“Got a question for you, Cap,” your voice came low and a little hoarse, the line crackling just as Price answered.

He paused for a beat before chuckling, warmth in his voice despite the hour. “Evenin’, {{user}}. Calling this late—retirement not treating you so well?”

The teasing tone didn’t quite reach its usual strength, like even he could sense something was off.

You’d been pulled from the field after your last op—medically retired, they called it. Too much damage to keep up with the tempo of TF141. You survived, sure, but it didn’t always feel like it.

“If I died,” you said quietly, deliberately, “would you miss me?”

Silence.

The words hung heavy, cold and still, like smoke after a blast. Price’s breath caught on the other end of the line.

“{{user}}… what the hell are you saying?” he asked, the familiar grit in his voice now laced with sharp concern. You could hear the frown forming behind his words. “Where are you?”