It's Been A Long, Long Time // Steve Rogers

Chapter 24

- 1 year later -

"Oh my god...Steve..." I moaned, my hands running down his bare chest as he took his time thrusting in and out of me. His eyes locked in on where our bodies connect. I let my fingers trace every muscle on his torso before wrapping my arms around his neck and pulling his face towards mine for a bruising and sloppy kiss.

Our tongues moved with one another and he let out a low groan in my mouth. "Steve..." I whispered, his forehead pressed to my shoulder. "You feel so good, Bex..." He moaned. His moans were like music to my ears. "Stevie please...harder..." Not that I was against how he was savoring every moment, but I needed more of the Captain right now. "Captain..." Steve growled slightly and that did it. His movements increased to a more powerful speed. The only sounds in the room were breathy moans, skin slapping against skin, and the bed frame slamming against the wall. "Call me Captain again."

"Captain..." I moaned. "Fuck, you're so hot." He kissed me roughly as his pace never let up. I officially broke Steve Rogers the first time I ever called him that in bed. Gone was the perfect man who never really swore. The man who was shy around women. This Steve was confident and sexy.

Life with Steve has never been better. We were happy, we were in love, and most importantly we were a little perfect family with Scout. The only thing missing at this point was a ring. I wanted one...Steve knew I did. I wanted nothing more than to be a Rogers. To be his completely. Not that I wasn't already, but officially...well...as official as it can be. Steve is technically missing. But Grant Rogers isn't.

My body clenched around him and it pulled the sexiest moan from his lips. He was close too. I could feel him swell as my walls clamped down on him. I felt the burning sensation in my stomach before letting go. The euphoric feeling taking over my body as I arched my back. Steve followed shortly, riding out our highs before collapsing on top of me.

"I love it when you call me captain in bed." He peppered kisses on my collar bone and I smiled. "I know. I love calling you Captain in bed." He pushed off of me and gave me a soft kiss before getting out of bed and pulling on some boxers.

"Where are you going?" I whined. The loss of his body heat caused the room to feel 10 degrees colder. "My run." He got dressed and leaned over my body for another kiss. "You're still going on a run? Was that not a workout for you??"

"It was the best kind of workout, sweetheart. Thank you." I huffed and fell back into the pillows. Soon Scout was jumping on the bed and licking all over my face. "Scout..." I mumbled, "Go with dad on his stupid run."

I heard Steve chuckle before leaving the room to grab his leash. At the simple sound, Scout was scrambling out of the room. "Becca, you have work in 30 minutes sweetheart!" "Okay!" I yelled back at Steve and looked at the clock. With a sigh, I sat up and begrudgingly got dressed for work. It was going to be a long day. I had to spend it with Howard and much to my dismay...Zola.

I gave Steve one last kiss and Scout a kiss on the snout before they left for their run. I sighed and looked around the apartment while I waited for Jarvis. My eyes caught the framed photo of my family above our fireplace. Howard had found it for me one day while we were organizing his old archives. It was a photo of Bucky and I on his 20th birthday with our parents and Steve. Right before they died. Our last family photo.

I walked up to it and smiled sadly. I missed them. My parents, Bucky...some days I just wish I could see them all again. Just once. But I know that I can't. A knock on the door pulled me out of my thoughts and I set the framed image down before opening it to revel Jarvis.

"Good morning Ms. Barnes."

"Morning, Jarvis." He gave me a smile and helped me down the stairs, as he always did when they were icy, and into the town car. "Mr. Stark has requested your presence at SHIELD today." He announced. "Okay." I gave him a smile in the rearview mirror.

Once we arrived, Jarvis told me he would be bringing us lunch and drove off while I walked inside. "Morning, Howard!" I greeted him and he gave me a smile. "Becca! So happy you're here. Zola needs us for some of the weapons."

"Great." I gave him a fake ish smile, not too thrilled to be hanging out with Zola for the day. We made our way towards his lab where Zola greeted us with a smile. "Ms. Barnes, Mr. Stark, good morning." I mumbled a morning back at him and he smirked over at me. "Are you alright, Ms. Barnes?" I scoffed and glared at him. "Am I alright? Is that a fucki-" "Rebecca!" Howard snapped, stepping between us.

"Howard, he's doing that on purpose." I glared over his shoulder at Zola who still had a smirk on his face. "I know. Just ignore him." Howard turned around to look at Zola, "Stop. If you keep antagonizing her...I'll let Becca test one of these and you know how accidents can happen in a lab." Zola's face fell at the threat and I smiled behind Howard.

"Now, Arnim. Tell us about the weapons. Becca, notes please." I grabbed my notepad and jotted down things that Zola was telling us about the weapons. They were sophisticated and like nothing we've ever really seen before. Howard was fascinated. Me on the other hand...the knowledge of Zola rebuilding Hydra within SHIELD was weighing down on me. I had to tell Howard. He couldn't go through with this.

Steve would kill me...but...maybe I could just tell him about Steve? Yea. I could just tell him about Steve and not to go through with the weapons. Was it rational to think Howard wouldn't ask questions? No. But I couldn't live knowing I could have at least tried to stop Howard from helping Zola create these weapons to be used against him. To be used when Hydra is reborn.

"Howard?"

"Yes, Becca?" He looked over at me expectantly and I froze. This could be a bad idea. "Can we talk?" He nodded and we walked through the lab and into his office where I shut and locked the door. "Becca? Are you alright?"

"No. Um...Howard, you can't go through with these weapons." His brows furrowed as he looked at me. "What do you mean?" "I mean trusting Zola with these weapons...just don't." He stared at me confused and looked through the blinds. "Why?" "I just don't trust him, Howard. He tortured Bucky..."

"Bex, he knows Hydra is dead. He's working with us. He's given us no reason not to trust him in the past year." I groaned and ran my fingers through my hair. "Howard, please. If there's one thing I need you to trust me on, it's this. I just know." He huffed and put his hands on his hips. "Becca, you're not making sense. This technology could save us from-" "Steve Rogers is alive!" I snapped, cutting him off.

His eyes widened as he stared at me, "What?" "Steve. He's alive."

"What? Where...how? How do you know that?" His eyes searched mine for some kind of answer. "He's not dead. He's found eventually in the ocean. It's a long story involving aliens and time travel...it's not important. What's important is that I know what is going to happen if you go through with this and help him make those guns and I just need you to trust me when I tell you not to trust Zola. Please."

"Not important?! Rebecca what the hell?! You can't be cryptic like this! Time travel??" He yelled. "Please, Howard. I shouldn't be telling you this at all...but I couldn't keep it from you, not when you're helping him create potential weapons of mass destruction. Even this right here...this could be creating an alternate reality and I don't know what that means but Steve says it's bad."

He sighed and paced around the office bc mumbling to himself. He was in shock, I did kind of just spring this on him. "Steve is alive?" I nodded. "Can I see him? Talk to him?" Howard asked. "You kind of already have...he's my boyfriend, Grant." I said, giving him a nervous smile.

"WHAT?! I knew he looked familiar in those pictures!!"

A/N: I know big time jump lol...but lots of things are happening!! Howard knows!! 😊