Steve guides me to Wanda's room, our fingers interlaced with one another. We both know that we desperately crave the other's touch. Steve because he's struggling to put what happened in Lagos into words, me because I want to prolong my intimacy to my Captain. Neither of us speaking making the trip to Wanda's room. A trip that feels as if it's taking an eternity as we walk to Wanda's crippling guilt. Steve's face is solemn, and it becomes more so the closer we get. I hear Wanda's television turned to the news. Everyone is talking about her mistake. They don't know Wanda. They do not know what she's gone through, or the fact she would never intentionally kill someone. When we arrive Steve pauses at the door. Listening momentarily before picking up the remote and turning off her tv.
"It's my fault." She says meekly. Not turning to meet our eyes.
"That's not true." Steve responds leaning against the door, giving me space to walk in. I want to take all her hurt and pain away.
"Turn the tv back on. They're being very specific." I slowly make my way to her bed. Sitting down beside her. I don't want to force her into telling me how she's feeling.
"I should have clocked that bomb vest long before you had to deal with it." Steve makes his way over to where we're sitting. "Rumlow said Bucky, and all of a sudden I was a sixteen-year-old kid again, in Brooklyn." He shakes his head ashamed of the role he played, sitting on the other side of Wanda. "People died...that's on me."
Wanda turns her attention to Steve. Her face is still stoic, even though I can feel her guilt radiating off her skin. "It's on both of us."
"This job." Steve pauses, clenching his jaw. "We try to save as many people as we can. Sometimes it doesn't mean everybody. But if we can't find a way to live with that, next time maybe nobody gets saved." He turns his head to face Wanda, glancing over at me.
Before anyone can respond Vision comes through the wall startling us. "Vis, we talked about this."
"Yes, but the door was open, so I assumed that...Captain Rogers wished to know when Mr. Stark has arrived." He responds innocently.
"Thank you, I'll be right down."
"I'll use the door. Oh, and apparently he's brought a guest." Vision answers, leaning back into the room.
"Do we know who it is?" Steve looks at him, head tilted.
"The Secretary of State." Vision replies darkly. We three look at one another, tension growing in the room again. Wanda takes a deep breath, bringing her hands to the bridge of her nose.
"Charlie, I'm going to see what Tony needs." I nod my head at him, he knows I'm going to stay with Wanda for right now. He leans over her giving me a quick peck on the lips. Turning around and walking out the door. Wanda turns to look at me. She still has sadness seeping through her eyes, but the kiss wasn't lost on her. I guess we're friends with benefits, out in the open.
"That's new." She tries to force excitement for me, but I don't need her right now, she needs me. I turn on the bed where I'm facing her.
"Let me take it away from you. The emotions." My eyes flit around her face, trying to read her non expressive face.
"No Charlie. You don't deserve to feel this way."
"And neither do you. Let me at least share it with you." I softly plead to her.
"I can't ask you to do that. You will share the burden of my guilt." Her face turns to look at the floor.
"You're not asking. I'm telling, well, begging you to let me share your burden. I want to. You do not deserve to feel all of it." She looks up at me, tears brimming her eyes. "Please." She nods her head and brings her hands into mine. We both close our eyes. Immediately a shock of pain, hurt, and guilt paralyzes me. Her emotions engulf my mind, body, soul, and heart. How Wanda has been able to wake up and go through any emotions is beyond me. Her emotions go back to Pietro and how she wasn't able to help him. They go to her parents and how they were killed, because of Stark Industries weapons. I'm overwhelmed with the guilt she's been carrying around. The emotions stop when she pulls her hands away. I'm thankful I can be there for Wanda, when she's been there for me, helping me strengthen my empathy.
"Thank you, Charlie." She shamefully looks away. I start to speak before she cuts me off. "You had some big emotions today, huh?" She gives me a weak smirk and I tilt my head at her confused. "I didn't realize that your emotions would reflect back to me, while you were taking some of mine." Again, I start to respond. "He's a good man. You couldn't find a better one."
"I didn't know that was a feature. I'm sorry. You shouldn't have to feel that." My cheeks blush, as I realize that she was able to feel my elation of having sex with Steve.
She shakes her head giving me another weak smile, "I actually think that it was able to bring a bit more joy into my emotions. Was it at least good?" She nudges my shoulder. I sheepishly nod my head. We both let out exhausted giggles.
"Mr. Stark requests you two to attend the meeting with the Secretary of State." Vision says, peaking his head into the room. We get up and follow him. We walk into a board room where the rest of the present team are sitting. There's an empty chair next to Steve that he beckons me to sit in. I sit down and he gives my hand a squeeze before turning and looking at Ross. I look back at Tony and he gives me a pitiful smile, and I focus back on Ross standing at the front of the room.
"Uh, five years ago, I had a heart attack, and dropped, right in the middle of my back swing." He lifts his hand up imitating the swing of his club. "Turned out it was the best round of my life. Because after thirteen hours of surgery and a triple bypass, I found something forty years in the army never taught me. Perspective. The world owes the Avengers an unpayable debt. You have fought for us. Protected us. Risked your lives. But while a great many people see you as heroes, there are some who would prefer vigilantes." Everyone shuffles around uncomfortably in their seats.
"What word would you use, Mr. Secretary?" Natasha smirks up at him.
"How about dangerous? What would you call a group of US-based, enhanced individuals, who routinely ignore sovereign borders and inflict their will wherever they choose." Steve glances over at Wanda before turning back to me, again grabbing my hand and giving it a squeeze. "And who, frankly, seem unconcerned about what they leave behind." Ross shifts his footing, while we all glance around at one another restlessly. Ross grabs a remote and turns on a screen displaying different battles with the Avengers. "New York...Washington, D.C...Sokovia...Lagos." Each video is punctuated to show the worst of the battles. The causalities. I look over to Wanda, knowing how much the battles of Sokovia and Lagos had scarred her. She's looking down at the table.
Steve shifts his focus to her as well and he begins to grit his teeth. "Okay, that's enough." He responds calmly looking back up to Ross. He stops the video feed.
"For the past four years you've operated with unlimited power and no supervision. That's an arrangement the governments of the world can no longer tolerate. But I think we have a solution." A man standing by the wall hands him a thick book, Ross turns his attention back to the table. Handing the book to Wanda, "The Sokovia Accords. Approved by 117 countries, it states that the Avengers shall no longer be a private organization. Instead, they'll operate under the supervision of a United Nations panel, only when and if that panel deems it necessary."
I can feel Steve's anger vibrating off of him. "The Avengers were formed to make the world a safer place. I feel we've done that."
"Tell me, Captain do you know where Thor and Banner are right now?" Steve turns his full attention to Ross, jaw clenched. "If I misplaced a couple of thirty megaton nukes, you can bet there'd be consequences. Compromise. Reassurance. That's how the world works. Believe me, this is the middle ground."
"So, there are contingencies." James Rhodes states at Ross. He didn't direct it as a question. I reach up touching Steve's shoulder rubbing it before quickly returning my hand back to my lap.
"Three days from now, the UN meets in Vienna to ratify the Accords." Steve turns to look at Tony. Tony doesn't return his glare at first. His eyes focused solely on the ground. Seconds that feel like hours he moves his eyes to meet Steve's. Almost as if they're conversing without words. "Talk it over."
"And if we come to a decision you don't like?" Natasha asks, making Ross stop before leaving the meeting.
"Then you retire." This isn't the option anyone was looking for. We all look around at one another in silence. The tension so thick in the room you can hardly breathe. Steve turns his chair to where he's facing me. He puts his hand on my cheek, and I grab his hand with my own. "Do you trust me?" He whispers. I scoot my chair closer to him, "With every part of me. I will follow you wherever you lead." I give him a tired smile. This has been the longest day of my life.
I focus my attention to Tony. He's still staring at the floor. I get up and walk over to him. I squat down to meet him eye level. I urge him to look up at me. "I hate we brought you here for this Charlie." He never removes his eyes from the floor.
"I'm ok. We can get through this together."
"There's nothing to get through. We don't have a choice, unless you're willing to retire back on the farm with Clint."
"She's not going anywhere." Steve turns to look at Tony. His words seethe with anger.
"Is she not? Are we all not? We've not been given a choice here Cap." I stand up and Tony's gaze follows me. Steve reaches his hand out to me, which I take, stepping up beside him. "Oh, so this is how it is? A lovesick puppy. Clint wanted so much more for you. He didn't bring you here to marry you off. We're a team." I have never heard Tony spew so much hate with his words towards me. Our banter has always been friendly. I shake my head at him, not fully knowing how to respond.
"That's not what this is and you know it, Tony. You're wanting to automatically assume this is the only option. Charlie, is willing to stand up to something."
"We all just need to calm down. I understand a lot has happened, but being angry with one another and hurtful will not resolve anything." Nat comes to my defense.
"I need a drink." Tony gets up and leaves the room. We all glance at one another not sure what to do. Steve looks over to Sam. Giving Steve a knowing nod he stands up as Steve, still holding my hand, guides us out. Wanda, Rhodey, Nat, and Vision follow. Steve finds Tony lounging in a chair. Hand placed on his head, thinking. Steve plops down on a couch, and leads me beside him. He looks over and mouths, "It's going to be ok." Before grabbing one of the Accords packets and glances over it.
With each page he flips I see his jaw clenching tighter. I place my hand on his back, lazily drawing shapes on his shoulder's blades, attempting to calm him. "Secretary Ross has a Congressional Medal of Honor which is more than you have." Rhodey is arguing with Sam. Tony glances over at them clearly annoyed.
"So let's say we agree to this thing. How long is it gonna be before they LoJack us like a bunch of common criminals?" Sam's voice gets louder as he gets more frustrated.
"117 countries want to sign this. 117, Sam, and you're just like, 'No, that's cool. We got it.'"
Sam's annoyance is still evident, "How long are you going to play both sides?"
"I have an equation." Vision interjects.
"Oh, this will clear it up." Sam crosses his arms. Steve looks up from the Accords to look at Vision.
"In the eight years since Mr. Stark announced himself as Iron Man the number of known enhanced persons has grown exponentially." Vision calmly looks at Wanda who returns his look. "And during the same period the number of potentially world-ending events has risen at a commensurate rate."
"Are you saying it's our fault?" Steve calmly asks.
"I'm saying there may be a causality. Our very strength invites challenge. Challenge incites conflict. And conflict...breeds catastrophe. Oversight. Oversight is not an idea that can be dismissed out of hand."
"Boom." Rhodey replies to Vision. Looking down at me and Steve.
"Tony." He removes his hand from his face glaring at Nat. "You are being uncharacteristically non-hyperverbal."
"It's because he's already made up his mind." Steve replies staring back at Nat.
"Boy, you know me so well. Actually, I'm nursing an electromagnetic headache." He gets off his chair and walks into the kitchen. "That's what's going on, Cap. It's just pain. It's discomfort. Who's putting coffee grounds in the disposal? Am I running a bed and breakfast for a biker gang?" He sets down his phone and a hologram of the screen appears above it. Sighing he continues, "Oh, that's Charles Spencer, by the way. He's a great kid. Computer engineering degree, 3.6 GPA...had a floor-level gig at Intel planned for the fall. But first, he wanted to put a few miles on his soul, before he parked it behind a desk. See the world. Maybe be of service. Charlie didn't want to go to Vegas or Fort Lauderdale, which is what I would do. He didn't go to Paris or Amsterdam, which sounds fun. He decided to spend his summer building sustainable housing for the poor. Guess where? Sokovia." Tony pauses to emphasize where this story is going. "He wanted to make a difference; I suppose. I mean, we won't know because we dropped a building on him while we were kicking ass." Steve removes his eyes from Tony, and down to my thigh before placing a calming hand on me.
The room is quiet while Tony drinks some coffee. "There's no decision-making process here. We need to be put in check! Whatever form that takes, I'm game. If we can't accept limitations, if we're boundary-less, we're no better than the bad guys."
"Tony, someone dies on your watch, you don't give up." Steve looks over to him.
"Who said we're giving up?" He asks Steve, looking down at his hand resting on my thigh.
"We are if we're not taking responsibility for our actions. This document just shifts the blame."
"I'm sorry, Steve. That...that is dangerously arrogant. This is the United Nations we're talking about." Steve shakes his head in frustration before looking back down at the Accords. I shift my eyes to look at Tony. His mouth is in a thin line, thinking signing the Accords is our only option. "It's not the World Security Council, it's not S.H.I.E.L.D., it's not Hydra." Rhodey is trying to make Steve understand where him and Tony are coming from. It's not working.
"No, but it's run by people with agendas, and agendas change."
"That's good. That's why I'm here. When I realized what my weapons were capable of in the wrong hands, I shut it down, and stopped manufacturing." Tony stalks over to my side glaring down at Steve. Sam takes a closer step to stand behind us.
Steve shifts his weight to look up closer, "Tony, you chose to do that. If we sign this, we surrender our right to choose. What if this panel sends us somewhere we don't think we should go?" Nat looks over at me and then back to Steve. "What if there is somewhere we need to go and they don't let us? We may not be perfect, but the safest hands are still our own."
"If we don't do this now, it's gonna be done to us later. That's the fact. That won't be pretty."
"You're saying they'll come for me." Wanda looks over to Tony and then at Steve.
"We would protect you." Vision quickly responds. The two of them look at one another.
"Maybe Tony's right." Everyone looks over at Nat. No one looks more confused than Tony. "If we have one hand on the wheel, we can still steer. If we take it off..." Steve looks over at Nat surprised with her words.
"Aren't you the same woman who told the government to kiss her ass a few years ago?" Sam leans down, visibly shocked that Nat has chosen to side with Tony.
"I'm just reading the terrain." She looks back at Steve, speaking to everyone, but especially to Steve. "We have made some very public mistakes. We need to win their trust back."
Tony leans down on a table. Eyes just on Nat. "Focus up. I'm sorry. Did I just mishear you...or did you agree with me?"
"Oh, I want to take it back now."
"No, no, you can't retract it. Thank you. Unprecedented. Okay. Case closed. I win."
Steve's phone vibrates. He removes his hand from my thigh to pick it up. He reads the message. I don't look, giving him privacy. "I have to go." Without saying another word to me he stands up and leaves the room. I look at Nat confused. Everyone's eyes followed him out the room before turning their focus on me. "And what was that about?" Tony looks down at me.
"I...I don't know." I look down at my hands. My thigh still warm where's Steve's hand just was.
"I'm sure it's nothing Charlie. If it was important, he would have told you." Sam pats my shoulder.
"I'm sure. He seems to really know how to make the best decisions for her." Tony scoffs.
"Tony, stop. What is your deal with Steve today?" I glare up at him.
"He's making stupid decisions, and you're blindly following him." Everyone looks everywhere but between me and Tony.
"You're not my dad, so stop acting like you care." Tears fill my eyes. As I look down to the floor.
"Someone's got to look out for you."
"We all look out for each other Tony. Now, enough." Sam angrily spits his words towards Tony.
Tony shifts his feet a moment. The room is silent. "Charlie, come with me."
"No." I'm confused with Steve's quick departure, angry with Tony, and still harboring Wanda's guilt. I've been on an emotional roller coaster today, and I can't deal with this anymore.
"Charlie, this is a truce. I have something for you. To show you." He awkwardly smiles down at me. I glance up at Sam and he nods his head that he feels it's ok to go with Tony. "If it's not Cap, you're taking orders from it's Sam?" I huff at him. "Sorry, I'm not going to hurt you, come on." I get up and follow Tony. Walking down the long hall to the elevator. We get in. "Do you remember what we were working on before you left?" I nod my head yes. Still not wanting to talk to Tony. I'm reluctantly following him. "It's ready. I hoped you would have got to try it on under different circumstances." I cross my arms. "Charlie, I'm sorry. I shouldn't be so harsh about you and Steve. Even Clint is ok with your relationship. I just don't want you to become a straight follower of Steve, because you find him hot."
I shake my head and sigh, "You think what I feel for Steve is just I find him hot?" He looks down at me. I give him an annoyed smile. "Yes, he's hot. He's beautiful." Tony rolls his eyes. "But I love him." My eyes go large at this realization. We're just friends. With benefits. Tony raises his eyebrows at my confession. "I trust him. He doesn't want to hurt me."
"He might not. But he's wrong concerning this." The elevator stops and we walk to the lab.
"No, he's not." Tony looks over to me. "You're both right." Tony stops to look at me confused. "I agree that the Avengers need to be put in check, but these Accords? They're not the solution."
"How do you think Clint will feel if you choose not to sign?"
"Clint trusts me to make my own decisions for myself."
"Why did Steve leave you?"
"I don't know, but I'm sure he'll tell me." Tony acts like he's going to say something, before turning away, continuing our walk.
We reach the lab, and Tony walks over to a closet, opening the door. Inside is my suit. It's black leather with details of navy blue. There's a tactical belt full of holsters for guns, pockets randomly line the legs, ready for smalls knives. I walk over to it and touch it. Rubbing the material in between my fingers. "Try it on." I smile up at Tony, and go into the closet, closing the door behind me. The suit is a lot easier to put on than it would appear to be. It fits like a glove. I punch and kick at the air. Squat down, spin, jump. "Can I see it?" I open the door and Tony smiles down at me. "Hold on." He grabs a pair of glasses and a black and navy hair tie. "Clint said you prefer to work with your hair pulled back." I take the hair tie and quickly pull my hair back into a ponytail. "These glasses will fit here." He pokes at a pocket on my left shoulder. "They can help you see in the dark, and they're Infrared." He looks back down at me. "I need you here..."
"Don't Tony."
"What? I didn't get to finish."
I look up at him my sadness overwhelming me. "Don't make me choose between you and Steve."
"Is he making you choose between me and him." I shake my head. "The suit is yours. Even if you're forced to retire." He bites the side of his mouth. "We designed it for you. I'm sure Steve will love it."
I wrap my arms around him. "Thank you, Tony."
"Now, go find your man and figure out what's going on." He gently smacks my shoulder and urges me to leave. I grab up my clothes and start to change. "You should show him." I mouth thank you again to him, and walk off to find Steve.
I get a feeling to start in my room. When I open the door, I find Steve pacing the floor. I start to go towards him. Without looking up he commands, "Lock the door." I comply. There's a tightness inside me. It's only been a few hours since Steve and I first had sex. I don't know if that's his intention. The thought excites me, but I am still sore. It's a bittersweet feeling. Soreness means that Steve was actually inside of me.
He finally looks up at me. "Charlie..." his words have left him. He stalks closer to me. Gently he places his right hand on my cheek and his left hand on my hips, pulling me closer to him. "I like this look on you." He smirks down at me and gently kisses my lips and pulls away looking back down at me.
"What was on your phone earlier?"
His eyes flit down to my lips and then back to my eyes, "I don't want to talk about it right now." His fingers draw circles on my hips and he kisses me again. "How are you feeling?"
With our closeness, and the door being locked, I know what he's asking about. I kiss him and smile onto his mouth, "I'm a bit sore but ok."
His brows furrow down at me. "I need you, Charlie." His eyes sulk down at me, he's almost pouting. I stand on my tip toes, wrapping my hands on his cheeks, I bring his mouth closer to me, kissing him. "Are you sure you're ok to do this?"
"Yes." I whisper in his mouth. He spins me around, easily slipping my suit off of me. He looks down at my body before picking me up, causing me to wrap my legs around his waist. He walks over to the bed using his knees to walk us to the center of the bed before gently laying me down. Hovering over me we continue to kiss, our hunger for one another growing. He slips a hand into my panties and begins applying gentle pressure to my clit. My breathing becomes shallower into his mouth. I let out a small whimper. He smiles before moving his mouth to my neck. Kissing and sucking over my neck, he continues massaging my clit before placing a finger in me. I gasp and arch my back up. He lets out a deep chuckle.
"You're so wet princess. Let me help you with your stress." He adds another finger inside me. I bite my lip trying to stifle a moan. "Don't you dare. Your moans are the sweetest sound." He continues to move his fingers in and out of me, thumb gently massaging my clit. I start rocking my hips, moving with him. "That's right princess, help your Captain out."
"Steve, I want you." I whine at him. I don't want his fingers anymore. I want to feel him.
"Not yet." He continues with his motions. I can feel myself getting closer, my back arches at an unnatural state and I grab at his back, using my nails to scratch him. My core tightens and I succumb to my climax. I look up at Steve through heavy eyelids, "Good girl." Steve smiles down at me. He takes his precious time fully pulling my panties down. He tilts my back up as he takes off my bra. Tossing it towards the floor with the rest of my discarded clothes. Steve sits up before taking off his shirt and hovers back over me returning to my lips. I reach my hands down to his pants and seek his belt. Once my fingers brush over them, I attempt to undo his belt before Steve removes my hands pinning them above my head. "I thought I told you not yet." He evilly laughs down at me.
"Captain, please. I need you." I pout up at him. He looks down at me going back to my neck growling into it before giving me a harder bite. "I need to feel you inside of me. Make me cum again, Captain." Steve never removes his hand holding my arms pinned over my head, but he reaches down and undoes his belt and shimmies out of his pants and sloppily removes his boxer briefs. He steadies himself at my entrance. Watching me before entering into my slit. I let out a loud moan. There is a deep soreness that Steve senses. He doesn't speed up his motion. Gently kissing my neck. I want him to quicken his pace. "Captain, please, I need you to go faster. Harder."
He raises his head to look at me, "All you had to do was ask princess." He quickens his pace, smiling down at me. "You look perfect like this." I wrap my legs around him giving him more entrance. He crashes his lips on me and sloppily starts kissing me. A few more blissful moments and I get close. Steve speeds up pounding. I tighten around his enlarged cock, before completely releasing, screaming out his name. Steve pumps a few more times before releasing himself. He pulls his head up and looks down at me. My eyes are drooping closed. Exhaustion finally beginning to win. He pulls out of me, walking into the bathroom and returning with a warm washcloth and towel, cleaning me up and drying me off. He walks back to the bathroom, throwing them in the hamper. He gets back in the bed beside me, wrapping me close in his arms. I whisper, "Don't leave me," and kiss his mouth.
"I'm not going anywhere, Charlie."
Sleep almost takes me, before it does, I feel Steve kiss my forehead and whisper, "I love you princess." I must be dreaming, because we're just friends, with benefits. For now.