30 day OTP challenge - Steve/Maria. Day 18
Doing something together - Watching a move and then falling asleep together
Steve was annoyed, tired and very grouchy. He had had around two hours sleep. It was his own fault really, his own mind keeping him up and not letting him sleep. Maria had tired to calm him down last night but he still didn't get enough sleep. He remembered her falling asleep in his arms, however he hadn't gotten to sleep for another hour after that, then suddenly it was morning and Maria was going to work. He had been fine this morning while with Maria, however the two hours sleep was catching up on him. He was glad Clint had cancelled on hanging out today, honestly Steve didn't know if he could have dealt with the archer today.
Maria had text him around eleven saying she was working from home after something had gone wrong and shut down Stark Industries for the day. Steve was surprised by this because the man that owned SI was currently sitting at the bar and wouldn't stop talking.
He had a headache and just wanted to sleep, however his mind and Tony's babbling didn't do any help. The man sat with Bruce, a glass of scotch held in his hands even though it was half past eleven. Steve laid on the sofa, eyes closed trying to stay relaxed.
What had kept him up last night was the ring that currently sat within his jean pocket in his floor at the tower. It was also because of the past, both thoughts torturing him. He would go to his own floor to get sleep but the ring would just keep him up. Maria's apartment was another option but Steve felt he would fall asleep on his bike and he also didn't want to interrupted Maria working.
He took a deep breath, trying not to think off the sliver engagement ring had had bought two weeks ago. He hadn't told anyone except Sam and the man was starting to get fed up with him about waiting to ask Maria.
"She won't say no Steve, trust me," Sam's words echoed within his head
But what if she did? Steve kept asking himself over and over again.
What if she did say no? Is that there whole relationship and friendship gone? Will it effect them?
Steve doesn't want to lose Maria, not over some yes or no question. He couldn't. Maria was his everything. She understood him the most out of everyone he knew, mins Bucky, and he understood her the most out of all their friends. She didn't let anyone in, except him. Their relationship, going from work colleagues to friends to then lovers. He didn't want to ruin something like that by diving into the deep end. It had been just over a year now but Steve still didn't want to break something so perfect.
Plus, how was he going to do it? How we he going to propose to Maria. It had to be perfect. The perfect place, the perfect time. The perfect moment.
Steve took another deep breath, trying to drown out Tony's droning voice. However, it didn't work and Steve snapped. He shot up, sitting to face Bruce and Tony.
"Will you please shut the fuck up!" Steve snapped, making Bruce and Tony stare at him in shock. Tony was the first to come back, blinking a couple of times before speaking,
"Wow Cap, someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed." Steve glared angrily at the billionaire.
"Actually I did. I got two hours sleep last night and unlike you, I need my sleep. I'm tired, grumpy and very angry. So for your own sake do not make a joke about how I've already had enough sleep. It's. Not. Funny," Steve said, his voice low. "Now will you kindly shut up or, with all due respect, fuck off," Steve said. Bruce raised an eyebrow at Steve and then turned his head towards Tony, who just looked at Steve with a blank expression. Steve then let out a long heavy sigh as he fell backwards onto the couch.
He stared up at he ceiling, hearing nothing come from the two men. Slowly, Steve started to regret snapping at the two, well snapping at Tony. It wasn't Tony's fault that Steve hadn't been able to get enough sleep, yet Steve was still angry. He didn't know if Tony was angry at him for shouting, you could never tell when it came to Tony. He wouldn't blow like Steve just had. He would stay silent, picking his words carefully to then push all the right buttons. Tony would win a verbal fight, just because of how he wouldn't blow, calculating each word carefully an hitting them right where it hurt.
He heard on of the scientist's slide off his chair and then walk over to where he laid. Steve didn't have to open his eyes to know it was Tony. The smell of his aftershave and the scotch in his breath made it easy to tell it was him. He opened his eyes to glare up at Tony who was leaning over the back of the sofa.
"What's up?" Tonya asked him and Steve glared at him. Steve needed to let out his anger from not sleeping at someone, however he decided not to let it out on the genius or the doctor that could beat him up.
"Nothing," Steve mumbled out, making Tony roll his eyes.
"I'm not dumb, genius remember," Tony said pointing at himself with a small smirk on his lips. Something about the smirk made Steve want to punch something, Tony's face would have been a good punching bag. Steve took a deep breath, closing his eyes for five seconds and then opening them to see Tony still staring at him.
"Will you please stop," Steve said and then rolled over to face away from Tony. Tony then moved around the sofa to sit on the coffee table in front of Steve. Steve glared and then closed his eyes, throwing an arm over his face so he didn't have to feel Tony's eyes on him. He just's concerned about you, Steve told himself.
Bruce got up from his stool at the bar and moved to sit on the single sofa to Steve's left. He could feel both of the scientist's eyes on him even with his arm over his face. Them staring didn't help him get to sleep much easier.
"I know there's something on your mind Steve, you can tell us," Tony said and Steve sighed.
"Maybe, just maybe... I'm just trying to get some sleep," Steve said.
"Then why not sleep in your own bed?" Bruce asked from where he was sitting and Steve mentally slapped himself. He wasn't a good liar, never was and never will be. So how on Earth did he think he could lie to some of the smartest's mind in the world, even if one didn't at like he was.
"Yeah, or why not sleep at Maria's apartment?" Tony asked him and when Steve didn't reply he could tell Tony was smirking.
"It's nothing ok," Steve said, keeping his eyes closed.
"You can always talk to the both of us Steve," Bruce said.
"Thanks," Steve said and then sat up.
"Tell us Steve," Tony said.
"Like I said... I just need some sleep," Steve said before standing up and walking over to the elevator. He pressed the button and ran a hand through his hair.
"I'll find out what it is," Tony said as the elevator door opened up.
"Good luck with that, " Steve said and stepped into the elevator.
He got to Maria's apartment twenty minutes later.
"Hey, what you doing here? I thought you were spending the day with Clint," Maria said, leaning against the door frame to the kitchen.
"He had stuff to do," Steve said. He hadn't questioned what the archer had needed to do and honestly he didn't want to know. Steve shut the door with his foot and then took two steps forward. He fell face first over the arm rest and onto the sofa, not bothering to take his shoes off or his deep blue jacket.
Maria smiled softly at the back of Steve's head, feeling sorry for him. Steve shifted slightly to get more comfortable. He laid on his stomach and turned his head to face the TV, an action movie playing on it. Rascals, Maria's neighbor's cat, was curled up in the armchair, purring slightly.
Maria walked over to Steve and stood looking at him for a second. She then decided to lay down on top of Steve on her stomach. She placed a kiss on his shoulder before resting her head on his back.
"What we watching?" Steve asked her.
"Predator. It's a sc-fi, action, horror film. I only just put it on," Maria told him and Steve nodded slightly.
"Horror?" Steve questioned, looking at the screen.
"I got bored with work," Maria said and Steve smiled slightly, noticing her laptop open up but the screen on standby.
"And that's something you watch when bored... ok," Steve said and took a deep breath while Maria chuckled lightly.
"You seem stressed," Maria said and Steve just sighed.
"A little. I may have lost my temper with Stark," Steve said and Maria smiled.
"I don't blame you," Maria said.
"I'm just really tired," Steve said, making that his excuse and it was...just part of it. Nerves were building up in him too now his mind thought of the ring 24/7. Maria stroked the back of his hand, their fingers intertwining.
"I know," Maria said and Steve took another deep breath and closed his eyes. Only if she did, Steve thought. Would she leave him? Telling him no and then leave. Maria wouldn't do that and Steve knew she wouldn't... but what if she did?
"I love you Maria," Steve said to her.
"I love you too Steve," Maria said.
Twenty minutes later Steve was fast asleep. Maria slowly slid off of him and went to the cupboard. She pulled out the black woolly blanket and then walked over to Steve. She laid down next to Steve on the sofa and wrapped the blanket around them both. He moved in his sleep to wrap his arm around her. He cuddled up to her back as she watched the rest of the movie.
She felt Rascal's, having jumped down from the arm chair, jump up onto the main sofa and curl up next to their feet. Maria smiled, glancing down at the black and grey cat before looking back at the screen. She was glad Steve was sleeping, he just needed to be at his most relaxed...
And that was whenever Maria was with him.