Tess (A Dark!SteveRogers AU)

Chapter 15

Neither Steve or Tess said a word to one another over breakfast the next morning. Sarah now becoming suspicious to the silence that was befalling them at this hour for the first time ever.

"Cat got your tongues?" She now looked up from her plate to her son and then her daughter in law. "First time ever that you two ain't at each other's throats..." She trailed off, seeing the marks that had been left on Tess's that were exposed a little, even though she'd tried to cover them.

Sarah simply said nothing, knowing her son was the one responsible. It was for them to work out, not her - even if she didn't agree with Steve's treatment towards his wife. Tess didn't help matters though, as she'd already stated.

"Had a late night". Was all Steve replied, glancing up across the table to Tess who was picking at her bread and trying her best not to look at them.

"I do have ears; I may be old but I sure as hell ain't deaf". Sarah stated.

"Sorry Ma, I know you were probably trying to rest".

Sarah now snorted at this. "Since when do I ever have the time to do that? You're fine, it was the same with your father and I when we lived with your grandparents in this situation".

"I really don't need to hear about that" Steve now finished his food and got up. "Tessie, outside", was all that he said, and on not hearing her get up as he walked out, he called back "Now!"

Tess huffed and pushed back her chair, getting up and following Steve out onto the porch.

Once the door had closed, he grabbed her chin and lifted it up, turning her head from side to side so as he could look at the marks he'd left on her neck. His mother had noticed, that much had been obvious. "Hmmm, clearly I didn't grip hard enough". He now murmured more to himself than to her.

"Is this you trying to make me laugh Rogers?"

"Why? Is it working?" They looked at one another for a few moments before looking away. "You fucking infuriate me Tessie..." Steve sighed.

"Good, I plan on doing my very best to". She looked at him, satisfied. "What you think insults me? It's more of a compliment on my part. I ain't some delicate daisy that's gonna cry over you calling me a bitch, because I assure you that people have called me much worse - and do I care? Not really".

"Yeah, well you ain't like other women".

Both of them turned as they heard the sound of hooves and saw John Walker trotting by slowly on his horse, looking at them with the same level of suspicion he always had done, possibly even more now that Tess had set foot into town.

Even just from one surprisingly civil conversation with the sheriff, there was something about him that didn't sit well with her, and it wasn't just because he was a man of the law.

"Creep" Tess said to herself, hands on her hips.

She now looked to her husband who looked down at her, and both of them smirked to one another with a small chuckle, obviously thinking the same thing.

"Anyway, the boys and I have got a job tonight, big one - one that we can't afford to screw up". He said, watching still with some hostility as Walker disappeared from view.

"You need another pair of hands?".

"I Need you here with Ma incase anything happens - Walker finds out where we are it's not just us with the noose around our necks".

Tess frowned. "Who else is at risk?"

"I'll tell you another time. But you gotta stay here, not sneaking out to go drinking or anything, you hear me? Otherwise I will break that pretty little neck of yours this time".

She pouted, "naw you think my neck is pretty Rogers? That must be the nicest thing you've ever said to me?"

Steve rolled his eyes at her sarcasm. "Just do as you're told Tess, and maybe then I'll tell you about it". He said and turned to make his way to the workshop to get started for the day.

Tess returned inside, finding Sarah was sat in her usual chair, mending a hole in one of her underskirts. "Do I smell a truce on the horizon? Coz that's what it sounded like last night". The elder Rogers woman said, not bothering to look up from where she diligently wove the needle and thread in and out of the fabric in her lap.

"I don't know". She admitted and began to wash the dishes and cups from breakfast.

"Well the marks on your neck..."

"Were from me telling him to choke me harder". She simply lied, not wanting to admit he had really been giving her a warning. "It's...something I like..." Her hands began to scrub a little harder at the dishes.

"What? My son half killing ya?" Sarah frowned. "That's one hell of a kink you got there".

Tess smirked. "Did you have any with your husband?" She asked, wondering whether marrying into the family had changed her mother in law somewhat.

"Oh sweetie you never kiss and tell".

"Clearly something I ain't good at then".

Sarah smiled to herself. "It's nice to see that the waters are calm for once - I did say..."

"I know, but even though it seems like it now, we'll never see eye to eye. We're just not the kinda people to live in harmony and have a happy marriage. There's always gonna be smoke, and where there's smoke there's fire".

"So which one of you is the smoke, and which one's the fire then?" Sarah now questioned.

Tess was silent in thought for a moment before answering her.

"That's just the thing, for the first time in my life I really don't know".