𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐯𝐞𝐥 𝐈𝐦𝐚𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬

best thing that's ever been mine- steve

Steve watched with curious eyes as you walked from the kitchen to the dining room, smiling kindly at Peter when he offered you his notebook to check his work, happy to have gotten to the right answer alone. Steve was sure his gaze would go unnoticed, looking away before anyone could take note of it, but he was quite terrible at hiding his infatuation with you, even more so the closer he got to you, the need to be with you overshadowing the need to keep your relationship secret.

"Oh, you've got it bad, Rogers," Natasha noted from his side, a knowing grin on her lips as she scattered her gaze between you and him, Steve shaking his head to dismiss her as he turned his attention back to the coffee he was trying to make.

"Don't know what you're talking about, Romanoff," he bit back, keeping his hands busy, hoping his mind would follow, though he was very much aware of your laugh as it sifted through the room, his heart longing to be closer, be the one responsible for the lovely sound, or the lovely smile behind it.

"Sure" she teased, leaning against the counter, taking a sip of her coffee as she watched you, your own attempts at hiding your gaze being completely futile, cheeks flushing with a blush when your eyes locked with hers.

This had been going on for months now, if not longer. Natasha would catch the two of you smiling at each other from across the room, your shyness around Steve had gotten worse as you tried to hide how completely in love with him you were and he would try and play off the accidental gestures that gave away his love for you, but Natasha saw right through the little charade. She knew what it looked like when you were in love, she knew that it took a lot for you to fall that freely in the first place, and she'd see no better match for you than a man who was intent on treating you like the world consisted of merely you, and him, and his search for your constant happiness and safety.

"She's not holding up any better than you," she noted after a few moments of silence, Steve's actions pausing briefly at the thought that you were struggling as much as he was. "She doesn't like the secrecy, doesn't like feeling like your dirty little secret," she explained, and Steve nodded.

"She told you this?"

"She doesn't have to, I know her, so do you," she raised a brow at him, settling her mug down to turn around and face him. "She loves out loud, Steve, always has."

"It's complicated," he sighed, and she scoffed, dismissing him so easily as he looked at her. "Don't scoff at me, you know it's true, if things don't work out between us- if I screw this up the entire team will be against me and Tony-"

"Then don't screw it up," Natasha interrupted with a shrug, retaking her mug and patting him on the shoulder before walking away.

Steve hated that she was right, hated that he was lectured on what you needed when he considered himself quite the expert. But he'd been a fool. It was bad enough that you were around him every day, but he had to save his affection for the little moments you had once everyone was asleep, it was even worse to know that it made you just as unhappy as it made him. Of course, there were risks, they were piled up quite high, but the way you made him feel made it completely worth it.

"Peter said goodnight," you noted carefully, snapping him from his thoughts as you put the dishes into the sink. "You were in your own little world in here, didn't want to bother you," you added, pulling your sleeves over your hands as you shyly met his gaze. "Everything okay?" you asked, and he hummed, shaking his head as if to clear him of any worries, rationality tagging along as he smiled at you, freely allowing his eyes to rake over your body, noticing your hidden hands as they moved up and down your arms in a feeble attempt to warm yourself up.

"Are you cold, dove?" he mused, and you were surprised by the open use of a pet name, just barely stopping yourself from looking around to check if anyone was here, he noticed, of course, smiling when he reached an arm out towards you. "Come here, let me warm you up."

"Steve," you breathed, wanting to take him up on the offer as soon as he said it, but unsure what this meant, unsure what he was thinking.

"I know," he nodded lightly, walking over to you as your eyebrows furrowed, carefully finding your fingers and entwining them with his, electricity shooting through your veins as a result of the delicate gesture. "I love you," he noted, leaning his forehead against yours as you closed your eyes, savouring the feeling of him being so close, so open, the familiar touch feeling completely contrasting to anything you'd felt before. "You mean everything to me, and I don't want to hide that, don't want to hide you, not anymore."

"Are you sure?" you stole one of your hands back from him, lifting it to his cheeks where your fingers danced delicately over his stubbled skin, his own eyes closing in the process.

"Never been surer of anything in my life, want to show them you're my girl," he teased, and you felt your cheeks flushing with warmth, shaking your head as he pulled you closer by your waist, brushing his nose against your as he smirked. "Can I kiss you now?" you nodded, far too eager but Steve paid no mind to that, connecting his lips with yours in an instant, smiling against your lips when he felt you shiver in his arms. "You're still cold," he noted, pressing a kiss to your cupid's bow before pulling away slightly.

"Just a little," you admitted, avoiding his eyes by nuzzling into his shoulder, selfishly hoping that his warmth would surround you, his chest vibrating as he laughed lightly as your needy hand roamed his chest. "You're helping," you informed him with a guilty smile, and he tugged you under his arm.

"Let's get you into bed, hmm."

"Will you stay with me?" you pressed, hoping whatever just happened would change the answer from what it usually was and you were right.

"Just try and stop me, doll."