Chapter 28.

A couple of hours later, Steve was beginning to think he was actually in hell. Watching Skye come apart repeatedly, every time gasping his name out in her soft breathy voice, was killing him. She was just so damn beautiful, and even more so when she came, her lithe body arching against his. He'd long since lost the battle not to look at her.

The periods of lucidity before the pain took over her mind were indeed getting shorter, down to a minute or two, and it was getting more difficult to get her to orgasm. He suspected she was sore, despite generous use of lube, confirmed as he slid the vibrator into her again and she winced instead of making a sound of relief as she had done each time previously.

"Okay," he murmured, gently slipping the vibrator back out again, realising with some relief that sex was now impossible. Skye's poor abused body definitely couldn't take it now, especially not since he was quite a bit bigger and harder than her toy. Indeed, he didn't think he'd ever been so hard in his life, aching with need, but it wasn't an option any more. "Let's try something else."

Steve's self-control had been splintering slowly ever since he first made the decision that no one was going to touch Skye but him. Something he'd admitted to himself when she told him, during one of her increasingly brief lucid periods, that she was glad she'd chosen him.

"I'm glad you chose me as well," he confessed, and was rewarded with a genuine smile before the pain broke her down again.

If he was going to keep being honest with himself, he'd wanted this from the beginning, Steve thought as he slid down the bed, putting his body between Skye's legs and lifting one of her slender thighs over his shoulder to ease his access. Wanted to know how she tasted ever since he saw her all pink and wet and needy on that bed, her own hand between her legs. He licked a slow stripe over her clit and Skye gasped, digging her heel into his back.

"Steve," she moaned, "oh, God, yes, please…"

He let out a low groan of pleasure against her, lapping thirstily, and right then there was a knock at the door.

"Not now!" Skye cried desperately, "no, not now!"

Steve forced himself off her with an effort, wiping his chin hastily. "Skye…" he started, realised it was hopeless as she was completely incoherent with lust, and went quickly to the door.

It was Natasha, with Jemma behind her. Natasha looked surprised that Steve still had his pants on, but what she said was "We've got the antidote."

"Thank God," Steve muttered, "she's getting worse."

Skye was wailing, obviously hurting badly, twisting around on the bed. Natasha pushed past Steve and flicked the sheet over Skye hastily, leaning on her left arm to hold it still. "Quickly, Jemma."

Jemma hurried in and pressed the syringe in her hand to Skye's arm. Skye sobbed with further agony as Jemma administered the injection, and Steve's hands fisted tight. "How long will it take to work?"

"Another ten to fifteen minutes," Jemma said apologetically.

"What? Skye's in agony, she can't take the pain for that long!"

"No, she can't," Natasha pushed Jemma out the door, turned around and fixed Steve with a glare. "So get back to work, Steven." The door slammed and he was alone with Skye again. She was sobbing, thrashing on the bed, and he couldn't stand to see her in distress like that. Not when he knew he could help.

"Hush, Skye," he almost launched himself at her, pinning her legs down, thrusting his head between her thighs and putting his tongue against her. Almost instantly she stilled, then shoved her hands into his hair, holding him against her, moaning in quite a different tone.

"More. More!"

God, she did taste amazing, the traitorous part of Steve's brain pointed out. She was salt and sweet, musky and all woman. And he was never going to get to do this to her again. He licked and sucked hungrily, reaching one long arm to caress Skye's breasts, the other hand moving under his jaw so that he could slide a finger deep inside her. And long after she had shuddered and gasped her way through a climax, he kept going, slurping greedily and teasing Skye's clit with his tongue until she came again, her fingers tightening in his hair as she cried out his name one last time.

There was a difference this time, Steve realised, as Skye collapsed lax and limp underneath him, her body properly relaxing for the first time since he'd picked her up off Brock Rumlow's bed. She let out a soft, contented little humming sound, and reluctantly he drew back from her, sitting back on his heels and looking down at her, sprawled out on the bed, her eyes closed, a smile curving her lush, bruised mouth.

"Skye?" he said softly, and she gave a small sigh and murmured his name once more. Her breathing slowed.

Asleep.

Steve tipped his head back and blew his cheeks out. I wish I could say I never, ever want to go through that again. But, in reality, he knew he was going to convince Skye to re-file that form with his name on it. Because if he ever got the chance to touch her like that again, he'd take it in a heartbeat. Slowly, in a good deal of pain himself, he rose from the bed, palming himself through his pants in a futile effort to ease his arousal. Tenderly, he gathered the sheet and laid it over Skye's sleeping body before collecting the vibrator and taking it into the bathroom to wash it, and his face and hands, before putting it back in the bag and heading for the door.

Natasha was sitting on the stairs outside, a tablet in her hands. She glanced up as Steve opened the door. "We'll be landing in a few minutes," she said.

"Skye's asleep." He sat down on the stairs beside her, leaving the door open so he could hear if Skye woke again, rubbing at his face with his hands. "What a vile, horrible thing to do to anyone."

"Yes, it is," Natasha agreed, and he glanced sideways at her.

"You said you and Clint had both helped victims through it…"

"It's an unwritten rule that you don't ask who the victims were," Natasha said, her face smooth and blank. "Clint definitely doesn't want to talk about it. It cost him one of his best friends." She gave a very tiny little smile. "I don't want to talk about it either, really. Except to say that it ended with me and Melinda getting together."

"She was the victim?" Steve asked.

Natasha nodded. "Yes. She was one of the first people we know to have caught a dose of the disgusting stuff. I hadn't long been with S.H.I.E.L.D., we were on a female-only mission with two other agents and it turned out to be a trap. Fortunately, I was immune to the gas they hit us with. Less good, we were horribly outnumbered and I could only get one of the others out. Melinda was quite literally the closest. I grabbed her and we went through a third-floor window."

"What happened to the other two agents?" Steve had to ask.

"One of them died from the injuries inflicted on her in the gang-rape that followed before backup arrived to get them out," Natasha said quietly. "The other took her own life a few months later when the bastards sent her a video in the mail. I count them both as red in my ledger. You saved Skye's life in more ways than one today, Steve. Don't beat yourself up about what you had to do."

"I'm not beating myself up about that," he admitted, unable to look at her. "It's because I enjoyed it."

Natasha stared at him for a long moment. They felt the plane bump down onto a runway and taxi to a halt, and still she stared, until Steve began to fidget uncomfortably.

"Men," Natasha sighed at last, rolling her eyes, and then she got to her feet and stalked off down the stairs. "I'll send Jemma up to check Skye over," she called over her shoulder.

Steve scowled after Natasha, then got up and went to check on Skye. She was still sleeping, limply relaxed with a smile on her face, when Jemma came in, followed shortly after by Clint.

"Everything all right?" Clint didn't even look at Skye, just at Steve. "You did good, Cap," in a softer tone when Steve just nodded.

Steve wondered if his guilt and shame were visible on his face. He felt as though it was branded across his forehead. And despite what he'd said to Skye about wanting them to stay friends, he knew he'd never be able to look her in the eye again. Because if he did, all he'd be able to think about would be how she'd tasted in his mouth, how his name had sounded on her lips when she came.

"I want her back down in med bay for monitoring," Jemma said after checking Skye over quickly, "Clint..?"

"Sure," Clint stepped forward, and was stopped by a hand to his chest.

"I'll carry her," Steve said gruffly. "I – if she wakes up, she might – I'll carry her."

Clint's lips twitched, and he exchanged a glance with Jemma, but they both moved out of Steve's way, watching as Steve lifted Skye in his arms, cradling her gently against him, making sure her head rested on his shoulder instead of lolling uncomfortably. Skye let out a little murmuring sound and nestled closer.

Steve avoided Jemma's eyes as he carried Skye back down to the medical bay. "She'll be hungry when she wakes up, I should think," he told Jemma once he'd laid Skye down on the gurney. "It – took a lot out of her."

"Don't worry," Jemma said reassuringly, "we'll take care of her. She'll be fine. I've read up on the after-effects of the drug and the antidote, and it's very likely that she won't remember much at all of the last couple of days."

"Oh," Steve didn't know if that was good or not. It's good, he told himself sternly. Skye's been through a horrible ordeal. But at the same time – he kind of wanted her to remember how much ecstasy he'd given her. Wanted Skye to think about him the next time she used her vibrator to pleasure herself.

Shit, he really needed to stop thinking about this! Steve backed towards the door of the medical bay, and just then rescue arrived in the form of Melinda May, who tossed the top of his suit at him.

"Put that on, I need you to come play Captain America. The base commander's being a jerk. Come and convince him we're not HYDRA."

"Yes ma'am," he responded automatically.

Now why couldn't you say that to Skye when she was begging, Steve, huh? HUH? Maybe he only likes women who give him orders…

Okay guys, I have to break the bad news now – I have to drop back from daily posting this for a while. I need to get a few more chapters ahead of myself because once again I've lost track slightly of where the plot is going. (This fic didn't originally HAVE a plot, so perhaps that's not surprising!)

That said, I will TRY and post at least every second day. And there will be SOMETHING going up from me pretty much every day, so if you follow/subscribe to me as an author, you shouldn't miss out…