Steve stopped, exhaling happily, as he looked over the valley below them.
"This is fucking gorgeous." He sighed, reaching out to take her hand. "Just look at it, Babydoll."
She nodded, squeezing his hand. They had gotten up early, and after breakfast, Steve had hooked up the water to the RV, and moved the slides out of the vehicle as well. They now had more space to work with. It was nice. Although, she did miss watching Steve crawl over the bed to get to the bathroom.
Once that was done, he had packed a few lunches, grabbed more than a few bottles of water, and suggested they do some hiking. He had gone to pull the motorcycle off the back of the RV, wanting to give it a once over to make sure the storm the night before hadn't damaged it, while she packed a few backpacks she had found with the lunches and drinks. She also made sure to pack an extra sweatshirt each for them, as well as their phones and a flashlight. She slipped her camera into one of the pockets of one, intent on getting at least a few pictures while they were out.
Climbing down the steps of the RV, backpacks in hand, she had paused when she saw her husband standing by the bike, hands on his hips, head up, eyes closed, as he seemed to be breathing deeply.
She had asked if anything was wrong, but he had opened his eyes, given her a smile, and shaken his head, before helping her lock up the RV. Then, after helping her onto the bike, he had swung a leg over, started it, and driven them to the start of one of the first hiking paths marked out.
The rest of the morning was them hiking, occasionally stopping to look at things. Occasionally they would see traces of wildlife, but they had yet to see Yellowstone's famed bison. But she had hope.

She inhaled deeply again, the freshness that always accompanied the rain filling the air, so deep she could almost taste it.

"It really is beautiful." She agreed, taking another deep breath. She felt the small twinge in her stomach, and frowned. "Lunch?"

He gave her a surprised look, before nodding. "Yeah, I could do with some food."
She nodded back, striding over to the side of the path, noting the grass, before pulling her backpack off, setting it down. She pulled out the sweatshirt she had tucked into the top, spreading it out and laying it on the grass. She wasn't happy about the idea of sitting on still wet grass and ground, but there wasn't really a bench or anything like that to avoid it. She supposed they could have continued on, but from what she had already seen of the trail, there wasn't much in the way of convenience for such things like lunch.

"That should work." She sighed, settling herself down, pulling her backpack between her legs, watching Steve as he followed her example.
"Yeah." He settled down beside her, reaching in to pull out the sandwich, setting it on his thigh, while pulling out a bottle of water, opening it and taking a deep drink. As he recapped the water, he smiled at her. "This whole hike has been nice, right?"
"I've enjoyed it." She nodded, digging through her pack, pulling out her sandwich, opening the bag, pulling out a half. "Its nice to be away from... a lot of people."
"It can be congested, in the city, yeah." He agreed, pulling open his sandwich, taking a bite. "I can't really run, in the city. Another point in our favor, moving upstate."
"Steve." She chuckled, shaking her head. "We've bought the place. You don't need to keep selling me on the idea."

"I'm just excited!" he effused, waving his sandwich around. "I mean... I've never owned property before. I can't wait to mow my own lawn."
"It's a lot of lawn." She nodded, before taking a bite. "I mean, we have a lot of land. And out buildings."
"I'm going to spend so much time, getting that one ready for my bike." He told her happily. "Might ask Tony to get me a set of what he uses. Gotta keep our vehicles running. Especially with winter around the corner."
"Six months." She shook her head. "We have six months."

"Our first Halloween, in our new house." He grinned. "Our first Christmas. New Years."
"Oh, are you not going to kiss me in Times Square, this time?" She gave him a shocked look. "I guess romance really dies, after you get married."
"I'll kiss you there, if you want. I'll kiss you anywhere. You just gotta ask," He leaned over, kissing her temple. "Any place, any time, Babydoll."
She hummed, happy. She was pleased with his affection. With his love. For all that she had fought against the emotion within herself, denying it for as long as she had, she was happy to give and receive it. Being a wife had never been in her plan for herself or her future. But, as it would turn out, she would have been happy to know that it had been, the entire time. She didn't know if she would have been as happy to be married, if it had been anyone else but Steve. She was sure that was what made the difference.

Love for him, and from him made the difference. That had to be it.

Granted, she had only been married to him for less than a week. But they had all but been living together for longer, and had managed to make that work, so she had hope for their marriage, as a whole.

As he had said, moving upstate would be good for them. She was sure it had more to do with putting space between her and the influences he worried about. But she was choosing to look at it as an opportunity to breathe more openly. There was, amazingly, what looked like more to keep her occupied from the dark corners her mind sometimes liked to occupy. Housework and schooling aside, there was the fact that a house automatically came with more things needed, to make it livable. Her plans for a few rose gardens, Steve's suggestion of an herb garden, the fixing up of the out buildings... There was also the few touches she was sure she might want to do, after all the things Kitty was overseeing while they were away, to make the house truly her own.
Well, their own.
Her's and Steve's.

The concept still seemed so alien to her.

The apartment over the bakery had been hers, before Steve had come crashing into her life. It had been her refuge, where she had forced herself to learn how to take care of things on her own. So much that she had no idea about, had been discovered there. How to shop for groceries. How to do laundry. How to wash dishes. And yes, how to muddle through enough to cook a meal for herself and her sister. After that, once she was more secure, she had learned how to leave the neighborhood to go to work at the club, which had led to it's own lessons. How to smile willingly. How to deal with people that didn't involve breaking bones and spilling blood. Dancing on the stage. Learning that sometimes, looking was not the same as touching, no matter how slimy the men could be. How to be friendly with co-workers who had no idea of the troubles she had lived through.
All of that, while she lived in that two bedroom, third floor walk up.

But even that felt far, far away, while sitting on the side of a trail, in a national park in Wyoming.

Honestly, if someone had looked at her, and told her around this time last year, that she would have been in Wyoming on her honeymoon to America's National Treasure... she would have burst her sides laughing at them. It was... for women not like her, she would have responded.
Fate, as it seemed, had other plans.

"Well." He sighed, finishing his sandwich, putting the bag into the backpack. "We ready to keep on? Or do you want to head back?"
"How far have we gone?" She asked, chewing the last of her sandwich, mimicking his movements of putting the bag away, picking up her water bottle and taking a deep drink.
"I don't know, really. I mean, we passed that last group a while ago. When we stopped at that look out point." He leaned back on his elbows, turning his head to grin at her. "Guess they couldn't go the distance."
"Not a problem with you." She shrugged, taking another drink. "Prolly should head back. Why, I don't know. But im sure one of us is gonna have to go to the bathroom soon, and I have no desire to drop trou in the woods. A bear may shit there, but I don't. Well, not anymore."

"My prim and proper wife." He tilted his head up to the sky, sighing. "Refuses to piss in the woods."
"No. That's not what I said. Not to mention, with our luck? One of us will use poison ivy on our asses as TP, and then bitch and complain the entire hike down. My money is on you. But still." She shrugged, putting the nearly empty bottle in her backpack. "Not to mention, not all of us can wag our willies and air dry. Some of us actually need to wipe, to keep things clean."
Steve started to laugh, his body shaking, as his elbows collapsed, letting him flop back, his hand coming up to his chest. "Oh, Jesus. 'Wag our willies'. Oh god, where did you get that one?"
"I don't know." She shook her head. "I honestly don't know where half my sayings come from."
He rolled over onto his side lightly, smiling at her. "Well, I love it."
"You're..." She reached over pushing at his shoulder, barely making him shift. "A fucking idiot. So of course you love it. Because you're head is full of mush. Clearly.. it was frozen, and like jello, turned to mush when defrosted."
"I don't think that's how it works, Babydoll." He chuckled, his eyes crinkling slightly, before he rolled over onto his back before lifting himself back up onto his feet. "Okay."
He reached out, holding his hand out for her. "C'mon. Let's head back down the trail. We can try another path later. But I kinda wanna just... relax. Just put my feet up and... do nothing."
"That's a good plan." She agreed. "Who's idea was it to go hiking, anyhow? Who the fuck does that on their honeymoon? We could be in the RV, fucking our heads off. Instead, were in the middle of fucking Yellowstone, hiking."

He laughed, reaching down to help her up, before bending to pick up the sweatshirts they had sat on. He rolled them up, stuffing them in his back pack, before zipping it up and shouldering it. She sighed, zipping her own up, shouldering it as well, before waiting for him to lead her back down the trail.
"Well, of all the places we could be hiking... Yellowstone isn't a bad one. It's not Europe during a war, and it's not basic training. So, all in all? I'm happy with it." He commented, heading down the trail, and she fell into place beside him.
"And it's not in the middle of a sweltering jungle where the humidity feels like you are swimming in the air, or the desert where the sand is everywhere. Even in your underwear." She frowned. "Yeah, this isn't half bad."

"You do a lot of that?" He asked, keeping his pace easy. She didn't have to lengthen her stride too much to keep up with him, which was nice.
"Well, a bit." She allowed. "More after September eleventh. We did a lot in Afghanistan, and Iraq. Basically a few steps ahead of the official troops. But... yeah. I mean, I remember doing some stuff in Vietnam. Korea. South America. Gotta remember, they moved us around a fair amount. It seemed, for a while, when they woke us up, we didn't know where or when we were. Long bouts of time out of the tubes was... not usual."
"Except for that time when you were in SHIELD." His voice was neutral, which she appreciated. The twisted past she shared with his old love was still a sore point, she felt, between them. It seemed, for the most part, that he had accepted what Carter had to do with Brooklyn's past. The fact that she wore Steve's ring, and not Carter was a huge hint towards that. But she still had niggling little fears, back in the depths of her mind, that it was still something they both were one day going to have another fight over. She swore to herself that she wouldn't allow it to drop to the level it had the first time, with her pulling a firearm on him.

"Yes. That was an odd period." She sighed. "The bright part was... well, Tony. He was such a precocious little boy. So smart. So... sweet. Desperate for attention. From his father. And from me. He would see me, and run, and smile, and just... beg me for attention."
"Seems to have carried over." Steve commented. "I'm not judging him. I have just noticed that he seems to need to be the center of attention. Sometimes it just goes the wrong way for him."
"I've read that childhood trauma takes different forms." She shifted the straps of her backpack. "We might get lucky with Jules, if we do things right. She might not have too much carry over. Tony, I think, wasn't given that opportunity."

Steve stopped, staring ahead. "I can't give him what he wants from me, Brooklyn."
She stopped, a few steps ahead of him, turning to face him. "And what does he want from you?"
"He wants..." He sighed, rubbing his face, before placing his hands on his hips. "He wants something... basically, he wants to connect with his father, through me. But... every time I try, it seems to go the wrong way. He... doesn't understand, or I'm saying it wrong... I don't know. I've given up. Really. It's like, he wants to hear about my time with Howard, but at the same time, it angers him, or frustrates him."
"Because you knew a different Howard than Tony did. I knew a different Howard, than you did. We all get different parts, of the same people. It's like... Papa." She gestured, trying to make her point clear. "You knew him as the... fresh faced good guy from the same neighborhood as you. The buddy you jumped out of a plane to save. The... best friend who you knew always had your back. I have... the broken version of that. The love was still there, because he was still my Papa, but... he wasn't the same person for me, that he was for you. That's how people are. I'm not the same Brooklyn to you, that I am for him. I'm not the same person I am to Juliana, that I was to Tony. I don't know why that is. Why we all cant be consistent. But... it's human nature, I think. Wilson would have a better way of explaining it, but that's what I've got."

She watched his face, as he rolled his jaw, the way he did when he was thinking.
"Also..." she shrugged, or tried to, under the weight of the backpack. "It might hurt him, to hear about this... more carefree version of Howard, as opposed to the man pulled down by the world and by SHIELD. I mean, wasn't Howard investigated for war profiteering, after the War? He had a lot more... responsibilities, after the War as well. SHIELD needed the funding, in the beginning. Howard helped out there, if my history is correct. He was dealing with trying to divide his time between SHIELD, Stark Industries, his wife, and then his son. Maybe Howard just wasn't able to split his time up right. And, during the War, he had more time, really, to spend on his projects for the government and the SSR. When you have a plate, and you start to load it up, sometimes it's hard to keep the plate level. Things start to slip off. Maybe, his relationship with Tony was one of the things that slipped off his plate. It's sad. But there's nothing we can really do to fix that. All we can really do, is handle the now. Right?"

He rocked his jaw, before sighing, nodding. "You're right. You're right. I'm sorry. I... shouldn't have brought it up. I don't know what I was thinking."
"Stop that." She sighed. "You were showing concern for someone who's a friend for you. You.. had friendships with both generations of Starks. There's nothing wrong with that. I think Howard would have been pleased to see you interacting with his son. I know.. He was a good man. At heart. I mean, I don't know what type of father really would leave their only son with me, for the amount of time that Howard did. But... I think, Howard was a kind man, in his own way. Like I said, I know he was driven. Very driven. I always got that. He had a vision, and he was determined to see it through. But he also had his own limits. The fact that he stepped up, and demanded that the testing on me be stopped, says that. There were lines that he would not cross. He had... what's it called... a moral compass. It may not have been as straight as people think yours is, but it was there. One hopes that he taught some of that to Tony."
She reached out, taking his hand.
"Steve, do not cling to the pa... No, I can't tell you that. Because I'm just as guilty." Brooklyn took a deep breath, before giving him a soft smile. "I guess, all I can tell you... remember what you know. Don't try to look deeper than that. Because what you saw, what you experienced, what you think you know... isn't what other people will remember. Howard may have distorted his memories of you, in an effort to remember his glory days, when he helped create a hero. When maybe he should have been creating the one that actually came from him fully. His son. Tony... I guess you would call him a hero. He's trying. But, just like you like to remind me about yourself, he's human. And that's okay, too."

She steps closer, reaching up to cup his face, rubbing her thumbs against the stubble he had left this morning, instead of shaving.
"And humans are... fallible. Weak. But that's what makes them human, Steve. That's what makes us all human. And we can deal with it, or moan over it. Which is it gonna be?"
He kissed her, instead, his hands falling to her waist, pulling her close.

"That wasn't the response I was looking for." She told him when he pulled away. "But, okay."
"You are... so much smarter than I think even you know." His voice was reverent. "How is it you can see the problem, and break it down like that? That you can explain it, so simply, yet so completely?"
She took a deep breath. "Well, when you have a lot of time to think, away from people, you figure out how they tick. It's helpful when you are on a mission, or after a target. It helps you predict what they are gonna do, if you have to chase them down."

"And you had a nearly one hundred completion rate." He filled in, his voice still reverent.

"Yup." She grinned, taking a step back, shifting to rearrange her backpack straps. "Wanna continue? I was thinking, we need to call and check on Jules. We've been naughty, and not fulfilling our promise to her."
"Yeah." He nodded, clearing his throat, taking her hand, starting back down the trail. "We can do that."

************

She sat in her lawn chair, watching the bustle of the campers across the way from them, her kindle laying on her lap, while Steve puttered in the kitchen, considering what he wanted to make for dinner.
"We still have steaks, Brooklyn. Is that gonna be okay?" He called, his voice carrying through one of the open windows. The heat had returned during the day, and he had opened as many windows as possible when they had returned from their hike, while she called Juliana.

The little girl had been excited to hear from them, going over a very detailed description of her activities since they had left her on Sunday. Apparently she had been spending time with everyone. But she was most excited about the almost daily trips upstate with Kitty, who had started the tackling of the house renovations. Juliana had gotten to see more of the house, and the room that was going to be hers. And she was very excited about the chance to make her room hers and special, right from the start.

Hearing her sister's voice, and how content she was relaxed Brooklyn's fear about what was essentially abandoning her, for six weeks. Her sister was safe, happy, and being kept busy. Kitty had taken the phone after Juliana had wound down, asking about their trip, and then assuring Brooklyn everything was fine. The papers had been leaving them alone, for the most part.
The marriage announcement had gone crazy, according to Kitty. The news stations were running segments on it, speculating who she was. They were starting to sniff around, and Pops had put out the word that anyone who talked would lose their protection from him and his organization. Kitty had reached out to Maria Hill, seeking to limit the information being leaked out, and Hill had agreed to help Kitty, if need be. For the most part, Hill was running interference for Steve on the Avengers' side of things. Nat was being mum on the subject, and although Wilson had been the one to file the license, he was also keeping his mouth shut.
The news people couldn't get a hold of Stark, and Thor was... being Thor, apparently.
Hill basically indicated, that if anything got out, it wouldn't be from their end of things.

Brooklyn still felt uneasy about it, though. So much could go wrong. People could be desperate for money. They could feel the need to settle a score, either with her or with Steve. Or, someone just could trust the wrong person, and the whole story of her past could come tumbling out.

And she was useless in controlling anything, sitting her in a national state park.

"Brooklyn." Steve spoke, standing over her, making her jerk her head up. "I asked you a question. Is steak okay, tonight? Or do you want to try for something else?"

She inhaled sharply, surprised. She hadn't even heard him come out of the RV. "I... yeah, steak is fine. You gonna do the potatoes, the same way as you did last time?"
"Was thinking about it." He sighed, as he settled himself into his own chair. "Gotta look up the fire laws, here."
"Smart." She commented, returning her focus on the campers across from them. The man was helping his pregnant wife putter around, as they set up. They had come in about an hour ago, and they were taking their time setting up. "Is there another way to do it, if we can't use fire?"
"We can always use the stove inside. I was just thinking about the heat issue. Don't need to fill the RV with all that heat, if we don't need to. Plus... we can do S'mores, again." He turned his head, watching as well. "They look like a nice couple."
"So did Bonnie and Clyde." She snorted. "You can't trust people, based on looks. Who knows who the hell they are. Maybe they're spies. Maybe they're serial killers."
"And maybe they are simply a couple out camping, while they can." He gave her a look. "Before they have to run after a little one."
"Hm." She grunted, before shaking her head. "Maybe."

"Why the mood change?" He asked, shifting to cross his leg, hooking an ankle over one knee. "I thought you were having a good time, earlier today."
"The news." She didn't elaborate. Steve had been listening to the call on speaker.
"Oh." He sighed, long and slow. "We can't do anything about that, right now, Brooklyn. We have to trust those we have, to handle it without us."
"And how is that working?" She snarked, before shaking her head. "Sorry."
"No, I get it." He assured. "I don't really like it either. God knows what they are coming up with, to write about us. But like I said, we have to trust the people back home, to handle it for us. Nothing but stress is gonna be our reward, if we rush home to deal with it. And Hill has been doing damage control for the Avengers for a while. She was the one who squashed the story and pictures, the videos, of our night after the Gala. And the pictures and videos from when I hauled you out of the club after you came back from Poland. I have faith in her abilities to spin, or control the story. By the time we get back, it'll have died down. I'll put out a statement asking for privacy, as I usually do, and for the most part, I'll get it. We'll get it, Babydoll. Okay? This... is nothing. Not really. I promise, it's going to be okay."

She exhaled slowly, before nodding. "Okay. Alright. We'll... I'll try to ignore it. I'll let the chips fall where they will. You just keep hiding under your hat and sunglasses."
He started to laugh, shaking his head. "Okay? I thought you said they were stupid disguises."
"They are." She insisted. "I mean, really? Where did you get the idea?"
"Someone at SHIELD...." He began then trailed off, before groaning. "Alright, I see the issue."
"The beard helped, at Halloween." She stated, watching the couple. They were now setting up their outdoor furniture, and the wife was being very exact in where she wanted them, apparently. Brooklyn could respect that. A place for everything, and everything in it's place. "I was wondering if that's what you were thinking, when you didn't shave, this morning."
"I was thinking, I hadn't hooked up the water connection yet. And you needed to clean up." He grinned at her. "I was trying to be respectful of my wife."

"Much appreciated." She grinned back, before watching the couple. The woman was rubbing her stomach, while pointing at a spot near their camper. The man picked up a chair, moving it, and she nodded at him. "I do like to be clean."
"I know." He turned his head, also watching the couple. "Wanna go over and introduce ourselves?"
"And blow our cover?" She snorted. "Didn't we just have this discussion? Is old age kicking in, already?"
"I was just thinking about being neighborly." He defended. "We don't have to use our names."
"Oh, yeah. 'hi, we're the weirdos across from you, watching you like a bunch of creeps. Don't mind our sex noises, we're on our honeymoon. Oh, no, we aren't going to share our names with you. Wanna come over for a game of cards?' C'mon, Steve!" God love the man, but he was dense sometimes. Honestly, what was he thinking. "Not to mention, again, we don't know them! We don't know why they're here."
"They..." He pointed out gently. "Are camping. Same as us. Okay? Calm down."

She wanted to scream. Instead, she settled in her chair, deciding to return to reading.
Steve, apparently decided to keep watching their neighbors. "I think it's sweet. She's pregnant, and he's hovering."
Lowering her kindle, she looked over, watching as the couple embraced. "You know, you're being creepy. Leave them alone. If they aren't here to spy on us, or report about us, then we should leave them alone, right?"
"I'm just watching. People watching is normal." He protested, amusement in his voice.
"If you say so." She returned to reading her kindle. She was currently reading To Kill a Mockingbird, and dealing with the blatant racism, and Scout's bumbling through her childhood was sometimes hard to deal with, for Brooklyn. The concept was there. She understood the themes. But the overall story was a bit difficult for her. The hero worship the little girl had for her father, and for her brother, was a bit of a bitter taste in Brooklyn's mouth. But she was determined to finish it.
She would not lie, and say that racism was not on her mind. It had been, since Cincinnati. The art instillation at the museum had been weighing her down. Seeing the disregard for what had been sacred hills for an entire culture, was also hitting her. The two were more than comparable, to her.

She promised herself, when she finished the book, she was going to call Wilson, and ask questions. She knew she was on her honeymoon, as he had pointed out when she called him last, but she still needed to figure things out. But she also understood his point. She had time. This time, this honeymoon, was the pause in her life, when she didn't necessarily have to worry about things. If she figured things out on her own, great. At the same time, if she didn't, they could deal with it when she was home and settled into the new house.

Granted, she didn't want to have to deal with her emotional issues, while also dealing with getting herself, Steve and Juliana all used to a new way and schedule.

But, as Kitty always said, do not borrow tomorrows troubles at the cost of today's rewards. So, Brooklyn wasn't going to.
"I think we can use open flame." Steve commented, reaching up to scratch his shoulder, before he pointed. "I mean, they gave us one of those standing grill pit things."
She looked to where he was indicating. What looked like a metal box on a pole, with a grate on top, stood not far from where they had the RV set up. It was far enough away that it wasn't a fire hazard, and set up on gravel.

"Well, if our paperwork says it's okay, I don't see why we can't." She nodded, looking back down to her kindle. "I've noticed you like to grill."
"Yeah." She saw him grin out of the corner of her eye. "Not gonna lie. Really hoping we have a grill when we get back."
"As I said when we were setting up our present registry. If we didn't get one for the wedding, if you mentioned it to Pops, you'll have one when we get home." She set the kindle down. "Why do you like grilling."
"It's... well, it was some of the best times, during the war. We could be deep in enemy territory, but during the night? When we could have a fire, and set something over it to cook? Some of the best times. Sitting around, joking and fucking around, cutting meat off as it cooked." He sighed, smiling. "And doing it now, reminds me of that. Of the good times. In between the bad times, of course."
She nodded. "I can see that. You have to hold onto the good times, or the bad times overwhelm."
Steve pursed his lips, nodding, before he turned his head to give her a long look. "What good times would you have kept, if we hadn't been able to get back together, in January?"
Shocked, she stared at him. "You... really want to talk about that?"
"Well, we never really did." He shrugged. "I mean, it worked out. But.. sometimes wonder. What were you gonna do? What were you gonna keep? I don't think it was anything that I had left behind, considering the clean sweep of the apartment you had done. Like I said, I wonder."
She gave him a look, letting him know she was not amused. "I was... reacting, Steve. I wasn't... I wasn't planning. I was just trying to go day to day, at that point. I had been told by you that the separation might have been a good idea-"
"And I regretted those words as soon as they left my mouth." He inserted, shaking his head. "It almost was the worst idea."
"I know. But I was dealing with that. And this was, you gotta know, not long after just figuring out I had fallen in love with you. Then, when dealing with that, I run into my father in a fucking alley in Poland." She sighed. "Then, instead of taking my arm, and saying, 'Yes, Baby Girl, this is a brilliant idea. Lets get your sister and hit the road, like a family!', he says, 'No, Brooklyn. I cant keep you or your sister safe. I'm not safe. I love you, but no. I'm gonna abandon you again.' So, that whole emotional tearing. Then I come back to New York, thinking... yeah, Steve's wised up. He's gonna regret this. So I packed everything up, thinking I was being kind."

"Okay." His voice was.... emotionless. "So, what were you going to keep, then?"
"The memories." She kept her eyes on his, so he knew she was being truthful and serious. "I would have kept every memory we made. I would have... avoided them, for a while. Cause they would have hurt. To have been that happy, and then to be in love, and to... trust you, that much with so much of me, only to have it fall apart... it would have hurt."

He brought his hand up, resting his elbow on the arm of his camping chair, resting his lips against his mouth, and she took a breath, waiting, but when he didn't comment, she took that at an indication to continue.
"It would have been a... long time. Long time, before I would have been able to look back, and smile over it. It would have been hurting, for a very long time. And... I've always been good at pushing pain back. I had to, to survive that place for so long. But... that? Our relationship blowing up like that? It would have been a hurt I don't know I could have ignored. I figured... strangely, that since I had done it before, I could do it again, right? Accept the affections of another person?" She let the remaining air out of her lungs in a rush, before shaking her head. "But, I know now I was fooling myself. I never would have... it's not possible. The love I have for you? It fills all the missing parts of me I never even knew were missing. It makes me complete in ways I never... even considered. I could never find that with someone else. Not really. I mean, maybe I could fool myself? Maybe I could live with a shadow of what we have? But it would never have been the real thing. It's like... God. It like that soda. You drink it long enough, and its all you can remember of the flavor. But you, for some reason, cant find it anymore, so you settle on a different one. It's similar, but it's not the same. But you drink it, cause you need something similar to the flavor. Eventually, you accept it. But its never gonna be that original drink. You say I'm it for you. That im the... one that... But for me? There's only ever gonna be you. I can't... it wont' work with someone else. Not really."

Steve shifted, and she stopped, waiting.
"You say it's like finding the original, then having to live with the knock offs, for the rest of your life. For me, it's the other way around. I've been living with the knock offs, all my life. And then I found you. I found this flavor that is... exciting, encompassing, spicy, sweet....surprising. I wake up every day, wondering what you're gonna do that's gonna make me see the world in a new light. What you're gonna say or see or... And I love it. I love all of it. You say you could never have made it work with someone else? Babydoll.... you have so much love inside you, to give." He reached over, taking her hand, squeezing it. "Do I want you to give that love to someone else? No. I'm selfish like that. But do want you to go through life without ever having love from someone else? No. I can't do that to you. If.... I want you to love, and be loved, Babydoll. Even... even if it's not me. Now, don't get me wrong. I have no plans to go anywhere for a very, very long time. And I sure as shit have no plans on stepping out on you. But if the worst ever possible thing were to happen? I want you to live. And love, Brooklyn."
He squeezed her hand again.
"When I say you're it for me, I mean it. There will never... if you leave me? Or something happens to you? I'll never be able to go back to searching out the similar flavors. That's...that's what that means for me. You are going to be my be all and end all. Forever and a day." He gave her a soft smile. "Till death do us part."

She felt the sting in her eyes, returning his smile, and the squeeze to his hand.
"That... pleases me, very much, Steve."

"Well," He shrugged his shoulder, his smile widening. "I aim to please you, Babydoll. Multiple times, if I can help it."
"Dirty fucker." she wrinkled her nose. "We were having a serious talk."
"And now it's over." He winked, standing up and leaning down to kiss her. "I think I'm gonna start prepping for dinner. I wanna have the coals the right temp, before I put the potatoes down."
He kissed her again, after her nod, and let go, turning to head into the RV, when he paused, turning back.
"Brooklyn." His voice was serious. "One thing. Don't ever do that again, please. Never. Do not just assume I'm done with you, until I've actually said the words. And since I don't ever intend to say those words, I don't think that mistake will be made again."
"Got it." She laughed, waving a hand at him. "Go on. Get dinner ready. Jeeze... you're so clingy."
"Well, can you blame me?" He laughed, shaking his head. "I just wanna touch you, all the time."
"And you do." She nodded.

"Yup." He grinned, turning and climbing into the RV.

**************

The next morning, Brooklyn woke up before Steve. She considered snuggling against him, until he woke, maybe even encourage him to rise bright and early, but instead, she carefully climbed off the bed and went to the bathroom. Coming out of the bathroom, she edged around the bed, keeping her steps light, pausing to pick his tee shirt out of the laundry basket, slipping it on. She slid the door shut behind her, then went into the kitchen area to start the coffee pot.

Taking care to keep her noise down, she prepared her coffee mug, as the machine popped and sputtered, the coffee starting to drip. After returning the creamer to the fridge, she took the time to look over things, finally reaching in to grab an apple, using her teeth to hold it, while she shut the door, and turned to pour her coffee. She then picked up the cup, biting into the apple and made her way over to the RV door opening it and leaving the screen door shut. Brooklyn sat on the step, chewing on her bite, enjoying the fresh and cool morning.

A small noise just outside of view made her pause, as she was about to take a sip of her coffee.

A deer, delicate stepped, came into view, their head down as they snuffled along the ground.
Brooklyn held herself still, watching as the deer explored their campsite, pausing at the bucket Steve had left by the grill stand. He had wanted, he said, to have water on hand in case sparks or something left the stand. To stop a fire. After he had finished cooking dinner, and they had made S'mores together, he had tipped some of the water on the remaining coals, stirring them to make sure they were out before he had chased her into the RV where they had sex before falling asleep in each other's arms.

Now, the partially full bucket was thoroughly investigated by the deer, before the animal dipped it's head into it, clearly drinking.

She shifted, setting her coffee down beside her gently, before leaning forward, eager to watch. Another deer stepped into view, this one being less cautious. It trotted into the campsite, pausing to turn it's head, scratching it's ear with it's back leg, before shaking it's head, going back to it's curiosity.

The deer drinking water lifted it's head, it's tongue darting out, before it went back to drinking, and Brooklyn brought the apple up, taking another bite, content to watch the animals.

They were peaceful. A personification of the innocence of wildlife. Not innocent in fact, because she was aware of the horrors they may witness in their daily lives. But the delicate nature of the animals gave lie to the realities they experienced. These were transient creatures. They lived and died due to their own instincts. But even those failed. Nature, for all it's beauty, was red in tooth and claw.
She continued to chew on her apple, only pausing again, when one of the deer approached the screen, its steps hesitant, before coming to a stop, seeming to watch her. It wiggled its nose, its head dipping, before it took another step, stopping again.
She didn't know what made her do it, but she began to slide down the stairs, her hand reaching for the handle on the screen door. She pushed it open slowly, breathing gently, until she was able to slide the hand holding the remains of her apple out to the deer.
The creature froze, it's nose wiggling harder, it's deep dark eyes watching her, it's ears twitching. It took a step towards her, extending it's head, before pulling back and ducking it's head down, sniffing the ground. It approached closer, and finally sniffed at the apple, before it took a nibble. It pulled away, chewing, it's tail flicking, before it stepped forward, taking a more substantial bite of the apple. Brooklyn let the apple roll from her hand to the ground, and the deer stepped back, it's tail flicking harder, before it dropped it's head, snuffing the apple, then beginning to eat it.
The other deer came over, less hesitant than the previous one, trying to get it's nose to the apple, and the first deer took it, stepping away.
Brooklyn frowned, before slowly backing herself up the stairs, until she could stand, going to the fridge and pulling another couple apples out, turning to grab a knife, slicing the apples into quarters quickly. She glanced at her sleeping husband, turning and returning to the screen door. The second deer had managed to get a bite of the apple. Brooklyn opened the screen just as gently as the first time, tossing a quarter a little ways from the first deer. The second deer startled, but went over to it, eating it after a cautious sniff.

She continued to toss them apple quarters, until she was empty handed, then sat back with her hands folded on her knees, watching the animals sniffed around, their dark wet noses twitching, and their tails flicking, while listening to the rest of the sounds of nature around them. Finally the bark of human laughter broke in faintly, and the deer moved on.

Picking up her coffee, Brooklyn focused on the place the deer had stood, letting her eyes slide partially closed as she enjoyed the peace and quiet of the still early morning. She imagined she had a preference, when it came to settings for her life, but this trip had started to cement the idea that she was a creature of comfort. Roughing it, as seen in the movies and television shows, had never been fun to her. It had been about survival. She knew if she was dropped into the middle of no where, with a knife, being told she had a certain amount of time to get to another point, she'd be able to survive and do as requested. The condition she might arrive in might be... questionable. But she'd be able to do it.

But that didn't mean she wanted to.
She enjoyed sleeping on a comfortable bed, buried under warm and soft blankets. She enjoyed cuddling to a mountain of pillows. She enjoyed rolling to her feet without having to brace herself for the feel of gritty, dirty, cold cement. She enjoyed knowing that if she opened her closet or dresser drawers there would be clean clothing, free of holes or tears. She enjoyed being able to eat what she wanted, when she wanted. She enjoyed sitting on her couch, reading or watching television. She enjoyed knowing she had sufficient hot water to stand in the shower and let it cascade over her, for more than five minutes, and soap to make her skin clean, shampoo to pull the grease and dirt from her hair, and conditioner that left it feeling silky and added shine.

She enjoyed the basic human comforts that she had been denied most of her life.

So, yes. She would be so bold as to say she now had a preference. She preferred comfort.

Steve must have already figured this out. There were more than a few options, she gathered, he could have chosen from, when planning this trip. He could have simply gotten one of those little motor homes with the sleeping quarters over the cab. He could have rented a van with a bed in the back, or stacked the top with camping gear, and had them sleep in a tent this entire time.

Instead, he had thought about her, and rented this beautiful traveling apartment. Complete with all the things that made her happy.

It made her warm and fuzzy inside, and she finished her coffee. Standing up, she opened the screen door and shut the outer door, before coming back up, pausing to set her cup on the counter, and heading back to the bedroom. Her husband, her big, idiot mountain of a man husband, lay on his front, one of his arms hanging over the edge, while the other lay stretched out across her side of the bed. His naked back rose and fell steadily with his deep, slumberous breaths, the sheet fallen to just below his hips, the dip between his buttocks starting to show.
She stood there for a few moments, smiling, hugging herself as the warm fuzzy feeling continued. Eventually she was no longer content to just watch, and removed the shirt she had put on. Climbing over the foot of the bed, she crawled up his body, careful to not jostle him, until she was able to lay herself along his naked back, schooling her breath until it matched his.

Skimming her fingers along his shoulders, she followed the lines of muscles down his arms, until all she could reach was his forearms. Finally, she tucked her chin into the crook of his neck, and closed her eyes.
She had no intention of going back to sleep. She simply wanted to feel, to float, to bask in the closeness that only could be achieved when they were skin to skin.

"G'mornin...." His sleep thick voice graveled out. "You comfy?"

Opening her eyes, she grinned. "Very. I mean, you're a little harder than the average mattress. But there's an appeal that you wont find with those."

Steve nodded, yawning, before clearing his throat. "I can see that. You wanna shift, so I can roll over?"
"No." She shook her head, her fingers grabbing his forearms. "I'm good, right where I am."

He nodded again, yawning again. "What time is it?"
"Donno. Don't care." She admitted, lessening her grip on his forearms, stroking her fingers along his skin. "Does it really matter, anyhow?"

It happened, just happened. He rolled over, flipping her off his back, before rolling back over, shifting to lay on his side next to her, reaching to pull her into his body, hand stroking her skin. "I was thinking we could go see the geothermal pools today. Maybe catch that Old Faithful. Seems like something to do."
She grinned at him, reaching to push the sheet off of him completely. "I thought I already caught Old Faithful."

He blinked, before laughing, his fingers tightening on her as he did so. "Oh, Jesus. That... was actually a really good one."
"Yes, cause you're old, and you've promised to be faithful." She squeezed herself closer, reaching down to stroke his lower stomach "Tell me where I'm wrong."
"You aren't wrong. But I need to get up, just for a moment." He told her, grinning as his laughter subsided, kissing her. "Just gotta run to the toilet."
"Ah, the morning call of nature." She teased, as he rolled away from her, walking naked to the smaller bathroom, ducking inside. "That's what you get for drinking all that wine, before we went to bed."

His voice was muffled through the door, but she heard the distinct sound of him urinating. "I don't think that's the only reason."
She shrugged, rolling over, stretching. "If you say so."

The sound of flushing accompanied him leaving the bathroom, and he leaned on the doorway to the bedroom, watching her, his hand drifting down to grasp his cock, slowly stroking it. She watched, as it started to engorge, lifting with each stroke, the foreskin starting to slowly pull away from the head. It was fascinating in it's own right. She rarely saw him between flaccid and erect. Steve usually was the latter, around her. But she was realistic enough to know that it was impossible for him to remain that way, constantly. Despite how it often felt like it was.

"I feel I should tell you," he began, as he dropped his hand from his now erect cock, "That I find your way of looking at the world, the surety you have in what you say and believe, amazing."
He came to the bed, climbing back onto it, laying on his side, and encouraging her with his hands to roll back towards him.

"Its this unshakable... self belief, and I love it." He grinned.

"Good." She grinned back, reaching up to stroke his cheek gently. "Because you're gonna see it for the rest of our lives. I don't think I'm gonna lose it anytime soon."
He ran a hand down her side, to her thigh, than gripped her knee, lifting it over his hip. He shifted, and his hips rocked up to hers, sliding his cock along her pussy, and a gust of breath left her, her body readying itself for him. "And that.... makes me very, very happy."

She tilted her head back, and he bent his, nipping and sucking at the skin, rolling them over, so he was braced over her. She brought her other leg up, hooking it around his waist, her hands stroking down his shoulders. She felt herself opening up, the brush of air on her gathered wetness, the slight throb of her clit starting to grow in intensity.
"I love making you happy." she confessed. "I don't know why. But I do."
"Because you love me, as I love you." He told her, his words breathed out against her skin. "And just I love you, and want to make you happy, it's natural you want to do the same for me."
"I would be happier if you were inside me." She informed him, her nails scratching at his skin. "I think that would make me very happy. Very very happy."

He shifted, his hips dropping, the head of his cock brushing her pussy. "Well, I want to make you happy."
His breath left him in a groan, which she mimicked with a moan, as he pushed into her. Steve rested, his body held up over her by his elbows, looking down at her. She tightened her leg, then relaxed it, her body naturally flexing around his cock.
"Yeah... there we are." He sighed, ducking his head to kiss her, and she participated in it, her tongue rubbing against his, as he gave a slight shove with his hips, before retreating slightly, then stopping. "There we are."

She closed her eyes, tilting her head back, breathing. She fell into the sensations running through her body, as she stroked his back lightly. Sex was encompassing, even when they were going slow like this. Easy, light... yet still her nerves and skin were on fire. Where they touched, as well as where they were joined, was hyper aware. The feeling of is stomach moving, his ribs flexing as he inhaled and exhaled, the jump of his muscles in his back and shoulders, the twitching of his arms... she felt it all. She imagined he felt her like that, as well. She wondered if it had to do with their augmentations. If being what they were, with the serum running in their veins and in their DNA had something to do with it. And if that was so, she pitied the people who would never feel a hint of what they did during a sexual act. During sex. Making love. Fucking.

The feeling that took over everything. That made her deaf and blind to anything but Steve, in that moment.

"Fast or slow, Babydoll?" He breathed, his heart beat thrumming through his body. She could feel it through his skin, as well as his cock. "Hard or gentle?"

He was asking on her to talk. To focus. How unfair of him, when all she wanted to do was drift in the tide of pleasure that was lapping at her. She wasn't sure how he expected her to want anything than the feelings that were pulling her under, right now.

"You." She gasped, as a swell hit her, but didn't take her just yet. "Just.... you."

She felt his shudder, against her, in her, over her, around her. Everything. He was everything in this point in time. The heat of his body encompassed her, and despite the fact that it was summer, she reveled in it. She loved the musky scent of him, increased by the sweat left over from his sleep. The new sweat he was creating was even more enjoyable, knowing it was because he was trying to keep his control.

"You have me." He murmured, bending and flexing to kiss her neck. "You have all of me, Babydoll.... I just wanna know how you want me to please you, right now..."

"Move." She moaned. "Move, Steve...."

He grunted softly, before his hips began to rock, his cock tugging slightly before it began to glide in and out of her. Sparks snapped at her, her breath escalating as the pleasure began to rise. She moved her hips with him, encouraging the feeling, her nails dragging along his skin. Her toes curled, and she could feel noises leaving her, even as she didn't understand them.
Steve rolled them over, shifting to make sure her leg wasn't trapped under him, before helping her sit up, grinning up at her.
"C'mon, Babydoll... Dance for me." He instructed, his hands resting on her hips, urging her pace. "Show me how you move."