Chapter 11~ No Strings
A/N: I'm thinking of doing a spin off from this story having to do with one of the places that Bucky used to hide out. I had a dream about it and I think I can scrape something together in a little while.
MarshWolffe- I know, me too. But there is still a long way to go. I've got ideas for this story into whenever Infinity War comes out.
ReneeGoetz- Thank you so much! You have no idea how much screaming I did trying to write it. I'm not kidding either. My husband asked me how it was going and I literally screamed at him. He thought it was funny. I am not good at writing smut. But I made it, ta-da.
I'm trying really hard to get through the time between CAWS and CACW, but there's quite a bit of time between and I actually have to give you a story, so here it is.
)0(
It was nearing Independence Day, and Jessika was super busy. Between keeping the bar going and getting ready for one of the busiest days of the year for her, she was running her feet off every single day. Pepper had offered to help, but the younger woman kindly declined, stating that she already had an enormous conglomerate to run, so she shouldn't be worrying about her little ol' bar. Every so often, she would get a text, always from a different number, and always headed with Real or Not Real. Some of them she could answer by herself, Steve having told her so many stories that she felt as if she had lived with them back then.
Of course, there were others that were probably too personal to have been shared until Bucky brought them up, then she had to ask Steve, and he would explain it to her so that she could explain the details to the other party. Then, the texts stopped coming. At one point, Jessika texted every one of the numbers that he had used to contact her, but there was never a response, so she gave up. She figured that he was beginning to notice the difference between real memories and those that were only imagined. It was that reason why she had to calm down her soldier buddy when he got upset that she hadn't had to ask him about days past.
There was also the small matter of 'the Incident'. That was how she had come to think of it, because there was no other name for it. But, it had been on her mind more often than not, even when she was busy making drinks and serving people during her rush hours. It didn't help that she hadn't seen Steve much since then, and when they were together, it seemed like he was doing everything not to bring it up. That was fine by her. He didn't want to talk about it, they wouldn't talk about it. By the time the 4th of July was around the corner, she had resolved herself to just...try not to think about the Incident.
In fact, they went almost two months without actually ever seeing each other, so it worked out.
)0(
It was late. Jessika was cleaning up the bar after an early Wednesday night closing, humming along to Shakira while she wiped down one of the booths. It had been basically dead for nearly an hour and a half, when the final patron had bid her goodnight and left with a wave. The last few days had been hell. The ice machine had broken, and the mechanic wouldn't be able to come take a look until at least tomorrow. She had to keep sending waitresses down to the corner store to pick up bags of ice, usually five at a time.
Ladies and Gentlemen, this is Jazze Phizal, productshizzle, Missy, the princess is here. Jessika grabbed the remote and turned the music up, swaying along to it. Ciara, this beat is-
Automatic, supersonic, hypnotic, funky fresh. At the last part, she did a little hop-step move that slid her into her own little dance. Work my body so melodic, This beat flows right through my chest, Everybody ma and papi came to party, Grab somebody, work your body, work your body, Let me see you 1, 2 step. The whole bar was her own little stage, and with no one there, she could move however she wanted. Grabbing hold of her hair-tie, she yanked it out and let her ponytail fall loose around her shoulders. Rock it, don't stop it, Everybody get on the floor, Wake the party up, We about to get it on, (Let me see ya'll) 1, 2 step, (I love it when ya'll) 1, 2 step (Everybody) 1, 2 step, We about to get it on.
The sound of the bell above the door ringing made her spin around. Steve was leaned against the door jam, one hand in his pockets, the other coming back down from ringing the bell and a little grin on his face. Jessika snatched up the remote and quickly turned the music back down. "Hey!"
"Hiya. Don't stop on my account."
Chuckling, she sheepishly asked with a grimace, "How much of that did you see?"
"Uh," he fake thought, "Product-shizzle?"
"Oh, good lord." She hung her head.
Steve laughed out loud as he walked across the bar. "It wasn't that bad. A bit different from my day, but...not bad."
"Shut up." She whacked him with her towel when he got close enough. "You are such a dick."
"Well, I mean, I have one."
Jessika busted out laughing, leaning against a chair. "When did you get so snarky?"
"I had some help."
"Tony?"
"And Sam, and Nat...and Bruce."
"Bruce? Snarky? No," she said in exaggerated disbelief. "What are you doing this far south, stranger?"
Steve put on a fake pout, "Is it illegal for a guy to visit his best friend?" Before she could make a smart comment, he stopped her, "I'm joking, I'm joking. I just figured I'd come down, since I hadn't seen you in awhile."
"Liar." She smacked him again. "This isn't a social call."
"How'd ya guess?" He asked, almost sadly.
"Because you always text me when you come around. Either you're here about Bucky, or Shield. Now, stop trying to bullshit me and spill."
"Jeez, language, Jess." With a sigh, he sat down in the booth she had just been cleaning. "Fury wanted me to talk to you."
Narrowing her eyes, Jessika sat down too. "Why?"
"He figured that it would sound better coming from me. Uh, Fury wants you to join Shield. Well, not Shield, since it doesn't exist anymore. You would actually be joining the Avengers."
"Steve, I'm not a superhero."
"You have powers," he pointed out.
"That doesn't make me a superhero, not like you and the others. I have no training-"
"We can train you!"
"I have no desire to be out there fighting bad guys everyday. I'm honored that he would think highly enough of me to offer, but I do have an actual business. I can't be running off at a moment's notice to go halfway around the world to stop some big bad. That's your day job, not mine."
"You wouldn't be. Jess, believe me, I wouldn't want you out there either. There's too much chance of you getting really hurt. You'd be more of a backup, kind of like Bruce. For the most part, he stays on the sidelines unless we get a code green. Fury thinks it would be a good idea to have you sort of on hold unless we have something really bad go down and need someone who can -"
"No!" She stood up. "I am not going to be a benchwarmer for your Super Secret Boy Band, just so Fury can have a contingency plan."
"Jessika, listen to me!" Steve stopped her from storming off with an easy grip on her hand. It was more the sound of her full name than the hold he had on her that made her stop. "I'm not asking you to be there 24/7, I'm not asking you to give up the bar. I'm asking you to let us help you practice using your powers. I'm asking you to be here, at home, so that I can come back from a mission without having to worry that me or one of my teammates is gonna die. And there have been times when one of us has almost died. I'm asking you to let me have a little reason to hang around with you more." There were no words. At least, none that she could think of. Taking her silence as negative, Steve wrapped her up in his arms. Out of habit, she returned the embrace around his waist. "You've been avoiding me." He said plainly.
Jessika huffed, "You're one to talk."
"Yeah," letting her move back a little. "I know. And I'm sorry. It's been crazy lately. Sam and I have been trying to track down Bucky, and we've been doing Avenger stuff on top of that."
"That's not what we're talking about, though." Steve wouldn't look her in the eye, and she knew exactly why. "Look, about that day after we went to the shawarma place..."
"I'm sorry."
Her eyes darted up to the man standing in front of her. "Why are you sorry? You didn't do anything wrong."
"Yeah, I did, Jess. I freaked you out enough to make you stop talking to me for the better part of two months. I did something that messed up our friendship. I don't want to lose you, Jess. You are my best friend, and you are literally the only thing that keeps me sane with all the crazy shit I go through every day. Not having you around to bug me all the time kinda lost it's charm after a day or so. I very nearly decked Tony yesterday, and I haven't been able to pay attention during briefings. Do you realize how bad it is when I can't pay attention?"
She knew he was waiting for her to answer the actual question, but all she could say was, "You just said 'shit'… You just cussed."
The corner of his mouth turned up in a half smile as Steve started chuckling. "Out of all the things I just said, and the only thing you heard is that I cussed."
"What? It was funny. You don't cuss. And, yes, I heard you, Steve. Yeah, I did get freaked out, but you didn't mess up anything. Both of us have been busy, and I'm sorry that I haven't talked to you about it. This whole mess is just..."
"Insane, I know." Steve gathered her up again, this time to comfort her rather than to try to get her to say something. And she could feel the difference in the hug. Instead of being strung tight as a wire and barely holding her, he stance was relaxed, soft even as he ran his hand over her hair. "I'm sorry, Jess." She didn't answer, just shook her head against his chest, letting him know that he didn't need to apologize. Dropping a kiss on the top of her head, Steve reveled in the comfort of having the most important person in his life forgive him. Honestly, having known her, he didn't think he could live without at least talking to her. The last few weeks were testament enough to that. He hadn't been kidding, it had been hell. It didn't help him in the least that the incident that morning had been on his mind nearly every minute since it happened. But, Jessika had put distance between them, giving him some time to think.
Natasha, ever the spy, seemed to know immediately that something had happened. She had managed to corner him a few weeks afterwards, in the training room.
"Spill it, Rogers." She had told him.
"What?"
"Don't you 'what' me. You know what I'm talking about. What happened with the girl?"
"Who, Jess?" The look she gave him could have cut glass. "I have no idea what you're talking about." He tried to get around her, but she jabbed him in the kidney and pushed him back against the wall. "Ow! What the hell?!"
"Seriously, Rogers? I'm a spy, you can't hide anything from me. I saw the way you were acting. I saw the way Jessika reacted to Tony's joke, and the way she jumped when you came up behind her. She doesn't jump around you. Now, what happened to string out the UST between you two?"
"I don't even know what UST is!" He exclaimed.
"Unresolved Sexual Tension." Nat told him with a smirk.
The statement made him stop. Steve gapped like a fish trying to come up with something to say. Finally, he just gave up and sighed. The whole story came out, quietly and paraphrased so he could just get it over with. "I scared her, bad." He stated when he was finished. Passing a hand over his face, Steve thunked his head against the wall. "She probably thinks I'm some kind of pervert or something."
"I doubt that." Nat said, unimpressed. "More than likely, she got freaked out because her best friend has sexual feelings for her." His head shot up and he started to deny it. "Stop, and listen to me, Steve. It's pretty fucking obvious to anyone that sees you two that there's something going on. Whether or not either of you want to admit it, you know there is. Now, the question is, are you going to actually do something about it, or are you going to sit around like a tit-head and let it blow away until one of you ends up with someone else? Because I can tell you, right now, one or both of you will end up with a broken heart." With that, she turned to walk away. Over her shoulder, she said, "Don't break the girl's heart, Cap."
There was a similar conversation with Peggy a few days later, which led up to everything that was spinning through his head right this moment. Steve knew very well that what had happened wasn't just because he was half asleep and there was something pressing against his crotch. He knew that countless nights waking up from a vivid dream, so real that he could smell the shampoo she used and feel the little scar Jessika had on her shoulder from falling off the bar when she was nine, had nothing to do with just having had her pressed against him. They had hugged plenty of times in a similar way, with no reaction from his body whatsoever...
Ok, maybe that wasn't exactly true, but nothing like what had transpired since that day.
A new song started, something slower that Jessika had unknowingly started swaying to, making him sway along with her.
It's such a sad look, deep in your eyes, a kind of pale jewel. Open and close, within your eyes. I see the sky, in your eyes. There's such a fooled heart, beating so fast in search of new dreams. A love that will last within your heart. I'll place the moon in your heart.
David Bowie crooned away in the background, and against his sternum, he could feel Jessika's breathing hitch and heart rate pick up. That might have had something to do with the fact that his heart was racing like he'd just run a marathon. She pulled her head away and looked up at him, "What's wrong?"
Steve shook his head, a small smile on his face. "Nothin'." He reached forward to press his lips to her forehead, the two of them still slowly dancing in that same spot. He heard a soft sigh escape the small woman, felt the puff of breath against his neck. He hoped she didn't notice the goosebumps that immediately spread across his skin.
"You suck at lying, Steve." He could hear the smile in her words.
"Yeah, I know. I was just thinking about something Nat said the other day." Jessika responded with an interested 'hmm?' Resting his chin on her head, he chuckled, "There's this girl, someone I care about a lot. She means the world to me." From his position, he couldn't see her face. She was staring hard at the light bob of his Adam's apple, her mind immediately running a million miles an hour to the old woman he had told her about, the one who had been on the comms with him when he went under the ice. Literally the last voice he heard before he slept for 67 years. "I almost lost her because of something stupid that I did."
"I agree, taking a nosedive into the Arctic was pretty stupid." She snorted. "Maybe if you had given Peggy your coordinates, they could have found you sooner." The thought made her sad, the idea of never having met this wonderful, brilliant, goofy person.
Steve pulled back so that he could see her face, brows furrowed. When she didn't look at him, he nudged her chin with the knuckle of his hand. "Hey," Her gaze met his, and he was surprised to see just a hint of what looked like anger in her eyes. "I wasn't talking about Peggy, Jess."
"Oh," her eyebrows jumped up. "Is there another girl you've been talking to? Sharon seemed nice. I know she said you weren't too happy with her because she lied about being a nurse, but you really shouldn't hold grudges about stuff like that. It's just silly."
"Jess, what are you talking about?"
"Sharon...the Shield agent that was undercover as your neighbor the nurse. I heard she helped you guys out with the whole taking down Hydra thing."
"I haven't talked to her since I visited the hospital. Right after Fury fake died. Now, would you please stop making assumptions about what I'm saying and just listen." Jessika pressed her lips into a hard line, giving him a look of irritation. "Thank you. As I was saying, I care a lot about this girl, and I'm a big, dumb idiot that scared her off because I couldn't talk to her about the stupid thing that I did. Nat said something about it being obvious that we both cared about each other. And I realized that she was right...at least, on my end. I just wanted to make sure that girl did have the same feelings that I have just now realized that I had."
Jessika's eyes were confused. "Ok, so why don't you ask her? I mean, if you really care about someone, isn't it better to tell them rather than keep it bottled up? Especially for you, Steve. You've been through so much crap in your life, and you deserve to have that. What are you doing standing around here bugging me? Go tell her." Trying to push him towards the door, she gave him the sweetest little smile. She was totally serious, eyes bright at the prospect of him being happy.
"You trying to get rid of me?" He said, not moving.
"No, but I think your girl is a little more important than me. Go on." Another little shove proved unsuccessful.
"There is no one more important than you, Jess."
"Yeah, yeah, ya big lug. Go get your girl."
"I don't have to." He said, almost too quiet for her to hear.
Jessika took a moment to try to figure out what he was saying. She was really confused. Of course he had to go get her. How else was she supposed to know he liked her? Then she remembered that he still had his arms around her, and the realization dawned on her. "Oh." She said, wide eyed. "Oh!" She didn't say anything else, but stared at him in silence.
The smile fell from his face. "Oh? Is that all you're gonna say?" She just stood there, blinking at him, so he cleared his throat and let go of her, stepping back. "Right, well...I apologize if I, uh...made you uncomfortable." Steve looked down at his feet. "I probably should have got the message after what happened. I'm just gonna...go. Sorry." Turning, Steve started towards the door, shoulders hunched with angry tension. He and Natasha were going to have a serious conversation when he got back to New York.
Jessika shook herself out of her surprised haze, brain catching up with what was happening. Steve was already almost to the door, so she jumped into action. "Steve, wait!" Slipping around the tables as fast as she could, she tried to reach him before he managed to slip out the door.
His hand literally just touched the doorknob when she grabbed his elbow and pulled him around. He stood there waiting for her to say something while she gaped at him like a fish. After a moment, he scoffed, and started to open the door while shaking his head and muttering, "Stupid," to himself. She threw all her meager strength behind her hand as she slammed it against the wood of the door to slam it shut. Steve whipped his head around to ask her what the hell she was doing, but stopped himself when she put a hand on his cheek. Hesitantly, Jessika moved forward. It seemed like the few seconds of indecision she took lasted hours, before finally giving up and pressing her lips against his. Automatically, Steve reached up to keep her steady, one hand on her face, the other on her hip. It was a very gentle kiss, not harsh or hurried at all. There was no tongue or teeth like there is in movies during a first kiss. Just a few heartbeats of pressing their lips together before Jessika pulled back.
"That was a hell of a way to tell a girl you like her." She chuckled, a little breathlessly.
"That was a hell of a way to tell a fella you agree." Steve gulped, trying to get his mind in order.
Jessika pulled his head down so she could lay her forehead against his, running her fingers through the short hairs at the nape of his neck. "Yeah, but, you didn't give me much of a chance to respond. Now who's the one that jumps to conclusions?"
"Fair enough." Steve moved back enough to be able to see her face. Her cheekbones were dusted with a light rosy blush. "I'd like to do that again, if you don't mind." Jessika only nodded, so he did. Still soft, still ever the gentleman, he pulled her fully against him. He felt her heart beating like a bird's wings against her ribs.
When he pulled back again, she released herself from his arms, locking the door to the bar. "Come on," she said, pulling on his hand. "I'm not the only one you've neglected to see for a while."
The two of them made their way up to the apartment, and were greeted by a very excited Miguel, who circled Steve's legs, even jumped up on him once or twice. Tulio meowed at him from his perch on the bookshelf. All of them settled down for some mindless movie-watching, the Newsies, Steve sneaking in a kiss every once in a while, not that Jessika was complaining. She fell asleep listening to Jack Kelly and his ragamuffin group sing their victory, and Steve's heartbeat under her ear.
)0(
Indeed, Jessika did see much more of Steve after that, even setting up a surprise party for him with Tony. Honestly, she was surprised he had managed to keep him mouth shut long enough to get it done, but he had, and Steve was more than happy at the simple celebration of his birthday inside the Avengers Tower. At one point, Natasha had stolen Tony's control for the music and started blasting her Nightcore workout playlist. Much to everyone's surprise, Jessika joined in the raucous dancing. Then she broke off, disappearing for a few minutes while Pepper took the music back and played some Frank Sinatra. Just as he was about to ask where his girlfriend had run off to (yes, they were officially a couple, at least around the team), she walked back into the room, carrying a large round cake in the form of his shield. Thirty white sparkler candles lit up her face as she bit her lip to keep her concentration. Everyone else noticed her and moved towards the bar, taking up the tune of Happy Birthday. All but Thor, obviously, because he didn't know the song.
"Blow out them candles, birthday boy!" She hollered, plopping a pointed birthday had on his head. Steve took a big breath and blew them out all at once. The whole group cheered, and Jessika kissed his cheek, "Happy birthday, Stevie." She whispered. "Alright, who wants cake?" Everyone cheered, and she managed to keep up with the amount of hands vying for a piece of the pastry. Once they were handed out and gobbled down, Tony ushered them back into the common area, and to their amazement, there was a pile of wrapped packages in the middle of the coffee table.
"Time for presents, old man!" Tony yelled, swinging his drink around. "Me first!" Jessika almost expected him to pick up the biggest one (there was a box nearly as tall as her shoddily wrapped in what looked like three different red, white, and blue sheets), but he didn't. In fact, he grabbed one that was about the size of a hat box, with festive paper that stated HAPPY BIRTHDAY across it, handing it over gently, as if it were something precious. And by the way he waited for him to open it, it must have been.
Steve, of course, was suspicious, but tore the wrapping someone who hadn't gotten much of anything for his birthday in years, he was excited that he actually got to celebrate, and he had a huge grin on his face. Until he took the top of the box off and saw what was inside. Tony busted out in loud laughter as Steve shoved the top back on, ears turning redder than his shield.
"That was uncalled for, Stark." He growled.
"Oh, c'mon, Cap! You need that stuff, and you know it." Draping himself over the arm of the couch, he whispered (not so quietly), "I even got you extra large. Don't worry, big guy, your girlfriend'll love 'em." Tony pushed himself away from the soldier before he could hit him, and threw an arm over Jessika's shoulders.
"Oh, god, Tony," she recoiled. "You're drunk!" The smell of booze assaulted her nose. Managing to steal his glass from him, she asked, "How much have you had?"
"Meh," he shrugged. "Not enough. Gimme." He took it back and finished the drink off. "Go see what I got you, Jessie Girl. I promise, it's great. Great for girlfriend."
"Don't call me that, Tony." She rolled her eyes. "That's a stupid phrase."
"What? Girlfriend? It's a great word. You're not married, you're not single. You may be having sex-"
"Tony!" Jessika smacked him in the head.
"Ok, or maybe not. Either way, you need to see what I got. Pep helped me pick it out." With that, Tony sauntered off to go find more alcohol.
From his spot, Steve called after him, "I highly doubt that." The large man seemed to be handling the box like it was a bomb that would go off at any second, if the way he set it on the floor under the table was anything to go by. "Ok, next up." He said, trying to divert attention from the offending present.
"Hold your horses there, Rogers." Natasha smirked. "You're supposed to show us what you got. Come on, share with the class."
The blush started up anew, this time spreading to his whole face. "I don't really think that's appropriate." Because he was playing with his hands, he didn't see Jessika sneak up beside him and grab the box. It wasn't until he heard paper crinkling that he turned his head and saw her, sitting on the arm of the couch, staring wide-eyed in the box, top still in her hand. Everyone watched in amazement as her face turned a shade of red to rival his.
"Tony," she squeaked.
"Are you well, Lady Jessika?" Thor asked, concerned. The question shook her out of her horror and she too slammed the box closed.
"I'm fine... I'll be right back." Shoving the box under the sofa, she stood up.
"Hey," Steve caught her hand as she passed him. "Where are you going?"
"I've gotta go kill Tony." None of them said anything. From the kitchen, there came a loud crash, accompanied by a somewhat girlish scream. "COME HERE, STARK!"
Steve jumped up, starting towards the sound of chaos, but was stopped by the other big blond man. Thor had one hand on his arm, the other held up with a grin on his face. Everyone else was trying not to laugh as Tony came running back into the living room, looking like he'd just been through a tornado with his disheveled and soaked clothes, wide, fearful eyes. Right behind him, came a fuming woman holding a plastic blow-up bat, lord only knows where she got it. Tony had to keep his arms raised over his head to protect it, making him bump into everything in his path. He actually squealed when he tripped over Mjolnir, which had magically appeared in the middle of the floor. Jessika jumped on his back, pinning him down and smacking over the head with the bat.
Steve finally ducked away from Thor and grabbed Jessika around the waist to lift her off of the darker man. "Jess, calm down." Settling her over his shoulder, he turned to go back to the others.
"No, Steven, I will not calm down, and you need to go of me before I pick that hammer up and swat you with it." Her statement was punctuated with the empty boing of the bat against his butt.
"Nah, I think it's better if I don't." He plopped her down on the sofa, but was mortified to see Natasha with the box in her hands with a smirk.
"Well, it goes with what I got you."
Steve and Jessika both just stared at her while everyone else laughed at them. "Nat, you didn't?" The woman said in horror. The redhead didn't answer, but tossed Steve a smaller box which he, begrudgingly, opened. No one thought he could have turned any redder, but suddenly, his whole face was the color of Santa's red suit. He even had a few veins popping out. "You guys are horrible!" Jess snatched the box away, not bothering to look in it. "Why would you do this to poor Stevie?"
Tony peeled himself from the floor. "It's his thirtieth birthday. Everyone knows your supposed to give guys gag gifts with they turn 30." Narrowing his eyes at the girl who was currently rubbing the large man's shoulders, he pointed at her. "What are you giving him?"
"As a matter of fact, Tony, that is none of your business." She said, nose in the air.
Everyone turned to her, gaping. Jessika seemed to have a look of deviancy underneath her calm, concerned mask. Bruce was the first one to speak up. "What did you do?" Behind him, Natasha started rifling through the gifts to find the one from her.
"Absolutely nothing." Finally extracting the book-sized parcel, the spy handed the gift to Steve, who looked suspiciously at his girlfriend. She put her hands up in a gesture of innocence, then sat and waited while he opened it. "I think you'll find I have a little more class than you raunchy motherfu-"
"Jess," holding up a small photo album. The picture on the very front was of the two of them sitting at the bar. It was one that Sylvester had taken before he died. Neither of them realized he was taking a picture until the flash alerted them. In the picture, they were totally relaxed, sipping on beers while talking about this and that. Jess had her head propped up on a fist listening closely to whatever it was he had been saying with a little smile. Steve had been gesturing widely with his hands, telling her a story about how he used to get beat up as a kid.
"I asked everyone to send me the pictures they had of the two of us. I had some that Pop had kept around." She explained as he flipped through it. They didn't have very many pictures together, mostly because neither of them were very fond of having their pictures taken. The very last one was the one that Nat had taken of them the night that they'd fallen asleep on his couch. "I know there's not much there, but I figured you could find some other things to put in there."
Steve pulled her down from the arm of the couch to sit beside him as he wrapped her up in a hug. "Thank you, Jess. I love it."
Awkwardly patting his arm, she smiled back. "I'm glad. But, you should probably go get your other gifts. Someone took the time to wrap that giant one. Go on." She pushed him towards the other presents, and sat back to watch.
Thor was the one who had given him the largest present, a barrel of ale that he claimed would actually make Steve inebriated, not that anyone believed it. But, if it was enough for a god, then surely it might be enough for a super soldier. The Asgardian warned the rest of them not to drink it, looking pointedly at Tony who had been inching closer to it. Apparently, it was so potent to have killed weak mortals before.
From Bruce, he got a brand new sketchbook, the first few pages filled up with a list of things he had put together that he thought Steve needed to learn about. Clint had given him an art set, complete with oil pastels, acrylic paint, brushes, and uncut charcoal. Sam had bought him a bunch of CDs from various artists, claiming them to be some of his favorites.
The rest of the evening was spent watching Family Feud, which everyone found extremely entertaining, and waiting for the firework show. Steve even broke in the art set while they were sitting there.
It was a good night.
Two Weeks Later- Avengers Tower, New York
"Steve, I am not going to carry around a gun just because I'm suddenly an on hold Avenger." Jessika crossed her arms, setting her stance in such a way that told him she would not be swayed.
Steve just mirrored it. And to be honest, he did it better "I'm not asking you to because you're an Avenger. I'm asking you to so that I don't have to be worried if someone bigger or more skilled at fighting comes after you." He stated, still holding out the firearm that Tony had designed. The billionaire in question was standing on the other side of the table, watching with extreme interest.
"No one is gonna come after me."
"Really? Because I distinctly remember you telling me that Bucky was watching your apartment because Hydra knew I hung around there."
Tony laughed, "Oooh, Jessie, you're in trouble."
"Shut up, Tony." She shot him a hard look. "Hydra is gone, you said so yourself."
"No, I said we exposed them. There are still factions of Hydra that are in hiding and operational. Now, you are going to take this gun and keep it with you at all times. Please don't make me put a protection detail on you every time I leave for a mission."
Jessika stared at him in outrage. "That is taking it too far, and you know it, Steve. Look, just because I'm your girlfriend doesn't mean you have to suddenly be worried that I'm gonna get killed whenever you're not around."
"Oh, so you're actually calling yourself his girlfriend now? I seem to remember you having some issue with that word."
Jessika spun around and grabbed Tony by the collar and yanked him forward over the table. "I swear to god, Anthony Stark, if you don't shut up, I'm going to fucking blast you with your own repulsor beam. And Jarvis would help me do it. He actually likes me."
"Jessika!" Steve pulled her away from the other man. "What has gotten into you today?" When she got closer to him, Steve's sensitive nose was bombarded with a foreign smell.
"Me?! You're the one that's turning into an overprotective boyfriend." There was a flash of pain across her face, though it quickly dissipated.
"I have my reasons. My job is dangerous, and you've already been threatened just because you knew me. I'm not going to run the risk of putting you in harm's way."
"Well, maybe I don't like being treated like I'm a fucking porcelain baby doll." Shoving away from the man, she rushed out of the lab. The two of them stared after her. Steve moved to follow her, but Tony stopped him.
"I don't think that's a great idea right now, Cap."
"I can't just let her run off, Tony. She has to understand that this is for her own protection."
"First of all, she doesn't have to understand anything. Second of all, she does. She knows you're just trying to keep her safe. Something's eating at her."
"What?" Steve's brows furrowed.
Tony just shrugged and called Jarvis. "Gimme a diagnostic rundown of Jessie right now."
A screen appeared in front of them, showing all sorts of levels and percentages. "It appears as though Miss Wardell is experiencing increased fluctuations of hormones. There is an odd increase in cellular energy, as well as spike of body temperature and pheromones."
"Ok, prognosis?" Tony asked, twirling a screwdriver.
"It is possible Miss Wardell is simply entering the menstruation phase of her cycle. However, there are certain levels that may point to something having to do with her abilities."
"Great, she's on her period and dealing with power issues. This day just keeps getting better, don't it, Cap?"
"Her period? Isn't that-"
"Her monthly cycle. The woman's bane." Tony said exaggeratedly. "You've got a grumpy girl on your hands, buddy, and I don't envy you. If I were you, I'd run to the store and get an assload of chocolate, flowers, maybe some bubble bath. Girls like that stuff."
"They do?"
"Suuure!" Waving the soldier away, Tony went back to tinkering. "Go on. She's gonna be in a foul mood for a little bit. Go be all mushy with her and maybe she'll feel better."
Steve left the lab, but certainly wasn't about to trust Tony of all people with advice about women. Of course, there was only one woman he actually knew besides the one who was currently indisposed. Stopping to lean against the wall, he dialed the her up.
"What's the sitch?"
"Nat, hey. I have a question. Tony says Jess is on her...period." It took him a moment to say the word, and when he did, it came out as a whisper.
There was silence on the other end of the line. "Ok, and you're calling me why?"
"He told me to get her some stuff, but I'm not really sure it's a good idea to listen to him about it. I just figured..."
"Figured you'd call the only other woman you know? Well, sorry, Rogers. I can't help you. I haven't had a period in years. Talk to Clint, he can help. He's down in the common room." That was it. No goodbye, no see ya later. She just hung up on him.
"Why would Barton...whatever." He muttered to himself, and went to find the archer. Luckily for him, Clint was by himself watching football, yelling at the TV.
"C'mon, ref, that was a total face mask! Get with the program, you blind bastard!"
"I didn't realize you were so passionate about football?" Steve leaned against the wall, eyebrow raised.
"Huh? Oh, I'm not really. But, it's fun to yell at someone who's not gonna yell back, y'know?" The soldier just shrugged. "Eh, you're probably a baseball guy, anyhow."
"You'd be right, there."
Clint scoffed, but turned the volume down on the television. "Figured. So, what's up? Nat texted me, said you needed some help."
Rubbing the back of his head, Steve tried to think of a way to put it that wasn't as crass as Tony had been. "Jess isn't feeling well."
"She sick?"
"Well, no, not really. She's just got some..." He started waving his hand in a circle around his belly, trying to get his point across. Clint stared at him for a moment before nodding his head with a look of understanding.
"Gotcha." He stood up with a grunt, then held his hands out in a gesture of 'go on'. "How can I help? I'm gonna go ahead and guess you've never had to deal with something like this, right?"
"That obvious, huh?" Steve grimaced at himself.
"Don't worry, bud. All us guys are novices at this kinda stuff at some point. What do you know about it right now?"
"Not much...I know what Bucky used to tell me."
"Which was?"
"Don't go near a girl when she's on that time of the month." He admitted, slightly ashamed at the old view of it.
Clint shrugged, "Not bad advice, but not always right. Some girls get really clingy, some don't want you around."
"Tony said to go get her chocolate and bubble bath stuff..."
"Stark said something useful? Wow. Yeah, uh, chocolate fixes some hormonal imbalance, and warm baths help with the cramps."
"Cramps?"
The shorter man scrunched his face at Steve. "Oh, good god. I forgot that sex ed was a new thing. Jesus Christ. Ok, come on. We are gonna go down to the gift shop and I'm gonna give you a little education."
)0(
Jessika was laid out on her bed, curled into the fetal position. Of course today would be the day her period decided to show up. And of course she would forget to pack her sanitary items in her purse before coming up to New York. Right now, she just had a wad of toilet paper stuffed down in her underwear. Another wave of cramps hit her, along with the nausea, causing her to curl in on herself even tighter with a groan.
A knock on the door brought her out of her moment of self pity. "Who is it?" She flinched at how awful she sounded.
"It's me," Steve's voice floated through the door. "Do you mind if I come in?"
"Oh, god," she muttered to herself. Out loud, she called, "I'm not so sure that's a good idea, Stevie. I'm a little under the weather, wouldn't want you to get sick or anything." She could hear him say something soft, too quiet for her to understand, then the door clicked open. She realized he had probably asked Jarvis to let him in. He walked in, closing the door behind him.
"You and I both know I can't get sick. And we both know you aren't actually sick." Jessika didn't look at him since she had her head buried in her arms, but she could feel the bed dip beside her. The shift in pressure on her body made her groan in pain again. The pain was alleviated when he put one big, warm hand in between the back of her hips and started rubbing the spot right where her muscles bunched up with tension. The sound of pain she was making changed.
"Mmmmm, that's feels good," she murmured.
"Good." Jess turned her head to look at him, and he was smiling gently down at her. "I'm sorry you're not feelin' too swell, sweetheart."
"It's fine. 'm used to it. I forgot my stuff at home." She admitted. He looked slightly confused, but then gave her a little pat. Bending down, he grabbed the bag he had brought in that she hadn't seen.
"Then I guess it's a good thing that I got some for you." Jessika sat up, wincing, and took the it.
It was a simple white shopping bag with the word STARK written in blue on the side. Jessika eyed him, but dug into the bag anyway. Her eyebrows shot to her hairline. "Steve..." She was amazed to see that the bag was filled to the brim with an assortment of pads, tampons, a heating pad, a box of chocolate candy, what looked like several bath bombs, and a bottle of red wine. "What in the hell?" Steve's face was a mask of worry.
"I...I didn't know what you needed, so I just-"
"Bought the whole damn store?" She finished. "Christ, Steve." Jessika looked back into the bag, then at him. Then, she realized that the reason his face was like that was because he thought she was mad at him...and she started laughing. "Oh, my god. I'm so sorry. I didn't mean for it to sound like that. I appreciate the gesture, but seriously, I'm ok. I'm a little sore, but I'll be fine in a couple of days." Shifting forward, she put one of her hands on the side of his face and pecked him on the lips. "Thank you for the concern though, Stevie."
Steve let out the breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding, and grinned a little. "Maybe I went a little overboard."
Chuckling, she sat back against the pillows. "Maybe just a little bit, but it's sweet. I didn't think you'd be the kind of guy to do stuff like that."
"Why not?"
With a shrug, she absentmindedly started massaging her tummy. "Just the time period you grew up in. Guys weren't all that understanding about stuff like this. Even my grandad was a little iffy when I first started. He used to ask me to hide my stuff under my bed, to just take some ibuprofen and don't tell him. He got better as I got older, but still."
"Seriously? Sylvester? I couldn't imagine it."
"Yeah, well, once I learned to deal with it myself, he didn't have to worry as much. Besides, how else do you think this is the first time you've realized I was on my period?"
Stricken at the thought of it, he sat there, trying to think back to any other time when he might have noticed her acting any differently. "Wow...That's...That's kind of impressive."
"Mmhm. How did you come up with all of this stuff anyway?" She gestured to the bag.
"I had some help. Barton gave me a basic rundown of how and why it happens."
"Purely scientific, I'm sure." From the way his ears started burning, Jessika knew that wasn't the case in the least. "Oh, that's just lovely. I'm sure that was fun."
"For who?" He snorted.
"For Clint. He probably said some stuff just to make you blush. I can't be the only one who thinks it's hilarious when you get all flustered and pink."
"That's nice, make fun of your boyfriend for having some manners."
"It's got nothing to do with manners, sweetie, and you know it." Jessika snickered. "Anyway, I'm totally cool if you're uncomfortable with hanging out with me right now. I don't mind much. I know I'm a terror to be around, so-"
"Jess," he stopped her, reaching to swipe some of her hair out of her face. "First of all, you're the one that's in pain and curled up in a ball. Second of all, what kind of man would I be if I let my girl think that she needs to hide any part of her away from me? Bad or not, I'm right here with you, Jessika." Steve kissed her forehead, not missing the way her eyes misted up a little. "Now, pick out one of the...the little balls?"
Jessika giggled. "The bath bombs?"
"Yeah, that. Pick one of them out, and go get in the bath. Barton says it'll help with relax your muscles. When you get done, we'll go pick out a movie and veg out on the couch in our pajamas with chocolate and wine. How's that sound?"
With a sigh, she cracked a smile and kissed him for a moment. "I think that sounds wonderful."
"Good. Go on." He stood up from the bed and walked to the door.
"Hey, Steve," she called after him.
"Yeah?"
"I'm still not carrying the gun." Jessika deadpanned.
Steve's responding smile was so sweet it could have been glaze on a doughnut. "I didn't think you would."
She couldn't help the bout of giggles that erupted from her as he closed the door. "Oh, god, Pop." She laid back, talking to the ceiling. "If only you could see this. You were right." With a huff, Jessika lifted herself off the bed and dug around in the bag. She took out the three bath bombs and laid them out so she could choose. There was a purple one with lavender flowers in it, a deep blue eucalyptus one, and finally, a black one that smelled strongly of peppermint. Jessika sat in thought, not being able to choose, then grinned and took off for the door. "Hey. Stevie!" She yelled, leaning out from the doorway.
His bedroom door opened and he stuck his head out. "What is it? Are you ok?"
"Yeah, yeah, yeah, I'm fine. Come here." She let go of the wall to wave him over. His brow furrowed in confusion, but he did as he was bid. Jessika noticed with a mental grin that he had been changing and was at the moment, only wearing a pair of sweatpants. It took him less than five steps to get to her door. "Have you ever seen what bath bombs do?"
His eyebrows stayed together, but the corner of his mouth turned up a little. "I can't say that I have."
"Cool, come on." She quickly took hold of his wrist and tugged him inside. "Ok, first of all, I can't choose. I don't know if you picked out the scents or Clint did, but either way, you guys did a hell of a job. Pick one." Bouncing a little on the balls of her feet, she gestured to the tissue-wrapped spheres on her duvet.
"For the record, Barton had to pick them because I couldn't even walk into that part of the store. It was too much for my hound-dog nose. I'm glad he knew what he was doing." Steve stood in quiet contemplation, then grabbed up the blue one. "Ok, what now?" She started laughing again, leading him by the hand into the bathroom. Steve just leaned against the wall as he watched her go about filling up the rather spacious tub, holding her hand under the stream until it got to the perfect temperature. "That seems awfully hot there, Jess. You sure you can actually bath in that?"
Another giggle worked its way out, "I like hot water. Besides, it get the tension out better. Gimme," she opened her hand for the bath bomb.
He laid it in her palm, commenting, "You're very giggly right now..."
"I get that way sometimes. I don't know. Probably something to do with the hormones. Everything is either funny or irritating. I apologize beforehand." She scrunched her brows in an empathetic way, carefully unwrapping the tissue paper. "Ok, ready?" Steve gave a single nod, moving closer to the tub. With a grin, she dropped it. Immediately, it started fizzing and spinning in the water. The air was filled with the scent of cough drops. The water itself began to turn dark blue.
"Whoa!" He leaned forward and swirled the water around to spread the color. "That's amazing! What's in this thing?"
"Epsom salts, baking soda, and some other stuff that makes it smell good and change color. Cool, right?"
"Very." Suddenly, his face changed.
"What is it?"
"Do you...I mean..." Jessika's eyes immediately widened. Surely he wasn't about to ask what she thought he was. "Do you mind if I try one? I know I got them for you, but...that's just so cool."
Snorting, she relaxed. "Sure. If you think this is cool, you should try the black one. As much as you train, the peppermint should help your muscles some. Are you gonna do it now?"
"No better time, right?"
"Right." Steve sat down on the tub beside her and pulled her forward. Jessika smiled into the kiss, and moved to deepen it. His hand moved to cup the back of her neck. A flash of energy traveled down her spine and caused a shiver to race back up. Knowing exactly where this would go if she didn't stop herself, Jess pulled back and put her best smile on. "Go take a bath, stinky."
"I do not stink. But, I'm gonna go anyway."
Jessika stuck her tongue out at him, and laughed when he responded in kind before ducking out of the room and shut the door. Once she heard the bedroom door close, she sputtered out a breath and shook her head. "Oh, lordy." She mumbled to herself, standing to get undressed. The water did burn a little bit as she slid in, but once she settled, her muscles instantly started relaxing. Maybe the rest of the night will be a little more PG.
)0(
A/N: Yay, new chapter. And it's LONG! Here ya go everyone, the moment all...well, most of you have been waiting for.
Read and Review, let me know what you think.