More than a gift

One on one time

June 28th

Sniffling back her tears, Elena tried to pull off her wedding rings. She knew this was coming, but it didn't lessen the hurt her heart felt to actually do it. Standing in front of her Steve looked down at her sternly with his hand out. "Tesoro, your fingers have gotten too swollen to wear them. You don't want to have them cut off because you are being too stubborn to take them off, now do you?"

"No, but Steve I haven't taken them off for anything other than cooking or washing the dishes. That was for quick periods of time, this is until possibly after the baby's are born." Her crying turns into full on sobbing. She knows he's right, but her hormones have only gotten worse the farther along her pregnancy had progressed. He gently pried them the rest of the way off of her swollen ring finger, kissing her forehead to hopefully lessen the sting a bit.

"Sweetheart, look at it this way." He slipped the rings onto the chain Bucky bought for this purpose and clipped it around her neck. "This way you can still wear them and you don't have to take them off when you cook or wash the dishes."

Laughing a little at his attempt to be funny, she nods. "Besides, with them on the chain you can read our inscriptions whenever you want." Holding the rings up so she could see the writing on the inside of each band. Steve cups the rings in his hands and holds up the one from him.

Biting her lip Elena looks at the words inscribed there. 'As you wish SRB' The words spoken to Buttercup from Westley that really meant 'I love you' and his initials. Leaning up as best she could because of her very full belly keeping them apart she kissed him softly. "I love you so much. I'm sorry I'm an overly emotional blubbering mess."

"You're my overly emotional blubbering mess and I love you too." He kissed her lips twice before pulling back to ask, "How about we go cuddle and watch Princess Bride? Because now I really wanna quote it just to see you smile." Laughing out a watery chuckle she nods.

He really was just the sweetest human being alive sometimes Elena thinks to herself. As Steve walked in front of her to the living room downstairs Elena was struck by the craving for something other than food and was suddenly very happy that she wore a simple sundress today.

"Hmm, where is it?" He hums absently to himself as he pursues the shelves on the left side of the fireplace for the movie.

"It's on the right of the fireplace. Third shelf with all of Cary Elwes' movies. It's between Robin Hood; men in tights and Kiss the girls." Steve glances at her with an amused grin as he walks over to pluck it from exactly where she told him it was. Since they had officially moved to the Cottage full time she had decorated and organized everything that Buck and Steve deemed light enough for her to lift. Hence knowing the exact details of the DVD's placement that she had put in order by the actors.

All of the guys' combined things had been taken from their storage units a few weeks ago and moved in. Since all of her stuff had been in their apartment because she hadn't brought anything with her when she first joined the team other than a go bag filled with movies and a couple changes of clothes it was easy for her.

Of course, all of the guys did the heavy lifting while Elena set up everything to make this their home and not just their escape. Tony insisted they keep their apartment back at the Compound with just the basics because it was still their home. He was actually remodeling it so it had a spare room for the babies. She knew he was hoping that if they still had a place there then they'd stay over so he'd have unfettered access to the babies.

Steve popped the movie into the DVD player before he striding over to half lay back on the couch. Leaning against the armrest with one of the many pillows she loved to decorate with under his head he helped her to lay in front of him wrapping his right arm around her stomach while his left cradles her head. Elena pressed play on the remote and scooted her hips back until her butt was firmly against his groin. Absently he kissed the top of her head before settling better onto the couch to get comfortable. He began stroking his hand over her stomach as the opening scene began to play across the screen.