**A/N: Hey everyone. I had to take a break from writing for a lot of different reasons. Don't worry, I have no intentions on abandoning this story. This chapter, this whole damn story to be honest, is dedicated to those who took the time out of their day to read my last author's note and follow through. I will write this story always, but whether or not it gets posted is always a different story. It's not a threat, it's just the truth. It's hard to share something like this. I don't even let my friends or family read my writing. A really good review makes me want to write more. Five really good reviews makes me want to share more. Just thought I would share that before the chapter.
Chapter 18- Pull the Strings
"Distance don't mean a thing. I come when you pull the strings. The strings of my heart. Wherever you are. Just pull, tug, tease I'll keep coming back. Ohh, it's true. I keep coming back. That's what I do I retrace my tracks, to you."
~Keep Coming Back, Charles Esten
When Steve walked into the apartment, he couldn't help but shake his head and smile. He could hear Benny Goodman's Sing, Sing, Sing playing from the record player. Carefully walking through the apartment, not wanting to make a sound, he peered around the wall to the kitchen and leaned against it.
Bethany was preparing something for dinner, a red and white polka dotted apron tied around her body, her hips and feet moving in time to the song. Jamie was strapped into his high chair, his little legs moving, not quite in time to the beat, but enough for Steve to know it was his way of dancing, a giant smile on his face as he babbled loudly to the Hulk plushie in his hands.
Steve had been attending his swing dance lessons for about five weeks now. At first, he had a hard time trying to relax and have fun. He was overthinking everything. But every time he thought about the huge smile on Bethany's face when she would swing with Bucky or James or any member of his team, even mere strangers… it was worth it.
However, every time she would ask how the lessons were going, he would lie and say he wasn't ready to show her. That he wanted everything to be perfect, and that was the truth. But what she didn't know was that he was a lot better than he let on. He had rhythm and was able to pick up the more complex moves with little difficulty. He could have confidently shown her two weeks ago, but he had been waiting for a spontaneous moment. This was it.
Sweeping up behind her, he wrapped his arms around her waist, smiling as she jolted a little from the surprise. "Would you care to dance, Miss. Stark?"
"Oh, I don't know," She teased him. "I don't know if my husband would like that."
"Husband?" Steve smirked, playing along. "I think he'll make an exception, don't you, Mrs. Rogers?"
"Maybe just this once," Bethany agreed, but before she could turn around, he had already spun her out and in like he had seen men do hundreds of times. The smile on her face was infectious as they began their dance. He knew that Bethany was rusty, the last time she danced like this being sometime in 1944, but she didn't miss a step.
By the time the song was done, both Bethany and Steve were laughing, clutching each other as Steve swung her around in his arms. "Oh God, I love you," Bethany declared, kissing him.
"I love hearing you say that," he murmured against her lips, smiling when they heard Jamie laughing. "Oh, I've wanted to do that with you for a long time."
"Mmm," Bethany replied, resting her head on his chest as her feet took their spot back on the ground. "Now I can't tell whose Christmas gift was better."
"Both gifts for both of us," Steve agreed, knowing that he loved to see her at the heights of pleasure with a touch of a button.
Bethany let out a groan, but smiling up at him. "Theo will be home soon."
"And why is that a bad thing?" Steve asked, kissing her forehead.
"Because I want you to make sweet, sweet love to me," she explained, pressing up on her toes and kissing his nose lightly.
"Maybe tonight," Steve whispered.
Bethany nodded stepping away from him as Theo came into the apartment, Jackson trailing behind. "I'm all done with schooolllll," Theo sang, skipping into the room and jumping up on the couch with intentions to turn on the TV.
Bethany rolled her eyes with a smile, moving back to finish with dinner while Steve turned off the record player. It had been agreed by all of them that Theo would be homeschooled starting in two weeks. They would leave for Disney World in two days, and Jen would get to roam the Tower, heavily supervised, of course. Jackson was going to use the week off to fly back home and visit his parents. Everything was set and ready to go. So naturally, they were all expecting something to happen.
About an hour later, they found out what it was. Pepper came into the kitchen while Steve and Bethany were cleaning the dishes and told them that Kiley had been admitted to a rehab facility in Switzerland two days ago, and the news had slowly made its way up the grapevine in Stark Industries until it reached her.
Steve and Bethany slowly lowered themselves onto the bar stools by the island, waiting for Pepper to continue. "I personally contacted the facility, and they said she was left in the lobby. No one saw who brought her in, but they have security footage if we're interested."
"Is her being there justified?" Bethany asked. "Kiley doesn't strike me to be the type of girl to take drugs. I mean, she may enjoy her booze, but drugs?"
"They've run some tests and found dozens of anxiety medication bottles in her bag. All of which had no label, un-prescribed," Pepper explained. "When she woke up, she had an breakdown and they sedated her for the majority of yesterday, but today they agreed that she needs the anxiety pills. Just…"
"Not as much as she was taking," Steve summarized with a sigh.
"What she needed was regulated use and a therapist," Pepper agreed. "I've agreed that Stark Industries would foot the bill and they've told us that they'll start treatment as soon as possible."
Bethany sighed rubbing her forehead. "You said Switzerland?"
"Yes," Pepper nodded. "The umm… Oh, Paracelsus Rehabilitation Center."
Bethany and Steve looked at each other, a look of disbelief on their faces. "It has to be a coincidence," she reasoned.
"Doesn't matter, we have to go," Steve told her. "She can't stay there, even if it is a coincidence. She should be here, with her family, getting the help she needs."
"Agreed," Bethany added. "Did you call her family?"
"I did," Pepper nodded. "I offered them the jet. They'll leave tomorrow morning."
"Might as well join them," Bethany replied with a sigh.
"I wonder what happened to her," Pepper spoke softly. "She's been gone for months. No word, nothing."
"She was doing us a favor," Steve explained vaguely. "This is on our hands. We'll foot the bill."
"No," Pepper said strictly. "You two may have millions, but I know you want to save it for your future, as well as your kids. Plus, we take care of our employees."
"Your health care plan is the best in the world," Bethany agreed. "Alright, we'll set out tomorrow morning to pick up her parents. Then we'll come back tomorrow night and then set out for Florida…"
"We can postpone the trip," Steve reminded her softly.
"No," Bethany disagreed. "No. So we'll be tired for a day or two. Theo is excited. We'll just suck it up. Thank you, Pepper."
"Of course," Pepper nodded. "If you need anything at all, you know where to find me."
"Good night, Pepper," Bethany said, giving her a tired smile. "Oh God, Steve…"
"I know," Steve sighed, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Hey, Baby Doll. It's okay."
"We know it was Bucky who dropped her off," Bethany said quietly, following Steve as he took her hand and led her to the bedroom so they could get some privacy. Jackson, Theo and Jamie were having a Disney marathon in preparation. The current movie was Frozen, which was clearly Jamie's favorite. He typically didn't take enjoyment out of TV, but he had a fascination over Olaf and the movie would keep him preoccupied until the credits.
Steve sighed as they sat on the bed. "Which means Bucky is somewhere off in Europe."
"Well, he did the right thing, dropping her off," Bethany reminded him. "Look, I know you want to go after him, but maybe he's okay. He was in the right mind to do what was right for her."
"Yes, but what happened?" Steve asked exasperatedly, getting up to pace. "Something had to happen to make her… so…"
"We'll just have to ask Kiley," Bethany reasoned. "And maybe we'll find out where Bucky is. Steve… You promised me. A week of just being Steve-"
"Yes, but I would still go after Bucky," he reminded her.
Bethany looked down into her lap and nodded. "I know."
He stopped his pacing, looking down at his wife. "But I did promise you a week."
"No," Bethany said with a sigh, shaking her head. "No, Steve. If you want to go after him, I'm not going to stop you. Not again."
Steve sat down next to her, taking her hands and kissing them softly. "No, Doll Face. I'm not going to abandon you while you're with two children in Disney World."
"But you'll be thinking about him the entire time," Bethany fought. "No-"
"I'll talk to Sam," Steve reasoned. "He's already agreed to help, and I trust him."
"I know you do," Bethany said with a small smile, thinking about when they agreed to name Sam Jamie's godfather. They had only known him for a little while, but his dedication and faith in the couple was priceless and irreplaceable to them.
"We're going on vacation," Steve promised, leaning down to kiss her softly. "I promise not to get too distracted. But I know you, you'll be checking in on Kiley. Not that I blame you."
"I feel like we ruined her life," Bethany sighed.
"It was her decision to go," Steve said softly, but it was clear in his voice that he felt guilty as well.
Despite trying to make conversation with Kiley's parents, Bethany and Steve knew that their desire to be by themselves was justified, which is how they ended up sitting alone at the back of the jet. Steve had his arms wrapped around Bethany's body as she sat sideways in his lap, looking out the window.
"You're quiet," Steve whispered, kissing her temple. "What's on your mind?"
"My dream from last night," Bethany said with a distant smile. "I don't want to let it slip through my fingers it was… it was really nice, Steve."
"Share it with me?" He pleaded softly, one of his fingers moving up to her chin to touch the end of a short curl before securing it around her again.
"You and I were relaxing in bed but… it wasn't our bed. I have a feeling it was somewhere in the country, not the city. But everything was very… calm. So unlike now, where even when we're relaxing, our minds are always somewhere else. But that wasn't the best part," she began. "I was pregnant, and we were talking about names. Girl names. Just talking about them. And it was one of those few dreams where nothing weird happened. It felt so… real."
Steve wanted to give her a smile, but he couldn't bring himself to do it. What she just described sounded so… perfect. But not only was it something they may not ever get, Steve wasn't sure if that's what he wanted. He knew Bethany did. With every day, she wanted that a little more. Despite her agreeing to participate in their little raiding parties, and actually enjoying her time while doing it, he could tell that she needed that a little less with every passing day. She was doing it not necessarily because it needed to be done, but because the people she loved were doing it.
"You've been bringing up getting pregnant again a lot recently," Steve voiced. "And not that I… Beth, there's nothing more fulfilling to me than hearing you say that. I just don't want you to get upset if it doesn't happen for a while. We both know that having another baby right now will only make our lives unnecessarily complicated."
"I know," Bethany whispered. "Don't worry, I'm painfully aware of that. HYDRA, Jen, Theo, and now Kiley and Bucky…"
"Singular people isn't keeping us from having kids," Steve disagreed. "It's just HYDRA. And everything the Chitauri left. Doll, once that's done…"
"What if it isn't? Ever? What if it never ends?" She asked exasperatedly. While she wasn't crying, it was clear from her expression that she wanted to. "When can we live our lives, our only obstacles being ones we put in place? And if that's never, are we really going to let it control our lives?"
"Beth…" Steve sighed. He didn't know the answer to any of those questions. "Let's just take it one step at a time, okay? We're working on the HYDRA situation, and we'll continue to until we feel like it's under control. Thor's right though, we need that sceptre. They're still using it."
"And when we get it? What then?" Bethany pushed.
"I-maybe," Steve stuttered. "I don't… Beth, I don't know when that'll be. Jamie is only seven months old. Do we really want another crying baby in eight to nine months? You'd be breast feeding him while you were pregnant, and maybe even keep feeding him after the new baby was born. It's too soon."
"Steve, I'm tired of waiting," Bethany admitted softly. "I've spent more of my life waiting than anything else. And you know I don't blame you for that. You didn't ask me to wait, but I held onto that small chance that you were still alive and that I could show you that I was different, and hoped that you'd believe me. But every day we wait for something together…"
"If you found me within a week, after I crashed that plane," Steve began after a moment of silence passed. "And I forgave you and you showed me that you were different, all of that, and we got married…"
"We'd have kids," Bethany summarized. "More than one… But no," she disagreed suddenly. "Steve, I would have pushed for us to wait then because I didn't know what I know now. If the last year has taught me anything is that you don't always get a chance to do what you planned to do later."
Steve closed his eyes for a moment, but stayed firm in his belief. "Beth, we're not ready for another baby. We'll talk about it after we find the sceptre, or end HYDRA or something happens for a change that un-complicates our lives, but until then…"
"Fine," Bethany reluctantly agreed.
"Don't be mad," Steve said with a frustrated sigh. "You know all I want is to make you happy, but I don't think that will make you happy right now. And it won't make me happy either. It'll just make our lives-"
"I said 'fine'," Bethany snapped before collecting her cool. "I don't want to fight. Especially over this. This isn't something we should fight over. I can wait, Steve. I'll always wait for you, but I just…"
"You don't want to wait too long," Steve finished. "I know. And you're right. We shouldn't fight over this. But don't you think we should wait until we both agree for this?"
"Yes," Bethany allowed. "But that doesn't mean I have to like it."
The stubborn way she was accepting this reminded Steve of a little girl and he couldn't help but offer her the smallest of smiles. "I love you…"
"Yeah, yeah, I love you too," she grumbled, but only laid her head against his chest.
The woman sitting in the bed was not Kiley Collins. She didn't even resemble the strong, caring yet fierce woman who had been such a good friend to Bethany, and more importantly, to the very lost and confused Bucky Barnes. Nothing about her appearance screamed those words; 'strong', 'caring' or 'fierce'. Nor 'friend'.
It almost was like she had been brainwashed. The familiar aspect to her, perfect posture, stunning smile or joyous gleam in her eyes no longer existed. She looked to be permanently slouched in her place, eyes wild, but filled with such darkness from seeing horrors. The look in her eyes explained the absent smile on her face. Yet Bethany recognized that look all too well.
She had worn it herself, once before. A time where Steve had been lost, found and waiting to be woken up. After he breathed his first breath and spoke his first words to her. That look vanished a little more every single day. It felt like it had been a lifetime since that day, but she knew that the look in Kiley's eyes was one she could still find in her own. It wasn't as easy to find as before, nor did it return as often, but looking at Kiley now… No, she didn't see Kiley Collins. She saw Agent Bethany Stark.
Other than that haunting look within her eyes, her features told their own stories. She was thinner, paler and more frantic. Her hands were shaking, whether from the horrors no doubtingly running through her thoughts or the drugs her body told her she needed, it was an instant clue that she would not heal as Bethany had.
"Kiley?" Bethany said softly, taking a step towards her. But Kiley's gaze was hazed over,
just like her parent's had told them. Steve and Bethany had given the family their time alone, waiting for their own moment to find out what happened. They had been outside of Kiley's room for over an hour, filling out forms and payment fees while they waited.
Bethany and Steve looked at each other, wondering if asking her what had happened
and where Bucky went would be a good idea. It felt like awful timing, but if Bucky was in trouble, they needed to know. They were on their way to helping Kiley, they needed to take the same steps for Bucky.
"Kiley?" Bethany asked again, walking carefully towards her bed. No response. Kiley didn't even seem to see Bethany or Steve. She was in her own little world. Bethany looked back to her husband, both of them at a loss for words.
"C'mon," Steve said quietly, gesturing for Bethany. She walked back towards the door, taking his outstretched hand. "We knew this could happen."
The long journey didn't seem like a waste, despite the fact that in actuality, it was. They went. They saw her. They were showing her family that they were sorry and would do everything to help Kiley. But right now, Kiley couldn't help them.
"She looked awful," Bethany whispered to Steve when they started down the hallway.
"She'll get better," Steve replied, his volume matching hers. "She's getting the help she needs."
"What happened?" Bethany asked, not to Steve in particular. "I mean, Bucky dropped her off. That much we know. And I don't think he would have hurt her, do you?"
"I don't know," Steve admitted softly, the words killing him softly. "The old Bucky? Not a chance. But we don't know what this one is capable of. But from what I saw on those tapes?"
"It was clear he cared for her," Bethany finished with a nod. "Whether he was the old Bucky, the Winter Soldier or someone new."
"Yeah, and then he just left," Steve said with a sigh. "What if he's in trouble?"
"We need to trust that he'll come to us if he needs help," Bethany reminded him, pulling him to a stop and placing her free hand on his chest. "I know you're worried. You have every reason to be. You want him back, and so do I. But there was a reason he left. He needed to find some answers, and if he hasn't found them, then we have to respect his decision for being out there. When Kiley is better, we can talk to her. Until then-"
"Beth, I'm not just going to trust that everything is okay," Steve interrupted, his tone soft despite his growing worry. "We did that before and look what happened to Kiley. To Jen. We can't do that again."
"Okay, then what do you suggest? Because while Jamie won't know the difference if we don't go to Disney, Theo will. I'm not breaking his heart again."
"No, I agree," Steve nodded. "This will be good for all of us. Plus, if we want to help Jen, we need a week away from the Tower anyways."
"Then what do you suggest?" Bethany asked, the concern clear in all of her features.
"I'll talk to Sam," Steve started, using his free hand to cup her face. "We'll see if we can get any leads. He's agreed to help. If he still feels the same way-"
"It'll be a load off," Bethany nodded. "Honestly, what would we do without Sam in our lives?"
"Laugh a lot less and fight a lot more," Steve replied instantly, making Bethany laugh.
"You're right about that," Bethany agreed. "He's a good guy."
"He's the best," Steve nodded. "Alright, let's go say good bye to Mr. and Mrs. Collins and take care of everything else that needs to be taken care of and then head home to our boys."
"Regardless of whether or not she's any better by next week, after Disney, I'm coming back to check on her," Bethany began as they started down the hall again. "I just… I feel guilty. I'm the one who paired them up."
"You didn't know this would happen," Steve reminded her. "You can't blame yourself."
"Well, neither can you then," Bethany replied, giving him a knowing smirk.
Natasha couldn't help it. She felt uneasy with Jen getting to freely reign around the Tower. Well, not freely per se. Bruce was always with her, but the distance he allowed her to have was unnerving to Natasha. Bruce trusted Jen, and Natasha trusted Bruce, but that didn't mean that Natasha trusted Jen in any way.
Which was why Natasha hadn't left the two of them since Steve and Bethany left with the boys two days ago. Sometimes, all Jen would do was sit on a couch and look at a wall, or read a book, sometimes even watch TV. Every night, Jen would return to her cell on her own free will and they would all go their separate ways. But during the day, Bruce didn't leave Jen's side and Natasha didn't leave Bruce's.
"I don't think I've ever seen you this on guard before," Bruce informed Natasha as they sat at the bar, watching as Jen was reading a book on the couch.
"No?" Natasha asked with her customary smirk. "Not even when we first met?"
Bruce gave an awkward chuckle, nodding. "Okay, maybe you were on guard then."
"Possibly," Natasha agreed with a smile. "It's not you. I'm-I'm not on guard because of you. I'm just worried that she'll…"
"I think we need to give her the same trust and respect that we got," Bruce explained. "SHIELD could have done so much to us, kept us locked up. But instead, they trusted us. Not enough to just let us go off completely on our own, but it's no different than what we're doing for Jen right now."
"No, I guess not," Natasha allowed. "How do you think she's doing?"
"Well, the ultimate goal is to get her to remember how her life was before, right?" Bruce began, taking off his glasses and putting them on the bar. "But for now, we just need to let her trust us, and in return, trust herself. As much as you are on guard, she is too."
Natasha took that into consideration. Everything that Bruce was saying made sense, but that didn't mean that it was any easier trusting Jen. But she would be a hypocrite if she refused to trust Jen. Natasha knew what it was like to be in her position. The only difference was that HYDRA hadn't had the chance to finish Jen's transformation. She had so much potential.
"I just figured you'd be willing to help her more than anyone," Bruce added, speaking the very thoughts on Natasha's mind.
"I guess I'm letting my personal connection cloud my judgement," Natasha explained feebly. "But you're right. I should trust her."
"That's what she needs most," Bruce continued. "If you're willing to trust me, even if you shouldn't, you should trust her. She hasn't turned on us yet."
Natasha nodded softly, giving him a forced smile. "So is this your plan all week? Following her around?"
"When they come back, she'll be back in her room, no matter what happens this week," Bruce reminded Natasha. "So we might as well give her this freedom while we can. Although, I do have some work to do with Tony. I keep putting it off, but-"
"I can watch her," Natasha promised. "Maybe some time alone, just girls, will help her trust me. And I can take care of myself if something does happen."
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah, I'll be okay," Natasha nodded with a smile. "We'll call it a favor. And I'll cash one in later. Fair?"
Bruce pretended to think about it. "And what would this favor include?"
"Oh, I'll think of something," Natasha assured. Bruce gave her another awkward chuckle before she moved over to have a quick word with Jen. Natasha watched him silently, thinking back to her conversation with Bethany about love.
She didn't love Bruce. No. But she could. She always felt… relaxed when she was with him. Like her past meant nothing to him. And while he didn't know the whole story, she knew that if she told him, he wouldn't care. All Bruce cared about was who people were in the now, because he knew just how much a person's skeletons didn't necessarily explain who they were now.
The one thing that the Red Room had nailed into the young Widow's brain was that relationships of any kind were dangerous. Whether it was friendship or romantic or a child… these people could very well keep her from completing a mission. And Steve and Bethany were both proof that this was right. They could compromise a mission for each other, for their son, for Theo.
The more Natasha watched Steve and Bethany, the more she wanted that. Even if their relationship was flawed, and boy did they ever have their issues, it was the moments when everything was calm that Natasha wanted what they had. The hard parts made the good that much better. She wanted the chance to share her life with someone.
She had always supported Clint and Laura. They loved her like one of the family, and she would always be grateful for their love and support. But she had spent more time with Steve and Bethany, watching them go through the milestones with Jamie, from pregnancy till now. And she had seen them on missions together. Their relationship during the mission never got in the way of the end goal, luckily enough, but the little moments in between of checking up on the other and the worry that filled their eyes when something happened to the other…
Natasha didn't know why anyone would pass up a chance like that.
Steve flopped on the bed next to Bethany, pulling her to cuddle against him. She hummed happily as he kissed the top of her head, rubbing his thumb against her bare arm. "Tired?" He asked her.
"Not really," Bethany admitted.
"Well then, I guess you were right about bringing condoms," Steve teased her. The last two nights, they had both passed out the second they fell onto the bed. Both of the boys were exhausted, and they assumed this would continue for the rest of the week. Theo had been running around the parks, smiling and jumping, dancing and yelling on the rides. It was obvious that he was having the time of his life, and using all his energy for the day. As for Jamie, the baby was so enthralled with everything in the park that his naps were either forgotten or very short. He would undoubtedly sleep through the night again.
"Well, if we're gonna have sex, I should brush my teeth," Bethany said with a heavy sigh before pulling herself up.
Steve couldn't help but frown lovingly at her. "Really? You're worried about what I'll think of your breath?"
"Well, that," Bethany began, slipping off the bed, digging into the bag and then holding up some sheer teal material. "And also, I brought lingerie."
Steve couldn't help but chuckle, letting his happiness take over him. In that moment, he felt… normal. And it was enough for him. It honestly was. He was glad they took this vacation. Both Theo and Jamie were captured by the magic that was Disney World and their joy was contagious. During the day, he didn't think about everything going on back home, or in Europe, or anywhere but where they were now. He was fully focused on the sights and sounds around him. But at night, or first thing in the morning, when it was only his thoughts, he was everywhere. Being there, right now, everything was good. But they couldn't stay on vacation forever. Nor could they turn their backs on the world forever.
Taking out his phone while he waited for his wife, he read the messages Sam sent him assuring that all was good and to just enjoy his vacation. Thor had promised to let Steve know if there was anything that needed his attention, and he trusted him completely. Thor wasn't the kind of person to keep vital information from his team mate, and while he trusted all of them—yes, even Tony—he trusted Thor the most in this situation. There was a chance that everyone else would keep something from him so that he could spend time with his family, no matter how important. All except Thor.
Hearing the toilet flush, Steve got up and closed the door to their room, locking it securely. He now was grateful that Bethany had booked such a big hotel room, so that they could get their privacy. Steve slowly started to pull his clothes off his body, folding them neatly and putting them on the top of the dresser before rummaging through their bag for the condom box. Taking one out, he flung it onto the bed before going to lie next to it, completely naked.
He twiddled his fingers for a few minutes, but somehow his fingers made their way to his flaccid member, which was growing with every passing second as he stroked it gently. They would have to be quiet, something that wasn't typically a problem for Steve, but Bethany was a whole 'nother story. There were a few options; giving her something to bite onto, whether a sock or his shoulder—which would probably only draw sounds from him—or covering her mouth. Or, he thought to himself with a smile, she could bury her face into the bed.
He knew he was traditional. Missionary was great, and he'd never get tired of it. But their experimentations had been a blast. Some of the positions were… odd, to say the least, but one of them took enjoyment out of every position.
Steve let out a heavy breath of air, letting his pleasures run down his spine as Bethany came from the bathroom. "Mmm, I'm tempted just to watch you," she whispered, giving him an excited smile. Steve would never get over how she could be so adorable while looking so… mouth watering.
"Please join me," Steve replied with a begging tone, letting his swollen cock fall from his hands.
"I don't know," Bethany said, sauntering over to him, her hips exaggeratingly swaying, one of her hands moving to her bust line and touching the exposed skin softly. "I like to see every pulse and vein, but I can't very well do that if you're in me, now can I?"
She was teasing him. Of course she was. She was Bethany Stark, and she lived to flirt and tease. It was one of the things that allured him to her in the first place, the way she always had that effortless way about her. So carefree and wonderful. But Steve wasn't the quiet and meek boy he had been then. No, Bethany Stark was now Bethany Rogers, his wife, and he could play this game almost as well as she could.
"Get your ass over here," Steve told her firmly, but the look on his face was a dead giveaway to his playful mood.
A wide, opened mouth smile tugged at her face. She shook her head back and forth, crossing her arms. "Oh, I don't think so. If you're gonna be like that, then maybe I'll just go put on my pajamas-"
"You're such a tease," Steve moaned, not letting her take one step away, quickly jolting up and grabbing her tightly in his embrace, pulling her down onto the bed and hovering over her. She let out a squeal and a laugh, being as quiet as she could, but not letting their silence ruin the mood. "You're not going anywhere."
"No?" Bethany asked, chuckling, smiling into his kiss when he lowered his lips to hers. "Your beard is so scruffy."
"I was told I wasn't allowed to shave it until my wife told me too," Steve explained, pushing a stray hair away from her face, trailing a finger down her cheek.
"Sounds like a real hard ass," Bethany teased, her finger trailing up and down his sides.
"She can be," Steve replied honestly before sitting up so he could look at her lingerie. "Where did you get this?"
"At the store," Bethany replied, an obvious tone in her voice. "And if you meant when, about two weeks ago when Pepper, Maria and I were looking at the ballroom for the Stark Relief Foundation benefit."
"I like it," Steve told her, his voice husky. The tight, teal bustier accentuated everything in the right way, from her swollen breasts to her thin waist and then the wide curve of her hips. "But then again, I'd like you in a paper bag."
"Well, you know that I think lingerie is a waste of money, not to mention time, but your eyes light up every single time I do wear it, so I thought you deserved a treat for keeping your beard for me. You can, however, shave it first thing in the morning, if it pleases you Captain."
"It does," Steve replied honestly. "But for tonight, let it please you."
Bethany's face lit up in delight as her laughter rang beautifully throughout the room. Steve moved down to look at how the lingerie was put together, smiling when he saw that his wife had chosen a crotches pair. "I figured this way, it'll get more time being used," Bethany explained, bringing her feet up to rest on the comforter, her knees bent, and legs spread apart.
She looked so excited, as if she had dreamed about this moment for years. Steve lowered his lips to her knee, slowly, much too slowly for Bethany's liking, making his way down her leg and onto her center. She hummed when his beard left little scratch marks on her otherwise perfect skin, but only felt the pleasure of the entire ordeal. When he reached her inner thigh, her hips wiggled in anticipation. She was absolutely glistening with desire, her folds swollen and red, and he could feel her heat pulsing outwards.
"Who's the tease now?" Bethany whispered, whimpering as he moved his lips a little closer.
"Patience," Steve murmured onto her leg, but his gaze looking as her core clenched and unclenched, her own brand of lubrication flowing from her. Steve quickly moved to lick it up before it fell on the comforter. The sudden movement earned a hearty gasp from Bethany, as well as a quick jolt of her body.
He ignored how sweet she tasted, like a million little lemon drops. All he wanted was to continue to lap at her, and bring her up and up and then off the edge, but he quickly told her to get under the sheets. The comforter was Disney's. The sheets, however, were theirs, since Bethany had highly anticipated this happening.
She did as he instructed, and he climbed down under the sheets. He was surrounded by darkness, but he could feel, smell and taste her, and that alone was enough to drive him mad. This time, he didn't linger. He buried his face to her hot and wet center, first licking the surrounding area clean before flicking his tongue against her.
Her hips shifted against him every once in a while, but what encouraged him the most was her breathing. It was labored and every few breaths, a moan or whimper would escape her. Steve parted his lips, closing them around her clit and sucking firmly before laying the flat of his tongue at the bottom of her slit and dragging it all the way up. Every time he licked her clean, another pulse of arousal would leave her, each batch tasting sweeter and sweeter.
She almost always tasted as sweet as candy. Steve was aware that it changed throughout the month, however. Sometimes it was tarter than usual, or sweeter. But right now, it was the height of sweet. Steve knew what that meant; she was ovulating. Even though they always used a condom, and Bethany's IUD was firm in it's place, this time of the month always made him a little wearier than the rest. It was almost guaranteed that they would conceive a child during this time, more so than the rest. But Steve never let this get in the way of Bethany's pleasure.
It wasn't that he didn't want another baby one day. But it wasn't the time. Not even close.
Pulling his mouth away from her, he ran two fingers up and down her slit before slowly pushing them into her, feeling her walls clench around him. Bethany let out a small strangled sigh when he curled his fingers expertly against her, pressing his lips to her swollen nub again. Steve knew that the power duo was Bethany's quick undoing. Her vibrator was hidden back in the tower, but they quickly learned that vibrations against her clit and something penetrating her, whether slow or fast, was the key to a quick release. She wasn't even disappointed if it lasted a total of two minutes, that's how satisfying the duo was. Bethany had already started her search for a toy with a quicker vibration.
But with the vibrator at the Tower, Steve made do with what he had; his lips and fingers. He built up a speed he knew she liked, waiting until she quickly rode out her orgasm, her entire body reacting, from her legs lifting up and clenching to her hands taking a tight grip on the comforter. And to Steve's amazement, she hadn't made a sound.
When he resurfaced from under the blankets, she had a very content look on her face. She reached out to touch his beard, which was glistening with her juices before raising her arms above her head. "I changed my mind, you're not allowed to shave."
Steve was about to argue, but Bethany held up the condom for him with a tired smile. "I wanted to return the favor with a blow job," she started stretching her spine a little. "But we'll have to rain check that."
"I'll hold you to it," Steve promised, wiping the precum from his tip before rolling the condom on. Bethany had taken Steve's hand and closed her lips around his thumb, sucking the cum from the digit before asking him how he wanted to take her.
"Well, you did do a good job keeping quiet," Steve allowed, taking a hold of her legs and pushing them back so that her knees were by her head. "And as long as you continue to keep quiet…"
He leaned down to kiss her, sucking on her bottom lip as he pushed inside her. Her chest rose, arms quickly wrapping around his neck and deepened the kiss as Steve set the pace. Steve kept his lips on hers, muting any of the grunts she expelled when he thrust too hard. It wasn't just for her sake, but his as well. He would never understand how his wife was always so tight, hot and welcoming, even after all these years. He figured it had to do something with her eternal youth.
Being with her, in that moment, as always, was almost indescribable. No matter how lost he was everywhere else, with her, like this, everything seemed so simple. Her. Just her. Nothing else mattered but Bethany. Once the post-sex haze wore off, everything came rushing back, but making love to this beautiful creature he got to call his always helped to clear his mind. Nothing but them would take prescient in that moment than their pleasures.
Steve moved his lips to her neck for a moment, letting her get some fresh air, but a strangled cry emerged from her. It was obvious that she was trying really hard to keep quiet, but her pleasure blinded her. "Shhh," Steve whispered in her ear before laying a soft kiss onto her neck. Her entire body was coated in a thin sheen of sweat.
"Ughh, Steve," she breathed quietly, but there was desperation in her voice. "I…"
"You what, Baby Doll?" Steve encouraged, rolling his hips into hers with force. Her entire body jolted upwards and Bethany turned her head to the side, a strained sound coming from her closed lips.
Steve wasn't playing fair and he knew that. In a way, he wanted to pull those moans from her, and seeing her trying to keep them quiet was only encouraging him. Ever since their first night together, he loved to hear her expressing what she was feeling, because he knew he was doing something right. There was no difference now, even though he knew what she liked and how she reacted to each little thing. But this… this was fun.
He could tell by the look in her eyes that she was silently cursing him, and it only made him enjoy it all the more. She'd probably be mad at him, in all honesty. Some well-placed kisses and true words about him loving to hear her whimpers would sizzle her anger down. But she always teased him. It was time for a little payback.
Steve continued to roll his hips against hers, making sure to push as far deep as he could, as well as make every third pump hard. One of his hands moved down her stretched leg and found that swollen numb, hidden in its fold, and when he began to flick it quickly, Bethany gritted her teeth together. She looked like she was in pain, but he knew better than that. She was just trying really hard to win this silent game they had unknowingly created.
He could tell she was close, dangerously close. At this point, she would either fall without hitting the peak, or absolutely explode. Steve quickened both the speed of his hand and hips, watching as frustrated tears began to well in her eyes. Bethany moved her arm across her face, digging her teeth into the skin, mumbling her groans into her flesh.
Steve was close too. He could hold on a few more thrusts, but not very many. There was nothing wrong with their vanilla sex, but Steve was quickly learning that he came much faster when they were trying something new. But he refused to let himself go before Bethany hit the jackpot. He knew it was going to be a good one for her, if he could just… hold… on.
There, he thought, watching as Bethany began to convulse and cry as her walls began to contract and she lost sense of who she was. There was a moment, a quick moment, where she was absolutely still before her body resumed it's shaking. If Steve hadn't been so close before, that would've driven him towards his final moments.
Keeping in mind to withdraw himself as he came, trying to mask his deep groan as the feeling of complete helplessness, but also an ironic amount of self-control over took him. He wasn't sure if that made any sense, but that was the only way he could explain it. When he had once told this to Bethany, she agreed that it made sense. There was a moment where you've gone too far and you're helpless to stop it, but once that moment is over, you're in full control of yourself, which you weren't a moment before.
But as amazing as it always was for him, he knew it was always better for Bethany. Steve took pride in that, and in the knowledge of knowing that no one would ever make her feel like that ever again, except him.
"I hate you, you know," Bethany panted after Steve rolled off of her. "That was a real dick move."
"I'm sorry," Steve mused, kissing the side of her face.
"No, you're not," Bethany scolded, still trying to recover. "You're quite proud of yourself. That was cruel; I would never do that to you."
Despite the fact that Bethany liked to tease him, she hadn't done anything cruel before, that he knew for sure. She never made him super uncomfortable with wandering hands in public, except for that one time she got really drunk at that Halloween party at the Tower, but she was so far gone that night that he didn't really blame her.
"What can I do to make it up to you?" Steve offered as Bethany rolled onto her stomach, Steve taking a moment to help her undo the remaining lingerie.
"Oh, you won't be doing anything," Bethany promised him firmly. "But me? Oh, I'll be doing something. Payback's a bitch, Steve."
"I'm so scared," Steve teased her, freeing her from the material and as she rolled out of it, he took a firm hold on it and threw it away.
"Oh, you should be," Bethany whispered, slipping out of the bed, sauntering her naked body to the bathroom. Right before she closed the door behind her, she stuck her head out with a devious smile on her face. "Oh no, Captain. You won't be doing anything. I'll be the one pulling the strings."
**A/N: I left little responses for everyone who followed my wishes in my last author's note, followed by the customary review dialogue:
TheSparkleQueen: Thank you love :) You sure knew how to put a smile on my face when I was feeling like shit.
Musicofmylife: I'm so glad that the story attracts you the way it does :) I'm glad that in your opinion, you can see this as more than a story, but a film franchise. I love the flashbacks too! I always feel like I rushed through the first movie, and there was so much I could have added, and this is how :) I'll make sure to put more in future chapters!
Guest: Aww thank you! The story is long, that I know, but it's so that I can get that relationship development done RIGHT, so I'm glad that you love it :)
Ash: The review hit a nerve in me that I couldn't shake. What drives me nuts is when I get a negative review with no suggestions and when I take the time to write back to them, they just ignore my response all together. It's not a mean response either. Always, they are well-thought out and accepting of suggestions. It THRILLS me to know that you refresh the page, waiting for me to update. I don't read fanfiction as much as I used to (I use all my spare time to write this one), but I remember the excitement when you see an update from a story you love, so I'm glad I can be that for you. Also, you couldn't have said it better in relation to constructive criticism. While I might not like it, I can take it, and often try to find a way to follow their suggestions, but it doesn't always fit well with the story, or my writing style. This particular review (and has since added another one) was just negative. Although, the second one made me laugh. I'm so over it, by now :)
newyorklghts: Haha right? No, trust me, that's not in the cards at all! Although, I have to admit, that would be an amazing plot point. But no. This was just so that I could set up the plot for the next two movies, and I couldn't pass up a coincidence like that!
HeroOfTheDay: I've put a lot of thought into how Ultron and Civil War will go down in terms of arguments. At this point, they both know they can't live without the other. They might not necessarily agree with what the other says/wants, but I feel like they're both starting to see things from both sides and approach it in a more rational way. Kinda like they did in this chapter with the whole baby issue. Bethany might not like that Steve feels that they aren't ready (this'll come into play after Ultron), but she's trying to understand.
Jo: Bucky won't be returning to New York for a LONG time. Originally, Kiley wasn't supposed to even have a drug problem, but I needed a way for her to leave him/him abandon her and my sister agreed that this was a good solution.
anonymouscsifan: Ah Jen. People don't really like her all too much. Not that I blame them, but she makes for good drama! Glad to have you caught up and on board!
sarahmichellegellarfan1: Thanks :)
FeliciaFelicis: I agree; Natasha is often shown as being all business, but you can see her in each movie bearing her emotions a little bit more. I feel like as long as Natasha knows her feelings are safe, she can profess them, you know? Like she trusts Bethany. She trusts Clint and Steve and Nick, but the way she trusts Bethany is different. They're made of the same elements and equations. She watched as Bethany began more human and now feels like it's not an impossible task to achieve.
