Yours, Submissively (Steve Rogers)

Adjudication*

"What did you just say?" Steve looked at her with disbelief.

"i... I..." Belle didn't know what to say.  She hadn't meant to tell Steve like that.

Steve took her hand and dragged her back to the party.  He found Bucky.  "We need to go."

"I was going to head to Lila's parents for dinner after dropping you off." Bucky looked for her.

"It's fine Buck.  I'll just take a cab.  Enjoy your time with your girl." Steve turned and continued to pull Belle.

"Steve, please."

"No.  We are not communicating like we promised so we need to go somewhere and talk." They made it to the main road and Steve flagged a cab down.  Once they got on the road, Steve and Belle sat quietly.

"Steve..."

"No. not right now.  Belle, just, let me process this right now."  Steve felt horrible.  He thought back to Friday where he remembered to put protection on but he couldn't remember if he did on Saturday.  He was always responsible.  He always had a plan.  But he fucked up royally with this.  At the same time, he was furious with Belle for keeping this from him.  He would have done everything for her, made sure she wasn't alone in this.

They made it to Manhattan in good time.  Steve paid the driver and they went up to his apartment.  When they walked in, Belle gasped.  Steve had forgotten and a small smile graced his face.

The apartment was decorated with balloons and roses were every on every surface of the living room. A banner of 'Congratulations' hung over the fireplace.  "Steve..."

"I wanted to celebrate you tonight. I'm proud of you. I wanted to make sure you knew how proud I was."  He shuffled his feet.  "I didn't see us coming back to argue."  He looked up.  "Why? Why didn't you tell me?"

"I don't know."

"That's not a good enough answer Isabella."

"What do you want me to say Steve? I was scared.  You're the only person I've ever been with."

"You should have said something." Steve ran his hands through his hair. "What happens next?"

"I take a test in four weeks just to be sure." Belle hugged herself. "Steve, what did you expect?   I never went on birth control.  We weren't careful.  We haven't talked." Belle held in her sob in.  "We never talked about any of this."

Steve stopped breathing.  She was right we never talked about it.  In fact, they hadn't talked about much. "I'm sorry.  You're right, we haven't stopped and talked about this."

"No, we haven't.  I haven't signed yet but we haven't even discussed anything beyond me not wanting to be marked."

"This isn't about the contract!"

"This has everything to do with it."

"What does that mean?"

"It means that I'm not sure if I want this life.  To be worried that you won't be there, that I'll be alone again. I don't want to be alone. I want to sleep next to you and we can't because of some stupid contract.  So no, I don't think I can do this."

"Isabella, you don't mean that."

"I don't know that I don't.  everything about this is different.  I want more.  I want to have people who stay in my life.  Can you promise me that?"

"I told you from the beginning that I didn't want that."  Steve was trying not to show his feelings. The very real feelings he had developed for the violet eyed beauty.  She rocked his world off his axis and he didn't want to go back. But he couldn't. To place her in the line of fire.  Because of her position.  As his partner, his love, his wife.