Love in the Shadows (Book 2)

Chapter 12

"Talking Body" - Tove Lo

After Loki leaves I can't help but feel guilty. I know his curfew is part of his agreement, but I just wish he had a little more freedom. I sigh, knowing that that's what we're working towards. We just have to be patient with it.

As I turn around back to the party I see Tony come up to me, a drink in his hand and a sympathetic look on his face.

"I could have extended his curfew for tonight." he says, slightly surprising me that he brought it up without me having to ask him about it. I only wish it could have been of use.

"I offered. But he said he wanted to respect your rules." I reply, hoping that fact wins him a few points with Tony.

He nods his head as he brings his glass up and takes a sip of his drink. "You were right." he says, and my eyes go wide, causing him to chuckle. "I'm not 100% convinced," he clarifies, once he sees my shock, "But he does seem to be trying."

I feel a wave of relief coming through me, because this means progress. This gives me hope that all of this isn't for nothing. He can change peoples minds.

"I'm proud of you kid." Tony says, his hand coming up around my shoulder and he pulls me towards him.

He walks us both over to where he was earlier, giving me a chance to hang out with Pepper. Something I haven't been able to do tonight. People come and go, joining our group and leaving it as we stay in the same place. I look around the room a few times, trying to keep an eye on Steve. The first time I find him still with the guys, but this time Bucky joins him. Which I'm glad to see, I'd hate for him to be sulking in a corner the entire night over Olivia.

Speaking of...

I look around to find her, seeing that she's still with Wanda, Nat, and Vision, but she has a water bottle in her hand, which makes me think Nat is being tough on her with the drinking.

The second time I try to look for Steve I don't see him in his usual spot. I look around, not being able to spot him at all in the crowd, which starts to make me nervous.

Was he so upset that he decided to leave? Or is he out on another phone call? He probably just went to the bathroom. Or...he saw Loki leave and decided to go pay him a visit. Oh god! What if he's pissed and is going to confront Loki. Did he see us talking? Did he see me staring at him with when he was talking with that agent? If he talks to Loki alone god knows what he'll say to him; what they'll say to each other. What if they–

"Mia!" someone calls out, and I break from my thought to find Nat right in front of me. "Are you okay?" she asks, concern on her face despite the fact that she has no idea of the mess that was going on in my head.

"Yeah." I lie, and not very well.

Nat narrows her eyes on me, obviously catching on that I'm lying. "I have to pee." she says then grabs my hand and starts pulling me away from the group.

"And that takes two people?" Tony asks, clearly annoyed.

"No." Nat says, turning around as she keeps pulling on my hand. "But the sex we're going to have does."

"For god sakes Romanoff." Tony says as he rolls his eyes, leaving Nat and I laughing as we exit the doors.

"Are you going to tell me what's wrong?" Nat asks, still holding my hand as we walk towards the restroom.

I look down, still concerned about the whole situation. "Do you know where Steve is?" I ask, before bringing my eyes back to her to watch for her reaction.

I can see her trying to hide the truth on her face, but ultimately she sighs, not wanting to lie to me. "He said he needed to step away for a moment." she says, looking almost guilty for having to tell me this.

I take in a slow breath, trying to keep calm. "Do you know where he went?" I ask, hearing it in my voice that I'm starting to panic.

She gives me a regretful look, which tells me everything I need to know. "He didn't say and didn't really give me a chance to ask."

I sigh as I step past her and push into the bathroom. "I'm mad at him and feel bad at the same time." I say as she follows me in. I do a quick check to make sure no one else is in here. "I mean, he made the snarky comment in the first place, but then again I'm the one lying to him about Sharon. But Sharon has nothing to do with the whole Loki situation, which he said he was okay with. But clearly that's not the case. And the way he said it was just so...and then he gets mad at me because I made the exact same joke as he did. Not to mention the fact that he's been lying to me about hanging out with Sharon. So we're both keeping Sharon a secret and he has no right to be mad at me over it."

I pause, realizing that had just been a really aggressive rant. I look over at Nat as she watches me with a stern look.

"Feel better." she asks, and it's clear she can tell I needed to get that out.

"A little." I sigh, knowing that ranting about it doesn't solve any of the problems, but it does feel good to let it out. There's a moment of silence where I wait for Nat to do what she claimed to want to do. But she just stands there watching me.

"Don't you have to go to the bathroom?" I ask, considering it's the only reason we're here.

"No." she says so casually, "I just wanted to get you out of there."

I roll my eyes as I step away from her. "Ok well I'm going to go." I say, then head into one of the empty stalls.

"I'll wait for you outside." she calls out, and then I hear the door swing open and then close.

By the time I finish washing and drying my hands I've already thought through this whole thing several times. Maybe I overreacted to everything. Maybe we both overreacted. But the fact that we had those reactions means there's more to this than we're both admitting. I mean, I know what my side of it is, but I'm wondering what Steve's side is. Is he lying to me about being okay with Loki being here, or is it the fact that I made a comment about Sharon that got him so worked up? If it's the latter, then the real question is, why did Steve keep his "meeting" with Sharon a secret from me.

Suddenly I hear the door swing open and I barely turn with enough time to see who it is, before he puts his hands on my hips and spins me around.

"Steve!" I cry out, but the rest of my outburst gets caught in my throat when he puts both of his hands against the sink, forcing me to lean back against it as he cages me in.

"We didn't finish our conversation." he says, his eyes dark, and his body tense, making me think that he's still upset.

"And...you want to finish it in the middle of the women's restroom?" I ask, looking towards the door, worried someone is going to come in and find us here. 

Steve leans in closer to me, causing me to bring my gaze back to him. He's demanding my full attention, which tells me that he knows no one is going to walk in here. Which explains why Nat hasn't come barging in yet. She's probably keeping guard.

I look over his face, hating how hard and stern it looks, how pained he looks. I can't help it as my eyes travel down to his lips, wanting nothing more than to kiss him and make some of the pain go away.

I see his mouth slowly start to curl up into a smile, and I look up to find his gaze soften as he watches me. Which kind of gives me the feeling that he knows where my mind was at right now.

His hand comes up and he grabs my chin with his thumb and forefinger, holding me in place as he leans down and presses his lips against mine. His kiss is soft and gentle, meant only as a sign of truce between us.

He pulls away watching me carefully to make sure his kiss did exactly what he intended it to. "Better?" he asks, a hint of playfulness in his tone as his thumb comes up to brush across my bottom lip.

I don't respond, but simply close my eyes as I enjoy the warm feeling my body gets in response to his touch. Because yes, his kiss helped. His kisses will always help. But also, no. We haven't actually solved anything. And that's the conversation I'm afraid of having.

"Mia..." Steve says, trying to get my attention back. I open my eyes and find his face now filled with concern as he takes a deep breath. "If your opinion on Sharon has changed, you need to tell me."

Fuck. This is it. This is my way out, my chance to tell him the truth. But I just can't. Because the root of the problem isn't even Sharon, although she doesn't necessarily help the situation. But she isn't the first and won't be the last girl that Steve attracts. I know who I'm with.

The only thing I need to focus on fixing is what's between us. And my biggest worry right now is that there's lingering contempt from him about what I'm doing with Loki. Or any lack of trust he has in me that I'll stay faithful.

"Steve..." I say, turning my head and pulling away from his grasp.

"No, don't brush this off." he says sternly, this time bringing both of his hands to my cheek and forcing me to hold his gaze. His eyes soften as he brushes my hair away from my face. "Mia, I don't want to hurt you."

"You're not." I say, bringing my hands up and holding on to his wrist. "It wasn't like that."

"Then what?" he asks, his hands dropping down and away from me, and I can feel his frustration. "Because Mia, believe me, I made it very clear to Sharon that you're the only one I want. There's no misunderstanding between us." he says, and I can't help but wonder if it's just something he felt he needed to tell her before they started to hang out, or if she did or said something that prompted him to say that to her.

"And I've made the same thing clear to Loki." I say, despite the fact that I know he knows this. "The only reason I said what I said was because of the comment you made. And the way you said it made it seem like you were blaming me for something. Which I don't understand because we talked about this and I thought we were okay."

"Mia." Steve says, and I can see him about to dismiss this as he leans forwards and rests his hands on my waist.

"No Steve." I protest as I put a hand on his chest and keep him back. "Don't tell me it's nothing. Don't tell me you were just joking. Don't tell me you didn't mean it the way I took it. I was there. I heard you. I heard the truth behind your words."

"I know." he says, stopping me like he can't bear to hear any more. "You're right." He lets out a regretful sigh as hands grip onto my hips, almost like he's scared I'll run away from him. "I did say it with a harsh tone." he admits, his eyes searching mine for forgiveness, before he brings his hands to mine, holding them tight. "I'm sorry."

It feels good to know I wasn't crazy in what I was hearing, but I know this conversation isn't over. I look down at our joined hands, trying to figure out how to ask him something I don't know if I want to know. "Steve," I whisper, struggling to get the words out. "Answer me honestly, are you afraid I'm going to leave you for him?"

There's a silence that encompasses the room, and it causes a tight feeling in the pit of my stomach. I look back up at him, but find his gaze stuck on the floor, his jaw so tight I'm worried he's going to hurt himself.

"Yes."

Fuck.

I feel my breath get caught in my throat as I take in Steve's confession. I don't get it. I thought I had done enough to prove to him how much I loved him. I mean, I know this whole thing hasn't been easy, but he said he was okay with it. Even when I gave him an out and said I'd ask Thor to take Loki back to Asgard he said no. He agreed to let him stay and that he would even help me with this. Why...

"Did I–...What did I do to–" I let go of his hands, feeling guilt rise in me. But Steve doesn't give me a chance to pull them free, instead he tightens his hold on them and brings them up to his lips, pressing a hard kiss to my fingers.

"No baby, you didn't do anything." He sighs as tries to explain himself. "Today...the fact that Loki knows something about you that I didn't know, that none of us knew, it got to me."

I let out an exasperated breath, not understanding why we're having this conversation again. "Steve, I told you that doesn't matter."

"I know, but I guess, it freaked me out because I thought that maybe eventually you'd realize you want your old life more than you want your new one."

My heart breaks, because I can see it in his eyes, he's truly concerned over this. And I guess I can't completely blame him. But the fact that he's worried that's where my thoughts will go, makes me wonder if that's where his went.

"Do you..." I pause, once again not knowing if I want to know this. "Is that how you feel? You want your old life back."

Steve's eyes widen, clearly in shock. "No." he says as if the thought never even crossed his mind.

"If you were given the chance. If Peggy suddenly appeared and there was a chance to get back to your old life, your old time. Would you want that?"

"No!" he snaps, his body so worked up his chest is rising and falling with hard breaths. I see his jaw tremble as his hands come back up to cradle my face in his hands. He focuses my gaze so that I have no choice but to look in his eyes. Eyes that are now filled with a deep seriousness. "I wouldn't trade my life with you for anything." he says, making sure I understand every word he tells me.

I nod, reaching up to grab onto his wrist. "That feeling you have." I say, demanding the same attention from him that he did me. "That is exactly how I feel. As confident as you are that you wouldn't change your mind, that's how confident I am that I won't either. Do you understand me?"

He gives me a soft smile, and I can see so much tension leave his body as his hands slide down my shoulders and my arms, until he can rest his hands on my hips. He nods, and I think he just needed to hear me say it.

"Good." I say, knowing I'll tell him how much I love him as many times as he needs. But I don't want him to ever feel the pain he was feeling. "Now if you ever doubt me again I swear to god Steve..."

He chuckles, finding my unfinished threat amusing. "What? You're going to punish me?" he teases. But behind the joking tone I can sense a dark intrigue in his eyes.

I bring my hand up to his chest, sliding it down until I reach his belt and take a firm grip. "Yes." I whisper, and yank his belt until his hips hit mine, causing him to let out a deep grunt.

I try to keep a dominant hold on him, but his hand comes up and slides into my hair, bringing my head forward until he can crash his lips onto mine. And I completely fold. He presses his body against mine and I clutch onto his shirt, pulling myself closer to him as his tongue pushes its way into my mouth.

I moan as I meet his tongue with mine and slide my leg along his side, the slit allowing the fabric of my dress to drop down. Steve reaches down to hook a hand under my knee, hissing in a breath when he comes into contact with my bare skin.

"For fuck's sake Mia." he growls out, his hand sliding up the outside of my thigh until he reaches my hip. He then smooths his hand over my leg, towards the inside until his fingers reach the edge of my underwear.

And then he slips them inside. "Keep quiet." he whispers before running his fingers along my center. I let out a sharp gasp, but quickly bite down on my lower lip to try and control the sounds that desperately try to escape.

My hands grip his shoulder to try and support myself as I hook my leg around his waist. Steve's fingers move against me, dipping down to my entrance to collect the wetness before running it back up and circling my clit. I throw my head back as I let out sharp breaths, trying desperately to keep quiet while wanting nothing more than to lose myself in Steve's touch, especially when he slides two fingers inside of me. I grind my hips, pushing him in as far as I can before pulling back until he slides out again.

"Fuck." Steve groans out. "Again."

My head comes back up and I see his gaze focuses on the area between us, specifically his fingers inside of me. His eyes come up to meet mine for just a moment; dark, lustful and demanding, before he brings them back down.

I grind my hips again, feeling his fingers push in deep, before being pulled back out. I hear a groan come from deep in his chest and I see him drag his bottom lip through his teeth.

"Again." he grits through his teeth, and I see his chest rising and falling with deep hard breaths. I repeat the movement, putting one hand on the counter behind me for support. "Ride it." Steve growls. "Ride my hand."

He comes back up to meet my gaze and I start to do exactly what he asks me to do. I move my hips back and forth, taking full control of his fingers inside of me. Steve brings his thumb to my clit, rubbing in circles to match the rhythm of my thrust. I'm gripping the edge of the sink, constantly reminding myself to keep quiet, while wanting nothing more than to cry out in pleasure.

Steve leans in, pressing his lips to mine as his fingers continue to slide in and out of me. He lets out a moan, the sound being lost in our kiss as he bites down on my lower lip, dragging it through his teeth.

"Fuck." I gasp out, sliding one hand behind his neck to pull him closer.

I can feel my orgasm building. I'm close. So, so cl–

*ring*

No! Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!

Steve's phone going off hits me like a cold shower, especially considering I'm pretty sure I can guess who's on the other line. I stop my movements, knowing the sexual frustration is going to ruin the rest of the night for me. I start to pull away when suddenly Steve takes a step forward, pushing me back against the sink so I can't move, and so that his fingers slip back inside of me. With his free hand he reaches into his pocket and pulls out his phone, smiling at the screen before bringing it up to his ear.

"Hey Sharon." he says with a cheerful tone, I see his eyes watching carefully for my reaction.

I can't help but roll my eyes, as I try to push him away, feeling my arousal dying more and more each second. But Steve thrusts his fingers inside me again, making me gasp as he keeps me in place.

He chuckles at whatever Sharon said on the other side of the call, but starts to slowly move his fingers in and out of me again. "No, please don't come here," he replies. "I don't think Mia would like that very much."

What the fuck!

I mean he's not lying, but why would he say that to her?!

I open my mouth to protest, but suddenly Steve curls his fingers inside of me, turning my words into a silent cry of pleasure. He laughs as he rests his phone on his shoulder and tilts his head so he can free up his hand. He puts that hand on the sink behind me, feeling the surface before putting his arm around my waist, shifting me so that I'm half sitting on the countertop, giving his fingers better access.

I can hear Sharon's voice getting louder, almost like she's yelling at him but it's hard to focus when he starts rubbing my clit with his thumb as he starts to pick up speed.

He curls his fingers again and this time I can't hold it in, my mouth opens and a moan escapes. Steve slaps his free hand over my mouth, blocking most of it, but I know there's no way Sharon didn't hear that.

Steve tries to stifle his laughter but he fails, needing to uncover my mouth so he can grab the phone from his shoulder before it falls. I'm about to ask him why he's doing this when he starts thrusting his fingers again, causing me to press my lips together to try and avoid any more noises to escape.

"In case you couldn't already tell, I'm going to need a minute." Steve says, seeming like he's trying to make it a personal challenge to make me moan again. I don't know what he's trying to prove to either me or Sharon. And I don't know how I feel about the fact that he's amused that she heard me moan but at this point she has to know what we're doing.

Steve smiles, but his eyes are so focused on me that I don't know if he's actually paying attention. "Don't worry, I'll finish up here and come find you."

Excuse me?! What the fuck does he mean he's going to go find her?! Is she here? No, he just told her not to come. So is he going to leave and go find her in D.C.?! What the fuck is going on?!

"Thanks again." Steve says, for what I have no idea, and it's still hard to think with his fingers sliding in and out of me.

"Bye Nat."

Nat? Nat?! Are you fucking–

"Motherfu–" He curls his fingers as his thumb circles my clit, already knowing I was about to cuss him out. "Ah!" I moan, trying to decide between wanting to kill him or wanting to fuck him.

"Language." Steve scolds, but I see him smirk as his tongue comes out to wet his bottom lip, showing me that he is anything but offended.

I couldn't hear her on the other side of the bathroom door, which means she's probably farther away, making sure no one comes in this direction. Which Steve knew, which is why he knew I would fall for it.

"Why did you–mmm...you lied about..."

I can't even complete a sentence as I Steve's fingers start to work me the way he knows will push me over the edge.

"I wanted to see how you'd react." he says, with a teasing smirk.

I give him a disapproving glare as I try to control my reaction to his talented fingers. "You're an asshole."

Steve smiles, finding only amusement in this whole thing. "What?" he asks, feigning innocence as he leans in closer. "You didn't like the idea of Sharon hearing exactly what she's missing out on?" he whispers, as he curls his fingers again.

"F-fuck." I gasp out, both at the sensation, and at the thought of Steve's words. I don't have anything to prove to Sharon. I don't need to defend my relationship with Steve to her. But damn if it doesn't feel good thinking about the idea of her hearing us. Just to rub it in her face that while she's talking shit about me and trying to invalidate my relationship to anyone that'll listen, I'm here being worshiped by the man she so desperately wants.

"That's what I thought." Steve says, and despite the fact that he's right, his cocky tone still manages to annoy me.

"Just stop talking." I say, knowing he's going to ruin the mood, and I can feel my orgasm building again.

"Oh?" Steve says, leaning in closer until his face is only inches from mine. "Now you want me to stop talking?" he whispers, and I feel his fingers leave my body and slide up until he can start circling my clit. "You don't want to hear me tell you how much I'm enjoying this." He starts rubbing faster, knowing exactly how close I am. "How fucking hot you look." His head drops down so he can run his lips along my neck. "How I damn near came just from watching you ride my fingers." He groans, and I can only imagine how badly he's straining in his slacks. "You want me to stop talking."

I clutch onto his arms, digging into his muscles as hover over the edge. "No..." I pant, feeling like I'm going to pass out.

"Didn't think so." He slides his hand up until he can wrap it around my throat. "Now be a good girl and come for me."

I completely fall apart, throwing my head back and losing all control. Steve quickly covers my mouth with his hand, muffling all cries of pleasure that I let out. I'm writhing underneath him, riding out my orgasm as he tries desperately to control me, the feral look in his eyes telling me he's enjoying every second of this.

I finally start to settle down as Steve takes his hand off my mouth. He pulls his other hand from between my legs, giving me a smirk and he puts them in his mouth and sucks them clean. My limbs are completely unstable and I slide off the sink, unable to hold myself up anymore.

"Woah, steady." Steve says, wrapping an arm around me and catching me before I fall. He slides his hand on my neck as his thumb gently caresses my cheek. "Too much?" he says with a light laugh, but I can see the slight concern on his face.

I lightly shake my head, knowing I would gladly take that again. "No." I whisper, still trying to catch my breath.

Steve smiles as he leans down pressing his lips to mine. He's gentle and soothing, meant only as after care despite the fact that I can feel how hard he is against my leg.

"Should I take care of you now." I mumble against his lips as my hand slides down his chest and towards his belt.

But Steve grabs my wrist, stopping me before I go any farther. "It's okay." he says, bringing my hand up to his lips and kissing my fingers. "I actually want to finish our conversation."

I feel a rush of nerves go through my body, mainly because I thought we already had. "I don't–...I mean what else is there..."

He sighs, and I can tell he's nervous about this too. "You avoided my question earlier."  he says, and now I have a hunch as to where this is going. He brings both hands to my cheeks, forcing me to keep my eyes on him. "Mia, I need you to be completely honest with me. Do you have a problem with me hanging out with Sharon?"

I can't. He's been so understanding of Loki, it would be hypocritical of me to say it. But I have to. When the truth comes out, and it will come out, he's going to hate me for lying to him for so long. I can't keep lying to him. I don't want to hurt him. I need to protect our relationship. Maybe if I just...

"Yes."

Oh shit...I actually said it

It takes him a moment to process my answer, and despite all that's happened, it seems like he wasn't expecting me to say it. He sighs, and it almost seems like he's...disappointed.

In me? In her? In this whole situation?

He drops his hands, and I feel myself start to panic.

"No." I quickly say, and I'm not even sure what I'm opposing at this point.

"No?" Steve asks, getting confused himself.

"No...I mean, yes but...fuck." I huff out, getting frustrated. "I don't want you to think I'm just being a jealous girlfriend."

Steve puts his hands, trying to stop me. "Mia it's okay."

"No it's not." I quickly reply. "Because you have put up with my having my ex-boyfriend living in the same place as us. So for me to ask you not to hang out with someone that you maybe could have had something with–"

"Mia," Steve says, stopping me mid sentence. "You don't have to explain yourself to me." he sas, despite the fact that I can see he wants to know my reasoning.

"Yes I do." I say, knowing he deserves the explanation. Not to mention the fact that I need answers from him as well. "Steve..."

Several loud bangs on the door stop me from what I was going to say, and I can't help but take it as a sign that maybe now is not the right time.

"Are you two done fucking in there?" Nat yells from the other side of the door.

I chuckle, knowing it was just a matter of time before she came back. "Why? Do you want a turn?"

I don't get a chance to laugh at my joke when Steve slaps his hand across my ass, hard. I groan in pain just as Nat barges in, taking one look at me and throwing her hands up in despair.

"You guys can't do your thing without ruining her makeup?!" she snaps, stomping over to find the hidden makeup bag she has stashed here. She comes over and puts herself in between Steve and I, forcing him to take a step back as she starts rummaging through her bag. She pulls out a brush and pauses, looking back at Steve like he's still in the way. "You can go now." she says to him.

"Excuse me?" Steve chuckles with amusement.

Nat rolls her eyes at him. "I'm pretty sure people have already noticed you both are gone. You need to get back out there, I need to fix her makeup, and she and I need to talk about you." she says, turning back to give him a stern look. "So bye."

Steve laughs, but ultimately looks over at me, silently asking me if I'm going to be okay. Especially considering we got interrupted mid-conversation. I give him a comforting smile and a small nod, letting him know I'm okay.

We're okay.

"Okay." he says as he steps around Nat to get to me. "I'll meet you out there." He grabs my chin between his thumb and forefinger, holding me in place, before leaning in giving me a soft kiss. I hum as he pulls away, prompting him to give me another one. I feel him smile against my lips as his hand slides up my cheek, kissing me a little harder.

"Alright, get out!" Nat says, shoving him away and forcing us apart. She reaches into her bag and grabs a make-up remover wipe, extending it out in Steve's direction.

Steve chuckles as grabs the wipe, already knowing it's for the lipstick surrounding his mouth. He finally turns away and heads out the door.

"Nat." I whine as she turns my face back towards her and starts fixing my makeup.

"What?" she asks, clearly annoyed with us.

"I was enjoying that." I say, missing his touch already.

Nat scoffs, like she doesn't believe me. "Yeah you look like you enjoyed it a lot." she says as she starts wiping away what's probably smeared make-up. "I'm assuming this means you guys made up." She finishes wiping and then starts to fix the foundation that was cleaned off. "Although knowing you two, you guys could have been hate fucking in here. Especially after his stupid phone prank."

I burst out into laughter, glad that he wasn't lying about lying. "I'm just glad he wasn't actually on the phone with her." I say, though I wouldn't be surprised if she's still messaging him.

"Really?" Nat says as she pulls out the lipstick in between her breasts. "If I were you and I thought he was on the phone with Sharon, I would have moaned louder, just so she could hear me."

I have to hold in my laughter as Nat paints my lips, and I find it so amusing that both she and Steve thought the same thing.

Nat's eyes come up to meet mine as she finishes up, and I can see a lingering question in them. "Did you tell him?" she finally asks.

I smile, knowing she's going to love this. "I was about to...before you banged on the door and interrupted us.

I can see the shock cross her face, before she scrunches it in annoyance.

"Fuck." she mumbles under her breath, before giving me an apologetic look. "Sorry."

I shrug, grateful for the interruption. "It's okay. I'm kind of glad it happened. It's probably not the right time."

"No! Dammit Mia!" Nat cries out in frustration. "Don't back out now."

I put my hands up to try and calm her down. "Relax, we made some progress. I did admit to him that I do have a problem with him hanging out with Sharon. So it's something."

Nat sighs, not really liking that I didn't tell Steve everything, but happy that I spoke up about part of it. "Did you ask him why he lied?" she asks, and I can tell it's bothering her too.

"I planned on it but you..."

"I interrupted." Nat says, finishing my sentence. "Fuck." she snaps out again.

I throw my head back laughing as I pull Nat in, wrapping my arms around her shoulders. "Thank you." I say, holding her in a tight hug.

"For interrupting you?" Nat asks, clearly confused. "Or for conspiring with Steve to get you to this bathroom so he can get you alone to talk."

"What?!" I cry out, not even knowing that was a thing.

Nat backs away from me, looking like she's about to defend herself, but ultimately shrugs and rolls her eyes. "Whatever, it worked out for you. You can't really get mad."

I can't even say anything to that, so instead I interlock our arms and we both head out and back to the party. 

As soon as we walk in I spot Steve with Sam, laughing and talking, hopefully not about what just happened. I start to make my way over to him when I spot Olivia over at the bar, grabbing another drink. She looks way past tipsy, and she slightly stumbles. I rush towards her, knowing I need to get to bed. But someone beats me, grabbing her arm to stop her from falling.

"I think you've had enough." Bucky says as he pulls her up, his tone is deep, dark. He's pissed. I step closer making myself known to both of them to make sure this doesn't get out of hand.

Olivia chuckles as she pulls away from his grasp. "And I think you lost the right to give your opinion when you broke up with me." she says, as she takes a sip of her drink. "I can do what I want, drink what I want..." She steps closer to him, closer than I think Bucky's comfortable with considering I see him completely tense up. "Fuck who I want." she whispers, purposefully putting a sultry tone in her voice.

I see Bucky snap. He grabs Olivia's wrist that's holding her new drink, pulling it towards him until he can snatch the glass away.

"Don't touch me." Olivia chokes out as she pulls her hand away, and more than anger, I can hear the pain in her voice. She loves him. She loves him so much that she can't help but hate him for breaking up with her.

"Easy guys." I say, jumping forward and putting myself in between them before things get worse. Their eyes are like daggers, both of them holding each other's gaze as a range of unspoken emotions passes between them. Hate, annoyance, resentment...love, pain, sorrow, longing.

And if I'm not mistaken, desire.

"Come on Liv." I say, gently grabbing her arm and trying to guide her away. She finally turns away from Bucky, and when her eyes meet mine I can see how close she is to breaking. I give her a comforting smile, trying to convey to her that she's going to be okay. She sighs, but I see her finally let it go as she turns around to leave. I keep my hand on her arms as I follow her, but not before I feel someone grab onto my wrist.

I turn around and find Bucky's fingers holding me back, and I look up to find him looking at me, not with anger or annoyance, but with genuine, painful concern.

"Mia..." Bucky says, and he doesn't need to say anything else because I can see the plea in his eyes. He's worried about her. Every part of him is begging to take care of her, to protect her. The only problem is that he's the reason she's hurting. And despite not really knowing why he broke up with her, I can see that he's not planning on remedying that right now, which means the best thing he can do for her is stay away.

"I'll take care of her." I promise him, trying to give him as much reassurance as possible while wanting to rip him a new one for hurting her like this. And he can see it, he can see the anger in my eyes, but he can also tell that right now my priority, just like his, is making sure Olivia is okay.

He nods as he lets me go, and then behind him I see Steve grab his arm and lead him away. I give Steve a quick look, letting him know I'll be back after I put Olivia to bed. He gives me a nod of acknowledgement and then puts his hand on Bucky's shoulder, comforting him as he takes him back towards Sam.

I walk Olivia out, and just as I reach the door Nat catches up with us, handing me a water bottle.

"Thanks." I say, then hand the bottle to Olivia. "Drink." I order, making sure she knows I'm not asking.

Olivia takes it as we continue to walk, and I can see her entire demeanor has changed. And the lightness that she's had most of the night, is now gone. "I'm sorry." she says, taking a big drink of water.

"For what?" I ask, with a soft chuckle.

She keeps her eyes down, and I have to literally guide her as we get back towards the apartment complex. "For ruining your night."

"Liv, it's not like you knocked over the cake and danced drunk on the tables." I say, knowing she didn't even get half as bad as I've seen some people on the team get. "You didn't ruin anything."

She chuckles, but her expression is anything but amused. "I ruined my relationship with Bucky."

"No you didn't." I reply. "He ended things with no reason and no explanation. You didn't ruin your relationship, he did.

She lets out a small laugh, but I can see it in her face, she doesn't actually believe that. She feels like she did something wrong, I would too in her situation. And I know that despite the fact that Bucky and I aren't on great terms right now, I need to try and talk to him about this. He clearly still cares about Olivia, and he needs to at least give her an explanation as to why he ended things.

We get Liv to Nat's room, managing to get her into some of Nat's pajamas and settle her into bed.

"Girls sleepover tonight?" Olivia asks, still in a drunken state as we pull the covers over her.

"I'll be back to take care of you." Nat says, tucking her in. "Mia...will probably be a little busy tonight."

I see a huge smile come across Liv's face, clearly understanding what Nat is implying. "That's right." she says. "I'm sure she'll have her hands full with someone else tonight."

Nat lets out a snicker. "Hands, mouth, other places..."

I elbow her in the stomach, shutting her up before he says any more. Olivia lets out one small chuckle, before her breathing starts to even out as she dozes off.

Nat and I head back to the party, finding it really in full swing. The music is now a little louder and people have started dancing.

"Should I be insulted that they really started partying after I left." I say to Nat, and she throws her head back laughing before grabbing my hand and pulling me to the dance floor. The music is upbeat and Nat immediately starts swaying her hips as she finds an empty spot for us. As soon as we find a comfortable spot I join her, dancing to the beat of the music.

The second Nat spots Wanda she runs to her, grabbing her by the hand and pulling her towards me before she has a chance to say no. She's a little shy at first, so Nat and I each grab a hand, trying to loosen her up. Once we're a little more comfortable our dancing gets a little more sultry, and I can't help but notice a pair of eyes watching.

I find Steve by the bar with Sam, a drink in his hand as his eyes run over my body, paying close attention to the sway of my hips. I nod my head, trying to convince him to come join me. This is not the type of music he's used to dancing to, but I figured he might enjoy himself more if he felt my body move rather than just watched it.

I can see the blush on him already, and a shy smile comes across his face before he looks down at his drink, giving me my answer. Maybe when a calmer song comes on I can try again.

I see Sam lean over, telling him something, and Steve shakes his head again before taking another sip of his drink. Sam rolls his eyes at him, then finishes his own drink in one hit before setting the cup on the bar top. He says one last comment to Steve before clapping him on the shoulder and then heading in my direction, leaving Steve with a confused expression.

As soon as he reaches us he grabs onto my hips, spinning me around before starting to dance with me.

"I'm not as dumb as Steve to waste the chance to dance with you." Sam says as he starts moving to the beat.

"That's not fair." I say, wanting to defend him, "He's not used to this type of music."

Sam shrugs. "Maybe. Or maybe it's because he knows he doesn't have moves like me." he says, and then proceeds to body roll to the music. I laugh as we come together, and his hands come to my waist as mine go to his shoulders. We move to the music, dancing together without getting too intimate. We're having fun without crossing a line.

But it isn't long before I feel an arm come around me, lifting me off the ground and turning me away from him.

"That's enough of that." Steve says, putting himself in front of me, claiming his place as my dance partner.

As happy as I have to have him here, I look over to find Sam, feeling bad for just leaving him like that. Luckily Nat and Wanda are already at his side, the three of them dancing as a group. Sam gives me a reassuring smile, and then a sly wink, and I have a feeling his plan was to make Steve jealous enough that he'd come join me.

I look back at Steve, seeing his nervous expression as he holds his hands up, not really sure what to do. "I'm sorry I..."

"It's okay." I say, finding his concern adorable. The song changes, a little more toned down but it still has a quicker beat. I grab his hands, placing them on my hips before sliding my arms around his neck. "Just follow movements." I say, and then start moving my body from side to side. Slowly Steve starts to get into the groove, using my body to guide him.

The more comfortable he gets, the more I realize he can dance, he's just never given himself a chance to dance to anything modern. But I can see him enjoying himself, which is all I really want.

We dance for a few more songs before we need a break, and we all head back to rehydrate. We're joined by others and pretty soon a group of us are gathered at the bar, laughing over memories, teasing each other, and toasting to a good future for all of us.

Soon after Tony calls everyone to gather around and Steve grabs my hand pulling me over to part of the room where the cake is sitting. They try to leave me alone up there, but I grab onto both Tony and Steve, keeping them by my side as I panic at the thought of all the attention being on me. 

Tony sets candles along all three layers of the cake, and then proceeds to lead everyone in the Happy Birthday song. I can feel the blush come across my cheeks as everyone sings to me, and once they're done it takes me four solid breaths to get all the candles out and I lean against Steve, needing a moment to catch my breath again.

As the night goes on people start to trickle out, the party dying down until, like most of the parties we throw here, the people left are mostly the ones who live here; Sam, Maria, Rhodey, Nat, Clint, Steve and I gather around the couches we have, the music already turned off so it's just the sounds of our continuous laughter.

"Sam needs to find himself a girl." Rhodey says, looking like he's about to make it his personal mission to get him one.

Sam turns to him, looking confused. "I don't know what you're all talking about, my girl is right over there." he says, pointing over towards me.

Everyone else lets out a collective groan as Steve chucks a couch pillow at him.

"At this point I feel like he's never going to give up on you." Nat says, giving Steve a sympathetic smile.

Sam shrugs, not bothered by everyone's judgment. "As far as I'm concerned it's all fair game until there's a ring in that finger."

Oh shit. I can feel my cheeks start to warm up as everyone gives a shocked reaction.

I mean...Steve has made a comment about marriage before, but I don't want him to feel pressured. We haven't even been dating for a year.

"Now you know what you have to do to stop this Steve." Clint teases, causing Nat to punch him in the shoulder.

"Easy guys, you're going to scare him off." I say with a chuckle, trying to hide how nervous it's making me.

"Oh please, we all know that's where this is heading. It's just about him asking." Rhodey says, and I'm extremely close to tossing him out of the room. I don't even want to look in Steve's direction, too concerned about what he might be thinking right now.

Why is this making me panic like this? Rhodey's right, my plan for the future does include being married to Steve, but I don't want him to think he has to ask me just because everyone is pushing him to. And I definitely don't want him to think I'm pushing him to.

"Why does he have to ask? Mia could ask him." Maria says and suddenly I feel like I can't breathe properly.

"He's too old fashioned for that." Rhodey says and I can see Nat trying to hide a smile. She knows I hate this current conversation but she's finding it amusing. Which makes me think she kind of agrees with what's being said.

"Oh come on." Maria says as she leans forward, putting all her focus on Steve. "If Mia asked you to marry her, you wouldn't say yes?"

The entire room goes silent as everyone's attention goes on Steve, and this time even I can't help but finally look over.  His gaze is down on the floor, but I can see how pensive his eyes are. His lips are curled in an amused smile and I wish I knew what was going through his head.

"You wouldn't want to see her down on one knee?" Maria teases, and I see Steve let out a soft laugh.

"I prefer her down on two."

"Holy shit." I choke out, bursting into laughter as everyone loses their minds. A collective gasp comes across the room as everyone either laughs or is left speechless.

"He did not just say that." Sam says, although he seems kind of proud of Steve.

"You are so lucky Tony went to bed." Clint chuckles and he takes a drink of his beer.

"I have a feeling he would have said it regardless." Nat chuckles.

"What happened to the innocent Steve Rogers we used to know?" Maria says, seeming genuinely surprised, and considering she knows Steve and I had sex on a quinjet, I'm sure she's talking about more than just what he said right now. "I mean the guy would clutch his pearls if anyone said a bad word."

Everyone laughs, knowing well of Steve's whole "language" moment.

"I'm a bad influence." I say, knowing damn well he got like this after meeting me.

"No, you're a good one." Nat says, her eyes going back and forth between Steve and I. "Take it from the people who knew him before you came along, you changed him for the better."

I turn towards Steve and find his eyes on me, soft, loving, like he could stare at me all day and be perfectly content.

"Best thing to ever happen to me." Steve says as he reaches his hand out towards me.

I slip my hand into his, feeling my entire body warm up with his touch. We share a look, exchanging an unspoken understanding about what was just said. We know where we're at, we know what future we want for ourselves. I don't need him to propose to me to prove a point. We'll get there when we get there.

"I think it's time we head to bed." Steve says, and there's a clear promise in his eyes.

"We should help clean up." I say as I get up, looking around at the mess around us.

"No!" everyone shouts out, including Steve.

"We'll take care of it." Nat says with a big smile. "You two feel free to go...sleep, or whatever." She can't hold in her smile, because she knows damn well we are probably not going to sleep very much.

"Okay," I say, knowing I shouldn't expect sex tonight when he hasn't openly said he's planning anything, but our little moment in the bathroom definitely has me aching for more. And I actually got to finish. I can't imagine how he must be feeling.

Everyone gets up and starts gathering things. I feel bad about not helping, but I know they won't budge no matter how much I insist.

"Thank you guys for today." I say to the group, "I really appreciated all of this."

Everyone smiles, and I can tell they were happy to do this for me, making me even more grateful to have them in my life.

"If you really want to thank me..." Sam says, and I can tell he's about to say something stupid.

Everyone groans and throws whatever they're holding at him, shutting him up before he finishes his sentence.

Steve and I chuckle, as he grabs onto my hand, impatiently tugging me away.

"Goodnight everyone." I barely manage to say, before Steve guides me out of the banquet hall.

"Did you have fun?" Steve asks as we make our way through the hall connecting the two buildings and head back towards our rooms.

I can't help but smile. "I did." I reply, despite my hesitancy at this whole thing, I'm grateful it happened.

"Even though we had a fight?" he asks, and I can tell he's nervous about my answer.

I let out a small chuckle. "I guess fighting at our birthday parties is a tradition now." I say, remembering what Steve's party was like.

Steve lets out a frustrated groan. "Yeah let's not make that thing." he says, squeezing my hand a little harder. We walk through the doors, finally entering our apartment complex. Steve keeps giving me glances as we walk, and I can tell there's more he wants to say. "You know, we didn't finish the conversation we were having." he finally lets out.

I sigh, knowing it was going to be about...her. "Can we not do that tonight?" I ask, hating that we've already given her too much of our time. "Please."

I can see Steve wants to protest, but instead he lets out a deep breath. "Okay." he says, deciding to pick and choose his battles. "But we will talk about it."

I nod in agreement. I know we have to, and I know eventually we will, but for tonight, I just don't want to think about this anymore.

We reach the stairs and I have to stop, not being able to take the soreness in my feet any longer.

"Hold on." I say, stopping him before we start to head up. I reach down, slipping off my heels and letting out a relieved sigh as my feet finally get some relief.

"Why do you wear them if they hurt?" he asks as he starts leading us up.

"Because they look good." I say, now carrying my shoes in my free hand.

"Mia, you would look just as good in some comfortable shoes." Steve says, and I love him for genuinely saying that, even if he doesn't know how wrong he is.

I can't hold in the laughter. "Steve, I love you but that is so not true." He turns to look at me, seeming almost offended at what I said. "Oh come on." I say, knowing that no matter how much he loves me, I know the heels turn him on. "You're going to tell me that you don't love seeing me in these?" I tease, holding the pair up in front of him. "I remember nights when you even asked me to keep them on."

"Mia..." Steve warns, and I think he's starting to get worked up.

"What?" I say with a giggle as we reach our floor and head towards his room. "I'm just making a point. The heels look good. Particularly when they're thrown over your shoulders."

I hear his chest rumble with a deep growl before he suddenly shoves me against the wall and crashes his lips onto mine. I get the wind knocked out of me and no time to get it back when Steve starts moving his mouth against mine, hard and hungry. I drop my heels, clutching onto him like I can't get close enough.

Steve finally backs up, just enough so I can take in a good breath, and I can't help but give a triumphant smile, loving how worked up I can get him just with my words.

He rests his forehead on mine as he lets out a frustrated sigh. "So close to making it to the bedroom." he whispers, and it almost sounds like he promised himself not to do anything until we got to the privacy of his room. Which makes me love the fact that I was able to break him.

I give him a teasing smirk, making it clear to him that I consider this a win for me, even if we never officially called this a bet. Steve chuckles as he bends down, grabbing my heels from the floor with one hand. He stands back up, and comes towards me, leaning down until he can wrap his free arm around me. He picks me off the ground, prompting me to wrap my legs around his waist to help keep myself up. I put my arms around his neck for support as he walks us towards his room. 

"I think it's time I give you your present." he says with a smirk.

"You didn't have to get me anything." I say, knowing this party alone was more than I could have asked for.

"It's only fair," he replies. "After what I came home to on my birthday."

"Oh?" I say with curiosity. "Are you going to put on lingerie and stand awkwardly in my bathroom?"

He chuckles, but then gives me a curious glance. "You didn't stand awkwardly." he says, trying to comfort me.

"Steve, me awkwardly posing in lingerie with your shield on my arm is easily in the top 5 most embarrassing things I've ever done." I say, loving him for trying to make me feel better about it, but feeling my cheeks heat up just at the memory of it.

"Well, I enjoyed it." he says, getting a bit defensive. "And that entire night is definitely in my top 5 best nights of my life." He leans in, pressing his lips to mine, gently and loving. "And I plan on adding tonight to that list.'' he whispers, before suddenly losing his control and allowing his mouth to consume me. I slip my fingers into his hair tugging gently and I can feel myself already wet with anticipation. As good as our moment in the restroom was, it definitely left me craving more.

I feel Steve shift his hand behind me, and then I hear the door open. He walks us in and as soon as I have access to the control panel I turn on the soundproof setting. Steve tosses my heels onto the floor and then sets me down. As soon as he does I feel something underneath my feet, and I can tell I'm not stepping straight onto the ground. He finally pulls away from me, separating our lips as he steps to the side, and it's then that I notice his entire room is covered in red rose petals.

His. Entire. Room.

The floor, his bed, his desk; there's literally rose petals everywhere and I'm left completely speechless.

I keep opening my mouth to try and say something, anything, but only incoherent noises come out.

Behind me I feel Steve slide his hands around my waist. "I hope that's a good reaction." he says before pressing a gentle kiss to my shoulder. And as much as he tries to hide it, I can hear the nervousness in his voice.

I turn around in his arms, bringing my hands up to his cheeks and then crashing my lips to his. Steve tightens his hold on me, pulling me close as I feel him smile through our kisses.

"You like it?" he asks, and I can't tell if he's being rhetorical.

"I love it." I say. How could I not, it's like something out of the books I read. It's so romantic, so adorable, so...

So him.

"I love you." I whisper, kissing him again. "I love you. I love you. I love you."

Steve chuckles as he lifts me off the ground, spinning me around before setting me back down. "I love you more."

Debatable.

But I can't say it out loud considering he's probably going to be cleaning up these rose petals for a few days. So instead I just wrap my arms around him, pressing into his body and ready to show him just how much I love him.

Steve's hand comes up as he runs it over the fabric covering me. "As much as I love you in the dress, it needs to come off." he whispers, before grabbing onto my shoulder and turning me around.

As his hands move towards the zipper of my dress I catch the glimmer of the bracelet Loki gave me. Given that I know where this night is going, I don't feel very comfortable wearing this, out of respect for both of them. So while Steve reaches up to undo my halter top, I take off the bracelet and bunch it in my hands. I'm not trying to hide it. But I don't want to ruin the mood by answering why I'm taking it off.

As soon as I'm free of my dress Steve lets it drop to the floor, and I quickly drop the bracelet down so that it lands in between the fabric.

I turn around to show him the lingerie Nat and Wanda helped me pick out specifically for him; red, lace, and barely covering anything.

"Jesus Mia." Steve gasps out, his eyes roaming my body and he looks like he's battling whether he wants to fuck me in the lingerie or rip it off with his teeth.

"Too much?" I tease, trying to mimic the awkward posing I did on his birthday.

He chuckles, but I can see the amusement in his eyes fade into something darker, and much more promising. He comes towards me, his hands reaching out to touch as soon as he gets close enough. He kisses me as his hands start at my collar bone, running down until he can cup my breast. He squeezes, just hard enough to make me moan as his thumb caresses the fabric over my nipple.

I throw my head back, biting down on my bottom lip as his hands continue to tease me. He brings his lips down to my neck, kissing and tasting as his hands travel down. He slides them behind my back, down to my nearly bare ass, squeezing as he lifts me up off the ground.

He carries me over towards his bed as his mouth tastes whatever part of my skin he can reach. I pull his blazer down his shoulder, and he frees one arm so I can pull down his sleeves, then does the same with the other before letting it fall to the ground. I start to work on the buttons of his shirt when I feel his desk behind me. Before he gets a chance to make a decision on what to do I untangle my legs from him, taking him by surprise as I drop down onto my knees.

"Mia this wasn't what I–" I palm him through his slacks, finding him so hard that my touch alone completely cuts off his words. "Sh-shit." he gasps out, bending over to grab the edge of the desk.

"I thought so." I whisper, as my hands come up and start to undo his belt.

"I didn't..." His breathing picks up and I can tell he's fighting himself on what he wants to do to me versus what he wants me to do to him. "I wanted to..." His eyes are shut tight as I open up his pants and lower them just enough that I can free him.

So hard, so ready. Just begging for my lips.

And I stop. I don't touch him. I don't say anything. I just sit there and wait for him to look at me.

He takes a few deep breaths before he finally opens his eyes, and I see his entire body tense up. I see all control leave him as he watches me, on my knees in front of him, looking up at him with complete submission.

"God dammit" Steve groans out as his hand reaches for me, sliding down my head until he can grip my jaw with his fingers, holding me in place. "Open." he commands.

I do as I'm told, opening wide as grabs himself, stroking his length a few times before he guides the tip of him into my mouth. I circle my tongue around him once before breaking from his grasp and pulling him into my mouth.

"Fuck Mia." Steve moans, and he has to grip the edge again to keep himself from falling. I grip him at the base, using my hand to touch where my mouth can't reach as I begin sliding him in and out. He drops his head back, his chest rising and falling with hard breaths and I can see him trying so hard to let me keep the control. He wants to take over, he wants all the pleasure he can get from me.

And I want him to take it.

I moan around him, letting him feel the vibrations. He looks down at me and I meet his gaze, letting him know that I give him complete control over me.

I see his eyes darken and the feral side of him take over. He slides his hand into my hair, gipping just hard enough that he can tilt my head back. "So fucking beautiful." he grits through his teeth before thrusting his hips forward and pushing himself into my mouth. He starts to set a pace, slowly fucking my mouth, taking it how he wants it. He already knows how far he can go without making me uncomfortable, so he never pushes past that. And yet the way he's groaning in pleasure, you'd think I was taking all of him.

"God Mia," Steve grunts out. "That fucking mouth." he whispers as he pushes into me again. I moan around him once more and as he pulls back I swirl my tongue around. He slows his pace, his eyes looking like he's so damn close to losing it. And just the sight of him like this, knowing it's because of me, has me on the edge.

I can't help myself anymore. I slide my hand along my thigh, inching towards my center. I see Steve's eyes follow my hand, and suddenly his jaw tightens. I hear him curse under his breath as my fingers trace the top of my underwear. 

He lets out a disgruntled groan, pulling my head towards him, going a little deeper this time. I whimper, so turned on that I just slide my hands down to touch myself.

"Fuck!" Steve grunts out, and then suddenly he pulls away, sliding completely out of my mouth. Before I can even react he grabs onto my shoulders, hauling me up onto my feet. I'm about to question what went wrong when he puts his hands on my waist, pushing me back and then lifting me up onto his desk.

He drops to his knees, spreading my legs apart and opening me up to him. With incredible impatience he takes the lace fabric of my underwear between his hands and just rips it apart before tossing them behind him. I don't even get a chance to scold him for it when he's done when he leans in, burying himself in between my legs.

"Oh god!" I moan, as Steve drags his tongue slowly along my center. I'm so worked up that I completely lose control and lean back, pushing around everything on his desk. Steve takes no mercy, licking and sucking like he's starving. He teases my entrance with his fingers, and considering how wet I am he has no problem sliding two of them right in.

"F-fuck...Steve I...mmm..." I writhing, pinned down with one of Steve's hands while the other pumps in and out of me, all while he moans as he completely devours me. "Steve please." I beg, but I don't know what for.

To stop? No! No, don't stop. It's so good. But it's too much, it's too fast, it's too...

"Steve...oh god...oh fuck..." I come so hard my body convulses across his desk, this time completely knocking things off the end. "Shit...sorry...fuck...sorry."

Steve slowly licks around, letting me fully ride out the orgasm while being careful not to touch where I'm too sensitive. I slowly start to come down, trying to catch my breath and struggling to connect my brain to my limbs. I try to sit up, but my hand buckles, slipping and knocking over yet another thing off Steve's desk.

"Shit..." I whisper, taking in deep breaths. "Sorry."

Steve lets out an annoyed groan as he moves to place gentle kisses along my inner thighs. "Why are you apologizing?"

I sit up, watching him continue to feather kisses, before turning to see the mess I made around me. I can't help but wonder if he really doesn't realize what I've done. "I knocked over everything on your desk." I say with a chuckle as I start to try and pick a few things up that didn't completely fall off.

Steve kisses his way up my body as he stands up, trailing his lips along my skin until he can take a firm grip on the back of my neck and pull my lips to his. His mouth is hungry and needy, and just like before he's not holding back in taking what he wants.

He pulls back to take a breath, keeping our foreheads pressed together as he brushes his lips against mine. "You can burn down this entire room for all I care, as long as I get to make you come like that again."

Fuck. And just like that I start throbbing in between my legs, aching for his touch again.

This time I'm the one who kisses him with lustful passion as my hands slide down to the buttons of his shirt. I quickly undo them, desperate to run my hands along his skin. I get two down when my impatience, and desire for revenge, gets a hold on me. I rip open the shirt, causing the remainder of his buttons to go flying.

Steve pauses, taking a moment to look down at what I did. I can see him wanting to get upset, but ultimately his lips curl in a smile. He pulls me back in, his mouth moving feverishly against mine as my hands come up and push his shirt off of him. I put my hands on his chest, my fingers outlining the lines of his muscles. I trail down until I get to his hips, and then I come across something that I left unfinished.

I grip him at the base, causing him to freeze up as he lets out a pained grunt. I slide my hand slowly along his length and he drops his head to my shoulder as he moans deliciously into my ear.

"You could have at least let me finish." I say, continuing to stroke him as he twitches in my hand. He's practically begging to come. "You're so hard, baby." I whisper, trying to work him up even more. "Do you want to come?" He tilts his head on my shoulder as his breathing accelerates. "Where do you want to come, Steve?" I ask, speeding up my movements. "In my hand?" He shakes his head, despite the fact that he's so close to doing just that. "In my mouth?" He groans, and I know I would gladly drop to my knees again if he asked. "Or do you want to be buried deep inside of me, filling me up with your come."

"Fuck Mia!" he growls out, and suddenly grabs onto my wrists, forcing me to release him before he pins both of my hands to the desk beside me.

I'm caught off guard, because I thought he was enjoying himself, but based on the way his shoulders rise and fall with deep breaths and how tight his jaw is, he almost looks upset.

"I thought you wanted to." I say starting to feel a little guilty.

"I do." he whispers in a pained voice. But then he leans forward, his lips pressing against my neck. "In every single way you just mentioned." he mumbles against my skin. He lets out a sigh, and his grip on my hands softens. "Just not yet."

I release my hands from his, sliding them up his arms. "You should have said..." I pause, wondering if there were any signs I ignored that told me he didn't actually want me to continue. "I'm sorry–"

"Don't," he interrupts, with a darkness in his tone. "Don't you dare apologize for touching me." he says, finally bringing his eyes up to look at me.

I sigh, getting a bit of whiplash. "Okay, I'm a little confused." I admit, but try to keep it light so he doesn't think I'm upset. I just want to understand.

Steve smiles as he reaches forward, grabbing my wrists again. "I know I probably don't have to say this at this point in our relationship, but I'll remind you..." He brings my hands up kissing each of my palms before placing them on his shoulders. "I need your touch." he says, and slowly starts to drag my hands down his chest. "I crave it...every second, of every day."

His breath accelerates as my hands get lower, and mine does too. I don't want to push him again if he doesn't want to, but considering it's him in control I know he's going to do whatever he's comfortable with. He stops right before my hands touch what I really want to and then starts dragging them back up. And I saw the indecision in his eyes, for a moment he considered letting me finish him off.

"I can help get you hard again." I say, trying to convince him to let me get him in my mouth.

"Mmm." Steve groans and my hands come back to his shoulders. "I know you can. But..." He puts my arms around his neck and then wraps his around my waist, lifting me up and off his desk. "I'm not done with you yet." he says as he carries me over to his bed. He pauses before setting me down, and I turn around to see the layer of rose petals covering his bed. "Shit." he mumbles. "I might have overdone it with the roses."

I chuckle, before leaning in and press my lips against his, trying to kiss away his worried expression. "I think it's so romantic..." I say, and I see Steve narrow his eyes at me, waiting for the rest of my comment. "...just try and be careful so that they don't end up in places they shouldn't."

With a soft laugh, Steve nods his head and then leans forward, dusting off his bed so that it's not as covered, before setting me down. He steps back, grabbing the waistband of his pants and underwear and pushing them down.

"Finally." I say, enjoying the sight of him completely naked as he comes towards me. He climbs onto the bed and before I can even close the gap between us he grabs onto my hips and flips me around, putting me on my hands and knees. "Oh!" I gasp, definitely not complaining about the position.

I hear Steve chuckle behind me as his hand comes up and he runs it along my back. He reaches the clasp of my bra and easily undoes it before grabbing my waist and pulling me back against his chest. He pulls the straps down my arms and then tosses my last piece of clothing onto the floor. He slides his hands up my body and I toss my head back onto his shoulder as he cups my breasts. He squeezes and I moan as I grind back against him, feeling his hard cock press against my ass.

He groans and then leans down to press his lips against my shoulder. "Impatient?" he asks with amusement in his tone.

"Very." I breathe out, grinding into him again.

I hear him chuckle as he gives my neck one last kiss. "Almost." he says and I can hear it in his voice, he's telling himself this more than he's telling me. He wants to slide inside me, probably has wanted to all night, and I don't know why he doesn't give into it.

Steve slides one hand up wrapping his fingers around my jaw until he can turn my head, bringing my lips to his. He kisses me as he shifts our bodies until he can lay his back down on the bed. I give him a knowing smirk, liking where this is going.

I start to put my leg over him, but he stops me before I can fully straddle him. "Higher." he says and I see a dark desire in his eyes. He smiles and then grabs my hand, pulling me forward until I'm side by side with his head. "Hands on the headboard." he says, and then grabs my leg and lifts it, pulling it over him so I'm straddling his face.

"Steve what are you–" He lifts up, licking one long stroke up my center. "Oh god!" I moan, suddenly needing to grip the headboard to stabilize myself.

"I warned you," Steve teases, and he turns his head kissing my thighs before bringing his attention back between my legs. He hums in approval, his tongue teasing my entrance.

Shit! He's been in between my legs many times, but never like this. I don't even know what to do, I can feel my legs shake, struggling to stay up as he continues to torture me.

"Sit." he commands, and I'm so lost in pleasure I'm not sure I heard him correctly.

"W-what?" I say, and without even thinking about it, my hips gently rock against his mouth.

I hear Steve let out a deep growl as his hands slide up my legs, reaching back to gip my ass. "Sit on my face Mia. Ride my tongue, use me, take whatever you fucking want from me. I'm yours." he groans and then pushes against my hips, sticking his tongue out and causing me to grind against it. I throw my head back moaning as I steady my hips.

I can't. I wouldn't know what to do. What if I don't do it right? What if I embarrass myself? What if it isn't enjoyable for him. What if I–

Suddenly Steve lets out a frustrated groan as his hands wrap around my legs, pulling them apart and forcing me to press myself against his mouth.

"Oh fuck!" I moan as my hips rock against him, my body begging for more. Steve works his tongue against me, urging me to take control. And slowly, I start to. I grind my hips, enjoying the pressure that comes against my clit.

I continue to move my hips back and forth as Steve sighs from the pleasure, somehow enjoying this just as much as I am. He slides his hand up my body until he can grasp both of my breasts. I put my hands over his, rocking and bouncing gently as he slips his tongue in and out of me. He moves his lips over my clit and sucks, giving me a whole new burst of pleasure.

I bring one hand down, slipping it into his hair and taking a firm grip, holding his head steady as I grind into him. I see Steve's eyes go wild with lust as his tongue works faster, harder against me, his hands coming back down to grip on my thighs as he presses me closer to his mouth.

"Fuck Steve! Yes!...I'm gonna–...oh fuck..."

I come hard, my body twisting and turning with pleasure, writhing on top of Steve while he holds me down, lapping up every ounce of pleasure he can get from me.

My hands come back up to the headboard as my body comes back down from its high. I lift my leg up, barely managing to pull my body off of Steve's face before I collapse down onto the bed.

Steve gets up, still licking his lips as he comes towards me. "Fucking perfect." he whispers, before sliding his hand behind my neck and pressing his lips to mine. He slips his tongue into my mouth and glides it over mine, wanting me to taste myself and what he's been enjoying.

He brings his arms down to my waist, shifting us so that my back is flat against the bed. He situates himself in between my legs as his mouth never leaves mine. He reaches one hand in between us, placing himself at my entrance, before sliding in with one slow push.

We gasp in unison as he fills me, and he always manages to feel just as good as the first time. He's like a fucking drug and I will never get enough.

He doesn't move, just stays there with his head buried in my neck as he takes deep breaths, and I know this must be difficult. He's made me come three times tonight, all while holding back himself. I know he wants to last, but I can tell his body is begging for release. And at this point he can take whatever he needs and I'd say thank you.

"Steve," I moan, sliding my hips against him and encouraging him to continue, even if it won't be for a long time.

He groans as he finally pulls his hips back, before pushing himself back inside of me.

"Fuck Mia." he grits through his teeth as he start to set a pace. "How is it possible that you feel this good? Every. Fucking. Time."

I wrap my legs around him, pulling him in deep as I lift my hips to meet his. He props himself on his elbows and then takes my hands, pinning them to the side of my head as he interlocks out fingers. His body pushes against mine as he continues to thrust into me, both of us starting to break out into a sweat. It's passionate, intimate, and so good I can breathe without moaning. Steve is practically shaking, grunting with every thrust, and I can tell he's holding back.

"Steve..." I pant, barely able to even speak. "Let go." I say, wanting him to get his satisfaction. He groans, my words stimulating him, but his stubbornness is holding true. I pull my hands away from his grasp and bring them up, running them down his chest and around him back. "Come on baby," I beg. "I want to feel you come inside of me."

I hear Steve curse under his breath, every part of him begging for release. "No." he says, his voice hoarse with a mix of pleasure and pain. "One more." Suddenly he pushes himself up, reaching down to grab one of my legs, pulling it up and opening me up wider. "I need one more."

He starts thrusting into me, harder, faster, pounding into me mercilessly. I grasp onto his arms as I throw my head back, a whole new wave of pleasure coursing through my body. Steve slides his hand behind my neck, bringing my gaze back to him.

"Eyes on me baby." he whispers through labored breaths. "I want you to watch as you fucking ruin me."

I do as he says, watching him as his face shows pleasure and pain, a need to come, but a desire to make this last forever.

"Sh-shit...mmm...I'm s-so...fuck." He can't hold it any longer, and he drops down onto his elbows, burying his head in my neck as he pushes himself so deep into me that I fall over the edge. I pulse around him clutching him to my body as he spills himself inside of me with a few final hard sharp thrusts.

Both of us are completely spent, as we slowly come to a stop. We take a moment to catch our breaths, our bodies pressing into each other as our chests expand to take in air. I don't even know how much time goes by before I feel Steve shift, lifting his hips until he can pull out of me.

But he doesn't get off of me, instead he sets himself back down, laying his head on my chest as he slides his arms underneath me, cuddling close to my body.

I let out a soft chuckle as I bring my hands up, resting one on his back while I put the other one on his head. We lay in near silence, the only sounds in the room are our breathing and the light brushing of my fingers in his hair. I can feel both of us let any stress or anxiety just melt away, allowing us to only be with each other.

"Happy birthday." Steve whispers, before turning and placing a gentle kiss on my chest.

I chuckle, caressing his head as I run my hand up and down his back. "Thank you." I reply. "That was..." I don't even finish, I just huff out a breath, not really having words for it.

"I agree." Steve says, clearly feeling the same way despite my lack of description. He frees his hand up from underneath me and when he brings it up several rose petals that had stuck to skin fall down and land on my chest.

We burst out in laughter as I pull them off, tossing them down on the ground.

"I think it's time for a bath." Steve says as he lifts himself off of me and gets up from the bed, pulling on his briefs. I want to protest, wishing he would stay with me a little longer, but as he steps away and I hear the water start to run, a nice warm bath starts to sound really tempting.

I twist and turn on the bed, my body already protesting both an evening in heels and an active sex night. I gather a bunch of the rose petals, picking them up and scattering them on my body. I bring one up to my nose, taking in the scent as I wear a huge smile on my face.

I can't believe how much I lucked out with this man. He could have any girl in the world. Hell, he could have any person in the world. But for some crazy reason, he fell in love with me. He spoils me in a way I don't feel like I deserve. Everyone in this place does. And despite the not so great circumstances that brought me here, I'm forever grateful for the family I gained.

I'm so lost in my own thoughts that I don't even notice Steve, leaning against the doorframe of the bathroom, watching me with an amused grin on his face.

"What?" I ask, hoping I don't look like an idiot covered in rose petals and sniffing them.

"You're..." He pauses, letting out a content sigh. "...perfect."

I can feel the blush come over my cheeks as I turn on my side, using my elbow to prop my head up. "Are you going to grab your shield and pose awkwardly for me?" I tease, causing him to chuckle.

"Like I said before," he says as he comes towards me, "I found that sexy."

I roll my eyes as he leans down and places his hands on the bed. "You find almost anything I do sexy." I say, knowing he has too much of a biased opinion.

"True." he admits, then slips his hand underneath my knees and back, lifting me up off the bed. "But you did that for my enjoyment right?" he asks, and I nod despite already knowing the point he's making. "Well it was highly enjoyable."

I smile, not bothering to argue it any longer because he has a point. I did that only for his entertainment...and he was entertained.

Steve walks us into the bathroom, the hot water already steaming up the mirrors and the scent of, appropriately, roses filling up the room. The man clearly knows what he's doing.

He starts to kneel down, slowly lowering me into the water as it continues to fill the bathtub. The heat hits just the right spots, and I can't help the moan that escapes me as I settle my body into the tub.

I hear an annoyed growl and I turn to find Steve with a tight jaw as he starts to stand up. "Making me jealous of fucking water." he mutters under his breath. "Unbelievable."

I throw my head back laughing as he heads towards the sink, opening one of the drawers and rummaging through. He comes back and much to my surprise he hands me one of my hair clips. The fact that I didn't even have to ask and he already knew I would need one...I could swoon.

I smile as I take the clip, collecting my hair and twisting it up before securing it high on my head. Steve reaches over to turn down the water pressure before heading back towards the room.

"You're not going to join me?" I ask, and there's no hiding the disappointment in my voice.

Steve turns around, giving me a longing look. "Of course." he says, making it clear no one could stop him if they tried. "I'm just going to clean up a bit in there."

I watch as he pushes aside the rose petals on the floor making a little pathway to the bed. I lose full sight of him for a moment, but from the small glimpses I get, it looks like he's dusting off his bed cover, getting it ready for us to sleep.

By the time he comes back in the water is at a decent level, with just enough room for Steve to fit. He turns it off then sets out clean towels for when we're finished, before finally coming back to me. He takes off his underwear again as I gently scoot forward, making room for him to climb in behind me. He settles in making sure not to splash the water as it rises to the perfect level. I lean back, resting my back against his chest.

I reach down and grab his arms, putting them around me as I sink into his body.

"You could have asked." Steve says as he leans down and kisses my shoulder.

"Sorry." I say, caressing his arm around me. "I just feel so safe when I'm in your arms." I sigh, hating how complicated things have been for us from the very beginning. "We've been through so much, and it seems like we're constantly fighting some obstacle in our relationship. It can take a toll. But when we're together, when you hold me like this, it all just melts away." I lean my head back against his shoulder and close my eyes. "Even if it's just for a moment."

Steve brings his hand up, grabbing my chin and turning, then gently placing a kiss on my lips. "You'll always be safe with me." he whispers, his thumb caressing my cheek. "And I feel the exact same way. You're my comfort."

I smile, placing my hand over his. "Even if I'm the cause of a lot of your problems." I tease, only half-joking.

"Don't say that." Steve says, shifting so I can turn to look at him better. "Mia, I will gladly fight through anything for us."

He's proven that time and time again, done more than I should have ever asked of him, and for that I will always be grateful.

"Hopefully one day we won't have to fight." I whisper, and Steve nods, giving me one last kiss before setting me back against his chest.

And I let out a soft sigh, fully content with what was, despite being an emotional rollercoaster, really one of the best birthdays I've ever had.

—----------------------------------------------

Hey guys,

Thank you again for your patience, I have a quick question.

I don't know if ya'll remember the what if series I have on Love in the Dark. I have one last part to add to it but I'm not sure when you guys want me to finish it up? Wait until I'm done with this story? Because the next few chapters are about to get pretty exciting. Or should I just get it out of the way now? I don't want to make you guys wait too long for chapters from this book, but I also don't want to wait to long to finish up that last story. Let me know what ya'll think :)

Love you all 3000!!!!