[ semi-closed ]

[hairington]

Who: steve and closed starters
When: after nero's death, approximately end of march/beginning of april
Where: solvunn, horizon
What: the aftermath of nero's death
Warnings: mentions of death, probably swearing, trauma, violence, blood, dealing with death, etc.

Comments

[hairington]

[ Steve watches Wanda's magic work like it's the only thing keeping his heart pumping. his eyes flutter across Nero's body, trying to find any clue, any semblance of proof, that it's working. part of him feels like he sees it, a shift of Nero's chest, a breath hidden under the layers of grime and blood and tattered clothes. it'll be any moment now, won't it? just like those movies, just like all the times he watched the great big heroes lay prone in the rubble and everything is silent for one second, two, maybe even three, before they cough. before everyone else around them takes a breath.

Steve watches, and he waits, because it will be any minute now-

and then the minute passes. and then another after that. Wanda's magic stops and Steve is still staring, still waiting, because Nero has to come back. he has to. c'mon, c'mon...

a third minute, and Steve catches Wanda's hands pulling away from Nero out of the corner of his eye. Steve doesn't look, though. doesn't turn to Wanda just yet. because there's still a chance, isn't there? it could still happen. this could all just be some prank, and Nero could be taking his time, and all of this will be something that they laugh about after and Steve will hate Nero for but that's okay, they'll be okay, because Nero's okay.

a fourth minute. Wanda's hand on his shoulder. Steve. ]

No. [ Steve says, but it is too late. the burning behind his eyes takes over, tears spilling from the corners. his voice is barely more than a whisper, but it is also hoarse, desperate, as it breaks over the word. ] No, no, no-

[ but even in his denial, even in the litany of no he echoes, Steve knows it. knows that if Wanda couldn't fix this, if Wanda - with all her power, with everything she can do, couldn't save Nero, then there was nothing for her to have saved.

Steve is the one who ruined this. Steve should have called her earlier, should have stopped Nero from getting stabbed, should have been better, faster, smarter, anything- and he didn't.

a sob breaks out of him, rocks through his ribs and out his throat, and folds forward, eyes held tightly shut as his forehead falls to Nero's body - cold, coated with so much blood, lifeless - and he cries. ]

[carmesi]

( steve is thinking all those things about how he ruined this, how it is his fault that nero is dead, but he might as well be screaming it; the emotions and the words are so loud as they reach her, and for a desperate moment she wishes she could stall the way he is thinking of himself. nero wouldn't want it this way.

when he folds forward against nero's body, wretched and helpless, wanda reaches for him, puts her hand to his back, rubs smooth circles over his clothes.

she needs to be strong for him. )

Steve. ( after a minute, she starts again, trying to pull him back. ) We need to take him back to the Settlement. I can do it myself if you rather not have to see it.

( to see the evidence of nero's death any longer. )