"Okay, just a few more tweaks and I can take her out."

You and Steve were by the dock of a pier on the east side of the city. You were watching while Steve fiddled around a fairly large boat, a box of tools laying nearby as the boat rocked lazily back and forth.

"Take who out? Who is 'her'?" you teased, fully knowing what he was referring to but unable to resist the temptation to mess with him a little.

"The boat sweetheart, I'm talking about the boat."

Looking up from the motor of the boat to where you were sitting by the wheel, Steve chuckled lightly when he saw you give him your best puppy dog eyes.

"Oh come on, how could I possibly have time for another girl, you're a handful enough as it is."

You laughed back, trying to to come up with some clever response but nothing came to you. Instead you had become distracted watching him continue to work on the boat, using a wrench to tighten one of the bolts. With every turn, the muscles in his arms bulged making you wish you could do things that were probably frowned upon to do in public.

It wasn't fair, the man was too perfect. The looks were one thing but that didn't even compare to how thoughtful and attentive he was. Having noticed how stressed you had been lately trying to juggle getting ready for the baby, finals as well as the draining conversations with your mother, Steve had insisted on taking you out for a day on one of Tony's boats. He made you laugh more than anyone you had ever known, to the point that your cheeks would hurt from smiling whenever you were with him. In other words, you were completely smitten.

"Can you hand me the screwdriver?" Steve asked, bring you back to reality.

You leaned over the edge of the boat to rummage around the toolbox to find what he was looking for.

"Slotted or Phillips head?" you said, pulling what you had found out of the black box to show him.

Steve looked up at you in surprise, giving you a questioning look.

"What I know things," you laughed, shrugging slightly. You walked over to the motor taking a quick look. What Steve didn't know is that as the only child to a father obsessed with refurbishing old boats, bikes, and cars, you had become very familiar with all kinds of motors and machines.

"You don't need a screwdriver, you just have to open the fuel vent, it's a portable tank," you noted, tossing the tools back in the box, and sitting back in the seat by the wheel.

Steve bent down, twisting the cap you had pointed to so that it was fully open. You stuck the keys in the ignition and sure enough heard the motor roar to life.

"Okay, how did you know that?" he asked, putting the rest of the tools back in the box and closing the lid.

"My dad taught me all about this stuff. He always wanted a son but got stuck with a daughter so I always tried to find interest in the things he liked," you explained.

You knew that your dad cared for you in his own way, but just like there are some things only a woman will understand, you could only imagine the same goes for men. If only you had known then like you did now, that no amount of motors fixed, or engines repaired could ever keep a broken family together. You could have spared yourself a lot of agonizing hours working late into the night with your father.

"Well why didn't you say anything earlier? I've been working on this motor for twenty minutes!" he whined, causing you to laugh.

"Because," you said, getting up from your seat, walking to where he stood and wrapping your arms around his neck. "I like watching you work."

You went up on your tiptoes, pressing your lips to his softly. Steve's arms snaked behind your waist, pulling you tighter against him. After a moment you pulled away, sighing contentedly.

"Alright, ready to hit the open sea?" Steve asked, giving your lips one quick, final peck and taking the seat by the wheel.

"Ready!" plopping down in the seat closest to you, and nodding your head towards the wheel. "Time to see if you're really all the captain they say you are."

The rest of the day passed too quickly. Before you knew it Steve was turning the boat around back towards Manhattan as you sat in his lap. You wished you could have stayed out longer and just pressed pause on a moment you wanted to live in forever. It had been a perfect afternoon. There was no stress, no deadlines. Just a girl learning how to fall in love again, and a man determined to show her how. Just (Y/n), and just Steve.

-----------

"Great, now that you've signed all that's left is getting (Y/n)'s signature and then we can send the papers in," Tony said happily, as he took the pen from Steve's hands, and capped it.

Steve was less than thrilled. At the moment, he was wishing he could be back on the boat with (Y/n) where everything had seemed so simple and not here at the tower where everything was well... complicated. He felt guilty enough about having let Tony's lawyers draw up the papers in the first place, not to mention the fact that for the past couple months, he had been meeting with them to finalize the contract behind (Y/n)'s back. It's not like he wanted to keep this a secret from her. She was just so reluctant to give him a chance in the beginning he had been worried the contract would scare her off. Then the longer he kept it a secret the harder it became for him to tell. Now that his signature glared at him from the papers in his hands he couldn't help but feel like maybe he had messed up big time.

"I appreciate all of the work you put into this Tony, really I do," Steve sighed.

Tony looked at him appraisingly, while rubbing his chin.

"I feel like there is a 'but' coming," he prompted.

Steve put the contracts on the counter in front of him and they scattered lightly on the smooth surface.

"But... I can't ask (Y/n) to sign this."

Tony glared back at Steve, uncrossing his arms to push up the sleeves of his button-down.

"Can't or won't?"

"What difference does it make?" Steve responded, laughing slightly. "I don't want her to sign this and I have no intention of asking her to."

"What difference does it make?" Tony scoffed. "It's only the difference between awareness and ignorance. It's not unheard of to have a contract between two unmarried parents. Just have her sign it, then you can do the paternity test, know for sure the kid is yours, and have shared legal custody. This is what's good for both of you," he insisted.

Steve took a deep breath, trying his best to stay calm. He knew Tony meant well, but his constant distrust of (Y/n) was getting old fast. This was Steve's chance at happiness. Why couldn't Tony see that?

"For the last time, she's not lying. Maybe one day we will want a contract of our own but that's for me and for (Y/n) to decide together. I know you don't trust her but I do and she trusts me. I won't make (Y/n) sign this," Steve repeated, clenching his teeth.

"Make (Y/n) sign what?"

A voice, higher than both Steve and Tony's, broke the momentary silence. Steve turned to see Peter, walking out of the elevator, a backpack wrapped loosely around one shoulder. He had thought nobody was going to be around the tower for a while so it would be okay to talk in a common area, but Peter must have gotten out of his classes early.

Steve opened his mouth to tell him to not worry about it, not wanting anymore people to know about the papers in front of him but Tony spoke first.

"I want her to sign a contract specifying Steve's financial involvement with (Y/n)'s baby. Given she takes a paternity test first for obvious reasons."

Steve shut his eyes, his lips locking in a tight line. The smile on Peter's face dropped as he looked back and forth between Steve, Tony, and the mess of papers on the table.

"What? No... why would you do that?" Peter asked, confused, as if he was sure Tony was playing some kind of joke.

He walked closer to the counter, his backpack falling off his shoulder as he peered at the paper on the top of the pile. His eyes scanned the first few lines down to where Steve's signature sat looking oddly lonely next to the empty lines where (Y/n)'s was clearly supposed to go. Taking a few steps back, Peter's eyes hardened, glaring at Steve.

"Ah right, the boyfriend and the best friend, a classic rivalry" Tony chuckled dryly. "I'm going to leave you guys to talk this out. No punching, webbing, or shield throwing of any kind please, Pepper just had the floors waxed."

Steve's eyes trailed after Tony as he walked through the open elevator doors. He almost yelled after him, annoyed at the arrogant man for sharing his private information when he obviously wanted to keep this a secret. Unfortunately he could still feel the angry and determined expression of the boy next to him, and knew he needed to do some serious damage control. Yelling at the metal man would have to wait.

When the elevator doors closed Peter was quick to speak his mind.

"What the hell are you thinking? You can't make (Y/n) sign this!"

Steve nodded, holding a hand up in the air and motioning for him to slow down.

"I know- I know and I would never ask her too. I just signed it to get Tony off my back Peter, you know how he gets when he fixates on something," he reasoned.

"So you thought it was better to meet with Tony's lawyers in secret?" Peter scoffed, looking away from Steve disdainfully. "Here I thought you were actually good for her..."

"Now hold on just a second," Steve huffed. He appreciated the fact that Peter wanted what was best for (Y/n), and he didn't feel great about the situation but Peter had gone too far in suggesting that he was bad for her. Especially when all he wanted was for her to be happy. Steve looked at the papers in front of him wishing he could just tear up the contract into pieces but something held him back and he wasn't sure why.

"Like I already said I have no intention of ever asking (Y/n) to sign this. We don't have to show it to her, she doesn't have to know it exists."

"But even if we didn't tell her she could find out from somebody else! I mean look how easily I just found out!! This would crush her. You have to fix this, Steve," the expression on his face remained stoically angry, but his voice cracked slightly. "I don't want to lose her."

The bridge of Steve's nose scrunched in confusion. Lose her? No. He'd never lose her. Could he? Just the thought of losing (Y/n) made his heart clench.

"Neither of us are going to lose her, why would you think that?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Peter asked, bemusedly. "You're keeping a pretty major secret from a girl with major trust issues. Tony knows, now I know... How do you expect she's going to react if she finds out this contract exists and we both knew about it?"

Peter was right. Even if Steve didn't want to admit it to himself he knew he had screwed up. He didn't want to put Peter in the position of lying to (Y/n), but he was terrified of what telling (Y/n) so late in the process of making the contract would do to their relationship.

"Look, I don't want to put you in a tough position. I never meant for any of it to go this far Peter, you know how important she is to me. I just want to give her some time, she's been so stressed lately..." Steve trailed off sadly.

"Tell her Steve, or I will," Peter said firmly. He was slightly annoyed at his persistence. This was between him and (Y/n) and he didn't like Peter butting in. At the same time he had to remind himself that he wasn't the only one who cared for (Y/n), and he was glad that she had someone like Peter looking out for her. Part of him wanted to keep the secret and pretend the contract didn't exist, but deep down he knew Peter was right. The rising guilt in the pit of his stomach continued to bubble up.

"Okay, I will."

"You promise?" Peter asked, his eyes still boring into his own.

"Yea Peter, I promise," he sighed hopelessly.

Peter relaxed slightly, the anger dissipating from his face and replaced with something much worse. Steve wasn't sure if it was disappointment or pity but either way he knew he didn't like it. He could only pray that he wouldn't see the same expression on (Y/n)'s face when he finally told her the truth.