Archive of Our Own ^beta

“Hey, Rogers, catch!”

Steve held out his hand without looking, plucking the projectile out of the air. He could hear an annoyed huff before Toni sat down hard on the couch next to him, crossing her arms over her chest.

“Show-off.”

“What's this?” Steve asked, glancing at the – well, it looked like a remote with a single button. Though for what, he had no idea.

“Check this out!” Toni grabbed it right back out of his hand, holding it up to the ceiling and hitting the button. All of the lights in the room went out at once, even the faint hum of electricity in all the appliances and power lines cutting out abruptly. Steve's eyes adjusted quickly enough to the darkness that he could see Toni's manic grin. “Controlled EMP. Shorts out anything within a fifty feet radius.”

“EMP?” Steve asked in alarm, looking down at the faint glow of the arc reactor through her greasy shirt. “Are you –“

“What? Oh, yeah.” She tapped the light with her fingers. “I have failsafes upon failsafes. No one's taking this baby out.”

“Good to know,” Steve said, more relieved than he wanted to admit. Ever since he'd learned what the arc reactor was really for, he couldn't help but think of it as one of the major weak points of the team. Not that he was ever going to tell Toni that. He liked his balls where they were, thank you very much.

“Anyway, this is for you.” She handed him the remote before she got up to stretch. “I'm gonna go get all of this up and running again.”

“Thanks, Toni,” he said, and she waved him off, scratching at her messy bun as she went and not even bothering to cover up her yawn. Steve smiled to himself at the picture she made, utterly irreverent and uncaring of her appearance. It was absurdly charming.

When Steve had first met Toni, she'd been in what he now liked to call her business armor. Pressed pant suit, high heels, sharp eyeliner and a killer smirk on glossy lips. She was beautiful, of course she was, but everything about her had screamed intimidation. Control. Power.

It'd definitely had the desired effect on Steve back then. There was no denying that Toni was attractive, even though she seemed to consciously refrain from showing off her curves or flaunting her long hair, which she usually wore in tight buns or complicated braids. It made sense, he supposed, in the circles she was in, to use her appearance to inspire respect and reinforce her status. Steve had found it distasteful at first, but he could admit to himself that a lot of that had stemmed from his general dislike of all the things Toni and her massive wealth stood for in his mind.

Now, he was completely disillusioned. Toni didn't like to wear make-up in the comfort of her own home, nor did she care about putting on fancy clothes or shoes. He'd seen her in ratty band shirts and baggy jeans a lot more than he had seen her in her fancy suits. It made her seem a lot more approachable, which was a big reason why Steve got along with her so well. The Toni Stark he'd first met had made him utterly tongue-tied, the same way Peggy had at first. This Toni Stark he was comfortable making crude jokes with and lounging around on the couch together. He'd go so far as to say that she was one of the best friends he'd ever had.

Steve had spent so many years of his life almost exclusively bonding with men that it was refreshing to have Toni and Natasha in his life now. Sure, he'd had Peggy, but that had been different. He'd never thought he would find the kind of love he imagined he would have for a sibling in Natasha, or find a friend he trusted almost as much as Bucky in Toni. He wouldn't give it up for the world.

As the lights flickered back on around him, Steve looked up at the ceiling and watched the tower come back to life. Toni must have managed to get everything up and running then. Steve tossed the remote into the air and deftly caught it again as he pushed to his feet, heading down towards the gym.

Maybe Toni would want to go a few rounds.

When Steve had first joined the Avengers, he'd expected it to be a lot more hectic. Sure, he had his SHIELD missions on the side and sometimes even contracted with the military for specific operations, but actual Avengers work seemed to be few and far between. Which was why it was always exciting to get that notification on his work phone.

Even when it was for something like this.

“You know, I don't hate being a show pony, but you'd think we'd get to shoot some bad guys from time to time,” Clint grumbled as he fiddled with his cufflinks. Steve hummed, privately agreeing with him as he looked around the empty lobby.

“It's only for one night. We can do some actual combat training tomorrow.”

Clint rolled his eyes. “Yeah, but that's training. When's the last time Fury sent us out for anything that didn't involve shaking hands?”

“To be fair, we won't just be shaking hands this time,” Steve said, tapping the comm piece in his ear. “Intelligence gathering is important.”

“But it's boring.”

Steve shrugged. “Well, if we find something worth investigating, we might get to do some actual field work.”

Clint raised both eyebrows as he cocked his head and nodded. “Fair point.” He checked his watch. “Are the ladies coming down? Or are we meeting them there?”

“I think we're only waiting on Bruce and Nat,” Steve said right as the elevator numbers started counting down next to them. “That's probably them.”

“Toni's not coming?” Clint asked. “She said she would. We made a bet, you know?”

A bet for what, Steve didn't dare to ask. He probably didn't want to know the answer anyway. “She's joining us later. She said she has a conference before this.”

Clint smirked. “Busy as always. At least she won't have to change.”

Steve smiled. It was true, Toni's gala outfits weren't much different from the pant suits she wore to work. She'd explained it to him once, something about Steve Jobs and recognition value. He didn't quite get it, but it seemed important to her, so Steve hadn't dug any deeper into it.

The elevator opened to reveal Bruce in a smart suit and Natasha in a lovely red dress with high heels to match. Steve had to avert his eyes before he made a fool of himself by gawking.

“You guys look hot,” Clint said, thankfully, so Steve could simply nod in agreement and smile. He still got a little flustered around beautiful, dolled up women, even when it was just Nat, who had tossed him around the gym not even two hours ago. “Alright, let's get this show on the road.”

They walked out to their car, and Steve reflexively held the door open for Natasha. She raised an eloquent eyebrow at him.

“Thanks, Steve.”

“Sure.” God, this was embarrassing. He was aware that the rules of what was acceptable gentlemanly behavior had changed. Usually, he didn't have a problem abiding by them. “After you.”

Natasha kindly refrained from rolling her eyes, even though he could see she wanted to as she got into the car. Steve slid onto the seat beside her, feeling his cheeks heat in mortification. He was making a complete ass of himself, and he didn't even like Natasha like that.

None of this boded well for the rest of the evening.

Steve wished he could say their mission was a smashing success. On paper, it sure looked like it. They'd gotten the information they needed, and all of their targets were none the wiser. Hook, line and sinker, as far as SHIELD was concerned.

For Steve? The evening was an unmitigated disaster.

It had started out so well. He'd made contact with the person he was supposed to shadow for the night, getting into light conversation and subtly steering the topics in the direction he needed. It went over so well that Steve was done with his part of the operation before they even sat down for dinner. And he'd done it without having to wait for Toni to do most of the leg work. Which was good, because Toni still hadn't showed up.

Steve sipped his drink, looking around the room and smiling a little at the thought of lording this over Toni's head for the rest of the night. She would probably grumble about it and come up with clever ways to get revenge for his teasing later. Steve was weirdly looking forward to it.

But in a strange turn of events, any and all thought of that was wiped from his mind the minute Toni stepped into the room.

Steve didn't even recognize her at first, mesmerized by the beautiful woman in a golden, floor-length dress with long, dark brown hair spilling down her back like a waterfall of curls. She looked like a Greek goddess, making his heart pound a little faster as he stared at her, unable to tear his eyes away. Then she turned towards him, and Steve's jaw dropped when he got a good look at her face.

“Hey, stranger,” Toni said as she ambled over to him, a hypnotic sway in her waist and a killer smile on her bright red lips. “Don't tell me you started without me.”

Steve swallowed past the sudden lump in his throat, hyperconscious of the way he was standing. He had the urge to do something with his hands, because surely the way he was holding them was awkward, but he didn't know what. God, he probably looked like an idiot, gawking at her like this. “Hey. Toni.” He cleared his throat. “You look beautiful.”

Toni's smile widened. “Well, I'd better. This mug wasn't cheap.” She tilted her head towards the rest of the guests. “Shall we?”

“Oh, uh –“ Steve shuffled his feet. “I already – I mean, I got the intel. Already.”

“You did?” Toni looked surprised for a second before she nodded begrudgingly. “Looks like Fury underestimated you. Guess you didn't need me to babysit.”

This was where Steve had planned to tease her. Maybe even get her to roll her eyes and elbow him in the side. Now, the words wouldn't come. “Yeah. I guess.”

Toni's eyes narrowed as she looked him up and down. “You okay? You seem a little...”

“No. I'm good.” Steve straightened his shoulders, determined not to embarrass himself any further. “Let's get you a drink. Then we can check in on the others, see if they need any help.”

Toni smiled. “You have the best ideas.” She gave him a critical look. “Wait, before we go – come here.”

She stepped in close, so close that Steve could smell her perfume. He stopped breathing as she tugged at his tie, then his lapels, before she slipped her hands into his shirt collar and straightened it out. Her fingers slid along his neck, skin on skin, and Steve couldn't look away from the meticulous lines of her makeup, the deep cut of her dress. Toni's appearance was undoubtedly meant to entice, but in her eyes Steve could see that same sparkle of mirth and razor sharp wit that she always had. She was beautiful, powerful, confident, in complete control of herself. And Steve...

Steve was getting hard.

Horrified, he tugged at the hem of his suit to hide his crotch more thoroughly, silently cursing up a storm. This hadn't happened to him since before the serum. What the hell was he doing?

“There,” Toni finally said, stepping away with a satisfied smile. “Now you're perfect.”

Steve swallowed a noise that tried to creep up in his throat, his whole body tense. This was a nightmare. If Toni noticed, she would –

Turn away being none the wiser, thank god. Steve breathed a sigh of relief and followed her into the crowd, willing himself to calm down. He had no idea what had brought this on. His gaze drifted down to the open back of her dress, eying her smooth, tanned skin –

No. This was still Toni, his best friend in this century. He shouldn't be ogling her like this. It wasn't right.

But as he watched her greet people and shake hands with the easy grace of someone who wore confidence like a second skin, commanding the attention of everyone in the room... Fuck, he couldn't remember ever being this attracted to somebody.

Steve followed her mostly in silence, not speaking unless spoken to. It felt right in the moment, to let Toni take the lead. He'd thought he'd been doing a good job earlier, but being here with Toni showed him just how much he still had to learn. Toni was a master at this. She was a goddamn professional.

Steve had the random thought that he could just bask in her presence like this forever.

“Toni! Old friend, how's it going?”

He turned around towards the voice, his stomach curdling when he saw Justin Hammer and Aldrich Killing making their way over to them. Great. He knew Toni couldn't stand these guys.

In an amazing display of nonchalance, Toni greeted them with a smile. “Well, if it isn't the riff raff. Security!”

“Oh, such a jokester,” Hammer laughed obnoxiously, probably for the benefit of the people around them. “I see you've brought your friend. Captain America, in the flesh.”

“I don't think we've had the pleasure,” Steve said, his tone making it clear just how little of a pleasure it actually was. Neither Hammer nor Killian seemed deterred, shaking his hand with greasy grins. At least they didn't try to lock him into a handshake contest. It wouldn't have ended well for either of them.

“Nice to finally meet you, Captain,” Killian said. There was something oily about his voice that immediately rubbed Steve the wrong way. “It's an honor.”

“Thank you.” There was an awkward pause as Steve failed to return the sentiment in kind. Killian's eyes flashed with irritation for a second before his face smoothed out again. Got him right in the ego, Steve thought with a hint of satisfaction.

“So, Toni, darling.” A lot of people had called her that tonight. From Hammer it sounded especially condescending. “I hear you've been making bold moves lately. Shutting down two entire factories in Asia? How are you picking up the slack?”

Toni raised an eyebrow. “I have more than enough suppliers. And those factories were violating our contracts regarding safety regulations. I couldn't let anyone work there in good conscience.”

“Well, I suppose putting hundreds of people out of work is reasonable in that case,” Hammer said with an undertone of glee, like he'd found a weak spot and was enjoying digging his fingers in. “I wonder how well this went over with the rest of your staff though? Are they aware that a whole bunch of their co-workers overseas have been laid off?”

The look in Toni's eyes was all steel, even though the corners of her lips were still tilted up in a pleasant smile. “Now who told you that I laid anyone off, Justin? I'm sure if I had fired three hundred and twenty-six people at once, it would have made the news. I assure you, my employees are very happy to be where they are.” Toni's smile widened. “But of course, you would know all about that. Stark industries ranked number five on Fortune's top 100 businesses for employee satisfaction this year. Where'd you rank, Justin? One hundred and eighty-ninth?” She feigned a surprised startle, covering her mouth with one hand. “Oh no, wait, I'm sorry. That was you, Killian, wasn't it? Or am I remembering this wrong?”

Both of the men's placid expressions seemed to freeze on their faces. It was oddly satisfying.

“You're thinking of someone else,” Killian said, as though he was forcing the words out through clenched teeth. Toni sighed, shaking her head.

“Silly me. You have to forgive me, gentlemen. My memory isn't what it used to be.”

“Of course,” Hammer said. “Alcohol will do that to you.”

Steve's whole body stiffened with rage. The audacity –

“I'll pour one out for you, Hammer-time,” Toni said, twinkling her fingers before she started dragging Steve away by the arm. “Come on, Cap. Let's hit the bar.”

Steve reluctantly let her steer him towards the side of the room, his blood still boiling, fists clenched.

“You might want to relax a little,” Toni said with a subtle warning in her tone. “Can't give people the wrong idea.”

“What, the idea that Justin Hammer pisses me off?” he growled, and she snorted a laugh.

“Exactly. Let me buy you a drink, that'll calm you down.”

Steve didn't think so, but he still followed Toni to the bar, taking whatever it was she pushed into his hands.

“Come on, chin up. And get that sour look off your face, you'll scare people away.”

The command in her voice was subtle. But for some reason, it made Steve's spine snap straight, the furrow in his brow instantly relaxing.

“Sorry,” he mumbled, and she sighed, patting his arm.

“We'll make a socialite out of you yet, Cap. Trust me, you're in good hands.”

Toni's hands. Steve swallowed hard, trying to ban any inappropriate thoughts from his head. What the hell was wrong with him? “I know. Thanks for the save.”

“Don't thank me yet. The evening isn't over.” She smirked at him. “Do you want to go put the fear of god into my competition?”

“I don't think that's what we're here for,” Steve said, even as the thought of Toni intimidating other people sent a thrill down his spine. Jesus, he needed to get a grip.

“You, young padawan, have a lot to learn. Maybe I will teach you some tricks.” She winked at him. “Can't just throw you to the sharks without proper training.”

Steve was starting to think he had a serious problem, because that? Sounded like a come on. “I think I do alright. The USO taught me a lot, you know?”

“Yeah, but once you can enter the room like a Stark? You can do anything.” It could've sounded arrogant, and it kind of did, except Steve knew exactly what Toni meant. She was living proof of it. “It'll be the hardest training of your life, just you wait.”

“I sincerely doubt that,” he said, and she laughed, clapping him on the shoulder.

“Famous last words. Come on, let's get to it before Hawkass steals our thunder. I have a bet to win.”

They spent the next two hours mingling with New York's finest. Steve managed to keep his inappropriate thoughts to a minimum, which was good, because Toni never once left his side, even looping her arm through his on occasion so she could lead him around the room. It was strange how little Steve minded Toni bossing him around in her subtle ways, when he usually rankled at the very idea of mindlessly obeying authority. He was still pondering why that was when Pepper directed everyone's attention to the stage set up at the far end of the room by tapping the microphone.

“Good evening, everyone,” she said with a charming smile. She looked stunning in her cornflower blue gown, though Steve couldn't help but think that Toni was more beautiful. He immediately felt guilty for comparing them in his mind. “Dinner is about to be served, so I'll ask you to please find your seats. Thank you.”

Steve was about to go when Toni held him back with a hand on his arm, giving him an unimpressed look.

“And where do you think you're going?”

“Um. Dinner?” Steve asked, and Toni shook her head with a sigh.

“Lesson number one of your socialite training. Never be the first one seated. It makes you look awkward.”

“Okay?” Steve watched as the first guests headed towards the dining area. “Do you think these people know that?”

“Every party needs its sacrificial lambs.” Toni grinned, nodding at where Clint was sauntering into the room. “Especially the hungry ones.”

“That doesn't make any sense,” Steve said, and Toni rolled her eyes.

“Nothing in high society does. Come on.”

Apparently they'd waited an acceptable amount of time. Toni guided Steve over to the arrangement of tables, making a beeline towards the one in the middle, where Clint was already seated. She raised an eyebrow at Steve when he instinctively pulled out her chair. “A true gentleman, ey?” she asked, and Steve's cheeks flooded with heat as he took his seat next to her.

“Sorry. Old habits die hard.”

“No, it's charming. Just don't start doing it at the tower or Nat will stab a fork through your hand.”

“She totally will,” Clint said, and Steve winced.

“I know. Sorry.”

“It's fine.” Toni picked up the menu and handed it to Steve. “You should try the Merlot. I picked it out myself.”

“Alright,” Steve said easily, his chest glowing with warmth when Toni nodded in satisfaction.

“I don't really like red wine,” Clint said, and Toni gave him a dirty look.

“That's because you have no taste.”

“And you're a snobby bitch, but you don't see me complaining.”

“Hey,” Steve said before he could check himself, and Clint smirked at him.

“What? No insults for the lady?”

“Careful there, Cap,” Toni said, something dangerous creeping into her tone. “A lady might get the impression that you don't think she can defend herself.”

Steve wisely shut his mouth, holding up both hands in defeat instead. Toni narrowed her eyes at him.

“Yeah, that's what I thought.”

“Nice save,” Clint stage-whispered across the table before he winced and glared at Toni. “Ow. Bitch.”

“Dick,” she said primly, crossing one leg over the other. Steve had to pity Clint for a second. He wouldn't want to get kicked by those shoes either.

Though they did make her legs look very shapely. Steve eyed the delicate curve of her calf for way too long before he managed to avert his gaze, cursing himself internally. Apparently he wasn't done being depraved for the night. He only hoped that by some miracle, Toni still hadn't noticed.

As soon as everybody was seated, the staff started bringing out their food, big plates with tiny portions of expensive looking dishes. Toni had apparently made it her mission to make Steve try everything at least once and explain which wine complemented each dish. Steve listened attentively as he chewed on the food, feeling absurdly pleased by all of the attention that Toni was paying to him. It was probably a little pathetic, he had to admit, but somehow that fact wasn't enough to keep him from feeling this way.

It didn't help that Clint kept waggling his eyebrows at them from across the table when Toni wasn't looking. Steve was going to make him run so many laps in their training session tomorrow.

They had barely finished eating when Pepper appeared on stage again. Steve could see one of Clint's targets for the night lurking behind the curtain on the left, clearly getting his microphone checked.

“Ladies and gentlemen,” Pepper said with a broad smile. “I am honored to present our first guest. He has made waves in the world of renewable energy and is on his way to reshaping our future. Please welcome our speaker of the hour, Gerard Musconi!”

Musconi walked out onto the stage with a typical businessman smile, showing off his pearly white teeth and waving at the crowd with one hand. Toni leaned over to speak in Steve's ear as they clapped.

“He's a dick. Has some good ideas, though.”

That was exactly the vibe Steve had gotten off his initial impression of the man. He watched as Pepper shook Musconi's hand before leaving the stage, the applause dying down slowly.

Which was when Steve heard it.

Few people knew that the serum had enhanced each and every one of his senses. Steve could hear conversations through concrete walls as if he was standing right next to the people talking. He could literally hear a pin drop in a crowded room.

And he could hear the safety of a gun clicking off even when other people were still sporadically clapping.

Steve whipped around and immediately spotted the shooter, standing in the shadows near the entrance and slowly raising his gun. He knew exactly who it was aimed at. He also knew that he wouldn't reach the shooter in time.

So Steve jumped up off his seat and leapt right into the path of the bullet, a second before the shot echoed through the room. He felt the impact in his left shoulder and rolled to avoid dropping right onto the wound, landing heavily on his back. Another shot rang out, but the sound of glass breaking made it clear that security had likely grabbed the shooter already and diverted his aim away from Musconi, who was currently getting dragged off the stage by his bodyguard.

People started screaming, glasses and plates crashing to the ground as everyone tried to get away from the threat. A security guard knelt down at Steve's side, taking one look at his shoulder before he tapped his comm and said, “Captain America has been hit. Charlie unit in pursuit of culprit, over.”

So they hadn't caught him. Steve sighed and let his head thunk down onto the ground, trying to ignore the pain. And Toni, beautiful, lovely Toni, appeared in his field of vision, hovering over him with a tense look on her face.

“Don't move,” she said, and Steve hissed when she pressed down on his wound, turning to yell at someone. “I need a medic! Right the fuck now!”

“It's okay,” Steve said, trying to sit up – but she pushed him back down so hard that Steve flopped onto the ground, blinking in surprise.

“If you try to get up one more time, I swear to god, I will sit on you, Rogers,” she snapped, and Steve felt his heart lurch, beating double time. “Don't test me.”

“Um, ma'am –“

“What?” Toni barked at the security guard. “Why are you still standing here? Go make yourself useful and find the bastard who did this!”

There was something very wrong with Steve. He was sure of it. There was no other way to explain why watching Toni yell at people, looking like a wrathful goddess as she did, would ever ignite a simmer of arousal in his gut.

“And you!” Toni whirled back around on him, fury in her eyes. Steve's cock twitched a little. “What the fuck were you thinking? Musconi is wearing a bullet-proof vest! You are not!”

“I can't just let someone get shot,” Steve said, and Toni glowered at him.

“I should just let you bleed out. Fucking idiot.” Contrary to her words, she kept up the same firm pressure on his wound. She was strong, so much stronger than she looked, and Steve needed to stop thinking about that, because down that path lay madness and the death of propriety. “Don't ever do that again, you hear me?”

“I'm sorry,” he said, and Toni's eyes softened for just a second before she shook her head.

“What am I saying? Of course you will.” Her smile went a little tight around the edges. “That's just what you do.”

Steve's heart was pounding in his chest. He didn't know what to say, so he said nothing, thankfully saved by the medics arriving and fussing over his wound. Toni stayed long enough to make sure he was taken care of before she marched off, presumably to find the culprit of the shooting. Steve just hoped she'd leave him alive for questioning, if Natasha hadn't already gotten there first.

It probably said something about Steve that this thought didn't help to quell his arousal at all. He was just glad that it didn't seem to be noticeable to anyone else.

But to Steve? It was obvious, after this evening, that he had some major self-reflecting to do.

This whole thing had probably started with Peggy.

Steve had never suspected that he might have a type. For the longest time, he'd thought he only had a distant sort of appreciation for women, respectful and a little bashful. Beautiful women intimidated him as much as they attracted him, and Steve had been fine with that. No woman would have wanted to look twice at him anyway.

But then he'd met Peggy, and he'd realized that all this time he just hadn't met the right gal for him yet. Because Peggy was that, beautiful and strong, yes, but also approachable and kind. She'd talked to Steve like they were equals, asserting herself as an unstoppable force in the army and never once buckling under unfair stereotypes. Steve had been starry-eyed from the first moment he'd met her, completely taken by her confidence and charm.

It made sense then that Toni tickled that exact same part of his brain.

His feelings for Toni weren't identical to what he'd felt for Peggy of course. But now that he was thinking about it, Steve could see a pattern there. Toni was strong-willed and independent, beautiful and resourceful. Steve could depend on her to pull her own weight and then some, and if he had to choose, he would always want her at his back to watch his six. Toni was his best friend, his trusted confidant, and Steve wouldn't trade it for the world.

After that gala however... Steve had to accept that he did want a lot more than that.

Toni evoked feelings in him that even Peggy hadn't. Steve wanted her to like him. More than that, he wanted her to be impressed by him. There was something about Toni's presence that made Steve fold and bend when he would've otherwise stood his ground. Not in the field or in their professional lives, but when it was just them? Steve wanted to follow Toni's lead. He hadn't realized how much so until that night at the gala, but now he couldn't stop noticing the impulse in himself. No other woman had ever made him feel like that.

He'd done some research on it, curious to know if other people felt like this too, and the results had been... enlightening, to say the least. It wasn't that Steve had been completely unfamiliar with the concept of kink or even BDSM – it hadn't taken him long to figure out that the internet was for porn after all – but he'd thought that it just wasn't for him. All the latex and leather and whips had turned him right off the whole thing.

But now he was learning that there were layers to it. That some of the things he'd read about sounded like everything he'd never even known he wanted. And imagining Toni as the one to order him around, use him for her own pleasure, maybe even get a little rough with him in order to teach him a lesson... suffice to say it had inspired more than one late night session with his right hand.

It was honestly a little embarrassing. Steve was pretty sure that all Toni saw in him was a friend, and him lusting over her like this felt like a breach of trust. But in moments of weakness, when he was lying alone in bed at night, he would be lying if he said that he didn't think of it, every single time, without fail.

During the day, Steve mostly managed to keep a lid on his feelings. Or at least he thought he did. Nobody on the team had said anything to him about his infatuation yet, so he just had to hope that he wasn't as obvious as he feared.

It was only when he was left to his own devices that the problems arose.

Like right now, when Steve was in his room, going through footage of their recent training sessions to see if anything stood out to him as a weak point they still needed to work on – when he stumbled across a video of him and Toni in the boxing ring.

He hadn't reviewed this footage before. Nevertheless, he remembered exactly when this was from. He'd been loitering around the kitchen at some godforsaken hour of the night, unable to sleep, and Toni had stumbled in with a bleary-eyed smile that had made Steve's heart clench – and yeah, he really should have figured out how he felt about Toni way before this, shouldn't he?

Either way, they had ended up in the gym, ostensibly to tire each other out enough to finally go to sleep, but more so just to shoot the shit. Still, any sparring session was an opportunity to learn, and so Steve had tried to take it somewhat seriously.

He could see his lips move on the security footage as he showed Toni a combo that Natasha was quite fond of, a high kick leading into a spinning takedown. Toni stretched her legs for a bit before she clapped her hands and got into position.

The serum had given him an excellent memory. Steve could recall the pressure of Toni's legs clamping down on his head perfectly well, remembered the glint of triumph in her eyes when she managed to wrestle him to the ground. Her weight on his chest as she sat there and gloated. How her voice had echoed through the empty gym. The way she'd smelled – a mixture of body wash and sweat.

Steve was resigned more than anything when he felt his cock stir in his pants. He could probably ignore it, move on to the next video and finish his work in peace.

Instead he pushed down the waistband of his shorts and wrapped his hand around his cock.

Steve watched at his past self grabbed Toni's arm and wrenched it around, knocking her off his chest and taking her to the ground. He remembered this too – the way she'd panted underneath him, her eyes tight with defiance and strain as she'd tried to buck him off. Steve had overpowered her easily by virtue of the sheer mass of his body – until Toni had twisted her leg around his, angled her hips and rolled them over, getting his neck in a chokehold.

How's that for leverage? her voice rang through his mind as Steve watched her lips move on the footage. Steve hadn't let her keep him down for long, but in the here and now, Steve closed his eyes and imagined what might have happened if he had.

If he had tapped out and relaxed while she still held him down, cutting off his air. She could have straddled him again, her thighs around his head, looking down at him with that self-assured air of victory about her, confident and powerful.

Steve squeezed his cock a little tighter, shivering when he rubbed his thumb along the head. Toni would probably say something then, something smug and demeaning, as she sat on Steve's face. Her body wash had smelled like lavender, but Steve had been able to pick up on something more earthy too, underneath the salt of sweat. If she let Steve get his mouth on her, she would probably taste like that, like skin and that tangy smell that was all Toni. Steve's mouth watered as he imagined licking into her, feeling her clench around his tongue.

Maybe she would stroke his cock. Or maybe she would leave him hanging instead, forced to ignore the throbbing in his cock as she used him for her own pleasure. Steve shivered, thrusting up into his fist at the thought of her coming on his face, grinding her pussy into his mouth as if he was nothing more than one of her sex toys – because surely a woman as rich as Toni had all the bells and whistles – as she rubbed her juices all over his chin –

Steve came with a startled gasp, his hips jerking through his orgasm as his cock spilled in his hand. The afterglow lasted for maybe ten seconds before the guilt crept in, turning the heat of pleasure into something cold and bitter.

Steve closed the video, laying his tablet to the side as he slumped down in his armchair with a sigh. He had no idea what to do about this. He knew that he was prone to falling fast and hard, but once he did, it took a lot for those feelings to go away. But in this case, maybe it would be best for him to try and get over it as quickly as possible.

Not just because Toni was his friend, but because she was also a genius billionaire sex symbol and completely out of his league. Steve was under no illusion that he was the kind of man Toni wanted, and that was fine. Really, it was fine. Nothing was going to happen. He knew that for a fact.

Which was probably why Toni decided to prove him wrong.

“You're going to catch flies.”

“Huh?” Steve blinked, looking up at Clint who was sitting across from him at the breakfast table, munching on a handful of salted peanuts with a supremely judgmental look on his face. “What?”

“Just saying. The whole open-mouthed staring thing isn't your most attractive look.”

Steve's teeth clacked together painfully when he quickly closed his mouth. He demonstratively didn't look back at the TV screen, where Toni was sat on a couch with her legs crossed, getting interviewed by some guy whose name probably started with a J. “I'm not staring.”

“Sure thing, dude. And I'm a river in Egypt.”

Steve shook his head, in no mood for Clint's weird riddles. “I'm not. I promise.”

“Hey, I'm not the one you're going to have to convince. You're just lucky that Toni is one of the most oblivious people I've ever met, because you're not subtle at all, my guy.”

There went all of Steve's hopes that he'd managed to keep his embarrassing crush under wraps. He gritted his teeth. “Does everyone know?”

“Hey, it's not like we just sit around gossiping whenever you're not – okay, who am I kidding, yes, everyone knows. There's a betting pool.”

“Great,” Steve sighed, putting down his fork so he could instead put his head in his hands. “That's just perfect.”

“Look, take it from someone who's been around the block a time or two – you should shoot your shot. You don't get over a woman like that by waiting it out. Trust me.”

Steve raised an eyebrow at him. “Who made you the expert?”

“Like I said, I've been around.” Clint patted him on the shoulder. “You do want her, don't you?”

Steve wanted to deny it. But if everyone already knew, there was really no point, was there? “It doesn't matter if I do. It's not going to happen.”

“Are you sure about that?”

“Pretty sure I would've noticed if Toni had any of those kinds of feelings towards me,” Steve said with a touch of bitterness, and Clint coughed into his hand.

“Right. Look, I'm just saying, it might be better to know for sure, don't you think? What's the worst that could happen?”

“What's the – she's my best friend,” Steve burst out, shocked that he even had to say this. “What if she never talks to me again? What if –“ He swallowed hard. “What if she asks me to leave?”

“She wouldn't do that,” Clint said, a touch more serious now. “Even if she doesn't feel the same, she wouldn't toss you out on your ass. I think you know that.”

Yeah, Steve knew that. But it didn't stop him from fearing the worst. “She still could. It's her tower, she can do whatever she wants.”

“Technically, sure. But like you said, she's your best friend. The worst thing she's going to do is let you down easy.”

And potentially distance herself from him. Slowly but surely cut Steve out of her life. Keep working with him in an utterly professional manner, no jokes, no warmth, no Toni.

“It's not worth the risk,” Steve said quietly, and Clint sighed.

“Whatever you say, man. But for what it's worth, I think you're wrong.”

Steve hummed, picking up his fork again so he could get back to shoving his eggs across the plate, not hungry anymore in the slightest. Clint could believe what he wanted, but Steve had known Toni for quite a while now. If she'd ever given a hint at wanting something more, he would have noticed by now.

“What's going on here? I smell collusion.”

Steve jumped when Toni walked into the room, looping around behind him to get to the fridge. Clint raised both eyebrows at Steve. Then he smirked in a way that made Steve's skin prickle with foreboding.

“Nothing much,” Clint said. “Just telling Steve that he needs to get off his ass and ask out the lady he's crushing on.”

Steve's heart jumped into his mouth. A swirling rush of betrayal, panic and terror surged through him at once as his body locked up in freeze. The only upside was that from Toni's vantage point, she couldn't see his face.

“Is that so?” Toni asked, her tone deceptively mild. Clint's smirk widened.

“Oh yeah. Poor guy's all torn up about it. Thinks it's unrequited, if you can believe it.”

Steve was going to kill Clint. He didn't know when, he didn't know how, but he was going to do it. Possibly get Natasha involved beforehand.

“Well, that doesn't sound very good at all,” Toni said, and Steve abruptly found that he couldn't do this.

“If you'll excuse me,” he said, his voice terse, as he stood up and walked away, not looking at anybody. He decided to take the stairs, just to have an outlet for the nervous energy coursing through his body, taking them three at a time on the way up to his floor.

By the time he got there, the noise in his head hadn't quieted down at all. Which was why he was sure he looked like a deer in the headlights when he reached the door to his personal quarters and saw Toni standing there, leaned against the door in a terribly casual way.

“Hey, Steve,” she said, giving him a smile that was somehow soft and sharp all at once. “Just wanted to check up on you. You seemed like you were in a hurry to get out of there.”

Why was the universe punishing him today? Steve swallowed hard, trying to school his features into something approaching normal. He had a feeling that he didn't succeed.

“It's nothing.”

Not surprisingly, Toni didn't seem convinced. She pushed herself off the door and walked over to him, her eyes shining with something vaguely dangerous that made Steve's heart pound even faster. “Clint said some pretty interesting things back there.”

“I guess he did,” Steve said, because after the way he'd reacted, there was no point in denying anything. At least Toni didn't know –

“Very interesting, in fact.” She stopped only inches away from him, her face completely unreadable when she said, “I see the way you look at me.”

A chill ran down Steve's spine, freezing him in place. So Toni wasn't oblivious after all. He was going to kick Clint's ass right off the top of the tower if he survived this conversation without dying of embarrassment.

“I thought I was imagining it at first, but you keep doing things that I can't explain away.” Steve felt like she was staring right into his soul, down to the most wretched parts of him. “So I did a little digging. And I found something very interesting.”

“What's that?” Steve asked, his voice barely above a whisper. Toni cocked her head, her lips twitching ever so slightly at the corners.

“JARVIS logs all access to security cam footage on his servers. And one video in particular has been accessed multiple times this past week. Thirteen times, to be exact.”

Heat rose in Steve's cheeks, incriminating and humiliating. “Toni –“

“You know exactly which video I'm talking about. Of course I had to watch it myself. There's a part that you replayed over and over again.” Her lips twisted with a wry smirk. “Can't say I blame you. We look fucking hot.”

“I'm so sorry,” Steve forced out through the lump in his throat. “I won't do it again. You can delete it, or revoke my access, or –“

He flinched backwards when Toni spun him around, crowding him against the wall with a hand on either side of Steve's body. She was so close that Steve could count her individual lashes, see every beauty mark and freckle. Steve abruptly stopped breathing, his heart pounding in his throat.

After a tense moment, a triumphant smile bloomed on Toni's face, breathtakingly beautiful even as it made Steve's stomach swoop. “Interesting. I do love being right.”

“Toni,” Steve croaked, almost choking on his tongue when Toni pressed forward, her knee bullying its way between his thighs. She was so close to touching him right where he was getting hard, where nobody but him had ever touched before. He wanted it desperately but was afraid to move and make it happen, and Toni seemed to read it perfectly on his face, because her smile softened into something more understanding and kind.

“You can say no. Or we can talk about this first and figure out what each of us want. How does that sound?”

Steve had to swallow twice to get his dry mouth to work again. “I think – we should talk.”

Toni nodded and took a step back, giving Steve some much needed room to breathe. He was grateful and irrationally disappointed at the same time. “That's okay. Encouraged even, if you want what I think you want from me. That sort of thing requires a lot of communication and trust.”

“I do trust you,” Steve said instantly, and Toni's eyes twinkled with amusement.

“It's not the same as trusting me to have your back in the field. But we'll talk about that when you're ready.”

“Now?” Toni blinked in surprise, but Steve couldn't regret asking, not when the thought of Toni leaving him here with all these things unsaid made his gut clench with anxiety. “You can come inside so we can talk. If you want.”

Toni smiled. “Sure. I'd like that.”

“Great.” Before Steve could even ask, Toni was already walking over to the door, waiting expectantly for Steve to stumble after her and put his thumb on the fingerprint lock. Steve gestured for her to step inside first, using the moment that Toni had her back turned to him to adjust his hard cock in his pants. It should feel more awkward to be like this in Toni's presence, but somehow it wasn't. It seemed fitting, even.

Steve – off balance and wanton. Toni – poised and composed. Something about that felt right.

“Let's sit,” Toni said, as if offering Steve a seat in his own home was a normal thing to do. Steve did as she asked, folding his hands in his lap as they looked at each other. Toni seemed to be seizing him up for a moment before she said, “I'd be happy to hear you out on what you think is happening here, but I also have a theory of my own. Do you want to tell me or do you want me to guess?”

The question felt almost like a test. Steve swallowed hard. “What's your theory?”

A tiny smile flitted across Toni's face, there and gone in an instant. “In that part of the security footage that you keep rewatching, I'm on top of you. Holding you down.” Heat rose in Steve's cheeks, his heart pounding in his throat. “You get nervous around women. Only sometimes, but enough so that it's a pattern. When I was wearing that golden dress at the gala, you followed me around all evening like a puppy.”

The comparison made Steve feel a little like Toni was crushing his wind pipe with her foot. “I'm sorry.”

“What? Hey, no, I didn't say it was a bad thing,” Toni said – a little ruefully, Steve thought. “I'm just telling you why I'm fairly confident that I know exactly what you want from me.” She leaned forward in her seat. “And that I'd be happy to give it to you. If you want it.” Toni smirked. “It'd be far from the first time, trust me. I know I have a certain aura. You're not the first guy who wants to be my little plaything.”

“It's not just that though,” Steve rushed out, even as Toni's words burned through his veins like molten lava, because fuck, he did want that, so badly. Toni raised one of her perfectly shaped eyebrows, so Steve continued, “It's – if I had planned this, I – I would've taken you on a date first. To show you that I'm serious.”

Toni's left eyebrow rose to join the other. “Serious?”

“I don't just want you for – you know. For sex,” Steve said awkwardly, wincing when Toni's eyes widened. “And I – if that's all you want, I'll understand. But I don't think I could do that. So, uh. If you don't – if that's not what you want, then you can tell me now, and we don't ever have to talk about this again. I promise I won't treat you any differently. Unless you want me to keep my distance for a while.”

Christ. Steve closed his eyes for a second, terrified and a little relieved at the same time. At least it was all out in the open now. No matter what Toni decided, Steve didn't have to keep this secret anymore.

“Just so I understand,” Toni asked slowly. When Steve looked up, he was surprised to find her looking unsure, for the first time since they started talking. “You want to date me?”

“I just want a chance,” Steve said, his pulse picking up speed. Toni didn't look like she was disturbed by the idea. Maybe even the opposite. “I'd love to take you out. See where it goes.”

“See where it goes,” she echoed. Then she smiled. “So this isn't just a sex thing for you.”

“Definitely not,” he said firmly, and her smile widened.

“That's nice to hear. Not that I wouldn't have taken the alternative, but – this is much better.”

“Yeah?” Steve was pretty sure that Toni must be able to hear his heart pounding from where she was sitting. “You mean that?”

“Wouldn't say it if I didn't.” Toni cocked her head. “But I wasn't wrong about the fantasy part, was I? You do want something like that from me?”

Steve was pretty sure his face was bright red when he nodded. “Yeah, no, that – that's definitely a part of it.”

“Good.” Toni's voice was almost a purr. Steve shivered at the sound, looking up just in time to catch Toni's lips twisting into a devilish smirk. “So you do know what you want.”

“I've looked at some things.” Toni's eyebrows rose, and Steve had to clear his throat before he continued. “About... domination. Femdoms.”

“My my,” Toni simpered, her voice digging under Steve's skin like a physical touch. “So you're a little expert, hm? Lucky me.”

The hint of condescension in her voice made Steve feel like he was on fire, humiliated and electrified all at once. “That's –“

“Tell you what.” Toni leaned a little closer, her eyes glinting with a mixture of amusement and a challenge. “How about we make a deal? Next Friday, you get to take me out on a date. We'll do whatever you've been thinking of when you were daydreaming about asking me out.”

Steve swallowed hard, unsure why her being so nonchalant about the depth of his infatuation with her was such a turn on, but unable to deny it. “Okay.”

“And in return, I'll make a plan for everything that's going to happen once I take you home.” Steve felt a sharp thrill at the way she phrased it. She was going to take him home. “Before I do that, you're going to send me some of those things you looked at while you were researching this.” Toni grinned when Steve let out a choked noise, his skin burning with embarrassment. “The ones that you enjoyed the most. And maybe we can try to make some of it happen.”

The idea of his fantasies becoming a reality was almost too overwhelming to imagine. Steve licked his lips, shivering when Toni's eyes flickered down to his mouth in response. “Okay. I will.”

“Good boy.” Oh god. Steve couldn't have hidden the way that those words made him feel if he tried, and Toni seemed to notice, judging by her self-satisfied smirk. She stood up, patting invisible lint off her thighs as she said, “I've got a meeting to get to, but I'll see you on Friday. Send me those links before then.”

“Will do.” Steve stood up hastily when Toni walked towards the door, making her look back at him with a questioning look. “Thank you. For giving me a chance.”

Toni's face softened, her lips curling up in a fond smile. “I like you too, you know? It's not like I'm doing this for your benefit. I've been thinking about this pretty much since we met.”

The warmth that spread through Steve at that thought made him feel like he was going to float away. “You have?”

“I have.” Toni winked at him. “Links. Don't forget.”

“I won't.” Steve really wished he could walk across the room and kiss her goodbye, but this thing between them felt too fragile for that yet. “I'll see you tonight.”

“See you then.” With one last smile at him, Toni was gone, leaving Steve in his room, feeling like his heart was going to burst out of his chest. When he was sure that Toni was in the elevator, Steve let out a loud whoop, pumping his fists in the air a few times just to get some of that exuberant energy out, grinning from ear to ear.

He couldn't wait until Friday.

When Steve had first started fantasizing about Toni, most of it had been sexual. There was no point in denying that. But as he had come to terms with what exactly his attraction to Toni meant and how deep it went – he'd started to imagine all kinds of things. Most of them so unbearably sappy that they made him embarrassed to even think about. There was one idea that had kept resurfacing though, of Toni taking him to a restaurant that he had never been to and letting her call all the shots, ordering for both of them, feeding him bites of all of her favorites and talking about everything she'd done that day while Steve devoted himself to listening.

The reality of it was even better than he could've hoped for.

“I have to say,” Toni hummed as Steve ate a piece of chocolate cake right off her fork, already pleasantly full and buzzing from the few glasses of exquisite wine that Toni had chosen for him. “This is probably the nicest date I've ever been on.”

Steve couldn't help but glow with pride at that, a smile stretching across his face. “Yeah?”

“Yeah.” She wiped a stray crumb off the corner of his mouth, and Steve's heart skipped a beat. “You're indulging all of my whims. I know it's a bit of a pretext for what's to come, but it still feels really nice.”

Steve could feel a flush rising in his cheeks. He was very glad that Toni'd had the foresight to book them a private table where nobody else could see them. “I'm glad. I was a little worried, because you said I should plan the date, but –“

“You did. It's what you wanted to do and what you wanted to give me because you knew I'd enjoy it.” Her eyes twinkled with amusement. “I don't think you've missed the fact that I like it when you let me spoil you a little.”

Steve chuckled, thinking back to all the times when Toni had cajoled and practically begged him to let her buy him this or that, take him to art galleries, book weekend vacations and get him VIP tickets to anything he even vaguely took an interest in. In hindsight, Steve could see how it had been obvious to everyone else that Toni returned his feelings.

That didn't mean that he wasn't still going to get his revenge on Clint when he least expected it. No matter that Toni had already told him about her plans to get Clint a fruit basket filled entirely with experimental arrows.

“I did notice that, yeah,” he said, and Toni smirked at him.

“You know, one of the best things about this is that I can shower you with gifts now, and nobody can say shit about it.” She must've seen the slightly pained look on his face because she laughed and shook her head. “Don't worry. I'll try to restrain myself.”

“Pepper told me about the giant bunny,” he said, and Toni winced.

“Ugh. Yeah, okay. Not my brightest moment. But to be fair, I was trying to apologize.”

“With a giant bunny. With boobs,” Steve teased her, and Toni gave him an annoyed look, lightly kicking his leg under the table.

“Those were its arms, you monster. Pepper doesn't know what she's talking about.”

“Must've been the shock,” Steve agreed, and Toni smirked.

“Careful, mister. If you keep running your mouth, I might have to show you exactly where that gets you.”

Steve paused, his pulse picking up speed when Toni's smirk widened. “Maybe I will,” he said hoarsely, and Toni chuckled.

“You're adorable. But it's alright. You will learn.”

Steve swallowed hard, suddenly restless as he shifted in his seat. “So, um. Are you finished with dessert? Or –“

“Have the rest.” Toni pushed her half-eaten chocolate cake across the table before she stood up, brushing some stray crumbs off her pencil skirt. “I know how you feel about food waste. I'll get the check.”

“Okay.” Steve watched her walk out of their private room before he shoveled the rest of the cake into his mouth in ten seconds flat, getting up to follow her eagerly. She was just tucking her wallet away when he joined her, smiling at him as she inclined her head towards the door.

“Let's go. Thanks, Pedro,” she said to the waiter who gave them a little bow.

“Our pleasure, ma'am, as always.”

“Have a nice evening. Oh, and could you please let the chef know that everything was delicious? Best Italian food I've had in this city,” Steve said, and the waiter grinned at him as Toni grabbed him by the elbow and led him out of the restaurant.

“You really have to stop being so adorable, or I won't be held responsible for what I do,” she said under her breath, and Steve's breathing hitched, despite the fact that she'd said things like that even before they started dating. In the context of what they were about to do though, the words had a slightly more foreboding undertone to them.

“I'm not going to stop you,” he said just as quietly, and Toni gave him a heated look that made Steve feel like the air had been sucked right out of his lungs.

“Promises, promises.”

She held on to his arm all the way to the car, where she got into the driver's seat, barely waiting for Steve to buckle himself in before she sped off, definitely breaking several traffic laws on the way back to the tower. For once, Steve had absolutely no issue biting his tongue about it. The sooner they got to the penthouse, the better.

Steve halfway expected her to jump him as soon as they got in the elevator, but Toni was shockingly well-behaved, only touching him with a guiding hand on his lower back. Still, something about that struck a cord that shivered all the way through his body, that casual display of control and confidence that Toni wore on her sleeve at all times. If Toni noticed the effect she was having on Steve at all, she didn't let him see it.

That was until they were finally in the penthouse, walking into the spacious living room, and Toni turned to look at Steve with an intensity that made his skin prickle with goosebumps.

“Stay right here,” she said, soft but firm, clearly a command. Steve nodded, feeling strangely unmoored as Toni left him standing in the middle of the room, walking towards the couch. She took off her jacket and draped it over the armrest, undid the first three buttons of her blouse and rolled up her sleeves. Every movement was deliberate and slow, and Steve drank it all in like the display that it was, even though Toni didn't look in his direction once. That too seemed like a choice.

When Toni finally sat down on the couch and met his eyes, Steve sucked in a breath at the possessive desire he could see written all over her face as she took him in like a prized artwork at a gallery.

“Show me what's mine,” she said, her tone brooking no argument, and Steve realized all at once that even in his wildest fantasies, he couldn't have imagined the reality of how much he wanted this. Four little words, and Steve already felt like he was about to vibrate out of his skin.

Toni declaring him hers so casually – Steve had never felt so proud and so aroused at the same time.

He reached up to unbutton his shirt, slowing his movements on pure instinct when her eyes darted down to his fingers to watch. Steve slid the fabric off his shoulders, then held it in his hand, unsure where to put it. He didn't just want to drop it on the floor, but –

“Give it here,” Toni said, holding her hand out imperiously. Steve took two steps closer to her to give her the shirt, and Toni looked him dead in the eye as she balled it up in her fist – and brought the shirt up to her nose.

Steve couldn't help the noise he made when she closed her eyes and breathed in, deep and heavy as if she was sampling a bottle of perfume or a fine wine. When she looked at him again, she was smirking, shaking out the fabric so she could drape it over her own jacket, on top of the armrest.

“The rest of it too,” she said, and Steve needed a moment to realize what she meant, his mind still caught on the sight of her sniffing his shirt, not even two feet away from where Steve was standing. “Steve,” her voice snapped through the room, clearing the cobwebs from his brain and spurring him into action.

“Sorry,” he said quickly as he reached down to undo his belt, and she raised an eyebrow.

“Undershirt first. Let me look at you.”

For some reason, that was the thing that made him flush. Steve dragged the thin fabric of his undershirt up over his head, his mouth dry when he lowered his arms again and saw the hunger in Toni's gaze as her eyes roamed across his torso.

“You look unreal,” she said, then beckoned him closer with one finger. “Let me test that. Come here.”

He obediently stepped forward until her knees were almost bumping into his shins, not daring to go further and yet desperate to touch. But going off of some strange instinct that he hadn't even known he had, he already knew that she wouldn't let him.

Toni touched him though. Just that same single finger, extended like a reprimand as it rose in the air to land right in the center of his sternum. Steve fought hard to keep still as she slowly – torturously slowly – dragged the tip of it down his chest, halfway between a caress and a scratch as her manicured nail scraped across his skin. That single point of contact felt like it was peeling Steve open, laying him bare and wanting under Toni's watchful eyes, writhing like an insect and silently begging for more.

He was rock hard already, straining against his pants to the point of discomfort, but he barely noticed it until Toni's eyes dropped down to his cock, making it twitch under the weight of her attention. After that, it was impossible to think about anything else.

“Please,” he said on pure instinct, and Toni's eyes flicked up to his, a smirk dancing on her lips.

“Please what?”

Steve swallowed hard, his hands clenching and unclenching as he tried to come up with a response. He wanted to touch himself was the truth, but he couldn't just say that. And besides, whatever Toni had in store for him would be a million times better, but he didn't know how to ask for that –

“I asked you a question,” Toni said with that same sharp undertone from before, and Steve's spine automatically snapped straight, years of military training driving him to answer.

“Please let me take my pants off,” he blurted out, because that seemed like the obvious first step. Toni raised an eyebrow.

“I already told you to take it all off. Do you need me to spell it out for you?”

The mocking lilt in her voice was so strong that it bordered on mean. It was the exact tone that the women in Steve's favorite videos used, the ones he'd sent to Toni so she could see what he liked. But hearing it in Toni's voice, watching her face as she made him feel small and stupid with a single sentence – fuck, Steve felt like he was on fire, his cock twitching in his too-tight pants.

He fumbled for his belt, tugging it out of its loops and setting it aside before he unzipped his pants. The instant release of pressure made him sigh, his cock finally getting the room it needed as he pushed the waistband down and stepped out of them, handing them off to Toni as well. Then all that was left were his briefs, light blue with a dark spot at the front, where he'd apparently been leaking precome into the fabric.

It was vaguely embarrassing to be seen like this, but Toni didn't look grossed out. Instead, she was staring at the wet spot on his briefs with such hunger that it made Steve's stomach swoop.

“Go on. I want to see you,” she said, her voice raspy with desire, and Steve shivered from head to toe as he hooked his thumbs into his underwear and slowly tugged them down. His cock tented the fabric obscenely until it sprang out, flushed bright red and leaking. Toni hadn't even touched him yet, and he already looked like he was seconds away from coming.

Steve had no idea if he would even last long enough for her to get her hands on him. The humiliation that tingled down his spine at the thought went straight to his cock.

“Very nice,” Toni rasped, stroking her chin with one finger. “Turn around.”

Steve followed her command, his heart in his throat when she whistled at the sight of his back. He finished the rotation with his arms out at his side, letting her look her fill from all angles. Feeling attractive was still a novelty, even after all the years that he'd been living inside this body, but when Toni looked at him like that, Steve felt like a piece of art to be admired, to be desired. It was a heady feeling.

“Like this?” he asked, and Toni smirked, her eyes snapping up to burn into Steve's.

“Yeah. Just like that.”

Toni stood up. Steve had watched her do so many, many times – at dinner, at the briefing table, in the living room after a movie marathon.

This was unlike any of those times.

When Toni rose to her feet without taking her eyes off Steve, moving into his space like she owned it – Steve swore his heart stopped for a second.

“I watched those videos you sent me,” she said, grabbing Steve's chin when he instinctively tried to duck away from her gaze. “I have to say, you've got great taste in porn. I kept thinking about you, wondering which parts were the ones that made you come. Did you watch them again before you sent me the links?”

Steve was sweating bullets. Hearing her say those things out loud so casually was making him feel insane. “Yeah,” he croaked, and Toni smirked.

“Did you come?”

God. “Yeah.”

“Good. I did too.” Steve gasped, the sound cut off when Toni dug her fingers into his jaw just shy of pain. “Maybe next time, we can watch them together. I want to see what turns you on the most. Can you guess which part did the trick for me?”

Just the thought of Toni sitting on her bed, masturbating to Steve's favorite dirty fantasies come to life, was threatening to make him lose control. His cock throbbed in the slightly cool air of the room, aching from the lack of friction. “I don't know,” he whispered through the lump in his throat, and Toni cocked her head.

“No? That's alright, darling. You'll find out soon enough.”

Without warning, Toni twisted one leg behind Steve's, using her hips to knock him off balance. Steve dropped heavily to his knees, cushioned by the thick carpet underneath, and looked up at Toni who loomed over him like a goddess, superior and clearly pleased by it. Holy fuck, Steve hadn't thought it would be this hot to feel like he'd just lost all control over his own body.

Except he hadn't lost it, had he? He'd handed it over, willingly, because he trusted Toni to take care of him. Somehow that made it even better.

“This is going to be the last time I'm letting you speak without permission,” Toni said, and Steve shivered at the hard edge of command in her voice. “After we establish the ground rules of this scene, you will only speak when I ask you a question. Do you understand?”

“Yes, ma'am,” Steve said on reflex, and Toni's eyes went several shades darker.

“That's lovely, darling. Keep it up.” Toni grabbed Steve's head, gently swiping both of her thumbs just under his eyes. It tickled a little, but mostly it made Steve feel cherished and held, like Toni was treating him like a precious gemstone. “We'll use the color system. Green means you want to keep going, yellow means you need a break, red means we stop entirely. When I ask for your color, you'll tell me how you feel by naming one of those three colors. Do you understand?”

“Yes, ma'am,” Steve said again, and Toni gave him a serious look.

“You can say 'yellow' and 'red' at any time, no matter what else is going on. You don't have to wait for me to ask you first if something doesn't feel right. Can I trust you to do that?”

“Yes, ma'am.” Steve thought the phrasing here was a little odd, because obviously Toni could trust him – but Toni seemed to be satisfied with his answer regardless.

“You're so good for me,” she practically purred, and Steve felt her voice shiver through his veins, making each and every one of his nerve endings buzz as his cheeks heated with pride. It felt good to know that she was pleased with him. Steve wanted nothing more than to make her happy.

“Thank you,” he said softly, gasping when Toni grabbed his hair and dragged his head back so Steve had no choice but to look up at her.

“What did I say about talking?” she asked mildly, and Steve gulped, biting his tongue. Toni's brow creased in a tiny frown as she tugged on his hair a little harder. “I asked you a question.”

Ah, right. “I can only speak when you ask me something,” he blurted out. “Except 'yellow' and 'red', I can say that anytime.”

Toni's face lit up with a warm smile. “Good. Now you get it.”

Steve's instinct was to apologize for messing up earlier – but that would be against the rules. So he kept quiet as Toni's grip gentled, her fingers carding through his hair and scratching against his scalp in a way that made his eyes slip shut, his head tilting on reflex to prolong the touch.

“You really like that,” she said, as though she was filing the knowledge away somewhere. “Maybe I'll use a bit of a softer touch on you, hm? Gentle and sweet. Don't worry, I'll take good care of you.”

Steve flushed, not just at the sentiment but at the way she said it too. Toni seemed to notice his embarrassment, because she shushed him, using her free hand to tip his chin up.

“No shame in liking it nice and easy, darling. I've always loved to take my time. This is going to be a treat.”

In the back of his mind, Steve hoped that Toni wouldn't go too easy on him. The forefront of his mind was completely occupied by the sight of Toni unbuttoning her blouse the rest of the way and tugging it open, revealing a black, lacy bra underneath. Steve bit his lower lip, his mouth watering.

“I want to play a little game with you,” Toni said, her voice smoky and yet smooth in a way that sent shivers down Steve's spine. “The rules are simple. You're going to touch your gorgeous cock for me. When I tell you to stop, you stop. And when I tell you to keep going, you keep going. Do you understand?”

Steve paused, genuinely confused. He was going to touch himself? But Toni was –

“Did you think I was going to give you what you want just like that?” Toni asked, again with that slightly mocking tone that scratched some undiscovered itch in Steve's brain. “If you want me to get you off, you'll have to earn it. “Now show me how you like it. Don't be coy.”

Steve was sure his face was bright red as he wrapped a hand around his cock. Just that simple touch made him suck in a breath as he glanced up at Toni with a mix of self-consciousness and performance anxiety. Toni had settled back onto the couch, making herself comfortable as she watched Steve with dark eyes.

“Go on,” she said, propping her chin up on one hand as she crossed her legs. In her position, she sat just a little bit taller than him, looking down on him like a queen entertaining a peasant. The thought made his stomach clench with desire. “If you give me a good show, I might even let you come.”

Steve took a shaky breath before he started stroking himself, every muscle in his body pulling tight. He'd underestimated just how close he was after all of this build-up. His cock felt like a live wire, sensitive to the point of discomfort, and as Steve settled into a slow but steady rhythm, he could already feel the beginning tingles of orgasm creeping up on him. So he forced himself to slow it down even more, just so he could draw it out and let Toni –

“You're being awfully nice to yourself,” Toni said with a darkly amused undertone. “Come on, hop to it. I'll make sure you don't finish too early. You don't worry about a thing.”

Steve opened his mouth to tell her – I'm too close – but thankfully remembered to keep it to himself at the last second. Toni smiled, clearly pleased with his efforts, and Steve felt like he was glowing from the inside, his skin flushed all over with both pleasure and pride.

His body followed Toni's command without any conscious input from his brain, speeding up his strokes until he was jerking off the same way he normally would. Anything to keep her looking at him like that.

“There you go,” she cooed, cocking her head to the side as she watched him intently. “Looks like you needed that. Does that feel good?”

“Yes,” Steve gasped, his thighs already starting to shake. God, he probably hadn't even been at it for a full minute, but he could already feel it building in his gut, everything in him pulling tight in preparation. It would be so embarrassing if he couldn't rein it in, but he didn't have a choice, Toni wanted to see it and Steve would –

“Stop.”

Steve froze, his head whipping up as he looked at Toni with wide eyes. Her face didn't give anything away, almost like she was observing him clinically. A scientist with her lab rat, testing its reflexes. The thought made Steve's heart race.

“Very good,” she said after a pause in which Steve kept his cock tightly held in his unmoving fist, trembling a little with the effort to hold still. “Continue.”

Steve's next stroke felt like a punch to the gut. He had no idea how the hell the friction was even more intense than before, but somehow it was. It took barely any time at all to get him right back to the precipice, his cock twitching as pleasure swirled through his gut like a whirlpool ready to drag him under –

“Stop.”

Steve gasped but did as he was told, wincing when his cock throbbed angrily in his fist. The edge of orgasm receded again, drawing some of the warmth out of the room and leaving him bereft and shivering.

“I know, baby.” A hand found his hair, dragging a shaky groan from him as he hung his head, every nerve ending in his scalp tingling when Toni scratched it with her nails. “I know it's hard. But you can do it for me.”

Steve didn't know if he could. He wanted to, desperately, wanted to give Toni everything she asked of him. But after being denied twice, his cock felt so raw that he thought he could probably make himself come with less than ten strokes if he really went to town on himself.

He wouldn't do it. But he could.

“Keep going,” Toni said, her voice rough with arousal, and oh god, that just made it worse. Better actually, if Steve was being honest with himself. He'd always loved a challenge, since long before he got the muscle to back it up, so really Steve shouldn't be surprised that Toni pretty much daring him not to come was getting him going this much.

It was incredibly counterproductive though.

“You're doing so well for me.” Oh, fuck. Steve hunched forward when Toni kept petting his hair even as Steve rubbed himself off. Something about this was so wrong in the best kind of way – Steve debasing himself for Toni's amusement, letting her dictate his pleasure while she just sat there and watched –

Steve was going to come. He groaned in warning, his muscles cramping as everything inside him geared up for orgasm, pushing him towards the edge, god, he was almost –

“Stop.”

“Ungh!” Steve nearly choked on a whimper as he stopped himself with colossal effort, jerking forward into his rigid grip on pure instinct. The pleasure ebbed until it settled as a pulsing ache at the base of his cock, his whole body still straining for a release that didn't come.

“Aw, poor baby. That looked like it hurt.” Toni tilted Steve's head up to press a soft kiss to his forehead. It would have been an innocent gesture if Steve wasn't so starved for any contact at all. As it was, Steve had to swallow an embarrassing whine as his cock twitched in his grip, sending shocks of pain-pleasure all the way down his spine. “One more, baby. If you can give me one more, I'll let you come on the next one.”

Steve sucked in a shaky breath, nodding eagerly. He could do one more. It would hurt, and Toni would probably make him suffer for it, but he'd do it. He had to.

“Good boy,” she purred, and something inside Steve rolled over and showed its belly, his chest cracking wide open. He slumped forward until his head was resting on her leg, breathing heavily as his cock throbbed so hard that he could feel it in his teeth. When her hand found his hair again, Steve practically melted into her, pressing his face against her bare knee to breathe her in, his nose just barely tucked under her skirt, and he thought he could smell her arousal, musky and rich and, oh fuck, Steve needed to fucking come –

“Keep going,” she said quietly, and Steve did, his throat constricting as he stroked himself fast and hard, not thinking of anything except release, every muscle in his body strung tight and ready. He barely even felt attached to his body anymore, couldn't tell where his skin ended and blood and viscera began. All he could feel was that great, writhing ball of need and pleasure in his gut that was churning and growing, faster and faster until Steve felt it consume him and he wasthe need, overpowering and unstoppable –

Somewhere in the buried depths of his mind, he knew that he should warn someone, that this was wrong, that he couldn't, not yet – but the need was too much, it was everywhere, it was – god, it was right there, and Steve just had to reach out and touch it, and then he could finally –

“Stop.”

For a terrifying moment, Steve thought he would disobey. That even if he stopped moving, there was no way he would be able to hold it in, so he might as well –

But his whole body locked up a second later, freezing like a marble statue as he shouted through his teeth, spit clinging to the corners of his mouth as he panted like a race horse, his insides revolting against the pain of falling out of the climb, again, and breaking all of his bones upon landing, his head bowing under the pressure until his forehead was pressed to the floor, both hands clenched around his dick to hold back, just a little more, just a little –

“Please,” he whimpered, even though he knew he shouldn't, because Toni hadn't asked a question, but – “Please. I need to come, please, Toni, I need it, please –“

“Look at me.”

Steve sobbed out a gasp, feeling like his shoulders each weighed a metric ton as he forced himself to sit up, looking at Toni through a sheen of sweat stinging his eyes – And Toni's face was beatific, as beautiful as a goddess, her desire for him written across every line of her body. Steve drank her in like a man starving, staring unblinkingly as Toni reached up and pulled her blouse the rest of the way off, letting it fall off the side of the couch. The dark contrast of her lace bra made her skin look even more silky and smooth, but Steve didn't get a chance to fully take it in before Toni unclasped it at the front and let her breasts spill out onto her chest, drawing a startled gasp from Steve's throat. Even if he lived a thousand years, he knew he'd never forget the way she looked right now, breasts rising and falling on her heaving chest, her eyes glimmering with arousal.

It still didn't hold a candle to the sight of Toni hiking up her skirt.

She wasn't wearing any underwear. Even in the midst of his mind screaming with helpless need, Steve realized that this meant she'd been sitting at their dinner table in nothing but her skirt, and Steve would have only needed to reach underneath and –

“When you come, I want you to look at me,” she said, her voice rough with desire, and Steve shivered so hard his teeth chattered, still staring at her pussy, which was so wet it glistened in the low light, like Steve could just slip right in and – “Think about what it would feel like if you got to fuck me right now.”

“Toni,” Steve ground out, because soon it wouldn't matter what either of them wanted – Steve was going to come, he could feel it, and looking at her like this, he didn't have enough willpower left to stop it –

“Go on. Come for me,” she said, spreading her legs for his hungry eyes. “I want to see it.”

Steve hadn't even realized that his hands had started cramping until he finally allowed them to relax enough to stroke his cock again, pleasure punching him in the gut like a hulk-sized fist. His eyes instantly filled with tears, which was such a strange feeling in this context that Steve startled himself out of coming for a few more seconds – but when it hit him, it hithim, pleasure dragging him over a cresting wave and dropping him into free fall without a parachute. He was vaguely aware that he was shouting, but his ears were ringing too much to hear it, every inch of his body lit up like a sparkling firework.

It seemed like it lasted forever. Steve was pretty sure that he'd lost a piece of his soul with that orgasm, because surely anything that felt this good had to come with some sort of price. He was still reeling from it when Toni sat up abruptly, tugging Steve's chin up so he had no choice but to look at her, his neck straining from the position.

“Open your mouth,” she said roughly, and Steve did so without thinking, eyes going wide when she dragged him forward, burying his face in her cunt. “Stick out your tongue,” she demanded, moaning when Steve followed her directions, his mind spinning with the taste of her, bursting across his tongue and clouding his thoughts. “Fuck, yeah. Stay just like that. Don't move.”

With that, Toni started grinding Steve's tongue against her pussy, dragging him by the hair like a personalized sex toy. Steve fought hard to stay still, even though what he really wanted was to bury himself in her pussy, lapping at her like a dog until he'd licked up every single drop of her, no matter how long it took. Even though he couldn't say it, he hoped the way he looked at her would make it clear what he wanted, but Toni either didn't notice or didn't care, throwing her head back and thrusting roughly against Steve's face.

“Shit. You're such a good boy, giving me everything I want. You came so fucking hard, I think I'm going to have to deep-clean this entire apartment.” Steve's cheeks flushed with shame, even as his cock gave a painful twitch at her words. Her eyes flashed with such greedy desire that Steve wanted to cry, because she wanted him, wanted him like he wanted her, and Steve would never begin to deserve that kind of affection from her –

“Fuck. I'm never letting you go. You're mine,” she snarled, her hips losing their rhythm as she shivered and jerked, pressing Steve's face against her pussy until she cut off his air entirely – and then she came with a trembling moan that reverberated under Steve's skin, making him surge forward to suck at her clit until she screamed, writhing and keening and begging – until she came again with a grunt, riding it out against Steve's mouth for a few seconds before she dragged him away by the hair, finally allowing him to draw a full breath.

“Jesus fucking Christ,” she gasped, her grip turning gentle and lax, fingertips scratching at his scalp in a way that sent tingles all the way down his spine. “Holy shit. That was so good.” She sat up a little, cupping Steve's face in both hands and pressing a soft kiss to his lips that made Steve's blood sing. “How are you feeling, darling?”

“Floaty,” Steve said, flushing a little when he realized how stupid that sounded. But Toni gave him a pleased smile, taking his hands and coaxing him up onto the couch, cooing when Steve winced a little as blood rushed back into his mostly numb knees.

“It's alright. I've got you.” She took her time rubbing some feeling back into his knees before she guided Steve onto his stomach, draped across her lap with his head pillowed comfortably on her naked thighs. He sighed in pleasure when she started massaging his neck, then his shoulders, getting rid of the last bits of tension still stuck in there until Steve felt like he'd melted into a puddle of goo, his entire body humming with satisfaction.

“This is so nice,” he groaned, and Toni chuckled, running her fingers through his hair.

“I'm glad it is. Everything you imagined?”

“And more,” he sighed, nuzzling at Toni's bare skin. “You were perfect.”

“That's my line, darling,” she said softly, and Steve couldn't stop smiling, his heart filled with light when she leaned down to press a gentle kiss to his temple. “I'll take such good care of you,” she whispered, and Steve decided to take that as permission to float some more, leaving all of his thoughts and worries behind for a few precious moments.

He knew that Toni would keep them safe for him.