TW: some topics discussed in this chapter maybe sensitive to some readers. Readers discretion is advised.
And I know, I know they've all been talkin' about me
I can hear them whisper, and it makes me think
There must be somethin' wrong with me
Out of all the hours thinkin', somehow I've lost my mind
-Unwell by Matchbox Twenty
Sunlight filtered into Sophia and Steve's room. Sophia awoke, blinking against the sun. She felt the heavy arm on her waist, relief flooding her knowing Steve was there. She gently wiggled her way out from under him, not wanting to wake him. She went to the restroom and came back. She looked at the clock. 11AM. "Steven. Steven. We are so late. Come on, get up!" she whisper-yelled.
Steve rolled and stretched. "Sophia, love, come back to bed" he said lazily.
"We have a meeting with Prince T'Challa in half an hour."
"No, we don't. I called him yesterday when I knew we would be late and pushed it until tomorrow. Come back to bed love. We both need the rest." He lifted the covers to invite her back in.
Sophia crawled back into the bed and rested her head on Steve's chest, and he wrapped his arms around her. This was her favorite place in the world. She sighed and snuggled in deeper, earning her a chuckle from him. "I missed you so much baby," she said.
"What? Nat doesn't snuggle as good as I do?" He teased. He planted a soft kiss on the top of her head and then leaned his head against hers. "I'm here, sweetheart. You don't have to worry." He held her a little tighter and sighed. "My Sophia, I think we need to talk to the team today."
"Why? Is everything ok?" He could hear the panic in Sophia's voice.
"Everything is ok, I just feel like we need to have a team meeting. We haven't had one in a while."
"Oh ok." Sophia settled back down. "Maybe we can have lunch together since the meeting was pushed?" She suggested.
"That's sounds great love. Hey Friday?"
Yes, Captain Rogers.
"Can you let the team know we are doing a team lunch at 1PM please?"
Certainly.
"Also please order from the deli, the usual?"
Right away.
"There. Now we can relax before we have to get up." Steve kissed Sophia's forehead. "You look more rested love. Have you not been sleeping while I was away?"
"I always had issues sleeping when you aren't here. You know that."
"There's difference between not sleeping but still getting rest and not actually sleeping. How many days?"
Sophia chews her lips, hesitating to answer. "Sophia," Steve says sternly.
"Six days," Sophia whispers.
Steve sighs and closes his eyes. "Doll why?"
Sophia keeps her head down and silent, running her fingers over Steve's abs.
"Doll, you could keep trying to distract me or you could talk to me. Either works for me but I think one is more important."
Sophia still wouldn't move. She knew she was in trouble and didn't feel like dealing with it. Deciding that the first option was the best option in the moment, she quickly straddled her fiancé and leans down to kiss his neck. She nibbles on his ear, causing him to groan. "Doll, Jesus," as she keeps assaulting him with kisses and gentle bites. He runs his hands up and down her back and thighs, earning him a moan in his ear. "Fuck, you win this round," as he flips her over to her back.
"Always do Captain," she says with a smirk. He moves down her neck effectively ending the conversation. Sophia moans at the sensation, the warmth of Steve's mouth on her neck sending tingles down her body.
Steve pushed the straps of Sophia's nightgown down her arms, exposing her breasts to him. He gently sucks on her nipple, causing her back to arch. "Steve, please," she moans.
"Tell me what you want sweetheart."
"Oh, god, you, please."
Steve smiles against her skin. "I need more words love. You have to tell me." Sophia is still speechless as Steve continues to kiss and lick his way down her body. "Maybe I should stop. Maybe I should stop because you've been a very bad girl."
Sophia takes a breath, "No, Steve please, don't stop."
"Tell me why doll. Tell me why you don't take care of yourself?" Steve kisses along the hem of Sophia's panties.
"I just couldn't," she moans out. "I needed to know you were ok. Please, please don't stop."
Steve, pulls her panties down slowly, kissing as he moves down. He skips over her center, kiss down her leg. She squirms, wanting to get some friction. "Hold still love," Steve orders, using his Captain voice.
She freezes. "But Steve..."
"Silence Sophia. All I want to hear from you are those sweet moans from that mouth." Steve starts to kiss up her other leg. Sophia's chest rises quicker with each kiss. She mewls sounds, not wanting to disappoint her Captain. "You wanted this remember Sophia. You didn't want to answer my questions. You wanted to distract me instead." He continues to nip and kiss up her thighs. Sophia doesn't say a word, absorbing every sensation. "Tell me, my love. Tell me what you want." He's playing a game with her. Speak and she loses. Stop using her words and she is left unsatisfied. Steve reaches the apex of her legs and places a soft kiss on her clit. Sophia tries to buck her hips for more. "You want more Sophia?" She nods. "You have to tell me sweetheart."
It breaks her resolve. "Please!"
"Oh Sophia, so close." Steve stops and pulls himself on top of her. He kisses her softly.
Sophia wraps her arms around him, whispering in his ear, "Please Captain. I need you."
Steve growls at the title, her begging. He takes himself in his hand and rubs the tip within her wet folds. She moans louder, "please Captain." He pushes softly into her, enjoying the sensation of her warmth around him. He inches in, allowing her time to adjust to his size, her mouth opens slightly, her eyes closed but he can tell her eyes are rolling to the back of her head. After he bottoms out, he doesn't move, waiting for the ok from her.
"Please Captain," she mewls again. Steve gently starts to thrust into her, slowly but deep. Sophia wraps her legs around him, allowing him to get deeper into her. Steve moans, "baby, you are so tight. Did you miss me?"
"Every day. Steve...."
"That's not my name sweetheart."
Sophia moans as Steve slows down. "I'm sorry Captain, I'm sorry, please don't stop."
Steve starts again, picking up speed, wanting to be as deep as he can in her. He can feel her starting to tighten more, ready to release and he stops. "No!" she screams.
Steve slowly starts again. "Let's have a baby," he asks her.
"What?" Sophia is brought back from her high. "Right now?"
"Sophia I just want everything with you. Let's have a baby. We can get married after." Steve picks up his thrust. Sophia lost in the sensation. "Yes, ok yes! Let's have a baby! Please Steve!"
Steve pulls out of her suddenly, but she doesn't have time to register it as he flips her to her knees and enters her from behind. He moves slowly at first but then moves faster and faster, hitting her sweet spot every time. "Cum for me doll."
Sophia finally hits her peak and screams. She pulsates around his cock, causing him to release into her. He rides out both of their highs before gently pulling out and helping Sophia down. He pulls her into him and kisses her gently. "I love you my Sophia."
"I love you too my Steven." She smiles as her eyes flutter up to him. "I guess we're having a baby."
"Soon, I hope." Steve smiles.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Lunch is always a fun distraction for the team. They aren't usually together for lunch and dinner together was mandatory, so taking a break from training or research was always welcome. A buffet was set up along the kitchen island with the deli order. Different meats, cheeses, bread and chips were laid out by Sophia. She asked for drink orders from everyone and brought out a variety of sodas, juices and water. She finally sat down and asked about details from the mission.
"It was good, Angel. Took HYDRA out and got some files for you and Tony to look over," Bucky says, taking a bite of his monstrous sandwich.
"Any interesting tech?" Tony asked, taking a sip of his coke.
"A couple of pieces," said Sam. "But nothing like what you don't already have in the lab. Not worth bringing it."
Sophia took in her family time and smiled. She continued to happy dance subtly in her seat, eating her sandwich when Steve cleared his throat. She looked up to see a silent exchange happen between him and Tony. "Ok," she said, "out with it."
Tony looked at Sophia with a rather serious face. "Rosie, we wanted to talk to you."
"About what?" She frowned when she realized the entire table was looking at her. "What?"
"Doll, we're worried about you. About the not sleeping, the anxiety you have anytime we leave, not eating. You haven't been on a mission in months." Steve says. He reaches over to put his hand on her cheek. "There is nothing wrong with that, but you've always had this fire about wanting to do good in the world. Ever since Monaco, it seems like..." Steve hesitates.
"... your fire has died down," continued Bucky. "What happened?"
Sophia kept her head down. She thought she had been keeping her mental state away from her family. She didn't realize that she wasn't keeping it from them but exposing it to them. "I'm sorry," she mumbled. She starts to play with her necklace.
"Sweetie, there is nothing to be sorry about," said Natasha. "We are just worried. You won't talk to us or the shrink. We see you getting worse and we just want to know what we can do to help."
Sophia shot a look at Wanda, the only person who knew what Sophia was going through. Wanda had accidently seen the fear in her mind. She had gotten Sophia to open up to her. Wanda nodded once to her, encouraging her to speak. Sophia took a deep breathe. "I'm afraid."
"Of what, love?" Steve took Sophia's hand, intertwining their fingers. Bucky took her other hand on her other side.
"You know that last mission I was on, in Tokyo?" Steve nodded. "I heard rumors. Rumors of governments wanting to disband the Avengers. Of people trying to tear this family apart. When I went to download the intel on the HYDRA base, I got an anonymous message." She got up to get her phone. She handed it to Steve. He read the message and frowned.
I want to see an empire fall.
"Who sent that to you?" Asked Steve.
"That's the thing. I don't know. The number is completely untraceable. Normally I can ping the phone, find a general location. I can't even do that." Sophia drew up her knees to her chest. "Something is coming and I can't stop worrying that one day, you won't come home." Sophia let a single tear fall. "This is why I can't sleep. Sometimes I dream that you guys have been arrested, sometimes it's because you didn't come back at all. Sometimes it's that Peter has been taken away from us. Whenever I close my eyes and I'm alone, all I see is the worst."
The team is stunned. Tony takes the phone and starts to tap on the screen. "She's right, no ping, no way to track it." He throws the phone on the table.
"You think that they are planning to end us?" Scott asked.
"End us, control us, take away our free will, whatever you want to call it. And I feel like Secretary Ross is one of the players. Every time he comes in or leaves, I feel like he smiles at me like he knows something is coming. I can't describe it any more than that. Steve comes out of the meeting so frustrated about whatever Ross wants, I can't help but think that he has something to do with this message."
"Marie, why didn't you tell us? We could have done...." Sam was interrupted.
"Done what, Sam? Get paranoid, get sleepless like me? No, there was nothing anyone else would have been able to do. I didn't want anyone to be like me." Sophia sobbed.
Bucky turned Sophia to face him. Steve wrapped his arms around her waist, resting his head on her shoulder. "Angel, you keep saying that we are family. We can't be family if you refuse to let us help you. This could affect all of us. We had the right to know. So as of right now, you are not alone in this. Stop assuming that you are alone."
"He's right you know," Steve whispered in her ear. "You didn't have to go through this alone. We won't leave you. To the end of the line, remember?"
Sophia really let the tears flow. "I'm so sorry. I just thought I was protecting you guys from this. I didn't know what it was. I'm sorry."
"Hey, Rosie, don't be sorry." Clint said. "Let's just get to work on finding out more and we will handle it. Together."
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Reviewing the intel provided, the man flips to the picture of a woman and child, smiling at the camera. He sadly smiles, closing the phone. He looks at the photo in the file. She is beautiful, the thinks to himself. He looks at the name: Sophia-Marie Stark-Taylor. He continues to read the file.
Family: Anthony Stark aka Ironman
Partner: Steven Rogers aka Captain America
Children: Peter Parker-Rogers
Known Associates:
- James Buchanan Barnes aka the Winter Soldier
- Samuel Wilson aka Falcon
- Natasha Romanoff aka the Black Widow
- Clint Barton aka Hawkeye
- Wanda Maximoff aka the Scarlet Witch
- Scott Lang aka Ant-Man
"It will be impossible to just get to her," he says to the man in the suit.
"We are putting into place some accords that might make it easier. However, we need a way to flush her out if she decides to go against them."
"What do you suggest?"
The man in the suite looks down on the list. "Pick one"
"Excuse me?"
"Pick a name on the list that you think she would drop everything to protect. Let's assume Stark and Rogers would never let her out of their sight. And I don't want to involve the child into this. That gives you six names."
"I would pick the Winter Soldier. We could activate if necessary. Only a blind man could not see the closeness of the two."
"So come up with a plan. We will see this empire fall."