"He walked into my heart like he always belonged there, took down my walls and lit my soul on fire."
-
"I have completely fallen for you. Everything you do, everything you say, everything you are. You're my first thought in the morning, you're my la...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
Jessica Rogers voice was soft as she read to her husband, the pair sitting on the couch beside the window, the sun shining through, warming their skin.
Steve's head was on her lap, her fingers lightly pulling onto his hair as his eyes were closed, taking in the book they were reading. The pair had been doing this for hours, book after book, day after day.
They probably had gone through fifteen books within a week, taking turns reading while staying in the Avengers tower despite Jessica being pardoned. The only time they would leave would be for food, to visit Lydia, or to go to the park nearby, given that she hadn't started therapy yet.
Steve's eyes opened as Jessica paused, watching as she sipped on her lemonade through a straw, red lipstick staining the stainless steel; given that, of course, Jessica would be the one to already be against plastic and anything harmful for the environment.
"What does that mean?" Steve questioned, tilting his head in her lap toward her stomach when she looked down to him.
Jessica furrowed a brow, remembering what she just read, "What? 'Notlite Te Bastardes Carborundorum'?"
"Yeah, it seems Latin," Steve recognized, "You know two types of Latin, right?"
Jessica chuckled, nodding as she set her drink down, "Yes, I do. Classical and Archaic. To answer you, it's a bastardized version of a phrase, but it roughly translates to 'don't let the bastards grind you down'."
Jessica smiled a bit at the phrase, nodding a bit to herself. Steve noticed this and played with the ends of her hair that was draped over her shoulders.
"What is it?"
The redhead simply shook her head, meeting his blue eyes, "I just really like that. It resonates."
"Can I ask why?" Steve's fingers ran through her hair, Jessica humming at the feeling.
"I just... the times we lived through? It was harder than I think you realize. Working day after day for men who objectified us, didn't realize we had minds and hearts of our own. In the Army, it was almost the same. You didn't hear what Hodge or any of those other guys would say about Peggy when she turned around, or even in front of her face. Her title didn't matter to them, women seemed to only be good for one thing."
She scoffed as she continued, "And if a woman slept with a man because she loved him? She would be called a vulgar name. If she didn't, wanted to save herself or for whatever reason? She was a prude. If she wore a two piece suit to the beach, she was asking for attention, but if she wasn't, she was no fun. You couldn't ever win, Steve."
Steve softened and reached up to grab her hand, bringing it to his lips and kissing it softly. Jessica gave him a warm smile.
"Though you? You never made me feel bad about myself. Well, except the time you walked away after I kissed you," Jessica teased, a smirk dancing on her lips.
