"Get it Right" - Glee Cast
Twenty minutes.
I had twenty minutes before I had to get on a quinjet and go to D.C. to meet up with Nick Fury and tell him of the plan to bring Loki here. And I know that is not going to go well.
But I can't even concentrate on that. Because right now the only thing on my mind right now is finding Steve and getting a chance to talk to him. I know Tony told me not to worry about this and to just focus on my meeting with Fury, but I can't just let him run away like this without letting me explain myself. I told Tony I was just going to my room to change, but I'm pretty sure he knows I was lying. Because the second I could I bolted out the door and tried to find the direction that Steve was heading.
I run out of the conference room and look around, but I see no trace of Steve anywhere. I see a few S.H.I.E.L.D. agents standing nearby and I figure they have to have seen him leave.
"Did you guys see Steve?" I ask, not really stopping my movement.
"Yeah, he took off that way." one of them says, extending their hand out towards the right. I run with full force trying to see If I can catch him before he heads too far. Every agent I pass I ask them if they've seen Steve. Some give me vague directions, some shrug their shoulders, and some take so long to answer I don't even bother slowing down to hear them. I just keep running, calling out to him while not even knowing for sure if I'm even going the right way.
Those that have seen Steve know something is wrong, probably based on the way he stormed out. Those that didn't now definitely know something is wrong, based on the way I'm frantically looking for him.
I find myself near the hangar and I panic, wondering if he ran in there and grabbed a quinjet. He could literally go anywhere and I would never find him. I could track the quinjet, but there's no guarantee he wouldn't just abandon it and take off on foot.
I make a quick turn into the hangar and instantly start asking around to see if anyone has seen him, when suddenly I crash into someone who was going the opposite way.
"What's the rush Connors?" Ana says, as she backs away from me, her long blonde hair swaying freely instead of her usual slick ponytail.
Ana and I have had a pretty civil relationship since she found out about Steve and I. Were not exactly friends considering she spent a good amount of the time that I've known her trying to flirt with Steve, including when he and I were together. But in her defense she didn't actually know we were together, and ever since she found out she has been respectful of our relationship.
For the most part.
"I'm just looking for Steve." I say, trying to look past her and into the hangar.
"He didn't go in there." she says as she watches me curiously. "Trouble in paradise?" she asks, a smug look on her face. "Should I shoot my shot now."
I can't help but roll my eyes. "Give it up Ana. He's not interested in you."
She smiles. "Why do you assume I was talking about Steve?" she says with a wink.
I roll my eyes even harder. "Ana, I don't have time for this. Did you see Steve or not?" I ask.
She sees the seriousness in my face and seems to have some compassion. "I saw him storm off that way." she says, tilting her head towards the left of the hangar. "He was talking with Bucky and I heard him say something about a bike."
Shit. Here I was worried about him taking a jet, when the easiest thing to grab was a motorcycle.
He's long gone by now.
"Fuck" I whisper as I run a hand through my hair.
Ana can sense the tension in my body as she watches me. "What is going on Mia?" she asks, and I can tell she knows this is about more than just Steve and me.
Suddenly we're interrupted by an announcement over the speaker. "All available agents in the west wing please gather in the main hall for an announcement."
"You're about to find out." I say, knowing my entire existence is about to change here. I can guarantee there are a lot of people here, if not all of them, who will not agree with what we're doing because of my determination to talk to Loki.
"Barlow!" someone calls out, using Ana's last name, and we turn to see Bucky coming towards us. "Didn't you hear the announcement?" he asks, in a clearly sarcastic mood. "They're not going to hold off just to wait for you. Take this." He hands her a clipboard as he passes her, barely giving her enough time to get a grip on it before he lets it go. "Get it into the system when you get back. And you..." he says as he looks at me with an annoyed glare. "Let's go. The sooner we leave the sooner we'll get back."
I'm sorry...what?
"Jesus..." Ana says before I get to question Bucky's comment. "I've never seen him even look at you like that. What did you do, Connors?" she teases.
"Now Barlow!" Bucky snaps, clearly getting irritated.
Ana narrows her eyes as she steps towards him. "Take out that giant stick you have up your ass and watch your tone Barnes." she says, matching his attitude. "Because no one speaks to me like that unless they're going to make it up to me later."
She doesn't need to elaborate, we know exactly what she's talking about, and I can't help but love her confidence. She's right though, Bucky has no reason to lash out at her. It's me he's upset with.
"Go to the meeting Ana." I say, turning to face her. "You need to be updated with what's happening."
She gives me an uneasy look before turning back to watch Bucky with an almost threatening look. "Put him in his place, Connors." she says, giving me a quick wink before turning around, tossing her blonde hair over her shoulders as she walks away.
"That was uncalled for." I say to Bucky.
"Get on the quinjet Mia." he says, ignoring my statement as he heads towards the plane closest to us.
I let out a deep breath as I follow behind him. "You don't have to go with me." I say. As much as I would like the support, I know how Bucky feels about this.
"Believe me I tried to get out of it." he says, stepping onto the open ramp. "But it was Tony's order."
As I step onto the ramp I get an uneasy feeling, knowing something is really wrong with what he just said. "Since when do you take orders from Tony?" I ask. As much as Bucky is a team player, no one can make him do anything he doesn't want to do.
Bucky closes the ramp behind me as I watch him closely, trying to get some sense of why he's coming with me.
"Tony made a compelling argument." he says. And the reason that response scares me...is because I think he's telling the truth.
"I'd rather go alone." I say, feeling like they came up with some plan to ruin this.
"And we'd all rather have none of this happening." he says as he heads to the pilot seat. "But you can't get your way with everything Mia."
There's no hiding the animosity he feels towards me, and it hurts because Bucky has been nothing but kind to me. He's one of my best friends, but based on the way he's talking to me you would never know that.
I contemplate staying in the back, but ultimately move up into the co-pilot's seat just as Bucky starts up the quinjet. It's clear he neither needs nor wants my help, so I don't even bother switching the board over to dual controls, instead I just buckle up as he gets the us into the air and speeding towards D.C.
"Where's Steve?" I ask, hoping I can get some comfort.
"Gone." he says, not even bothering to look in my direction.
"Where?" I ask, starting to get worried.
"If he wanted you to know he would have told you." he responds, with clearly no sympathy for my concern.
"Bucky!" I say, letting out an exasperated breath. "Look I know not everyone is okay with this."
"No one." Bucky says, cutting me off. "No one else is okay with this. But we have no choice but to go with it because you were being stubborn."
I roll my eyes at him. "All I want is to go see an old friend."
"Ex-boyfriend." Bucky says, trying to correct my words again.
I take a calming breath. "Bucky I'm just trying to–"
"You know what." he interrupts "It doesn't matter. With any luck Fury will shoot down this stupid idea and we won't have to deal with it anymore."
He says it with such confidence that I don't think he believes luck has anything to do with it.
"I bet you and Tony have some grand plan to make sure he does." I say, not bothering to phrase it as a question.
He says nothing, just stares me down with a challenging look.
I unbuckle my seatbelt and head towards the back, knowing nothing I say is going to get through to Bucky right now. So instead I focus on what I'm going to say to Fury. I could be mean and try to guilt him into saying yes, considering he took my memories and lied to me when I was sent to earth. But I already made it clear to him that I agreed with the decision he made and don't hold it against him. And I don't exactly think Fury is the type to be guilted into anything. He's always fairly confident in his decisions.
So instead I focus on my words and explanations, hoping that, as crazy as this seems, Fury might be sympathetic. Not to mention the fact that I have to be ready for whatever argument Bucky might make against it.
The rest of the trip is eerily quiet, not something I'm used to when it comes to being with Bucky. It makes it very clear that not only do I have to secure my relationship with Steve, but I also have to try and mend my friendship with Bucky, and anyone else on the team who's annoyed with me right now.
And I have a feeling it's a lot of them.
I stay in the back seats for landing and open up the ramp as soon as we're clear. As it lowers I see the happy, albeit slightly concerned face, of Maria Hill.
"Hi." I say, glad to see that she's not scowling at me. I figure she doesn't know what's going on yet.
"What kind of trouble did you get into Connors?" she teases, but still leans forward to give me a hug. I embrace her, hoping this isn't another friendship I fracture because of this.
"Big trouble." I say with a chuckle, despite the fact that it's completely true. "But hopefully I can plead my case to Fury."
Maria's brows come together with worry. "Is it bad?" she asks, her S.H.I.E.L.D. skills starting to put her on alert.
"Very." Bucky replies coming up behind me.
I roll my eyes as I turn back to face him. "You can stay in the quinjet Bucky." I say, not wanting him near this at all.
"I don't think so." Bucky replies, and I should have known it wasn't going to be that easy.
"The meeting with Fury was just for me." I say. "Like I told you back home, you didn't have to come with me."
"I thought Stark said the meeting was with both of you?" Maria says. Her intentions were innocent, but she just made this that much harder for me.
Bucky looks at me with a satisfied smile. "Well that clears that up. Shall we?" he says as he walks past me. And I can't help but let out a deep sigh.
Maria gives me a curious glance. She can tell something is off in our relationship. And more and more she's figuring out that this is worse than she thought.
"Mia..." she whispers, checking to make sure I'm okay.
"Let's get through this meeting." I say. "Then things will make a little more sense.
She wants to pry more, but instead she nods and guides us towards the main building.
Once again there's quiet surrounding us as we walk up to Fury's office. Bucky doesn't even look in my direction. Maria on the other hand keeps shifting her gaze back and forth between him and me, probably finding it odd that there seems to be tension between us. But I don't bother explaining it, because in about five minutes she's going to find out anyway.
All the preparation in the world would not have been enough to find the right way to tell Nick Fury I used to date Loki and would now like permission to bring him to earth so I could see him.
He watched me with such a careful gaze, but even he couldn't hide the shocked reaction as my confession unfolded. Behind him Maria was even worse. Eyes wide with shock that just seemed to get worse as I continued to talk. But I tried to make it as simple as possible, sparing any unnecessary details and just sticking with what it was I needed from him; a green light.
Bucky miraculously stays quiet behind me, but I know he has something up his sleeve. Once I'm finished I pause waiting for the first verbal reaction from him as I hold my breath.
But instead of responding he looks back at Maria, almost as if to reassure that she heard what I just said. She opens her mouth, but ultimately just closes it, my revelation literally leaving her speechless. Fury nods his head, like if he's agreeing with her reaction.
"I know it's a lot to take in." I say, unable to take the silence. "But I'm just asking for a little bit of trust."
"You're asking for a whole lot more than that Connors." he says with a slight shake of his head, and I can tell this is not going well. "You want to take someone who has caused a lot of problems here, who we barely managed to get off this planet in the first place, and bring him back?"
"No." I say, the irony of the situation not lost on me. "I wanted to go to Asgard by myself to speak with Loki. Because I know how complicated his situation is here. But I was met with a huge resistance, including a threat of being locked up. So we came to a compromise of bringing him here where everyone could keep an eye on both him and me."
Fury and Maria give me a surprised look, clearly understanding things a little more. While before they probably thought I was crazy for suggesting something like this, now they can see that I'm working with what they're giving me.
"That true Barnes?"
Shit.
I close my eyes as I lightly shake my head, silently begging both Fury not to pry, and Bucky not to ruin this. He's been watching Bucky the entire time I was explaining the situation. Every once in a while he would look back, trying to get his reaction to what was going on. Which I'm sure is exactly what Tony wanted. If anyone else came with me they might have hid their feelings a little bit more. But I'm sure Bucky made his opinion on this very apparent on his face.
"No." Bucky says, and I can tell in his voice that he was just waiting to be asked. "We didn't come to that compromise. One person came to Mia's defense and proposed an alternative. Nobody else was okay with it but Mia coerced Tony to let her have her way."
I turn around to face him, not believing what I'm hearing right now. "Are you kidding me?" I ask. He's making me seem like such a manipulator.
"That's not what happened?" he asks, daring me to challenge his words.
"I didn't coerce him." I say,
"He's your father Mia." Bucky says with an accusing tone. "He would do anything for you. You knew that and you used it to your advantage."
I want to argue, because that wasn't my intention at all. But part of me can understand how it would seem that way to someone else. "Bucky I would never—"
"Look it doesn't matter." he says, not wanting to hear my words as he turns to face Fury. "Despite Tony folding to give Mia what she wanted, he isn't okay with this either. That's why he sent me with her. He knew he wasn't going to be able to admit it in front of Mia but I will. None of us are okay with having anything to do with Loki."
His eyes glance towards me but I turn back, unable to even look at him anymore. I had a small amount of hope that he might actually just keep quiet and not make this harder for me, but I should have known better.
I face Fury and can see the indecision on his face. Bucky's words clearly did what he wanted, and the doubt he had before has now intensified. I look behind him towards Maria, and she gives me a sympathetic look. She feels for me, but I think she can tell Fury is not really on my side with this.
After a moment of silence Fury lets out a deep sigh. "You really expect me to agree to this plan when no one else on your team is on board with it?" he asks, and it almost seems like the answer is sealed.
"I really don't expect anything anymore." I say, knowing everything that has happened today alone rids me of any expectations. "The only thing I can hope for is your trust. And my team may not be fully okay with it, but I believe that, at least most of them, trust me enough to have gone through with this."
He thinks about this for a moment. "What about your trust Connors?" he asks. "Do you trust Loki enough to know he won't try to break out and take over the world again?"
I sigh, the realization of the situation coming through. "I can assure you, taking over the world is going to be the least of his problems." I say, with a slight chuckle.
"Connors." Fury says with a warning. He's definitely not finding any humor in this, but I'm realizing that he might actually be considering this.
"I have full trust." I say.
"In Loki?" Fury asks, the concept seeming insane.
"In me." I reply, knowing I don't need him to trust Loki, I know he never will. I just need him to trust me.
I see something click in his mind. Almost like an understanding. Fury and I have never really been that close. On his lists of people he trusts, I don't know how high I could possibly be considering how little time we've known each other. The only real connection we've made is the fact that he helped me out when my brother sent me over here. There's a very odd circumstance that connects us. But it was blind trust that brought us together. And that's all I can really ask for right now.
"I'm putting more faith in you than I should Connors." Fury says, and I let out a huge sigh of relief.
Behind me I hear Bucky grit his teeth. "Sir–"
But Fury puts his hand up, stopping Bucky before he protests any further. "I've heard your concern Barnes, but it seems like Mia had the best interest of the team in mind and it's she who was coerced into this option."
I can't help but smile, feeling grateful to have another person on my side about this.
"You can't let this happen." Bucky says, clearly getting agitated.
Fury shrugs. "Either I let this happen or she takes off to Asgard on her own. And I'm pretty sure Stark will hate that more than the other option."
I take in a shaky breath, feeling like I just pulled off the impossible.
"But understand something very clearly Connors," Fury says, clearly not wanting me to get too comfortable. "If anything goes wrong, you're going to be held accountable."
"I take full responsibility." I say, knowing I wouldn't dare blame it on anyone else.
"You're that confident in him?" Fury says, and it's clearly an unimaginable concept.
"I am."
I see the smallest hint of a smile on him. "Good."
Fury tries to get a plan out of me but I don't really have one thought out. It all depends on how Loki reacts to everything and what he ends up confessing to me. After that I'll decide what's the best action to take. But I assure him that I'll keep him informed of every decision that gets made.
Afterwards as we head back to the quinjet, Bucky walks so far ahead of me I wouldn't doubt he would leave me behind. Even as I get onto the ramp he's already starting it up and preparing to get it off the ground. This time I actually do switch over the controls so that I can help. Regardless if he wants it or not. He gives me an annoyed glare but doesn't say a word. Once we're in the air I put on the autopilot, determined to get through this bump in our friendship.
I turn to face him, but it's clear from the fact that he hasn't said a word to me, that this is going to be difficult.
"The silent treatment is pretty childish of you." I say, trying to call him out a bit. I need him to talk to me in order to fix this.
"I don't know what you want me to say Mia." he replies, still refusing to look at me. His hands are still resting on the controls, despite the fact that it's on autopilot.
"I just thought that out of everyone, you and Steve would be the most understanding." I say, being hurt by their reactions the most.
"Why in the world would you think that?" Bucky says, and I finally said something to piss him off enough to turn around.
"Because you've been through it." I say, not thinking I needed to remind him of this. "Steve fought for you. When everyone else was convinced you were the bad guy, he never gave up on you."
"That's different." he snaps, and I can see part of what's bothering him about this. He hates that I've been comparing him to Loki. "I wasn't...I didn't..."
I can see the memories coming back to him. But I don't need him to explain himself to me. I know that wasn't his fault. I know he was brainwashed by Hydra. But that is exactly my point.
"Maybe he didn't either." I say. I honestly hate thinking about what Loki could have possibly gone through to turn him into the kind of person who would do what he did.
"What if you're wrong?" Bucky says, his eyes intently on me. "What if he knew exactly what he was doing when he attacked earth."
I take a deep breath, knowing that, as much as I don't want to believe that from him, I have to prepare myself that it could be a possibility. "Then he'll spend the rest of his life in an Asgardian cell." I say, the thought of that breaking my heart. "But I'm not going to condemn him to that life without knowing for sure."
He thinks about it for a moment, and I can feel a small amount of hope growing inside of me.
But it quickly fades when I see him shake his head.
"It's not the same." he says as he undoes his seatbelt and heads towards the back of the quinjet. "I just don't understand how you can do that to Steve."
I get up off my chair, following him as I feel myself getting more and more frustrated. "I'm not doing anything to Steve." I say. "I'm not purposefully trying to hurt him."
"But you knew it would!" he yells. "You know this would hurt him and you went through with it anyway!"
"This has nothing to do with Steve!" I cry out. "It has nothing to do with me! I'm just trying to help a friend who's had everyone else give up on him!"
"At whose expense, Mia?!" Bucky yells out, clearly getting just as frustrated. "Are you willing to throw away everything you have for him?"
"I'm not throwing anything away." I say, hating having to repeat myself over this. "I already explained it to Steve. I told him that nothing has changed between us."
"That's bullshit Mia and you know it!" he shouts.
"Bucky—"
"No!" he snaps, cutting off my words. "I'm sorry." he says, and can see the defeat in his eyes. "Mia, you know I love you but..." he shakes his head, and I can see this isn't easy for him. "He's my best friend. And I love him more." He shrugs, almost like he wants to regret his decision, but he doesn't. "I'm not on your side on this. And as long as you keep going through with this plan, I never will be."
There's a definitive look in his eyes, and I can tell nothing I say is going to change his mind. I press my lips together to try and stop anything else from coming out as I drop my gaze to the floor. Bucky moves past me and heads back to the pilot's seat without saying another word.
I wish I could just run away right now. This quinjet suddenly feels much too small and I feel like I can't breathe. But I'm literally stuck here. I feel my legs start to give out and I drop down, catching myself on a seat behind me. I can feel my jaw tremble but I try my hardest to hold everything together.
Bucky means so much to me. He's always been a huge support system. And just the thought that I've disappointed him like this, makes me feel like I've lost him as a friend. I want to yell, lash out, tell him he's being unreasonable, but if I'm being painfully honest with myself, I understand him. I know Steve is hurting and while I do plan to fix things with him, I understand Bucky defending his friend. I just hope that maybe after talking things out with Steve, Bucky will reconsider.
I bring my hand to my mouth just in time to stifle the sob that tries to escape my mouth. I try to control myself, but there's no holding it back anymore. I can feel the tears rolling down my cheeks and hitting my hand as I try to be as quiet as possible. But there's no point. I can almost hear him gripping the armrest of his seat. He always said he hates it when I cry and has always comforted me. But it's all different now.
I manage to get myself together by the time we land. I wait anxiously by the ramp, needing to just get away from all of this. But I know that, even when I get off the quinjet, there's still a lot we have to work out to prepare for Loki's arrival. Especially now that we got the okay from Fury.
I race down the ramp as soon as it's clear and when I reach the bottom and look up I can't help but halt to a complete stop. Everyone...and I mean everyone is looking at me. Every single pair of eyes in this hangar are darted in my direction and I don't see a friendly look in sight. It's clear they all know what's going on, and it's very clear that they are not happy about it.
If looks could kill...
Bucky rushes past me, barely grazing my shoulder as he heads towards the main building. It's almost as if he's trying to get away from the gunfire of hatred that's aimed at me right now.
I take a hesitant forward, preparing myself for any form of attack and resistance to my presence. But then I drop the dramatic mindset I put on and simply head through the hangar and towards the elevators. I want to ask if Steve is back yet, but I'm afraid to look at anyone let alone ask them something. So instead I rush back towards the main lab area, knowing Tony and Bruce are probably working there. I pull out my phone and decide to try and call Steve instead, but his phone goes straight to voicemail.
I doubt he would have picked up for me anyway. I just hope he's okay.
I try to take a calming breath as I head towards the secure room where we have the only holding cell in the building.
Avengers HQ is not a prison, nor do they ever normally detain people here. But Tony had a lot of safety measures worked into this entire area, just in case.
And I'm pretty sure he's highly grateful for that right now.
I head into the main control room and find Tony looking at a holographic breakdown of the security system on the cell. He's staring at it intently, briefly rearranging things around. All in all, he looks pretty stressed out. I can't help but feel bad, knowing it's all because of me.
I hesitantly make my way towards Tony. "Hey." I say not really knowing how to approach this. "Did Fury–"
"Yeah." he says, cutting off my question without even looking at me.
Okay...
"Have you seen Stev–"
"No." he replies, once again not letting me finish.
His coldness hurts, but I can't complain. I'm the one putting him through this, and I'm honestly just grateful he's working to help me.
"Is there anything I can do to help?" I ask, and I can't help the slight voice crack as my emotions start to get to me.
The protectiveness in Tony comes out, and he finally turns to look at me just to check to make sure I'm okay. But I'm so overwhelmed with guilt that now it's me who can't look at him. I contemplate just leaving, but I know I can't just run away and let everyone else do the work for my idea.
"Kid..." Tony says with a regretful tone.
I can't help myself. I throw my arms around his neck, feeling like I need the comfort of my father right now. Tony lets out a deep sigh as his arms come around my waist holding me close.
"I'm sorry." I say, trying to keep my emotions in check. "I know that no one else is okay with this idea. But I really feel like I need to do this. I can't...I can't just leave him locked up without even trying to talk to him."
"I know, kid." Tony says as he rubs a hand up and down my back. "I know your intentions are good, I just..." he lets out a deep breath as he pulls away, keeping his hands on my arms. "I'm not worried about him breaking out and causing mayhem. I mean he's no match for the power we have here."
He's not wrong. Wanda alone would easily put him in his place.
"Then what are you afraid of?" I ask, wondering where his concern lies.
He smiles as he brings his hands up to my cheeks. "I'm afraid for you kid." he says with a slight tremble in his voice. "I'm terrified he's going to hurt you."
"Oh Tony..." I say, wishing I had known.
He shakes his head before I can say anything else. "You're too confident in him Mia." he says as his hands drop down to my arms again. "And I know you met him in a different time but you have to understand that the only Loki I know is the one who seemed to have no regard for anyone else's well being but his own."
I appreciate Tony's concern, but I'm not worried. I know Loki, and despite the fact that one else does, I trust him. "I can take him." I jokingly say.
Tony smiles. "I know you can." he says proudly. "But I'm not afraid of him hurting you physically."
I can't ask him not to be upset, he's my dad, he's always going to worry about me. But I am extremely grateful that despite the concern, he's still helping me out.
"I'll be okay." I say, trying to give him a reassuring smile. I'm extremely nervous for what's to come but considering I've been the only person giving any form of positivity, I can't let them know.
I let my eyes wander the room, realizing I've never really been in here. There's three different sections to this place; the main control room, which we're in, has a window that looks down into a second room that's one level down. Within that second room, which is surrounded by thick sturdy walls, is an even smaller holding cell. The walls of that cell are clear and while at first glance they look like glass, I know there's so much more protecting them from being penetrated.
I look through the window and down towards the holding cell, finding Bruce down there messing with the control panel down there, behind him is Nat holding a tablet. I'm sure they're working on strengthening the shield around the cell, and updating everything to ensure maximum safety protocols.
I mean, I know Loki is dangerous...but they seem to be exaggerating a little bit.
The mic isn't switched on here so I can't tell what Bruce and Nat are saying to each other, but based on their facial expressions, I can tell it's not a calm conversation.
"What's going on down there?" I ask, noticing that it almost looks like Bruce and Nat are yelling at each other.
Tony's eyes glance down, noting what I'm looking at, but he remains silent.
"Tony?" I say, getting slightly worried.
He lets out a deep sigh as he continues to work on his holographic projection. "Bruce isn't sure he wants to be here when Loki comes." he says with sympathy in his tone. "He asked Nat to go away with him until it's over."
Oh. That's not too bad. I mean, I feel horrible for being the cause of Bruce feeling like he needs to leave his home. But if anyone here needs a vacation, it's him.
"I think that could be good for them." I say, knowing they could definitely use some time alone together.
"Yeah." Tony says, his tone a little unsure. "Problem is, Nat doesn't want to go. She wants to be here for you."
I turn towards Tony, finally understanding why they look like they're arguing, and now I feel even worse.
"She doesn't...I don't need..." I look over at Bruce and Nat, seeing them abandon the control panel and turn towards each other, their argument getting intense. "I hate this." I say. "I hate what I'm doing to them...to everyone."
I feel Tony's hand on my shoulder as he gives it a comforting squeeze. "You're going through things too kid. This is just as hard and confusing for you as it is for anyone."
Yeah...but others shouldn't have to suffer just because my life is a mess.
"You should have just let me go Tony." I say, wishing I had just left.
"Hey." he says, grabbing my shoulders and fully turning me towards him. "Just so you know I talked to Thor and I forbade him from taking you to Asgard."
I love Tony, I really do. But I can't help but press my lips together to stop myself from laughing.
"You forbade him?" I say, a smile cracking through my attempt to remain serious.
"Yes." Tony says, not understanding why I find it so funny.
"You forbade...a god." I say, finally unable to hold in a laughter.
"You know what..." Tony says, rolling his eyes and turning away from me.
"Awe." I say, stepping forward and wrapping my arms around his waist, knowing I'll never be able to thank him enough for everything he has done for me since I came here. "I love you Tony."
He puts one arm around me, the other coming up to cradle the back of my head. "I love you too kid." he says, placing a kiss to my forehead.
Our father/daughter moment is interrupted when Tony's phone goes off in his pocket. He takes a deep sigh, already dreading it as he pulls away from our embrace to get it out and check the message.
"I have to go deal with this." he says, giving no details. But I think it's safe to assume it has something to do with what's going on right now.
"Anything I can do to help?" I ask, not wanting to stand around doing nothing considering this is all happening because of me.
"I think we've got it." he says as he starts to head towards the exit. "You should rest up. You are going to end up having the hardest job."
I give him a confused glance.
"You're the one who's going to have to eventually talk to Loki." he says, and I can tell he didn't mean that comment as a joke.
He leaves before I can respond and I'm left alone in the room. I look back through the window to check on Bruce and Nat, but I'm shocked to find only Nat standing there.
Suddenly the door opens up and Bruce comes storming in, clearly frustrated with his argument with Nat and needing to get some space. He stops once he sees me, clearly not having expected to find me here and I can see the hint of annoyance that passes his face before he tries to control his emotions.
"Hey." I say, trying to keep my voice warm and hide the anxiousness I have right now.
"Hey." he responds in a much colder tone, and it's clear that it's only out of common decency. I don't think he even wants to be in the same room as me.
"Everything okay?" I ask, but immediatley I regret it, knowing it's a stupid question.
"Yeah. Everything's fantastic." he says in a sarcastic tone. He's not necessarily directing his anger towards me, but I can feel it.
"Bruce..." I say, wanting to talk this out with him.
"I have a lot to get done." he says, interrupting me before I can even apologize for all of this. And he leaves without another word.
I don't think I've ever seen Bruce be that cold to anyone. He has such a natural caring nature about him. So to know that I brought that out in him makes me feel like such a horrible person.
The door to the lower level opens again and this time it's an anxious Nat walking through. She scans the room, seeming both surprised to find me and disappointed at not finding Bruce.
"Did he leave?" she asks, knowing she doesn't need to elaborate on who she's talking about.
"Yeah." I say, hating that I've also put a strain on Nat's relationship.
She lets out a frustrated breath as she tilts her head up, and I can tell she's trying not to cry right now.
I take a step forward, wanting to comfort her. "Nat you don't have to–"
I'm interrupted by the sound of Nat's phone going off and I see her jaw tighten as she reaches for it.
"Clint." she says, as she brings it up to her ear. Her hand also comes up and she rubs her fingers against her temple. "Clint, relax just–..." she stops, and while I can't hear exactly what he's saying, I can tell Clint is agitated. "Alright you just need to–...look I'll come to you and we'll figure it out." she says, hanging up before he can stop her again.
"Everything okay?" I ask, and immediately wonder why the hell I keep asking that stupid question.
"Clint is freaking out over all of this." she says. "Which is understandable considering the last time Loki was on earth he..." she stops as she looks at me, and doesn't finish that statement.
But she doesn't have to, I know exactly what happened last time Loki was on earth, and I know how hard it was on Clint.
"Sorry." Nat says, not wanting to talk bad about Loki in front of me.
I shake my head. "Don't be. I'm the one who..." I take a deep breath, not knowing where to start. "Nat I–"
"Look, I need to meet up with Clint. We still have a lot of plans to go over." she says, cutting me off as she makes her way towards the exit. "We'll talk later." she calls out, barely looking at me before ultimately disappearing.
I'm left alone in the room and it's a perfect reflection of how I feel right now. Alone. And it hurts knowing I have no one to blame for this but myself.
I have so much going through my mind but at the front of it all is a desire to be in the arms of the one person who always makes me feel better by just being with me. Unfortunately I have no idea where he is right now.
I make my way back to the housing complex, not really wanting to be in sight of the other agents here, especially when I can feel their eyes on me like daggers. But even while there I know the others might be around, and I can't imagine any of them will be particularly thrilled to see me. So considering I already feel alone, I decide it's what I need to be right now.
I don't want to be locked in my room, the walls feeling like they might tighten on me. The rooftop has alway been my safe haven, but it's now become the spot where Steve and I go to be with each other. It doesn't feel right to be there without him. So instead I make my way out to a balcony outside of the highest floor.
I sit on the floor and try calling Steve a few more times but everytime it just goes to voicemail. I swallow my pride and text Bucky, begging him to give me any information of Steve's wearabouts. But my message goes unreplied and I'm left with no information. I sit on that balcony until the sun sets and the sky darkens. And the only thing going through my mind is the looks I got from Steve, from Bucky, from Bruce, from Nat, from every single S.H.I.E.L.D. agent I came across.
I knew they weren't going to be too happy with what was going to happen. But I severely underestimated how much their reaction was going to affect me.
After a while of just sitting on the floor I get up, needing to stretch out my legs. I lean over the balcony letting out a deep sigh as I stare out in the trees, barely visible in the darkness, wondering if there's something I can do to remedy all of this.
I could just leave for Asgard. There's no way they could stop me once I was gone. Thor's the only way we know how to get there. Everyone would be upset, but they'd forgive me eventually.
I just don't think Thor would do it. Not because Tony forbade him. He's a god from another world. Tony has no real control over him. But I do think that Thor would refuse my request, purely out of personal respect for both Tony and Steve. And since there's no way of getting to Asgard myself, my only choices are to let this go and live with the fact I couldn't help Loki, or continue with this plan and live with the fact that everyone here now holds resentment towards me.
With my eyes set forward and my mind elsewhere, I don't even notice when someone joins me out here until I see another pair of arms lean on the railing next to me. Through my peripherals I can see that it's Sam, and I immediately get nervous.
I don't know what Sam thinks of this whole situation, though I can't imagine it's anything good. Since he's also close friends with Bucky he could have a similar reaction to him. And I don't think I can handle any more dirty looks from the people I care about.
"Are you here to tell me you hate me too?" I ask, wanting to get this over with.
I don't look over, but I can hear him slightly taken aback by my comment. I drop my head, regretting having said that. But there's just so much guilt running through me, I think I hate myself just as much as anyone else here does.
"Come here." Sam says, and I feel his hand on my shoulder as he pulls me towards him. He wraps his arms around me and I welcome the hug, definitely needing it right now.
The talk I had with Tony was definitely comforting, but the small interactions I had with Bruce and Nat after, not to mention the fact that I haven't been able to get a hold of Steve, has all really broken me down.
"First of all." he says as he holds me close. "I could never hate you." He pulls away and gives me a comforting smile as he reaches up and wipes a falling tear. "Second of all, nobody hates you Mia."
I shake my head. "You have no idea the dirty looks everyone has been giving me today. Every agent I've passed looked so disgusted with me. Tony is being supportive but I know there's slight disappointment there. Bruce and Nat are fighting because of me. Bucky has practically given up on our friendship. And Steve won't answer any of my calls and I have no idea where he is and I'm–"
"Mia calm down." Sam says as he puts his hands on my shoulder. "Breath."
I let out a shaky breath trying not to have a full on panic attack right now. I turn away from him and lean back over the balcony.
"I just feel like I've pushed everyone away." I say, wiping away a few more tears.
Sam comes up next to me and lets out a deep sigh. "Look Mia it's clear we're not all thrilled at this idea. And it may seem like you don't have a lot of people on your side–"
"No one is on my side." I whisper, not really intending to vocalize that internal thought and I instantly regret opening my mouth. "I'm sorry that was a selfish thing to say." I should shut up and be glad they're helping me at all.
"Mia" Sam says with great sympathy in his voice.
"Please don't think I'm not grateful for what you're all doing for me. I am." I say, hating how I'm feeling right now.
"But..." Sam says, prompting me to continue.
"But I know you guys aren't okay with this." I say, having no doubt about it. "In fact, I think the only person who has shown any small amount of agreement with me is Wanda. And even then I don't know if she actually agrees or she was just trying to be supportive."
Sam nods, listening to me but still trying to figure out where I'm going with this. Hell, I don't know where I'm going with this. I'm just trying to think things through right now.
"I don't know." I say. "Am I being selfish?"
There's a moment of silence and I wonder if he just doesn't want to answer honestly.
"Yes." he replies, and my head snaps in his direction. I appreciate his honesty but I didn't think he would actually say it.
"And no." he continues once he sees my shocked expression. "You're knowingly making people uncomfortable with a plan you know everyone else is against because of something you want to do." he says, and despite the fact that I've been berating myself for this for the past few hours, it still hurts to hear him say it out loud. "But," he says, stopping my negative thoughts. "What you ultimately want is to help someone you care about get a second chance. That's not selfish Mia."
I don't regret helping Loki, I just didn't think I'd feel so shitty about making the decision. "This wasn't my first choice." I say. I knew everyone was going to be upset about bringing Loki here, which is why it never even crossed my mind until Wanda brought it up.
"I know." Sam replies, clearly sympathetic.
"I just think it's completely irrational to make such a fuss over here when I could have just gone to Asgard alone and dealt with this." I say.
"I agree," he says, and I can't help but smile, feeling relieved.
"Thank you." I say. "I'm glad to know I'm not crazy." I chuckle out.
"Well..." Sam says, making an unsure facial expression.
I give him a playful shove, causing him to chuckle.
"Look, Wanda and I may agree with you but ultimately Tony calls the shots." Sam says.
"He was being unreasonable." I say, because despite the gratitude I have that he's helping me, I wish he hadn't stopped me from going.
"He was being a dad." Sam corrects, clearly wanting to be understanding of both sides. "Being reasonable isn't going to be his priority when he thinks he needs to protect you."
He has a point. I've definitely been in situations when I don't think straight when it comes to those I love. I can't blame Tony for being the same way.
"And while ideally Steve would rather Loki not be in your life at all." Sam continues. "Given the two choices I can guarantee you he would rather pick the plan we're going with now."
With my mind back on Steve, the concern of not knowing his whereabouts comes flooding back in.
"Do you know where he is?" I ask, wanting some kind of information.
Sam drops his gaze and I can see a bit of guilt come over his face.
"Sam." I prompt. He clearly knows something.
"I don't actually know where he is." Sam says. "I called him and he didn't respond. But he did text me and said not to worry about him. That he'd be home later."
I feel a small amount of relief, knowing at least someone has heard from him. "Later meaning later tonight? Later this week? This month?" I ask, hating that my anxiety over this is definitely taking my mind in the worst directions.
"I don't know." Sam replies. "But he said he'd let me know when he's back."
"Sam, you need to tell me." I say, "The second he lets you know I need you to tell me."
I know I'm putting him in a tough position since clearly Steve doesn't want me to know anything. But I refuse to let him push me away like this.
"Please Sam." I say, when he seems hesitant. "I need to talk to him. I can't lose him like this."
I can see he's sympathetic and ultimately he nods his head. "Alright." he says. "I'll text you if he says anything."
"Thank you." I say, then throw my arms around him. "Thank you." I repeat, feeling so grateful right now.
"Can you do something for me?" Sam asks as he pulls away.
"Anything." I reply.
"Can you try to get some sleep?" he says, clearly seeing the fatigue of the day on my face.
I shake my head. "I need to wait up for Steve. I have to talk to him as soon as he gets back.
"Mia, it's late." Sam says, "I don't think he's coming back tonight. Please." he begs. "Get some rest."
I nod to comfort him, but I don't know if I'm going to be able to.
We say goodnight and I head back to my room. I want to listen to what Sam said and get some rest, so I put on a tank top and some pajama shorts and get ready for bed.
I'm on my bed, staring at the ceiling, trying to talk myself into getting some sleep. But there are so many thoughts going through my mind it's impossible to clear it enough to rest. I'm constantly checking my phone, waiting for Sam to text me about Steve. I know he said he didn't think Steve would be home tonight, but I would hate for him to text me and I miss it because I happen to fall asleep.
I can't risk Steve coming home and then deciding to leave early in the morning. I could go a whole other day without seeing him or being able to talk things out with him. So I know there's only one way to guarantee that I won't miss him.
I get up off my bed and make my way over to Steve's room. I need to make sure I talk to him the second he gets here. I don't care if I have to wait up all night for him. We need to talk things out.
I open his door and step in, coming to an absolute halt when I see Steve standing by his bed, dressed in his pajama pants and a t-shirt.
What the hell?
"You're here." I say stating the obvious. "I thought you had left."
His initial look of shock quickly dissipates and he looks away. Yet another person who can't even look at me.
"I did." he says as he heads over to his desk.
I take a small breath, trying not to let his harsh tone discourage me. "I was going to wait for you. I asked Sam to let me know when you got back." I say
I see Steve's jaw tighten. "I figured. That's why I only told Bucky."
And Bucky would obviously never tell me.
God he's pissed, and I'm terrified of what's going on in his head. "Steve we need to–"
"You know what Mia, I'm really tired." he says, cutting me off. "I think it's best if you go."
Immediately I start to panic. "No. Steve, please you need to hear me out."
He shakes his head. "What else is there to say Mia. You made it very clear earlier. You need to see him." he says, the pain in his voice apparent.
No. No he can't go there. "It's not like that Steve. I told you this changes nothing–"
"Look I have a lot to get done." he says as he sits on his chair. "There's a lot going on and people are concerned right now. So I have a lot of messages to return."
"Steve–"
"You should leave."
I'm struggling to keep it together, but all I want to do is break down crying on the floor. I want to give him some space, and a chance to calm down. But I'm terrified that if I give him more time alone, his bad thoughts are going to spiral and get even worse.
I can't lose him. I won't.
I take a huge risk and step forward as he keeps his back to me. His hands are at his desk but he keeps perfectly still. I don't know if he actually does have messages to return, but I can tell that's not where his mind is at all. I step up beside him and if he notices I'm there he doesn't show it. Just keeps his eyes forward, staring at nothing.
I work up all the courage I have and I step forward, forcing him to bring his hands down as I sit on his lap. He closes his eyes as his arms drop to his side, but I'm honestly just grateful he didn't push me off of him. I can tell he wants to stand his ground, but his heart is still pulled to me, begging to keep me near. And it's that part that I'm holding onto right now.
I bring my hands to his cheeks and tilt his head up. I can see the internal fight in his expression before he gives in and looks at me. He stares up at me, with his big beautiful blue eyes. There's so much fear in them, but behind it all I see the love, the longing.
I haven't lost him yet. And I don't plan to.
I lean in, cradling his face in my hands as I gently place my lips on his. If he won't let me tell him how much I love him, I need to show him. I feel his lips tremble against mine, before he finally lets his walls come down. He lets out a soft moan as he starts moving his lips against mine. One hand slides up my neck, gripping the back of my head, while the other spreads across my thigh, holding me closer to him.
Our kiss becomes hard and needy and I can tell there was fear in both of us that we wouldn't get a chance to do this again. I can feel his entire body lean towards me as his lips move feverishly against mine.
We pull away, both of us left breathless as I press my forehead to his.
"Don't shut me out." I beg. "Talk to me."
His hands come down as he slides them underneath my arms and hooks them around my shoulders. He drops his head, tucking his face into the crook of my neck. "Please don't leave me." he chokes out. "I love you so much Mia. Please."
I wrap my arms around him as my heart tightens. I shouldn't have done this to him. He doesn't deserve this pain. But I still need to go through with this plan, which means I need to assure him that he's still my everything.
I lean back, putting my hands on his cheeks again as I force his gaze up to me. "I love you Steve Rogers." I whisper as I look into his eyes. "I love you more than anyone or anything. And nothing..." I grip him harder, needing him to listen. "...nothing is going to change that." I press my lips to his again, this time gentle and sweet. "I need you Steve." I say before kissing him again. "I only want you."
I want him in every single way possible. And I have from the first moment I saw him. I slip my tongue into his mouth, eliciting a moan from him as his hands grip my body. Our breathing gets heavier as the kiss gets deeper.
"Do you want me to show you how much I want you Steve?" I whisper, as my lips travel down his jaw and towards his neck.
He lets out a groan as he faintly nods his head. With his permission I reach down, pulling at the hem of his shirt until I can get it off of him. With my lips connected to his I get up off his lap and position myself in between his legs. I place my hands on his bare chest and run my hands down his torso, crouching down until I can get on my knees. He watches me with pure lust as I reach for the waistband of his pants. I pull them down just enough so that I can free him. His cock is already so hard and ready for me, twitching as it begs to be touched.
I grip him at the base and he jerks forward, the anticipation driving him crazy. With my eyes locked on his I lean forward and bring him into my mouth.
"Fuck." Steve gasps out as he bites down on his bottom lip. His hand comes up and slides into my hair, gripping the back of my head. I can see him wanting to take control and I am fully willing to give it to him. I swirl my tongue around the tip of him and then open my mouth wider, giving him a completely submissive look, urging him to take over.
I can tell when he understands the consent I'm giving him, and I see the look in his eyes turn dark. His grip on my head tightens as he lifts his hips and thrusts forward, pushing himself deeper into my mouth. I moan around his length, encouraging him to keep going. He keeps a slow rhythm, gently fucking my mouth as his breath becomes hot and ragged.
"Mia." he groans, his hold on me loosening. I lean forward, taking him in deep before pulling away and letting him fall out of my mouth.
"Who do I belong to, Steve?" I ask as I make a move to pull him into my mouth again. But before I can Steve wraps his hand around my jaw, pulling my gaze up and closer to his as he leans down.
"You're mine." he growls before pressing his lips roughly to mine. He brings me up to my feet as he continues to kiss me. Once I'm up he slides his hands down my sides until he reaches my shorts. He pulls them down, acting like he can't get them off fast enough. As soon as I step out of them he grabs my hips and lifts me up, setting me down on his lap so I'm straddling him. He reaches down to place himself at my entrance and lifts me up before pulling me down onto him. I arch my back as I press down, taking him as deep as I can.
This is definitely not what I had in mind, but I'm not complaining. I put my hands on his shoulders for support as I rise up and down at a slow pace, enjoying every moment of feeling him slide in and out of me.
My gaze comes forward and suddenly my eyes catch something that sends me into a panic.
"Shit. We didn't soundproof the room." I say as I make a move to try and get off of him.
"No!" Steve says as he grips my hips tightly. "We'll be quiet." he grits through his teeth. "Just...fuck...don't stop Mia please." he begs. His hands slide back grabbing my ass as he continues to push and pull me against him.
We're taking a huge risk, I mean, we're not exactly good at being quiet. But he needs this. We need this. I'm honestly just grateful I had some sense to lock the door.
I start grinding against him trying not to do too much that would cause either of us to be too loud. But he feels so damn good it's getting harder and harder to control myself. Steve brings his arm around my waist as he lifts me up and then down on top of him. I grab onto his chin and tilt his head up.
"Eyes on me Cap." I say as I feel my orgasm building. We're moving at a slow torturous pace but it still feels damn amazing.
It's because it's us. Our love, our connection, that's what makes this special. Every moment I have spent with Steve has been special.
I let out soft moans, biting down on my lip to try and stay quiet. I can feel Steve building up too, both of us pushing and pulling against each other.
"Fuck." I pant. "Steve I'm close...s-so close..." I'm gripping the back of his chair, the feeling getting too intense.
"Sh-shit...baby I'm gonna...ah fuck." he thrust his hips up, burying himself deep one last time. I feel him pulse inside of me as he comes and it completely sends me over the edge.
I open my mouth, unable to hold in the scream. But luckily Steve pulls my lips down to his, swallowing my cry as he devours me while we both ride out our intense orgasm. I grind my hips, pulling every ounce of pleasure I can from him, until we're both left breathless.
I slump against him, dropping my head to his shoulder as our chests rise and fall, pressing against each other as we try and catch our breath. When I can finally pick my head up I give his shoulder a gentle kiss. I move up and place another at his collar bone, then one at the base of his neck, and I work my way up until I can finally press my lips against his. Steve slides one hand into my hair, pulling us even closer together as he kisses me back.
Suddenly I feel him put his arm around me and lift us both off of this chair. I wrap my legs around him, helping keep myself up as his pants slide down his legs, hitting the floor. He steps out of them as he walks us over to the door. He holds me up with one arm and the other comes up to the control panel of his room, soundproofing it.
"You can be as loud as you want now." Steve says as he walks us over to his bed.
"Good." I reply as he sets me down. "Make me scream Cap." I whisper before pulling his lips back down to mine. He's still inside of me, so it's easy to feel him start to grow again.
He pulls away and reaches down grabbing my shirt and pulling it over my head. His gaze travels down my naked body as he situates himself on his knees. He grabs my ankles, pulling them up as he spreads my legs apart. His eyes are locked in between my thighs as he watches himself slowly pull out of me. His eyes come back to mine and he holds his hot lustful gaze on me for just a second, before slamming his hips forward and burying himself deep inside me.
I throw my head back, moaning so loud I'm worried the soundproofing isn't going to be enough to hide it. I try to catch my breath as I bring my head back and lock eyes with him.
"Again." I say, running my bottom lip through my teeth.
Steve repeats the motion, slowly pulling back and then ramming forward. I scream out again, my hands fisting the sheets as my back arches.
"Fuck." Steve gasps out. "Do you know how beautiful you look right now?" he says as he slides out of me again. "Your back arched." He slams back into me, causing me to arch again before he pulls out. "Moaning for me." he grits through his teeth, thrusting his hips again, forcing out the sound that he wants. "Begging for me." Another slam of his hips and I'm on the verge of falling apart. Suddenly Steve leans forward, bracing himself on the bed and forcing my legs over his shoulders.
And he goes absolutely feral, mercilessly pounding into me so hard and fast that I barely have enough time to take a breath before he fucks it out of me. His own breathing is hot and ragged and he lets out a grunt with every thrust of his hips.
"God Steve!" I yell out. "I'm gonna...fuck...I'm gonna come!" I tilt my head back, feeling him hit so deep I feel like I'm going to blackout.
Steve wraps his hand around my neck as he brings his face closer to mine. "Come for me." he says with a deep guttural groan, his fingers tightening as he chokes me while continuing his tortuous attack.
I let out an endless string of cries as I come so hard my body convulses despite the fact that it's being pressed into the mattress by Steve's body. I squeeze around him over and over again, as if my body wants to pull him in even deeper.
"Fucking hell!" Steve moans out. "So. Fucking. Good." he gasps, giving a few last thrusts before I feel him come inside of me, the sensation keeping my orgasm going and going until I feel like I can't take it anymore.
My body goes completely limp, my legs falling off of Steve's shoulders as I lose all strength. Steve is left no better as he comes down on top of me, unable to hold himself up anymore and I gladly welcome all of his weight.
After a moment of us recovering Steve fully pulls himself out of me but comes back down to rest his head on my chest. I finally get some strength back in my arms and bring them up to his head sliding my fingers into his hair.
We lay in silence and I can't help but notice that we're ending this day exactly like we started it; with Steve on me and my hands cradling him to my chest. But this morning feels like so long ago. In fact, it feels like a completely different life. So much has happened in such a short time and it's been challenge after challenge coming towards me, and I feel like I haven't had much of a chance to fully process any of it. It all starts running through my head and it starts to overwhelm me. I suddenly can't control the tremble of my jaw or the sobs that start to escape.
Steve immediately tilts his head up once he hears me and I mentally berate myself for ruining this moment between us.
"I'm sorry." I whisper, feeling the tears come out.
"Mia..." Steve says as he lifts himself off of me and comes to lay by my side. My hands immediately come up to my mouth as I try to stifle the sobs. I feel Steve's arms come around me as he pulls me to his chest. "Don't cry baby please." he whispers as he presses a gentle kiss to the top of my head.
"I'm sorry." I say, apologizing for so many things now. "I never wanted to hurt you Steve. Ever. And I'm so sorry that I did." I'm crying into his chest right now and I can't make myself stop. "I know this is hard and you don't deserve this. You deserve all the happiness in the world Steve. And I want to be that for you."
"Mia." Steve says, trying to control my emotional ranting.
"Just please don't give up on me." I beg, pressing myself closer to him, almost like I'm afraid he'll reject me.
Steve puts his hands on my cheeks, tilting my head up until he can press his mouth against mine. "You are my happiness." he whispers against my lips. "You're all I need Mia." he kisses me again, gentle and loving, every touch slowly pushing away all my doubts. "And I know this is going to be hard but...we're going to get through it. Together."
I wrap my arms around his neck, still crying as I kiss him. As long as Steve and I are okay I feel like I can get through everything else. He's my rock, my comfort, and I just like I have from the beginning of our relationship, I will fight for us.
I bury my face in his neck as I continue to hold onto him, feeling so safe in his embrace. Steve keeps his arms around me, needing this comfort just as much as I do.
"They'd have to literally kill me to get me away from you." Steve says with a kiss to my head.
I playfully smack his shoulder. "Don't say that! You almost died." I say, the memories of those weeks in the hospital still haunting me.
"And even then I refused to leave you." he says as he pulls back and kisses me one more time. "You should get some sleep." he whispers as he reaches behind us to grab a blanket. "I know it's been a long day for you."
He covers us up as I feel the fatigue come over the both of us the second we get into a comfortable position. We both let out a sigh of relief finally feeling some reassurance after a long day of unknowns.
I know this isn't the end of our struggles. No matter what happens with Loki, things are going to get bumpy. But I have full confidence in our relationship to know that we can make it through any hardships. We've proven it time and time again.
But even as I drift off to sleep in the arms of the man I love, there's a small thought that lingers in the back of my head. One thought that refuses to allow me to fully be at ease.
Because if there's one person that you can always expect the unexpected from...
It's Loki.
—-----------------------------------------------------
Thank you guys for being patient with me. There's a lot going on in my life right now so it's been hard to write but I'm trying to be better at it. But just know I'm always reading your guy's comments and reactions to everything and it all definitely puts a smile on my face.
Thank you all for the support.
Love you all 3000 <3