A Reckless Soul | Captain America ✓

RESTORATION | PART TWO

HALF an hour later—after a growing pile of crumpled tissues fallen onthe side of the bed, Steve managed to calm Audrey down. She was halfawake and half falling into the hands of sleep resting her head onthe pillow, as Steve repeatedly stroked a thumb over her cheek and watched her eyelids gradually droop.

Their noses were mere inches from one another. Her mouth was slightly parted, fanning a feather light breath on his chin. Once her eyeswere fully closed, he shut his and breathed in a long breath, exhaling in relief. He soon fell between a dreamy sleep state and wakefulness. His thumb stopped stroking her skin by then. All was calm. All had been comfortable and relaxing.

Both their hearts thudded at its normal pace. Steve was beginning to fall deeper into the nap, until Audrey stole most of the blanket and curled in under the cottony material. He opened an eyelid, then another and slowly lifted his head to make sense of what just happened.

Sure enough Steve was left with a little corner piece of the blanket that still covered his bare toes, and Audrey was cocooned in the rest. Instead of waking her, or snatching back the duvet, he just smiled at her. His sleepy eyes carefully watched her form as she dozed off, tracing every bit of her with those deep sea blue eyes.

Something in his heart unhinged for the woman across from him as he watched her. It was such a beautiful feeling, that he felt compelled to show her the affection himself. He rolled off his back and on her side, kissing her face, the line of her jaw, her neck, then repeating where his lips first touched.

"Hmm, Steve...stop that," she said sleepily.

He paused a kiss to her temple to reply, "Wake up and I will."

"Was that your plan all along?"

"To kiss you awake," he said through kisses, "yes."

Abruptly she turned her head and stretched, yawning at the same time. "You'rea bother. Can't you see I was in a good sleep, the best I've had in a while."

"So." He shrugged, looking down at her gorgeous face with still the lingering of sleep, and her disheveled brown hair.

Her coffee colored eyebrows screwed together. "So? That's all you have to say?"

"Audrey."

She yawned again. "You know," she said after the yawn left, "I wanted you in here but I never thought you'd be a chatter box too."

"Audrey."

"Oh what Steven."

"I love you." At first her mind was too stunned he had said the words, then she hadn't had the time to answer before Steve laid his head in the crook of her neck, and swung an arm around her midsection. The tip of his nose against the curve of her neck made a shiver climb up her spine.

She wanted to return those words, her mouth was forming them—or was that just in her head?—but somehow she couldn't get her voice working properly. A tiny smile had grown in the corners of her mouth, and her giddy mind couldn't help but think, he said it!

"How are you doing?" Steve asked after some time. His voice shook Audrey out of her too happy thoughts.

Meanwhile, the silence drove Steve mad, yet at the same time he understood and was willing to be patient. She needed time to collect her thoughts to form the words on such a delicate topic after all.

Her chest rose as she breathed heavily in, then let a long sigh out of her nose. "I think a bit better."

"Do you need to talk about anything?"