Chapter 2

The days were as blistering hot as the nights were cold. Steve had constructed a small shelter for them out of large leaves and branches.

"I'm going to see if I can find a stream. Not all of the salt is coming out in the filtering process and we are both kind of ripe." Andy announced.

"I'll come with you." The two looked around and finally found a stream with a waterfall running into it.

"It's not shower in a hotel suite, but it'll do." She said and giggled. "So do you want to go first?" She asked.

"You can… but I should probably stay here, I heard some wild animals the other night." He told her. "I'll turn my back."

"Ok." Steve turned and she undressed, Andy stepped under the waterfall and let it wash over her. The cool water felt amazing on her sunburned skin and she didn't realize she was making happy noises, until she felt a shift in Steve's emotional state. What was Steve's deal? It was like he could get excited with the change of the wind. She'd given Steve some alone time every day, she thought maybe it was the stress of the situation, or maybe it was their constant close proximity. Andy had a feeling this was going to end with sex on the beach, but she didn't want to ruin their friendship. Andy got out of the water and put her clothes back on before taping Steve on the shoulder. He laughed and she cocked an eyebrow.

"What?"

"You look like a drowned rat." He told her before pushing her hair out of her face.

"The water feels great on the sunburn." She told him as he walked towards the water.

"So I heard."

"Sorry about that, look I can't be the only one feeling this tension. I know how this is going to end and I say we just get it over with." She sighed.

"What do you mean?" Steve asked and walked back, having just taken off his shirt.

"Steve I can feel everything you feel and it's driving me insane, how are you always so excited?" She questioned.

"Sorry, it's the serum, it made me more sensitive to certain things. I can usually block it out, but having you cuddled up to me every night is making it worse, but it's the only way you can stay warm." Steve sighed.

"So let's just sleep together, Steve at this point it's inevitable." She huffed.

"Can't you just turn your power off?" He questioned.

"It's not that simple, I'm not very good at controlling it when I'm stressed." Andy told him.

"Ok, we do this, we both relieve a little stress and then things go back to normal." Steve said.

"Ok, sounds good." Steve cleaned up in the stream and they went back to their camp site. Steve laid back on their makeshift bed and Andy sat on his lap. She let out a shaky breath.

"Nervous?" He asked and she nodded. "Is that your emotion or mine?" He wondered. She thought for amount.

"You're nervous too. But why?" She questioned.

"Because I don't want to screw this up, this is your first time isn't?" He questioned.

"How can you tell?"

"Because you won't even say the word sex." He chuckled.

"I actually figured you were a virgin too." She said and blushed.

"Well I'm not a virgin, but I haven't been with anyone since 1945, so apologies if am I a bit rusty." He said and bit his lip.

"It's alright, I won't notice." Steve grabbed the hem of her shirt and stopped.

"We can stop at anytime, just say the word, I won't be upset. I'll go slow." They took turns undressing each other.

"Is it ok if I kiss you?" Steve wondered and she shook her head.

"No… I've never kissed anyone before I don't want to waste it on a one time thing." She said quietly.

"Andy are you sure you want to do this? Giving up your virginity is way bigger than your first kiss. Besides we don't have any protection." He reminded her.

"It's ok, I'm on birth control, the injection, I should be good for a few more weeks. Steve I want to do this, I'm really stressed and I need this." She whined.

"Ok." They started and at first it was uncomfortable and awkward, Andy almost asked him to stop, but then she felt an intense wave of pleasure wash over her. Steve was gentle and he made sure she was satisfied before he let himself finish. When they were done Andy rolled off of him and nuzzled against his side.

"How was that?" He asked.

"Good." She sighed as she caught her breath. "Really good. I'm going to go clean up."

"I'll come with you." The two cleaned up, not caring to hide themselves this time. Andy scanned Steve's emotions, he was happy and relaxed, while Andy was kind of a mess. She had worked so hard to repair the Stark reputation and she had just thrown herself at her bodyguard and best friend. None of this would have happened if it weren't for her powers, they wouldn't have been on that plane if she weren't a freak. Freak… that word brought back so many painful memories. When the public first found out, that word had been keyed into the side of her car. One time Tony got drunk and called her that, she always wondered if he really meant it.

"You have a tattoo." Steve said, pulling her out of her thoughts. "I just noticed it." Andy had gotten a tattoo on her upper arm shortly after she turned 18, Tony had flipped out, maybe that's part of why she did it. At one angle the tattoo said beauty and at another it said pain.

"It signifies beauty from pain." She told him.

"Well you're so beautiful, I'd hate to see the pain you've been through." Steve said.

"It's not that much, with the amount of pain I've been through, I should look like a gargoyle." She joked. Once they got back to camp Steve caught them some dinner and they ate in front of the fire.

"The first thing I'm doing when we get rescued is raiding dad's liquor cabinet." She sighed.

"You're too young to drink."

"That's never stopped a Stark before. I could probably drink Thor under the table." She snorted.

"Now that I'd like to see. When I get back I'm eating a steak and swearing off fish for life." He added.

"I hope they find us soon, I tried drying out the watch but it's completely damaged. I hate this, feeling useless. I guess I should be used to it by now." She sighed and held back tears.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Steve asked as he scooted closer to her.

"I've always been the stupid Stark, the Stark that barely graduated, the Stark that quit college." She told him as a tear dropped down her cheek.

"Andy you aren't useless and you aren't stupid. You've given hope to mutant kids that look up to you. You've written incredible speeches to bring people together. You don't have to be just like your father or grandfather to be important." She nodded and rested her head in the crook of his neck.

"Let's get some rest, who knows, maybe we'll be rescued tomorrow."