Deity

Mine

"You're back!" Steve grinned brightly, hugging the female and relaxing. Her presence always soothed some part deep in him.

"I'll be upstairs doing something for a bit but I'll try to be in bed, okay?" Kayla hugged him back gently, rubbing his back and inhaling his scent to ease her own tension. Her human was happy to see her and had clearly missed her while she was gone. "Tomorrow we need to have a serious talk, okay?"

"Okay." Steve tightened the hug for a minute, frowning but then let go and watched her go in the kitchen. She passed by him with a steaming bowl of something and some bread, going back upstairs.

"Good." Kayla shut and locked the door behind her again, setting the tray on the desk in the room. "Eat slowly though."

James went and ate what she had given him, enjoying the first real food he'd had in years. His old owners had always just injected nutrients right into him rather than actually feeding him. He thought it was a test, seeing how well he would comply with orders that contradicted his old ones. He finished and waited for his next order.

"I want you to read this and then sleep when you finish. There is an attached bathroom." Kayla handed him a book, filled with stories of James Barnes' life. She deliberately did not tell him to remain in the rooms, giving silent permission to wander. She made her way downstairs to where she felt Steve and stood in the doorway, smiling as he washed his dishes. "Hey, Stevie."

"Hi, Kayla." Steve smiled sweetly, having gotten some of his memories back but not of Bucky falling from the train. He remembered up to just after rescuing Bucky the first time. "Did you get your project done?"

"Not quite. It'll take a bit but tomorrow we need to talk remember." Kayla reminded him, hugging the blond gently and smiling as he hugged back. Steve gave the best hugs, warm and just the right side of tight.

"Yeah..." He was anxious about that, ducking his head down to bury it in her hair. Their bodies might not age the years but to their brains it felt like they had known each other for years.

She slowly rubbed her hand up and down his back, trying to remove his tension and nuzzled his chest. Her human was radiating anxiety and it made her unhappy, wanting him to go back to feeling happy. She tried something new, twisting slightly and pressing her lips to his chin. He froze for a second but then nearly melted at the affection.

"Thank you." Steve mumbled, looking at her and she smiled. He smiled back, looking at her with soft eyes and tucked an errant strand of hair behind her ear. They were the picture of domestic right now, like a couple that had been together for 30 years. He lowered his head carefully and pressed his lips against hers lightly, not holding tightly so she could pull back if she wanted. She didn't move, sliding her arms tighter around him and holding onto the back of his shirt while she kissed him back.

Steve visibly relaxed, enjoying their slow kiss and the fact that she returned his affection. This was all new territory, no one had wanted him until after the serum and that was only sexually but she wanted him. She had taken the time to get to know him, asking questions about things he cared for and things he didn't, wanting to know about his childhood, Bucky (him especially because she had agreed to bring him there) and other things about Steve's personality.

"Stevie." Kayla broke him from his thoughts, her cheeks pink and eyes lighting up. Her human was definitely a strange one, most other humans she had courted were quick on the draw to initiate sexual contact but he had given her a slow intimate kiss that could be whatever they wanted and he had held her loose enough to pull away if she had wanted. He really was the best mortal ever and the most wonderful too.

"I'm sorry." Steve flinched slightly. He looked a bit worried that she hadn't wanted it.

"What are you sorry for? I enjoyed it. I just hope it means the same to you as it did to me." Kayla reassured him.

"I want you to be my girl." Steve blurted out, mind racing and he wanted to punch himself in the face for just saying it like that. He had wanted to ask her romantically if she wanted to.

"I'd like that." She smiled at him and dragged him into another soft kiss that felt like the best thing to both of them.