All This Time

baby it's cold inside

Diana doesn't get cold. At least not the same way Steve does. She can walk through the snow with a light jacket and feel no different while Steve is bundled under two thick scarves and forcing her hands into things he calls mittens.

However, there are moments where she feels cold. Moments where her blood runs slow and the skin on her arm rises. When she knows there's something missing and she knows that that something is warmth. She does have those moments.

She wakes up shivering even though she's under an impossible mound of winter blankets and the temperature in their room is the same as always. Her arms are scratchy and covered in little bumps Steve had once called "goosebumps", but Diana's still too sleepy to think about why she's feeling cold. She'd been so warm just minutes ago.

Rolling over in an attempt to find Steve's warmth, Diana immediately discovers the problem. The bed is empty and Steve's covers are thrown back. As she inches a tentative hand out to touch his side of the bed, she can tell he's been gone for a while.

Now she's awake.

She sits up quickly, pulling the thick covers around her shoulders and looking around the room. From what she can tell, the bathroom is empty and there isn't any sound coming from behind the bedroom door.

"Steve?" she calls.

The lack of an answer has Diana getting to her feet and going in search of him to keep her warm. She drops the heavy blankets from around her shoulders so she can get dressed, then takes the top blanket and wraps it around her shoulders again. Still shivering and a little upset at being awoken so rudely, Diana sets out into the living room in search of Steve.

A short investigation around the house reveals that he's nowhere. Diana frowns and takes up refuge in front of the fireplace, glad the fire is still going despite knowing it will do nothing to warm her up. She rubs her arms and frowns at the flames in front of her, trying to think of where Steve would go so early in the morning.

There's a sound at the door and a few seconds later, it's being opened. Diana turns around just in time to see Steve balancing a carton of eggs and milk in one hand while he fights the lock on the door. When he finally wins, he looks up and grins at her.

"Good morning, angel," he says. He carries his groceries into the kitchen then immediately makes his way over to Diana. She's on her feet before he's even in the little living room and Steve frowns. "Are you shivering?" he asks, taking a few large steps to close the distance between them.

"You left."

He pulls her into his arms and immediately the cold leaves her. She slides her arms out from under the blanket and wraps them around Steve, drawing in his warmth greedily. He rubs her back and presses a kiss to her temple and Diana feels even warmer.

"I'm sorry," he says, not pulling away. "You weren't awake and the stores close early on Sundays, so I had to go. Feeling better now?"

"Yes," Diana says simply. Steve keeps one arm around her shoulders even though she knows she'll be plenty warm now. "If you'd woken me up, I would have gone with you."

Steve shakes his head and together they walk into the kitchen.

"You've had a long week and a late night," he says, giving her a teasing smirk.

Diana rolls her eyes. "Yes, and who's fault is that?"

Steve presses a warm kiss to her lips before pulling away and starting on breakfast. Diana leaves her blanket hanging off the back of a chair, plenty warm now that Steve has returned home, and asks how she can help.

"Coffee?" Steve suggests.

Diana nods and takes great care to start the coffee maker and brew it exactly how he likes. After all, he'd been up late last night as well and if Diana knew him at all, he'd make sure they were both up late again. A little coffee could do magic for them both.

They fall into the familiar pattern of Steve at the stove while Diana makes them coffee. She reads the newspaper to him, skimming over the unimportant parts and taking her time to read the comics in silly voices.

By the time the omelettes are done, Diana has completely forgotten about waking up cold because Steve has his arm around her waist and she's laughing at something stupid he's just said. She'll wake up cold again because somehow Steve forgets that's what happens when he leaves in the morning without her, but he always comes back so she's never cold for long.

Besides, when he huddles up close to her in the dead of winter, grumbling about how his toes are freezing and she really should put on some mittens, it's her turn to warm him up and it's only fair.