A/N: Thank you for the continued interest and support, and to the following for leaving the reviews that I love oh-so-much: angelicedg, WishfulThinker66, rocknrollprincess131, mrsreedus69, and lollipop2404.

I think it's time to give Steve a chance – Rick seems to be way ahead of the game. We can't let Amy's decision be too easy, right? ;) My song choice for this chapter is Ed Sheeran's "Give Me Love."

Enjoy!


Surprised. That was how Steve felt when Amy showed up on his doorstep just after dinner. She had changed into capri-style yoga leggings and a flowy t-shirt. Her hair was up, baring the slender column of her neck. His eyes traced the exposed skin and imagined what it would be like to do it with his lips.

"What are you doing here?" he asked, dragging his gaze to meet hers.

Amy laughed, the sound breathy. "I can leave if you want," she quipped.

"No," he said, shaking his head. "No, please stay. I just thought that you'd be with Rick tonight since…well, we had last night and this morning together."

An indecipherable look crossed her face and she stepped past him to come inside before he could study it further. "Well, I'm here. I hope that's okay…"

"Of course it is! I- I've been thinking about you all day," he blurted, but his confession was soft.

Amy glanced at him with a faint blush on her cheekbones. "You have?"

Haven't you been thinking about me? He decided not to ask this, but the surprise in her voice made him wonder. Opting to avoid speech altogether, he bent and pressed a kiss to her mouth as his thumb stroked the hollow of her cheek. Amy reached up and held onto the back of his neck, transforming the tender kiss into something more passionate. Her hands slid down to his chest and began undoing the buttons on his shirt. Steve stilled her hands and backed up.

"Woah, Amy…" He extracted a cleansing breath, all the while telling his cock to calm the fuck down.

The woman furrowed her brows in confusion. "Isn't this what you want?"

Steve searched her blue gaze. "Yeah, I do want that, but not just that. I want to get to know you better – like, in a way that's more than physical. Can we do that?"

Amy gave him a gentle smile. "I'd like that."

With her answer, he returned the happy expression. "Good. So can I get you something to drink? I'm out of wine, but I've got beer."

"I'll have a beer, then," she said, sitting down on his couch and relaxing into the plushy cushions.

Steve grabbed two bottles from the fridge and shut off lights as he went, leaving them to bask in the warm glow of a few lit candles. He handed Amy her drink and watched her take a swig before doing the same. He occupied the seat next to her and rubbed an affectionate hand over her slim thigh.

"So tell me about your day," he said, as if they'd ended every day like this.

Amy took a long pull of her beer and he watched her gaze skitter around the room. "Well, uh, Deanna assigned me to work in the supply building. It's temporary but may become permanent."

"That's great. So you didn't want to work on the wall with me? We could have quickies on our lunch break."

Amy's lips parted and her eyes went wide on him.

He chuckled. "I'm just teasing, babe – but a man can dream, right?"

The woman visibly relaxed and let out a quiet chuckle, the humor not quite meeting her eyes. "Right…"

"Is everything okay?" he asked, caressing her thigh once more. "We don't have to do this if you don't want to. I mean…I'm trying to be fair, Amy. If you want to be with Rick tonight, I promise I won't be mad."

Amy's gaze softened and she shook her head, appearing wounded. "No…ugh, I'm sorry, Steve. I don't know where my head's at. This is all so new to me." She scooted closer to him and held the large hand that had been on her leg. "I'm here with you. That means I want to be with you. Okay?"

Steve smiled and felt a strange warmth invade his chest – the same sensation he had experienced throughout the day whenever he'd thought of her. The walls were generally a boring place to be, but for once the day had flown by, fueled by romantic daydreams and visions of a possible future with the woman next to him. Of course, Rick couldn't be a part of that future – it just didn't work that way. He wasn't going to kill the guy or anything irrational like that. He'd have to keep Amy the old-fashioned way – with charm, affection and an honest understanding.

Amy sipped at her beer and then said, "You told me about your time with the Seals. I'd like to hear about your work with 5-0. What was that like?"

He shelved any further deliberation and began to tell her about the co-workers that went on to become his family. He'd been unable to get in touch with any of them after the outbreak, much to his distress. His best friend Danny – "Danno" – was the unknown that upset him the most. They'd practically been brothers, and Steve thought of him daily.

They moved on to the subject of cases, hoping to keep the mood light. Amy asked him about his most memorable case, and Steve became quiet. He picked at the label on his beer bottle in brooding silence.

"Sorry," she whispered, "we can talk about something else."

"It's okay," he said, his voice a little rougher than before. "There was this one – it wasn't actually an official case. I guess you'd say wrong place, right time. One morning my buddy was giving me a shave at his barbershop and this kid stumbled in, bleeding from a gunshot wound. He'd been a wounded bystander in some mob hit – or so we'd been told. After a series of unfortunate events, we found out from his father that the hit had been on him."

"Why would a father want to kill his own son?" Amy asked in blatant shock.

"Because he'd discovered that his son was snatching up little kids in their neighborhood…and killing them."

Amy expelled the breath she'd been holding and grimaced at the pain in Steve's voice. He pushed on.

"I, uh, needed proof, ya know? The father directed me to a room in their basement. I found a stack of pictures…" Steve sniffled and swallowed hard, but there were no tears. "I'll never forget their faces," he added. So innocent. So scared.

"That's horrible," Amy whispered. "What happened to him after that? Was he convicted?"

Steve didn't look up; he just stared at the ripped label on his bottle. "I killed him. He drew his weapon – forced my hand."

She stroked her fingers over the man's tense back and gently kneaded his shoulder. "I'm sorry you had to do that. Did…did that sort of thing happen a lot?"

"If you're asking 'Did I have to protect myself and others on a regular basis by firing my weapon?' then yes, that was my job. In a way, it still is."

"I admire you," she said, staring into his eyes when his gaze snapped up.

"There's nothing admirable about taking someone's life."

"But it's like you just said – someone needed to be out there protecting the innocent people, even before the world fell apart. You were a step ahead of us. You did the dirty work so the rest of us could enjoy our freedom and live our lives in relative peace. It takes a special kind of person to do that," she said softly.

Steve looked at the woman next to him and saw the veracity of what she'd said in her eyes. He wasn't the best at accepting compliments, but he'd taken pride in his work, so it was nice to get some appreciation. As he gazed at Amy with her tender smile, he realized that he hadn't been the best partner to her. Yes, he did appreciate her, but he'd been a little rough and crude – more like a fuck buddy than a caring boyfriend. She deserved to be cherished and treated with the utmost respect. She'd chosen to be with him tonight – he wanted to make her happy with that decision.

"And it takes a special kind of person for me to share that story. I, uh, haven't told anyone about it since it happened," he replied, holding her hand once more.

"Thank you for trusting me with it," she murmured and squeezed his hand.

I don't think that's the only thing I'll trust you with, Steve thought as he cradled the delicate curve of her neck and pulled her in for a light, undemanding kiss. Amy sighed, the sound pleasing to his ears. He lifted his head just enough to watch her lashes flutter open, and smiled, nuzzling his nose against hers. She allowed him to wrap his arms around her and pull her head to his chest. She held onto him, returning the intimate embrace.

They stayed like that for a few minutes. Steve had missed this – soothing contact with another person; the act of simply holding someone that you cared about. He hadn't expected to feel this way about anyone ever again. He'd always been reserved, but the past two years had been a whole new level of loneliness – one that had seemed impossible to fix. He hadn't wanted to settle, though, so that had made things more difficult, but he knew now why he'd needed to wait: the beautiful woman with her ear pressed to his heart.

"I think I'm ready to go to bed now. What about you?" he asked quietly as they let go of one another.

"Lead the way, Commander," she said with a crooked grin, except this time the nickname didn't roll off her tongue like a sexual advance – it sounded more like a true endearment.

Steve gently grasped her hand and, in desire-filled silence, they walked upstairs to his bedroom. He wondered if it was awkward for her to be there after the far different experience twenty-four hours before, but she showed no sign of uneasiness. In fact, she appeared much more relaxed as she shut the door. When she turned around, he framed her face with his hands and tilted up her chin to receive his kiss. She returned to where she'd left off earlier, her fingers working their way down as she unbuttoned his shirt. Finally, he shrugged it off and flung it aside.

Amy pulled away for a moment to run her gaze over his tanned skin and the white undershirt that hugged his broad shoulders. She followed it with her hands, enjoying the hard muscle underneath. Steve just kept his eyes on her, his dark blue irises glinting in the shadowy room. When he went to reach for the hem of her shirt, she shook her head.

"You first this time…"

Steve slanted her a smile and moved to lift his own shirt. Once again, she stopped him.

"Let me," Amy whispered.

He dropped his hands, allowing her to gather the soft cotton material within her fingertips, and shivered when she grazed his sides as she pushed it upward. He then raised his arms and bent down slightly so he could give her the satisfaction of finishing it herself – his sheer height tended to put her at a disadvantage.

"You have an incredible body, Steve," she said, her eyes worshipping the sight of him.

"I'm more interested in yours right now…" he replied, and curved his hands around her hips to draw her closer. His lips brushed her temple as he mirrored her previous actions and removed her thin t-shirt. Dropping his head, he pressed his mouth to the curve of one breast and dragged his lips along the edging of her lacy bra. His tongue dipped beneath the seam, teasing the hard bud that ached to be touched. She whispered his name and he felt immense satisfaction to hear her acknowledge just who was with her tonight.

Amy speared her fingers through Steve's short hair, increasing the pressure of his damp kisses as she kept him pressed to her heaving chest. Steve responded by hooking two fingers into the soft cup and pulling it downward to expose one firm mound with a nipple straining toward the sweet relief that only his mouth could bring. When he finally covered it with the wet heat she'd longed for, she sighed out a moan and tipped her head back. He unfastened her bra, letting it fall away, and switched to the other side.

After a few moments, Steve traced his strong hands over her backside and then drew her against him, wrapping her legs around his waist. Amy brought his lips to hers and savored their unique flavor – thanks to the prior beer – while he walked them over to the bed. Carefully, he laid her down, moving over her to continue their passionate kisses. She came up for air and he carried on, kissing down her neck and chest, to stop just above the waistband of her pants. He glanced at her as he began to ease the stretchy fabric down her restless legs.

Once Amy was left in just her simple black underwear, Steve's gaze roamed over her almost-naked body, and she saw his eyes flare with hunger. Falling to his knees, he slid her to the edge of the mattress and hooked her legs over his shoulders. He lifted her hips and grazed his nose along the center of her underwear, touching his open mouth to the damp cotton.

"God, you smell good… Good enough to eat."

Amy bit her bottom lip at his bold declaration and watched with bated breath as he pushed her underwear to the side. The moment his tongue touched her, her hips bucked and a gasp pierced the silent room.

After a few more strokes, he whispered, "And you taste amazing…"

Steve continued to swipe his tongue from back to front, stopping periodically to focus on the tight nub at the top. He sucked and nibbled on the sensitive flesh, which drove Amy wild. Placing a thumb on either side, he parted her lips, further opening her to him. He dipped his head again and lapped at her until she exploded, coming undone against his awaiting mouth. He could feel the clenching spasm of her pussy against his tongue and didn't think his cock could ache any more than it did at that moment.

While Amy recovered from her unexpected release, Steve wiped his mouth and slipped off her underwear. His pants and boxer briefs followed. Without another thought, he pushed between her thighs and, as he entered her, groaned, "Fuck, I just need to be inside of you."

Amy cried out, the sound raw amongst their quiet surroundings. Steve withdrew and then thrust again. Buried to the hilt, he proceeded to hold himself there and be absorbed in her liquid heat. He kept his gaze on her face, enjoying the sight she made beneath him. He focused on her hooded eyes and swollen lips as she breathed heavily.

"You're so beautiful, Amy," he murmured, and stroked a hand over her disheveled hair. "My Amy…"

Okay, so maybe she wasn't entirely his, but tonight – she was.

He didn't tear his eyes from her, watching every flicker of emotion cross over her features as their hips moved together in perfect time. Even when she reached a second release, he didn't look away. It was then that he let go, spilling himself inside of her as hot waves of desire crashed over him.

After they'd slowed their breaths, Steve stroked her hair once more and pressed his lips to her humid forehead. Then, he slowly pulled out of her and rotated to relax against the pillows, taking her with him. He held her small body against his own and guided her head to rest on his warm chest. Her fingertips skated across the dusting of hair that covered solid muscle, and he caressed a hand along her bare arm. When something wet touched the area beneath her cheek, he tensed, but not enough for her to notice. He peered down at her pale face in the dark of his room and watched another tear leak from her closed eyes. Wetness clung to her thick lashes, but her hand continued to move over his chest – perhaps to keep him from noticing her sudden tears.

Steve's heart throbbed. Had he hurt her? It couldn't have been physically – not after the night before. He'd just made love to her in a way that he had never experienced in his entire adult life. He wasn't the gentlest lover, but tonight he knew that he'd given a part of himself to her – oh, what the hell, he'd given all of himself to her. To him, the tears could only mean one thing: that maybe she didn't reciprocate those feelings.