Steve and Nikita sat on the couch facing each other. There was a seriousness in his eyes which matched the tone of his emotions coming through the bond. She gave her Dom her undivided attention. "We need to discuss some ground rules, at least for this stage of our relationship. We can renegotiate any time either of us feels the need. JARVIS will keep a record for us. Do you have any questions or concerns?"
Nikita had long ago learned never to voice the things she felt lest they be used against her. Steve continued to look at her expectantly, but a lifetime of near silence rose up within her, blocking any reply she may have made.
Steve sensed her struggle through the bond. It saddened him to think about the mask that she forced herself to wear. He determined to someday soon make Nikita feel safe enough to show her true face. For now he thought starting with something impersonal might help.
"First, we need to talk about your wounds and Avenger status," Steve began. "It will be at least another week until you can begin training. Clear it with Bruce before doing anything in the gym or at the range. Natasha and I will decide when you are ready to start training with the other Avengers at the Initiative."
This was…. Tactical. She could do this. "Who's orders do I follow?"
"In the field, whoever is the Team Leader. That will usually be me, but not always. At the Initiative, Natasha or myself. Fury will definitely give you orders, but you don't necessarily have to follow them."
"And here, in the Tower?" she asked.
"That would be me," he answered. "Although you should bear in mind that this is Tony's house, and you should always take JARVIS seriously. You have free run of all the Common Areas but don't leave the Tower without letting me or JARVIS know where you're going. I'd like for you to get to know the other residents of the Tower, especially the rest of the team. It will help in the field." Nikita nodded, not at all sure how she was going to go about doing that.
Steve took a deep breath. Now was the part of the conversation that could go very wrong if he wasn't careful. "I want us to get to know each other better as well. I know that you aren't ready for a more intimate relationship yet, and that's okay. It's my responsibility to earn your trust. I just need you to promise me that you will use your colors or a safeword if you need to. You have the power to stop anything we are doing at any time. Have you chosen a safeword or do you want to keep using the colors?"
Nikita was…confused. She had no frame of reference for this. In her experience Dominants took what they wanted unless you were strong enough to stop them. She had made herself strong. If he tried to take from her what she was unwilling to give, she would fight. She was prepared to fight. In fact she fully expected this new life to end in bloodshed one way or another. But here he was, an Alpha Dominant, asking rather than demanding.
"Wolf," Nikita answered hesitantly. "My safeword is Wolf."
"Good," he smiled.
After that conversation Nikita wasn't sure what she had expected to happen, but what Steve did next wasn't it. He told her about coming out of the ice after 70 years, all of the references, and things that he's missed out on. He pulled a small book out of his pocket. "This is my list," he explained. "i was thinking that you could help me, we can go through it together." Nikita agreed, surprised that he would ask her.
They spent the rest of the evening going through his book. It turned out that Nikita was unfamiliar with a lot of it as well. Being part of a Russian criminal enterprise didn't lend itself to learning a lot about American pop culture. They ended up ordering dinner delivered while watching Bruce Lee movies.
The next few days followed a similar pattern. Nikita woke in Steve's arms each morning, they would join the other residents of the Tower for breakfast. It was a different combination of people each morning, depending on who was around. After breakfast they would pick something off of Steve's list to explore, sometimes on the Common Floor with the others and sometimes alone in the apartment. Steve took every opportunity to touch Nikita in small ways. He always kept his touch gentle and light, trying to prove that she need not fear him.
Sunday morning was different. Steve got them up and dressed earlier than usual. The clothes he laid out for her were a slightly dressier version of those she had worn each day previous. A pair of black cargo pants with a slightly shiny finish, a heather grey v-neck lightweight sweater, and a new pair of polished black boots. Steve himself dressed in a dark blue suit and tie. When he explained that they were going to church, he didn't really need to feel it through the bond to sense her disdain. Though she still rarely spoke and kept her face blank, Steve was beginning to be able to read micro-expressions and small shifts in posture to gauge Nikita's mood.
When they got to the church, Steve allowed Nikita to wait outside while he went in for mass. Much as her instinct was to please her Dom, she just couldn't bring herself to go in. In all of her life Nikita had never had much use for God or religion. In some of her earliest memories she had begged and pleaded for protection and comfort from a God who never answered. She had concluded that God either didn't exist or didn't care, and then she had done whatever was needed to protect herself. The existence of God was a moot point anyway, she had spilled far too much blood to ever be forgiven or washed clean.
She wandered around the grounds of the church, taking note of the orphanage that was part of the diocese. Steve had mentioned that he often spent time with the kids after mass. She stopped cold before crossing the courtyard between the back of the church and the orphanage. Across the courtyard is a young boy no more than ten years old, clearly a sub, being bullied by a pack of Dom boys about the same age. She watches as the boys order him around, their demands growing ever more demeaning. As the boy resists their 'punishments' get ever more physical, bordering on violent. Nikita watches silently, the boys unaware of their audience. Even though it would be easier (safer) to give in, the young sub continues to defy them. When they shove the sub to the ground and begin to beat him in earnest, Nikita steps in. She grabs the ring leader by the scruff of his neck in a classic sub hold, lifting him off the ground and shaking him before throwing him back at his companions, knocking them down and away from the sub. When the bullies didn't leave fast enough for her, Nikita glared at them and growled. Whatever they saw in her eyes scared them, tripping over themselves in their haste to get away.
Nikita walked over and knelt down in front of the boy, silently. He looked up at her from the ground. There were dirty scrapes on his face and hands, the beginnings of a black eye swelled while blood flowed from a split lip and seeped through the knees of his jeans. She saw the moment the boy realized what she was, his eyes widened in shock. "You're a sub?" the boy asked in a small voice.
Nikita nodded slowly, holding the boy's gaze. "Can I help you get cleaned up?" she asked,holding her hand out to the boy.
The boy stared at her for a long moment before taking her hand and letting Nikita pull him to his feet. "What's your name?" he asked.
"Nikita," she replied as they headed towards the parking lot. "What's yours?"
"Thomas," he answered, "Aren't we going the wrong way?"
"There's a first aid kit in the car." Nikita kept her pace slow enough for Thomas to easily keep up with her. She could have left him to wait for her, but the boy didn't seem inclined to leave her side at the moment.
After retrieving the first aid kit, Nikita led Thomas back to the church. She found a small alcove off to the side with a basin of water. She dragged a chair over from the hallway, setting it next to the basin. She set Thomas on the chair, then set about using the contents of the first aid kit and the water from the basin to treat the boy's myriad wounds. Luckily all of the boy's injuries proved to be minor.
After the service, Steve went in search of his sub. She wasn't anywhere outside around the church. He would have been concerned but he was getting a sense of warmth through the bond, a far cry from the tangle of violent emotions he had been getting from her earlier. He wondered at the change and made his way back inside the church thinking maybe she had found something inside to bring that warmth to her spirit. He heard Nikita's voice but before he could follow it he was stopped by Sister Margaret, one of the nuns who looked after the children of the orphanage. Steve had mentioned to the sister that he would be bringing Nikita on his weekly visit which was why she had recognized the sub upon seeing her in the courtyard. It seemed that the nun had witnessed the incident with the boys, but had been too far away to help Thomas. Sister Margaret related the whole incident to Steve.
Steve and Sister Margaret headed toward the sound of a child's chatter coming from one of the alcoves in the side of the church. When he finally spotted Nikita he couldn't stop the wide grin that spread over his face. Nikita was packing up the first aid kit, having clearly just used a basin of holy water to wash the boy's wounds, if the pink tinge of the basin was any indication. The boy was chattering away at her, holding the side of her shirt up looking in awe at the healing stab wound on her side. Steve saw the moment that she sensed them coming near. Nikita turned towards them, subtly placing herself between them and the boy.
Thomas happily greeted Sister Margaret and Steve, excitedly telling them all about his rescue. Nikita relaxed as she realized that Thomas felt safe with this woman, that she wasn't going to hurt him. Sister Margaret led young Thomas away as it was lunch time for the children, the boy refusing to go until 'Kita' gave him a hug and a promise to come see him again.
Nikita and Steve headed back to the car. As she reached to open the car door, he stopped her with a hand on her arm. "That was real good," he beamed his approval at her, "what you did for Thomas." She was stunned that she had pleased him by doing something that would have gotten her in trouble in the past. Nikita couldn't help the warmth that spread in her chest as she basked in her Dom's approval.