Stella POV
The next few days passed quickly. Tuesdays and Thursdays Stella had architecture classes in the mornings, but she trained with Bucky daily. It wasn't like she had much to take up her time. And she liked training, though Bucky was a grueling trainer. He continually knocked her on her ass when they were sparring and she always left their sessions drenched in sweat.
But she was becoming stronger every day and she liked learning the different combinations and escapes. And she liked the adrenaline rush. She left every session feeling empowered and strong.
After that day's lesson Stella returned to her room, once again covered head to toe in sweat. She was drained both mentally and physically. Keeping up with a super soldier was a lot of work. All she wanted was a shower and a nap.
Stella tried to walk into her room but to her surprise, the door stopped short. She pushed again, but the door refused to open further. Something was behind it and preventing the door from opening fully. She quirked a brow and squeezed inside. To her surprise a pile of boxes of varying sizes had been put inside her room.
What the hell?
She walked beside them, analyzing the boxes. They were all unmarked, no indication as to what was inside. The boxes hadn't been there when she'd left for training that morning so someone must have put them there, but who?
Her interest piqued, she grabbed a pair of scissors from her desk before slicing open the closest box. It took Stella a moment to register its contents. Her fingers reached out and traced the cover of a book that was inside. She picked it up and flipped through the pages. A piece of paper fell out and onto the floor. Stella bent to pick it up, seeing but finding it hard to believe.
It was a picture of her and her mom from her 8th birthday. Blue frosting covered Stella's face and she grinned cheesily at the camera. Her mom stood behind her with her arms wrapped around her, smiling but much more prettily.
But it was impossible. The picture and the book it lived inside were back in her apartment in New York. She took a closer look at the book. It was a copy of The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho. The spine was worn from use, the pages dogeared. There was no doubt this was her copy.
Stella dropped the book and rifled through the rest of the box. It was filled with other books, all from her shelf back home. She quickly opened the box beneath that one. It contained clothes she hadn't seen in weeks, all that lived in her closet back home.
The next box had the tapestry that hung over her bed, the contents of her nightstand and the quilt her abuela had made her. Each box was unique in its contents, but it was unmistakable. They were all from her apartment, her home.
Stella sat on her bed surrounded by her half-unpacked boxes, the quilt and the picture in her lap. Gratitude was swelling within her, so intense she almost wanted to cry. She had felt devastatingly homesick since she had moved into the compound. Who had arranged this? Had it been Tony?
No, that didn't seem his style. The man had offered to replace everything she owned, even sent Stella her own credit card so she could order whatever she wanted, all on his tab. Stella hadn't touched it, of course. She still hadn't worked through her issues with Tony, she didn't think she ever would to be honest. She hadn't felt right accepting his money.
So then who?
Her thoughts drifted to breakfast yesterday. She'd woken up starving and been the first one to the dining room, scarfing down an entire plate of bacon and eggs before helping herself to seconds when the team had started to filter in. They had chatted as they ate, like they did every morning. Stella had been so hungry she hadn't even noticed one of their own was missing until Clint said, "where's Steve?" Stella looked up from her towering pile of pancakes and glanced at the chair at the head of the table where the super soldier normally sat. It was noticeably vacant.
"He had some business to take care of in the city today. Said he'd be back late," Sam replied through his own mouthful of bacon.
"Did he say what exactly?" Natasha asked.
"Nope."
Probably on another mission for Tony, Stella had thought dryly.
Now she felt guilty for her negative assumptions. This was what Steve had been doing in the city.
Stella stood abruptly, prepared to march to the man's room to thank him. She sat down almost as quickly as she stood.
No. This doesn't change anything. He's still an asshole.
He's not an asshole, he's just complicated.
You've got to be kidding.
He did this for you, you should be grateful.
That doesn't make up for lying to you for weeks. For not telling you the truth. For lying to get you into bed.
Stella sighed. Regardless of her conflicted feelings towards the man, she could at least say thank you for this act of kindness. After all, that was the way her mom raised her.
Stella checked the man's room, which was empty. Then she tried the gym where she did find some of the Avengers, though not the one she was looking for. Finally, after searching for twenty minutes she found the man in the foyer. He wasn't alone.
He was talking with a pretty blonde woman, one Stella didn't recognize. Stella watched from the doorway as Steve and the girl spoke. They were both smiling. The woman laughed, her hand finding his arm and squeezing it. Steve laughed too. Stella felt something that felt an awful lot like jealousy bubble inside her. The woman noticed Stella lingering in the doorway and her hand fell. Steve followed the woman's gaze.
"Stella," He greeted. He waved her over. Stella inhaled and straightened her shoulders, strolling over to them. "This is Sharon Carter," He introduced. "Sharon, this is Stella Rivera. Tony's daughter."
"I didn't know Tony had a daughter," The woman said before extending her hand for Stella to shake. Stella took it and shook her hand firmly not missing the way Sharon's eyes cased her from head to toe.
"Neither did he until recently," She said with faux sweetness.
"Sharon works for SHIELD," Steve continued. "She just came by to drop off a few files. She's an old friend."
"Steve, we're more than that," Sharon said with a laugh. "Steve and I used to date," She whispered to Stella like they were old friends. Stella's eyebrows raised. She wasn't fooled and knew Sharon was marking her territory. Regardless of what was going on between Stella and Steve, she wasn't going to let that slide. Her temper flared.
"You and I have that in common then. Well, I guess technically we didn't date did we Stevie?" Stella flicked her eyes in Steve's direction. "We just fucked." Sharon's eyes widened. Steve nudged Stella.
"She's definitely Tony's kid huh? Just as blunt as he is." Steve said with an awkward laugh. Stella smiled though it didn't reach her eyes.
"Isn't SHIELD headquarters in the city? You came all the way out here just to drop off a file?"
"Well, and to see the new facility. Steve was nice enough to give me a tour." Sharon shot Steve an adoring smile. Stella smiled stiffly.
"I bet he was." Sharon seemed to be picking up on Stella's frosty tone. The blonde cleared her throat.
"Well, thanks again for the tour." Steve gave her a half smile.
"Sure Sharon."
"Call me sometime. We'll catch up." Sharon shot Stella one final look before heading out the front doors.
"She seems nice," Stella said without an ounce of sincerity. "Thanks for the tour." She mocked. Steve quirked a brow down at her.
"What did she do to you? And what was up with you airing our dirty laundry like that?"
Stella rounded on him. "So that's your ex? She's cute." Steve's brows furrowed. "Didn't think that was your type but what do I know?"
"Stella…are you jealous?" Stella scoffed though she knew it was far from convincing.
"Of course not." She crossed her arms. Steve smirked, clearly not fooled by her act. Irritated, Stella pushed on. "Didn't take you long to move on, did it?"
"That's not what that was. She just came to drop off some files."
"Right. She drove 100 miles to drop off something she easily could have sent through FedEx," Stella said, indicating the small parcel in Steve's hands. "Thanks for the tour, Steve. Call me some time," Stella said in her best Sharon imitation.
"Why do you even care? You've barely looked at me since you moved in," Steve snapped.
"I don't."
"Your attitude says otherwise." Stella didn't know how to respond. Steve was no fool, clearly he was onto her.
"…I don't know why I care. Especially since you made it abundantly clear that you and I are nothing." Steve's expression fell. He broke eye contact, gaze dropping to the floor.
"…Were you looking for me?" He asked after a moment, not-so-subtly changing the subject.
"No." Drop the attitude, Rivera. You came down here to say thank you. Stella sighed, electing to let go of her anger for now. "Yes…I wanted to say thank you. For my things…For bringing them here." Steve's face softened.
"It was no trouble, Stel."
"Did you pack them yourself?" Steve nodded, then gave her a small smile.
"And somehow fit them all in the back of Tony's Escalade."
"You didn't tell me."
"I thought you could use a surprise."
Damnit Rogers…Why do you have to make it so hard to hate you?
"Well…" Stella bumped him with her shoulder. "Thank you."
"Did you finish unpacking?" Stella shook her head.
"Is it everything? From my place?"
"There were a few kitchen things I didn't think you needed right now which I left, along with the furniture. Tony's paying your rent so the apartment is still yours and will be there when you leave the compound." This was news to Stella.
Something occurred to her then. Her face heated.
"Err…did you look inside the boxes under my bed?" Steve held her gaze, his expression unreadable.
"Why?"
"I just had a…couple of personal things…under there," She trailed off. A small smirk grew on Steve's face. "Oh my god." Stella buried her face in her hands.
"It's nothing to be embarrassed about, Stella."
"Shut up."
Captain America knew she had a vibrator. She could have died, right then and there.
She shoved him. He laughed. She felt a smile pull at her lips.
"If you tell anyone, you're dead." Steve crossed his heart, his expression still amused.
Slowly, her smile fell. The night he rejected her was still fresh in her mind, along with the reminder of all the lies. Still, a question nagged at her.
"So…are you going to call her?"
"Who?" He quirked a brow.
"Sharon."
"Would that bother you?" He asked. Her immediate answer was yes, not that she was going to tell Steve that. Not that it would have mattered. He'd made it very clear he had no interest in her romantically. What they'd had in New York was sex, plain and simple.
What about what he said in the hallway the day after you came here? About it all being real. What about what he said on the trail in the woods? About it being more than a hookup.
These incidents still nagged at her. Her feelings for Steve were complicated to say the least, but no less complicated than the mixed signals he'd been feeding her from the day they met.
"…Of course not." Stella was lying and she was certain Steve could tell. "Well…I just wanted to say thank you. I'll go unpack now."
"You do that." Stella shot one final lingering at the man, before sprinting up the stairs.
XXX
It had been a week since Stella's things had been returned to her. To repay her for helping her paint her room, Wanda had helped Stella unpack the countless boxes. It had taken a couple days, but she had finally unpacked the last box that morning.
She couldn't help but find it amusing that Steve had included the vibrator in the boxes he brought to the compound. It was now safely stashed in her underwear drawer.
A woman has her needs…And Steve knows your sex drive better than anyone.
If she recalled correctly, insatiable was the word he'd used.
Her phone buzzed beside her on the bed. She glanced down at it.
CALL ME.
It was the third text this week. Stella considered her options. She couldn't avoid the man forever and she supposed she did owe him an explanation.
Bracing herself, she dialed. The line rang only once before a gravelly voice answered.
"Stella?! Are you alright?"
"I'm fine, Jace."
"What the hell happened to you? Your apartment is a crime scene. I thought you were DEAD."
"Don't be so dramatic. I told you I was fine." She rolled her eyes.
Just discovered my dad is Tony Stark, a God tried to kill me, and an ex assassin tried the same two weeks ago, but sure fine.
"Where are you?"
"…You wouldn't believe me if I told you."
"Try me." She considered this. She wasn't allowed to leave the compound but no one had said anything to her about guests. Besides, Jace had the best intentions and she really did owe him an explanation after disappearing off the face of the planet. And…he probably wouldn't believe her if she told him the truth. She would have to show him.
"You off work today?" She asked.
"Yeah."
"Feel like taking a road trip?"
Two hours later Stella got a call to her phone from the front gate. She spoke with the security guard, confirmed the guest was someone she knew and practically sprinted down to the entrance of the building. As she did, she trotted past the game room where the majority of the team was hanging out.
"Someone looks like they're in a good mood," Wanda commented as Stella bounced down the stairs without a word or glance in their direction.
"Who's that?" Sam asked. He was staring out the window at the lawn. The team looked over and saw a beat up Jeep ambling down the driveway towards the entrance.
"Not sure." They stood and gathered by the window. The Jeep pulled onto the grass and parked. A tall man with black, shaggy hair stepped out. He stared up at the compound, marveling at it.
Stella burst from the front doors and sprinted at the man full speed. He caught her in his arms, holding her there for an extended moment.
"Who's the chump?" Bucky quipped, standing next to Steve. Both men had their arms crossed as they stared grimly down at the scene. Steve didn't respond, watching as Stella and the stranger pulled apart from each other.
"Boyfriend maybe?" Natasha suggested.
"He's not her boyfriend," Steve answered before he could stop himself.
"How do you know?" Steve chose to ignore the question, scanning the other man from head to toe. He was dressed in black jeans and a t shirt in the same color, a pair of Doc Martens on his feet. His arms were covered with tattoos and a facial piercing glinted in the sun at his brow.
"Does he own a color other than black?" Steve murmured, irritated but not sure why.
"Wonder if he's the prick who broke her heart," Bucky said more to himself than anyone else.
"What?" Steve asked, turning his head to his friend. Bucky glanced at him.
"Stella told me she was still getting over some guy who just broke her heart. Said it was one of the reasons we should stay friends." Steve looked down at the couple on the lawn that were now talking, having a feeling he knew who the "prick" was. Guilt flooded his chest, although he did feel a shred of satisfaction at discovering that Stella and Bucky had decided to keep things platonic.
Stella was gesturing at the building when she noticed the team staring from the third story. She tapped her friend on the shoulder and pointed up at the window where they stood. Wanda, Vision, and Sam waved. The dark-haired man gaped at them. Stella smiled before taking his hand and leading him inside.
Not five minutes later the team, Stella, and the interloper were all gathered around the game room, seated on the massive sectional sofa.
"Jace is a huge Avengers fan," Stella said before taking a sip of her soda.
"Cap's my favorite." The man responded eagerly. He shot Steve an admiring look which Steve returned coolly.
"I thought Black Widow was your favorite," Stella replied.
"Her too." His gaze shifted to Nat who at least smiled back at the man. Jace seemed to sense Bucky's intense stare and looked at him.
"Sorry man, I didn't catch your name."
"Bucky." The ex-assassin said shortly.
Jason held his hand out for him to shake. Bucky accepted it and shook his hand firmly. Jace flinched.
"Quite the grip you got." Bucky's hands were gloved today so he couldn't tell it was Bucky's metal arm he had just shaken.
"So Jace is a friend of yours from home?" Nat questioned.
"Yep. For a little over a year now," Stella answered.
"Never dated?"
Stella choked on her drink.
"Nope." Jace answered cheerfully. "We decided we're better off as friends."
"Jace lives in my building," Stella clarified, trying to steer the conversation away from this topic.
"Men and women can't just be friends." Bucky commented out of the blue before sipping his beer. Stella kicked him lightly.
"Well we are, Barnes. It's not the forties anymore."
"I'm sure it was a shock when Stella disappeared so suddenly," Natasha said helpfully.
"Yeah…I was really worried. Finally got her to call me today and when she said to just show up at this address, I had no idea it would be the Avengers' Compound. Thought she was playing a prank on me until the guy at the front gate let me inside." He seemed thoughtful, before turning to her. "Speaking of, why are you here?"
Steve resisted shaking his head. Clearly this guy was not the sharpest crayon in the box.
"Oh. Right. Uh…long story short I found out Tony Stark is my dad."
The man gaped at her.
"Are you serious?"
"As a heart attack."
"I thought your dad was dead."
"Apparently it didn't stick." Stella said dryly, sipping her Coke.
"Wait…so Iron Man is your dad?" The team laughed, with the exception of Steve and Bucky. "That's sick."
"Mm." Stella murmured. It's something alright.
"Is he here?" Jace questioned.
"Tony?"
"Yeah."
"No. He's in Malibu, I think."
"Does he visit often?"
"Not really." Stella could tell the team was getting uncomfortable and had a feeling she knew why. Natasha and Clint had averted their eyes and Sam was shifting uncomfortably in his seat. Wanda looked like she had swallowed a bug. Her and Tony's relationship, or lack thereof, was still an unspoken subject. One that hadn't been brought up, to Stella's relief, until now.
"Then why are you her-"
"Do you want a tour?" Stella jumped to her feet, cutting the man off.
"Uh, sure." Jace stood too.
"We'll catch up with you guys later." Stella said before pulling the man out of the room.
The pair chatted and as she showed him around the compound which she herself had finally gotten the layout memorized to.
"This is some upgrade compared to your shitty apartment," He commented after she showed him her bedroom. His smile was teasing.
"You know we live in the same building right?" She fired back, though she couldn't help smiling. It was good to be around one of her old friends again. The team was great and she was glad she was growing closer to them but Jace reminded her of home.
They hung out for the rest of the day, talking and catching up, and even did a round at the indoor bowling alley. Before Stella knew it, night had fallen and it was time for Jace to return to the city.
She walked him out to his car which was still parked on the lawn.
"It was great seeing you, Stel."
"You too, Jace. Thanks for making the drive out here."
"Hey, it was worth it. Can't believe I have a picture with Black Widow. The guys in the band are gonna be so jealous." Stella smiled sadly.
"How are the guys?"
"Good. They miss you. Were worried as hell when no one could get in contact with you. Band's not the same without our lead singer."
"You're filling in?"
"Yep. Course I can't hit the same notes you can. Their ears haven't started bleeding yet though, which is a good sign." Stella grinned.
"Tell them I miss them too. Hopefully I can come home soon."
"Once they catch that Loki guy?" Stella had filled Jace in on an abridged version of why she had to leave New York. "Crazy story by the way. If you hadn't brought me here, I never would've believed it."
"Yeah."
"Shame we didn't get any alone time."
Stella could sense the hidden meaning behind his words.
"Eh, I'm not really in the state of mind for a hookup right now." While it was true she and Jace never dated, they did hook up from time to time. Jace glanced down at her, his black hair falling in his eyes.
"You okay?"
"Yeah. Better now," She nudged him with her shoulder.
"Alright kid. I'll see you around." He pulled her into a bone breaking hug. The smell of cigarettes and his bodywash wafted over her. It reminded Stella of home and a pang of homesickness overtook her.
"Bye. Come back soon." She murmured into his shoulder.
"You got it." She watched him turn his Jeep around and drive back towards the gates, waving her a farewell out the window as he did. After Jace passed through the gate Stella headed back inside the compound, feeling noticeably sadder now that he was gone.
"Hey," Nat greeted after had Stella made her way back to the game room.
"Hey," Stella replied. She looked around the now abandoned room. "Where is everyone?"
"I kicked the guys out. Told them we needed a girl's night," The redhead answered.
"A girl's night?"
"Yep. Wanda went to get snacks." Natasha leaned back and plucked what Stella knew to be a very expensive bottle of liquor from behind the bar. The spy handed it to her.
"I hear you were a bartender."
Stella smirked.
"Girl's night it is."
Turns out a girl's night was exactly what Stella needed. While she had gotten to know the female Avengers a bit during her time at the compound, alcohol had a way of loosening tongues.
For example she learned that Wanda had been born in Sokovia and despite what Stella had read on the internet prior, had turned against Ultron before losing her brother Pietro in the final battle against the android. Stella also learned that Natasha spoke six different languages and was dating Bruce of all people. The thought of the stunning, coolheaded Natasha with the sweet, awkward Dr. Banner made Stella smile.
Now that she knew the girls a bit better Stella felt comfortable asking the question that had been burning in her mind.
"So what exactly is an infinity stone?" She'd heard the term after Bucky was brainwashed and Steve had revealed they were hiding one within the compound. It was what Loki had been after the night Bucky attacked her.
"There are six in the universe. They're concentrations of pure energy that take the form of a gemstone. They're highly volatile and extremely dangerous weapons. The six are mind, reality, time, soul, power, and space."
"So the tesseract is an infinity stone?"
Natasha nodded. Stella considered this. Wanda and Natasha shared a look.
"So…"
Stella glanced away from the tv that was playing Mean Girls and swallowed the rest of the chips in her mouth. The women were both staring at her, coy smiles pulling at their lips. It was unnerving.
"Yeah?" Stella asked warily.
"You and Jace, you've never…" Nat trailed off. "-you know, hooked up?" Stella hesitated, not wanting to lie to the girls. Her lack of response was answer enough.
"I knew it," Wanda commented, nudging Natasha.
"No fair. You have an unfair advantage," Nat replied.
"It's not like that…we just fool around sometimes. We're not secretly pining for each other or anything." Stella took another sip of her cocktail and winced. Wanda had made this round of drinks and the glass was 90% vodka. Her head was already fuzzy from the booze and she felt a pleasant laziness settle over her.
"Shame. He was cute."
"What about you Wanda? Anyone special in your life?" This time it was Wanda who hesitated.
"No, no one special."
"Liar." Natasha accused. Wanda shot her a look.
"What do you mean?" Natasha gave her a come on, really? look.
"What about you and Vision?"
"I'm sorry, VISION?!" Stella questioned. Now that was a weird couple. The edgy, feisty Wanda with the sophisticated and reserved android?
"How did you know?" Wanda demanded of Nat.
"You know I was a spy for my entire life, right?" Nat replied. Stella had to laugh. She stood and tottered on her feet as a wave of dizziness swept through her.
"Where are you going?"
"Gotta pee." Stella headed out into the hall, wavering as she went. She rarely if ever got this drunk, but the drinks Natasha and Wanda made had knocked her on her ass. She held onto the wall as she walked, using it for balance. As she rounded the corner, she bumped into a hard chest. The force almost sent her tumbling to the floor but strong arms reached out and steadied her.
"Stella?" Stella looked up, her gaze meeting with the bluest eyes she had ever seen. Although upon closer inspection, she now noticed there was a bit of green in them. The man was wearing a tightly fitted compression shirt and sweats. His face was flushed and covered in a light sheen of sweat, fresh from the gym.
"Captain," She saluted poorly. Steve observed her.
"You're drunk."
"Good eye." She breezed past him.
"You know you shouldn't drink that much. It's not good for you."
"Who're you, my dad?" She snapped her fingers and whirled back around to face him. "That's right, you're just his spy." The words left her mouth before she could stop them, but she felt emboldened by the countless cocktails she'd had.
"Stella. I told you it wasn't like that."
"No? Then what was it like, Steve? Please enlighten me."
"I told you, it was a favor." She rolled her eyes. Steve twitched.
"A favor. Bullshit."
"Watch your mouth." She narrowed her eyes at him.
"Don't act all holier than thou. Not after you pulled that fuckboy stunt on me."
"Excuse me?" Steve was getting pissed now, his fingers curling into a fist at his side.
"You can call it a favor all you want. What did you get out of it? That you got to fuck me when the job was done?" Steve moved so quickly, Stella didn't have time to react. In a flash she was pressed against the wall, Steve's hands pinning her wrists. He towered over her, staring down at her with a look filled with fury and something else she couldn't immediately identify.
Stella stared up at him in shock. She had never seen Steve lose control before. She could feel the heat radiating off his chest and smell the sweat that coated his skin due to their proximity. It brought her back to those long nights spent in her bed back in New York. Steve leaning over her, his hands gripping the headboard as he thrust inside her, his eyes filled with desire as he stared down at her. Or laying on top of her while she was wrapped tightly in his arms, whispering in her ear as he fucked her.
Does that feel good, baby?
You're so wet, doll.
You drive me crazy.
God, you feel so fucking good.
A deep desire unfurled within Stella. Steve's gaze was unnerving and sexy as hell. They stared at each other for a moment, neither of them speaking. Stella bit her lip. Steve's eyes drifted down to her mouth. His eyes softened, his grip on her wrists slackening but not releasing her fully. They continued to stare at each other for another few seconds, as if they were stuck in a bubble where time didn't exist. If Stella pushed up onto her toes, she would be able to reach his lips.
How long had it been since he'd kissed her? Since she'd felt his surprisingly soft lips on her own, felt his tongue flick into her mouth to claim what was his?
He lied to you. Tricked you into trusting him so he could get into your bed. Pushed you away the night you fell through the ice.
Don't give in…no matter how much you want to.
Stella turned her head away, breaking their eye contact. Steve's grip on her wrists loosened, before freeing her.
"Does Tony know?" Stella questioned, finding the courage to look back up at him. Steve didn't meet her gaze.
"No."
Stella smirked to herself. Seemed she had some leverage over him after all.
"Don't call me that. Ever again."
"Call you what?" She asked.
Steve didn't respond. Stella raised a brow. "A fuckboy? Do you even know what that is?"
"I think I can gather."
Stella had been told multiple times in her life that she had an "attitude problem", but it seemed Steve had a special way of bringing it out.
"Well if you don't want to be called a fuckboy, maybe you shouldn't act like one."
Steve glared down at her. Before Stella could react he picked her up as if she weighed nothing, threw her over his shoulder, and began carrying her down the hallway.
"Steve! What the fuck?! Put me down!"
"No."
"Steve? Steve!" She pounded his back with her fists but they were ineffectual. He didn't even falter. "Let me go!"
"You're drunk. I'm taking you to your room to sleep it off."
"That's none of your goddamn business. I'm a grown woman. STOP."
He didn't stop. He carried her up the two flights of stairs to the residential wing, before kicking open her door and dropping her on the bed. She flew to her feet.
"What the hell is wrong with you?"
"I told you. You're too drunk."
"Like I said, it's none of your fucking business, Steve."
"You're lucky I'm taking you here to sleep it off. If you were my girl, I'd have you over my knee in a heartbeat." Stella blushed and once again her pulse was sent racing.
She really needed to break out the vibrator. Not getting laid was really starting to affect her judgement.
"Well, I'm not your girl," She snapped. Stella tried to walk around him, but he stepped in her path. She tried walking the other way and he blocked her again. Infuriated, she shoved him as hard as she could. He didn't even budge, simply staring down at her with crossed arms.
The words spilled from her lips.
"I hate you."
Steve's face fell into shock. Finally, a reaction.
Suddenly, Stella felt her stomach unsettle and acid burning the bottom of her throat. She made a beeline for the bathroom and barely got her head over the toilet before emptying the contents of her lunch into the bowl. She was now realizing she had skipped dinner.
Okay, maybe she had too much to drink but she was sure being tossed over someone's shoulder and carried around upside down hadn't helped.
She gagged again, spilling more into the toilet. She felt warm fingers around her neck and then her hair was being pulled away from her face. Steve was holding back her hair.
She opened her mouth to say something rude but a new slew of vomit came out instead. This continued for the next few minutes.
Eventually, her stomach felt settled enough that she could sit back against the tub. She flushed the contents of the toilet. Steve stood and got a glass of water from the sink before handing it to her. Stella downed it. He sat down against the wall opposite her.
"Did you mean what you said?" He said after a few moments of silence. Her eyes found his. "That you…hate me." His eyes were pained, though he was trying to hide it. This confused her.
"Maybe."
"Stella…you have to know. I never wanted to hurt you. From the moment I met you, all I wanted was to protect you."
"Because of Tony." She pinched the area between her brows. She felt tears coming. She tried to hold them back but it was no use. They spilled from her tightly closed lids and down her cheeks.
"Stella?" Steve had seen her tears yet sat frozen in his spot, unsure if he should touch her or not.
"It just felt so real…Us. And it hurts because it was all fake. An act to get information on me."
Steve was silent for a moment.
"…It was real, Stella." She looked up at him. "I didn't want to protect you because of Tony."
An odd swirl of emotions gathered in her chest.
"You were amazing; independent, whip smart and so dedicated…" Steve trailed off, before continuing. "Of course, I fell for you. How could I not?"
Steve felt it was time to come clean. He didn't want to lie to her anymore, and it seemed in the end it was only hurting her. And him.
Elation filled Stella but it lasted only a moment. She was feeling a deluge of so many emotions. Elation at his confession, yet confused. Angry at him for having lied to her. Overwhelmed at her entire life being uprooted.
"If that's true…why did you push me away that night? After I fell through the ice and tried to make amends with you."
"I thought I was doing what was best for you. I wanted to look out for you."
"And you couldn't do that if we were together?" Steve realized now how stupid it sounded out loud.
"I was worried being with you would skew my judgement. When we were on the trail we got into that argument and I took off…and you fell through the ice." Steve trailed off. "It's my fault."
"That wasn't your fault, Steve. No one could have predicted that would happen." Stella closed her eyes. "Even if I could wrap my head around that justification…you lied to me, Steve. About why you were in New York. About your intentions."
"I know. And I am so, so sorry Stella. I should've told you the truth from day one."
"Yes. You should've." Painful silence filled the space between them.
"Will you ever forgive me?"
"I don't know," She replied honestly. "I'm not ready to forgive you. I need…time."
A memory tugged at Stella. It was of a radio announcement that she had heard when Steve was found in the ice back in 2011. They had called him "the man out of time." Seemed an odd thing to remember this moment.
"…Okay."
"Okay?"
He nodded.
"If time is what you need…I can give that to you."
Stella still felt somewhat queasy so she elected to stay in the bathroom until she felt better. At some point she fell asleep, her head against the tub. Steve dozed off as well but when he woke a few hours later he picked her up and placed her in the center of her bed. Then he covered her with a quilt.
He gave her one final parting look, then headed back to his room.
A/N: Hope you guys are enjoying the story so far! Big shoutout to Tjy49 for reviewing. I know this was a longer chapter…Do you guys prefer longer or shorter chapters? Let me know what you think! Thanks for reading