**A/N: Lil' bit of smut to start ya off, so be careful if you're in public ;)
Chapter 39- Without Strings
"How can there be a you and me, without strings? You can call me old-fashioned, 'cause I sure am. And when I tell you I love you, well I sure do. I don't play games, I say what I mean."
~Without Strings, Sammy Kershaw
When Steve told Bethany to get on her hands and knees, the look on her face said everything. Despite the fact that only a second ago, she looked like she was ready to be obedient, she was clearly challenging that now. In their relationship, Bethany was basically in charge of their sex life. At this very moment, Steve knew that wasn't changing now.
"You get on the floor," She replied with attitude, crossing her arms over her chest. Steve, however, didn't follow her instructions. Instead, he moved his body so that she was trapped against the wall, looking down at her with a challenging expression. "Is that supposed to scare me?" Bethany asked, not missing a beat.
"You can do whatever you want now, but we both know you'll have a moment of vulnerability where you'll do whatever I ask of you."
Bethany actually laughed at that. "Just fuck me you goof."
Steve followed her instructions this time, lifting her body up so that their heads were at the same height, slowly pushing himself into her. Bethany let out a soft moan as she wrapped her legs around his waist and her arms around his neck loosely. Steve set the pace, making sure to tilt his hips so he would hit all the right spots.
"You think you're in control," Bethany began, her breathing starting to hitch. "But you know very well that I am, since if I don't want something, we don't do it."
She had a point there. And Steve wasn't one to turn down sex if Bethany was offering. But she had turned him down more than once in the past. He didn't take it personally; she just wasn't in the mood. "Would you let me be fully in charge though? In the future?"
She thought about it carefully, Steve moving his thumb to brush aggressively against her clit. Her thighs squeezed against his body as a new level of pleasure rushed over her. He had her in that moment where the only thing that matter was that he never stopped. "Yes," she whispered, closing her eyes.
"Yes to letting me be in charge?" Steve asked, needing to clarify. He continued to thrust up into her, taking more pleasure in seeing her completely enthralled in what he was doing to her more so than what it was doing to him.
"Yes," Bethany whimpered, her head falling onto his shoulder. "Not today, but soon."
Steve smiled, lowering his head to her sweet spot and sinking his teeth into it as he picked up the pace. A deep moan rumbled in Bethany's throat, her nails digging into his back and scratching whatever she could reach. Steve was finally starting to feel his own pleasure, but after three minutes of his quick thrusting and only a slight quiver of Bethany's core and legs, Steve knew she wasn't coming this way, and Steve would always hold back until the very last moment, letting Bethany enjoy herself until the very end.
"Floor?" Steve asked her quickly, knowing that she needed a new angle.
"Floor," Bethany agreed breathlessly. For two people who were gracious when on the battlefield, they couldn't have looked any less uncoordinated as they moved to the ground. Steve's arm moved out to catch himself on the edge of the porcelain tub, but his strength only making the tub give out and a huge piece of it being crushed under his arm. In all the excitement, Bethany also hit her head hard, earning a firm "ow" from her before the two started to break out into laughter from their display.
"Shhh, Jamie," Bethany prompted after a minute of their laughter. Bethany was under him, her legs still wrapped around his body, waiting for them to continue. When Steve regained his composure, he slipped out of her, Bethany allowing her body to be manipulated however Steve wanted. She ended up, after all her teasing, on her elbows and knees, her ass bared and head against the floor. Ironically though, she didn't feel like she wasn't in control at all. She barely ever set the pace for them and she secretly loved when they were like this. It made Steve feel as vulnerable as she usually did.
Steve knew that this position was usually better for him than for Bethany, so he dug into the bathroom drawer and pulled out the small waterproof vibrator they left there for whenever they were up to some shower fun. He watched as Bethany's ass clenched as she heard the buzzing began. Steve moved to separate her lips, pressing the tip of it against her bare clit. Her fists clenched tightly for a quick second before they loosened, her breathing slowing as she let the tingles fill her body.
"Can you hold it?" Steve asked Bethany, to which she immediately replied by taking a hold of it. Steve didn't miss how she began to twirl the device in a circular motion as his large hands touched her skin, massaging it firmly before guiding himself to her and sliding in.
Steve felt a grunt get stuck in his throat as she enveloped him, her core wet, hot and so very welcoming. Her silky walls began to clench and release when Bethany moved her hips forward and backwards. It had barely been a minute since she pressed the vibrator to her clit and she was already close to her finish. It wasn't just the vibrations, and Steve knew that. Whenever she had a vibrator pressed to her clit and she thrust her hips, it was mere seconds before her body would tense up and Steve would have to take over to help her ride out her orgasm. This was no different.
He clutched her hips tightly, not just thrusting towards her, but also pulling close and then back again, over and over. Steve could see just how hard Bethany was trying to keep quiet so she wouldn't wake the baby up. The amazing feeling of her throbbing around him filled him to the brim with pleasure, watching, listening and feeling Bethany's orgasm only to have a moment's rest before another one overwhelmed her. Steve kept pushing both of them, thrusting in hard, wanting to get another one out of her before he'd have to give in himself. This time, however, when Bethany finally fell from her high, the vibrator fell out of her hands as her muscles gave out and began to make a loud buzzing and clacking sound against the tile floor. Steve didn't let it stop him, pressing forward until he reached the peak and fell.
Steve breathed hard as he slowly made patterns on his wife's back, reaching to turn off the vibrator with one hand. Bethany's legs were quivering and it was clear by the smile on her face, her cheek pressed against the tiles, that she was completely satisfied and would be unable to move for a while. Chances were that she'd fall asleep quickly. Steve pulled himself away from her, cleaning himself up quickly before getting a soft washcloth and running it under some warm water. He leaned down to start cleaning Bethany's thigh and core, listening to soft little moans escape her, her eyes closed, but a content smile on her face still.
Bethany woke up in the bed, and for the first time in months could actually feel pain. Her body was sore everywhere, but she couldn't help but smile when she felt an all-too-familiar ache between her legs. Despite barely being able to move, Bethany couldn't help but smile. Feeling pain was nice. And then there was memories of what happened in the bathroom a few hours prior.
Turning her head both ways, she learned that both Steve and Jamie were already up for the day. Pushing herself up to sit, pulling the blanket up to cover her bare body, she felt the pull of her muscles. While it was comforting to feel pain again, Bethany couldn't help but wonder why. And whether or not this was permanent. She wasn't sure which answer would make her feel more comfortable.
"Steve?" She called out, twisting her back, a satisfying crack sounding.
"In the living room," he replied dutifully. Bethany groaned lightly while getting out of the bed, pulling Steve's blue button up out of the hamper before slipping on a clean pair of underwear. Waddling into the living room, her entire body responding with a burn, she took the elastic off her wrist and pulled her hair up into a messy bun.
"What are you doing?" She asked, the words coming out with more anger than Bethany had originally intended. Jamie was strapped into his giant bouncer, his little legs bending and straightening as he bounced up and down.
Steve looked back at her, a broken record in one hand, a packing box right beside him. "I'm cleaning up the mess," he explained, confused as to why she didn't understand.
"I told you not to," Bethany replied, crossing her arms.
"Beth, we can't just leave the apartment like this," Steve began. "And don't you want Molly to be allowed back up here, and not be afraid that she'll cut her paw or something?"
"Steve, I-" Bethany attempted to express, but couldn't finish. She didn't know how.
Steve pulled himself off the ground and placed his hands on her shoulders. "Bethany, I know that this is hard for you. But I'm writing down all the names of the records so we can rebuild our library."
"It's not just about the records, Steve," Bethany breathed. "It's… why clean it up if everything will just fall apart again?"
Steve couldn't respond initially. He was shocked at her confession, and had to admit that she had a point. Every time they had their life together, everything crashed and burned. "We pick up because we'd never move forward if we don't. We have to clean up this mess. Even if we have plans to leave. We need to clean up this because it's our life we need to clean up."
She bowed her head for a moment in defeat. When she looked back up, she nodded unwillingly. "I know you're right, I'm just…"
"Tired," Steve supplied. "I know. I'm tired too. We need to figure out this entire Avengers' stuff, but then hopefully we'll get to relax for a few days."
"I hurt," Bethany finally admitted, sounding very much like a little kid. "Steve, my body is in agony right now."
Steve frowned, looking at the truth in her eyes. He moved her so she was sitting on the couch before leaning in front of her, his hands on her thighs. "You're feeling pain?"
"Yeah," Bethany replied, a hint of a laugh in her voice. "I'm aching. Everywhere. I don't know why, but I am. It sucks, but it's also comforting."
"You should go see Bruc-" Steve began before realization overcame him. "Bruce is gone."
Bethany nodded, having already thought about that earlier. "And with him, all his research. Ultron cleared it all out. I'm back to square one with the added twist of being able to feel pain."
"I don't know if that's a good thing," Steve admitted, knowing how Bethany felt about pain. It was the only thing that kept her together when he was gone, and despite the fact that it really wasn't a healthy output of emotion, it held something more to her.
"I could use an Advil," Bethany said with a soft smile. "We'll figure everything else out in the future. Basically just like everything else on our to-do list."
"As long as you continue to tell me about-"
"I will," Bethany assured, putting her hands on top of his. "I think I'm too tired to be or feel something that I'm not."
"That's comforting to hear," Steve admitted with a chuckle. "Tony called down earlier. We're meeting the team at noon to discuss the future. Apparently he has some ideas."
"Wouldn't surprise me if he was up and awake all night," Bethany replied. "That kid used to not care what anyone thought, but now it's all he cares about. He cares about how we perceive him and what he does to help us. He's always taking care of us, to the best of his abilities, anyways."
"He reminds you of Howard, doesn't he?" Steve asked softly. She nodded, her words betraying her. "Are you hungry? Jamie and I already ate, but I can make you something."
"No, I'll just pour myself a bowl of cereal. Check the news. Oh shit, Kiley," Bethany realized. "I was supposed to see her."
"I'm one hundred percent sure that she understands," Steve pointed out.
"I'm worried about her, babe," Bethany explained. "She's been in rehab for months. The doctors have cleared her, but she says she's not ready to leave yet. She claims that it's because she's nervous she'll give into temptation, but I feel like it's only going to get harder."
"It wouldn't be right to pull the paycheques and force her out, if that's what you're thinking," Steve quickly added.
"I wasn't thinking that," Bethany promised. Her attention turned to Jamie when he began to babble, his jumps getting higher. "We never did take that shower last night," Bethany remembered. "Can I jump in quickly after breakfast?"
"Of course," Steve nodded. "Jamie and I had one earlier. But you'll have to take it in Jamie's bathroom. Our bathtub is a little… destroyed. I didn't hurt you, did I? I mean, if you can feel pain-"
"Hey," Bethany interrupted, putting her hands on Steve's cheeks. "Last night was amazing. If you want to do a thorough check of my body, you won't find any bruises. I'm just achy, but it's already starting to wear off."
"I thought last night was amazing too," Steve admitted sheepishly. "I've never felt so close to you than last night which is weird because-"
"It wasn't very romantic," Bethany finished with a laugh.
"No, it really wasn't," Steve agreed cheekily, leaning forward to kiss her softly.
The entire team, including Jamie, Pepper, Jen, Theo and Jackson sat around a boardroom table. Both Natasha and Tony looked like they hadn't got a wink of sleep, and Wanda looked like she would never sleep again. Bethany felt a little guilty about getting a fantastic night of sleep after some mind-blowing sex. She hadn't asked Steve if he had slept well, but she just assumed he had since she immediately fell asleep. Still, while she slept, he moved her to their bed, made breakfast for him and Jamie and also took a shower. While one his own, Steve could do that in ten minutes, with Jamie in tow, it would have at least taken an extra hour.
"I don't feel comfortable operating from the Tower if you want out," Steve repeated for the second time.
"So you keep saying," Tony said with a roll of his eyes. "But that's not what I meant by you can operate out of Stark property. There's an old Stark Industries building in Upstate New York."
"We haven't used it in years," Pepper continued, bringing up the property on a computer. "Not only will the building and storage be beneficial for you, but the property is big."
"The best part is that it's not even in my name," Tony continued, looking towards his aunt.
"Wait, it's in mine?" Bethany asked, frowning. "How? Why?"
"You can't really question anything that Howard Stark did," Pepper explained. "Every single day, more and more notes and letters, parts of his Last Will and Testament and investments are being brought before me, all of them blowing my mind more than the last. Despite his Will stating that Tony was his inheritor-"
"Which, Bethany actually forged, because he left it to her," Tony pointed out.
Bethany tilted her head while rolling her eyes. "I said I was sorry about that."
"Well, a lot of property was left in Bethany's name," Pepper explained. "And, according to the office of his lawyer, there's letters to be delivered to you at certain points in your life."
"What, getting married and having a baby wasn't one of those points? Especially in that order?" Bethany teased before bringing her attention back to the conversation at hand. "So the proposal is that we recycle it for our purpose."
"The lab is a little outdated," Tony explained, leaning forward. "Not to mention the tech. But it's much easier than starting from scratch. The property is already in your name and it's not too far."
"I've already talked with a few of ex-SHIELD agents from yesterday," Maria began. "They all miss what we did. If we offer them a job, like Steve is suggesting, this can immediately be lifted off the ground."
"I have to return home," Thor began. "There's some mysteries I need to sort out. And I've been gone too long. We all have to return eventually."
"Well, I'll take this moment to hand in my resignation," Clint said with a quirk of a smile. "Laura only has two hands and with three kids, she'll need some help."
Expressions of confusion and surprise filtered the room for those who were unaware of Clint's secret family. "Anyone else stepping out?" Bethany asked. "We won't judge you. Trust me, if you can find the will to step away, we won't try to stop you."
"This is the purpose of my life," The Vision spoke up. "I don't think I could change it even if I tried."
"I turned myself into… this," Wanda began, her voice meek. "I have nothing left but this."
Bethany nodded, giving Wanda a soft smile. "That leaves you, Nat."
Natasha looked at the blonde, almost shocked that Bethany was even asking. "Oh, I'm not done just about yet."
"And we all agree about transforming the Stark Industries building into an Avengers facility?" Steve asked, looking around the room.
"It seems like the best idea," Natasha agreed. "I can get in contact with some of my old SHIELD contacts. See who's up to the task."
"Great, we're going to need at least a team of five for every department," Maria began.
"What about us?" Jen asked suddenly. "I mean… My apartment is kinda… destroyed. And I'm still nervous about HYDRA."
"You can stay here as long as you need," Pepper promised. "Tony is working on getting FRIDAY uploaded to the Tower. She's not as advanced as JARVIS was, but we'll make do."
"I'm a little skeptic about creating new bots to protect the Tower after the past week," Tony added. "But the thing we should remember is that Ultron only got in the building because that's where he was built. Anything from the outside has no chance."
"Theoretically," Bethany added. "You banked a lot of the Tower's safety on JARVIS. And you don't need to stay at the Tower, Jen. If HYDRA is still a concern, we'll find a safe place for you and Theo. I mean, we're all going to need a new place to live."
"You could add boarding rooms to the facility," Clint suggested.
"Hmm, just want I've always dreamed of doing," Bethany began sarcastically. "Raising my child in a boarding room in an intelligence and private world-security facility."
"We'll figure something out," Steve whispered to her before speaking louder to the room. "These are just little details. Once we get started, we're good to go."
"Can I just point something out?" Clint began, sitting straight in his chair. "Cap, Widow, Vision and Wanda. You four are going to take on the evils of the world. You're losing a few big guns."
"He's right," Tony nodded. "I mean, you four are great, but let's be real here. Things are going to be different without certain members. Not naming names—me—but it's the truth."
"Well, no offense kid, but you're easily replaceable," Bethany pointed out. "Rhodey seemed more than comfortable with coming to our rescue yesterday."
"Rhodey is a member of the United States military," Tony pointed out. "They won't make it easy for you to take their War Machine. Even if it's for the Avengers, they're pretty possessive, in case you haven't noticed."
"Oh, I've noticed," Bethany said with a roll of her eyes. "Howard went through hell to make sure Steve's stuff didn't become theirs after he went missing. They were and still are to this day, under the impression that he belongs to them. You'd think 'the land of the free' wouldn't try and strip someone of their rights."
"If we propose this to the military, they'd be getting an inside access to what we're doing," Natasha pointed out. "They shouldn't turn that down, especially everything Bethany and Steve went through regarding General Talbot."
Bethany made a sound of disgust at the mention of Talbot. "We ask Rhodey and whoever claims ownership of the suit," Steve reasoned. "Replacing the Hulk won't be as easy."
"It'll basically be impossible," Bethany corrected. "What about Sam? I know you don't want to ask him, but you should."
"I know I should," Steve said with a sigh. "I just hate dragging people into this mess if I don't have to."
"Sam's already been dragged in," Natasha pointed out.
"He doesn't see it that way, Steve," Bethany promised him, looking down at Jamie who had been patiently sitting in her lap, playing with his Hulk toy in silence. "But I like when Sam's around. No offense to everyone else, but he can keep Jamie laughing for hours and he's great to talk to."
"So it's settled," Maria replied before Steve could interject. "I think we should head out to the facility. Make note of what we need to do to get the place ready as soon as humanly possible. Work out all the little details later."
Bethany let out a heavy sigh, but nodded. This was definitely not what she wanted to do right now. She was tired and achy, and just wanted to spend a day with her family. But she knew full well that the job wasn't done until cleanup was finished, and this plan that they were about to set into motion was part of the cleanup. Bethany just wondered when exactly the cleanup would end. This didn't seem like a project that would be finished overnight, and even after the facility was ready and a full staff was operating, there was still a lot of clean up to do.
No one had even asked Bethany if she'd be joining the team. They all just assumed she wouldn't be suiting up, and Bethany was hoping that this time, she could commit to her decision to not rejoin the Avengers. She went back and forth so many times before that Bethany knew that no matter how much she didn't want to suit up now, that could change depending on the circumstances, or even her mood.
But even on the off chance that Bethany never had to go out to fight again, she knew she'd still be involved in her own little way. Whether it was by giving advice or filling in when one of the scientists was sick, she knew she couldn't duck out altogether, especially not when she had to be so close to everything due to Steve.
Looking at her husband though, Bethany decided that it was worth it just so that she could be with him.
After a very long inspection of the old Stark Industries' main building, the group moved to the huge storage area beside the facility. Everyone assumed it would be filled with goodies, which is why Maria suggested they save it for last. If they got all the boring things out of the way first, it would make exploring the storage area a huge treat. There was a lot of work to be done on the main building, but Pepper was already working on getting all the necessary arrangements made so that they could start working on it tomorrow.
They brought Jamie along, Bethany not ready to part with her son just yet. She had made a pit stop in a bathroom to change his diaper as the group headed out to the storage area. Walking outside, the baby on her hip and his diaper bag hanging off her shoulder, she spotted Steve a few feet out, his arms crossed as he looked into the distance.
"Something wrong, babe?" Bethany asked as she came up beside him.
"Hmm?" He hummed, turning his head to look at her.
"Something on your mind?" Bethany said, putting a hand on his arm.
Steve looked back out at the distance for a moment, staying quiet. "No, I'm just… enjoying the silence. The calm. You know, while it lasts."
"Right," Bethany replied, but she wasn't entirely sure that's what he was thinking about. "Anything else?"
"This is all yours?" Steve asked, gesturing to the surrounding land.
Bethany nodded. "According to Pepper and Tony."
"How much more land do you think Howard left you?" Steve asked, looking at Jamie for a moment before taking his son into his arms.
Bethany readjusted the strap of the diaper bag now that her hands were empty. "I'm not sure, but we could probably find out. Why?"
"You know how we were thinking about money? How we really don't need to worry about it, but we were anyways because we know what it's like for it to just disappear?" Steve began. "If we have all this land, it's reassuring, right? Because the value of land will always be more reliable than the dollar."
"'It's the only thing in the world worth working for, worth fighting for, worth dying for. Because it's the only thing that lasts'," Bethany quoted. "That's what you're worried about? Money?"
"We live lavish lives," Steve pointed out. "We could live on much simpler terms if we lived away from the madness and if you didn't have such expensive tastes-"
"Says the man with fifteen leather jackets," Bethany replied strongly, giving him a teasing poke and a smile.
"You have just as many, if not more," Steve reminded her.
"I've had much more time to collect them," Bethany fought back. "Look, the whole money thing… yes, we should be careful. We never know if we'll have to rescue someone with some ransom or when there'll be another Black Tuesday. But I think we'll be okay. Don't you? Isn't money the last thing we need to worry about now?"
Steve sighed, wrapping his free arm around Bethany. "I'm thinking about HYDRA. I know us finding the sceptre was a good sign, but do you really think they're gone?"
"I want to say 'yes' for my own selfish reasons," Bethany replied. "But I don't. Which is scary. Not just for us, but for the world. When I was pregnant with Jamie, all I wanted was for him to grow up in a world where he didn't have to think or worry about these things. It's crazy to think that we're farther from that now than we were before. All because of HYDRA."
"We never got a moment to really talk about it," Steve continued. "Are you okay with this? This entire plan? What you said about raising Jamie here-"
"Steve, I want to be with you," Bethany interrupted. "Okay? I love you. We'll make this work, make something happen for us. It's not ideal, but as long as we're together, I don't see why any of this is a bad thing."
Steve smiled, looking touched at her words. A hand rose to cup her cheek lovingly. "I love you so much."
"I know," Bethany teased, giving him a wink. "Now can we go to see the fun?"
"Not quite yet," Steve replied quickly, earning a confused look from Bethany. "I don't want us making all the decisions right now."
"Steve, you're not," Bethany promised. "I would leave if this wasn't what I want. You're not keeping me here. I know that you would never force me to do what you want. And trust me, I would never do something that I don't want to do. You should know that by now."
Steve couldn't help but let out a shy chuckle, admitting to himself that this was true. "I know how much you want us to be a family though."
"And at least one parent in a family works," Bethany explained. "I may not like your profession, but I know that you do. And I did once upon a time. I'm just… I'm tired of being frustrated at what I don't have and not grateful for what I do have."
"But you'll be open and honest with me? I promise to listen to you in return and find a way-"Steve began before Bethany quieted him with a kiss. "Is that a 'yes' or your clever way of trying to change the subject?"
"Both," Bethany admitted. "Look, if Wanda's work on my mind did anything, it showed me how much I don't want everything to go about its own course. That could end up with everyone in pain. As much work as we've put into our relationship, I think we need to put more. So that it becomes less work and more natural."
"That sounds nice," Steve whispered before sighing. "Okay, let's go join the group."
"Yes!" Bethany let out excitedly as they made their way to the storage unit, about to uncover some great secrets of the past.
Reviews:
Jo: Haha, yeah it was pretty amazing. I'm going to see it again tonight.
anonymouscsifan: I don't want people to think Steve is the bad guy. Honestly, it's unfair for Bethany to expect Steve to only be a father and husband. What a boring life that would be. But they find a way to balance what they both want, and that's what really matters here.
AngelLove1728: Hmmm... maybe not a cameo, but maybe a brief mention? Perhaps Bethany mentioning a merc she knew a few years back who got her so riled up from being so annoying that she almost blew her cover? Yeah, that could work ;) I will be putting Jessica Jones, Daredevil and Spiderman cameo/mentions into future chapters however :)
FeliciaFelicis: I figured that Bethany knows what it's like to feel hopeless and utterly lost. She knows what grieving is like and what it's like to lose part of herself. Not to mention a beloved sibling who helped raise you and took care of you through thick and thin. Also, Howard and Pietro are both a little cocky, arrogant and womanizers, so there's that as well. I haven't seen one single trailer at the theatres yet, and I go A LOT. My friend went to see a comedy and they played it, so I went to see that same one AND THEY DIDN'T PLAY IT. I swear, the movie theatres know. They just do. It'll sneak up on me. I've got two assignments due every week until school is done (and big assignments at that) and then heavy exams between then and the week before May (which, I'll be soaking up the sun in Florida, so that'll make my life go faster). Needless to say, I'm kinda hoping it feels long so that I can finish those assignments on time.
musicjunkie1996: I hear ya. Third year is basically just readings and assignments 24/7 and when I'm not doing that, I just want to sleep. Yeah, I plan on adding some Ant-Man to the story, with a nice little flashback to coincide with the flashback we saw in the movie itself. Howard and Peggy were in it, so obviously Bethany would be there too. She'll be 100% bitch mode, which I'm excited about.
ACBD: Haha we'll see ;) They'll definitely be having a conversation about kids soon enough.
