#lawyer steve rogers

WORD COUNT: 10,251 (and I am NOT sorry)
WARNINGS: Angst, drama, courtroom proceedings, talk of murder, talk of and actual illegal dealings, explicit sexual content, violence
AUTHOR’S NOTE: This extra-long chapter is jam-packed and it is a doozy. Good luck, turtledoves. Buckle up for this ride.

MASTERLIST

Steve paced his bedroom, bare feet sinking into the plush carpet as his long strides took him from one wall to another. He no longer felt the sharp claws of panic digging into his chest; instead, a sense of dread was deep in his gut, so dark he wanted to gather you in his arms, crawl into bed, pull the covers over the two of you and never see the light of day again.  

He stopped, clearing his throat, giving a hard shake of his head. He took in a breath, letting it out slowly, lifting his chin and once again rehearsing the words he’d say at the courthouse. 

Today was his last chance. 

Today would be the last day of your trial. A day of nothing but closing arguments, where Fury would lay out the facts he had presented, ticking off bullet points given by his expert witnesses, bringing up as many of Steve’s failures as he could. Natasha would sit at Fury’s side perfectly poised with her back straight, fiery hair smooth, the picture of Lady Justice. 

After Fury gave his closing remarks, Steve would give an impassioned plea that the jury see you as he did, as you were: innocent. He’d do his best to lay seeds of doubt in the jury’s mind where Fury and Natasha were concerned, focusing on the holes in their stories. 

Steve nodded, going into his bathroom, looking at himself in the mirror. His hair was in place, beard neatly trimmed. Once he got dressed, he’d be as poised as Natasha. 

As long as no one looked in his eyes. 

Steve sank to one knee, propping his elbow on his knee. He covered his mouth with one hand, the other gripping hard onto the counter. He closed his eyes and gave in for just a moment, allowing the horror nudging at his mind to wash over him. 

“Steve?”

He opened his eyes at the gentle knock on his bedroom door, pushing to his feet. 

“Yeah, come in.”

He heard the door open, heard the shuffling of soft footsteps before you were standing in the bathroom doorway. 

“Sorry, I was …”

Steve flicked his eyes to the mirror, looking at you instead of his reflection. Your eyes were wide as you studied his bare torso, and they widened the slightest bit more when you caught Steve smiling at you. You looked away, bottom lip pulled between your teeth as you fought the smile. Steve chuckled, grabbing his toothbrush out of the holder and wetting it, applying toothpaste and starting to brush his teeth. 

You cleared your throat, glancing at the floor before you looked to him. 

“I was just making sure you were ready. It’s almost time to go and I hadn’t seen you.”

Steve nodded, bending to spit in the sink before rinsing. 

“I’m just in my head today.”
“I expect today will be tough for you?”

Steve nodded, putting the toothbrush back and grabbing his bottle of mouthwash. He took a swig and started swishing the liquid in his mouth, letting his head fall back as he gargled before spitting the mouthwash into the sink. He pressed the hand towel to his lips, closing his eyes for a moment. 

His eyes opened again at the gentle touch between his shoulder blades. He wiped his mouth and set the towel to the side, turning to face you, leaning against the counter. His hands went to your hips, pulling you to stand between his legs, and you looped your arms around his neck, giving a quiet sigh as he nodded again. 

“Today is going to be tough. I’ve got to basically rehash everything we’ve said and done during the trial, reminding the jury of every misstep Fury and Nat took.”

Wouldn’t be too many of those, unfortunately. Steve sighed, licking his lips as he met your eyes again. 

“Fury’s going to be tough on you today.”
“But I’m not going to be questioned again?”

Steve shook his head. 

“Do you remember in school, how we reviewed for finals?”
“High school was a long time ago, Steve.”

He smiled. 

“I know. But you remember, right? How the teacher had to basically sum up everything we’d learned that year, condensing nine months’ worth of instruction and homework and tests into one final?”

You nodded, and Steve gently squeezed your hips. 

“That’s what I’ve got to do today. Bring up every aspect of how innocent you are, what Brock did to you, how even though the bastard deserved what he got, you weren’t the one to give it to him.” 

You slowly nodded, closing your eyes as Steve pressed his lips to your forehead. You leaned closer to him, keeping your eyes closed as you rested your head against his bare shoulder. Steve sighed as he leaned his head against yours, closing his eyes as he held you. 

“We’re going to get through this, Y/N. I promise.”

You blinked open your eyes, staring at your reflection in the mirror. You nodded, forcing yourself to smile. 

“I know.”

You could see the lie in your eyes, thankful that Steve had his eyes closed. 

You walked into the apartment and took your shoes off, walking in your stocking-covered feet to the windows. Steve was behind you, setting his briefcase by his shoes and undoing his tie. Bucky was behind him, and Peggy rounded out your crew. She slid her shoes off beside yours, following you to the windows. You glanced over your shoulder when she was close, and she smiled at you. 

“That went very well.”
“Did it?”

Peggy nodded. 

“As well as could be expected. Bucky and I watched the jury, and Steve’s impassioned pleas got to some of them.”

You swallowed. 

“Someof them.”

You crossed your arms over your chest and looked back out the windows. You closed your eyes when Peggy’s gentle hand touched your shoulder. 

“We just need one, darling.”

You nodded, looking back out the window, seeing Steve’s reflection in the glass. He was staring at you, and you wanted nothing more than to run to him, bury your face in his chest and let him hold you. You didn’t feel like you could do that with Peggy there, so you let your arms fall, turning to face Peggy. 

“I need just a minute.”
“Of course.”

You stepped past her, going down the hallway to your room. You could feel Steve’s eyes on you, but you made it to your room, closing the door behind you and leaning against it for a moment.  You went to the closet, dropping your jacket to the ground on the way. You unbuttoned your shirt and pulled it free of your skirt, letting it fall as your shaky hands pushed through your clothes. You could feel your breath coming faster, feel your heart pounding in your chest. You finally found the shirt you were looking for, hands shaking too hard to get the shirt free of the hanger. You hung your head, looking over your shoulder as you heard your door open. 

“Y/N?”

You couldn’t answer, but you figured he must know that. Steve poked his head in to see you standing there in your bra and skirt, and you shook your head. 

“I can’t … I can’t get it down. I can’t …”

Steve stepped up behind you and pulled the hanger off the rack, carefully sliding it free, holding the olive-colored shirt in his hands. You watched as he slid the shirt over your head, and as soon as your arms were through the sleeves, he had you wrapped in his own. You gasped, wrapping your arms around him and holding him tightly, moaning softly when he tightened his hold on you. 

“I got you. You’re okay. I’m right here.”

You nodded, putting your face in his neck. Steve held you against him, your heartbeat frantic against the steady beat of his own. 

“Just breathe, baby. You’re alright.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Don’t you dare apologize.”

You whimpered as he bent his head, shivering when the heat of his breath washed over your neck. Your nails dug into his shoulders and Steve bared his teeth for just a moment. 

“You’ve got to calm down, honey. Please. Just breathe for me.”
“Steve.”
“I’m right here.”

Your hand moved to his cheek, the softness of his beard tickling your palm. He lifted his head the same time you did, and with a gentle nudge of your wrist, your lips were on his. Steve gave a quiet groan as he deepened the kiss, one hand moving to cradle the back of your head. One of your hands slid into his hair, feeling yourself relax with each movement of Steve’s lips against yours. You sucked in a breath and let out a soft laugh against his lips when Steve’s hand slid beneath your shirt, the warmth of his palm burning into the bare skin of your waist. 

“We need to stop before Peggy walks in.”
“Okay.”

You nodded, making no moves to stop kissing him. Steve chuckled as your fingers slid through his hair, pulling him back when he tried to pull away. 

“We’ll have a lot of explaining to do if Peggy catches us.”
“You think she doesn’t know?”

Steve blinked as he looked down, watching your dazed eyes slowly blink a few times before you lifted your eyes to his. Steve smiled, leaning in to press one more kiss to your lips. 

“I’d like to revisit this …”

He motioned between the two of you with one finger.

“A little later, when we’re alone.”
“As you wish, counselor.”

Steve groaned, turning away from you and putting his forehead against the wall. 

“You can’t say things like that.”
“Like what?”

Your eyes were wide and innocent, and Steve laughed as he took you back into his arms. 

“You okay now?”

You nodded, leaning your head against his. 

“Thank you.”
“Anytime.”

He kissed your temple before he turned and left the closet. You closed your eyes and gave a deep exhale, shimmying out of your skirt and pantyhose, pulling on a pair of leggings. You grabbed the cardigan Steve had given you, squaring your shoulders and nodding once before you left the closet. 

Steve was looking over files as he sat on the couch while you tried to read a book. Peggy and Bucky had left after the four of you ate Chinese takeout for dinner, their talks of the trial mostly going over your head. Steve kept nudging your ankle with his toes under the table, smiling at you when you’d look at him. 

“Are you ever going to turn the page?”

You blinked as you lifted your head from the book in your lap. Steve was looking at the paper he held in his hand, a smile on his face. After a moment, he set the paper aside, turning towards you. You stared at him, until a chuckle spilled from his lips. 

“You’ve been on that same page ever since we sat down. You’re not reading at all.”

You huffed as you set the book aside. 

“I can’t focus. My mind’s all over the place and I feel like I could crawl out of my skin.”

Steve nodded. 

“I know. It’s the trial.”
“I know it’s the trial, but why am I still acting like this?”

Steve stood up, walking over to your side of the couch and sitting beside you. You sucked in a breath as he scooped you up, sitting you in his lap, settling back and running his fingers up and down your arm. You gave a quiet whimper, relaxing into him and resting your head on his shoulder. 

“You’re all wound up from the trial. Everything’s hitting you at once.”
“I don’t like it.”
“I know.”

Steve chuckled, letting his hand drift lower, until he was gently massaging your knee. 

“I, uh… I think I remember a way to relax you.”

You raised an eyebrow a few moments before you sat back. Steve slowly turned his head to meet your eyes, and you watched his eyes dip to your lips before meeting yours again. You smiled, shifting until you were straddling his lap. You put your hands on his shoulders and he shook his head. 

“This may be a bad idea.”
“I think I’m due for a bad idea.”

Steve laughed as his warm hands moved to cup your cheeks. You gave a quiet sigh as he gently tugged you down, until your lips were pressed against his. 

“How long will the jury deliberate?”

You and Steve were cuddled together on the couch, watching the snow fall outside the big windows. You had his cardigan wrapped around you, your back to his side. His arm was loosely around your waist, his other hand absentmindedly tapping on the arm of the couch. 

“There’s no way to tell. They could come back now, or they could deliberate for the rest of the month.”

You slowly nodded, giving a deep exhale. Steve turned his head to kiss the top of yours. 

“It’s going to be fine, babe. Whatever happens, you’ll be fine.”
“That’s easy for you to say.”
“Y/N, I promised I was going to get you out of this. I meant it.”
“You did the best you could, Steve. I just …”
“What? Hope it was enough?”

You looked down at your hands. 

“I didn’t say that.”
“I know. Honey, hey. Look at me.”

You shook your head, so Steve slid off the couch until he was on the floor in front of you. He gently touched you, lifting your chin until your eyes were on his. He shook his head again. 

“I’m not going to let you go to jail.”
“Steve—“
“No, I mean it.”

You shook your head. 

“It’s not up to you. It’s in the jury’s hands now.”

Steve nodded, but something in his eyes made you stop. You tilted your head, shaking it slightly. 

“Steve, what did you do?”

Steve’s blue eyes burned into yours, neither of you saying a word until his soft voice broke the silence. 

“Come on. Let’s go to bed.”
“Steve.”

He stood to his feet, holding a hand out for you.

“Steve, talk to me.”
“When there’s something to talk about, we will. Until then, let’s go to bed.”

You stared up at him, a smile coming to his lips. 

“Do I need to throw you over my shoulder caveman style? I’ll do it.”
“I want you to tell me—“
“I will, I promise. Just be with me now.”

You closed your eyes, gasping softly when Steve bent to gather you in his arms. You put your face against his chest, looping one arm around his neck as he carried you down the hall to your bedroom. 

You were standing at the stove, oven mitt on one hand, holding tightly to the glass bowl you had over a pot of simmering water. Your wrist was working a whisk, doing your best to ensure the hollandaise sauce turned out. Steve was sitting at the bar watching you, elbow on the counter, chin on his hand. 

“Did it work?”
“Not finished yet.”

Steve hummed to himself, biting his lip as he watched you concentrate. He watched as you slowed your whisking, lifting the whisk from the sauce, watching it drip silkily back into the bowl. You turned to him with a big smile on your face. 

“It worked!”

Steve gave a soft laugh, sitting back as he watched you plate the breakfast you’d worked so hard on, spooning the sauce over the top of the eggs Benedict. You set a plate in front of him and he grabbed hold of your hand. 

“Would you go to culinary school?”

You smiled, giving his hand a squeeze. 

“I don’t know.”
“Why not?”
“I’m too old.”
“Babe, you’re never too old.”

You looked down at your hand in Steve’s, the gentle way his thumb slid over your skin. 

“I’d like to, but I don’t know if I’d make it.”
“You’d make it.”
“You’re just saying that because you like what I feed you. Cooking is a very competitive field.”
“It doesn’t have to be. You don’t have to go to culinary school and then open your own restaurant and cook for kings. You could go because you love it and to hone your skill. Graduate and use the degree to cook for me.”

You gave a sharp laugh. 

“Think that highly of yourself, do you?”
“Let’s be honest, I’d gain so much weight if you did that.”

You laughed again, smiling when Steve lifted your hand to his lips and kissed the back of it. 

“If you want to go to culinary school, we’ll make it happen. If you want to just watch YouTube tutorials and use me as your guinea pig, I’m good with that, too.”

Your smile softened as he took a bite, the groan of appreciation that left his lips causing your cheeks to warm. You ate your breakfast as Steve gobbled his up, and once he was debating licking his plate, you spoke softly. 

“Aren’t you getting a little ahead of yourself?”

Steve finished the coffee at his elbow, shaking his head. 

“Y/N, I’ve told you—“
“I need you to stop acting like me going to prison isn’t an option. There’s a very real chance the jury finds me guilty, Steve.”
“They won’t. I made sure that they see you as I do and I—“
“Steve.”

You blew out a breath, shaking your head as you set your hands on your hips. Your eyes met his and you shook your head again, mouth opening, then closing as the doorbell rang. Steve shook his head, making no moves to get up.  

“They’ll go away.”

There was a knock at the door this time and you sighed. 

“I don’t think they will.”
“Y/N—“
“I’ll just go to my room. I’m not feeling very up to company right now.”

Steve repeated your name, but you just touched your palm to his cheek as you walked by him, going down the hallway to your room, pulling his cardigan tighter around you. The knock resounded off the door again and Steve blew out a breath as he stood up and walked over to fling open the door. 

“Easy, killer. Where’s the fire?”

Steve hung his head as Tony walked past him to let himself in. Steve closed the door and turned to lean against it, slowly lifting his head and opening his eyes. Tony raised an eyebrow and Steve shook his head, walking through the penthouse to his office, Tony following close behind. Once there, Steve locked the door, then turned to the man he considered his brother. 

“Did you get it?”

Tony pulled out a sealed Manila envelope. 

“Of course I got it.”

Steve nodded, taking the envelope and tapping it against his palm. 

“How much do I owe?”
“Don’t worry about it.”
“Tony—“
“Hey. You want to protect her, I want to protect you. This is how it goes. If this ever goes down, there’s nothing leading to you.”
“So, what? You’ll take the blame?”
“Hell no. There’s nothing leading to me, either. I know there’s a song to the opposite and all, but you want to keep friends in high places, counselor.”

Steve snorted, tapping the envelope against his palm again. 

“And it’s all in here?”

Tony nodded, eyes darting to the envelope before he let out a sigh. 

“Look, there’s something in there for you, too.”

Steve’s eyebrows furrowed and Tony shook his head. 

“I think we both know what’s going to happen when she finds out what’s in this envelope. I just know that if it were Pepper …”

His sentence trailed off as he looked at the envelope in Steve’s hands, then nodded. Steve swallowed, looking down, then back up. 

“Tony—“
“Just …”

He shook his head, walking over and taking the envelope, using one hand to press it against Steve’s chest. 

“The less I know the better.”
“You’re in too deep as it is.”
“Yeah, but I’m like a steel trap.”

Tony smiled as he patted the envelope against Steve’s chest. Steve took it, looking down at it as Tony walked to the door. 

“Little brother?”

Steve lifted his head, a sad smile on Tony’s face. 

“Whatever happens with this trial … whether you decide to use what’s in that envelope or not … I get it.”
“I love her, Tony.”
“I know. I’m just sorry I didn’t see it sooner.”
“Tone—“

Tony shook his head, smiling back at Steve. 

“We’ll talk when all this has blown over.”

For half a second, Steve wondered if Tony truly understood what he was saying. Tony’s smile slipped for a millisecond as he was unable to hide the wave of grief that slipped over his face, and Steve knew that Tony knew exactly what he was saying. 

“Tony.”

Tony turned from his place at the door, one hand on the doorknob. He smiled again, nodding as he winked at Steve. Steve could only nod back, sinking into his desk chair as Tony walked out of the apartment. 

You walked out of your bedroom, hoping whoever had been in the apartment had left. You were desperate to see Steve, to feel his arms around you and soak in his strength. You stopped in the living room, across from the wall of windows as he walked into the kitchen. He had a large envelope in his hand that he set on the counter, stopping and pulling his phone from his pocket. You watched a myriad of emotions cross his face as he read the text, and as his blue eyes lifted to you, you felt your heart sink to your toes. 

“What is it?”
“The jury reached a verdict. We’re due in court at nine A.M. tomorrow.”

You stared at him, slowly nodding as he slid the phone onto the kitchen counter. You turned to look out the windows and he made his way to you. 

“Honey.”

You turned and threw your arms around him when he was near, body trembling almost violently in his arms. Steve closed his eyes, resting his head on yours. 

“I’m here. You’re okay. I’m right here.”
“What am I … oh god. Steve.”
“Shh. You’re okay.”

You clung to him, holding him as tightly as he was holding you. Tears came to your eyes as you whispered almost silently. 

“I’m so scared.”

Steve would have sworn his heart had broken then as he pulled you even closer. 

“I’ve got you. Do you hear me, Y/N? I have you. I’m right here and I’m not going anywhere.”

You gave a quiet whimper and Steve rubbed your back as he continued speaking. 

“You’re okay. You’re going to be fine. You’re not going anywhere.”

You gave a shaky breath, then pushed your way out of his arms. Steve stared at you with worry in his eyes and confusion on his face and you shook your head. 

“How can you say that?! How can you stand there and say everything is fine when it’s so clearly not?!”

Steve’s eyebrows raised as you shook your head again. 

“Don’t stand there and say that I’m going to be fine because I won’t be.”

Steve pursed his lips and nodded. 

“You’re not going to prison.”
“You don’t know that.”
“Yes, I do.”
“It’s illegal for you to talk to the jury, so no, you don’t know.”

Steve turned and walked out of the room, and you closed your eyes, letting out a long breath. You lifted a hand to rub at your eyes, setting your jaw when he walked back into the room. He had the Manila envelope in his hand that he’d been carrying earlier, and he handed it to you. You shook your head, taking the envelope from him. 

“What is this?”
“Open it.”

You met his eyes, just staring at him for a moment before you bent the metal flaps at the back and opened the envelope. You looked inside, then back to Steve, walking to the bar in the kitchen and turning the envelope upside down, the contents spilling onto the bar. You glanced back at Steve as shaky fingers reached for the passport on top. 

You opened the little book and your eyebrows furrowed. The face printed on the paper was your own, but the name was wrong. You shook your head, looking to Steve. 

“What is this?”

He nodded to you, and you lifted a piece of paper. Your breath caught in your throat as you read the birth certificate. Most of the details were correct, such as the length and weight, but the location, the date, the name, and the names of the parents were wrong. Your heart was pounding in your chest as you looked back to Steve. 

“What have you done?”

Steve put his hands in his pockets, slowly making his way to you. 

“I’m not going to lie and say that I know all the business Tony does is above board. I’m not stupid or naive. I asked him for this.”
“You asked him to … to what? Steal an identity?”

Steve chuckled. 

“We didn’t steal anyone’s identity. We made you a new one.”

You could hear the blood rushing in your ears as you stared at the papers in front of you. You shook your head again, hand shaking as you laid it on the pile of papers before you. 

“Steve.”
“Look.”

He picked up the passport, looking at the name. 

“Kathleen Michelle Barber. You could be Kat. Or Katie, Kate. We could call you Micki. Micki Barber doesn’t have anything to do with Y/N Rumlow. They don’t even know each other.”
“Because Micki Barber isn’t real.”

Steve dropped the passport, taking hold of your hands. 

“But she couldbe.”

You shook your head, pulling your hands free from his. 

“I can’t pretend to be someone else. I’ll … I’ll spend the rest of my life on the run and I don’t want to do that.”
“But you’ll be free.”

You shook your head again, raking your hands through your hair. 

“I spent my whole adult life wanting to hide from Brock.”

You closed your eyes at the word, face screwing up as if the taste of his name was sour on your tongue. You shook your head again, meeting Steve’s eyes. 

“I can’t spend the rest of my life as a fugitive. I can’t keep looking over my shoulder, waiting for the other shoe to drop. I can’t, Steve.”
“Even if it’s the only way?”

You went still, the weight of his words hitting you. You turned your head to see his eyes on the papers on the bar, lip bit between his teeth. 

“Oh.”

He lifted his eyes to yours and you tried to smile. 

“Oh.”

Steve shook his head and you lifted a shaky hand to rest on his shoulder. Your lips trembled as you tried to keep your tears at bay, tried to keep smiling. 

“You think we’re going to lose.”

He didn’t answer you, just lifted the saddest eyes you’d ever seen to look at you. You nodded, gently squeezing his shoulder. 

“You wouldn’t have gone to all this trouble if you didn’t think we’d …”

You nodded again, looking at the papers and biting the inside of your cheek. Steve spoke softly. 

“I’m so sorry.”
“Oh, honey. No.”

You turned to face him, lifting your hands to cup his face. You smiled, giving a tiny shake of your head. 

“You did the best you could. You did your very best, and I know that.”
“It wasn’t enough.”
“It was for me.”

Steve closed his eyes, tilting his head into your touch. You kept hold of his face, turning your head to stare at the papers on the bar. Steve pressed his lips to your forehead, the soft sound of his voice making you close your eyes. 

“It’s legit. No one would ever question any of the papers. There’s a driver’s license, birth certificate, GED certificate. There’s a black card with no limit.”
“I can’t use that.”
“You can. Tony set up the account weeks ago. He won’t even notice the money’s gone. You could get a penthouse like this one. A little cottage in the woods. A bungalow on the beach. Anything you want.”

Your eyes slowly opened and your hands slid from his face to hang at your sides. You turned to face him, reaching up to his chest and taking hold of his sweater in both your hands. 

“What if I want you?”

Steve stared at you, hands moving to your waist. You turned your head slightly when he kissed your temple, and you leaned over, moving the pile of papers. Your fingers picked up another small booklet, and you brought it between you and Steve, looking up at him. 

“Why would I need two passports?”

Steve took the booklet from you, opening it and feeling his heart give a double-thump in his chest. You went on your tiptoes, peering over the passport to see the picture and name inside. You went back to your flat feet, staring up at Steve, waiting until he lifted his eyes and met yours. He shook his head, looking back down at the passport in his hand. 

“I didn’t … I don’t …”

You took hold of his wrist, moving it until you could read the name. 

“Andrew Stephen Barber.”

He met your eyes again and you smiled softly. 

“Andy? Andy and Micki?”

Steve shook his head, staring down at the passport again. 

“This is what he meant.”
“Hmm?”

Steve met your eyes, waving the passport slightly. 

“Tony, he said there was something for me in the envelope. Said he’d want it if it was Pepper.”

Steve looked back down, at the face staring back at him from the passport, rolling his fingers over the name. You reached back into the pile, a shaky breath leaving your lips when you slid the marriage certificate where Steve could read it. He looked from the paper to you, then back to the paper. You gently took hold of his wrist, waiting until he looked into your eyes. 

“Would you come with me?”

He didn’t answer you, and you smiled. 

“You have a whole life here, Steve. A family. A job. You can’t leave it.”

He threw the passport onto the bar, grabbing your waist and pulling you close. 

“I’d leave it all behind for you.”
“I can’t ask you to do that.”
“It won’t matter if you’re not here.”

You lifted your hands to his face and he closed his eyes, blowing out a breath. He opened his eyes again and stared at you. 

“I’ll do it.”
“Steve.”
“We can leave tonight.”
“And what, never look back?”

Steve nodded, and you let out a quiet laugh. You moved your thumbs along the dip of his cheeks and shook your head. 

“I can’t take you away from your friends and family.”
“Well, I can’t let them take you away from me.”
“Steve—“

He shut you up by laying his lips against yours, kissing you soundly as he pulled you closer. You felt the air seem to shift between you as you slid your arms around him, and Steve gave a soft groan as his lips moved against yours. You pushed your hands under his sweater and he groaned, leaning back to pull the sweater over his head. He gave a quiet laugh when you huffed a breath at his white t-shirt, pulling that over his head and letting it fall to the floor on top of the sweater. You looked up at him as you let the cardigan fall off your shoulders, pooling on the ground. You pulled your t-shirt off and let it fall, and Steve swallowed as he touched you, his big, warm hands skating across your skin, bringing goosebumps in their wake. 

“We should slow down. I don’t want you to get overwhelmed.”
“I’m okay, Steve.”

You weren’t trembling, nothing in your brain screaming at you to stop or remember how it had been in the past. All you could focus on was Steve, how good he smelled and how good his hands felt on you. You shivered and moved closer to him, and he smiled as he pulled you against his chest. His hands cupped your face as he spoke softly. 

“I don’t want you to think we have to do this just because something might happen tomorrow.”

You shook your head. 

“I don’t. I just want to be with you, Steve. I just want you.”

Steve held your face in his hands as he leaned in, his lips finding yours in a sweet kiss. He let his hands fall, taking hold of your hand as he led you from the living room down to his bedroom. Your eyes widened at the sight of his huge bed, and he walked to it, sitting down on the edge and pulling you to stand between his thighs. 

“You’re in charge here.”

You nodded, and Steve went on. 

“If you want to stop at any time, just say so.”

You nodded again, and he gave your hand a squeeze. 

“I want you to hear me, sweetheart.”
“I hear you.”
“I mean it. If you’re the slightest bit uncomfortable, we will stop.”

You slid your arms around his neck, shivering when his warm hands pushed you closer to his chest. You stared into his eyes and smiled. 

“Move your hands up.”

He did as you asked, one eyebrow raising when you nodded for him to keep going. When his fingers came to rest at the clasp of your bra, you smiled while your cheeks flamed. Steve gave a quiet chuckle, opening the clasp and taking hold of the straps, keeping hold of your bra as you stepped backwards out of it. 

He let out a long exhale as he stared at you, dropping the bra to the floor as he stood up and took a step towards you. You let him get a bit closer, then you took a step back. Steve stopped, holding up his hands and stepping back towards the bed. 

“No, come … come on.”

Steve tilted his head as he stared at you, and you nodded, a smile on your face. 

“It’s okay.”

Steve gave a slow nod, then took a step towards you. You took a step back, and the two of you continued that little dance until your back was against the wall. Steve smiled as he laid one hand against the wall beside your head, dipping his own to rub his nose against yours. 

“You playing with me, sweetheart?”

You smiled, sliding one hand to his hip just above his jeans, watching his eyes close as you slid your hand to the small of his back. Steve leaned closer, making his hand into a fist and resting his forearm against the wall. Your eyes slid closed as your fingers flexed, gently pushing on his back. Steve moved closer and a breath caught in your throat. 

“You okay?”

You nodded, opening your eyes to see him staring down at you, ensuring you were okay. You smiled, lifting your chin and pressing your lips to his. Steve kissed you back, moving a hand to hold your cheek. Your fingers shook the slightest bit when you reached down to undo his belt, sliding it through the belt loops and dropping it to the floor. Steve moved to rest his forehead against yours as he watched you unbutton his jeans and slide the zipper down. He kissed your forehead and you gave a shaky exhale, lifting your head so he could kiss your lips. 

Steve slid his fingers under the waistband of your leggings, and you sucked in a breath. He knelt as he slowly pulled your leggings down, and you laid a hand on his shoulder as you stepped out of them. Steve turned his head and kissed your knee, standing up only to push his jeans off and step out of them. 

He turned and put both hands on the wall behind you, and you closed your eyes, letting your head fall as you arched your back, bumping your chest against Steve’s. After a moment, you opened your eyes, staring into Steve’s. His eyes narrowed the slightest bit and you nodded, your eyes closing again when he dipped his head and kissed your lips. 

You wrapped your arms around him when he lifted you in his arms, tunneling your fingers through his hair as he carried you to the bed. He laid you down, letting his hands slowly drift down your sides until he was at your hips. Your exhale was shaky when he dipped to press his lips against the center of your chest, and you closed your eyes as you felt his lips against your skin as he kissed his way down your body. You jolted when you felt his fingers slide under the waistband of your panties, and you lifted your hips to help him take them off. 

“You okay?”

You nodded, and Steve spoke softly as he took hold of your ankle, silently urging you to bend your knee. 

“Sweetheart?”
“I’m okay.”
“You’d tell me if you weren’t?”

You nodded again, taking the hand Steve reached towards you, lacing your fingers with his. 

“This okay?”
“Yes.”

You kept a tight hold of his hand, eyes flying open as a shocked gasp left you when his tongue slipped through your folds. He did it again, only for you to whimper and whisper an oh my god. He lifted one of your legs to rest on his shoulder, his nose nudging your clit as he continued his ministrations with his tongue. He tugged on your hand, pulling it down to rest in his hair, his hand moving to gently grasp your breast. 

“Steve.”

You moaned when he lifted his head, shivering at the feel of his warm breath against your damp skin. 

“I’m here, baby.”

You nodded, and he gave an almost-silent chuckle when you pushed his head back between your legs. You gasped when you felt his tongue again, and the sweetest moan of his name escaped your throat. Your hand tightened in his hair and Steve increased his efforts. You shook your head, groans and barely coherent semblances of his name leaving your lips. You gave a sob when Steve gently pushed one finger into you, and as his fingertip brushed across a spot that made your blood turn to fire in your veins, you felt every muscle in your body tighten painfully for a split second. Then, bliss filled your veins and encased every nerve ending. Steve closed his eyes as your breathy chants of his name warmed his heart, and when your body collapsed on the bed, he gently moved to hover over you. 

Your eyes were wide as you stared into his, your hand shaking so badly as you lifted it to his cheek you were afraid you might slap him. Steve covered your hand with his, turning his head to place a kiss to the center of your palm and you shook your head. 

“You …”
“It’s okay. Just breathe.”

You shook your head, pressing your palm more firmly against his cheek. 

“I never … you …”

Steve smiled softly as he moved a hand to tuck your hair behind your ear, his fingertips gently caressing your face. You closed your eyes and took in a shaky breath, letting it out slowly, opening your eyes to stare into his. 

“You’re the only one who’s ever made me feel like that.”

Steve’s eyes widened, one eyebrow raising. You felt your cheeks heat, but you shook your head, taking hold of his face and bringing it down until you could kiss his lips. Steve settled his body on top of yours and you moaned into his mouth, letting your hands travel down his neck, his chest, over his wide shoulders and to his tiny waist. You moved your hips, smiling when Steve groaned. 

“Baby—“
“I’m okay.”
“We don’t have to—“
“I know.”

You leaned up to kiss him again, speaking softly against his lips. 

“I want to.”
“Don’t do this just because you think I want it.”

You shook your head, and he sighed. 

“I don’t want you to think I’m only making love to you because you might be going away tomorrow.”

You smiled, moving your hands back to hold his face. Steve closed his eyes, reveling in your touch as his hips unintentionally rubbed against yours. You gave a quiet gasp, and he opened his eyes to see you smiling at him. 

“I just want to be as close to you as I can. No matter what happens tomorrow, I want this tonight. I want you, Steve.”

He lowered his head and kissed your lips. You bent your knees and moved your legs to either side of Steve’s hips. You watched him sit up, felt the bed move as he stood to take off his underwear. He moved to kneel between your legs and caught your eye. 

“You’ll tell me if you’re uncomfortable?”

You nodded and Steve nodded as he reached between your legs, his thumb rubbing through your wetness. You gave a soft moan and he gave a shaky exhale. 

“Steve?”

He lifted his eyes to yours and you nodded to him. He took the hint, moving to hover over you again, and you lifted up to kiss him. Your arms wove around him as the two of you kissed, and you dug your nails into his back when he started to push inside you. You broke from the kiss just to breathe, and Steve moved one hand to cradle your head. You shook your head, speaking softly. 

“Wait.”
“Okay.”

Your heart was pounding in your chest, and Steve was pressing gentle kisses to your cheek and forehead until you nodded. You groaned when he pushed in deeper, sobbing out a breath when he ducked his head to rest his forehead against yours. 

“God, you’re so tight.”
“Steve—ohgod.”

His groan mixed with yours when he bottomed out, and he lifted his head to see your wide eyes staring back at him. He bent to kiss your lips, just soaking in the warmth and the feel of you. He groaned when you clenched around him, shaking his head. 

“You okay?”
“Move. Please, move.”

He did as you asked, your drawn-out moan radiating through him. He grabbed one of your hands and pushed it to the bed beside your head, his hand moving down your arm until his palm was flush with, fingers twined with yours. He groaned again, shaking his head as your hips worked to meet his. 

“God, I missed you. I need you.”
“Steve.”
“Stay with me.”

Tears came to your eyes as you looped your arm around his neck, pulling yourself up to kiss him. Your head fell back when Steve increased his thrusts, your next orgasm taking you by surprise as much as the first one had. Steve groaned as you clenched around him so tightly he could barely move, and he buried his face in your hair as you gasped and breathed his name. Steve’s drawn-out groan seemed to rattle up from deep in his chest, his hips stilling as he reached his peak. 

Steve lifted his head from your shoulder, gently pressing his lips to your skin before shifting to look at your face. You were staring up at the ceiling, chest heaving with every breath you took. 

“Sweetheart?”

You didn’t answer him, and Steve swallowed as he moved into your line of sight. 

“Y/N, talk to me. Please.”

God, he hatedhimself right then. He knew you weren’t ready for something as big as this. He pulled out as gently as he could, preparing to find his phone and call Peggy to see if she could bring you back when your hands quickly went to his back, stilling his movements. 

“Hey, baby. Y/N?”

You met his eyes, your own full of tears. Steve’s heart fell and you shook your head, one hand moving to cup his face. 

“I don’t want to go to jail.”
“Sweetheart.”
“I want to stay here with you.”
“I know.”

You shook your head, a sob escaping your throat as tears slid down your cheeks. Steve lowered his body back onto yours, closing his eyes when you wrapped your arms around him. 

“I’m so scared.”
“I know, baby. I know.”

You cried into his shoulder as he held you, his soft murmurs barely registering with you. When your sobs died down some, Steve spoke softly into your ear. 

“We’ll take those documents tomorrow and we’ll go. Just you and me. We’ll be okay, I promise.”
“Steve.”
“Shh. I got you. I’ll take care of you. Didn’t I tell you that? Haven’t I shown you that I won’t let anything bad happen to you?”

You whimpered as he closed his eyes, lips at your ear as he whispered the next words.

“Can’t you see how much I love you?”

You gasped at the words, pushing him gently until there was space between you to look up at his face. His hand moved to cup your cheek and he shook his head. 

“Don’t say it back until you mean it. I don’t care how long that takes.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Shh, no. It’s okay. After everything you’ve been through, I get it. I just couldn’t hold it in anymore.”

He ducked his head to kiss your cheek before putting his face in your hair. One of your hands shook as you tunneled your fingers through his hair. 

“Steve—“
“Don’t say anything.”

You gave a soft whimper and he pulled away, moving off of you, laying on the bed beside you. You closed your eyes and went to roll away from him, but Steve gathered you in his arms, pulling your back against his chest, curling his body around yours. You kept your eyes closed, one hand lifting to grip his wrist. 

“I’ve got you, sweetheart. Just rest.”

You nodded, then let go of him, pushing gently until he let you go. You rolled onto your side facing him, wrapping your arms around his neck. Steve pulled you closer, one of his thighs pushing between your legs until you wrapped your leg around his hip. 

“I’m here. I’ve got you.”

He pressed his lips to your forehead, one hand moving to rest against the small of your back. 

“Sleep, beautiful.”

You nodded, resting your head against his shoulder, sleep overtaking you before you knew it. 

Your body was too hot, your skin feeling too tight when you woke in the middle of the night. You found yourself staring at Steve’s sleeping face, but you felt smothered, and you somehow managed to slither out of his hold without waking him up. He grumbled incoherent words, rolling into his stomach and shoving his arms under his pillow. You couldn’t help but smile, tiptoeing into the bathroom, then grabbing his shirt from the floor and pulling it over your head as you crept from the room. 

The apartment felt cold as you made your way to the kitchen, and you wished you had your (Steve’s) cardigan. You grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge, the cool liquid feeling like heaven on your parched throat. You took another drink, then turned to stare at the pile of documents on the counter. 

You set the bottle aside, walking to pick up one of the papers. You read Kathleen Michelle Barber’s birth certificate, setting it aside. You picked up a driver’s license, staring at your face beside Kathleen’s name. 

Micki. You’d liked Steve’s suggestion of calling you Micki. 

You stared at the credit card with the smooth black face, shaking your head before pushing it aside. You picked up another document, staring down at the marriage license. Kathleen Michelle and Andrew Stephen, joined in matrimony on August third. You’d always thought you’d have a spring wedding, or maybe one deep in winter. Your bridesmaids would have stark red dresses that stood out against the snow. 

You shook your head, rolling your fingertips over the signatures at the bottom of the license. It looked like your handwriting, but you didn’t really understand how. You lifted your eyes to the passports and papers and cards and shakily set the marriage license back down. 

It would be so easy. You and Steve could disappear without a trace, you were sure of it. But you were also sure that Alexander Pierce would spend the rest of his life looking for you, and you couldn’t spend the rest of your life looking over your shoulder. You pressed a hand to your mouth, eyes darting up when you heard the commotion and the calling of your name, Steve running into the kitchen and coming to a hard stop when he saw you standing there. 

“Oh, Jesus. Goddamn it.”
“Steve?”
“I … I thought …”

He hung his head and you went to him, laying a gentle hand between his shoulder blades. 

“I wouldn’t leave without saying goodbye.”

He grabbed your other hand, holding it tightly as you gently rubbed his back. He shook his head, moving to take you into his arms, holding you tightly. You put your forehead against his shoulder, and after a moment, he maneuvered you until he could kiss you. His hands moved to cup your face as his lips moved against yours, and your hands came to rest on his hips. Steve lifted you into his arms, carrying you back down the hall. He laid you on the bed and moved over you, your hands digging into his thick shoulders as he pushed inside you. You moaned as Steve shook his head. 

“I’m sorry. I can’t—“

He groaned as you dug your nails in, raking them down his back. You met his thrusts as best you could, feeling your insides start to twist as pressure started building in your core. Steve’s lips met your own, and on a particularly hard thrust, you turned your head and gasped as ecstasy burst through your veins. Steve groaned into your ear as his warmth filled you, his lips pressing against your forehead as his hips went still. 

Steve rolled onto his back beside you, chest heaving as he stared at the ceiling. Your shaky hand slid into his and he pulled your joined hands to his chest. You turned your head to look at him, and he shook his head. 

“That was … Did I hurt you?”
“No, I’m okay.”
“You sure?”

Steve turned his head to look at you and you smiled. 

“I am more than okay, I promise.”

He shook his head. 

“I didn’t mean to be so rough. I just … I woke up and you weren’t here and I … I panicked.”

You slid closer to him, leaning over him this time. 

“I promise you, I’m not going to sneak out. I won’t leave without saying goodbye.”

Steve nodded, closing his eyes when you bent and kissed his lips. He lifted the hand not holding yours and rubbed his thumb over your cheek. You laid down beside him, putting your head on his chest, the steady thrum of his heart lulling you back to sleep. 

You were wrapped in a towel, gently dragging a comb through your wet hair. Steve was standing in the doorway of the bathroom, a towel wrapped around his waist. You purposefully weren’t looking at him, and after a few silent minutes, Steve sighed. 

“You’re not going to use the papers, are you?”

You slid the comb through your untangled hair and looked into the mirror, meeting his eyes. You set the comb on the counter, then turned to face him. 

“I’m not going to run, Steve. I can’t spend the rest of my life looking over my shoulder, waiting for the other shoe to drop.”

Steve nodded, looking down at his feet. 

“I’m sorry.”

Steve closed his eyes, pushing off from the door to kneel in front of you. 

“Don’t be sorry. I didn’t think you’d go for it, if I’m being honest. I just … I just want to make sure you’re okay and keep you from going to prison for something you didn’t do.”
“You did your best to make the jury see that, honey.”

You cupped his bearded cheeks in your hands and he closed his eyes. 

“It’s going to be okay, Steve. Even if they find me guilty—“
“The only way it’ll be okay is if you’re back in my bed tonight where you belong.”

You blinked as his sapphire eyes stared into yours, and he leaned forward to kiss you before standing to his feet. Your arms fell back by your sides as Steve went to the sink to brush his teeth. 

Not for the first time that morning, you stood on shaky legs and silently prayed that everything would be okay by the end of the day.

“Has the jury reached a verdict?”
“We have, your honor.”

You stood at Steve’s gentle nod, glancing back to see Bucky and Peggy with grim smiles on their faces. You turned your attention to the jury and fought to keep your knees from giving out. Steve stood as close to you as he could without outright touching you, the fabric of his suit jacket brushing against your arm. You blinked and gave a shaky exhale as Pierce began to speak. 

“In the charge of Murder in the first degree, how do you find?”

The foreman of the jury answered. 

“We the jury find the defendant …”

You took in a breath and held it. 

“Not guilty.”

You blinked, eyes darting from one jury member to the next. Some sat stoically, some refused to meet your eyes, but a couple gave you a nod or a reassuring smile. You lifted your eyes to see Steve smiling at you, and he bent to hug you. You closed your eyes as his arms came around you and you almost melted into his warmth. 

“I told you so.”

You smiled, but it quickly left your face as Pierce spoke again. 

“Well… members of the jury, the court thanks you for your service. However …”

Steve let you go, murmuring “no” under his breath. You looked to Bucky, whose face was like stone, worry evident all over Peggy’s features. Pierce had a smile on his face as he spoke again. 

“I’m invoking a verdict notwithstanding and finding the defendant guilty.”

The courtroom seemed to erupt then. Murmurs and whispers rose from the audience, the jury, and Steve’s voice could be heard over all of them. 

“You can’t do that! She hasn’t done anything wrong!”

Steve began spouting terms you weren’t sure of, cases that came before yours and the precedents they put in place. Pierce was yelling back, something about contempt of court, and you looked across the room to the table on the other side, seeing Fury and Natasha sitting calmly and quietly. 

Toocalmly for attorneys who had just lost an important case. 

“Psst. Hey.”

You turned your head to see Tony kneeling behind your chair. 

“Steve’s about a second and a half away from approaching the bench and beating the shit out of Pierce himself. When he moves, Bucky will cause a commotion and you and I can sneak out the back.”

You blinked and Tony grabbed your knee, squeezing once. 

“This is your last chance, kid.”

You shook your head. 

“I’m not going to run.”

Your head shot to Fury’s table when a loud noise was heard. Fury brushed his hands off, the heavy textbook he’d just dropped on the table in front of him. Pierce raised an eyebrow, but Fury just brushed his hands over the front of his suit jacket. 

“The people do not agree with your verdict, your honor.”
“We’ll make a note of that, counselor. In the meantime—“
“No, actually, I have a question for you.”

The room was silent as Fury turned to Natasha, as she handed him a piece of paper that he carried to the bench. 

“Judge Pierce, do you recognize this?”

Pierce put his glasses on his nose, eyebrows raising as he read the paper. 

“Fury, what the hell is this?”
“If that doesn’t jog your memory, perhaps this will. Can you read this for the court, sir?”

Pierce yanked the next piece of paper from Fury’s hands, scanning it before lifting his eyes to Fury. 

“Are you out of your mind? This is illegal!”
“Actually, sir, this warrant gave us permission for it.”

Natasha stood this time, heels clicking on the floor as she carried the warrant to the bench. Pierce shook his head, refusing to take the paper from her hand. 

“This is a witch hunt!”
“And you know what this little ‘witch hunt’ discovered?”

Your eyes were locked on Fury as he turned from the bench, as Natasha walked back to sit at their table. 

“Multiple withdrawals from your account in the Caymans. ‘Anonymous’ deposits to an account that, after a few false leads and fake accounts, we discovered is used notoriously for … shall we call them mercenaries?”

Fury turned to Natasha, who shrugged her shoulders. 

“Guns for hire?”

Fury mirrored her movements, lifting his shoulders and letting them fall as he nodded. 

“Guns for hire who, when nudged ever so slightly…”

Fury turned to face the judge. 

“Sang like a bird when asked about you.”

Your eyes widened as you looked to Steve, who was staring at Fury with his mouth open slightly. 

“Oh, son of a bitch.”

You glanced behind you at Bucky’s whispered statement to see him with a hand covering his mouth. He leaned to whisper to Peggy and you watched her dark eyes widen. Natasha cleared her throat as she stood again. 

“These payments were for a high-priority job, one that came with danger due to the high-profile target. One Brock Rumlow.”

Pierce shook his head, a sneer on his face. 

“And you think a couple payments from an alleged account of mine proves that I set a hit on Brock? He was like a son to me!”

Pierce shook his head as Natasha nodded. 

“See, that’s what we thought, too. Until the hitmen denied ever finishing the job.”

Pierce nodded, his sneer turning to a smug smile. Fury cleared his throat then. 

“No. Ultimately, theydidn’t finish the job.”

You closed your eyes, bowing your head. 

“No, sir. That was you.”

Your head popped up as Pierce laughed, shaking his head. 

“Oh, Nick. I haven’t been on the receiving end of a good prank in a long time. Touché, son. Good job.”

Fury smiled, something you weren’t sure you’d ever seen. 

“This isn’t a prank, sir. You were the one who killed Brock Rumlow.”
“And you’re sure of this how?”
“Because of the eyewitness testimony of an old friend.”

The doors to the court opened and you turned to see the woman you once considered your best friend, the woman your husband had cheated on you with. Her hair was shorter, platinum blonde instead of the dark brown you were used to. She met your eyes for a split second before Maria Hill pointed to the judge. 

“That’s him. He’s the one who killed Brock.”

Pierce shook his head, mouth opening, but Maria cut him off. 

“I let him in the door, told him Brock was upstairs. Next thing I knew, he was running down the stairs with blood soaking his clothes. He told me to call Y/N, get her there as quickly as I could or he’d kill me. He’s been paying me to stay away and keep my mouth shut.”

You looked to Pierce, then back to Maria, who was looking at you with sorrow in her eyes. 

“I can’t let him punish you anymore. I’m so sorry.”

You looked back to Pierce, saw the sneer on his face and the anger in his eyes. You’d only seen that much hatred on Brock’s face before. You glanced over your shoulder to see Bucky’s eyes narrowed as he watched Pierce. The buzz in the room only seem to grow louder, reporters standing to their feet as they yelled questions to Maria and the judge. Steve stood and faced Fury and Natasha, and you stood to lay a hand on his back. You couldn’t take your eyes off Alexander Pierce. 

“What?”

You didn’t answer him, your eyes glued to Pierce as you watched his lips curl in a sneer, his chest rising and falling with the quick breaths he was taking. 

“Y/N, what? What is it?”

Steve turned to you, taking your hands. You shook your head, watching Pierce finally take his eyes from you, his eyes darting around the room before landing on the bailiff beside him. You squeezed Steve’s hands as he spoke again. 

“Y/N, talk to me. What is it?”

You couldn’t get the words out, lips trembling as you watched Pierce leap from his seat, yanking the bailiff towards him then pushing him away. Your eyes widened as you were finally able to speak one word. 

“Gun!”

Steve’s head jerked to Pierce, seeing him level the gun he’d taken from the bailiff and point it towards you. Steve grabbed you and pulled you close, turning his back to Pierce and pushing you down to the ground, the courtroom silent again until a shot rang out. 

TAGS: @rhapsody-in-flannel,@iamwarrenspeace,@songforhema,@notyourtypicalrose,@beardburnsupersoldiers,@little-smurf,