Distressed // Steve Rogers

21 - Refracting

Talia stretched out, her body aching deliciously as she felt every muscle shifting, and reached for Steve. Her eyes fluttered open to an empty room and she rolled onto her stomach, pushing herself up and glancing around as she huffed out a sigh. So much for a blissful morning wrapped in his arms.

She got to her feet, dragging the sheet over her body and wrapping it around herself before shuffling to the bathroom. Her muscles were stiff and sore and she grinned as she thought about their bodies moving together in blissful unison. Glancing into the wide mirror over the sink she couldn't help but laugh. Her eyes were bright and wide but her hair was a mess of curls sticking in multiple directions, tied in a precariously wobbly knot on her head. She looked like she'd been dragged through a bush backwards and the fact that Steve would tell her she was beautiful in the mornings now felt like the kindest lie.

She moved to the shower, dropping the sheet to the floor as she stepped in and turned on the water. Instant heat washed over her as she untied her hair and worked her fingers through the tangles, letting her mind roam to ideas about little homes, little fingers and little toes. She hummed a simple tune as she massaged her scalp, moving down to her neck and shoulders and working out all aches under the steam of the water.

*

Steve smirked as he glanced up from the mission reports in front of him to the sight of her. She smiled brilliantly over to him as she skipped over to him, the crisp white shirt she wore skimming her thighs as he turned to face her and she wrapped her arms around his neck.

He laughed as she pressed kisses against his cheeks and lips.

"Good morning Beautiful."

She mumbled something against his lips and his hands slipped over her body, stopping to cup her ass as he laughed.

"Nice shirt."

Talia grinned as she moved away from him and reached to take his coffee from the countertop, bringing his drink to her lips.

"Thanks." She took a sip. "It's my favourite."

His fingers wrapped around the hem of the shirt she had dug from the back corner of the closet as his mind drifted to the last time she had worn it, causing heat to rise in his core and the flames of desire to lap at his skin as he pulled her to him. He kissed her gently, knowing he didn't have time to give in to the urges he so desperately wanted to act upon, and took his drink back from her.

"As much as I really, really want to keep you in this and nothing but this Tal, I need you to go and get dressed." His fingers brushed up her thigh as she stood between his legs and she sucked in a sharp breath. "I'm taking you out for the day."

"Oh really?" She moved closer to him, her hands resting against his chest as she leant in to him. Her lips were a whisper away from his. "Can I ask where we're going?"

"You can ask." He brushed his lips against hers before spinning her quickly and pushing her towards the door. "But I'm not going to answer."

Talia laughed as he slapped her ass, making her jump and move a little quicker.

"Okay. Okay. I'm going."

*

The sun beat down against the rippling waves and glistened in the movement of the water. Refracting light shone all around and the soft sea breeze whispered as it wrapped around the figures on the dock. There was life all around; people loading crates onto fisherman's boats and families laughing as they climbed aboard small speedboats with picnics packed and hands held.

Talia watched as a woman cradled her growing belly, laughing heartily at something her husband had said as he picked up the small boy bouncing beside the rental boat. Her laugh had caught on the breeze, carrying like a song to where Talia was resting, her back against a post and her feet dangling off of the deck over the soft waves, and she couldn't help but smile as she watched them; entranced by the family picture before her.