Steve ended up taking the day off when you were released from the hospital. He pushed you in a wheelchair from your room to the car and then carried you, despite your instance that you could walk, from the car up to your room at home.
"Steve," you said while he made sure your blankets were perfect as he tucked you in. "Steve." Still he ignored you, too focused. "Steve!"
"Huh?" He looked up at you. Those blue eyes poured out such worry and care, your heart could have melted. "Yes?"
"You can stop fussing. I'm just going to mess up the blankets once I fall asleep."
"I just want to make sure you're warm and comfortable."
"I am, Steve, much better now that I'm home. Thank you."
"Of course. Do you need anything?"
"Yes, an answer to a simple question."
"Which is?"
"How did you convince Tony to let you take me home?"
"Well... I kind of scheduled Tony back to back surgeries so that I would be able to take you home."
You laughed. "Wow. I bet he won't be too happy about that when he's out."
"I've already blocked his number and warned Pepper."
"Good." You smiled as you took his hand to play with it. "I can't have Tony murdered you with a scalpel just yet."
"Yet?"
"Just watch your back the next time you hurt me."
The teasing expression on Steve's face immediately fell. "Next time? You think that there will be a next time I hurt you?"
"Steve, I'm sorry. I didn't mean that. You can't trust anything I say, I'm still taking very strong pain meds." You cupped his face, trying to get him to look you in the eye. "Please, just look at me."
"I really didn't want to hurt you," he muttered. "I... I made mistakes."
"I know. I did too. Please, just, forget what I said. Hold me as I fall asleep. Please."
He sighed, and you knew he was shelving the topic for later. "Alright."
Steve carefully joined you in bed and brought you into him. Because of the meds you were on, it didn't take you long to fall asleep. Steve didn't join you in the land of dreams due to worrying about what you thought of him. That he was just going to hurt you again. Had he really done that much damage? He supposed he had.
~~~
You slept well into the afternoon. Steve had slipped out of bed so that he could make sure your house of cleaned and that there was food for you to eat when you woke. You woke up alone, which made you sad. Looking around, you couldn't see, or hear, any sign of Steve. Perhaps he left because he had promised to take it slow with you? Maybe he-
"You're up." Steve's voice made you jump. He came through the door with a tray of food. "Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you."
"You're fine," you said softly. "I thought.... I thought you had left."
"No, I was just making sure that the house was in good order. Well, and making you food."
Steve gestured to the tray as he sat down beside you on the bed. He carefully set the tray across your legs. There were two cups of water with various foods littered on the tray.
"I didn't know what you'd be in the mood for," Steve said, nervously scratching the back of his neck.
That made you suppress a smile. "Thank you, Steve. That's really sweet."
"You need to eat something so that you can take more medication."
"Are you going to eat as well? Or just sit and watch me?"
"Don't worry, I'll eat as well."
You two ate in silence. While you were mainly focused on your food, the two of you occasionally met each others gazes. Both of your faces would heat up and you'd turn back to the food. After you had finished up, Steve grabbed your medication and filled your cup back up again. You sent him a grateful smile before taking the meds and settling back into bed. Steve took the tray down to the kitchen before coming back up.
"Steve?" You called once you saw him in the bedroom again.
"Hhmmm?" He hummed.
"Do you want to watch a movie?"
"Sure. What do you want to watch?"
"I don't care. Just find something on tv."
Steve slipped into bed, grabbing the remote of the side table. He turned on the tv and began flipping through channels. You moved over and leaned into him, trying to be careful of the small incisions from surgery. Steve glanced down at you as you snuggled into his side. He carefully put an arm around you before finding something to watch. It just happened to be your favorite movie.
"This is my favorite," you muttered. You looked up at Steve, meeting his eyes. "Thank you."
"Mhm," he hummed.
Your eyes flickered down to his lips before his did to yours. You straightened up as you leaned towards his face. He slowly began to lean toward you. Your lips collided in the middle. It had been too long, since that night he came over to officially tell you his marriage was over. It honestly wasn't too long ago, but it felt like it had been eternity since you had tasted his lips. One of your hands rested on Steve's chest as one of his arms came around you to bring you closer and his other hand cupped your face. Tongues tangled together after you had let him enter your mouth. He nipped against your bottom lip causing you to let out a moan. Steve quickly separated his mouth from yours. His eyes were wide with worried as he looked into yours.
"Are you alright?" He asked, almost frantically. "Did I hurt you?"
You couldn't help but let out a giggle at how cute his concern was. "No, Steve," you replied, smiling up at him. "That was a moan of pleasure, not pain."
"Oh." His lips curved into a smirk. "So..." his faced moved closer, "you enjoyed that?"
"I enjoy you, Steve."
"Good." He kissed you again, beginning to position you so that you were under him.
You were the one to pull away this time. "Um... Steve? Are you forgetting that I'm still recovering from surgery? I will probably pass out any minute from the drugs."
"Right, sorry." He straighten up, quickly moving the blanket to cover below his waist better.
You giggled. "When I'm better, you can wine and dine me, and maybe I'll let you take me home at the end of the night."
Steve arched his brow at you. "Maybe?"
"Maybe." You gave a sure nod.
"Sounds like a challenge." He smiled before pressing one last quick kiss to your lips. "I'll definitely take you up on that when you're better. For now, sleep. I'll be right here, holding you, the whole time."
"Okay." You snuggled into his side, eyes feeling heavy. "Thanks again, Steve."
He kissed your head. "Anything for you."
~~~
Steve was unfortunately called in after dinner, but by that time your roommates were home and could watch after you. They weren't as good at taking care of you as Steve was. But that's also because you were so in love with Steve.
Tony came by to check on you in the morning, but you were completely out. He left flowers and some food before going into work. Steve was leaning against a wall outside one of the OR's when Tony was heading to prep for surgery.
"You ever touch my schedule again, Rogers, you'll get a scalpel into your neck," Tony threatened, pointing sternly at the man. "You hear me?"
"I'm sorry, I just really wanted to take care of her," Steve admitted. "I wanted to make it right, at least try to."
"You could have at least asked."
"And you would have let me?"
"Probably not, but still. How is she feeling? I went to check on her, but she was out of it."
"Last I checked she was doing good, what you would expect from recovering from an appendectomy."
"And you aren't trying any funny business?"
"I'm taking it slow, I promise. I'm not going to hurt her again."
"I don't know if I'll ever believe that."
"I know how much you care for her, Tony. I will try to prove to you that I love her and that I long to care for her and make her happy."
"You do that." Tony went to head to the OR again. "Don't touch my schedule, Rogers!"
"You touched his schedule?" Bucky questioned, walking over to the nurses station. Steve huffed as he pushed himself off the wall and headed for the other side of the nurses station. "Are we really going to be like this? You ignoring me?"
"You slept with my wife," Steve said flatly as he began filling out a patient chart.
"She's not your wife anymore."
"Still."
"I'm sorry, Steve. I really am."
"Sorry doesn't change what you did."
"So you can beg Y/n for forgiveness, but I can't try for yours?"
"It's different."
"Yeah? How?"
"It just is."
Bucky scoffed. "You just don't want to admit that your marriage was over before Peggy and I ever fell in love."
"In love?" Steve laughed. "You call that love?"
"Well we did live together after you left."
"What?"
"She didn't think she had a chance to get you back, she let her and I have a chance. But Fury called with that case and she knew you were here. So she left. Screwed me then disappeared."
Steve scoffed, shaking his head slightly. "I can't believe, either of you."
"It wasn't just me, Steve. We all messed up."
"You shouldn't have come here. Go home."
Steve turned and left. He headed for the attending lounge, to grab his things before heading to your place. He was frustrated and confused. He had caused you more pain because of Peggy trying to fix things, making him feel bad about being with you after she had done the same thing with Bucky. It hurt, knowing that he had put you through all of that for really no reason. Their marriage never had a chance.
But now, it was over. They would be meeting with the lawyers in a few days to make it official. And then he could really try to win over your forgiveness. To make sure that you knew he was serious about wanting to be with you, about loving you. Steve knew that you were really it for him. That eventually he would ask you to marry him. But, as long as he was with you, he didn't care if that happened in a few months or a few years. He just wanted you.