Maeve looks likes she's about to cry, but she's also has a big smile on his face, so Steve takes that as a good sign. Then she nods and Steve feels like he can breathe again. It's big and scary but he's so happy that all he can do is laugh happily and throw his arms around her, practically scooping her into his lap as he hugs her tightly.

"That's a yes, right? We're gonna do this?" Steve asks in a high voice, and he thinks that maybe this is the giddy excitement that was always missing from his Christmas mornings. This is what he wanted more than anything, something so deeply personal, and he actually got it. "Oh, thank god. That was so fucking scary."

He's laughing as he says it, lifting one hand to the back of her head as he rocks them a little. She'll understand what she means-- being so vulnerable is terrifying, even with someone he trusts more than anyone else.