Tony’s expensive wine starts to go missing from his wine cellar, I’m not protecting you.”
She scoffed and giggled. “Yes, you will.”
And Steve knew she was right.
“I came down to see if you wanted to go out for dinner tonight,” he asked.
Y/N’s eyes lit up. “Yes, please.”
“What do you want to get?”
Without missing a beat, she answered, “Can we get cheeseburgers?”
Steve couldn’t help but smile and nod. It didn’t take a lot to make her happy. She could’ve said she wanted to get gourmet grasshoppers or frog for dinner, and he would’ve said yes. By some miracle, Y/N had yet to fully comprehend how much she had Steve wrapped around her finger.
Y/N even had the cheek to jump a little in excitement. “Let me just go change really quick and I’ll meet you in the living room.”
“You look beautiful, Y/N. What do ya need to change for?”
But she ignored his question and kissed his cheek before hurrying off to his bedroom.
Nat slowly got up from her seat and had a teasing smirk on her lips.
“I’ve been meaning to thank you…for showing her all of this,” Steve gestured to the table of locks and doorknobs.
Nat had offered to teach Y/N how to pick locks.
When Y/N traveled, she unfortunately didn’t get to bring her clothes with her. Therefore, the first goal was always to find something to wear and also get out of the elements. Almost nobody would let a strange, naked woman into their house. And the ones that would, were after something that Steve couldn’t let himself ever consider.
So…Y/N had to break in to places quite often.
When Steve and Y/N had their first fight about trying to find a cure for Y/N’s time traveling, Steve realized what he should put his focus on instead was giving her the tools to survive and keep herself safe.
The next thing on his list was teaching her self-defense. He’d probably need Nat’s help on that again. He valued her perspective on teaching a woman how to fight men twice her size. Y/N wasn’t forced to learn like Steve and the rest of the Avengers.
“It was no problem,” Nat shrugged. Then she eyed him a moment. “I like her.”
Steve grinned and lowered his head sheepishly. “I like her too.”
But they both knew it was more like love for him.
“I’m happy for you, Steve.”
The playfulness had disappeared. Nat was being serious.
He sighed, “There’s a ‘but’ coming in somewhere, isn’t there?”
“You’re waiting for something,” she pointed out cooly.
Steve huffed. “Yeah, for the floor the drop. For her to disappear. For her to never come back because something happened to her.”
“Is that why you’re holding back?” Nat accused.
“I’m not holding back. I’m trying not to be…overbearing.”
“She doesn’t want distance, Steve. Don’t you think the two of you have had more than a lifetime of it?” Nat pat his shoulder then. “For once, can you just let yourself be happy? You deserve it, Steve. Really. And Y/N does too.”
Steve’s eyes softened.
But she had already started walking away.
“Hey, Nat?”
She turned.
“Thank you.”
—————
“Are you ever going to stop looking at me like that?” Y/N asked with a smirk before taking a sip of her beer.
“I just saw you inhale that double cheeseburger and a family-sized order of fries, like your life depended on it,” Steve laughed.
“Yeah. Well. I’m a lady.”
Steve chuckled.
“Have I ruined my allure now? Is this it for us?” Y/N asked melodramatically, mischief evident in her eyes.
“Oh, no. You can’t get rid of me that easily,” Steve answered instantly and added a shake of his head. “If anything, you’re even more alluring now.”
Then he reached forward and used his thumb to rub away a small dot of mustard that had been left on the corner of her mouth.
Y/N blushed like it was the most intimate thing he’d ever done to her.
She hid the embarrassment by chugging her beer. Then she eyed Steve’s, which he had barely touched.
“Why do you order drinks when you can’t get drunk?”
Steve shrugged. “Guess I just do it to fit in…feel more normal.” Then he slid it toward her. “But that shouldn’t stop you from having fun.”
Y/N’s cellphone suddenly started ringing and all Y/N’s amusement was wiped away when she read the screen. She instantly silenced it and shoved it back in her purse.
Steve shifted in his chair and knew he had to tread carefully. “That your mom again?”
“Yep,” she replied, emphasizing the ‘p.’
“Maybe you should just answer it,” Steve suggested carefully.
Y/N ignored him and drank his beer.
“You still mad at her?”
“Maybe,” she mumbled.
“You know, I wasn’t offended by what she said. If you’re mad at her for my sake, that’s not necessary.”
Y/N’s parents had made it very clear that they did not approve of her dating an Avenger. Her even being near them was off-putting for them. Her parents were convinced The Avengers were taking advantage of her powers and would probably convince her to join the initiative…and then eventually be killed protecting the world.
Steve wasn’t mad because he knew what they were really upset about: her safety.
And he could relate.
After a bit, Steve also found out that Y/N’s mom and dad blamed him for all the time travel events where Y/N got hurt or nearly killed.
Y/N tried to explain to them why her traveling was so attached to Steve’s lifeline. But they just didn’t seem to want to listen. Y/N grew more and more frustrated, until she just stopped answering their calls altogether.
The movies would probably romanticize dating a superhero. But in reality, having their daughter date Captain America was a parent’s worst nightmare.
What made it worse was Steve completely understanding that.
“I’ll torture them a little bit longer,” Y/N muttered.
“Remind me never to get on your bad side,” Steve tried to joke. “I don’t think I could handle a silent treatment from you.”
—
They were driving back from dinner when Steve’s phone vibrated with a text message.
“That Sam?” Y/N asked carefully.
Steve sighed and nodded.
“Another dead end?”
He nodded again.
Sam had been in and out of town, tracking down any lead he had on Bucky. It was strange to have Steve’s best friend of the present hunting down his best friend of the past. If Steve had his way, he’d be doing it himself.
But he was handling Avengers business. Most importantly, he couldn’t spend any more time away from Y/N. He was already constantly going on missions. The idea to add even more to his plate, to be gone even longer, made him feel sick.
“You knew what would happen to him?” Steve asked her lightly.
“Yeah, I tried to stop it even.”
HIs brows raised and he turned to look at her. She’d never admitted to something like that before.
Y/N’s eyes watered. “I tried to warn you of the date. I tried to give you hints. One time I even tried to stop Bucky from going on that mission. But nothing I do changes the past. It’s like my attempts were already written in history. My time travel from the future was already embedded in the past.”
Steve reached over the console to grip her thigh. “Y/N, it means a lot to me that you even tried.”
She sighed shakily. “If I knew where he was now, I’d tell you. But I don’t.”
“Have you…Have you seen him in the future?”
Y/N shook her head, “At least…not yet.”
———————
Steve rarely slept through the night. He woke up constantly through the night. His anxiety was his worst enemy. It was hard for him to rest. He kept thinking about upcoming missions or how he could made fewer mistakes on the last one. Then he worried about Y/N. If she was sleeping in his bed, he would often wake up in a startle and check to make sure she was still sleeping beside him.
Tonight was another one of those nights.
Both he and Y/N were naked under his sheets and comforter from their activities earlier in the evening.
Y/N’s naked back had been pressed against his chest. In his sleep, he held her close.
So when he woke up, he wondered why he had a bad feeling.
He placed a kiss on her shoulder. And when he looked over at her face, she was peacefully sleeping.
But their little piece of nirvana was dismantled.
It started at her finger tips. Her skin, bones, and muscles were evaporating as if they were made out of clouds.
Steve gasped, realizing what was happening. He didn’t want to wake her, worried it would panic her. She traveled in her sleep before, she had once told him. This wasn’t new territory for her. But it still pained Steve to watch his lover disappear in his grasp, while he could do absolutely nothing to stop it.
———————
1944
By some miracle, Y/N didn’t end up alone in a freezing forest during a war. Instead, she was standing naked in the middle of a god damn camp of WWII soldiers.
Men gaped at her, wondering if they had completely gone insane from the war to see a beautiful and naked woman before them. Others seemed to register what they were seeing immediately and started whistling at her.
Y/N’s face had never felt hotter, even in the cold winter air. She tried to cover herself and knew that her cheeks had to be bright red.
Her heart rate started picking up as she began to panic. There was no escaping. Her eyes raced around the camp, hoping to find the blue eyes of Steve.
“What do we have here?” A brave – but sleazy – soldier said as he got up from his spot next to a fire. He made his way toward her.
Y/N started backing up.
She jumped when she felt a heavy weight on her shoulders and a firm grip.
“Back up, private,” a deep voice growled in warning.
But it wasn’t Steve’s voice.
Y/N turned around, wide eyed, to find Bucky Barnes.
He had thrown his military overcoat around her shoulders. The heavy and thick wool shielded her naked skin and instantly warmed her.
“What? You’re not sharin’ Sergeant Barnes?” The private had the guts to challenge.
Bucky put himself between Y/N and the man, which stopped her from being able to see the deathly glare Bucky was giving.
“Wanna try that again…private?” Bucky emphasized the man’s lower rank with a hiss.
The private blinked and seemed to finally snap out of his daze; a daze that could only happen when a man hasn’t seen a woman in too many months.
Bucky then turned his attention to all the curious gazes that watched him or gawked at Y/N. “She’s a woman from the village that got attacked the other night. Anyone even thinks about laying a hand on her, you’re answering to me and the Howlies. Got it?”
There were a lot of nods and some ‘yes, sergeant’s from the group.
Bucky turned, and as soon as his gaze met hers, his tough and authoritative demeanor vanished. He looked at her with sympathy and kindness.
“Come on, doll. You’re gonna freeze to death if we don’t get you inside,” he told her as he ushered her away.
Y/N didn’t even know it was possible for Bucky to sound so quiet and gentle.
He glared at any soldier that stared at Y/N in a way he didn’t like.
Meanwhile, Y/N shivered as she followed Bucky through the camp.
Finally they reached a tent that clearly belonged to the sergeant.
“Th-Thank you…for what you did back there.” Y/N managed to say through her shivering.
Bucky winced at her obvious freezing and knelt down, rubbing her arms in an attempt to warm her up quicker.
“W-Where’s Steve?” She asked.
Then Bucky couldn’t seem to look her in the eye.
Y/N put it together real quick. Her head lowered and she smiled wistfully. “He’s with Peggy.” It wasn’t a question. She already knew.
“They’re in a meeting,” Bucky tried to sound as casual as possible.
She ignored him and pulled the coat tighter around herself.
“Here,” Bucky hurriedly grabbed the blanket from his cot and threw it over her shoulders.
“Really weren’t kidding about the whole time-traveling thing, huh?” He said with his infamous Bucky Barnes side smirk.
Y/N eyed him. “Clearly not.”
Bucky’s face went a little serious. “Steve told me how it works – that you can’t control it.”
“Yeah, something like that.”
“But now it makes sense,” his eyes were filled with mischief.
“What makes sense?”
“Why Steve never made you his girl.”
Y/N couldn’t help but glare at him slightly. “Steve’s with Peggy.”
“That mean you don’t got a fella in whatever time period you’re from?” Bucky teased with the raise of a brow.
“Why? You interested?”
That seemed to take him aback.
“After all,” Y/N continued, “You did just see me completely naked.”
Bucky blushed. “That’s not – I wasn’t-”
“What?” Y/N cut off his stuttering. “Girl’s never outwitted you in flirtation, Sergeant Barnes?”
Bucky finally broke the spell with a loud chuckle and a shake of his head. Then he noticed that Y/N was still shaking.
“Let me go see if I can find you some soup or hot coffee,” he thought aloud as he tried to think about where he could find such things when their rations were so low.
“You don’t have to do that,” Y/N tried to argue.
“You kidding me? Steve would have my ass if I let anything happen to you.” He opened the flap of his tent. “Don’t go wandering around. Just because they’re soldiers, doesn’t mean they’re all good men.”
After what felt like forever Bucky found some soup.
But as he was walking back to his tent, he found Steve walking toward him alongside Agent Carter.
“Where the hell have you been?” Bucky accused, a little too aggressive for his usual self.
Steve looked taken aback. “I told you earlier, Buck. I had a meeting with Agent Carter and Stark.”
“Well, someone wants to talk to you.” But Bucky tried to communicate more through just his eyes. “Someone who was early…very early.”
“You usually speak in riddles, Sergeant Barnes, or are you just being unusually strange today?” Agent Carter mocked.
But Steve’s eyes widened slightly when he realized what Bucky was trying to tell him.
“Excuse us, Agent Carter,” then Steve rushed away and dragged his best fired with him, without any further explanation to Peggy.
“How long has she been here?” Steve whispered in a hiss.
“About an hour or so,” Bucky answered. “She just appeared in front of the entire infantry. I had to practically drag her out of there, as if she were a piece of meat being dangled in front of a pack of wolves.”
Then he saw panic flash across Steve’s face.
“Relax, punk. She’s safe and sound in my tent.”
Steve blinked. “What part of that sentence is supposed to comfort me?”
Bucky punched his shoulder. He started to argue with Steve about the jab.
But when they entered his tent, Steve slapped his chest to quiet him.
Bucky looked over at his cot to find Y/N fast asleep. Then he looked back at Steve, who hadn’t moved his gaze away from her.
“She gets tired after she travels. It takes a lot out of her,” Steve whispered.
He moved to sit on the edge of the cot. Careful not to wake her. He brushed some hair away from her face. Y/N seemed to sigh with content at the touch.
Bucky watched the way Steve looked at Y/N.
The two of them were not romantically involved; they might be separated by time. But in that moment, Bucky realized that Y/N was still Steve’s girl.
------------
Chapter 8
Thank you to everyone who sent me asks on suggestions or what they wanted to see in this series. It was super, super helpful. But I’m also shocked at how many of you did it. You guys are the real MVPs.
I do not do taglists.
Here is the series’ masterlist: Non-Sequential
Pairing: Pre-Serum Steve Rogers/Steve Rogers x Reader
One night, Steve Rogers met a beautiful dame named Y/N. He hadn’t intended on letting her get away. But fate had other ideas. Y/N appeared and disappeared in his life so hauntingly that Steve started to wonder if she was an angel meant to watch over him.
Word Count: 3,110
A/N: Inspired by the film The Time Traveler’s Wife. But not one of those fics that just literally rips off the whole movie and plugs in characters where they please.
Chapter 4
October 18th, 1936
There weren’t many people at the funeral – mostly fellow residents of the apartment building and people from the neighborhood. All of Sarah’s family still lived in Ireland. The only person in attendance that was actually comforting Steve was Bucky standing close to his side.
Steve kept it together as the priest spoke his eulogy.
He felt too numb to cry. When his mom got sick, the doctors told him that the chances of her making it through were slim. He started expecting it, which was the worst part of all. Hoping for her to get better, but knowing there was little chance she would.
After the service, Steve stayed to watch his mother’s casket get lowered into the ground. The rest of the guests had left. But Bucky stayed at his side.
Bucky didn’t know how Steve could remain so stoic through it all.
Steve stared down at the ground, his head hung low and his hands in his pockets.
Bucky wrapped his arms around his shoulder. “Come on, I’ll walk you back to your apartment.”
Steve just nodded and let Bucky lead him away from his mother’s grave.
The entire walk was silent. Steve clearly didn’t want to talk and Bucky had no intention of forcing him to listen to him talk.
It wasn’t until they were climbing up the stairs to Steve’s apartment that Bucky broke the silence.
“I was gonna ask…”
“I know what you’re gonna say, Buck.” Steve cut him off. He started searching for his keys in his coat pockets, coming up blank.
“We can put the couch cushions on the floor like when we were kids. It’ll be fun.” Bucky noticed Steve had lost his keys once again. “All ya gotta do is shine my shoes, maybe take out the trash.” He kicked over the brick that hid the spare, giving it to Steve. “Come on,” he tried to urge.
“Thank you, Buck. But I can get by on my own.”
Bucky nodded. “The thing is… you don’t have to.” His gripped his best friend’s shoulder and lowered his head. “I’m with you ’til the end of the line, pal.”
Steve’s face softened at his friend’s words.
“You’ll come over for dinner tomorrow night?” Bucky asked.
“Yeah, Buck, I’ll see you later.”
Steve went into his apartment. He expected it to feel cold and silent, that he would instantly feel the absence of his mother.
But that wasn’t what happened.
There was a record playing softly in the background and movement in the kitchen.
Steve’s brow furrowed. Had someone broken into his apartment?
Whoever it was, they must have heard him closing the door because their shuffling suddenly paused.
Y/N slowly walked out the kitchen and into the entranceway. Her eyes were sad and her shoulders were sagging a bit.
Just from the way she looked, Steve knew that Y/N was already aware of what had happened.
“St-Steve, I’m so, so sorry,” her whisper was shaky and filled with heartbreak.
Suddenly, he rushed over to her. He buried his face in her neck and the emotions he’d kept down all this time came flooding out. His tears wet her skin and his whole body shook. She held on to him tightly and lovingly, letting him know it was okay to let his emotions show.
Eventually, Steve had no more tears to shed and his shaking stopped. He pulled away from Y/N and looked up with slight embarrassment. He wiped his tears away roughly with the back of his hand and sniffed, trying to clear his sinuses.
“I’m sorry I wasn’t at funeral. I didn’t want to make a scene,” Y/N finally muttered.
“It doesn’t matter. You’re here now,” he tried to smile up at her.
“I’m making some dinner for us. When’s the last time you ate?” She asked.
Steve shrugged. “Not sure, to be honest.”
If the circumstances were different, she would’ve scolded or lectured him. But now was not the time. Instead, she just gave him a sad look.
“Come on,” she nodded toward the kitchen, making her way back in.
Steve slowly followed.
She eyed him and then pointed to the dinner table, silently instructing him to take a seat.
“I’m not much of a cook. But I think I’ve at least mastered spaghetti and meatballs.”
Steve just watched her move lightly around the kitchen, grabbing various ingredients. He didn’t bother asking if he could help. He knew that she would just refuse him.
Eventually they were sitting at the table, music still playing quietly, and them eating silently. Y/N didn’t want to force him to talk. The fact that he so openly cried was such a big step that she didn’t want to push him further.
“I’m gonna have to move,” Steve finally spoke.
Y/N looked around the apartment, but didn’t respond.
“We could barely afford this place before. Now I definitely can’t afford it.”
Y/N reached across the table and grabbed his hand. “Don’t worry about that right now. You’re going to figure it out.”
Steve sighed.
“I know, because I’ve seen it,” Y/N added.
“You knew,” he whispered. “You knew that she was going to die. That’s why you wanted to meet her so badly.”
Steve wasn’t mad. He knew Y/N couldn’t tell him things like that. He wouldn’t have even wanted to know. What kind of man would want to see a ticking clock every time he looked at his mother?
Y/N nodded slowly. “I’m sorry. I just - I can’t tell you–”
“Y/N, please. You don’t have to apologize.”
She nodded, but he could tell she wasn’t convinced.
“I wish you could stay,” Steve muttered as he looked down at the table.
“What?”
“I know you can’t control it. And I know you’ll never be able to stay. But just this once, I wish you could.” He reached over the table and grabbed her hand, as if that would keep her in his time period.
Steve knew it was selfish, but he wished he could be her anchor, keeping her in his time.
Y/N insisted on cleaning up after dinner.
Eventually, they found themselves sitting on the couch together. Y/N was sprawled out, her legs laying across Steve’s thighs. It was somehow intimate without being romantic or sexual.
Y/N did all the talking. Steve had gotten to a point where he was done reflecting on his pain, on his grief. For just a bit, he didn’t want to miss his mother. And Y/N realized this. So she told him stories about her friends, her family, and even shared little hints about the future. Steve was disappointed about the lack of flying cars. But Y/N assured him that there were much more impressive things than that, things that were almost impossible for her to describe without him seeing them for himself.
After some time, the records stopped playing and the sun slowly started to replace the moon. Steve was exhausted and he needed more than just the night to regain his strength and catch up on his sleep.
In his sleep, Steve could hear the shuffling from the night owl neighbor above him and even the crickets chirping outside.
Y/N hadn’t even shut her eyes. Instead, she watched over Steve like a hawk. Even in his sleep, she tried to protect him. She was prepared to wake him up if there were any signs that something haunted his subconscious.
Then she felt the tingly it always started at her fingertips. It was the only warning that she would be leaving soon. Her heart broke. She didn’t want to leave Steve. He needed her…more than ever.
She leaned forward and brushed some hair from his delicate and young face.
“I’m always going to be with you, Steve. Always. Even when I’m not with you here. I’ll be with you somewhere else. I’m never truly be gone,” Y/N whispered ever so quietly, careful not to rouse him from his deep sleep.
The words made their way into Steve’s dream like a spell. They echoed and sounded like a reverb in his sleeping mind.
——————
2015
Steve woke up with a weird feeling in his stomach. It felt empty. Like he hadn’t eaten in days. Something felt… off.
“FRIDAY?” His voice still rough with sleep.
“Yes, Captain Rogers?” The AI answered immediately.
Steve held his breath for a moment, not wanting to get his hopes up. “Is…Is Y/N here?”
There was a pause.
“No, Captain Rogers. I’m afraid she is not.”
He let out a shaky exhale and rubbed his face. He knew better than to get his hopes up. But now he had no explanation for the weird feeling.
There was a knock on his door.
“Come in,” he called.
Pepper walked in with a garment bag in her hands. Then she saw Steve’s confused face. “Oh, no. Did you forget?”
There was a moment of Steve processing. Then he hung his head. “That gala’s tonight, isn’t it?”
She looked at him sympathetically, knowing how much he hated these things. But she had assured the team that it was all for a good cause. The Avengers’ appearance could raise more money than they could possibly understand. Pepper was a master at these things.
“The suit should fit like a glove. I promise I’ll try to make tonight as painless as possible,” Pepper assured him softly. “I can’t thank you enough for attending. You don’t know how much it means to me.”
Steve shrugged her off. “Of course, Pepper. It’s nothing.”
But they both knew it was something.
Hours later, Steve was drinking whiskey in fancy glassware and schmoozing the rich guests as much as he could.
It was still weird, the idea that people wanted to meet and talk with him. Couldn’t they see past the height and muscles? Couldn’t they see that he was still just a nobody from Brooklyn?
But the night was a success already. Every so often Pepper would give them updates on the amount of money that had already been donated.
The event had gone on and on, and Steve was getting socially exhausted. He put on a good show though and smiled his way through it.
Then he felt a presence over his shoulder. “I’ll distract the leeches. You make a run for it.”
Steve smirked at the sound of Tony’s mischievous voice.
He turned slightly. “But Pepper–”
“Who do you think sent me?” Tony cut him off. “You did your job. Now get the hell outta here?”
Steve gave him a grateful look.
Tony did just what he promised and distracted the aristocrats that were dying for Captain America’s attention.
Steve hurried his walk and dipped his head to avoid any people trying to make eye contact to stop him for a chat.
When he got outside, Happy was waiting with various other chauffeurs.
“Had enough?” Happy asked Steve with a knowing smirk.
The gala had been in the city, of course. Why make the rich leave their penthouse apartments and go upstate?
The night was cool and the breeze felt good against Steve’s hot skin. He had started feeling claustrophobic inside.
Steve looked around. “You know what? I think I’ll take a walk.”
Happy eyed him. “You sure?”
“Yeah, I’ll take one of the motorcycles from the tower back to the compound when I’m ready.”
Happy shrugged.
Steve gave him a smile before hurrying past the line of cars and making his way through the city. He had loosened his tie and immediately felt like he could breathe easier.
The city had changed drastically since his time before the ice. But it still had a strange hold on him. He looked into restaurants and bars, eyeing the people that seemed to fit in this world more than he did. He noted their smiles and laughs, how they interacted with each other.
His walk was slow and without purpose. He had nowhere to be.
He was walking by a laundromat. It had a neon sign above it, indicating that it was open 24/7. It was a Saturday night. Steve struggled with the idea that anyone would ever be doing their laundry at this time.
But lo and behold, there was one person folding their clothes neatly.
It wasn’t until they turned that Steve unknowingly stopped in his tracks.
Her hair was longer and she looked more like the woman he’d met when he was just a kid from Brooklyn in the 1930s.
She was wearing headphones, completely oblivious to the world around her. Steve smirked as he saw her mouthing the words to the song playing and ever so subtly swaying her hips and bobbing her head to a beat only she could hear.
He’d never seen her like this: comfortable, relaxed…present.
It was clear she wasn’t going anywhere, because he was finally in her here and now.
Steve’s body moved on its own accord. He didn’t even realize it until he heard the chime of the bell as he walked through the door.
She had yet to notice that anyone had arrived, still pleasantly listening to her music and living in her own little world.
Steve just stood and watched her, worried he’d terrify her.
But mostly he didn’t know what to do. He’d dreamed of this moment since the day he found out the truth about Y/N. He dreamed of living beside her, both of them in the present, no time between them.
Now that it was finally here, Steve had no idea what he was doing.
Y/N was fully dancing along to her music now. She was twirling in circles. But on her third spin, she realized there’s someone watching her and she stopped abruptly.
Steve can hear her gasp when she recognized him.
They stared at each other. It was as though both of them thought it was a dream and they were waiting for one of them to wake up or disappear.
“Y/N,” Steve finally breathed.
Then she was running to him.
Steve caught her in his arms and held onto her tightly. He buried his face into her neck, letting her scent convince him that she was real.
“I can’t believe you’re here,” her words were muffled by his shoulder.
Steve reluctantly pulled away so he could look into her eyes. He grabbed her face softly, just to ground himself.
“This is your present, right? You’re not going anywhere.”
Y/N couldn’t help but giggle at him a bit. “I mean, I’ll disappear eventually. But not now. This is my present. I’m not going anywhere.”
Steve hugged her again. “God, I missed you so much.”
“When was the last time you saw me?”
He pulled back and shook his head. “About a month ago. You were in college.”
She nodded slowly.
“So what…you’re 24 now?” Steve did the math.
She grinned at how easily he figured it out and then nodded.
“I live just around the block. Would you like to come over?” Y/N asked him shyly.
“Yes,” Steve answered so quickly that Y/N let out a chuckle. Then he cleared his throat and added, “Absolutely.”
Steve answered so quickly that Y/N let out a chuckle.
Y/N nodded. “OK. Let me just…” But when she reached for her basket of now clean and folded clothes, Steve was already grabbing for it.
“Here. Let me,” he insisted.
Y/N blinked at the gesture. Then she was reminded of Steve’s old-fashioned habits.
If Steve noticed her confusion, he didn’t show it.
But he smirked at her and said, “Lead the way.”
A few minutes later, they were sitting at Y/N’s dinner table. Well…it couldn’t really be considered a dinner table. It was a high-top that unfolded from the wall. Y/N’s apartment was true to New York’s reputation. And it looked even smaller now that Steve was in it.
Y/N had offered to make them tea. Now the two mugs sat untouched in front of them. She really had only made it to give herself something to do.
Steve couldn’t help but realize that Y/N was struggling to look him in the eye. Meanwhile, he couldn’t keep his eyes off her. He didn’t think he had even blinked.
“Y/N…?” He muttered softly.
“Hmm?” But she still didn’t look up from the mug sitting snuggly between her palms.
“You OK?”
“Yep,” she answered too lightly for it to be believable.
Steve slowly reached across the table and gripped her hands. “Y/N?
“Mhmm?”
“Won’t you look at me?” He whispered.
Slowly and shakily, her gaze lifted to finally meet his. “I’m sorry,” she rushed out.
But Steve tightened his grip on her hands and shook his head. “You don’t have to be sorry.”
“I just can’t believe we’re both finally here. The same time, the same place. It seems too good to be true,” she admitted.
“I know,” he agreed.
Then Y/N’s lips turned into a wicked smirk. “You still scared you’re gonna corrupt me?”
Steve couldn’t help but chuckle. But he shook his head, “No, not anymore.”
“Good.”
Then she was leaning across her small table and locked her lips to his. It was confident and powerful.
Long gone was the scared and frightened girl that Steve had found in the grass during a raging storm. In her place was the empowered and self-assured woman Steve had met at that bus stop back in the 30s.
It took Steve a moment to respond, but then he quickly recovered and kissed her back just as passionately.
“Stay the night,” she whispered when they pulled away for air.
It was meant to be a command, but Steve heard the questioning tone underneath. She may be confident, but she clearly was worried about pushing him too hard.
“A-Are you sure?” He stuttered.
They both knew staying the night didn’t mean innocently sharing the same bed like it had so often in the past. Y/N’s desire was clear in her eyes and in the way she’d just kissed him.
“We’ve been chasing each other through time for far too long, Steve. I don’t know about you…but I don’t want to waste another moment.”
Steve swallowed and realized how dry his throat was.
Then he watched as Y/N slowly got up from her chair and started walking to the bedroom.
When she got a few steps and realized he hadn’t moved, she turned to him. “You coming or what?”
Steve shot to his feet, “Yes, ma’am.”
Y/N couldn’t hold back her smile from being addressed so formally.
---------------------------
Chapter 6
I do not do taglists.
Here is the series’ masterlist: Non-Sequential
Any headcanons about how Non-Sequential Steve spends his downtime (before all the angst and being apart 😭)
Non-Sequential!Steve Rogers would love drawing. He draws all the time. It clears his mind. It calms him down. It grounds it. Also, he’s still catching up on the pop culture that he missed. So he’s constantly watching movies, TV shows, reading books, browsing the Internet. He also like going to art museums whenever he can do so under the radar.
Before Y/N and him found each other in both of their presents, Steve would avoid anything that reminded him of her.
Holy fuck Non-Sequential might be the best Steve series I have ever read. I just read all of it and I am just awestruck at your writing and how well you incorporate the elements from Time Travelers Wife. It’s absolutely beautiful and sad all at the same time which reminds me so much of the actual book. I just wanted to profess my undying love for this series and hope that you continue it. Not trying to pressure you, but dear lord I love it. 😍💙🥰
I may or may not be publishing a new chapter for that tonight....
okay so in non sequential i understand the explanation of why she travels to Steve before she knew him bc her brain knew she’d love him and everything but,,, when she starts to travel to Bucky how does that work? I know she begins to really care about him but why doesn’t it work the same way as with Steve ? (you completely dont have to answer I know the time travel questions are annoying)
Non-Sequnetial — Masterlist
The time and place of Y/N’s time travels are linked to big events and emotional ties in her life. Yes, she travels to Steve through time because she ends up falling in love with him at some point in her life and he’s considered a big event.
Bucky, whether it is platonic or romantic love, is also an important person in Y/N’s life. He’s also a man of the past, so her body pushes her to his life a lot too. And a lot of the events Y/N goes to in Bucky’s life are also important to Steve. Like when Bucky falls off the train and is mistakenly declared dead. That was a big moment in Steve and Bucky’s life. So it’s kind of like 2 birds, 1 stone situation. Bucky and Y/N spend a lot of time together when they’re in Wakanda, both recovering. Bucky becomes a huge part of Y/N’s life too.
