Steve cuddled his wife, letting the relaxation from a very satisfying sexual encounter settle, when there was a knock on the door to the RV. He groaned, rolling over, pausing to look in the direction of the front of the RV, waiting to see if it the summons would come again.

It did.
He groaned again, rolling over fully, sitting up, grabbing the pair of jeans from yesterday and standing up.
"Just a moment!" He shouted, pulling the jeans on, doing the fly and button up as he strode to the front. "Coming!"
"Not anymore." Brooklyn murmured, pulling the sheet up over her shoulder, nestling into the pillows.

He grinned, watching over his shoulder, before winking at her, and returning to watching where he was going. He stepped down the stairs, unlocking the door, and swinging it open.

A thin man, with a clipboard, and a uniform shirt stood there, smiling. "Good morning!"
"Good morning." Steve rumbled back, confused. "What can I help you with?"

"Yes." The man looked at the clipboard. "Our records indicate you intend to check out, this morning, correct?"
"Yeah." Steve drew the word out, almost like it was a question, waiting to see what the man really wanted.
"Oh, good. We're just checking. We were willing to offer to extend your stay if you had wanted. No one has put a reserve on this spot. So, this is your friendly reminder to let you know that check out is in an hour. And we want to thank you for camping with us!" The man grinned, taking a pencil out from under the clip on the board, and writing something down. "Please return the parking placard, on your way out! Thank you again!"

Steve watched in disbelief as the man turned and strode away, apparently in the direction of other campers who's time was up. He scratched his chest ideally, frowning, before he turned and went back up the stairs, letting the door slap shut behind himself.
"I may be mistaken..." He began, walking back to the bedroom, shaking his head. "But I think we're being evicted."
"We only paid for the one night." Brooklyn pointed out, still laying on the bed. "About an hour, huh?"
"Yup." He took a seat on the edge, leaning over and kissing her. "So, up and at 'em, Babydoll. If you're gonna shower, best get it done now. We have to pull in the pop outs."

She nodded, sitting up, and the sheet fell from her upper body. Steve took a moment to appreciate the view, as his beautiful wife stretched her arms over her head, another groan leaving her. In a moment, he went from appreciating, to touching. The need was too great. His hand went out, cupping one of her breasts, his thumb finding and pressing against the beaded nipple, and he was pushing her back onto the bed, climbing to loom over her, bending down to kiss her deeply.

He felt the groan leave him, his body responding, the urge to lay between her legs and slide into her, until they both came was strong.

She broke the kiss, cupping his face. "Steve, they want us out of here in an hour. We don't have time, right now."

"I know." He sighed, pushing the arousal away. There was time, later. They had all the time in the world, now. He rose up, kneeling on the bed, looking down at her. "You better get up, and in that shower, Babydoll. I can't promise to not be a good boy, if you don't."

She grinned, winking at him, before reaching down and grabbing the sheet, whipping it off of her, before rolling over and getting on her hands and knees. She began to craw towards the edge of the bed, and Steve felt the compulsion again. His hand stretched out, and the flat of his palm smacked against her bare bottom.

She squeaked, and he grinned.

"That's what you get for waving that pussy in my face, when I'm trying to behave." He told her, trying to hold in his laughter.

She sat back, giving him a pouting look over her shoulder, before she grinned. Brooklyn leaned forward, bending her elbows, and lowering her head. Then, the little tease waved her backside.

He couldn't keep it in anymore. He laughed. Then he shifted to kneel behind her, running a hand down her back, grabbing a handful of her hair, tugging.
"Oh, so you want to tease?" He questioned, between laughter. "Okay."
He smacked her ass again, then paused, doing it again. Each time his hand met her backside with a sharp sound, she let out a squeak. He grinned wider, doing it two more times, before letting go of her hair. She dropped her head, a purring sound leaving her, her legs shifting to spread wider, her ass tilting up to him.

"Brooklyn...." He warned, moving to press against her, his hands sliding up and down her back, letting his erection press against where he really, really wanted to be. "We don't have time. If... we would be late, checking out. And you want a shower. And we need to pull the popups in. And if I start fucking you the way I want to, right now? We're not gonna be able to do any of that."

He leaned over her, letting his chest settle against her back, his lips brushing her ear.
"That nice attendant will come back, and hear me fucking the ever loving daylights outta you. And you know how I feel about people even thinking they can listen to your pleasure." He kissed her ear, letting his voice drop. "You're my wife. And your pleasure belongs to me. Only me, Babydoll."

He swatted her one last time, harder than the others, and her body rocked with the smack, a sharp cry leaving her, but she shifted forward, crawling towards the edge of the bed, twisting her body to put her feet on the floor, standing up.
She turned to look at him, her cheeks pink and eyes sparkling. "Well, good morning."

"Good morning." He grinned. "Go on, shower. Or you're gonna be a mess all day. Cause I am about thirty seconds from throwing you back on the bed."

Brooklyn raised an eyebrow slowly, and brought her hands up to her neck, before she met his eyes and began slowly slipping her hands down her body. "But I'm already a mess."
"More of a mess." He clarified, watching her hands. "Im serious, Babydoll. Twenty seconds."

She shifted, spreading her legs a little, her hands slipping between her legs, where they paused. She inhaled a slow breath, and Steve moved, coming closer.
"Ten seconds." He warned, as he began to reach out for her. "Too bad, Babydoll. I was gonna let you start the day clean, then dirty you up through out the day."
He felt his fingertips brush her hips, his eyes still on her hands, when she moved. One moment she was there, in his grasp, the next she was in the bathroom, shutting the door between them. He grunted, climbing off the bed, grabbing the door handle.

There was a sharp click, as she engaged the lock.

"Tease." He growled, holding the handle, considering twisting and snapping the lock. It would be so easy. He just had to twist his hand. The cheap little lock on the door would break, and he would be able to step into the bathroom, where his wife wouldn't be able to get away. He took a deep breath, his hand flexing, just as he heard the shower turn on.
"Shit." He grunted, taking another deep breath, before shaking his head, letting a grin fall on his face. "You win this round, Babydoll. Next one's mine."
"Maybe!" She called, laughing. "Guess the stakes have been raised!"

He nodded, still grinning. Turning, he skirted the bed, the pop out making more room for his feet and legs, stopping to pick up a shirt from the closet. He slipped it on as he made his way down the main part of the RV.

He would be one of the first to admit that having the pop outs helped with the space issue with the RV. Without the pops out out, things were tight. Not uncomfortably so, the RV had been build and designed for luxury, but at the same time, he found it close quarters.
Amazingly, the RV was about the same amount of space they had in the apartment above Carmine's bakery. Also amazingly, it didn't feel near as comfy as that same apartment, despite the luxury. Perhaps it had to do with the fact that he knew it was a temporary home. It was facilitating him giving his wife the ability to enjoy a honeymoon while touring the country. Letting her see all the things she never had a chance to, growing up, or since her freedom had been assured.
He paused, slipping on his shoes, thinking.

Maybe they would be nice and have the entire thing detailed, before returning it to the owners. He wasn't sure what the damage deposit covered, but bodily fluids had to be a deal breaker. Given they had five more weeks in this rig, it was a real possibility they would have sex on every surface. In fact, it was more than a possibility. It was a promise.

He grinned wider, finishing putting on his shoes, then grabbing the keys off the dashboard where he had taken to leaving them. He stepped out of the RV, and stretched, closing his eyes, and enjoying the slight breeze that was cutting through the early Montana sun. It was missing the slight scent of the harbor, and the scent of the City, but it was a nice summer morning, none the less.

He considered the fact that he might have more of an issue living upstate, than Brooklyn and Juliana.

With the exception of the time had spent overseas during the War, and the time he had spent in DC, he hadn't lived anywhere else, really, than New York, his entire life. It was a bit of a daunting idea, really. He understood why Brooklyn was nervous about it, so much so she was looking for every possible problem they were going to have, before they had even spent their first night in their new house.

Their new house.

Their new home.

He let a shiver of happiness go through him at the thought.

Even if he was just as nervous as Brooklyn about the move, he was happy for it.

Perhaps if there was more distance between her and the City, her involvement in running her neighborhood would be more hands off. Wheedled down to a few trips a month, just to sign papers, and have the few face to face meetings that might be required. She could maybe give orders and instructions over the phone. The men who would be trusted to know where they lived, would come to her, to have personal instructions given.

A little distance between her and her crew would be a good thing, he reassured himself.
For all she had been trained to be a queen, his Babydoll had actual little practical knowledge on how to lead men. She had as good as admitted it, more than once. She had been trained to be a partner. A leader on paper, but a partner in practicality.

Maybe in a few years, once she'd learned the ropes, he would be more secure with the idea of her having that much possible power at her disposal.

The move would be good for Juliana, more than anything.

The fresh air would be a benefit for the growing girl. Especially considering what they now knew about the fact that she didn't have the serum encoded inside her. Their precious little girl was gonna need fresh air, clean water, and room to run. The house upstate would be able to give her all that. Her lungs would grow strong, breathing the air free from the constant smog and chemicals in the City. The well water on the property had to be a shit ton healthier than the water that came out of the taps in the apartment. And as for the room tor run.. well, couldn't beat that with the amount of property they were gonna be living on. Not to mention, she had just about all the access she would need for anything else she might need, via the compound that Tony was building for the Avengers.

It wasn't that he had anything against the Marinos, especially considering that he had technically married into the family, now, but... there would be better influences for Juliana at the compound.

Nat would be there, having moved in once things were completed. Sam, too.
Rhodey would be joining the team, and while Steve had a few compunctions having Tony's old wing man joining the team, his military experience would be helpful. As well as the connections he still had in the organizations.

Vision and Wanda would be the new ones that would be needed to be felt out, and trained up.

The younger woman was still feeling the death of her twin, and the complete loss of her home. But the word Steve had heard from Nat, was that she was dealing. Slowly. But surely. And once she had her time, and learned to move past the death, she would be a powerful addition to the team.

Vision, the...android? Machine? Steve wasn't sure what Vision was classified as, but he knew that he was basically the walking/talking personification of JARVIS, Tony's old UI. But now, instead of overseeing all of Tony Stark's affairs, and his company, as well as all his buildings and vehicles, in addition to being the assistance Tony needed in his Iron Man suit, he was now the keeper of the stone pulled from Loki's scepter.

Steve took a deep breath, at the reminder of the scepter. That fucking piece of junk.

The chaos Loki had unleashed with that damn thing was difficult to swallow, thinking about it being still possibly on earth. He knew Thor was thinking about it's possible removal, even if he apparently had a bit of respect for the way Vision had joined the fight against Ultron, without any real consideration, as well as being pivotal in bringing the plans the robot had for the destruction of the human race.

While the last word Steve had heard on the subject was that Vision would be joining the Avengers, things could change in the amount of time he would be away.

He took another deep breath, letting it out slowly.

He was so close.

So close to being able to step back some more. Being able to just hold what would be an office job. Being able to give Brooklyn and Juliana the lives they needed, to continue their healing from their past. Being so fucking close to being able to focus on finding, healing, and bringing Bucky home.

He wasn't ignorant of how his old best friend was going to react.
Steve was fully prepared to have Bucky try to kill him, simply on the principle of the fact that being him being married to Brooklyn meant that Bucky was well aware of how things went down in private between the two of them. Bucky had been with him, at least during the war, when Steve had been more than a glutton when it came to women. He had also caught Steve at his own personal form of play, more than once then, too. Hell, Bucky had helped him buy the blue books, and the top shelf magazines, when he had been a bit short in clams to get it.

He rubbed his face, letting out a soft groan.

Yeah, there was no getting around it. Bucky was gonna knock his block off, for daring to put a ring on Brooklyn's finger. Worse, when you took into account that Brooklyn had admitted to her father, when she had ran into him in Poland, that she had been more than a little intimate with the Fucking Idiot Asshole, as she had dubbed Steve to protect his identity.

And Steve wouldn't blame him, at all.

He had known, the moment he knew who Brooklyn was to Bucky, that if he went down this path, one day he was gonna have to answer for it. One day he was gonna have to look Bucky in the eye, and tell him that he had known, and done it anyway. That he had made that choice to cross that line, that was so sacred between friends. That he had made the educated decision to seduce and make Brooklyn fall in love with him, with the express purpose of making her his. He had known all this, and went after her anyway.

He had been a shit friend, doing all that, and in the end, he would be the first to tell Bucky that he didn't care. Because Brooklyn was his now. His wife. His lover.
His.

At this point, only death would take her away from him. And he was even death was negotiable.

He finished moving the collapsible furniture closer to the storage under the RV, staking it so all he had to do was slide it in, after they pulled the pop ups in, standing up and reaching up to rub the back of his head, when he heard the shower turn off. He stood, listening, as the sounds of Brooklyn leaving the shower, and eventually making her way to the bedroom, accompanied by the sound of her rustling in the drawers and closets came to him. He grinned, heading for the RV door, opening it, and climbing the stairs.

"You done?" He asked, rhetorically, knowing damn well she was done with her shower, but honestly, he just missed her. It was an odd thing. He hadn't known what was missing in his life, until she had come into it. He had known something was missing. He had always felt incomplete. Like a phantom ache, or a dream half remembered upon waking.

He hadn't known what he had missed, but once he had found it, he had known.

She blinked at him, rubbing her head with a towel. "Were you just hovering, waiting for me to get out of the shower?"

"Nah..." He shook his head, grinning. "I got the stuff outside, ready to be put away."
"And you just happened to be done, and coming inside, when I got out." She nodded, tossing the wet towel into the basket, reaching for a pair of underwear. "I get it."

Steve came over, leaning against the doorway to the bedroom, watching her. He folded his arms, trying to resist the urge to touch her. He felt she was not being fair, though, in his efforts, when she dropped the towel, and began to pull on her underwear.

"Are you going to change into clean clothes, or are you going to keep wearing the same thing from the day before?" She asked, as she picked up her bra, sliding it around her chest, doing up the hooks and rotating it so she could put her arms in the straps, adjusting her breasts in the cups, not focused on him.

"Shirt's clean." He returned, watching her. How often had he watched her undress, or helped her? Had he ever really focused on her putting her clothes on, before? Really? It was amazing, all the things a woman had to do, to be considered appropriately dressed for society. There were even different rules for how women could expose certain amounts of skin.
Last night, at the swimming pool, he had enjoyed watching her in the bikini, before he made the mistake of ruining it by tossing her in the water. But he knew that if she walked around, all the time like that, people would be upset that she was being obscene.

He knew it was much more socially acceptable for him to walk around in public without a shirt on, even if he still felt a little off about doing it, than it would be for his wife to do so. He had a few thoughts on the idea, himself. But he felt that was mainly due to the fact that he didn't want others to see her in a state that he felt should be reserved for himself.

He would admit that he was selfish when it came to how people got to see his wife.

It was one of the few reasons he took acceptation to the idea of her going back to dancing at the club, before they were married. He didn't like the idea that she felt she was required to strip for money. He knew that wasn't how it was, that she could chose when to dance, when to take her clothes off. And he was aware it was hypocritical of him, considering he had first met her while she was working the floor, in next to nothing. But since they had made their relationship officially romantic, and sexual, he had felt that the privilege of viewing her in next to nothing, as well as completely naked, was his and his alone.

"I'm just a bit surprised you have decided to...what's the phrase...free ball it?" She asked, raising an eyebrow at him, as she pulled on a pair of shorts, that barely hit her mid thigh.
"Well, maybe." He shrugged, coming over, wrapping his arms around her waist, bending his head to rest his chin on her shoulder. "It is our one week anniversary, as you woke me up to remind me. Maybe I want to be sure I know, when you get horny later, I'm gonna be able to satisfy you, easier. Quicker. No underwear in the way. Just... unzip, and please my Babydoll. Is that so wrong?"

She snorted, finishing doing up her shorts, and that was where he broke. He slid a hand down her stomach, slipping his fingers under the waist band, feeling the lace edge of her panties, and curling his fingers so his nails scrapped it, tugging.

"In fact... I could do it, right now." He shifted his head, kissing her shoulder, then nipping sharply, causing her to arch her neck back, and inhale sharply.

"I'd let you... if we weren't under a time crunch, and you already stating you didn't want someone to hear me." She reminded, reaching back to drag her nails along his side, muted by his shirt.

"There is that." He sighed, kissing her shoulder and pulling his fingers out of her waist band.

"Now, go stand over there, and be a good boy, so I can finished getting dressed, and we can get on the road. I also want to take some time, to figure out where we're going next."

"I think I saw that it'll take us about eight hours to get to Seattle from here, if we don't stop a whole lot." He offered, doing as she requested, returning to his position at the doorway.

Brooklyn pursed her lips, her eyes going hazy as she started thinking. "I think there are some things on the way there."

"So, we stop. See them." He shrugged. "Its your time, Babydoll. I told you that. You tell me where to go, and I get us there."

"It should be our time." She sighed. "I'm not so self absorbed as to not know that you should have an opinion on where and what we do."

"I want you to be happy." He shrugged again. "And right now, you choosing where we go, and what we see, and what we do? That makes me happy."

She finished getting dressed, while he watched and contemplated, trying to be a good boy and keep his hands to himself.

It was harder to do so, this time around.

She turned to look at him, wrinkling her nose. "At least change your jeans. Those were yesterdays."

He grinned at her, nodding. "As you wish, Babydoll."

Passing him, she stood on her toes, kissing his chin. "I'm gonna go put things away, inside. We need to get a move on."

He waited for her to pass, before turning slightly, and landing a sharp slap on her backside, making her jump and yelp. She turned to glare at him, and he winked.

"Just reminding you, Babydoll."

Giving him her middle finger, she went ahead, into the kitchen area. Steve laughed, heading back further into the bedroom, opening the closet, and pulling out a clean pair of jeans.

**********

They managed to leave the KOA with minutes to spare.

The guy with the clipboard that had disturbed them first thing that morning had cheerfully checked them out, wishing them happy travels, and wishes to have them come back again.

Honestly, the guy's cheerfulness was a bit creepy, if anyone asked Steve.

They hit the highway, heading west, while Brooklyn sat in the seat beside him, drinking her coffee, and browsing on the internet, mapping out their next few destinations. She instructed him, after about a half hour on the road, to head for Bozeman.
Donuts, she said.

He shrugged and followed her orders, putting the city into the GPS, and sitting back, elbow hanging out the window, one hand on the steering wheel, sunglasses on.
This was the life, he had reflected. Traveling the highways and byways of the country, in a tricked out RV, his beautiful wife by his side. He knew it had only been a week on the road, but he was starting to think they should make this a yearly thing.

Pack up some things, rent an RV built for comfort, and tour the country, seeing new things every time, revisiting the places and things they had enjoyed previously.

Like Dave and Marley, the couple they had met in Yellowstone.

The couple had made it a point, to spend at least a bit of time every summer on the road. They did it, Dave had explained to Steve when they had a chance to talk, to strengthen their relationship. Sometimes, a couple needed time away from the pressures and hassles of the daily grind of life. Done right, it could be amazingly relaxing.

Steve liked that idea, a lot. He liked the idea that building a simple tradition, like going on a trip across the country, could be something that could happen. Especially as Juliana got older. It could be something that could be used to bring them together back together as a family, as she became a mouthy, opinionated teenager, who would no doubt prefer to be anywhere than on a trip with her sister and brother in law.

He had pulled off the exit into Bozeman, following the directions the GPS gave him, after Brooklyn fiddled with it, before he was directed to pull into a vacant lot. Once he turned the RV off, she grinned at him, and launched herself out of the door, running down the stairs, her messenger bag in hand. Steve had felt himself blink a few times, before he followed, taking the time to roll the window up, and locking the door behind himself. His wife was a few strides ahead of him, standing at the side of the road, pointing across it to a building in a what appeared to be a small shopping center.

"Granny's Gourmet Donuts, Steve." She grinned, giving a little hop. "I want to try them. The reviews online state this is the place to get donuts."

"For the locals, maybe." He allowed, shrugging, taking her hand and walking with her across the street, avoiding traffic. This was apparently a normal event, as the few cars heading towards them slowed without issue. He escorted her to the door, and held it open for her, inhaling the yeasty scent of baked goods, heavily flavored with sugar. "But that does smell good."
She grinned at him, getting in line, looking around, before staring at the menu. "The prices, Steve."
He followed her gaze and paused. "Well, damn. Ten bucks for a dozen?"
"Why is everything so much cheaper out in this part of the country?" She demanded, softly. "With the amount of money I make... we could live like royalty, out here."

"I suppose." He pursed his lips. It had been made a lot clearer, the further they'd gone west, that the difference in how a dollar was spent was vastly different from New York. Not that he was entertaining Brooklyn's off hand suggestion that they quit his home state. God no. He loved New York. There was scent and feel to it, that just spoke of home. Even when he had woken up, after his nap in the ice, when he had run from the SHIELD facility and agents, even when he had hit those streets that looked nothing like he remembered, even when he had found himself in Times Square, shocked at all the differences, he had known in his bones that he was in New York. There was a thrum in the ground that he had felt in his feet. The scent, clouded by the smog and pollution and new scents, was still the same under all of it. The sound, the heartbeat of the New York he had known and grown up with, was still beating, even if it was softer under the new cacophony of noise of modern life.
He had felt that way when he had set foot on the property up state. When he had gotten out of the car in front of the house that they now owned, he had still felt it all. In fact, it was stronger, amazingly, away from the City.

So, no, he was not considering packing it all in and moving his family away from New York, even if she was correct, and they would be able to live very, very comfortably in another state.

In fact, he would go so far as to state he felt he had some sort of mystical connection to the ground on which he'd been born. He wasn't sure if it was a movie he had seen since coming out of the ice, or a book he had once read, but he remembered a story about a man who was so in love with Africa, and so bent on protecting it, that a witch doctor had told him that he would never be allowed to die. That Africa would keep him alive.
Steve sometimes felt that way about New York.

The line shifted, and they moved with it, and Steve wrapped an arm around her waist, still perusing the menu.

"Should we get just an assortment, or is there something that is really catching your eye?" He asked, as they got closer to the counter.

"Assortment." She nodded, her voice firm. "It'll allow us to try their donuts, and see if they're as good as the reviews online suggest."

"Alright." He nodded back, content to allow her to lead.

This was how this was gonna work, their marriage, Steve knew. Sometimes he was going to lead, other times she was going to have her hands on the reins. It was a give and take, move and shift sort of situation. A dance, if you would. One he was more than willing to learn the steps to, to keep things going for the rest of their lives.

Honestly, he could imagine doing something like this, for the rest of his life. Standing in line, discussing what they were going to order. Being cute together. Like the other couples he had seen, when he was younger, and since waking back up. Sitting at a table, holding hands, talking about everything and nothing. Having small little jokes that made sense to only them. Code words and phrases, that they made up, in an effort to have a secret communication. Ways to hide their secrets from the rest of the world.

They moved with the line, which seemed to be keeping a decent pace, until they were at the counter.

"Two dozen." Brooklyn told the girl at the counter, before she could say anything to them. "Mixed assortment, please."

The girl nodded, turning and grabbing a few boxes, before going down the cabinet, pulling various donuts out of it, and placing them in the boxes. She was finished quickly, returning to them. "Twenty dollars, please."

Steve reached for his wallet, but Brooklyn was quicker, pulling out a crisp twenty dollar bill. She handed the money to the girl, taking the boxes of donuts from her.

"I didn't put any of the old fashioned ones in there. Two Glazed, though." The girl told them, putting the money in the till. "Have a great day!"
"We will!" Brooklyn sang, turning and heading from the building, like she was on a mission. He chuckled, following, giving the girl at the counter a small smile and nod.
She was out the door and in the parking lot, before he caught up with her.

"Whats this about?" He asked. "You don't normally run ahead of me, like this."

"These are supposed to be the best donuts, Steve." She told him, looking down at the boxes. "We live in New York. With some of the, arguably, best bakeries in the world. And yet, this place, in the middle of damn near no where, claims to have the best donuts. I want to know if there is truth in that statement, or if it needs to be corrected."

He frowned. "How would you correct it?"
She started for the RV. "Write a bad review, I guess."

Steve felt something he didn't know wound tight, relax. He didn't know what he expected her to say, but if the worst thing she was going to do was write a bad review pointing out the false claim of 'the best donuts', he guess he didn't have to think about things too much. He was interested to see what and how she would say it though. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad, if the donuts weren't all that good.

He lengthened his stride, passing her on the street, pulling the keys out of his pocket. He had the door to the RV unlocked, holding it open for her, when she got to him. She grinned at him, climbing up the stairs, her grip on the boxes not even causing it to dip, heading into the back of the RV, as he leapt up the stairs behind her.

"Give me a moment. I'll get you one." She called, setting the boxes on the counter. "Should have gotten coffee."

"I'll go back." He offered, resting a forearm on the driver's seat, watching as she opened the first box. The sweet yeasty smell, combined with a hint of chocolate and cinnamon, fruit, and cream filled the RV. "Damn, those do smell good."

She gave him a grin, reaching in and plucking one out of the box, bringing it up and biting into it. She paused, her eyes closing, as she began to slowly chew, a slow, deep moan leaving her.

"Brooklyn....?" He blinked.

"Sooooo good, Steve." She told him, her mouth full, holding the donut towards him. "You have to take a bite of this."

He grinned, coming over, leaning down and taking a large bite, the strawberry cream hitting, just before the sugary bread did. He felt a groan leave him. "Shit." He said, chewing, taking her wrist, taking another bite. "That is fucking good."

"I know!" She sounded distressed. "It's so good!"

He took the rest of the donut from her hand, sucking her fingers clean, before he frowned, still chewing. "Why are you upset by this?"

She gave him a look that clearly stated she thought he was an idiot, because he didn't understand her upset. "That bakery down the street from the apartment was really good donuts! These are better! How the hell is that possible?"

"Different recipe. Different ingredients." He shrugged. "Maybe even the water. There's lots of reasons why these donuts are different, Babydoll."

She stared down at the boxes, her mouth still turned down in a frown of displeasure. Steve sighed, setting the rest of the donut down, reaching out to take her wrist, turning her to look at him.

"Look, it's not a big deal." He soothed. "It's just donuts."

"Maybe." She sighed, leaning into him. He wrapped his arm around her, rubbing her shoulder. "They're really good, though."
"And they were very affordable." He reminded. "Affordable and really, really good. So, why don't' we eat the donuts, and figure out where we're going next."
"Missoula." She told him, sniffing as she reached out and picked up another donut, biting into it. "I want to see and ride the carousel."
"Carousel." He nodded, picking up the strawberry donut, kissing her head. "Got it. I'll get us on our way."

He went up to the driver's seat, stuffing the donut in his mouth to hold it, while pulling out the keys and buckling in. He started the RV, and maneuvered them out of the parking lot, heading back the way they came. He managed the light traffic, humming happily as he used one hand on the wheel, and the other holding the donut.

As he pressed the gas pedal, speeding up to merge with traffic, Brooklyn joined him, holding a plate with various donuts. She set it on the dash, picking another one up, biting into it, as she pulled her computer onto her lap. In between bites, she tapped away, occasionally sucking on her finger.

He let her.

He was pleased to see her eating her fair share of the sugary donuts. The deal they had struck, towards the beginning of their honeymoon, in Cleveland, had suited him fine. He got to eat a lot of food, usually of a fantastic meal, and the win he really earned was making sure that his wife was fully fed. So far, she hadn't let him down. Her admission that food was an issue for her was refreshing. It showed, in his opinion, that she was aware of things, and working towards fixing them. By making the deal with him, she gave him the assurance that, while they were on the road, he still would be, in some short way, able to still make sure she was filling up.

Granted, he think she was more excited about watching him win then she would be willing to admit.

He had a brief flash of the look on the face of the poor soul the government would send to write his biography, when he related how they spent their honeymoon. Steve even knew what he was going to say.

Fucked and gorged myself across the United States.

He grinned, leaning over to snag another donut, keeping them steady on the highway.

"We could be in Washington,by nightfall, if you want." He told her, taking a bite.

"Nope." She shook her head, chewing. "We're prolly gonna stay in Idaho, for the night. There's a few things I want to see, before we get into Washington. And Washington is gonna take a few days. There's a lot."
He raised his eyebrows, surprised. So far, she hadn't really wanted to spend more than a few days in one spot, and that had been Yellowstone. And more for him, in that case.

"What's so interesting in Washington?" He asked.

"Seattle." She glanced at him. "For one. There's also a Bavarian village. There's the northern border with Canada. You can stand in both countries at the same time. We can also go whale watching, and see orca. There's the Cascade Loop...Wine tasting... things like that. And that's not counting Seattle itself."

"So, time in Washington." He nodded. "Then south?"

"I think so. I mean..." She leaned back, shrugging. "Disneyland is in California. That's south of Washington."

He felt his forehead wrinkle a bit. "How far ahead are you planning?"
"I'm not." she admitted. "I'm generally just checking ahead of us, by a day or so. And when I tried to figure out Washington... I couldn't. Not really. Like I said, there's so much to do!"

"But you're sure about the carousel." he nodded. "Got it."

"And then St. Regis." She said absently. "It's a truck stop, with an aquarium."
"A truck stop with an aquarium." he nodded slowly. "Okay."

"They also supposedly serve a huge line of huckleberry flavored products." Her voice was excited. "Like, it's their speciality. And it's considered one of the last best places to stop for gas for trucks and things, before heading into the passes to get into Idaho."

"I did like that shortcake, last night." He grinned. "That was huckleberry."

"It was." She nodded, finishing the donut in her hand, sucking her fingers clean. "Even if you scammed the waitress into giving it to us for free."
Steve grinned wider. "It was the day before our one week anniversary, Brooklyn. She wasn't scammed. She was being nice. People generally are, if simply given the chance."

She looked at him, with that look he knew meant she was listing all the ways she believed he was an idiot, and adding a new reason to the list. He couldn't keep the smile from his face, knowing her list was growing longer and longer, almost every single day. He wasn't worried that she was going to reach a point, where she would look at him, and tell him she was done and was leaving him. That wasn't a possibility. Unlike women he had seen in the world, in his vast and many travels, Brooklyn had no concept of quitting. She wouldn't throw in the towel, and refuse to go any further.
No, she was in it for life. She wouldn't leave him. She wouldn't quit on him. She was, in no way, shape or form, capable of giving up.

His personal catch phrase might be 'I can do this all day', but he was pretty sure his wife could and would put him to shame in that area.

And he wasn't upset by this.

******

Steve pulled to a stop in front of the park, smiling as he coasted the bike into a spot.
"So, a carousel." He asked, looking over his shoulder at his wife.

"Yup." She nodded. "They did this whole 'donate, and get a horse' thing. So, a lot of the families have horses that are themed in the manner they requested."
Brooklyn slid off the bike, as he braced it, taking off the helmet and strapping it to the seat as he put out the kick stand, and climbed off himself.

Ahead, near where he had parked the bike, was the park in which the carousel was located. According to what she had read online, the carousel in question was under a specially built building, near the 'dragon playground'.

A dragon playground.

Okay.

She bounced a little on her toes, waiting for him. He grinned, locking down the bike, then taking her hand.
"Lead on, Babydoll. Show me this carousel you're excited about." He told her, enjoying her happiness.

She grinned, and leapt forward, dragging him along. Well, she tried to. If he had refused to move, he was sure there wasn't much she could do about it. But he wanted to make her happy.

It was the main thing he saw as his job as her husband. To make her happy. To keep her happy. To provide for her, and make sure she had all the things in her life to make her happy, safe, and healthy. It was his privilage and pleasure to make sure she had everything.

Everything.

Even if it meant riding a carousel in the middle of Montana.

They passed families, with smiling happy children. They passed the odd upset child, screaming and crying for some reason or another. They passed the dragon playground.

And there was the round building, it's doors open, the sound of the calliape music coming to their ears, along with the laughter and cheering of families and their children. The Carousel went round and round, the horses rising up and down in rhythem.

Brooklyn pulled her phone out, tapping on it, before showing him the screen. "Pick your horse."
"Wait." He looked at her, shocked. "You want me on one of the horses?"
"Yeah." She grinned. "I figure, we go around at least twice. I'll choose a horse, then you choose a horse. We take turns."

He felt the shock continue. "You don't want to just ride one, and have me stand with you? Maybe go around a few times?"
"Well, at least once, yes." She grinned wider, bouncing a little on her toes. "I've never been on a carousel before, Steve! This is going to be fun!"

A wave of slight shame hit him. For a moment, one brief moment, he had forgotten how sheltered his wife had been. How many things she had never done as a child. She had never been to the beach. Never been to a fair. Hell, the zoo with Juliana last August had to have been her first visit, ever. Let along the petting zoo. He was willing to bet money that HYDRA had never made it a point to make sure she had ridden a carousel, back when she was growing up.

He had a flash of how she could have looked, her hair in curls and pigtails, a wide smile on her face, maybe missing a tooth, one of those round rainbow lolipops in her hand, white tights, black saddle shoes, clutching the rail of the horse, laughing and waving at Bucky, as she went round and round. Maybe pretending to be in a race, imagining barely making it as the winning rider at the finish line.

Bucky standing beside her, assuring her that it was all okay, that Papa was there.

Maybe the first ride.

The ones after that, he was sure his Babydoll would have insisted she could do it on her own.

She grabbed his hand, knocking him out of his small fantasy of how life should have been for her and her father, holding the phone up again. "Steve?"

He stared at her, unable to shake the image of the tiny Brooklyn Barnes on the large carousel horse, and her smile fell, along with the hand holding the phone.

"Do you not want to ride the carousel with me, Steve?" She asked. Her voice had gone a little smaller. "I understand, I guess. I mean.. you're... You know what, it's okay. Can go by myself."
She stepped away, putting a small amount of space between them, looking down at the phone, sliding the screen up as she looked at the horses.

His heart cracked.

He was being every inch the Fucking Idiot Asshole she often called him.

"No, I'll go with you. I just... got a little caught off guard by it. That's all." He pointed at a vendor. "Do you want to get some cotton candy, first?"

She blinked at him, then at the vendor. "I don't think I've ever had cotton candy."
"Well, then." He brought her hand up, kissing the back of it, smiling at her. "Today will a day of a few firsts."

He grinned, pulling her along, reaching for his wallet.

"Pink, blue, or yellow." He asked her, pulling out some bills. "I think I want to get pink."

"Yellow." She nodded.

"Yellow, for Brooklyn Rogers." He chuckled. "We can make that happen."
They moved through the line rather quickly. The vendor had more than a few premade bags ready, and was quick to pass them out. When they got up to the man, he smiled.
"How many?" He asked, already reaching for the bags.

"Two. Pink, and yellow." Steve told him, holding out a twenty.

"And ten back." The man said, handing Steve the bags, as he took the money. He shoved it into his money box, pulling out a ten dollar bill, handing that to Steve. "Thank you!"

He led her over to the line for the carousel, smiling at her as he put the change and his wallet in his pocket. Steve opened the bag of cotton candy, inhaling deeply as the scent of the spun sugar filled the air. Brooklyn was watching him intently, as he reached in the bag and pinched off a weft of the cotton candy, pulling it out and shoving it in his mouth. The sugar melted on his tongue, leaving the sweetness, and a hint of strawberry.
"It's flavored." He exclaimed, looking at the bag. "it tastes like strawberry."
Brooklyn opened her bag, mimicking him, pulling out a weft of the yellow cotton candy, shoving it in her mouth. Her mouth worked for a bit, before her eyes widened.

"Banana." She declared.

Steve reached into her bag, pulling some out, and trying it. Once the sugar melted away, it left an artificial flavor of banana behind. It was a familiar flavor though. Much closer to the flavor of banana that Steve remembered. Less like the one he experienced eating a banana now.

"It's good." He grinned at her, before pinching a bit out of his bag again, handing it to her. "Try."

She took it, pushing it in her mouth, humming slightly. "It's really good."
"It's just heated, and spun sugar. Granted, this stuff is also flavored. But it's.. so simple." He explained, eating more. "When we give it to Juliana, we'll have to watch her. It'll send her into a sugar high."

Brooklyn hummed again, nodding. "Her little body will just go haywire."

They moved along with the line, eating their cotton candy, until they got to the ticket booth. Steve held the bag of cotton candy with one hand, pulling his wallet out with the other, purchasing their tokens, juggling everything until Brooklyn gave a soft laugh, and helped him.
Then, tickets in hand, they waited for their turn.

"Which one are you going to ride?" He asked her, sucking a finger clean.

She pointed at the moving carousel. "The gray one."

He waited, as the horses and animals went around again. The gray was apparently not as pretty or popular as some of the others. No one was currently riding it. It was staged in the act of running, all four legs curled up, frozen in the moment of flying. It's ears were pricked forward, it's dark eyes gleaming with imagined intelligence. It's dapple coat flashing in the lights as it circled.

"It's nice looking." He agreed. "Why not the one with all the armor. Or the really colorful one?"

"I like the gray." she shrugged. "It looks like a horse. Like an actual riding horse. Not... fancified up, like some of the other ones."

"That's the point of the carousel." he told her. "It's supposed to be a fantasy of a horse. Go on, pick the prettiest."
"I want to ride the gray." She shook her head, then she grinned, pointing at the horses. "Why don't you ride the one covered in the American flags and stuff."
"Nah." He grinned. "I think I want to ride the pale one next to the gray. It looks a lot like the ones I used to see, when I was growing up. We haven't taken Juliana to the one in Central Park, yet. We'll have to do that, before we move upstate. A lot of the horses on that one look like that one, I think."

"I didn't know there was one in Central Park." She frowned. "Maybe we should have waited?"

"No." He smiled down at her. "This is our time. We can plan to do things with her, for when we get home. But right now? If you want to ride a carousel in Montana, we'll ride a carousel in Montana."

The carousel slowed down, and came to a stop. The previous riders climbed off and exited, and then the attendant dropped the rope, and began collecting the tokens, letting people head onto the carousel. Steve took his wife's hand, leading her to the gray, which was again being ignored. He helped her step up onto the deck of the carousel, and then took her by the waist, lifting her up and setting her on the horse.

She adjusted herself slightly, grabbing the gold post with one hand, grinning at him.

He grinned back, moving to the horse beside hers, climbing on, being careful. Luckily, it didn't break. It shook a bit, but didn't crack, or creak.

"Remember to grab the ring, as we go past." He told her. "Maybe you'll get lucky, and get the brass ring."
"What happens if I get the brass ring?" She asked, shifting her grip on the gold bar, so her right hand was free. Her dominant hand, he noted.

"Well, you get a prize, usually." he explained. "I'm not sure that the prize is here. When I was younger, it could be candy, or a treat. Sometimes a free ride on the carousel."

"Then I'll get it." She nodded, her jaw firming with determination.

"Maybe." He cautioned. "They put out the steel rings a lot more than the brass."

The bell rang, and the carousel began to move. The happy music of the calliope piped in, and their horses began to move. Up and down, round and round.
He pointed at the dragon, hanging just at about arms length. "There. Grab it!"
She reached out, her fingers brushing the rings, snagging one. She held it out to him, and he took it.
"Shit." he blurted out, shocked. "It's the brass ring."
"Told you!" She laughed, leaning her head back, closing her eyes. "Told you I would get it!"

"Shouldn't have doubted you for a moment, Babydoll." He grinned, watching her.

Her head back, her hair falling down, a happy smile on her face as her body moved with the up down motion of the horse. Her hands clutched the bag of cotton candy. Her messenger bag draped over her shoulder and hip.

She looked so happy. Innocent.

And he wanted to ruin that innocence.

He inhaled deeply, the scent of popcorn and food from the concession stand to the side of the carousel stale in his nose, as her own scent cut through it.

It was stronger than it should be.

He frowned slightly, considering what that meant.

Then he started counting.

She had menstruated a couple of weeks before the wedding. That would have been about three weeks ago. She was still slightly out of sync. Her first bleeding had been painful, but quick. The second one had been less painful, but a little bit longer. The one before the wedding had been painless and over in three days.

He had noted, in the days leading up to the last menstruation, her scent had thickened, become richer. He hadn't told her doctor, as he wasn't sure he would understand or not. But Steve was starting to come to the idea that she was giving off signals, as her body readied itself for impregnation.

He flexed his hand on the gold bar of his own horse, wanting to let out a low animalistic sound.

His body was more than ready to answer the call hers was giving.

Steve took a slow breath, letting it out just as slowly.

They were in public. She was enjoying her first ride on a carousel. They were a bit of distance from the RV, and thus had no expectation of privacy, right now.

There were a dozen more reasons why he couldn't just climb off the horse, pull her off hers, bend her over, and fuck her silly.

As if she was reading his mind, she raised her head, her eyes opening, and meeting his. She blinked a couple times, before her eyes widened. She licked her lips, and he watched as her hand slid up the gold pole.

God, it was like she was teasing him, now.

"Steve?" She asked, her voice a little deeper.

"I'm fine, Babydoll." He told her, letting go of the bar to reach out to her. "Just enjoying watching you have fun. It's beautiful. I'm glad you're so happy. Really."

She smiled, and took his hand, as the bell rung. The carousel slowed down, and their up and down moments slowed, and eventually came to a stop. She never took her eyes off his, as he slid off his horse, stepping up to her, and placing his hands on her waist.

"Off we go. Let's go find out what you won with your brass ring." He told her, lifting her off, and setting her on the deck. He handed her the ring, and she smiled, looking down at it.
"I got the brass ring." She told him, looking up to smile at him. "I got it, Steve."
"I never should have doubted you, for a second, Babydoll." He bent down to kiss her. Her hand came up to rub at the thickening scruff along his jaw, and he grinned against her lips. "I'll have to make sure to never do that again."
"Yup." She pulled back, taking his hand, pulling him along as she left the carousel, pausing at the gate of the exit, showing the ring to the attendant. The attendant took it from her, handing her a token.
"I get another free ride on the carousel." She turned to show him, jumping a little.
"You want to go again?" He jerked his thumb over his shoulder. "I'll go buy another one."

She shook her head. "No. I wanna keep it. Just like it is, right now." She turned to look at the attendant. "I can do that, right? I don't have to turn it in, or give it back?"

"Nope." The attendant shook his head. "It's yours. And since it's a token, it never expires. If you ever come back, you can use it then."
Brooklyn nodded firmly. "Then I'm gonna keep it."

"Feel free to visit our gift shop and visitor center." The attendant pointed in the direction of said shop. "And thank you for your visit.

A slight skip in her step, she pulled him towards the gift shop. Steve repressed the urge to laugh, her excitement infective. He loved seeing her carefree. And despite how she expressed that shopping with Kitty was a little too much, he had witnessed how much she enjoyed shopping when it was on her terms.

In a way, it was pure, classic Brooklyn.

The gift shop wasn't that packed. Yes, there were clusters of people, here and there, looking at items, and talking among themselves, but it wasn't packed. He relaxed, not even realizing he had started to prepare to block access to his wife.

She dropped his hand, stopping near a shelf, looking at things, picking a few of them up, looking them over, then placing them back. Occasionally she held on to something. He tried to figure out what she was drawn to, or who she was thinking of when she picked up items, when she froze. He opened his mouth to ask her what she saw, when she just... left him.

He blinked, then followed her, as she came to a stop in front of a display.

He frowned, before he felt his eyebrows raise.

The display was filled with miniatures of the horses on the carousel.

Steve reached out, picking up the gray dapple Brooklyn had ridden, looking it over.
"It's beautiful, Brooklyn." He judged, putting it back. "You want it?"
"I want them all." She admitted, softly.

He pursed his lips, looking them over, then at the sign near them, announcing the price. He quickly did the math in his head, letting out a low whistle.

"I know." she sighed. "It's a lot."

Steve hated the sigh. He hated the fact that she was resigning herself to not getting something she wanted. He despised knowing that he might fail in producing a need or want of hers, even a petty material one, such as figures of horses on a carousel they had ridden only once.

But it was her first carousel ride.

And he would be damned to hell and back, if he wouldn't be able to give her this way to have a physical reminder of that special first ride.

"Stay right here." He told her, turning and heading for the counter, resting his forearms on it, waiting for the sales girl to finish up with another customer.

"Hi." He grinned at her. "I was hoping you could help me. My wife wants the figures of the horses. One of each. But, we came here on a motorbike. And we're still a long way from home. Is there any way you can help with that?"

The girl blinked, before nodding. "Well, I guess I can ask my manager?"
"Would you be a dear?" He requested. "It's our honeymoon, and she really wants it."

She nodded again, turning and disappearing through the door behind the counter. A few moments later, an older, heavyset man followed her, coming over to Steve, as she went to help another customer.
"So. Your wife wants to buy all the figures. But you guys came on a bike, and you're a ways away from home?" The manager asked, pulling out a pen and a pad. "We can ship them, if you like?"

Steve straightened up. "Really?"
"Yeah. It's an extra fee, obviously. But we can do that." The manager did some writing on the pad. "Is there certain ones she wants, or...?"
"All of them." Steve nodded.
"Okay." The manager nodded back. "Let me get the order down. We'll have it ready for you, when you finish shopping. We just ask you pay for everything, before you leave."

"We can do that." he grinned. "You have no idea how glad I am to hear you are willing to work with us."

"It's not that unusual." the manager nodded again.

"Well, I guess I'll go tell her." Steve jerked his thumb over his shoulder. "You have no happy this is going to make her."
"Well, happy wife, happy wife." The manager smiled. "You'll learn. Honeymoon?"

"Yup." Steve felt himself puff up with pride. "First week. Married a week ago, today."

"Yeah." the smile on the manager's face turned fond. He finished writing on the pad, tapping it on the counter. "You'll learn. I'll let you get back to your shopping. We'll be ready for you, when you are done."

Steve nodded, turning and heading back to Brooklyn. He kissed her head, sighing happily. "They're going to be able to ship them for us."
"All of them?" Her surprised voice asked, as she turned to look up at him.

"All of them, Babydoll." He kissed her forehead. "Every single one of them."

She gave a little jump, for joy, he was assuming. "We're gonna have to figure where to put it in the new house. Oh! I bet we can let Kitty know! She'll get us one of those special cabinets to put them in! With the glass and the lights!"

"A curio cabnit, Brooklyn." He told her softly.

"We're going to have to get a few of them, before this trip is over." She mused. "I mean, other than.. well, shelving and things?"

"That's fine." He led her away from the display, towards another one, displaying ornaments. "if you want to fill every house with curio cabinets, then that's what we'll do. Every room, every corner."

She smiled at him, snugging up to his side. "Well, I don't think I'll go that far."

"We'll see." He allowed. "Now, which of these do you want? If they're willing to ship the horses to our home, maybe they'll be willing to do a large shipment. Whatever you want? We're going to get. I just want to make you happy."

A/n: First off, i want to apologize for how long it is taking me on getting these chapters out. First, i'm spending a... lot.. .of time researching things. I want it to be.. for lack of a better term, real. Second, my stepmother recently had open heart surgery, and her home care... which i am responsible for, takes a lot of my time. And with that, added to work.. i have been trying to write in between things. 
Second... It has been many years since i've been through Montana. I remember going to Granny's. And the donuts there were... out of this world. And while i was never able to purchase all the horses at the gift shop at A Carousel for Missoula, I had heard they were willing to do shipments out of there. Hence, Steve managed to make it happen. 

I also can't remember who requested A Carousel for Missoula. If they are still reading.. send me a line? So i can give you the proper thanks?
Next up? 
St. Regis! Idaho! And... Washington!

(Not going to lie? Pretty sure Washington will be the easiest chapter, lol.... For... Reasons!)
As always? Vote and comment!