Blood in the Water | 18+

𝘊𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘛𝘸𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘺 𝘍𝘰𝘶𝘳

𝘈𝘶𝘳𝘰𝘳𝘢

⋅•⋅⊰∙∘☽༓☾∘∙⊱⋅•⋅

The floorboards creaked under each step I took.

Steve had disappeared after we spent time in the garden, he was dealing with one of his buildings Sam told me when I wandered into the house a few hours later. It was a bit overwhelming being back, everyone seemed to always have an eye on me. Not that I blamed them, they were scared of my father, and maybe I should be too, but my father was a coward, my brothers were cowards, and I was stronger than the three of them put together.

I pushed open the door to Steve's office, frowning when I saw his head in his hands, hair tousled from where he was tugging at it. He didn't look up when I shut the door behind me, his eyes closed and my heart broke. I scared him, I knew that, but I didn't think he'd still be so tired, I'd been home for three days, and every day he'd been sound asleep next to me when I woke up in the morning. But right now, as I slowly crossed his office, taking in the mess of the room. Steve was normally tidy and never had anything of place, but his office was in shambles. Books were pulled off the shelves and tossed on the ground with pages ripped out, and paperwork was strewn across the floor, making the room look like one of those party scenes in movies. But I approached his desk, climbing over the papers on the floor and sitting on the edge.

Steve looked at me, his eyes vacant and tired, but he parted my thighs, sliding his body between them so he could rest against my chest.

I didn't say anything, just ran my fingers through his hair, pressing my mouth to the top of his head. The sunset was spilling into the room, the orange and pink sky illuminating Steve as he tried to relax against my body. "What's wrong?" I whispered, feeling his arms wrap around my waist to tug me closer. It was like I was never close enough to him, he needed me to be forged to him, and as much as I would love that, my safety, or what's left of it, is reliant on me not knowing anything about his business dealings. But Steve was so tired, and I knew I was the root cause. But he didn't yell, he just pulled me closer, pressing his forehead on the incision mark now scarring on my chest.

"Every time I close my eyes," Steve whispered, his eyes cloudy when I pulled him closer to me, "I fucking see you crumple off my lap, I can't stop thinking about it, that was my worst nightmare baby, I wasn't able to save you."

I let him pull me closer until I was sliding off the desk and into his lap. Steve convinced so many people that he didn't love, that he didn't have emotions because this was his fear, losing someone he cared about. If Bucky or Sam had been hurt, he'd be beside himself. But with me, I was the person who he needed to protect. Steve had that protectiveness in his bones. He was strong and loyal, and he loved so, so, hard. But I knew not to spook him, I hadn't explained the four times I tried to wake up to him, it would just break him further, so I wrapped my arms around his neck when he situated me on his lap, leaning back into the seat so he could run his fingers up and down my spine, a delicate dance that soothed his trembling. "And I have to go to the casino to clean up a mess that the Russo family put me in, but all I want to do is be home with you, to make sure you're safe."

"I can come with you."

"But Aurora-" His fingers trembled when he tilted my head up, "I don't want you to be put in a position where you can get hurt by anyone."

"I won't sit with you," I leaned up to kiss his jaw, "Steve, I won't be locked up in this house forever, have Sam or Bucky be my escort around the casino, and sit where you can see me at all times, we can't stop our lives, Steve, because then Papà wins and I don't want him to win."

Steve's face softened, his fingers pushing some hair behind my ear as he studied my face. "I don't know how that monster created you," He whispered, leaning forward to kiss my forehead, "You are all the good parts of the world Aurora, not once have you let the odds bring you down, I love that, I love that even when you're put through hell, even when your father tried to kill you when he did nearly kill you," Steve's voice caught, but I pressed my mouth to his throat softly, and his hands gripped my hips, holding me against him, "You still find a way to make sure everyone else is okay, I love you Aurora."