Ok, I know I said there would be sexy time in this chapter, but it ended up just being adorable instead. Anyway, thanks for the great reviews guys, I hope you enjoy this chapter as much as the previous ones. Also, I totally promise sexy time in the next chapter wink wink wink wink. :)
CHAPTER 4
It was about noon when Steve got back to the mansion. He'd spent a great deal of time walking home instead of taking a cab so he could think. He was having a sort of crisis about Elaine. The way she swooped in and saved him, it gave him butterflies. He decided that he must have some sort of feelings for her. Unfortunately for him he had no idea what to do about it. I mean, he didn't have a lot of experience when it came to woman. He'd never even been on a proper date.
After he'd had a quick shower and changed back into his normal clothes he decided to go find someone to get some advice. He found Natasha cleaning her guns in one of the sitting rooms. She heard him walk in and looked up.
"Steve. Hey, what's up?" She read his mood, as she did with most people. "Are you ok? You look sort of... conflicted?"
"Yeah, it's just..." Steve sat down across the table from Natasha and rested his head on his hands. "Elaine..."
"I thought so." Natasha said, completely unsurprised.
"What do you mean 'I thought so'?" Steve asked, a little irked.
"Well it's obvious that you like her."
"Really? How so?"
Natasha sighed. "Oh come on Steve, you can barely keep your eyes of her. You blush whenever she just looks at you."
"Oh. Okay, well, what do I do? I mean, I..." Steve didn't want to admit how pathetic he was. Well, at least in his mind he was pathetic. To everyone else he was just cute.
"It's okay Steve, I know you're not experienced when it comes to girls. Just ask her on a date. Take her to dinner or something. If you don't try you'll never know." She gave him a friendly smile. He gave a weak smile back. He felt like he would never be able to get the courage to ask Elaine on a date. He wasn't even sure if she liked him. She'd made it pretty obvious how uncomfortable she was around him at breakfast.
Natasha saw the discontent on his face and decided she better leave him to think. "I have to go now, Clint is expecting me for lunch." She got up and gave him a reassuring pat on the shoulder before taking her things and leaving.
Lunch. Steve thought. Hmm, maybe... He devised a plan in his head. Well, it's better than nothing.
Elaine was sitting on the couch in one of the smaller living rooms, reading a book, when she heard a knock at the door, which was weird because the door was open. She looked up to see Steve, holding a tray with something on it.
"Hi." He stuttered shyly. "I just, ah, I just wanted to say thanks. For saving me I mean. From the wolves..." He blushed. Nice one Steve he thought sarcastically.
"That's okay..." she replied.
He sat the tray down on the table in front of her. On it was a fresh bowl of spaghetti Bolognese, with cheese grated over the top. Next to it was a small plate of garlic bread and a glass of red wine.
"I um, I made you this... to say thanks."
"Oh!" Elaine was quite surprised by the gesture. "You really didn't need to go to all that trouble."
"No, I did." He sighed and sat down next to Elaine. She looked at him quizzically. He looked like he was fighting with himself about something. He sighed again and looked at her. "Elaine, I um... I just wanted to let you know that I really like you." He took a deep breath, like he was relieved to finally get that of his chest. He looked away and blushed, embarrassed by his outburst.
Elaine thought about this for a few seconds, than she placed her hand on his. "I like you too." She whispered.
He turned to look at her again. She was smiling. He smiled back at her.
She leaned in and kissed him softly on the cheek. "The food is going to get cold." she said. She noticed how much food there was – far too much for just her. "Do you want some?" she asked. He smiled and nodded.
The next few days passed with relative quietness, apparently all the bad guys on the planet were taking break. For Steve and Elaine, the days passed far too quickly. They spent most of their time together. They ate together, they went sight-seeing around New York City, and they held hands where ever they went. Elaine even taught Steve how to work a computer. For the rest of the Avengers it was like watching a bad chick flick film. Clint and Natasha didn't mind it so much, and Bruce thought it was cute, but Tony hated it. He constantly mocked Steve. Every time he did though, Elaine would be there to give him a look that could kill. Steve didn't care though, he was just happy to be spending time with Elaine.
However, life wasn't as peachy for Elaine as it might have seemed. She didn't want to admit it, but every night for over two weeks she had been having nightmares, and they were getting worse. It was the same thing every time. Well, really they weren't nightmares. They were memories. The memory of walking through the front door of her family's 3 bedroom house and finding her father and brother lifeless and bloody on the hall floor. She knew she ought to tell someone, but she didn't want anyone to worry, especially Steve. She didn't want to seem helpless.
About a week after she moved into the Avenger mansion, the nightmare suddenly got more vivid.
She was in the middle of the usual nightmare. She had just found the bodies. She was crying, and screaming for help, the same as she did every night. But then something new happened. Suddenly there was a hand over her mouth, clamping it shut. A knife was held to her neck. Shut it, bitch, or I'll slit your fucking throat the attacker said. Suddenly Elaine was wide awake, and crying. She was disoriented and suddenly she couldn't bear to be alone in this dark room.
She got out of bed and rushed down the passage to the door of Steve's room. She didn't know what else to do, she was so scared, and she didn't want to keep the nightmares to herself anymore. It was about 3am, he would be sleeping, but she knocked on the door anyway.
A few moments later, Steve opened the door. When he found her there, crying, he was immediately concerned. He wrapped his arms around her without hesitation.
"What's wrong baby?" he whispered, stroking her back to calm her down.
Elaine explained that she had been having nightmares, and that she had just woken from a particularly bad one.
"I'm sorry to wake you, I just, I don't want to be alone anymore." she cried.
"Hey, it's okay, shhh." he cooed. "You can stay with me, okay?"
He took her hand and led her to the bed. When he reached it he pushed aside the blanket, lifted her with ease and placed her gently on the bed, then he pulled the blanket back over her. He got in on the other side of the bed, shuffling under the blankets towards Elaine so he could pull her closer and hold her. He let her cry into his bare chest, and they stayed like that until eventually they both fell asleep.
Yeah yeah, I know I totally could have ended that with sexy time, but come on, Steve isn't the kind of guy who would take advantage of a girl when she was upset. Next chapter, I promise! :) Keep the reviews coming guys, I love to hear what you think.
