Straddling the seat on your bike, you looked at Steve as he stood next to you, hands deep in his pockets and eyes gazing downward.
"No helmet, no ride."
"I don't have one. I guess...I guess I didn't think I would need one anymore. It's a lot harder to crack this egg now." He thumped his fist on his head and crossed his eyes at you, trying to break your resolve.
"No helmet, no ride." You held eye contact with him as you snapped your own helmet on, and made a kissing motion to him before you sped away.
~~~
Steve walked into the tower about an hour after your arrival, looking for you. "Stark, have you seen (Y/N)?"
Tony had just poured himself a drink, examining his newly created miniature version of the arc reactor. "Hey, did you get a ride on the new bike? Can you believe it's powered by this tiny little thing? I could lose this in the couch cushions! That bike will never need a single drop of fuel, never needs electricity to charge, it's totally clean energy. How awesome am I?"
Steve huffed, "Yeah, you're great. Do you know where she is?"
Tony looked as if he'd been slapped. "What crawled up your ass, Rogers?" Throwing back his drink in one swallow, he firmly set the glass on the lab table. "She's in the library. Should I call ahead and warn her?"
~~~
Reading was your favorite escape from the often crazy world of life as an Avenger. When Tony decided to scrap the Stark tower model and create a home for the team, he neglected to build a library. Seeing the boxes upon boxes of novels being carried in by your movers, he quickly gutted a room to make into your own private hiding space. You loved the smell and feel of a good old book. It was a sensory experience that took you to a different world. You could become so enraptured in a book that you could completely shut out the world around you.
Case in point.
"So I've been standing here watching you read for fifteen minutes." You startled, looking up to see Steve leaning in the doorway, hands in his pockets. "You really do zone out, don't you?" He reached down and snatched your book away. "Whatcha reading?"
"Hey! Don't lose my place!" You stood and jumped up to grab your book back, but he held it high over his head, laughing as he spun around to keep it out of your grasp. "Ugh! Rogers, you're such a jerk sometimes!"
He slapped his hand to his chest in mock pain, "Oh, I'm hurt!" Turning the book over, he asked again. "So, what is this?"
"H.G. Wells. It's called The New World Order. It's about the belief that the world would be better to form a new system of rule uniting all people and countries into one, with a goal of eliminating the need for war. You might like it."
Steve read the back cover for a moment, taking it into consideration. "Sure, throw it my way when you're done." He set the book on the table next to you. "I just wanted to tell you that I took your advice." Reaching around the corner of the doorframe, he pulled out a new, bright red motorcycle helmet, slowly putting it on.
You paused as you regarded his new look. "So, they didn't have one with flags, huh?"
With a smirk he reached down and slapped your knee. "Let's go. I'm driving."
"Like hell." You remained seated as he stood over you, his face turning serious. "I don't think today is the day to die, Cap."
"I ride a Harley, baby. How different can this one really be? Well, except for all of the Tony Stark 'look at how amazing I am' improvements." He grabbed your hand and pulled you to your feet, bringing you close to his chest, his breath warm on your ear. "Teach me."
~~~
This was a new feeling for you, being flustered in front of Steve. It was a quiet ride in the elevator to the garage, and it felt like it was miles away.
Why did he pull me in like that? Was he messing with me? No, this felt different than the usual joking around. His eyes were dark when I looked into them. He really shouldn't look at me like that. It's distracting. Why is he staring at me? Why do I like it when he stares at me? Have his lips always been that...perfect?
The elevator opened to the garage, breaking you away from your thoughts. An array of motorcycles and Tony's specialty cars were lined up in front of you. Blinking a few times and clearing your throat, you led Steve to your bike. A mischievous grin was on his lips as he followed close behind.
"FRIDAY, please unlock the cage."
The doors to your private parking area opened, revealing your sleek, black cycle. You began to show Steve each control panel, but he quickly interrupted you. "I think I've got it, (Y/N). I'm a fast learner."
Reluctantly, you started the machine, green light glowing all around the frame and thru the wheels. "Are you sure about this? It gets up to pretty high speeds pretty quickly. This isn't your Harley, Steve."
"Sweetheart, I'm 97, I'm not dead." Picking you up by your waist he threw you onto the seat and handed you your helmet. Once you were ready, he swung his leg over to sit in front of you. "Hold on tight."
You reached around from behind and grabbed Steve tightly around his waist, clutching his shirt. Are you kidding me? How ripped is this guy? The bike burst forward thru the front door of the garage as he was quickly getting the feel for it. As his comfort grew, so did the speed. You rested your head against his back, and you could feel the muscles of his abdomen tighten as he laughed.
"You okay back there?"
"Mmm hmm" you mumbled, as you gripped his shirt a little tighter.
~~~
As you felt the bike slowing and finally coming to a stop, you lifted your head away from his back to see that you were at the Avengers upstate training facility. You hopped off the bike in an attempt to regain your equilibrium. "What, are we gonna get a workout now?"
There's that look again.
"Would you like that?" His voice was deep and quiet. He stood in front of you now, his gaze steady. The air was cool and still, and you shivered a bit. You weren't sure if it was the temperature or if it was Steve that had you shaking.
"Um...I...I think that I...would like...that...yes." You were having a hard time breathing with him so close to you.
He pushed you back and gently lifted you to sit sidesaddle on the bike. He pushed your legs apart to stand between them, his hands around your waist. "I don't want to be your friend anymore, (Y/N). When you took off on this bike, it was the hottest thing I've ever seen and I can't get it out of my head. I don't want to be your friend."
Finally, just as you couldn't wait any longer, his hand moved to the back of your head, grasping your hair and pulling you into him. His kiss was soft but aggressive, his tongue desperate to taste you. You let out a deep moan as he pushed himself harder against you with a crushing but glorious weight, moving to kiss down your jaw, neck and across your shoulders.
"Steve..."
He paused, breathless. He pulled back slightly to look at you, "You okay?"
"You can take off the helmet now." You laughed quietly, putting your head against his chest as he scoffed.
"Hey, you're the one who said 'no helmet, no ride'."