#lawyer steve rogers

[bittersweet-in-boston]

Modern no powers mystery fic featuring our favorite two ding dongs - here’s the prologue, chapters will post every day or two over the next week

#stucky #bucky barnes #steve rogers #captain america #marvel #stevebucky #modern au #pre serum steve #lawyer steve rogers #war veteran bucky barnes #shrinkyclinks #kind of? #murder mystery #omg it’s done runs and hides

[sunriserose1023]

Burden of Proof (13)

WORD COUNT: 7652 WARNINGS: Emotional angst, crying, counseling sessions, medical situation AUTHOR'S NOTE: Wrapping things up here. I suspect one more chapter and we'll be done.

Masterlist

“Honey? You here?” “Kitchen!”

Steve sighed as he set his briefcase down, reaching up to unbutton the buttons at his collar. He untied his tie as he walked through the living room, a soft smile coming to his face when you turned from the stove and smiled at him. He left his tie loose around his neck, both hands reaching to cradle your face as he leaned in to kiss you. Your eyes slid closed as his lips touched yours, your hands moving to his hips, then sliding up his back. Steve’s hands moved to your back, holding you close against him, lips still working in a gentle, yet still passionate kiss. 

Steve broke the kiss to rest his forehead against yours, a soft laugh leaving his throat when you were softly panting. 

“Took your breath away, did I?”

He laughed harder at the gentle pinch you gave his side. He lifted his head and kissed your forehead, closing his eyes when you spoke softly. 

“I’m so glad you’re home.” “So am I.”

You lifted your head to look into his eyes. 

“Rough day?”

Steve sighed. 

“Just … I don’t know.”

You tilted your head and he sighed again. He shook his head, taking a step back from you. 

“I’m having … not really trouble, not problems per se, but … it’s different now. At work, I mean.” “What’s different about it?”

Steve lifted a hand, rubbing at his bearded chin. 

“I don’t see the point anymore.”

He blew out a breath. 

“The caseload is horrendous. When I win one case, there’s a hundred others lined up. Am I really making a difference if nothing ever changes? Because it doesn’t change. No matter what I do, there’s still case after case, piling up until there is no end in sight.”

You lowered your head, a soft smile on your lips. You looked back to him, seeing him with his hands on his hips, head bowed. You gently cleared your throat and Steve lifted his head, eyes locking on yours. You lifted a shoulder. 

“You made a difference to me.”

You watch the tension bleed out of Steve’s shoulders, walking over to him and laying a hand on his arm. 

“You changed my life, Steve. I’m here today because of you.” “Fury and Natasha—“ “No.”

He lifted his eyes to yours and you gave a slight shake of your head. 

“You.”

He closed his eyes, a hand moving to your hip and pulling you to him. You wrapped your arms around him, closing your eyes as he buried his head in your neck. One of your hands moved to scratch through the hair at the back of his head, and after a few quiet, comforting moments, he lifted his head. 

“Thank you.”

You smiled, leaning to press your lips to his. Steve kept a hand at your hip and you lowered your gaze, moving slightly shaky hands to the buttons on his shirt. 

“You okay, sweetheart?” “I, um …”

You licked your lips, lifting your eyes to his. 

“We need to talk.”

Steve just blinked as the air in the room seemed to get heavier. He moved to sit on a barstool, and you stepped closer to him. Steve tried to smile, but his lips wouldn’t cooperate. 

“What … what do we …”

He cleared his throat and you lifted a hand to his cheek. He closed his eyes, his hand lifting to cradle yours. 

“Are you leaving me?” “What?”

You tried to move your hand, but Steve tightened his grip. He finally blinked open his eyes and you shook your head. 

“I’m not leaving. Unless … do you want me to go?” “No!”

You sighed, lifting your other hand to your eyes. 

“I’m not going about this right.”

Steve chuckled, keeping his hand covering yours, but lowering them between you. You looked down at your hands, then met his eyes again. 

“The past few days, I haven’t been feeling very well.”

Steve’s eyebrows furrowed, and you shook your head. 

“I feel just awful when I wake up, but it gets better throughout the day. By the time you get home, I’m feeling fine.” “And that’s been all week?”

You nodded, seeing the confliction on his face. You turned your hand over, giving his a squeeze as he looked back to you. 

“You know Bucky and I have been hanging out.” “He won’t shut up about how the two of you are eating your way through Little Italy.” “Lombardi’s really is the best.”

Steve rolled his eyes and you gave a quiet laugh. You licked your lips and continued. 

“He’s been hanging out with me this week, and I taught him how to make a good cup of tea.” “I’m sure Clint will appreciate that.”

You smiled, pushing on. 

“This morning, he had an idea and I think we figured out what was wrong with me.” “And what did you two medical savants come up with?”

You rolled your eyes, poking his chest. Steve laughed, taking hold of your finger and pulling it to his lips, kissing the tip. You swallowed, stepping away from him, handing him a rolled up paper towel. He raised an eyebrow as he looked at you and you rolled your eyes. 

“Just open it.”

He did, feeling the breath catch in his chest when he saw what was in the middle of the towel. He blinked a few times, moving to set the towels on the counter in front of him, since his hands were shaking so badly he was afraid he’d drop it. He just stared, unable to move his eyes as he spoke. 

“Y/N, what is this?” “What do you think it is?”

Your voice was as soft as his, just as heavy with emotion. Steve blinked, clearing his throat, speaking again. 

“It … it looks …”

He gave a shaky exhale. 

“It’s a pregnancy test.”

You waited until he lifted his eyes to yours and you nodded. You watched his throat work as he swallowed, and he looked back down at the test in the nest of paper towels. 

“It’s positive.”

Again, you waited until Steve lifted his eyes to yours before you nodded. He glanced down at the test, then back to you. 

“You’re pregnant?”

You slowly nodded again, tears sparkling in your eyes. 

“I know we didn’t plan this and I—I don’t want you to think that I did this on purpose. I didn’t—it never crossed my mind, Steve. I know that’s a stupid thing to say and it’s so irresponsible, but I—“

You gulped in a breath when he held up a hand. 

“You’re pregnant?”

You nodded. 

“We’re having a baby?” “Looks that way.” “You and me, we’re … you’re having my baby?”

You couldn’t do anything but nod, and Steve stood up quickly, so fast, he knocked the stool he was sitting on over. He rounded the corner of the counter and grabbed you into his arms almost before you knew what was happening. He held you close, his arms around you so tightly, and you just broke. 

Tears streamed down your face as sobs left your chest. You dug your nails into his back as you held tightly to Steve, crying unashamedly as he held you safe in his arms. When the worst of your sobs had died off and your tears were subsiding, you realized that your shoulder was wet from the tears Steve was crying. He leaned back to look at you, both of your faces red and wet. He shook his head. 

“I love you.”

You smiled, a tear slipping down your cheek. 

“I love you, too.”

Steve let go of you, moving his hands to cup your face. 

“We’re having a baby?” “I think we are.”

Steve let out a laugh and you smiled, laughing yourself when he leaned in to kiss you.

Two weeks later, you were holding Steve’s hand in the doctor’s office. He’d taken off work for the day, and you couldn’t help but smile at the way his leg would not stop shaking, his nervousness evident even as he tried to hide it. You finally reached out and laid a hand on his knee, his leg going still at your touch, head turning to face you. You blinked, whispering softly. 

“What do you have to be nervous about here?”

Steve gave a soft laugh, leaning over and kissing your temple. 

“I’m sorry, sweetheart. Just a little antsy.” “About what exactly?”

Steve sighed, reaching over to take your hand. 

“What if the test was a false positive and you’re not really pregnant?” “Weren’t you there this morning? You really think it was a false positive?”

You had been, to put it frankly, sick as a dog this morning. Steve had dutifully sat on the edge of the bathtub beside you while you were on your knees at the toilet, holding your hair back and laying a cool rag against the back of your neck. 

Steve sighed, leg starting to jiggle again until you tightened your grip on his knee. Steve sighed again, taking your hand and bringing it to his lips. He started to say something, closing his mouth when the door opened and your name was called. You stood up, eyebrows furrowing when you saw the look on Steve’s face. 

“Hey.”

He blinked, pushing a smile on his face as he stood up, laying a hand against your back as he followed you and the nurse down the hallway. In the room, Steve helped you undress, folding your clothes and laying them on a chair as you slipped into the paper gown, laying the paper sheet over your knees. 

“Got to say, I’m loving this look.”

You rolled your eyes, but smiled. Steve stood against the sink, arms crossed over his chest as he looked out the window.

“Hey.”

He looked to you and you gave him a smile. 

“Are you okay?”

He smiled, nodding. 

“I am nervous, even though I know I don’t have any right to be.” “You can be nervous.” “Are you?” “A little apprehensive.”

Steve let his arms fall, pushing away from the sink and walking to you. You shook your head, a gentle smile on your face. 

“What if it was a false positive?”

Steve cupped your cheek with his hand. 

“If it was, then we need to have a good, long talk about what we want. What we both want.” “And if it’s not?”

Steve smiled. 

“Then we’re having a baby and I don’t really give a shit about anything else.”

You laughed, closing your eyes when Steve pressed his lips to your forehead. You reached up and grabbed hold of his wrist when there was a knock at the door, a few seconds before it opened and a woman stepped inside. 

“Ms. Rumlow?” “Y/N, please.”

The woman nodded as she stepped into the room. 

“Y/N, I’m Doctor Palmer.”

You shook her hand, then she shook Steve’s, then sat on the rolling stool beside the counter. 

“We got your blood and urine test results and all signs point to the fact that you are indeed pregnant.”

You sucked in a breath and nodded, holding tightly to Steve’s hand as Dr. Palmer continued. 

“This is your first pregnancy?”

You nodded, and the doctor made some notes in her chart. 

“We’ll have to do a Pap smear and an ultrasound today, and I’ll give you some things to read up on. Doctor appointments are pretty spaced out during the first trimester, and you’ll come to see me more often as your pregnancy progresses.”

You nodded again and Dr. Palmer looked up from where she’d been writing. She smiled softly. 

“Nervous?”

You closed your eyes as you nodded yet again and she reached to gently pat your knee. 

“That’s to be expected. Were you trying to get pregnant?” “No, I … this is a surprise.” “A happy surprise?”

You smiled as you nodded, and the doctor smiled back at you. She stood and walked to the sink, washing her hands as she spoke. 

“If you’ll lay back and scoot your bottom all the way to the end of the table, we’ll get this stuff out of the way and see if we can get a glimpse of your baby.”

You did as she said, holding onto Steve’s hand, looking into his eyes as the doctor did everything she needed to do. Once the tests were finished, you closed your eyes as the doctor prepared the ultrasound. 

“Okay, take a deep breath for me.”

You did, wincing slightly. 

“You got this. Just breathe.”

You looked up at Steve, going still as a steady thump began sounding. Steve’s eyebrows furrowed as he glanced at the doctor. 

“What is that?” “That is your baby’s heartbeat. And if you’ll look right here…”

You and Steve both looked where she was pointing at a screen, at a tiny something that reminded you of a jellybean. 

“That’s your baby.”

Your mouth dropped open as you stared at the screen, tears welling up in your eyes that you tried to blink away. They ended up falling anyway, and your voice was quiet when you spoke. 

“Is … is it …” “Everything looks just fine.”

You nodded, unable to take your eyes away from the screen. The doctor tapped the keys on the ultrasound machine, then handed you a strip of photos. One of the pictures had “Hi Mom!” typed inside it and you gave a shaky laugh. The doctor finished the test and pushed the ultrasound machine back to its resting spot. 

“You can get dressed and I’ll have the documents waiting for you at the checkout desk. I want to see you in four weeks, but if you need us before then, feel free to call. Congratulations.”

You nodded as you shook her hand, she shook Steve’s again, then left the room. Steve helped you sit up, and you stared at the sonogram photos in your hand. 

“You okay?”

You lifted your eyes to Steve’s, swallowing as more tears welled in your eyes. 

“It’s real. There’s really a baby and I …” “It’s a lot.”

You nodded, looking back at the photos. 

“Hey, at least we know it wasn’t a false positive now.”

You laughed, looking up at him and smiling. 

“Steve.” “Yeah, sweetheart?” “We’re having a baby.”

He smiled, nodding his head as he cupped the back of your head in his hand, bending to press his forehead to yours. You closed your eyes, a smile on your face as he whispered. 

“We’re having a baby.”

After the appointment, Steve took you back to the penthouse. You were tired, and now that you knew the reason for your fatigue, you felt indulgent. Steve tucked you into his bed with a book and a promise to bring home ice cream after a quick errand he had to run. Your eyes were already drifting shut when he kissed your forehead and shut the door behind him. 

He stared out the window of the cab as it drove through the City, finally coming to a stop outside a quaint brownstone. Steve handed the driver a wad of cash before he stepped out of the cab, ignoring the man’s questions and efforts to refuse the money. Steve just pulled his coat closer, raising his shoulders as he walked to the door, pressing the buzzer and listening for the unlock. 

Inside, he took a seat in one of the comfortable chairs, leaning forward to rest his forearms on his knees. 

“What in the devil are you doing making an appointment?”

Steve smiled as he lifted his head, seeing Peggy before him with her hands on her hips. 

“I need a shrink.” “Well, you’ve come to the wrong place.”

Steve’s smile grew, and Peggy shook her head, rolling her eyes as she stepped aside and motioned with her head for Steve to follow her into her office. He did, shutting the door behind him, watching as she walked to her desk. 

“Honestly, Steven. You know you don’t have to make an appointment.” “I really do need your professional services, though.” “How serious are we talking?”

He didn’t know how to say it, so he decided to just bite the bullet and go for it. 

“Y/N’s pregnant.”

The pen Peggy had picked up clattered to her desk. Her dark eyes were wide as she stared at him, and Steve nodded as he took off his coat. He draped it over a chair, gripping the back of it. 

“I know. I know.” “What the hell do you mean, ‘Y/N’s pregnant?’” “Is that sentence not explanatory enough?”

Peggy slowly pushed back from the desk as Steve spoke softly. 

“We just got back from the doctor. There’s a baby in her, my baby, and I don’t know what to do.” “What are you asking me, Steve?”

Steve shook his head, a humorless laugh escaping his throat. 

“I don’t know.”

He moved to sit in the chair, putting his face in his hands. Peggy watched him for a moment, then spoke. 

“Do you want this baby?”

He lifted his head, one hand covering his mouth. After a moment, he nodded, and Peggy gave a relieved exhale. Steve let his hand fall, then met her eyes. 

“I cried. When Y/N showed me the pregnancy test, I cried. Today, when we saw the thing and heard the heartbeat, I cried. I want this so badly.” “Then why are you here?”

Steve shook his head. 

“I didn’t notice. Y/N said she’s been sick all week and I didn’t even notice. I was up, gone to work before she got out of bed. Then when I got home, she was fine. Bucky’s the one who saw that she was sick and he’s the one who figured out she was pregnant.” “So you’re mad at Bucky?”

Steve sighed. 

“No.” “So you’re mad at yourself for not being attentive?”

Steve nodded, then sighed. 

“But that’s not all.” “Tell me.”

Steve swallowed, looking down at his hands. He slowly rubbed them together as he spoke. 

“Today at the doctor’s office, when they called her name, it hit me. She’s Y/N Rumlow still. Unless something changes, when the baby’s born, it’ll be a Rumlow too, because they give the baby the mother’s name.”

Peggy nodded, keeping silent as Steve raised his head. 

“I don’t want any part of that bastard touching my child.” “The baby will be a Rogers, Steve. Y/N will make sure of that. There are things we can do leading up to the birth to ensure—“ “I want to marry her, Peggy.”

Peggy went quiet. 

“Not just so the baby won’t be a Rumlow. I want to be married to Y/N. I want her to have my name, to belong to me, and how fucked up is that?”

Steve shook his head, pushing to his feet. 

“She went through hell being married to Brock, so here I am, wanting to put her through it again.” “First of all, it’s not fucked up.”

Steve stopped pacing and looked back at Peggy, who stood to her feet behind her desk. 

“It’s normal. She’s having your baby, so there’s this protective part of you that’s making itself known. There’s the primal need of wanting to claim her, to let everyone else know she’s yours, that it’s your seed she’s carrying. It’s not stupid, Steven. It’s natural.”

She rounded the desk to lean against the front of it. Steve took a step towards her. 

“Her first marriage—“ “Was awful. Hell on Earth, honestly.” “So how can I ask her to do it again?”

Peggy smiled. 

“Because you are not Brock Rumlow. You’ve more than proven that, if you ask me.”

Steve nodded, putting his hands in his pants pockets. 

“How can I ask her to do it again?” “It’s not the marriage that’s the issue, Steve.” “Then how can I ask her to trust me enough to see that I won’t treat her like Brock did?” “Talk to her.”

Steve met Peggy’s eyes and she smiled at him. 

“The fact that you’re so worried about her speaks volumes, Steve. Talk with her and tell her what you want, then ask her what you can do to help her get on the same page with you.”

Steve slowly nodded, as Peggy came to stand right in front of him. He smiled as he met her eyes. 

“Thanks, Peg.” “Anytime.”

Steve nodded, starting to turn away, stopping when she laid a hand on his arm. 

“Steve?” “Hmm?” “She’s really pregnant?”

Steve smiled, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a sonogram photo. Peggy laid a hand against her lips as she studied the picture, meeting his eyes. 

“You’re going to be a father.”

Steve swallowed as he nodded and Peggy gave a quiet laugh as she hugged him. Steve wrapped his arms around her, closing his eyes as she whispered in his ear. 

“Congratulations.”

Steve stepped into the apartment, slipping his shoes off and coming to a stop in the living room, when he saw you lying on the couch. You smiled at him with sleepy eyes and his cardigan wrapped around you. 

“There you are.”

Steve smiled as he walked to the couch, one arm behind you gripping the couch as he dipped to kiss your lips. You lifted a hand to rest against his cheek, a smile on your face when he broke the kiss. Steve sat on the edge of the couch beside you, his eyes studying your face. You shook your head, speaking softly. 

“What?”

Steve smiled at you. 

“You’re glowing.” “Oh, I am not.” “You are. You are positively radiant, my love.”

You giggled, reaching for his hand and resting yours in his bigger one. 

“Where did you go?” “I—oh, shit. I forgot the ice cream.”

You gave his hand a squeeze. 

“I don’t need it.” “You feeling okay?”

You wrinkled your nose. 

“A little wonky.”

Steve moved the hand not holding yours to rest over the lower part of your stomach.

“Ease up on your mom, kid.”

You smiled, and when Steve’s eyes met yours again, you gave his shirt a tug. He leaned in, lips meeting yours in a long, slow kiss. When he pulled back, you kept your eyes closed, a soft smile on your face. 

“Can I do anything for you, sweetheart?”

You nodded, opening your eyes. 

“Can you sit with me and hold me? While we’ve still got time before I start looking like I’m trying to imitate Shamu?”

Steve laughed, standing up to slide his coat off his shoulders, tugging the sweater over his head, leaving him in a white tshirt. He unbuttoned his jeans and you felt your cheeks warm as he slid them off, motioning for you to give him some room. You did, and once he was relaxed back into the plush couch, you moved into his arms, your back against his chest. You sighed, letting your head rest against his shoulder as his warmth surrounded you. 

“I love you.”

You smiled, eyes slipping closed. 

“I love you, too.”

Even though you’d taken a nap that afternoon, you couldn’t keep your eyes open with Steve holding you so perfectly. The last thing that registered with you was Steve’s hand moving under your shirt to rest against your stomach. 

You stood at the stove, stirring the macaroni and cheese. It had come from a box, but you’d been having the strangest craving for it, so you didn’t feel bad about it. You heard Steve come down the hallway from his office, and you glanced that way, tilting your head when you saw him. 

He seemed weighed down, tired. He had the start of dark circles under his eyes, shoulders hunched as if he were carrying a load that was weighing on him. 

“Steve?”

He lifted his head, a smile that didn’t reach his eyes coming to his lips. 

“Hey, baby.”

He walked to you and gave you a kiss, moving to stand behind you. He slid his hands around your hips, lacing his fingers together under your bellybutton, resting his chin on your shoulder. 

“What’s for dinner?”

You pointed to the box on the counter. 

“It’s not homemade, so it won’t be as good, but it sounded so good to me.” “Is this your first craving?”

You shrugged and Steve gave a quiet laugh as he kissed your shoulder. You turned to face him, looking into his tired eyes. 

“Hey.”

He smiled that same sad smile and you shook your head. 

“What’s going on with you?”

Steve started to shake his head and you reached to hold his arms. His biceps flexed a bit at your touch and you suppressed the shiver that wanted to roll down your spine. 

“Talk to me.” “I’m fine, babe. I promise—“ “No, you’re not.”

You reached up to cup his cheek in your hand and he closed his eyes. You rubbed your thumb over his cheekbone, speaking softly. 

“After everything you did for me, the least I can do for you is listen.” “You don’t have to do anything for me.” “I know. Let me anyway.”

Steve sighed, taking hold of your wrist, pressing his lips to your palm before stepping away from you. He pushed a hand through his hair, then turned to face you. 

“Would you still love me if I wasn’t a lawyer?”

You blinked rapidly, eyebrows furrowing. 

“What are you talking about?”

Steve shook his head, sliding his hands in his pockets. 

“Nothing. It’s … it’s nothing. Forget I said anything.” “No, hang on.”

You turned the stove off before the timer could beep, walking the pot to the sink and draining the pasta. You put the pasta back in the pot and added milk, butter, and the cheese packet, stirring until you were satisfied. Once that was done, you walked over to Steve, laying a hand against his chest. He closed his eyes at your touch, opening them again and looking down at you. You gave a shake of your head. 

“Where is this coming from?”

Steve sighed, lifting a hand to cover yours, and you rubbed your thumb along his finger. He looked down at your hands, shaking his head. 

“I don’t think I can keep doing what I’ve been doing.” “Because of me?” “What? No!”

Steve shook his head, his other hand moving so both of his hands were holding yours. 

“None of this is your fault.” “But—“

Steve shook his head, bending to lay his lips on yours. He moved to kiss your forehead, pulling you into his arms. He rested his head on top of yours as you put your face in his chest. 

“It’s not because of you.” “I think it’s a little because of me.”

Steve smiled at your voice, muffled from your face in his shirt. 

“Maybe a tiny bit.”

You lifted your head to look at him, and he smiled down at you. He sighed again, speaking softly. 

“It’s weighing on me. All the cases, they’re just piling up one right after the other. What good could I possibly be doing if by the time I finish one case, we’ve got six more in the barrel?”

He shook his head, hand gently rubbing up and down your back. 

“Your trial showed the ugly side of the legal system. The underbelly. Pierce is not the only judge who’s corrupt. He’s just the latest one who got caught. What good is it if I can’t even trust the judge?”

He kissed the top of your head, patting your back as he stepped away again. 

“Everyone I see now, I wonder if they’ve got a hidden agenda. Are they really in it for the justice or just for the money? Do they even care at all?”

He laid his hands on the counter, hanging his head. 

“I don’t know if I can keep going on like this.”

You walked over, laying a gentle hand on his back, rubbing between his shoulder blades. 

“What about a sabbatical?”

He turned his head to look at you and you smiled. 

“Take an extended break, clear your head a bit. Give yourself a few months and if you still feel this way…” “Then I’ll know.”

You nodded and he straightened, turning to you and pulling you back into his arms. You smiled as you lifted your chin, and Steve smiled before he kissed you. You settled against his chest, your ear resting over his heart, when he softly spoke again. 

“That’s not the only thing.”

You opened your eyes, moving to look at him again. He lifted a hand to touch your hair, resting his hand against your shoulder before he murmured again. 

“The other day, after your appointment, I went to see Peggy.” “Is everything okay?”

You tried to keep your face neutral as he nodded, and he finally lifted his head to look you in the eyes. 

“I want to marry you.“

Your eyes widened and he chuckled under his breath. 

“I know. But I mean … It’s not like this is completely out of left field or anything. I just …”

He sighed, stepping back and laying his hands on your shoulders, sliding them down your arms until he was holding your hands. 

“I don’t want to pressure you into anything. That’s why I went to Peg, to see how exactly we should address this. I know how terrible your life was with Brock and I don’t want you to think you have to marry me just because we’re having a baby. I can wait as long as you need.”

He gave your hands a squeeze, a gentle smile on his face. 

“I just wanted you to know.” “Steve.” “You don’t have to say anything. I’m not asking anything right now. I just want you to know, whenever you’re ready, however long that may be. I love you.”

You just stood there, unable to do anything but blink. Steve stepped closer, and you closed your eyes as his lips touched your forehead. 

“Now I don’t know about you, but I’m starved. Want me to get you a bowl?”

You couldn’t answer him, but he didn’t seem bothered. He walked to the cabinet and got down two bowls, humming to himself as he divided up the macaroni and cheese. You watched him, the warmth in your chest at odds with the sudden churning of your mind. 

Steve gave a quiet groan, rolling onto his stomach, one arm reaching out for you. He lifted his head when his hand touched cool sheets instead of your warm body, and he grunted, wrinkling his nose. You gave a quiet laugh, pushing your hand through his hair. 

“Hey, big guy. Go back to sleep.” “What’re you doing?”

You shushed him, his still half-asleep mind not putting up a fight as you coaxed him into laying back down. 

“I’ve got something I need to do. I’ll be back soon.” “You okay?”

You nodded, a smile on your face. 

“I’m fine. Go back to sleep.”

You bent to kiss his temple, sliding your pillow towards him, smiling wider when he wrapped his arms around your pillow, pulling it to him, putting his face in the pillow and inhaling deeply. You quietly left the room, pulling his cardigan closer around you as you made your way through the apartment, then out the door. 

You felt uneasy leaving on your own. You’d been around Steve or Bucky so much you still weren’t used to being by yourself. But, you had your phone in your pocket and you kept your hand on it as you rode the elevator down to the lobby of Steve’s building. You swallowed as you made your way to the front desk. 

“Ms. Rumlow?”

You blinked at the man behind the desk, then nodded. He smiled, pushing a few buttons on a panel before him. 

“Mr. Rogers set a car up for whatever you may need. Jarvis will drive you, and he’s pulling the car around now.”

You smiled, nodding at him. 

“Thank you.” “No problem at all, ma’am. Have a good day.”

You turned away, walking through the door and to the car on the curb. 

“Ms. Rumlow?”

You nodded, and the driver of the car opened the back door for you. You climbed into the car, buckling your seatbelt as the man climbed into the driver’s seat. 

“Where to, miss?”

You gave him the address and the car pulled away from the curb. 

“Getting an early start to your day, ma’am?”

You smiled. 

“Seems that way, doesn’t it?”

You licked your lips and leaned forward a bit. 

“Have you always worked for Steve?” “Inadvertently, yes. My father worked with Mr. Rogers' uncle.” "Howard?"

Jarvis nodded, and you smiled softly.

“I apologize for not meeting you before now.” “No need to apologize, ma’am. Mr. Rogers told us you would introduce yourself when the time was right.”

You nodded, sitting back in your seat. 

“Yeah, I … I’ve sort of become a homebody.” “Nothing wrong with that.”

You smiled, staring out the window, watching the City roll by. Jarvis didn’t say anything else, neither of you feeling the need to fill the silence that had settled over the car. Soon, the car came to a stop, and Jarvis climbed out, opening the door for you. You stepped out of the car and pulled the cardigan closer around you. 

“Will you give me your number? I’ll call when I’m ready.” “No ma’am. I’ll be right here.” “Oh, you don’t have to do that.”

Jarvis just smiled at you and you nodded, smiling back at him before turning and walking up the steps to the brownstone. You walked inside and sat on one of the plush chairs, reaching for a magazine. 

“I swear, you people are trying to give me an ulcer.”

You tilted your head as looked up at Peggy, who rolled her eyes and motioned for you to follow her into her office. You did, sitting when she motioned for you to, in the chair across from her desk. She sat behind the desk, exhaling as she looked your way. 

“You do not need to make an appointment. You can call me any time.” “I didn’t want to be a bother.” “Trust me, you’re not. Steven, on the other hand…”

You smiled and Peggy laid her hands on her desk. 

“What can I do for you, darling?”

You took a breath, smiling at her. 

“I suppose Steve told you. He said he came to see you the other day.” “Well, because of doctor-patient confidentiality, I’m afraid I can’t answer that.”

You couldn’t help but smile at the sparkle in her eyes. You moved a hand against your stomach and Peggy’s face broke into a smile. 

“Yes, he told me and I am thrilled for you both.” “Thank you.” “How do you feel?” “In general or right this moment?” “Both.”

You nodded, glancing away from her for a moment, then looking back. 

“I’m so very happy. I never thought a baby would happen for me, but it is and I’m overjoyed. But right this second I feel a little nervous and a lot nauseous.”

Peggy gave you a sympathetic smile. 

“I can understand the nausea, but what are you nervous about?”

You looked down at your hands, focusing on the sleeve of Steve’s cardigan that was now yours. Peggy waited in silence, giving you the opportunity to speak when you were ready. You lifted your head and met her eyes. 

“He told me he came to see you. And then he … he told me he wants to marry me.”

Peggy had a soft smile on her face as she nodded in understanding. 

“And what did that make you feel?” “My knee-jerk reaction was fear. And I know I felt that way because of everything I went through with Brock.”

Peggy nodded but didn’t speak. When silence settled between the two of you, you spoke again. 

“I know Steve isn’t Brock. I know it will be different if we get married. I know that, but …” “You know it in your head, but your heart was so damaged in everything you went through with Brock.”

You nodded, tears pricking your eyes. Peggy gently pushed a box of tissues towards you, and you took two, using one to dab at the tears leaking from your eyes. 

“What exactly do you want, Y/N?”

You lifted your eyes to her, and Peggy repeated her question. You swallowed, then answered her. 

“I want … I want it to be like it is now. Easy.” “You know that is not realistic, right?”

You sniffled as you nodded. 

“I know.” “That’s good.” “But I … I feel conflicted.” “How so?”

You looked down at the tissues in your hands. 

“I sort of swore to myself when the divorce went through that I’d never get married again. I never wanted to put myself through that hell a second time.” “That’s completely understandable.” “But then yesterday, when Steve told me that he wanted to marry me, I …”

You shook your head, Peggy’s question was gentle. 

“What did you feel?”

You lifted your head to look at her, a soft smile on your face. 

“Like they’d just called my name as Miss America.”

Peggy’s eyebrows raised and you gave a watery laugh. You shook your head, the smile still on your face. 

“I don’t know why I felt like that. But when he said the words, I was expecting to panic. But it wasn’t panic I felt, and after everything I went through before—“ “The feelings didn't add up.”

You nodded, and Peggy smiled as she looked at you. 

“You know Steve is nothing like Brock.”

You nodded, and she went on.

“Has he ever done anything that even remotely makes you think of Brock?” “Only ‘Brock would never do something like this.’”

Peggy gave a quiet laugh. 

“That’s good. The conflicting feelings are perfectly normal, considering your previous situation.”

You nodded, glancing back down at your hands. Peggy waited a moment, then spoke as gently as she could. 

“Do you want to marry Steve?”

You waited a moment before you answered. 

“He said he wasn’t asking anything yet, and he’d wait as long as I need.” “That sounds just like him, but you didn’t answer my question, dear. Do you want to marry him? I’m not asking for tomorrow or ten years in the future or if you just want to be like those Hollywood couples who stay ‘engaged’ for years and years. Do you want to marry Steve?”

You lifted your head, tears in your eyes again. 

“I do.” “So what’s holding you back?”

You shook your head. 

“I don’t … I don’t know.” “You’ve lived with Steve for a long time now. He’s never shown any sort of behavior that is even reminiscent of Brock, correct?”

You nodded. 

“So what makes you think his behaviors will change when you get married?”

You swallowed as you looked out the window, and Peggy stood up from her desk, walking to sit beside you. You looked at her as she took your hands. 

“When Steve was here the other day, everything that we talked about showed me how much he adores you and how excited he is for your child. He’s feeling possessive, which is perfectly normal for any expectant father. But he was so worried about you. He came to ask me how to broach the subject with you, how to prove to you that he won’t be like Brock. He was torn because he couldn’t even understand how he could ask you to marry him after what you’d been through.”

A tear slipped down your cheek as Peggy smiled and gently squeezed your hands. 

“It is clear to me that you both want the same things. And you’re both so worried about hurting the other. My advice to you is don’t let your head get in the way of what your heart wants.”

She gave your hands another squeeze. 

“Steven is not Brock. He is nothing like him. He will treat you like a goddess, like his queen, even when you’re mad at each other. You will be the object of his every affection and desire, and never the object of his rage. He will never lay a hand on you, I swear to you.”

You gave a quiet sob. 

“I know.” “Do you?”

You nodded, squeezing her hands back, speaking through the sobs you couldn’t hold in any longer.  

“I love him so much. I want to marry him and have him take care of me and take care of him. I want this baby with him and I want to be his wife.” “Then go and tell him that. I will always be here, darling, for anything you ever need. Do not hesitate, even if it’s just to talk.”

You leaned to hug her, and Peggy smiled, tears in her own eyes as she hugged you back. 

You smiled at Jarvis as he held the car door open for you. You carried the tray of drinks in one hand, the bag of bagels and fixings in the other. You nodded to the doorman and the man at the front desk, giving a quiet laugh when he rushed over to press the elevator buttons for you. Once you were inside the apartment, you slipped your shoes off, rounding the corner for the kitchen, stopping when you saw Steve. 

He was leaning against the kitchen counter with a mug raised to his lips. He was wearing a white tshirt and his dark blue sweatpants, and when he lowered the mug, a smile was on his face. 

“There she is.”

You set your tray and the bag down on the bar, rounding the corner. Steve put the mug down on the counter behind him, catching you as you rushed into his arms. 

“Hey, hey. Everything okay?”

You nodded, keeping your face in his chest. He lifted a hand to cradle your head, his other hand gently rubbing circles on your back. 

“Talk to me, sweetheart.”

You raised your head to look into his worried blue eyes. You smiled, going on your tiptoes to kiss his lips. He met you halfway, and you went back to your flat feet as the two of you kissed. Steve kept cradling your head in his hand as you pulled back to smile up at him. He smiled back, giving a shake of his head before he spoke. 

“Where’d you go this morning? And it better not have been for any baby stuff without me.”

You giggled, moving your hands to slowly rub up and down his arms. 

“I brought breakfast.”

You stepped away from him and Steve raised an eyebrow, squinting his eyes as you unloaded the bagels and all the toppings from the bag. 

“Do you like plain or everything bagels?” “Either.” “Well, I like everythings, so I got a couple of those. And the cream cheese sounded so good, and so did avocado, so I got that. I got you some—“ “Whatever you got me, I’ll love it.”

You lifted your head to meet his eyes, and you sighed as you smiled. Steve shook his head. 

“Talk to me, sweetheart.” “I will, I promise. We just need to eat first.” “Why?” “Because it will get cold and cold bagels are not as appetizing.” “We have a microwave and an oven and an air fryer thing.”

You kept smiling, and Steve finally blew out a breath and came to sit at the bar beside you. You handed him a bagel and kissed his temple, then set about fixing your own. The two of you ate in a comfortable silence, with Steve’s foot crossed with yours. When you were done, you started to stand up to clean off the bar, but Steve stopped you. You laughed as he pulled you into his lap and you shook your head. 

“So nosy.”

Steve just looked at you with a soft smile on his face. You took in a breath, letting it out slowly. 

“I went to see Peggy. After what you told me last night …”

Steve nodded. 

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to pressure you—“ “No, no, honey. You didn’t.”

You smiled at him, feeling tears well up in your eyes. Steve’s eyes went soft and you shook your head, the smile widening on your face as you whispered the words. 

“I want to marry you.”

Steve’s eyes widened as his mouth dropped open. You laughed, the sound growing louder as you cupped his face in your hands. 

“I do. I love you, and I want to marry you.” “But—“ “I know. That’s why I went to Peggy. It doesn’t make sense. But she helped me see that you have shown me time and time again that you’re not anything like Brock. I knew that, I know that, and …”

You took a breath, letting go of his face and taking hold of one of his hands. 

“When you said those words to me the other day, it wasn’t fear that filled my heart. It wasn’t terror that you’d turn into Brock or worry. When you said those words I realized that I wanted that, too. And my mind couldn’t match up to my heart. But it does now. I love you, Steven Grant Rogers, and I want to be your wife.”

Steve leaned in and captured your lips with his, and you sighed happily as you melted into him. After a good, long kiss that left your lungs breathless and your cheeks warm, you were resting your head on his shoulder as you spoke softly. 

“I’m not asking you anything. And I’m not silently telling you to ask me anything. I just … wanted you to know.” “Just in case?” “Just so you know.”

Steve smiled, tightening his hold on you. 

“Just so I know.”

TAGS: Tumblr would not let me post the tag list for some reason. I have really been wanting to do away with tags anyway, so ...

#burden of proof series #burden of proof #steve rogers x female reader #marvel au #reader insert #marvel reader insert #mcu au #mcu reader insert #marvel fanfiction #mcu fanfiction #steve rogers fanfiction #steve rogers reader insert #lawyer steve rogers #steve x reader #female reader #steve rogers fic

[holylulusworld]

The assistant (4) - Lawyers

Summary: You are invisible most of the time.

Pairing: Boss!Steve Rogers x Assistant(plussized)!Reader

Possible pairing: Jake Jensen x Reader, Lloyd Hansen x Reader, Curtis Everett x Reader, Ari Levinson x Reader, Andy Barber x Reader, Mike Weiss x Reader

A/N: Okay, I went a little crazy with all the CEvans charaters in this one.

Warnings: angst, flirty CEvans characters, language, plussized/chubby reader, fat shaming,

The assistant masterlist

<< Part 3

Three weeks later, Jake’s café, …

“How can I help you Ms. Y/L/N?" Lloyd was right, his brother Andy looks like he’s got a stick up his ass. He watches you closely as you try to check your CV again. “Miss, I came here to help you. The least you can do is pay attention to me.”

“Stop bugging her,” Lloyd marches toward your table. “We asked you to come here to check if we could sue the Avengers or Stark. Golden boy or not, I want to fuck him over.”

“Lloyd, language,” Andy lifts his gaze from the papers in front of him. He sneers and turns his attention back to the papers.

Lloyd sighs deeply as you say, “I don’t want to sue Mr. Stark or the Avengers." Tony has always been kind to me. What happened was not his fault. I will just move on and get another job.”

“You’re too good for this world, cupcake.”

“I’m just used to things like this, Lloyd,” you say with a cracked smile. “I’m a big girl in any way. Steve Rogers and Sandy are not the first people to harass me and won’t be the last.”

“Miss, I don’t know you very well, but harassment is a crime,” Andy says. “If you don’t want to sue Mr. Stark, I understand. But we can sue Steve Rogers. He was the one harassing you. I will damage his reputation so much he wishes he had never gotten the serum.”

“There he is,” Ari grabs his brother’s shoulders, squeezing hard. “I know you still have it in you. Our bad boy is back!”

“Hands off Ari,” Andy snaps at his brother. It was just legal advice I gave to Miss Y/L/N. It won’t be easy, though. Everyone loves Captain America. If we do this, it’s going to be a long and difficult fight.”

“Can I not shoot him a little?” Lloyd asks.

“What?” You snap your head at Lloyd. “No violence, Lloyd. I just…can we not forget about all of this? Mr. Stark offered to pay me my wages for the rest of the year. He even offered me a better position but…”

“You didn’t want to run into that asshat Rogers,” Jake says. He balances a tray filled with your favorite sins. “All for you, sweetie.”

“Jake, I told you I wanted to lose weight. Your creations don’t help me at all,” you whine as you look at the cupcakes and cookies on the plate Jake places in front of you.

Jake violently shakes his head and says, “No…no, you’ll eat up, Y/N. I made them all for you.”

“Mike is on his way,” Curtis says to the brothers and you at the table. “What is the plan now? Do we sue that blonde boy, or do we break his neck?”

“No breaking necks,” Andy huffs. “You all didn’t change one bit. This domestic façade. The café. The legal business. Nothing can hide who you really are.”

“Well, sunshine,” Lloyd grips the back of Andy’s chair and leans close enough to whisper in Andy’s ear, “we are gangsters. Always were. You didn’t have a problem with taking the money to pay for your study, the house, and all the shiny things your wife wanted you to buy.”

Andy balls his hands into fists. He squares his jaw. His eyes flicker toward you. You can see he tries to hold his anger back as the seconds tick by.

Andy takes several deep breaths. No matter what, he keeps his gaze on you. “I never wanted money. You gave it to me, Lloyd. I knew it was to get rid of me.”

“Nonsense,” Curtis huffs. “You always dreamed big. Daddy’s money wasn’t good enough for you any longer. We weren’t good enough for you. You had started a family and forgot about your brothers.”

“Maybe if your only solution wasn’t violence and threatening people I would’ve stayed. But all of you refused to change and let me give the family business a legal façade and…then I came back, and you’ve got a coffee house chain.”

“Oh, tell Y/N every dirty detail about our business, why don’t you?” Jake snaps at Andy. “We tried to keep her out of this! And this is not a coffeehouse chain. It’s a café, and bakery with a reading corner and free Wi-Fi.”

“What do you mean?" Andy searches your eyes again. “Fuck…you should’ve told me so.”

“Yeah, fuck sunshine,” Lloyd slaps the back of Andy’s head. “Cupcake, I guess the cat is out. Now you are part of the organization. Welcome to the family.”

“What? "I-what?" you ask as you try to figure out what just happened. You assumed Lloyd and his brothers didn’t make money the legal way, but ending up as a part of their criminal organization wasn’t in your plans. “Will I get paid?”

Lloyd throws his head back and starts laughing. He holds his stomach, snorting and chuckling as Jake throws his hands up.

Ari and Curtis shrug while turning their attention to the food on the table. Only Andy still looks at you. “Sorry for my idiot brothers. They are a handful.”

“It’s fine,” you hastily say. “They helped me through a rough patch. And I get free cupcakes here every day.”

“We will find the perfect position in our organization for you. You’ll never have to work for these assholes again,” Lloyd says. He still snorts slightly but tries to keep a straight face. “Just promise me I can pay Mr. Goldilocks back for his behavior.”

“Perfect position."

“…and free cupcakes, “ Jake adds. “We have all this paperwork and most of my brothers hate doing it. I’m the only one taking care of this shit. But I’m busy with the website and marketing. You’ll be an angel saving me from all the paperwork I’m drowning in.”

“Do you want to sue Rogers now or not?” Andy leans back in his chair and looks at you. “Doll, you need to talk to your lawyer.”

“All I want is to forget about Sandy, Steve Rogers, and my former job. I liked working in the tower, but it was never meant to be a long-term position. I wanted to open my own business one day.”

“What kind of business?” Andy asks. He seems to be a bit more relaxed around his brothers now.

“I don’t know. I always liked to bake, and I love flowers…books too. I never thought much about it, to be honest. I dreamed of opening my business, but…”

“You never believed it would actually happen?” he asks. “If you had one wish, what would it be?”

“Can we stop that wishy-washy nonsense now? We still need to find a way to pay that asshole back.”

“Don’t forget Sandy, with Y,” Jake grits out. "I want to pay her back too. She harassed our girl. Y/N is my friend. I won’t let that woman get away with it.”

Five hours later you are curled up on Jake’s comfortable couch. The brothers wanted you to come with them tonight. Rumors say a fight is taking place in New York.

One involving the Avengers.

“Why do you think this place is safer?” You yawn and rub your tired eyes. “Lloyd?”

“You must trust me in this, cupcakes. This house is the safest place in this rotten world,” Lloyd pats your head. "We have prepared a room for you. Upstairs.”

“Got it,” you flutter your eyes shut. “Thank you…all of you…”

“Truth or dare, gentlemen,” Lloyd looks around the table. All seats are taken for the first time in years. “Andy, Mike, welcome back.”

“Lloyd,” Mike nervously glances at his brother, “I wanted to apologize for your car. I will pay you back for it.”

“Good.”

“Lloyd,” Jake pokes his brother’s side. Is there anything else you would like to say to Mike?”

“It’s good that you don’t look like shit anymore,” Lloyd grins. “We are proud of you for fighting your addiction, brother. Welcome home.”

“I came back as Curtis said you needed help with a girl.”

“She needs our help. We're gonna teach Captain America a lesson now that he messed with her," Lloyd whispers.

>> Part 5

The assistant

@babygirl-one-and-only​, @curlycarley​​, @yoruse​​, @nikkitc0703​​, @mswgtsd​, @albinotigerpython​​, @acornacreacure, @liloxclu @mochionly​ @deansonlywife​

#jake jensen #steve rogers x reader #lloyd hansen x reader #ari levinson #andy barber #The assistant (4) - Lawyers #plus-sized reader

[tilltheendwilliwrite]

Sugar and Spice

Chapter Eighteen

Master List |  Steve Rogers Master List  | Series Master List

Previous Chapter

Pairing: Lawyer!Steve Rogers x OFC Rowan Maddox

Warnings: none

A/N: Thank you, Scribbly, for your Coffee Update that brought about this chapter! Also, the Instagram photos in the title pics are by @theenchantedgalleryofstories. I am FINALLY getting around to using them!!!

I do not tag. For notifications, please subscribe to the story on AO3, or follow the library blog @tilltheendwilliwrite-library

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#sugar and spice #au #Steve Rogers #lawyer!steve rogers #steve x ofc #not sugar daddy kink

[imaginedreamwrite]

Come Hell Or Highwater: Part 4

Andy Barber, even as young as he was compared to other lawyers who were as seasoned as him, was at the top of his game.

He was a lawyer who built himself a reputation that exceeded others around him and had just as ruthlessly defended anyone that he could have helped. While his brothers had joined the military and became navy SEALs, the two driven by some force demanded they give back to the world by saving everyone that they could.

Their impressive military careers were commendable and had secured the two of them a position with the Navy SEALs, while Andy had chosen to attend university and get his law degree. Ultimately the three of them would end up working for the same goal to aid the Witness Protection Program as best as their skill sets would allow.

While Ari and Steve had aided the program with their skills learned in the military which had provided protection for the people integrated into the service, Andy had worked through the courts to ascertain protective orders and handle the proceedings that would hopefully allow whoever was in hiding to find some level of peace.

Some level of peace that would only be achieved once the men responsible, for beating the prominent businessman and politician to death in the darkened alley on that fateful night wherein your good nature won out, had been put through court and thrown into a tiny windowless cell.

Until then you were at risk of death, or an even worse fate if they had gotten their hands on you. And while Andy, Ari and Steve would do everything within their power to keep you safe and out of their hands, ultimately there was only so much they could do and if you hadn’t played the role given to you by the program, you could theoretically be the cause of your own downfall.

Although that chance was low, it wasn’t out of the realm of possibilities especially not for someone like you.

Naïve and good-natured to an almost fault, there were definite avenues that could be exposed, there were cracks that the other side of the coin would try and expose. If they had gained access to your heart that you wore on your sleeve, or if they had tapped into your willingness to help as many people around you as they could, they would have you exactly where they wanted you.

However they had to find you first, and finding you would grant them the most difficulty. Especially given the numerous trials they had left that directed the organization after you in countless directions. It was a ploy, an intricate plot to have your direct location hidden.

And the benefit of being in a place that was a secure and safe community for polyamorous couples and family units was its secrecy and tendency to stick to each other. A safe place that wasn’t well accessed by the general public, the town you were hiding in was like its own little separate world beyond the usual.

Andy had stolen himself out of his thoughts by the crisp crinkle of the receipt in his hand was almost as necessary as blowing on the cup of coffee in his hand before he had a taste.

With the weight of a case on his shoulders that was a vital step to making the defences’ argument entirely destitute, Andy could have declared himself rightfully stressed. With long hours being pulled at the office and lengthy scheduled meetings to build layer upon layer before heading to the courts, Andy was rightfully stretched thin.

However, as the cords were seemingly pulling him in every which direction, he had received confirmation from Ari, taking Andy’s name as a persona, that introductions had been made upon your arrival.

Steve, Grant, was to take a job at the local mill working on stripping lumber and smoothing it down.

Ari, Andy, was going to be taking shifts at a construction yard transporting materials to the surrounding area.

And Andy, Cole, was a travelling businessman that went in and out of town frequently, a role that would give Andy an excuse to be gone for weeks.

Arrived safe. Bunny fawn is safe — A

Andy read the message once, and then again. As he comprehended the encrypted text for the second time, he raised the cup to his lips and exhaled a soft breath to further cool his black brew. There were a number of files on his desk, a number of records that alluded to your reputation as being a good girl—an exemplary being of softness and empathy that helped anyone within your reach.

And that kindhearted was had struck you on the path of these men who wanted to strike you down to keep their crimes silenced and under wraps.

They would test your bravado; they would test you within all your boundaries of sanity in order to have you crack and crumble. There was nothing more they’d love than to have you cave and give them everything they wanted while they extended their cruel hand toward you to get what they wanted.

It was the true nature of their brutality that faced you if the brothers failed.

But you were a witness they couldn’t lose, and it was Andy, Ari & Steve’s jobs to make sure you made it to court. There was a chance to finally deepen the cracks in the system, the organization that tried to cripple an entire city with their cruelty and brutality.

There had never been an opportunity like this, to commit major players to the steel and iron walls of a highly secure federal prison, one that was untouched and unable to be infiltrated by every source they knew and had.

“Mr. Barber, there’s a call for you. Someone from New York.”

Andy waited for this.

He had sat further upright in his desk chair and set his cup down, a few beads of condensation darkening the coaster beneath the porcelain. He reached for the receiver and yanked it from its nestling hold, first hearing a beat of silence and then a crack thwack of a blade meeting something dense and sturdy.

“Barber.” The voice was concise and controlled, Andy’s name the only verbal catalyst to get the conversation rolling.

You could only see slivers of moonlight that were peeking through building clouds, the promise of rain later in the early morning hours had hung over the area. While the house was still bare-boned and empty, boxes scattered with hastily packed dishes and other kitchen items were all a ploy to make this whole story more believable.

It was all a faceted cover to keep you in a safe area while somewhere else on the east coast, an entire legion of cold-blooded killers and criminals wanted you strung out because you were too kind. It was a choice you made to do good and be good, to try and help other people who needed you, that caused your life to be held in the hands of three men and the WPP they worked for.

Ari, Andy and Steve didn’t know you from Eve, they didn’t know who you truly were off of paper and out of files and yet your life depended entirely on them. Your life, your short life that barely grazed the 22nd year, was in the balance and you were meant to play the part of a young wife. A woman who was in a polyamorous relationship and new to this whole idea of having multiple husbands while in a community that was incredibly tight-knit and close.

You were cursed by your inability to mind your own business and say no. You were going to be fucked over by your innate need to be a people pleaser and overextend yourself to errands that hadn’t belonged to you.

It was your kindness that drove you to stop and grab your roommate’s prescription, saving her from going out herself. It was your inability to turn away from someone who needed help that made you a target, a witness that could put some Butcher away in a federal prison.

Your kindness, your sense of urgency to be a Good Samaritan had caused your entire life to upheaved.

And now you were in a position where you were set to play a young married wife with two men who had seen hell while in the army, and a lawyer who was deep diving into your life to build a case to protect you.

Now, you were restless.

At the moment you were unable to sleep despite the weight of the day driving you to close your eyes and find slumber.

Every time you closed your eyes you saw them, the two men abandoned in the alleyway bleeding out.

Every time your eyes shuttered you could feel the warmth of blood on your hands, the stench of copper hanging in the air while you attempted to stop the bleeding. The two men whose life had been brutalized, with one losing his life entire, and the other almost dying before the ambulance came, had set you on this path.

The men, or man, responsible for this beating had been sure that they wouldn’t live until you stepped in and when word got out that the other tangent was alive the task had been finished in the hospital room.

You were the only witness left, the only one who could possibly testify against the hellish beast that sent the two men to hades. There was more riding on your testimony and your future witnessing in the courts of law than you even knew.

If you had made it to court, you had a sneaking suspicion that you would aid in the devastation in whatever hellhound had called for the extermination of those two men.

For now, until the day came when you were thrown into court, you were going to have to keep your mind clear.

Though it was a task that was easier said than done, restfulness had found you and you had managed to shift on the bed and face the window with your hands cupped under your cheek.

Through the clouds the silver streams of moonlight had acted as a siren song, one that came over you in a haze to usher your to sleep. Your eyes grew heavy and fluttered closed like the groggy clouds shifting in the night sky, and slumber had come to you quicker than before.

Time was fickle. Time had given you sleep that felt like minutes instead of hours while simultaneously slowing down to an infinite crawl once you had stepped foot into the kitchen in the morning.

The two guards who were you faux husbands were already awake and although only Ari had been dressed for his first shift at the construction yard. The pair of jeans had been faded and worn, still in well enough shape to be used until the end of their life however you could see scuffs against the hems of the legs and a few small holes in the thighs.

Underneath the flannel he wore there was a white loose shirt with a scuff along the neckline and a small tear that could have alluded to him working with tools and lumber, just as Steve was supposed to. He truly had looked the part of a blue-collar employee, a man who was used to lugging materials and lumber around from construction yards to their destination, added by his clothing choice and the sheer size of him.

The long drive from the city to this remote and rural settlement, this closed and secured community where you’d be hidden, hadn’t affected him anymore than a single raindrop against dry sizzling earth. If anything, you were the one who’s been affected the most of the three of you, with your body aching still from the long hours in the truck, and your eyes heavy from not white enough sleep.

“Did you sleep okay?” Ari’s question bared no answer.

At least not at first.

Not until you had gotten your bearings and settled your weight on your toes instead of your heel or the ball of your foot.

Truly you didn’t know what to say to Steve and Ari, how to communicate your fears and inability to sleep due to your stress and anxiety. How could you have easily quantified your feelings while being forced to trust them despite not knowing them?

How could you open yourself up to being honest with them while feeling as if you needed to guard yourself?

Your answer was soft, mumbled and came with you rubbing your hands on your fleece-lined joggers, wiping your sweaty palms on your thighs.

“Sure.” It was a weak answer, you knew it was. It wasn’t anything close to the truth but how truthful could you really get when your head was full of garbled chaos?

“I made coffee-” Steve had just slid the porcelain cup against the cupboard toward you when a knock on the front door had rung out in the house.

Your head whipped around to face the sound, the steady knocking sounding more like an alarm than anything, and you were not the only one to think so.

“Stay here,” Steve’s hand was steady on your shoulder, directing you toward Ari and his black and red flannel, “don’t move.”

Steve brushed past you and Ari, trekking from the kitchen through an arched doorway to the front entrance, his voice calling through the door with firmness that created an illusion of a man who was not a morning person.

“Hi! Sorry to bother you!” The neighbour from yesterday called through the door, eliminating the tension almost instantly, and yet Ari still kept you close. “I thought maybe your wife might want to go to the farmers market with Sam and I.”

You heard the twist of the lock before the door opened, the subtle shift of Ari’s body next to yours had stolen your attention off of Steve and your new neighbour if only for a moment. It was enough of a distraction to allow Steve to bring Lia & Sam into the house, and even further toward the kitchen.

“Hi! Hope we’re not interrupting,” as if Lia’s gift of food yesterday wasn’t enough, she had shown up with her husband and a new basket of locally crafted jams and cookies, “Sam and I wanted to invite you to the farmers market.”

“I’m off,” Ari had whispered lightly, stooping low to kiss the top of your head as an affectionate send off, “be good, sweetheart. Grant, you going?”

“Sam, right?” Steve had stepped aside to let Ari past, and then he moved toward you, hands resting on your hips. “Nice to meet you again, yesterday was a long day on the road.”

“That’s right.” he confirmed the name with a smile and then slipped an arm around his wife’s waist, “Are you headed out to work too?”

“I’m sticking around with Danah,” hearing your fake given name for the first time with over people had been the catalyst that drew your eyebrows together in a furrow, and cast your lips into a frown, “we should go to the farmers market, love.”

This was your life for the moment, this was who you had become. This is who you were meant to be in this moment without much of an argument allowed.

For your well-being and to save your life you had to wholeheartedly accept this role as if you were born the persona, you had been assigned.

“I’d like that.” Your reply came as you accepted the basket of gifts and set it on the countertop, and then glanced down at the clothes you’d slept in, rolling your shoulders and picking at the front of the sweater. “Let me change first.”

You escaped without hearing the next spoken word, leaving the room to take the stairs back to one of the guest rooms you’d occupied while using the excuse to change as a chance to catch your breath.

#navy seal!ari levinson x reader x navy seal!steve rogers x lawyer!andy barber #navy seal!Steve Rogers x reader x navy SEAL!Ari Levinson #ari levinson x reader #ari levinson imagine #Andy barber x reader #Andy barber x reader fluff #witness protection program!Reader #Witness Protection Program #Andy Barber x reader angst #Steve rogers x reader #Steve rogers x reader fluff #triplets!Steve Rogers #triplets!Andy Barber #triplets!Ari Levinson #come hell or highwater #come hell or high water series #come hell or Highwater masterlist #come hell or Highwater part 4

[faorism]

harry wilson's cute lil evil lawyer moment when he gets all smiley about how hard it is to prove cancer in court, like oh yeah, he's still being redeemed and i love that for him

#“ill put in on the list” what list my dude. let me kno what is your steve rogers things to look up list for how to be a not evil lawyer man #leverage #harry wilson #the fractured job #leverage redemption spoilers #leverage redemption #faorism meta

[granatkoroleva]

𝐆𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐭 𝐊𝐨𝐫𝐨𝐥𝐞𝐯𝐚’𝐬 𝐑𝐞𝐜’𝐬

This rec list is created for @stuckybingo

Card # R40101 | Square filled - B4 | AU: Lawyer

Title ⊳ Innocent Until

Author ⊳ L1av

Pairing ⊳ James "Bucky" Barnes/Steve Rogers

Rating ⊳Explicit

Word Count ⊳138K

Major Tags ⊳ Lawyer!Bucky, BDSM, Kink, Mutual Pining, Hurt/Comfort, Secret Relationship

Summary ⊳ Bucky Barnes made a name for himself as the attorney who could get anyone off, but he still lives by the saying, "Innocent until proven guilty." Steve Rogers finds himself on trial for multiple homicides but he swears he was only trying to protect a girl. Bucky's been in this business long enough to know when someone's innocent, and Steve is innocent. Steve already feels like a monster and Bucky's worried this guy's going to lay himself on the sword come his trial. So Bucky offers up another course for punishment:

Turns out, chains and whips really excite Steve.

Commentary ⊳ The moral dilemma of a taboo relationship between attorney and client is pushed to the limits in this emotional whirlwind. It explores the start of a complicated relationship based on trust that, with tensions and compatibility so off the fucking charts, it left me screaming and crying for a happy outcome—and for Steve to be proven innocent.

Read it here

Title ⊳ A Hard Case of You

Author ⊳ @chiyume

Pairing ⊳ James "Bucky" Barnes/Steve Rogers

Rating ⊳ Explicit

Word Count ⊳21K

Major Tags ⊳Mechanic!Steve, Lawyer!Bucky, Strangers To Lovers, First Meetings, Homophobic Language, Happy Ending

Summary ⊳ James Buchanan “Bucky” Barnes, seasoned lawyer at Shield Legal Services, New York City office, is in a bad mood.

He’s driving down the I-90 from Buffalo in his sleek black company car, AC running on cool to keep the air from growing stuffy. He’s got his jaw set in that particular way he knows will cause him a major headache in a few hours, but right now the last thing on his mind is his own future discomfort.

In which Bucky's car breaks down when he's already feeling his worst, and he's forced to seek help from whatever's nearby. Luckily, Rogers' Auto Repair isn't too far away, and everyone seems very enthusiastic about recommending the place. But when Bucky gets there, he has a hard time seeing the professional the whole town's been speaking of so fondly...

Commentary ⊳ Bucky being stranded with only mechanic Steve who can help. Ahhhhhhh. Two idiots and the fun use of tropes.

Read it here

Title ⊳ Sweet Sugar

Author ⊳ this_wayward_life

Pairing ⊳ James "Bucky" Barnes/Steve Rogers

Rating ⊳ Explicit

Word Count ⊳ 8K

Major Tags ⊳ Lawyer!Bucky, Student!Steve, Age Difference, Sugar Daddy Bucky Barnes, Meet-Cute

Summary ⊳ This is not Bucky's scene.

Truthfully, most social situations aren't his scene, but particularly this one. He's closer to forty than thirty-five these days, and spending time in an overcrowded bar whose population tends to fall towards the early twenties side of the age scale is not something he particularly enjoys. If it was up to Bucky, he'd be spending his Friday night either in his office catching up on the Martinelli case or half-asleep on the couch, re-watching Criminal Minds and snuggling with his cat.

But, since Bucky sold his soul over to the Devil in sophomore year of law school when he made friends with one Natasha Romanoff, he's here, stuffed into a shirt that is a bit too tight around his midsection and jeans that he can barely sit down in.

Commentary ⊳ College jock Steve pursuing grumpy Bucky, and Bucky accidentally acquires a sugar baby. Also—BOTTOM DADDY BUCKY makes me feral.

Read it here

Rec Masterlist

Header created by @rookthorne

#SC’s fic recs #smutconnoisseur #stucky fic rec #stucky bingo round 4 #fic rec list #stucky bingo #AU lawyers #stucky au #bucky barnes #stucky #steve rogers #stevebucky #steve x bucky

[stevesbigbazoxngas]

"Steve is arrogant and doesn't think ahea-- [GUNSHOT]

#im DONE #dont even get me started #steve rogers #steve rogers my beloved #pro steve rogers #officially steve defense lawyer #captain america: the first avenger #catfa #captain america the winter soldier #catws #captain america civil war #cacw

[gouverkin]

I'm so glad we got the truth about Steve Rogers

#she hulk #tony stark #steve rogers #captain america #marvel #good for him #lawyer #mcu phase 4

[m-calculus]

I’m curious, if Bucky effectively retires after TFATWS, what kind of work do you think he would do?

He seemed happy working with his hands on the boat and repairing things. He also seemed quite content with an agricultural life in Wakanda, but LOVES the future and technology. So I’m thinking something mechanical or to do with technology. Maybe something like a garage creating custom cars and motorbikes with ALL the extras and modifications.

I can’t see him lasting long in customer service, and he’s clearly well and truly done getting into fights unless it’s to protect someone who is being reckless (I’m looking at you Steve and Sam).

I could imagine Steve doing something like becoming a lawyer after going back to be with Peggy. He hates bullies and likes to read (military manuals, the accords).

#the Falcon and the winter soldier #bucky barnes #steve rogers #captain america #mechanic!buckybarnes #lawyer!steverogers

[tilltheendwilliwrite]

Sugar and Spice*

Chapter Seventeen

Master List |  Steve Rogers Master List  | Series Master List

Previous Chapter

Pairing: Lawyer!Steve Rogers x OFC Rowan Maddox

Warnings: language, smut, these two are adorable

A/N: This chapter brought to you by @lexeeehhh through coffee updates! Thank you, peach!

I do not tag. For notifications on the story, please follow @tilltheendwilliwrite-library​​ or subscribe to it on AO3. An account is required to access my work on AO3. For more information on how to get your FREE AO3 account, see this post.

Keep Reading on AO3

#sugar and spice #lawyer!steve rogers x ofc #avengers au #no powers

[imaginedreamwrite]

Come Hell Or Highwater — update sneak peek

A crisp crinkle of the receipt in his hand was almost as necessary as blowing on the cup of coffee in his hand before he had a taste. With the weight of a case on his shoulders that was a vital step to making the defences’ argument entirely destitute, Andy could have declared himself rightfully stressed. With long hours being pulled at the office and lengthy scheduled meetings to build layer upon layer before heading to the courts, Andy was rightfully stretched thin.

However as the cords were seemingly pulling him in every which direction, he had received confirmation from Ari, taking Andy’s name as a persona, that introductions had been made upon your arrival.

Steve, Grant, was to take a job at the local mill working on stripping lumber and smoothing it down.

Ari, Andy, was going to be taking shifts at a construction yard transporting materials to the surrounding area.

And Andy, Cole, was a travelling businessman that went in and out of town frequently, a role that would give Andy an excuse to be gone for weeks.

Arrived safe. Bunny fawn is safe — A

Andy read the message once, and then again. As he comprehended the encrypted text for the second time, he had raised the cup to his lips and exhaled a soft breath to further cool his black brew. There were a number of files on his desk, a number of records that alluded to your reputation as being a good girl—an exemplary being of softness and empathy that helped anyone within your reach.

And that kind hearted was had struck you on the path of these men who wanted to strike you down to keep their crimes silenced and under wraps.

They would test your bravado, they would test you within all your boundaries of sanity in order to have you crack and crumble.

But you were a witness they couldn’t lose, and it was Andy, Ari & Steve’s jobs to make sure you made it to court.

“Mr. Barber, there’s a call for you. Someone from New York.”

Andy sighed and set his cup down, a few beads of condensation darkening the coaster beneath the porcelain. And then he reached for the phone receiver and lifted it from the holder.

#navy seal!Ari Levinson x reader x navy SEAL!Steve Rogers x lawyer!Andy Barber #Steve rogers x reader #Ari Levinson x reader #Andy barber x reader #come hell or Highwater

[babyjakes]

〈 disclaimer: this blog posts content not suitable for individuals under the age of 18. minors are strictly prohibited from viewing, sharing, or interacting with this blog. for more information on this blog's commitment to protecting minors, read our full statement here. 〉

event | kinkmas 2023

prompts | exhibitionism + piercing

pairing | soft!daddy!lloyd hansen x little!reader, feat. lloyd's friends: andy barber, ari levinson, ransom drysdale, steve rogers

warnings | ddlg dynamics (lloyd is a soft sweet daddy.) months of no touch/orgasms. clit hood piercing (+ me not knowing much about them.) fivesome with a sixth watching; exhibitionism. fingering (vaginal + anal.) nipple play. clit focus + rubbing. overstimulation. asking permission to come + she comes hard. so much praise and encouragement. probably some light mocking/humiliation. sooo many petnames. aftercare!! :) brief alcohol mention

word count | 1,580

an | sorry for the weird formatting? tumblr wouldn't allow me to use the bulleted list bc of too many characters i think- but ahhh omg the very last kinkmas piece 🥺 this event has been so much fun i hope you've all enjoyed the stuff i've written!! make sure to check out the event masterlist for anything you might've missed and thanks so much for reading along with me this month!! happy holidays and merry christmas to all of you sweet friends 😌💕

thinking about daddy!lloyd piercing your clit hood and then inviting all his friends over to show you off 🫠 piercings do take time to heal so maybe he's away on a trip for a few months after it happens, and when he returns home he has his buddies over to come play with you 😌 you were touch-free for that time period, so by the time the big night comes you're more than ready for some attention down there

lloyd dresses you up in a pretty new dress he got while out on his trip, short with lots of cleavage showing as always. and panties are skipped entirely; they'd just get in the way. he has you wait in your room as he brings his guests in, getting everyone settled in the fancy lounge with drinks and snacks. then he sends one of his servants to bring you down from where you're patiently waiting upstairs

andy, ari, ransom, and steve all coo and fawn adoringly as soon as you appear. you recognize every face in the group quite well; these are your daddy's closest and most trusted friends, the only men he would ever allow near you besides himself. this isn't the first time they've come over to play under lloyd's supervision. while these sessions can be overwhelming with so many players involved, things never get out of hand, as each of your daddy's friends treat you with just as much respect and care as he would, himself

"there's the pretty girl. we've missed you, sweetheart," ari's cooing from his seat on one of the armchairs

"that's a cute little dress, sunshine. s'it new?" ransom winks at you as he stands near your daddy's chair, finishing a glass of scotch

"come on over, doll. your daddy said you have something very special to show us," steve says gently, patting the space on the long leather couch between him and andy

the lawyer nods at the blonde man's words, adding, "come here, honey. got a nice spot saved just for you"

lloyd's on the other couch, across from steve and andy. "go on, princess. they've all been waiting so patiently to see," he encourages you

you find your way over, sitting down obediently between the two broad men. ari comes and sits on the edge of the coffee table in front of you. ransom makes his way behind the couch, gently placing his hands on your shoulders and easing you back a bit

"you wanna show us, angel?" ari asks gently as he leans in a bit, helping the men on either side of you bring your legs up to bend at the knee, your stocking-covered feet falling to either side of you. when you give a timid nod, the skirt of your dress is lifted up to expose your most intimate parts to the eager men surrounding you. a soft gasp is shared as they all lay eyes on your leaking cunt, swollen and sensitive from months of neglect

"aww, little one," steve's murmuring sympathetically at the sight of your arousal

"look at that ring- so pretty, sweet girl," andy marvels at the sight of the gold loop that now runs right through the fleshy hood covering your needy little nub

"your daddy told us it's a very special ring," ari hums steadily as he reaches out and gently spreads your messy folds apart, all of the men watching as your little hole twitches. "it goes right through the hood of your sweet little clit, doesn't it baby?"

"and that means," ransom chimes in from behind as he reaches down into your low-cut top, gently collecting your tits in his hands and squeezing at them, "that every time it moves, it rubs right up against your poor little button. isn't that right, pretty girl?"

you manage to give a shaky nod, a small whimper rising in your throat as the men all close in to finally start giving you the relief you so desperately need. there's no fumbling or hesitation, each of them settling in on their own task to contribute to the system of pleasure

steve brings two huge fingers to line up right at your opening, swirling the tips around briefly in your pool of slick before steadily pushing in. "okay sweetheart, let's get this pretty little pussy nice and filled up"

ransom continues up at your chest, his fingers rubbing and pinching at your pebbled nipples. "there you go, doll face. just relax," he's encouraging as your back arches lightly, making you sink a bit down further into the couch

andy drags some of your plentiful wetness down, carefully teasing the tip of a single digit over your puckered rosebud. he chuckles when you let out a startled whine, his voice low and soothing in tone as he croons, "easy, baby. i'll be gentle, i promise"

and ari seems maybe the most pleased of them all as he begins tapping and tugging gently at the small gold ring settled so perfectly against your now hardened clit. the feeling of the metal bumping and moving against your throbbing button is already more than enough to make you squirm, ari's patient gaze settled on you as he murmurs, "look at that, so responsive, just like always. does that feel good, baby doll? here, i wonder if we just-"

the others continue masturbating you in their various ways as the man before you pulls up on the ring, forcing the hood of your clit back to reveal your swollen little nub. "there it is," ari breathes happily as he steals some of your slick, bringing his thumb up to begin swiping repeatedly over your exposed bundle of nerves as his other hand keeps its hood retracted with the ring

"oh-... o-oh..." you're immediately stumbling over your words, your breaths shuddering as your clit burns brutally beneath ari's quickening pace

"think someone likes that," steve's chuckling beside you as he stretches you out on his fingers, curling them upward to stroke against your weak spot

andy's gathered more of your arousal to coat his pointer finger as he gently begins easing it up into your tight little ass, his eyes shining with pride as you weakly take the intrusion, "yeah? you like that, baby girl? that's it, honey. you're being so good for us"

"let's see if we can make this pretty little girl come for us," ari speaks to the others as your tummy quivers, your little legs shaking on either side of you as the stimulation becomes more and more overwhelming. but as soon as your knees begin trying to close, steve and andy are holding them open, giving you no choice but to lay there against the hot leather and let the men bring you to orgasm

"remember to ask permission, baby," ransom's reminding you as his head leans down next to your ear. the hands all over your body continue, but everyone glances over in lloyd's general direction as he sits just across the coffee table on the opposite couch, watching intently with a hand placed at his chin. one of his big rules for shared play time is that you always get his permission to come

"p-please daddy," your little voice comes out begging as both your holes are fucked forcefully now with large, slippery fingers, your nipples being rolled and rubbed as your clit is flicked in rapid succession. "please, c-can i-... can i-i come?"

lloyd scoots forward a bit, giving a simple nod as he lowers his hand from his face. "go ahead, princess. being so good for daddy's friends, you can come. you've earned it, baby"

as soon as you're allowed, you let go, your orgasm washing over you with impressive force. being the first climax you've had in months, it's quite the sight to be seen

all the praise coming from the men surrounding you blurs together as your holes contract around the fingers still pumping inside you: "oh- there it is" "good, very good, little one" "look at that, coming so hard for us" "keep going, baby. keep coming, that's it" "poor little girl, needed it so bad, huh?" "so cute when she comes, isn't she? such a precious girl"

when the waves of pleasure are finally dying down, their cheers turn to softer, soothing words as their hands still against you: "did so good for us, pretty girl. we're so proud of you" "that feel good, angel? seemed like a pretty big one" "you're okay, sweetheart. here, let's get your daddy over here" “no little one, don’t move. we’ll take care of the mess; you just hang tight”

everything feels like you’re experiencing it through a haze as lloyd comes over with the supplies needed for aftercare. you’re cleaned up and put in a comfy pair of fresh panties, your dress being repositioned on you to cover you up. someone wraps you in a blanket, and soon you’re safe and content in your daddy’s arms

the men all spend the rest of the night doting on you, helping keep you in a tiny headspace where you feel so safe and cared for. you get all the snuggles, tummy rubs, hair strokes, nose and cheek kisses, and gentle loving words you could ever want from each of your daddy’s wonderful friends

wow holy cow i got carried away with this 😮‍💨 all of them at once is so much but like,, , the i need that kind of so much 😔���

#eun's writing #kinkmas 2023 #lloyd hansen #lloyd hansen fanfiction #lloyd hansen smut #daddy!lloyd hansen x reader #lloyd hansen x little!reader #soft!lloyd hansen #ari levinson #ari levinson smut #ari levinson x little!reader #steve rogers #steve roger smut #steve rogers x little!reader #ransom drysdale #ransom drysdale smut #ransom drysdale x little!reader #andy barber #andy barber smut #andy barber x little!reader #chris evans #chris evans fanfiction #chris evans smut #the gray man #the gray man fanfiction #captain america #captain america fanfiction #the red sea diving resort #knives out #knives out fanfiction

[jtargaryen18]

His Inheritance: Chapter 29

Part 29: There for the Taking

Series Masterlist

Words: 7.8k

Pairing: Mobster Steve Rogers x Mobster daughter reader

Warnings: References to mob crime families, strong language, physical violence, character death. (No this isn't a carryover from Chapter 28) This is a dark fic. Please read responsibly.

Disclaimer: The author of this work claims no ownership of characters aside from the reader, and original secondary characters mentioned. This work is not intended for those under the age of 18 due to explicit sexual content and darker themes. By reading this work or any works on my blog (jtargaryen18), you agree that you are at least 18 years of age. I do not consent to have my work hosted on any third party app or site. If you are seeing this fanfiction anywhere but archiveofourown and tumblr, it has been reposted without my permission.

Summary: For @alexakeyloveloki. Your father is the head of one of the most powerful crime families in Boston but he’s protected you from that life. In your quiet home outside the city, you’ve been cared for and protected. When the desires of a more powerful man with the will to dominate bursts into your life, all your illusions are shattered as he comes to claim what is his.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Steve had just wrapped up his meeting with Murdock when someone knocked at his study door.

“Thank you, Matt,” Steve told him. “My driver will take you wherever you want to go.”

Murdock finished stowing his items away in his briefcase, rising from the chair with the help of his walking stick. His new consigliere paused.

“Thank you,” Matt said. “Good luck on everything.”

His lawyer opened the door to let himself out, Luca allowed him to pass before peering in. And Steve could tell from the look on the cook’s face that something was off.

“Boss, we have a situation,” Luca said. “I’ll see Murdock out first.”

“Thank you,” Steve muttered.

Steve stayed in his chair, tired. He had only spent one night away from his wife, and he hadn’t slept. When he closed his eyes, all he could see was the hurt on her face when he told her they’d continue their marriage when her birth control shot was no longer in effect.

It had been a shitty way to handle the situation and he knew that. He let anger conquer his head. He tried to justify it to himself with the idea that isolating her in their bedroom would keep her safe. At least until their plans with the families were complete. Once that was done, it would be him trying to earn her forgiveness. Trying to earn his way back into his own bed.

The sooner they could deal with Barnes and the other families, the sooner he could mend things with her.

For fuck’s sake, they had to. Steve shook his head.

Women had been an addiction of his to this point in his life. A love-hate relationship. Steve loved the beauty of women, their softness, their smiles. He loved them dressed up so he could show them off, one conquest after another. Sex was his fix, the best way to get high and out from under all the things that plagued him in day-to-day life. Steve was always up for it. Any time of the day, anywhere.

Like any addiction, like alcohol or drugs, there was a dark side. The women were a problem with their needs for validation and ownership. If they tried to hold onto him, he walked. If they tried to manipulate him, he ran. And considering who he was, there wasn’t a damn thing any of them could do about it.

When he decided to marry, his wife had everything he could have hoped for in his position. Young and naïve, sheltered. She had an innocent beauty, ballerina delicate. And for his dark world, she had a bonafide motherfucking pedigree. Steve would be the envy of every man, not just for his position but for his beautiful young bride, the daughter of the man who led before him. And behind closed doors, he’d teach her to please him…

How had it come to this?

A man could learn to live without alcohol, without a drug. It wasn’t easy but it could be done. His wife was neither of those things. Living without her now was like trying to live without air or water. It scared him and that fear pricked at his anger, made him lash out at her.

The fact that he couldn’t control her, couldn’t even contain her, made him want her even more.

Luca’s heavy tread let Steve know he’d returned, closing the door behind him. The edge of desperation on his man’s face brought his focus back to the present.

“What’s up?” Steve asked, watching Luca drop heavily into the chair his lawyer just occupied.

“Look, Nat got a call from Clint,” Luca said slowly. “Said we’ve been ratted out.”

Steve knew he wouldn’t like what Luca had to say but he didn’t think it would be that bad. “What?”

“Clint called Nat and told her we been ratted out,” Luca said again. “Told her to get your wife and go to the sewing room. They’re both up there.”

Steve’s mind spun. He checked his phone and saw he had nothing from Clint.

“He hasn’t tried to call me,” Steve said.

“Nat said things didn’t sound so good on his end. We don’t have a location on him.”

It wasn’t going well at all for Clint to go so far as to ask Nat to go to the hiding place his father set up years ago and take his wife with her.

Steve had always hated being hidden in there with his mother and sister. He felt small, helpless. The last time he’d been fourteen years old. Once they got past the feds, Steve had complained to his father about being put there. He’d loudly told his father he could have helped. His father had given him a solid beating for that outburst. His father had taken his pride down a peg or two that day.

Now that he was older, he understood why his father had placed them there when the situation called for it. His father had come from a place where he wanted to protect what was most valuable to him.

They didn’t know where Clint was. They supposedly had a rat. And his sister and his wife were in the sewing room. Nat would stay there just like Clint wanted her to.

His wife? Steve just knew she would hate it. He knew she’d be bristling before long just like he used to. Probably for the same reasons.

“Think Barnes got to Clint?” Steve asked.

“Nah,” Luca replied. “he’d let them kill him before he’d bring Nat into things in any way.”

That rang true.

“But he said Barnes knows everything now. That we’re all in danger,” Luca went on. “He didn’t say who.”

“He wouldn’t tell Nat,” Steve said, trying to wrap his mind around this turn of events. “It protects her… Where’s everyone else?”

“We’ve been trying to reach Dyson but he ain’t answering any of us,” Luca explained.

“Even my wife?” Steve had to ask.

“You have her phone,” Luca pointed out. “He ain’t answering Nat’s phone.”

That wasn’t a good sign.

“Scott’s fine. He’s on his way here.”

His cook left someone out. “Neal?”

“I don’t know,” Luca told him, his expression grim.

“You think Neal is our rat?” Steve asked.

“Your wife does,” Luca told him.

The tap at the door stopped their conversation. Luca rose and went to the door, opening it to find Scott. Steve motioned him in, Luca closing the door.

“Scott, I have a question for you,” Steve said as his men took seats across from him. “What happened that day when I brought my sister home? Specifically, what happened between Banner and my wife?”

Scott blew out an exhale, nodding. He explained that he caught Mrs. Rogers before she went down to confront the angry lawyer and tried to send her back to her room, to let him handle it. When Scott explained that she wouldn’t agree to that, Steve nodded. It was what he expected.

“I told her to stay behind me,” Scott told them. “But she really didn’t do that either. Banner came in yelling about you taking his wife. He blamed you. He blamed Mrs. Rogers. He turned a scary shade of red. Right before you came in, he reared back like…”

“Like?” Steve asked.

“Like he was going to hit her,” Scott finished. “Like he was going to hit Mrs. Rogers. I pulled her back, but it wouldn’t have been enough. Belova came out of nowhere and blocked him, got him under control.”

Scott’s story matched his wife’s so far. Steve felt his anger rise.

“And Neal? What was he doing?” Steve wanted to know.

So did Luca, he was staring Scott down hard.

Scott shook his head. “He didn’t try to protect her, boss.”

Scrubbing a hand over his beard, Steve looked at Luca. ‘What are your thoughts?”

“Dyson beat the bejesus out of him right here in this office,” Luca said.

“Because he threatened Belova,” Steve reminded him.

“You ever known Dyson to beat the shit out of someone as a warning?” Luca said. “I’ve known Dyson a long time. I’ve seen him warn people lots of times. But not like that. He has a problem with Neal just like your wife and Belova has a problem with him. If they think he’s the rat, yeah, so do I.”

“Scott?” Steve asked.

Scott nodded. “Neal doesn’t talk to me. I just know I didn’t like how he acted that day with Mrs. Rogers. I don’t like how he treats Yelena either. I could never tell if it was because he didn’t like her or he didn’t like her because of her loyalty to your wife.”

Neal had been a loyal soldier to Steve, someone he trusted. Neal had even saved his life. How could it be that everyone else in his house didn’t trust him? How?

Jesus.

“If Clint is right and we’ve been ratted out,” Steve told them, “We have to call everything off. If Neal is our rat, Barnes and whoever is working with him knows exactly what we’re planning. Fuck.”

Rising from his chair, Steve began pacing. “Dyson is supposed to be going with Neal to deal with Hansen. I thought by sending them together, they could mend fences. Bond over taking care of shit. And it would prove Neal isn’t a liability. Now… hell, Neal might kill Dyson himself for that beating. If he hasn’t already. We have to find Dyson, now.”

“Unless we have reason to believe otherwise, we have to assume Dyson will meet Neal as planned,” Luca said. “And that’s not long from now. We need to be there before Neal is.”

“Luca, I need you to dial back orders. If Barnes knows any of this, our people are walking into a trap. I need you to talk to everyone. Personally. Call it off.”

“You got it, boss,” Luca said.

“Luca, I want a small goddamn army around this house,” Steve instructed. “Yeah?”

“Yeah,” Luca said.

“See if anyone knows anything about Clint,” Steve went on. “I want a status on him ASAP. Scott help Luca.”

Both men nodded.

“Otherwise, my sister will lose her fucking mind.” Steve thought of her in the sewing room with his wife.

Luca and Scott left his study to do his bidding. Steve went to the bar behind his desk, poured himself a scotch. He needed it for what was coming next. Pulling open his desk drawer, he fished out his wife’s phone.

Once he finished his drink, Steve headed up the stairs, passing his bedroom. When he reached the linen closet, the façade that hid the sewing room, he took a deep breath. Quietly as he could, he opened the door, pushed the button that opened the door to the hidden room within.

Nat was huddled on the bench looking miserable, physically and emotionally. Her green eyes filled with tears when she rushed to him. Steve caught his sister in his arms, hugging her tightly. She was cold, shaking.

His wife? She sat on the floor under the window, eyeing him warily.

One thing his wife wasn’t? Afraid. No, she wasn’t showing any fear.

Easing his sister back onto the bench, Steve smoothed a hand over her red hair. “Nat, I’m going to have Luca bring some blankets and a space heater up here with your dinner, okay? You’re freezing.”

Nat wasn’t letting him go. “Is Clint on his way home?”

Steve met her gaze squarely. “We’ll find him. I promise.”

Nat didn’t look convinced, but she sat back down on the bench, her hands wringing. Steve walked over to his wife, held out his hand. She took it, allowing him to help her off the floor.

“I’m going to talk to my wife for just a moment out here, okay?” Steve asked carefully.

Nat nodded. His wife followed him through the linen closet and out into the hall.

“We need to talk,” Steve said slowly, trying to keep his tone even.

“I’d like to help you, Steve,” she said, folding her arms across her chest. “But we don’t resume our marriage until 29 days from now, so…”

“I know, I know,” he said. “Everything’s so fucked right now between me and you. And we will deal with that.”

“Yes, we will,” she said, way too calm standing before him.

“But right now, we have to deal with the threat to this family,” Steve told her as he would one of his men. “Were you with Nat when Clint called?”

She frowned. “No, I was locked in my room.”

“Nat came and got you,” he said. “What exactly did she tell you about that phone call?”

Surprise flashed across her beautiful face for just a second. “She said that Clint told her we had been ratted out. That Barnes knew everything and that placed us all in danger. He told her to come get me and to bring me to this room as soon as she got off the phone. And she did just that.”

“He didn’t tell her anything else?” Steve asked.

She shook her head. “I wanted to see if she had left anything out or could tell me if she heard anything in the background. She’s too upset about the fact that he’s in danger. She’s barely holding herself together right now… Have you heard from Clint? Or Dyson?”

“No,” he said simply. “Luca’s doing his damnedest to find anything on either of them.” Speaking of Luca… “You have Nat’s phone. That’s how you got Luca.”

“Yes,” she told him. “It was obvious you hadn’t heard from Clint if you were still meeting with your lawyer.”

“You didn’t call me,” he had to say it.

Her chin tipped up in challenge. “If I had known what to expect from you, I would have.”

Steve earned that. “Is there anything else you know, Sweetheart? Anything at all?”

Oh, she did. He knew that look.

“What?” he asked.

“It involves Yelena,” she said, holding his gaze.

“This is not the time to bargain with me—”

“Oh, I’m not bargaining for anything,” she informed him, anger hardening her expression. “Yelena will be back where she belongs when this is over. She’s loyal to me and it was out of that loyalty that she told Clint where he could find Banner.”

“Excuse me?” Banner was supposed to be gone. Long gone, off to the west coast.

“He was still here,” she told him. “On Stark’s turf. He needed to be dealt with and Clint deserved a go at him.”

The way his wife spoke, the fire in her eyes. It mirrored the anger he was struggling to keep down right now.

“Think about it,” she said. “Yelena gave him that information. Then he calls Nat, tells her we’ve been ratted out and Barnes knows everything. We’re all in danger.”

Steve stared her down. “You think Banner is the rat?”

She shook her head. “Banner’s involved, but he’s not the rat. He didn’t know what you had planned for tonight. And he had no access to that information unless it was from the rat who did. But he was still here. Banner was hoping for something, and it wasn’t Nat.”

She had a point. Banner had sworn to Steve he’d be gone.

“You think Stark is involved?” Steve pressed.

“No,” she said. “I don’t really know him. But from the impression I got, he wouldn’t be that stupid.”

It was his thought exactly about Tony Stark. Jesus. Who was this woman he married?

“Barnes?” She shrugged. “Well, that remains to be seen.”

“You’ve talked to Belova,” he said.

“And she is on her way to the location she gave Clint,” she explained.

“Alone?”

“No, she’s with friends,” his wife explained.

“What friends?”

“All I know is that they are friends of Dyson,” she said. “And if he trusts them, and she trusts them, then so do I.”

Not a hint of doubt or hesitation. His wife stood toe to toe with him, talking about the dangers of his world with authority.

“But we have no idea where Dyson is.” Now her expression softened. The smallest trace of fear in her eyes. “I tried to call him from Nat’s phone, Luca called. There’s no answer. He’s supposed to be going with Neal to deal with Hansen. Steve, we have to find him.”

Scrubbing a hand through his hair, Steve nodded. “We do. We really do… Dyson didn’t take it well that I pushed Belova out.”

“I’ll bet he didn’t,” she said bitterly.

“You got in his head about Neal,” Steve told her. “Neal said something about Belova Dyson really didn’t like. He beat the shit out of him last night, right there in my office.”

Steve saw the flash of excitement in her eyes at that. Just as quickly, it diminished.

“Jesus, Steve. Dyson’s walking into a trap between Hansen and Neal.” His wife shook her head, her teeth tugging at her lower lip nervously. “He’s dead if we don’t do something.”

Steve knew she could be right. If Neal was who she thought he was.

“You really think Neal is the rat here?” he asked.

“I know he is, Steve.”

It was then he realized something. The conviction, the certainty in her voice? It was all too familiar.

It all very much reminded him of her father. Every bit of it. And her father had been a hell of a leader in his time. He would never have found himself in the shit situation Steve let himself fall into.

Could he put aside who he thought Neal was? Did he have a choice?

Pulling her phone out of the pocket of his slacks, he handed it to her. “Try to call Dyson. One last try before I start making hard decisions.”

She took the phone without hesitation, hitting Dyson’s number with haste and putting the speaker on so he could hear. It only rang once before someone answered.

“Hi there, Princess,” Hansen drawled.

Fucking Hansen?

Steve tried to grab the phone, but his wife pulled it away, putting a finger to her lips. A signal for him to be quiet.

How was he supposed to be quiet when the slimy bastard had his mentor?

Why was the fucker calling his wife ‘Princess?’

“Are you there?” Hansen taunted.

“I’m here,” his wife said finally, taking a deep breath.

“Nothing to say?”

“Why are you answering Dyson’s phone?” she demanded.

“Dyson’s a little occupied at the moment,” Hansen went on in.

“He’s alive?” she asked.

“For now.”

“Is Neal with you?”

Hansen laughed at that. It was the moment Steve realized his wife was right.

“They’re working through a few things,” Hansen said casually. “It’s going well.”

“I want to speak Dyson,” she told him. “Now.”

“Think I’m lying to you, Princess?”

“Now, Hansen,” she said with more force.

Hansen’s sigh was loud and there was the sound of movement. Another voice mumbled in the background, Steve thought it was Neal. Then they heard Hansen say, “she wants to talk to you.”

“Hey,” Dyson said, sounding out of breath.

“Are you okay?” she asked.

“I’m fine,” Dyson said slowly. “Don’t you worry yourself about me.”

“You know better than that,” she said. “But I need you to come home.”

There was a loud crash and the sound of Dyson’s yell. His wife gazed up at him wide-eyed. Now she was afraid. Steve wanted to grab the phone, but it was better for Hansen to think she was alone.

“You want Dyson back home?” Hansen’s tone was a little impatient. “Let’s talk.”

Her eyes were still on her husband. Steve nodded.

“Okay.”

“I’ll give him back to you, but I want something in return,” Hansen said.

“What do you want?” she asked.

“You know what I want,” Hansen told her. “You.”

The thought that the ruthless bastard wanted his wife so badly had Steve choking on his fury.

She snorted. “And what do you think is going to happen? You’re going to show up with Dyson and Steve will make a trade?”

“Steve’s running out of time,” Hansen told her. “If he was the man you deserve, I wouldn’t have his top lieutenant, would I? I wouldn’t be so easily able to reach his wife. Steve can’t hold his own family together, much less lead the other families. When he falls, have you thought about what that means for you?”

It was all Steve could do not to start ranting at the arrogant fucker. Especially as he watched worry creep into his wife’s expression.

“How would it happen?” she asked.

“No!” Dyson yelled in the background. “Don’t you even think about—”

A sharp crack cut off the rest of what Dyson was about to say.

“Please don’t hurt him,” his wife whispered.

“You can stop it,” Hansen told her.

She looked to Steve, big eyes filled with so much emotion.

In his head, Steve narrowed down his choices. The fact that Hansen had Dyson, cut down his options. Neal was with them, confirming his wife’s suspicions. Neal would have told them all their plans. Fuck. Neal knew lots of things about Steve, how he ran the family.

If something happened to Dyson, and he had to admit at the moment that it was a very real possibility, the family would survive it. They already appeared to be struggling and that was Barnes’ intention, he knew. Losing Dyson would make them look even weaker. Blood in the water to put doubt in the minds of Odinson, Stark, and Wilson.

If something happened to Dyson, his wife might not survive. Especially with Hansen making her believe she could personally save the only father she really had. Hansen’s cruelty forced his hand. If Steve denied her now, he’d lose her.

With a fear shooting through his heart he’d never known, he nodded. His wife’s eyes widened in surprise.

“How will it happen?” she asked Hansen again, not missing a beat.

Hansen muttered his instructions in his wife’s ear. Steve didn’t catch most of it, gripped by the seriousness of the situation. Hating that he had no other choice. Hating the risk that he could lose both his wife and Dyson.

“I’ll see you soon, Princess” was all Hansen said when he ended the call.

And just like that, leading the families wasn’t the most important thing to Steve. Leading his family, having everyone’s respect didn’t matter. Not nearly as much as the man they held hostage or the woman he loved, watching him with the phone clutched in her trembling hands.

“Steve, what are we going to do?” she asked, sounding as scared as she looked.

Wrapping his arms around his wife, Steve pulled her close. She trembled in his hold, and he knew she was afraid, but she was brave. Steve was proud of her for that.

“He said I needed to be there, at his house, within the hour,” she told him. “Or they’ll kill Dyson.”

“I know,” he said low by her ear. “So we need to move fast.”

Moving past her, Steve went to the sewing room, leaning down to kiss his sister’s forehead. “I’m taking my wife with me,” he said. “Stay here and stay hidden even though I’m going to do my best to keep the fighting away from here.”

Nodding, she said, “Be careful.”

“We will,” he told her. “Luca will still be here if you need him.”

His wife hugged her quickly. “We’ll be home soon. With Clint.”

Steve just hoped his wife was right.

***

Your heart raced as Luca and Scott arrived at Steve’s office, closing the door behind them. Both of them looked startled to see you.

“What’s up boss?” Luca was still staring at you. “I’ve got the men setting up around the house.”

“We’ve had a complication,” Steve told them. “It’s Dyson. Hansen has him.”

Scott’s mouth dropped open. Luca scowled at Steve. “How the fuck did that happen?”

“With Neal’s help,” Steve said calmly. Glancing back at you, he blew out an exhale. “My wife was right.”

You couldn’t even enjoy being right. Not with someone you loved in danger.

Leaning against his desk with his heavy arms across his chest, Steve looked deep in thought.

“Barnes found out just in time that we were going to hit him and hit him hard,” Steve said. “We were going to strike his turf, his holdings. Hansen. By now, he knows we figured out we were betrayed. He’s going to do one of two things. He’s going to try to hit us here, which we’re ready for and he would know that… Or he’s going sit tight and see what our next move is.”

Luca shook his head. “Barnes ain’t going to do shit right now. If he’s smart.”

Steve nodded. Scott looked as lost as you felt.

“Why not?” Scott asked.

“We can’t prove the hits on us were Barnes,” Luca explained. “We know they were, but we can’t prove it. Then there’s the other three families. They swore allegiance to Steve. If they find out Barnes is knifing Steve in the back, they’ll rally to our side. But if Barnes can get in their heads, make it look like Steve is paranoid and weak…”

From the beginning, Barnes’ plan was to prove Steve was unfit to lead the families. You remembered the first time you met him in the kitchen, the bitterness of his tone when he spoke to Steve. The belief that he should have been leader of the families – Barnes not Steve.

“Barnes can’t just fight Steve for leadership?” you had to ask, wanting to learn.

“No,” Luca told you. “He doesn’t have the muscle.”

“Why did Barnes have Hansen grab Dyson?” Scott shook his head. “If what you say is true, that move doesn’t make a lot of sense. No one is closer to Steve than him.”

“I don’t think that was Barnes’ idea,” Steve said. “We’d planned for Neal and Dyson to go deal with Hansen. And Hansen has it coming for attacking this house and trying to get his hands on my wife.”

“But Neal and Hansen grabbed Dyson instead,” Scott said. “How is that going to play out?”

“Dyson beat the shit out of Neal right here in this office,” Luca explained. “It’s perfect really. Neal claims he’s having problems with this family and Dyson beat him like a dog. So he defected, telling Barnes things to earn a place over there. Offing Dyson would be seen as just a little bit of payback between two soldiers. That’s how that plays out.”

You swallowed hard. It was all plausible. Complete bullshit and terrifying, but plausible.

“How do we get Dyson back?” Scott asked them.

“He wants to trade for him,” you told Scott. “He’ll let Dyson go if I agree to take his place.”

Scott’s mouth dropped open again. “What?”

“Hansen called my wife. He doesn’t know I was listening. He thinks he’s scaring her into doing what he wants.” Both Luca and Scott looked to Steve. Steve cut you a glance. “I really don’t like this either but that was his condition. And we have just under an hour to decide what we’re going to do.”

“Fuck,” Luca said. “That would start a war. Barnes can’t go around snatching someone else’s wife. The families would never accept that.”

“I don’t think that’s Barnes’ idea either,” Steve replied. “Not his style. But very much Hansen’s.”

“Hansen wants your wife?” Scott shook his head. “Then what? That would start a war between the families for sure.”

“I don’t think Hansen intends on sticking around for the outcome,” Steve said. “He likely thinks he can grab her and go.”

Your heart raced in your chest. You knew Steve wasn’t seriously considering the trade. That meant coming up with a plan where Steve kept you and got Dyson back too. No matter the plan, it was dangerous.

“You up for this?” Luca asked you in a calm voice.

For Dyson? “Yes, I am,” you told them with no hesitation.

Luca grinned. “Okay then. We need an airtight plan because whether or not he can get his hands on Mrs. Rogers, he’s not planning on leaving Dyson alive.”

What?

“Agreed,” Steve said.

“And we have some friends here to help,” Luca went on. “Friends with skills that are perfect for this.”

“The ones Yelena is with?” you asked.

“I know how you feel about Belova,” Steve said, “but she’s not that experienced.”

“The ones with her are,” Luca told them. “There are five of them and all but Aisha were fucking special forces.”

“Maybe so, but I’m not trusting just anyone with her,” Steve told them.

“Well, you can’t go,” Luca pointed out.

“What?” Steve asked.

“You can’t go,” Luca reiterated. “Hansen thinks she’s sneaking out to come make the trade. They see you and they’ll know it’s a trap.”

Color rose from Steve’s collar, darkened his face.

“You have to be here, and you know this,” Luca told him.

“I’m supposed to just send my wife to Hansen’s knowing I might never see her again?” Steve was getting more upset by the second. “Entrust her to people I don’t know?”

Luca put his hands on his hips. “Or we could keep her here. Sacrifice Dyson.”

“No!” you shouted. It wasn’t an option.

“That’s where we are,” Luca told him. “But we can make this work. I’ll call Clay right now, okay?”

After a moment, Steve nodded. “Give us a minute, okay?”

Luca and Scott left you alone with Steve. And Steve looked like he himself was facing the gallows.

Yeah, you were scared. But you had to try and save Dyson. From Hansen. From Neal.

“This is all on me,” Steve said, more serious than you’d ever seen him. “I want you to realize this. Yeah, I lost my temper about that incident, but it doesn’t seem so important now. And now I know Neal was the rat. He instigated all of it.”

Sliding a hand over your cheek, he gazed into your eyes. “I’m sorry.”

“We’ll talk about it when Dyson and I get home,” you told him.

You were shaking but you were holding up. You could do this.

“If Dyson trusts the ones Luca is talking about,” Steve said, “then I will too.”

“I trust Yelena too,” you told him. “And she will be reinstated when we get back.”

Steve nodded. “But I fucking hate this. This is exactly the sort of thing I wanted to avoid. I’m going to lose my mind until this is over. Until you’re back here.”

Now he’d have an idea what you went through. The play of anger and fear in his expression kept you from enjoying it.

“I need you to promise me something. I know how you feel about Dyson and Yelena. I know you love them. But if things look to be going wrong or you don’t see a way to get everyone out, you get out of there. Even if it means you’re the only one who gets out. Even if it means you have to leave them behind.”

You just stared at him.

“Hansen wants you,” Steve reminded you. “He’s not going to harm you. Remember that.”

Leaning in, he kissed your lips. A seeking kiss, gentle and slow, almost as if he were asking permission. You answered it, a kiss to remind yourself that Steve wasn’t all bad. You still cared about him.

The desperation in his kiss grew. You could taste it. Steve was kissing you like it was goodbye. You didn’t miss the slight tremor in his hand on your face.

“Come back to me,” Steve whispered against your lips. “Please.”

Easing back, you gaze up at him. “I will. And we have a lot to talk about when I do.”

Both of you smiled at that. Your usual marital fighting seemed like a happy memory next to this.

“I love you,” Steve whispered.

“I love you,” you whispered back, just in case you didn’t see him again.

And just maybe you meant it. The way your heart squeezed in your chest made you wonder…

***

You scrambled down the road like a scared little runaway, trying to play the part as Luca had explained it to you. The sun was going down and according to your phone, you had just under 20 minutes to reach Hansen’s house.

A small SUV pulled up next to you as you walked. Your Uber. When the driver asked if you were Mrs. Rogers, you nodded, climbed in the back.

The driver’s blue-eyed gaze met yours in the rearview mirror. He was a bigger guy with spiky blond hair and round glasses. He smiled before turning his attention to the road ahead.

“How are you holding up?” he asked.

It was a strange question.

“I’m… fine,” you told him.

He nodded, driving along.

“I’m Jensen,” he explained. “Dyson’s a good friend.”

That got your attention. “Are you one of the friends Yelena’s been staying with?”

“Yeah,” he explained. “She’s going to be there with us. We’ve got a plan. We’ll do everything we can to get you and Dyson back home shortly.”

“Thank you,” you told him. “Thank you for helping us.”

“Hey,” Jensen said. “Dyson’s helped us out a couple of times. We owe him.”

It was good to know that they cared about getting Dyson out safely as much as you did.

“We’ll be there in about ten minutes,” he explained. “I’ll pull up and you just hop out, okay? I’ll stash the car and take up my position.”

“Okay,” you told him.

“You’ll need to leave your piece in here with me,” he went on.

“What?”

“Your gun,” Jensen said. “Put it in the duffel bag back there. It’s my stuff. I’ll make sure you get it back.”

You’d almost forgotten about it honestly, pulling it free of your jeans. “Why can’t I take it?”

He smiled. “Yelena said you shot him once.”

“I did.” You were proud of that. Having the gun made you feel a little safer.

“There are too many things that could go wrong here,” he said. “I promise I’ll get it back to you.”

You nodded, knowing you had no choice but to trust these people. Dyson trusted them…

Unzipping the bag, you made sure the safety was on and carefully put your gun in. There was another handgun in there among some other ordinary looking belongings. A keyring caught your eye. On it was a small picture of Jensen with a pretty woman and the cutest little girl. On the other side the words “Best Buy” were engraved into the pewter.

“Is this picture your family?” you asked, zipping the bag again.

“Yeah,” he said with a wide smile. “My fiancée and our daughter Charlie.”

“They are beautiful,” you told him.

“Thank you. We have a baby on the way,” he told you. “I’m trying to get her to the altar before he or she gets here though.”

“Let’s make sure that happens,” you told him with conviction.

Jensen nodded.

“Is there anything else I need to know going in?” you asked him.

“Just be yourself,” Jensen told you. “You have friends. Remember that. You’ll know me and Yelena anyway. Dyson. Follow our lead. We’ll get you home.”

Five minutes later, Jensen dropped you off in front of an older house. It was an isolated location with no neighbors in sight anyway. You did just what Jensen told you and hopped out, not looking back at him. You weren’t taking your eyes off the impressive house before you.

You walked along the stone path leading to the front door. Just off to the side of the house you saw Dyson’s Cadillac, Neal’s SUV. It was surreal and you struggled to keep your knees from knocking.

Neal was the asshole you believed him to be. He sold all of you out. He sold you out.

But the worst thing he did was try to take Dyson from you. You focused on him.

Dyson was yours. Your caretaker. Your friend. Your father.

It would be a cold day in hell when you let Neal or Hansen take him away from you.

Before your foot hit the first step, the front door of that house opened. Hansen.

Well, you didn’t want your audience to be disappointed. You took your time climbing the steps, your back straight, your chin up. When you stepped on the porch, only then did you meet his gaze. You gazed at the huge beast of a man as if he bored you. As if he were beneath you.

Hansen didn’t appear to be moving from the doorway to let you in. He grinned at you.

Then you stopped.

“Planning to pat me down and check for weapons?” you asked him.

“Do you want me to?” he asked, his grin widening.

You rolled your eyes. “Take me to Dyson. Now.”

Hansen stepped back, motioning you in with his hand. You walked by him, into a living room with a high ceiling and elegant furnishings. Nothing out of place in the opulent room.

Well, just one thing that didn’t belong there. A tiny purse, its purple leather standing out on the sand-colored upholstery. Why did Hansen have that?

You kept walking until you reached the kitchen. You met Dyson’s gaze first. He was bound to the chair, his face bloody and bruised. He was gagged. The steel in his gaze gave you courage. Told you without words that he trusted you.

Neal stood up from another chair at the kitchen table and he didn’t look much better. The only difference was Neal’s wounds had little time to scab over, to set in. You grinned at Neal.

“You look beaten down. How does it feel?” you asked him.

“Fuck you,” Neal spat, taking a menacing step closer to you.

You didn’t move.

“That’s some big talk for someone whose husband locked her in her room for disobeying him,” Neal said, cutting a glance at Hansen who stood behind you.

Hansen chuckled. “You couldn’t handle her any better than Rogers could.”

You flinched when you felt his hand at your lower back. Not a barely there, tentative touch. No, it was possessive. When it moved lower, you moved before he could touch your ass. You glared up at the bastard, hoping he couldn’t tell you were fucking terrified on the inside.

“The only one allowed to handle me at all is my husband,” you told him, raising your chin. “Now, Dyson goes back home. With me.”

Hansen’s grin didn’t subside. “That wasn’t the deal, princess. It’s a trade. Him for you. The only terms I’ll accept.”

“If you know me so well, you know I have no intention of ever making a trade,” you said, crossing your arms over your chest.

Hansen cocked a brow at you. “Then what are your intentions? Your husband doesn’t know you’re here not that he ever knows what you’re doing.”

You tried your best to look bored. It was true. But having the enemy reference the fact that you didn’t appear to respect your own husband made you pause. You didn’t like it.

“Belova isn’t here to protect you,” Hansen went on. “You don’t appear to be armed. You don’t have a lot of options.”

Yelena was somewhere close. You hoped.

“We’re wasting time here,” Neal told him, his usually annoying self. You froze when he pulled out his gun, a Glock like yours, and pointed it at the back of Dyson’s head. “She goes to Barnes, we get rid of Dad here, and head over there to finish this. Rogers’ camp is in chaos right now. Let’s hit them while they’re weak.”

“You son-of-a-bitch.” You glared at him. “Steve thought so much of you. I couldn’t convince him otherwise. And this is what you’re doing?”

“It is.” Neal’s finger twitched around the trigger. Your heart raced in fear as Dyson’s gaze met yours, his gaze calm, like he was willing you to hang on. “Once we get rid of your husband, Barnes gets you and for that, he’s going to help me start my own family. I won’t be a soldier anymore. I’ll get everything I ever wanted.”

“Barnes?” You laughed humorlessly at that. “And you believed him?”

The man’s gaze moved from Dyson to you.

“That worked out so well for Banner,” you taunted him.

The gun in Neal’s hand lowered, wavered. Good. You were drawing his attention away from Dyson…

Before you could blink, Hansen pulled a gun and shot Neal in the face. Bone, brains, and gore splattered Dyson in his chair as your ears rang from the shot. Neal just dropped to the floor.

Now you were afraid. From the apprehension you read in Dyson’s gaze now, he was too.

Hansen tucked his gun away as casually as he might a phone or his wallet. He turned what he must have thought was a charming smile on you.

“Does this mean I’m not going to Barnes?” you had to ask. “Was anything he said true?”

“It was true,” he told you. “Barnes has everything carefully planned out. And he can have your husband, But he’s not getting you. That was never part of my plan.”

“How does that work with him being your boss?” you wanted to know. “Or are you betraying him the same way Neal was betraying Steve?”

That grin widened behind his mustache. “That’s just the way this little world of ours works. You’re either born into a family like you and Rogers or you make your own way like Neal here. But you’ve got to be smarter than that.”

“So where does that leave us?” You moved closer to Dyson, not turning your back on Hansen. He could have shot Dyson just as easily.

“You already know the answer to that,” Hansen told you, his gaze shifting from Dyson back to you. “A trade. You can send him home right now. But you’re mine.”

You rolled your eyes. But inside, your fear was escalating. You remember the horrible things Yelena told you. What Hansen did to her. She was brave and fierce, more so than you. You didn’t want to consider what the asshole had planned for you.

You knew Dyson’s friends were with her. But Yelena herself? She was terrified of him, and she was right to feel that way.

Could Jensen get you out then?

Here’s hoping.

“Fine,” you told him. “Let him go. The trade isn’t complete until I have absolute proof that he’s back home.”

“Fine,” Hansen repeated slowly. The look he cut you told you he didn’t quite buy your performance. Pulling a knife from his pocket, he used it to cut through Dyson’s bonds, allowing him to pull the gag away himself.

Dyson eyed you warily. “Don’t do this,” he said calmly. “Whatever it is you think you’re doing, please don’t.”

Before you could say anything, Hansen blew out an exhale, looking more annoyed than anything. When he turned to look behind him, you saw the man standing there. He was tall as Steve with broad shoulders. The man was a little older with threads of white in his dark hair, in his beard. His grin gave him a very roguish charm.

“Oh, I think it’s a pretty good plan,” the man said, his voice deep whiskey. “We’re going to have to change it up though. We’re here to take Dyson and Mrs. Rogers back home.”

“That doesn’t work for me, Clay,” Hansen told him. “Now, I’m going to kill you. Then I kill Dyson. Then I’m taking Mrs. Rogers with me. And then we call it a day.”

From behind the man he called Clay, you saw Jensen step out. Your heart swelled to see Yelena, her concerned gaze on you. Both held handguns, assessing the situation. Yelena looked so small next to the two dangerous men.

Without looking, Hansen reached for his gun. A bullet hit the floor at his feet, had him jumping slightly in alarm before moving to put his hands back up and in view.

Yelena’s expression was pure rage.

“Hey, Lena,” Hansen crooned. “Miss me?”

You shook your head at her. Don’t answer him. Don’t give him the satisfaction.

You inched closer to Dyson until you put yourself between him and Hansen. Yelena’s eyes widened on you. But you knew what you were doing. You weren’t about to let Hansen kill Dyson.

Hansen’s laugh didn’t appear to phase the trio in front of you, but it chilled your blood. “I’m not exactly alone here,” he told all of you.

A tap at the kitchen window behind you got your attention. An armed soldier in body armor was holding an assault rifle outside, his eyes cold as he gazed at you. Two more soldiers crept up the hallway from the opposite direction to the kitchen, also armed with rifles.

Clay eyed them warily as your fear escalated. What happened now?

“They aren’t alone either,” a familiar voice said from behind Jensen and Yelena.

Tears pricked the backs of your eyes to see your husband making his way into the room, his gaze on you. He didn’t stop until he reached you. The expression he wore scared you because you’d never seen that before. It was terrifying. Only the emotion in his blue eyes revealed the relief he appeared to be feeling at reaching you.

You couldn’t help it. You ran to Steve’s side, wrapping your arms around his waist, clinging to him.

“Ballsy,” Hansen told him. “Let me guess. You’ve got this place surrounded.”

Steve’s nod was curt. “We’re done here.”

The smile faded from Hansen’s face. His gaze moved over you as you clung to your husband. It was covetous, angry.

“I say when we’re done here,” Hansen said coldly.

All you saw was the large hand that pulled the handgun out, pointing at Dyson who still sat in the chair where he’d been sitting the entire time. You saw the bastard’s finger at the trigger. Fast as you could move, you jumped in front of Dyson’s chair just as the shot rang out.

The room spun around you violently, as hands grabbed you. Dyson’s. Your husband’s. You saw your blood splatter the front of Dyson’s shirt and tie, more gore on top of Neal’s, as he watched in horror. It felt like someone punched you in the shoulder really, really hard.

There was a blur of activity in that moment all around you, but you weren’t aware of anything but the pain that was starting to come on and the sound of your husband dropping to his knees behind you. Crimson bloomed at the front of his white dress shirt and his hand flew to his chest as he went down.

Yes, you’d been shot.

But fear and guilt choked you to realize your husband took the brunt of it.

“Steve!” you screamed.

PS: Just on my fic posts, I’m adding a tip function. In honor of the kitty we just lost in February, I’m donating everything to our local animal shelter. Tips are not, will never be, and have never been expected. But if you feel so inclined, thank you. 🙏

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[simmerandwrite]

Sink Into Me - 08 - mob!Steve Rogers x plus size!reader

Pairing: mob boss! Steve Rogers x plus size! reader

Summary: You were simply doing a good deed, pulling the handsome stranger out of the way when a car jumped the curb. Little did you know that the life you saved belonged to Steve Rogers, the Army veteran turned art dealer with connections to the Brooklyn crime syndicate.

Steve Rogers, who won’t stop calling you his guardian angel.

Steve Rogers, whose new goal in life just might be repaying his debt to you.

Steve Rogers, who isn’t shy until it comes to his feelings and will stop at nothing to keep you safe.

Chapters: 01 02 03 04 05 06  07 08 09

Wordcount: 8.3k

Warnings: canon level violence (guns, physical fighting), allusions to dog fighting (but no mention of any kind of abuse), some angst

Notes: HI I AM SO SORRY ABOUT THE DELAY. life, ya know? but enjoy this little treat, please. and.. uhm.. sorry.

---

“We need to talk about Steve Rogers.”

You took in a hard breath and scanned the man - he had a permanent smug look to him, something that made you feel unsettled. The tag around his neck with his badge indicated his name was Grant Ward, NYPD detective. 

“Give me back my phone,” you said, slowly emptying your lungs in an attempt to stay calm. “Now.”

Ward shook his head, grinning. “Not yet. C’mon, let’s chat.” He slipped your phone inside his jacket pocket and grabbed your elbow, urging you to step further across the sidewalk in front of a closed down shop. “I got your info from Hammond’s file. You were a witness on a little vehicular assault case a while back, right?”

Nothing about this felt proper or to procedure. But you wanted it to end as quickly as possible, so you nodded. 

“What I need to know is why Steve Rogers asked you to lie on your witness report and identify the wrong person.” 

“Excuse me?” Your voice cracked as you tried to piece together what he was saying. “I didn’t lie about anything. Shouldn’t - shouldn’t Officer Hammond be following up with me - if there was an issue?”

“I’ve reopened the investigation.” Ward leaned against the building, glancing up and down the street casually as he spoke. “Your intentional misidentification put someone innocent in jail. How do you sleep at night?”

“I didn’t lie,” you repeated, swallowing hard. Hercules paced at your feet. 

“You’re lying right now. Rogers told you who to point out in that police lineup, didn’t he?”

You wanted to scream in this man’s face but given he was technically a person of the law, you resisted. Instead, you pursed your lips and opted to stay quiet. Shouldn’t you have a lawyer or something to represent you? God, why weren’t you into legal dramas instead of reality tv?

“Here’s what it looks like. Rogers asks you to help him out and in turn, you get a fancy new apartment. Isn’t that right?” Ward took a step forward and pointed past you, towards the rest of the block. “How else can you afford a luxury apartment working your little 9-5 gig? I verified your record of employment and something just doesn’t add up.”

Before you had a chance to reply to his asinine claim, he was reaching for his buzzing phone. “This is Ward.” You tried to listen to the other end of the call, but couldn’t make out the voice. 

He looked back at you, eyes roving up and down as he carried on with his phone conversation. “You’re kidding. That was all true? Wow. Okay. Yeah, I’m with her. Sure.” He raised his free hand and suddenly a nearby SUV was pulling up. “Heading there now.”

Your stomach twisted when Ward turned back to you. 

“Let’s go.” He tipped his head towards the vehicle, where the driver had gotten out to open the back door. “We’ve gotta move this chat elsewhere.”

Your eyes blew open, head shaking. “Absolutely not. Give me my phone and —“

Ward stepped towards you again, grabbing your hand that was holding onto Hercules' leash. “If you don’t get in that car willingly, you’ll have a dead dog on your hands. Is that what you want?” He flashed you a smile. “Let’s. Fucking. Go.”

--

“Storm coming tonight..”

Steve looked up from his plate of pasta, watching his mom across the table as she put down her cutlery. Sarah rubbed her hands together, tired with the weight of time and the pressure of weather changes that seemed to grow worse with each passing season. 

“I can feel it in these old joints,” Sarah continued, leaning back in her chair before glancing to the window above her kitchen sink.

“Ma,” Steve finally replied, quietly returning his own fork to the side of his plate. “Why don’t you skip the rest of this monologue about the weather and tell me what’s really on your mind?”

Steve tried to have dinner with his mother at least once a week, if time permitted. The last few months had been a bit chaotic for him though, mostly his own doing of course. And Sarah hadn’t pressed when he canceled. But, something about her tone and strange casual conversation wasn’t sitting well with him. In fact, he could read his mother really well and she was upset, maybe even mad at him. If there was one thing Steve hated, it was when his mother was upset with him.

He liked to nip it in the bud as quickly as he could.

Sarah sighed, slowly crossing her arms over her chest as she eyed down her son. “I haven’t had the chance to tell you about who I ran into at the hospital a few weekends ago.”

“You gonna give me a clue?” Steve smirked, taking a long pause to enjoy a sip from his wine glass. “Who?”

When your name left his mother’s lips, Steve felt his chest tighten. He had very quickly and casually explained to her that you and he had called things off, respectfully asking Sarah not to press him for details. Surprisingly, she hadn’t asked any follow up questions, though Steve knew she hadn’t been feeling positive about the news. In fact, he had assumed his mom would have had a much more passionate reaction. And maybe it was still coming.

He took a deep breath. “Oh. And.. how is she?” Would it be possible for this conversation to only last one more sentence? Would he be able to get out of it without his mother making him feel any worse?

When Steve met his mom’s gaze again, he knew that question wasn’t what he should have asked. He was starting to think maybe saying nothing would have been best.

“How is she?” Sarah repeated, letting out a hard laugh. “Steven.”

“Ma, listen, what happened between us is..” He hesitated. Complicated was not the word he wanted to use, but what else could he say? “I had to cut things off. She’s safer this way.” 

There. His heart was torn off his sleeve and slapped onto his plate. 

“Steve,” Sarah was softer this time, releasing the anger from her shoulders as she reached across the table for his hand. “You’re not being fair. To yourself. How are you supposed to live this way? Don’t you want a family in the future? Or a break from.. everything?”

Steve squeezed her hand but didn’t respond. Sarah waited another moment for him to say something, then stood and carried her plate to the sink. 

Without turning back around, she continued. “I told her about Hamilton House.”

Steve sighed, leaning back in his chair again and shaking his head. “Ma..”

“Why didn’t you just talk to her? She would have understood.”

“You barely made it out of that fire alive!” Steve pushed back from the table and met his mother at the sink, placing a hand on her shoulder. “And I can barely live with myself as is, but if something happened to her too, I’d..”

“Honey,” Sarah’s voice was even quieter now as she pivoted to look at him. She reached her hand up to cradle his face. “You need to stop blaming yourself, please.”

How could he ever do that? The scars were still quite obvious on many parts of his mother’s body - 

“Steve.” Sarah took in another deep breath. “I’m a grown woman who can take care of herself. And so is she.” There was your name again, coming off of Sarah’s tongue like it just warmed her soul. “She’s good for you.”

“That doesn’t matter anymore.” A painful laugh gurgled up in Steve’s throat. “I made pretty sure she’ll never talk to me again, unfortunately.”

“Steven.” This time the soft edge had left Sarah’s tone. The disappointment was back. “Don’t tell me you pushed that girl away on purpose.”

“I’m a grown man who can take care of himself,” Steve repeated back to her, stepping away from the sink and turning to grab his coat. “I’ve gotta go, Ma. Thanks for dinner.”

Sarah grabbed his wrist, eyes bright with words she wouldn’t say. Instead, she shook her head and sighed quietly. “At least take a container of pasta for Bucky.”

---

The further the vehicle traveled beyond your neighbourhood, the further your stomach sank. You did your best to listen to the conversations happening between Ward and his driver, but nothing seemed clear. 

Where were you going? Were you in trouble? You hadn’t lied to the police - you knew better than that. But how could you prove that when clearly they had another story created? Was this about Steve? You weren’t even talking to him. What the hell was going on?

The only thing saving you from a breakdown was Hercules resting his head on your lap. Gently you scratched behind his ears, doing your best to reassure your dog as he did the same for you. 

You were going to be okay. There had to be a positive solution to this mess. 

Eventually, the vehicle slowed down in an industrial area you weren’t familiar with. In the growing darkness of the night, everything kind of looked the same - rows of large warehouse style buildings, some in much worse shape than the others. As you approached one of the buildings, a garage door opened up to allow you access.

“Let’s go,” Ward barked out as the car stopped, quickly sliding through his door and throwing the one closest to you open. He reached for your nearest wrist. “But first..”

Handcuffs. What you could only assume were police-grade handcuffs joined your wrists together, despite your protests. Ward was choosing every opportunity to remind you he had a gun, so when he told you to head towards the staircase leading out of the parking area, all you could do was comply.

The driver, some other nameless brute listening to Ward’s every word, held on to Hercules’ leash and followed behind. The panic within you stirred.

The building had clearly once been a thriving warehouse or multi-level business hub. Now, it was reduced to whatever criminal activity these men were tied up in. Every second window was boarded up or leaking in cold air through broken shards, with the evidence of previous occupants littering the floors. Old desks, chairs, appliances laid strewn about.

Ward guided you across the second floor, leading towards the far side of the room. You could hear other voices as you approached. He yanked the door open and pressed against your back for you to enter ahead of him.

You stumbled past the threshold, lifting your head up to look around the room. It felt out of place, given the state of the building. This room remained intact from days before, the remnants of an executive office with a large boardroom table sitting opposite the broken windows. A man you didn’t recognize was seated behind an oversized mahogany table, a burning cigar hanging off his lips. Behind him, a disheveled blond wearing an ill-fitting suit jacket stood scrolling through his phone.

That man you did recognize – you were certain he had been one of the men who had broken into your apartment. You could feel the familiar wave of panic come over you again.

Sitting in a pair of chairs in front of the desk were another two men – one dressed in a long overcoat over his suit, with perfectly coiffed hair. The other donned more casual clothes, well worn with a scowl across his face, strong and silent. You thought perhaps you recognized them, too. You might have seen them at Shield or maybe they had worked with Steve? 

“This is her?” The man with the cigar asked, rising from his seat. The other two seated men had turned their heads to look in your direction, then stood the same. 

Ward laughed, returning his gun to his jacket, and reaching a hand to grip your neck. He urged you closer to the desk. 

“Russo – you’re sure?” The same man asked again, shooting a glance at one of the other two men. Ah, nice suit, nice hair - Russo. He had interrupted you and Steve, that day at his office.

“Yep. I know, doesn’t make sense to me either,” Russo replied with a dry laugh, stepping away from the desk and waiting to the side with the other man, Mr. Strong and Silent.

“Walker, you’re on dog duty,” Ward added after. He snapped his fingers and the guy scrolling on his phone was at attention, rolling his eyes as he grabbed Hercules’ leash from the driver. 

Hercules whimpered at the back of the room.

You tried to look towards your confused pup, but Ward’s hands landed on your shoulders. He pushed down to encourage you to sit in one of the vacant seats at the desk.

Finally, the man with the cigar looked at you. A tight smirk curled up on his face as he said your name out loud. “Well, nice to finally meet you. I’m Brock. We’ve got a lot to discuss.”

You sat still, hands resting on your lap. You resisted replying with some snappy commentary and instead dug your fingernails into your palms. Maybe you needed to comply, but God, what was the point of all this?

“I’m not really sure what I’m doing here,” you said quietly, letting out a long breath. “I told him-” you jerked your head at Ward, “-everything I said to Officer Hammond was true. Steve didn’t ask me to lie about anything and I’m sorry if someone you know ended up in jail but I had to tell the truth.”

Brock raised an eyebrow, amused. “Well, I don’t give a shit about any of that. We’ve gotta fix this and you’re going to help.”

You pressed your lips into a thin line. 

“You’re going to meet with Hammond and tell him you lied about-”

You shook your head. “I didn’t lie.”

Brock abandoned his cigar and slammed his hand on the table. “Don’t interrupt me, darling.” He took a breath and started again. “You’re going to meet with Hammond tomorrow morning and set things straight, alright?”

“And if I don’t?” You swallowed the lump in your throat as you asked your question. 

Brock leaned back in his chair, grinning. “You’re really asking that? Damn. Well, if you don’t - you’re never going to see your dog again, for starters.”

Your face fell and you shuffled in the chair again, turning to look back towards Hercules. “Please don’t hurt him.”

“What do you think, Walker? The mutt would be good for the pit, huh? They could use some fresh meat for the next fight.”

You gasped as Hercules pulled at his leash, trying to walk to you. Walker held the leash tight.

“P-please. Don’t. He doesn’t deserve that, he’s just..” Your voice shook as you turned and looked back at Brock. “Okay, fine. I’ll talk to Hammond.” You just had to agree and get out of here. Once you were home, you could call the police station and tell them the truth and and and–

“Hammond is expecting you first thing tomorrow morning at the station.” Ward was looking down at your phone, tapping away at the screen. Great, he was just sending messages on your behalf. You hated that. Clearly you were not getting your phone back. Fuck, how were you going to get out of this?

“Now,” Brock leaned onto his elbows on the desk, returning his cigar to his mouth for a long drag. “Let’s talk about Rogers.”

You gulped.

“I need every little dirty secret you’ve got,” Brock said with a snap of his fingers. “Let’s go. Talk.”

“I don’t..” You faltered, glancing around the room quickly. Russo was watching you carefully while his partner seemed to be preoccupied with his feet, his eyes were drawn down. “I don’t know what you think I might know.. Steve and I.. We.. He broke up with me a while ago.”

A laugh escaped Brock. “I heard that wasn’t the case.”

Russo stepped forward. “Rogers took you home from Shield a few weekends ago, did he not? Drove you right back into your apartment then even walked you to the door?”

You stilled. Why did these men know about that? Were they following you? Or Steve? How did they know where you lived?

“I don’t know anything, I swear. Even when we were..” You closed your eyes. “We didn’t talk about business.”

“You know, I don’t believe you.” Brock let out a frustrated huff and tapped his cigar ash to the floor. “Let’s start easy, alright? Rogers has a ledger, the Bible for all his transactions. Where does he keep it?”

You shrugged. “I honestly have no idea. I don’t remember ever seeing a ledger or–”

“Bullshit.” It was Russo jumping in now. “You were fucking him for months. Christ, give us something.”

If you shifted your head back and forth in a shake anymore, you were going to give yourself whiplash. “I-I don’t, really.” You didn’t like how they were both crowding in on you, guns visible on their hips as their voices escalated. “Steve didn’t tell me things - he.. I didn’t..”

“Where does he keep his safe? What buildings did he take you to?” Brock continued on, reciting any thought or question that seemed to jump into his head. “I need to know which Senator is really in his pocket. And what he promised to Rhodes.”

You repeated yourself again and again and again as they bombarded you. “I don’t know, I don’t know! He would never tell me those things.”

“Think harder then.” Brock stood up in a fury, circling the desk to plant himself in front of you. “I need something fucking useful.”

Squeezing your eyes shut, you tried to think of something, anything to stop this. Everything you retained about Steve wouldn’t be what they wanted - that he was an old soul, a gentleman who kept your best interests at heart. Who loved old musicals and his mother. Who cared deeply about things but had hurt you deeply, too. None of that would have been helpful so what the fuck were you supposed to do?

“I..” You let out a breath. Would it be worth it to lie?

“If you say ‘you don’t know’ one more goddamn time..” Brock leaned forward, closing in the space between you and reaching for your jaw. He held it between his fingers, keeping you in his grasp waiting for an answer. 

When you didn’t respond, Brock growled and reached for his cigar, flipping it in his fingers and bringing the burning end closer and closer to your exposed neck. You could feel the heat before it even touched your skin and all you could do was scream in anticipation. 

“I don’t– please! Please don’t-” You pressed yourself into the chair, trying to get as far away from him as possible. But, the burning sensation never came.

“Hey–” This was a new voice. The Strong and Silent man lingering near Russo had rushed between you and Brock, shoving him away before the cigar made contact with your skin.  “You said you weren’t going to hurt her.”

Brock pushed him back. “This has nothing to do with you, Castle. Back the fuck off.” 

Castle didn’t move - acting as a barricade between you and Brock. They stood at a standstill, and eventually Brock let out a long dramatic sigh. “Ward.” He snapped his fingers again and Ward came forward. Once again, a hand landed on your shoulder.

“Take her up to the roof.”

---

“Do we not fucking knock anymore?” Steve called out as Bucky burst into his office, dragging Peter by the collar as he did.

Steve’s patience had run thin following dinner with his mother. She had managed to stir everything else up again, the feelings Steve was desperately trying to eliminate from his heart. Yet, they hadn’t dulled over time like he wanted. They remained steady, as steady as the beat of his heart. 

“She’s good for you.”

On top of that, they had managed to clear out most of the out of territory drug dealers creeping into Brooklyn. But it hadn’t really stopped. The drugs still found their way in, and the problems were escalating moreso. Angry clients, aggravated partners, a particularly frustrated future Mayor who needed Steve’s compliance and trusted network underground for insight. 

The last thing Steve wanted to deal with now was another issue. But when Steve saw the panicked look in Bucky’s eyes as he grabbed Peter’s shirt, Steve paused.

“Show him.” Bucky urged Peter forward, eyes wide in a panic. “Now.”

Steve stood from his chair slowly, meeting the young man in the middle of his office. “What’s going on? Is this about Beck again?”

“No, sir. No. It’s uh..” Peter’s hand was shaking as he gripped his cellphone, tapping on the screen before he glanced between Bucky and Steve again. “I keep an eye on social media - mostly just to see what’s happening, who’s hanging out where. My friend Ned he..” Peter shook his head. “Whatever. No one knows it’s me who watches their stuff. So. I was clicking through John Walker’s Instagram stories - that guy is an idiot, by the way. Always trying to bait women to find him at clubs or wherever. And..”

Peter tapped through something on his screen then turned it toward Steve. “Mr. Barnes said he recognized the dog in the background of this video..” 

Steve snatched the phone and pressed play on the screen recording. John Walker was in the middle of the frame, filming himself with the front camera as he talked about which bar he’d be showing up at later. But none of that mattered to Steve. What did matter was the dog tied up in the background, pulling at his lead as he started to bark. 

“Christ. Sorry about the mutt. Dealing with something for work..” 

Steve raised his eyes from the screen, eyebrows furrowed. “When was this posted?”

Peter swallowed before he replied. “About 20 minutes ago.”

Bucky turned to Steve. “Is that..?”

All Steve could do was growl, shoving the phone back at Peter. “Send that to me. Right now.” Steve reached for his own phone, heading out the door of his office towards the primary club facilities. Bucky was at his feet, asking what he could do to help. 

“Buck, call Kate. I need a timestamp for when Hercules was picked up.” 

Bucky nodded and tore off, phone to his ear. 

Steve called Clint directly. “Barton, I need your help.”

---

Kate confirmed you had picked up Hercules just before they closed. She didn’t notice anything concerning, aside from your general demeanor seeming quiet. 

Clint reviewed security footage outside your apartment building entrance, back door and lobby. No sign of you. It’s possible you had picked up your dog then gone elsewhere, but Steve wasn’t convinced. 

Fuck. 

Fuck, fuck, fuck. 

Steve paced his office again and again, waiting desperately for some information. Peter and Thor had stolen off to a few well known bars to see if they could track down Walker or any of his friends. 

Clint had gone to your building to troll the neighborhood and seek out any additional video footage that might help. 

Steve called Vision to see if he could connect with Wanda to get some information about where you might be, without leading to anything especially suspicious. 

Steve needed to know where you were and if you were okay. Truthfully, he wouldn’t be able to settle until he knew you were safe - until he saw you himself. 

This was the fucking risk, wasn’t it? Letting you in. People were going to use your relationship against him. It was staring him right in the face all along. Fuck, how could he live with himself if you got hurt?

Steve let out a fit of rage that had been brewing within him. He grabbed the rocks glass off his desk, still half full of melting ice, and sent it flying into the back of his door. 

God fucking damnit. He didn’t like any of this. With no news from Vision and Wanda, his mind was going to bad places.

Steve stalked across the broken glass and threw his door open, grabbing his coat as he left. He found Bucky downstairs at the bar, phone in hand as Natasha leaned beside him. 

“Please tell me someone has some fucking news to share,” Steve growled out as he approached. He didn’t even have to ask Natasha to pour him a drink, as it quickly appeared on the bar. 

“No Walker sightings yet,” Bucky said as he glanced at his phone. As he turned the screen, a new message appeared. 

The text didn’t contain any information or words, just a simple location pin. Bucky tapped on it, revealing an address on the outskirts of Brooklyn. 

“Who sent that?” Steve asked, eyeing over Bucky’s shoulder as he drained his glass. 

“No clue. I don’t know the number.” Bucky replied quietly. “No message either. Just a thumbs up emoji. But the timing is suspect.”

Steve shook his head. What did he have to lose? “Let’s go. Have Sam meet us there.”

---

You should have worn more layers, warmer clothes. Not that you anticipated being abducted on your way home. But you trusted the warm fall morning and now all you had was regret. A thin sweater barely kept you covered and the looming thunder overhead meant the threat of rain was very real. 

Ward had dragged you up the barren staircases to the roof, where he had then removed one of your handcuffs only to attach it to some external pipe system that hugged the outside wall of the building. You could sit on the dirty cold roof or stand and try to peer down, but nothing else. You were stuck. 

When you tried to plead with Ward  for your escape, he only smirked then offered an alternative. 

“Tell you what - if you get on your knees for me, I’ll remove the handcuffs altogether.”

As an answer to that proposal, you spit in his face. He really didn’t like that - which left you pushed to the ground and cuffed with no coverage from wind or impending rain. God fucking damnit. 

Once Ward disappeared through the door again, you yelled for help. If it made any lick of difference, you had no idea. There was another building very close by, yelling distance at least. But it looked abandoned just the same. On the other side of the roof, it looked like an emergency staircase existed. 

Not like you’d be able to escape. You seemed very stuck.

Were they going to leave you out there all night? Was this some scare tactic? What did they want from you - a detailed breakdown of everything you knew about Steve? You couldn’t do that - you wouldn’t. Despite the ricochet of emotions you had been through with Steve, you still felt.. something to him. Be it loyalty or kindness or whatever, you couldn’t throw him under the bus. 

Steve was a good person. You saw that in him often. But these men? You weren’t so sure. 

What if they left you until you had to meet with Hammond? Ten hours in the cold and rain. You could survive that, maybe. Maybe. 

Thunder rumbled above you. Rain started to fall. 

Fuck. Maybe not. 

In an attempt to make yourself as small as possible, you sat against the side wall and wrapped your free arm around yourself. It didn’t do much to protect you from the rain, but it helped retain what little body heat you still had. 

You weren’t sure how long you sat in the rain before you heard the access door burst open. You looked up and braced yourself, but felt almost relieved to see it wasn’t Ward again. 

It was Castle. 

He hesitated when he saw you, then quickly hurried in your direction. 

You closed your eyes in a panic. “I’m sorry - I don’t have anything to share about Steve  - I can’t remember if there was—”

“Hey, hey. It’s okay. I’m not here about that.” Castle crouched down in front of you. “I can’t let you go but let me help, alright?” He reached into his pocket and took out what looked like a Swiss Army knife. “I’ll get out of these cuffs at least.”

You braced yourself as he gently touched your wrist, using his tool to work through the lock mechanism. “Thank you.. uhm, Mr. Castle?”

He chuckled, barely. “Frank.”

You nodded, grateful as he freed your hand and left the cuffs dangling. “Thank you, Frank.”

“Over there,” Frank turned his head and pointed to the middle of the roof, where a small maintenance structure stood. It had a sloping roof that could provide more coverage. “Go. You’ll be covered at least.”

Frank got to his feet and offered you his hand. Once you were standing, he shrugged off his own heavy coat and handed it to you. 

“Frank,” you clutched the coat and met his gaze, eyes blurring from the rain. “Can you just.. make sure my dog is okay? Hercules? He’s a lover, not a fighter. But he’s all I have and- and..”

Frank gave you a curt nod. “Go.” He motioned back to the small shed and you nodded too. 

You had no idea why Frank was helping you. But you decided it had to be a good sign, right?

---

Steve had no idea what he was walking into. He had done this before – going in blind to certain situations was the nature of his entire job. It wasn’t always possible to anticipate who he would run into, if the person he trusted would deliver, if weapons were involved. But given his state of mind and the all-consuming worry he had about your wellbeing; he didn’t really care what he was faced with.

He just needed to figure out where you were and ensure you were safe. 

The location that had been sent to Bucky was outside of Brooklyn, just barely. Along an industrial neighbourhood, where plenty of abandoned factories and distribution centers lived, the coordinates lead them to a nondescript building. 

Steve and Bucky climbed out of the car, strapped with more than enough guns and ammunition to fight their way through whatever and whoever they were about to face. As they approached, Sam jogged into view, too.

“Thor couldn’t find Walker anywhere,” Sam provided as an update once they were waiting outside. “But Peter’s little tech friend managed to track a location for some recent postings to this general area..”

“Sounds like a likely place to look,” Bucky concluded, raising an eyebrow as he glanced at Steve.

Steve took in a deep breath, eyebrows narrowed as he gazed at the doors ahead of him. Raising his hands, he tugged at the collar of his coat and smoothed it out before nodding. He was ready to deal with this.

“If she’s anywhere in here, her safety is priority, you understand?” Steve glanced from Bucky back to Sam, waiting for their own nod of understanding. “If anyone put her in danger, they’re going to pay. But not at her expense.”

Bucky pressed his knuckles into his metal palm, a coy smirk raising on his lips. “Here’s hoping I get to fuck up Walker’s face again.”

Sam took the lead and yanked the dilapidated entry door open, busting open the lock mechanism with little effort. The main level they entered on was mainly being used for vehicle parking and what looked like some storage. A staircase led up to the next level.

Steve carried on - striding to the top of the staircase and heading through the doors. The entire building was in bad shape but this wasn’t their first rodeo.

Someone was hiding out somewhere. And when he found them, it wasn’t going to be pretty. 

“Sam - call everyone to be standby, including Thor and his brother. Get Barton to scope out next door, too. Lots of windows for coverage, the rooftop. Remind him about the Bullseye protocol.” Steve ran a hand through his hair then glanced to his right, motioning to the far door with Bucky. “You’re with me.”

In a few long strides, Steve reached the door and waited. Then, he raised a hand and knocked against it. Bucky stood behind his left shoulder. 

Someone on the other side of the door was yelling, then eventually they heard heavy stomping as someone approached. When the door opened, Steve didn’t hesitate - he leaped forward and reached for the collar of whoever it was. 

Steve growled. Grant Ward.

“Oh Jesus fucking–” Ward yelped out, trying to pull away from Steve’s grasp as Steve backed him into the room. “Take it fucking easy, Rogers. What the fuck are you–”

“Where is she?” Steve’s voice boomed, holding Ward in his grip as he glanced around the room. It was a fairly sparse leftover office, but sitting at the end of the large boardroom table was Billy Russo, Frank Castle and Brock Rumlow himself. A few other nameless thugs waited behind them, guns at the ready. “Where IS SHE?”

Steve threw Ward to the ground, reaching for his gun as the men at the table stood up and drew their own weapons, too. Bucky followed in behind Steve and kicked Ward down when he tried to get back on his feet.

“Stay down,” Bucky said to Ward. 

Rumlow moved from his spot slowly, waving his gun around and placing it down on the table as he walked towards Steve. “Rogers.”

Steve didn’t respond, darting his eyes from Rumlow back to Russo and Castle at the table. Russo looked away, suddenly preoccupied with anything else but Steve. Castle, though, also put his gun away.

“Rumlow.” Steve growled out your name this time. “Where. Is. She?”

Brock smirked. “Who? Oh.. yes. Sure. We just met. As far as I know, you two aren’t together anymore. What’s the concern?”

“If you fucking touched her-” Steve raised his hand again, gun pointing directly at Rumlow as they stood apart. “Tell me where she is.”

“Me and Russo have been talking. I think the three of us could be working together better. If you haven’t been picking off my dealers one by one, the pot could be a lot sweeter.”

“You and your drugs aren’t worthy of Brooklyn.” Steve stepped forward. “Tell me.”

“You know, I didn’t want us to meet like this.” Rumlow brought his hands up, in a faux act of surrender then slowly moved one of them forward to encourage Steve to put his weapon down. “In fact, I went through a lot of trouble to keep your pretty face away from here.”

“Not much trouble, it seems. And it sounds like you have a mole,” Steve shot back, sparing a quick glance back around the room. Russo looked away again but Steve met Castle’s eyes for a beat, then turned back to Rumlow. “Loyalty is rare around these parts.”

“Speaking of loyalty - your girl.” Rumlow stepped back and let out a long breath.

Steve matched him and stepped forward, raising his gun up once more. “If you laid one fucking hand on her–”

“I’ll tell you where she is after we chat, alright? I need a promise from you - to share the territory.”

Steve huffed, lips pursed as he scanned Rumlow’s face. “Tell me where she is.” Steve could hear Bucky shuffling behind him, metal fist clenched, growing just as impatient as Steve was. 

“Nah.” Rumlow shrugged, glancing around the room. “If you won’t negotiate, my lips are sealed. I still need her, gotta clear something up with the cops. Then, I don’t know. I guess she’s nice enough on the eyes, bit thicker than what I usually go for but maybe I’ll get her to warm my bed for a–”

Steve wasn’t an idiot. Rumlow was baiting him. And god fucking damnit it worked. Steve surged ahead, letting out another growl of rage as he attacked Rumlow with his fists.

On the other side of the room, Ward slid over to kick against Bucky’s knee - angering Bucky all the same. Sam rushed in to join them at the first sound of chaos. It wasn’t quite contained and really, it didn’t come as a surprise that everyone in the room was more than prepared for a fight. Rumlow’s extra lackeys seemed more than charged enough for the action. Bucky easily took care of Ward on his own, as Sam darted between helping Steve with Rumlow and the others as Russo tried to keep his distance. 

“Where is she?” Steve had Rumlow on the ground, pummeling his fists into Rumlow’s jaw. He didn’t get a response, as the sound of gunshots sounded out, ending with shards of glass flying across the floor. In a brief moment of hesitation after, Steve took in the rest of the room. 

Russo had slipped out. Castle too. 

“Sam!” Steve stood quickly, keeping his foot against Rumlow’s neck. 

Sam hurried over and tagged in as Steve rushed through the door to follow where the other two had gone. Running towards the staircase, he looked upwards and could hear the distinct sound of hurrying feet and the slamming of a metal door.

He bounded up the stairs towards the roof.

---

The rain continued to fall, although it had at least slowed down to a cool drizzle. It didn’t mean much since you were already soaking wet, though the coat from Castle had helped. It hadn’t really fit you but the extra layer kept you marginally more comfortable, despite the fatigue and hunger setting in. Was anyone else going to check on you? Would Castle come back to help?

Did.. did Steve know what was going on? Although - how would he even find out? Fuck, you kept going over everything again and again and again. The steps you took today, the conversation you had with Sarah a few weeks ago, Steve’s last words to you at your apartment…

You wish things had gone differently. Maybe in a different life or timeline, it might have all worked out.

Gunshots.

You could hear gunshots from somewhere nearby. Downstairs in the building, maybe. Truthfully, at least up on the roof, you were away from the reality of this situation - that these people had guns and clearly weren’t afraid to use them. Up there, in the rain, you could ignore all of that.

But no, here was the glaring reminder. A few more shots sounded out then it seemed to stop. You tried to keep ignoring it, laying your back flat against the wall of the structure until you heard the door open again. You couldn’t even bring yourself to look until you heard someone barking out your name. This time the voice belonged to Russo.

A set of footsteps tracked further onto the roof, but you held your safe position. Russo finally appeared ahead of you, a scowl etched on his face. “I thought Ward tied you up. Whatever, let’s go.” He grabbed your closest wrist, urging you away from your hiding space. You tried to yank yourself away.

“Please, I don’t want to-”

“Bill - come on, can’t we just drop all this?” Frank came into your eyeline next, looking you over quickly then back towards the door. “Rogers isn’t dumb, he’ll follow us up here anyway.”

Your heart jumped at Steve’s name. He was here, he was going to get you away from this.

Russo’s grip tightened on your wrist, though he turned to look at Frank. “The plan remains the same - we need her to talk to Hammond so Rogers can land some jail time. It’s the only way we can get ahead.”

Frank let out a noncommittal sigh. “Rumlow is a fuckin’ idiot. You don’t think his plan is to screw us over later too?”

“I don’t give a shit about that right now,” Russo growled, looking back towards you. “Let’s go.”

Frank hesitated again, but didn’t argue any further. You pleaded again as they took you to the far side of the roof, where the emergency fire escape stairs were. Russo let you go momentarily as he stalked over, peering down towards the stairs. 

“They should hold up, I hope” he said with a shrug, motioning his head for you to go. “Ladies first.”

You shook your head, taking a step back and glancing towards the door instead. “No, I..” You turned on your heel.

A gunshot sounded out behind you, loud and piercing. You screamed, eyes wide as you turned back. Russo was scowling again, holding his gun high as he shot it upwards into the sky. He lowered it slowly, pointing it at you directly instead. If that wasn’t enough of a warning. “Down you go. Now.” 

You glanced at Frank, who remained completely stoic as he looked between you and Russo. 

Suddenly, the door flew open again. You all turned to look.

A wave of relief flooded through you - it was Steve. He called your name as he walked towards you, never breaking his eye contact with you. In an instant, all your worries and doubts and everything seemed to shatter as he looked at you with such gentleness and grace.

Russo let out a hard laugh, waving his gun for a brief moment before aiming it back at you. “No time for your cute reunion. Let us walk away, Rogers.”

“Sweetheart,” Steve didn’t even bother replying to Russo, though he did stop in his tracks when he realized Russo had a gun pointed at you. But, Steve carried on, repeating your name. “Are you okay?”

You swallowed hard, jaw shaking as you nodded. 

Steve softened, for a fraction of a second. You knew he could tell you weren’t being honest. But what were you supposed to do? You were a hostage, soaking wet on a roof, with a gun pointed in your direction - no, you were not okay.

You watched as Steve transformed again, soft eyes replaced by hard lines, a tight jaw. He finally broke your gaze and turned his attention to Russo and Castle. “Let her go and we’ll all walk away from this unscathed.”

A loud laugh escaped Russo. “Right. I don’t think so. We’re walking away from this with the leverage we need.”

You watched as Steve took in a deep breath, then reluctantly put his hands up. “What do you want, Russo? Money, territory, names? What? I’ll give you whatever you want - just put your gun down and let her go.”

“You think I’m an idiot?” Russo shook his head. “No, I’m not playing this game.”

“This isn’t a fucking game,” Steve continued, reaching his hand slowly for his gun. He raised it up then just as quickly tossed it behind himself. “Please, Bill. Just leave her out of this.” 

“Billy..” Frank finally spoke up too. “Let’s call it, okay? Sounds like Rogers is willing to talk and–”

“No.” Russo took a step closer to you, gun firm in hand. “No, we’re going to–”

Before you realized what was happening, you weren’t even standing on your own two feet anymore. A flurry of noises rang out around you - screaming, gunshots, shouting. Someone had wrapped their arms around you – you fell towards the ground – you landed on.. Steve. It was Steve.

He had run towards you in the action, caging you in his arms as you both landed on the rooftop together. Safe. Alive. Steve shielded you with his own body from the noise and chaos happening around you. You didn’t know who had been shooting who, if anyone escaped or made it down the fire escape. All you knew is that you were safe, in Steve’s arms.

Steve was whispering out your name, again and again, like some sort of prayer on his lips. His words were wrapped in apologies, in cries for your safety, in hushed words that begged for reassurance. As everything else seemed to quiet down, he gently pushed himself up to peer down at you. 

“Sweetheart, I’m so–”

“Steve, it’s okay. I’m okay.. I’m..c-cold.” 

He shook his head and quickly shifted again, standing up and helping you back to your feet, too. He shrugged off his own jacket and draped it over you. Slowly, he raised his hand and slid it down the side of your face, wiping away stray droplets of water with his thumb. His palm was warm against your cheek, you could feel his whole heart pulsing as he held you. 

“I’m sorry, baby. I’m–”

“Steve!” Bucky’s voice broke you both from the spell. Steve reluctantly looked away from you, pivoting slightly as he looked towards Bucky running in their direction. Across the roof, both Frank and Russo were on their knees, hands wrapped behind their backs.  A makeshift bandage was wrapped around one of Russo’s biceps.

Wait, had someone shot him? It couldn’t have been Steve, he had put his gun down. Would Frank have..

Bucky leaned in slightly and mumbled into Steve’s ear, then they both looked across the roof towards the adjacent building. Bucky waved in that direction and Steve nodded, then they both turned back to you.

Before Steve could say anything else, you reached for his shirt. “Steve - you..we need to find Hercules. They said.. They..” You closed your eyes tight, head shaking as you tried to form your words. “They were going to take him somewhere to fight. I don’t know if..”

Bucky stood up tall again. He said your name firm, like a promise. “I’ll find him.”

As Bucky left, Steve wrapped his arms around you again - tighter this time. With one hand, he secured your back and the other cradled your head against his chest. He didn’t say anything and you couldn’t find any words either. 

---

You were back at Steve’s apartment. You thought you’d never see those big windows overlooking Brooklyn ever again and yet, there you were. Safe.

Safe and warm, following a long shower in Steve’s guest bathroom. Stripping away your damp clothes and stealing away into the stream for longer than probably necessary had been a nice escape. Especially given that Steve had driven you back to his place in silence - though it wasn’t as awkward as before. It just felt like maybe there were things you both needed to say but couldn’t bring yourself to mention yet.

Before you had left the building earlier, Steve hadn’t let you leave his sight. Well, except for about ten minutes where Bucky hovered over you instead.

Steve brought you inside, back downstairs to that same boardroom and office space. But this time, you weren’t faced with bad guys with guns. Well, the bad guys remained but the guns were gone.

All four of them were bound and seated at a chair. Ward’s head was lolled to the side, Brock had a bloody face, Russo and Castle were mostly left without much damage. But you had a feeling that wasn’t going to last.

Steve squeezed your hand, gently turning you away from looking at them. 

“Hey,” he said quietly, tipping your chin up with his thumb. “Can you tell me what happened? What they did?”

You swallowed hard, eyes wide for a moment as you considered his question. What was he going to do?

“Don’t overthink it, okay? Just tell me what you think I should know.”

You let out a breath then recounted everything. Ward ambushing you on the sidewalk, Brock threatening you, Russo joining in…

“But Frank he..” You finally spared a glance over your shoulder. Frank sat up straight in his chair, resigned to whatever fate awaited him. “He helped me. Tried to protect me, gave me his coat..”

Steve nodded, looking in Frank’s direction the same way. Steve called for Sam, then gave him another nod and Sam went to untie Frank from his chair. 

It was only a few moments later that Bucky showed up with Hercules, who - thank god - looked unharmed, if a little worked up. You couldn’t help but start to cry as you broke away from Steve and rushed to your son. 

But, It wasn’t lost on you how quickly Bucky led you away from the room with your dog. Or how the door shut behind you, leaving Steve and Sam in there with the rest of the men, the overlapping sounds and sounds of distress…

When you finally decided you had wasted enough water and regained all the proper feeling in your body, you shut off the water and let out a long sigh. Outside on the counter, folded neatly beside your warm towel, was some clothes you had left at Steve’s ages ago. Soft and clean layers to keep your temperature steady as you got ready for bed.

You supposed it was a choice you made - agreeing to go home with Steve instead of back to your own apartment. But you knew you wouldn’t be able to sleep there - not tonight. And you knew Steve would insist on staying and keeping guard outside your door anyway. So it made more sense this way.

After you changed, you found Hercules waiting for you in the hallway. You could hear Steve in the living room, speaking quite passionately on his end of a phone call.

“Jim, this is the only deal I’m making. Proof of your dirty cop aside, I’m handing you Rumlow alive on a silver platter, even though I should have let him bleed out. So you have to do this for me. I don’t give a fuck about protocol..” There was a heavy pause. “Every instance of her name on any police report - gone. I don’t want her attached to any of it, do you understand? No trace of her. I don’t care - redact it or burn it. Get that done and I’ll deliver Rumlow to you in the morning. Understood?” 

You knew you probably shouldn’t be listening, but it was your name he was mentioning.

“As for Russo, I’m dealing with that myself. But keep him on your radar. If you need another arrest to clench your win, you can have him once I’m done.”

You quietly slipped into the guest bedroom once you realized his call had ended. Once Hercules followed you in, you shut the door. Fuck. What happened now? Maybe you and Steve needed to talk about all of this - you definitely needed to talk about it.

You heard footsteps coming down the hallway towards the bedrooms and Steve stopped outside your door. You held your breath, wondering if he would say your name or knock. But - nothing. His phone buzzed again and he disappeared into his bedroom.

With a heavy sigh, you leaned against the door. 

---

Mentally, Steve was exhausted.

Physically, his energy peaked in the midst of the action and hadn’t seemed to peter off yet. 

You were safe, you were safe, you were safe.

Why couldn’t he calm down? You were one wall away, falling asleep. Safe. He got to you before anything critical happened. Christ, nothing should have happened in the first place.

Following his long frustrating phone call with Rhodes, he wanted to talk to you. He wanted to say everything that was weighing down his heart - but your door was closed and he couldn’t even find it in himself to knock.

You were probably even angrier with him than before - given that this was all his fault. But that was fine with him. He could deal with your anger if that meant you had any feelings towards him left. Anger counted.

He rinsed off in the shower then pulled on a pair of pajama pants before falling into bed, not that he was tired. His brain was wired and maybe an allnighter was in his future. 

Steve sent off a few last messages to Bucky and Sam, then discarded his phone on the nightstand. He leaned back against the headboard and–

There was a knock at his bedroom door. You were knocking. He swung his legs off the bed and hurried to open the door, just as you were about to push it open yourself.

“Hi,” you said quietly, meeting his eyes in the low light streaming in from his lamp.

“Are you okay?” Steve asked, scanning you for any signs of distress.

You shrugged, drawing in a deep breath. Then Steve took a step back, waving his arm to invite you in. You released your lungs slowly, nodding and following him inside. Wordlessly, he climbed into the bed and offered the open blanket to you, arms wide. You just nodded again, crawling in and finding a spot - your spot - underneath his arms.

---

CHAPTER 07 - CHAPTER 09

#steve rogers x reader #steve rogers x plus size reader #steve rogers x plus sized reader #steve rogers x you #mob boss steve rogers #steve rogers fanfiction #steve rogers au #story: sink into me #simmerandcry #simmerandwrite

[avelera]

I am never going to be over what the movies did with Steve and Tony's dynamic, because- listen, listen. The reason Civil War was (supposed to, it was kind of a hot mess) hit so hard in the comics was that these two were *best friends* and had been for decades of comic time. In the movies, they never are friends, so Civil War is just two colleagues who never really got on, and not the devastating tearing apart of a long-established friendship group.

Dude I literally burst out into like... outraged, furious laughter in the theater when Tony said, "I thought I was your friend?" because, umm, footage not fucking found?

I completely get and respect the comic readers here for whom Steve & Tony and Steve/Tony were, in fact, the best of friends! But the MCU never ever actually showed it.

To cram that line, which felt lifted from the comics, into the MCU was genuinely laughable. How could Tony possibly think he compares to what we've seen of Steve and Bucky's relationship, since childhood even if you don't ship them, as the only person Steve has left from his entire life pre-WWII? How could Tony possibly think he compares except through the lens of a galaxy sized ego and being totally self-involved to the exclusion of all else? How could any work colleague, since that's what they are at best when not outright antagonists to each other in the MCU, think they'd compare to a childhood friend in danger, that Tony is actively putting in danger? Who Tony is blaming for the death of his father despite the fact they've got piles of evidence that Bucky was a mind-controlled prisoner of war being actively tortured at the time?

It's literally staggering, it beggars belief that this line was uttered. And wildly enough, it's not even my least favorite line in Civil War. (That one goes to Vision's stupid fucking comment about how strength invites challenge, basically victim-blaming the superheroes for having villains, which only possibly makes any sense if you ignore Thor, the greater galaxy, all of the infinity stones, and basically every other part of the MCU timeline before Steve Rogers got the serum, Christ that line makes me mad.

Oh, and the line about Tony just handwaving signing the accords because their lawyers can fix it later as the most boneheaded line of insane privilege I've ever heard. Kids, never fucking sign something just because you can supposedly fix it later, christ it's the dumbest thing I've ever heard.)

ANYWAY, I have major beef with Civil War's logic. It never should have happened where it did in the MCU. Cap 3 should have been dedicated to its original plot before they found out RDJ was staying on in the MCU and they had the pieces to make Civil War (the original was the hunt for Bucky and an examination of Captain America's legacy through the lens of Bucky killing off the pretenders the US government set up to be him over the years, and I still weep that we never got it) But I do honestly, deeply, have sympathy for comic fans and why they're mad about the Steve and Tony friendship never actually appearing on screen in any meaningful way.

Civil War shouldn't have happened then. Civil War is a plot you run now, when you've got the rights to the X-Men and too many damn characters running amok. Civil War would be perfect now for pairing down some of the ballooning MCU nonsense. The cast was literally not big enough circa Cap 3 to make Civil War. And I'm eternally bitter that they pivoted away from the smaller-scale Cap-centric movie we should have had and instead made another Avengers movie in its name.

#maggie rambles #captain america #mcu meta #mcu