Chapter 8
Steve was losing his mind, there was no other way to explain it all. He didn't know what else to say. The tension between Teya and himself had been thickening so much that he could have probably cut it with a knife.
Everything about her; her smile when she was watching something that amused her, or when she was teaching him something new about this new world around him; her humming when she cooked; the way she seemed to dance around the house; and especially the way she sang when she was doing pretty much anything. Everything about her called to him, and it was getting harder and harder to control his attraction to her and behave like a gentleman.
On many occasions, he had to hurriedly excuse himself from the room when she sat next to him on the couch and leaned against him. Or when she would walk around the house in a dressing robe. And Steve knew that his excuses were ridiculous, after all running to use the bathroom right after walking out of it doesn't seem to be the brightest idea.
All he knew was that he could soon crack, and typically embarrassing himself. He couldn't explain it, the attraction and desire he had for her. Sure he had desired quite a few dames in his time, but he had never felt so deeply for them. He couldn't stand her being upset, couldn't fathom the idea of her being with another man, yet he knew that if it made her happy he would stand aside. Her happiness was central to his attraction to her. And he knew that what he felt for her was more that simple attraction; it was likeā¦love. Although he wasn't ready to admit that to himself, or anyone else.
Whilst Steve was having an existential crisis, Teya was also near losing her cool. She had tried everything, everything she could think of to show Steve that she was interested. Ever since her epiphany two weeks ago, she had upped the ante and started to try and flirt with Steve. This had proved almost immediately useless as he had clammed up and escaped the room.
So, she changed tactic. Instead of aggressively going after her man, she resolved to adopt a more passive approach. Essentially it involved leaving a lot of hints and hoping that he took the bait. And she was ready to admit that she wasn't a patient woman by any account.
Frustrated she picked up the phone and stared at it. She hadn't realised until then that she had no one to call. It was like a punch to the face, hard and cold. She was alone, no one to call or speak to. Ordinarily she would turn to Olivia, but she was gone. She had never really been a social butterfly thus she had never really made any friends.
Fury raged within her, blinding her to her surroundings. Picking up the phone she threw it across the room. It hit the wall and shattered, just like her life she couldn't help but feel. Steve upon hearing the bang felt his heart constrict. Running out of his room, barely dressed following a session at the gym, out into the living room. His shield in his hand and looking around the room for any threat to Teya, but all he saw was Teya staring at the wall unmoving. Relaxing some he slowly inched his way towards Teya, not wanting to startle her.
As he came to stand before her, he inhaled a breath. Her normally beautiful and expressive hazel eyes were glowing a deep emerald, pulsing with life. Her panting form raising red flags within his mind as he tried to bring her down from her rage induced state. As he brought his hands up to cradle her face, her attention snapped to him and he paused. The pain beneath her eyes brought him up short.
"Kitten what happened?" Steve asked apprehensively. She stared at him blankly, her expression stony. "It's alright, it's going to be okay," Steve said as soothingly as he could. It was then that she stiffened under his embrace. Glaring into his eyes, she spat out with such coldness and bite in her voice he was momentarily taken aback, that it would never be alright.
"It's going to be alright? Is it now?" her words dripping with sarcasm and loathing. Not knowing what to do Steve just stared at her as she continued. "I have no one, no one to call or rely on and I'm supposed to pretend that it's alright? I can't even make a phone call to someone to ask for help or advice, but I shouldn't worry because it's all going to be fucking sunshine and daisies, right?".
Steve couldn't help but feel hurt that she was attacking him. He had only tried to help her, only wanted to sooth her. He was about to respond with a sharp remark when her words sunk in. She wasn't mad at him, not really. She felt alone and isolated; the people that she had loved and held dear were presumably all dead, and she felt lonely and vulnerable. This wasn't a lashing out against him, but a cry against her solitude. She felt alone and she was scared, despite her aggressive manner.
Taking in a deep breath, Steve pulled her into a tight hug. She stiffened and he feared that she would push him back but she stayed still, almost as though she didn't know what to do. "I know you're scared. I know you feel alone, open to attack, I've been there. But you need to understand that I'm here for you. I am with you, and I will fight with you and for you. You have me" he said.
Pulling back slightly he looked her in the eyes, surprise and doubt swimming in them. "You have me, always" he repeated. He didn't know what came over him but the urge to kiss her was unbearable. Leaning in he pressed his lips against hers before he even knew what was happening. Both Teya and he were shocked, pulling back quickly Steve let Teya go as though touching her burned him.
"I'm so sorry, I didn't- that wasn't-" he stuttered. Teya placed her hand over his mouth and, with hope in her eyes and brimming tears she whispered out, voice thick and choked "Did you mean it? You are with me?". The panic in Steve subsided as he nodded his head, desperate for her to realise that he was serious in his declaration.
Smiling Teya withdrew her hand and pulled Steve in for a kiss. He was stunned, put simply. He had been denying himself the feel of her against him and now he was wondering why he had even bothered. Kissing her back with a ferocity he lost himself in the moment.
As they continued to make out in the living room, both clumsily trying to move around the room whilst trying not to separate their lips, they didn't hear the sound of footsteps approaching the door, nor did they observe the figure inching his way towards the window. So consumed were they in each other's presence that they didn't realise that they were under attack until it was too late.
The door burst open as dozens of men in black gear and guns ran in, just as the window shattered from the impact of a body breaking through it. As they broke apart, Steve pushing Teya behind him whilst he grabbed her hand, they were surrounded. His eyes falling onto his shield meters away, Steve couldn't help but want to slap himself.
They all stood sill for a moment, waiting to see who would pull the first move. Evidently it was the intruders, who at once charged at them. Steve fought as many as he could but his attention was on trying to protect Teya, who herself was fighting off many attackers.
In a bizarre way, it was mesmerising watching Teya fight. She fought like a wild animal, except there was a cold precision in her movements. Each punch, each kick deliberate. He watched out for her as she was encircled by two men, both coming at her at once, as she punched the one before her whilst using his momentum to bring up both her legs behind her as she locked her legs around the neck of the one behind her. He watched as she squeezed her legs, choking the man as she manoeuvred the second man so that his arms were pulled behind him. He watched as she broke both his arms with nothing more than a blink.
It felt as though a river was falling over them. No matter how many they fought more kept coming. They kept it up for what felt like hours, and as much as she hated to admit it, Teya hadn't healed enough for this much physical exertion. It was as she managed to grab a knife from one of her attackers that she felt the stab. It was small and brought her up short. Within seconds, she was seeing black spots dot her vision.
The last thing she heard was a ferocious cry from Steve as he barrelled his way towards her, pushing men out of his way. Steve rushed to her, despair filling his stomach as he prayed that it wasn't a bullet. As he tried to check if she was still breathing he felt a prick. He knew that it was bad, that this was a dangerous concoction, as he felt weakened within 5 seconds, and passed out by 8. His superhuman abilities afforded him the ability to withstand many tranquilizers, and for this to work so effectively he knew that if the same drug had been used on Teya that she would be near death.
The last thing on his mind before he scrummed to the darkness, was that he had failed in protecting his girl. He had failed his Kitten when she needed him.
