Slow Burn Central

Andy Barber - Defending Jacob (2020) Ari Levinson - The Red Sea Diving Resort (2019) Bryce Langley - Fierce People (2005) Cary Baston - Opposite Sex (2000) Cole Turner - Ghosted (2023) Colin Shea - What's Your Number? (2011) Curtis Everett - Snowpiercer (2013) Drew Devlin - Honey Don't (2025) Frank Adler - Gifted (2017) Jack O'Malley - Red One (2024) Jake Jensen - The Losers (2010) James Mace - Sunshine (2007) Jimmy Dobyne - The Loss of a Teardrop Diamond (2008) John Pitts - Materialists (2025) Johnny Storm - Fantastic Four (2005) Kyle Cooper - The Perfect Score (2004) Lloyd Hansen - The Gray Man (2022) Mike Weiss - Puncture (2011) Nick Gant - Push (2009) Nick Vaughn - Before We Go (2014) Pete Brenner - Pain Hustlers (2023) Ransom Drysdale - Knives Out (2019) Steve Rogers - Captain America (MCU) (2011)

Drabble Collection - Various Chris Evans Variants

Note: All masterlists are organized alphabetically and divided into multi-chapter stories, one-shots, and drabbles.

Ordinary Magic: Soft Place to Land

Cole Turner x fem!Reader Status: Complete Drabble Summary:Love isn't always fixing the problem. Sometimes it's simply being the place someone can fall apart and know they'll be okay. Warnings: Fluff; swearing.

You were having a particularly shitty day. At work, your boss had blown up at you after one of your coworkers threw you under the bus. Then, on the way home, your car overheated. Again.

Now you were standing on the side of the road waiting for the tow truck to come pick you and your car up. No one was answering. Not your dad. Not your mom. Not your best friend. No fucking body. Well…you had not called him yet.

Him being Cole Turner. The two of you had been seeing each other for a few months now, but nothing was exactly established. You were not sure being stranded on the side of the road counted as a reason to call him.

Staring at your steering wheel, you finally decided, fuck it. The worst that could happen was that he did not pick up either.

You found his contact and hit call. He answered on the second ring. "Hey, Dove. To what do I owe the pleasure?"

The tears came instantly, catching in your throat before you could get a single word out.

On the other end, Cole stopped whatever he was doing. "Dove, baby? What's wrong?"

You wiped uselessly at your cheeks as another sob escaped. "I'm having the worst day. And now I'm stuck on the side of the road and once the tow truck drops me off, I have no way to get home. The repair place is closed by now." The words came out in a rush between tears and sniffles.

His voice gentled. "Okay, Dovie. Drop a pin and send it to me. I'll be there as quick as I can."

You heard keys jangling through the phone. Then a door opened and slammed shut. A truck engine turned over. Relief washed through you. You quickly sent him your location.

A moment later his voice came back through the phone. "Got it. I'll be right there, Dove."

A small, broken sound escaped you. "Thank you, Cole."

You could hear the smile in his voice. "Of course, Dove. I'll see you soon."

You hung up with one last sniffle and leaned back against the seat. For the first time all day, you could breathe. Someone was coming to get you.

Twenty minutes later, both Cole and the tow truck arrived at the same time. Cole gave you space while you dealt with the driver and gathered your things. Once everything was settled, he stepped closer and wrapped his arms around you.

You nearly melted against him. He did not have to come. But here he was, your lifeline in the middle of a storm of a day.

Together you walked toward his truck, and he opened the passenger door for you. You climbed in and sank into the seat, your shoulders finally releasing the last of their tension.

When Cole got in, he reached for your hand. "Now, where do you want me to take you, Dove? Back home, or you wanna come to mine and just relax tonight?"

You thought about your empty apartment. Home alone was the last place you wanted to be right now. "To yours, please." You swallowed. "I don't want to be alone."

His fingers tightened around yours. "Okay, Dove. Buckle up and just rest."

You leaned your head against the seat and closed your eyes, letting the steady sound of the tires against the road and Cole's presence beside you slowly settle your nerves. Without meaning to, you drifted off.

You woke when the truck shut off. Your eyes flew open as you looked around, the last remnants of sleep giving way to sudden alarm.

Cole placed a hand gently on your shoulder. "Relax. We're at my house."

You blinked the sleep from your eyes and nodded. "Okay."

He climbed out and came around to open your door. As you stepped down, you turned and hugged him again without thinking. "You don't know how much you coming to get me means."

His arms tightened around you, his face disappearing into your hair. "I'm just glad you called."

When you pulled back, he took your hand and led you inside. You looked around curiously. You had never been to his place before. The farmland stretched for miles around the house, but inside it was warm and comfortable, the kind of place that made you want to take off your shoes and stay awhile.

Cole guided you toward the living room and gestured toward the couch. "Take a seat. I'll go make some tea." He handed you the remote. "Pick whatever you want. Or don't. We can just talk." Then he leaned down and kissed your forehead before heading into the kitchen.

You exhaled slowly and looked down at the remote. Pulling up a streaming service, you scrolled through a selection of old '80s movies, but nothing held your attention for more than a few seconds.

A few minutes later Cole returned carrying two steaming mugs. He handed one to you. "Here we go. Peppermint. Should help settle some of your nerves."

Taking the cup from him, you blew on the tea before taking a sip. The warm liquid slid easily down your throat. "Thanks. I'm sorry for interrupting your day. Today has just been awful."

Cole shook his head. "Hey, you call me anytime you need me. Don't worry about any of that." He wrapped an arm around your shoulders, and you tucked yourself into his side. "Why don't you tell me about today? Maybe talking will help."

The tears threatened again, but you held them back. "Work was shit. My boss blew up at me for something I didn't even do. My brown-noser coworker did it and blamed me, and of course he believed her. Then you already know about the thing with my car." You swallowed hard. "But you were the only one who picked up and…" You looked at him from beneath your lashes. "…I wasn't even sure I should call you."

Cole tucked a strand of hair behind your ear. "Call me anytime, Dove. I want to be there for you."

You fidgeted with the hem of your shirt. "I guess I just wasn't sure we were…" You took a breath. "…there. I mean, you're not exactly my boyfriend."

More words were about to tumble out when his fingers slipped beneath your chin and gently lifted your face toward his. "Is that what has you worried?" He leaned forward and kissed you. Gentle. Certain. "Don't fret, Dovie. I'm your man. If that means I get to call you my girlfriend, even better."

Heat spread across your cheeks, and you snuggled closer to his side. "I just didn't want to push."

He wrapped his other arm around you and pulled you into his lap. "You didn't, Dove. We got there together."

Burying your face in the crook of his neck, you finally let the tears flow freely. You clutched at his shirt, holding on as tightly as you could.

His arms tightened around you, and he began to rock you gently. "I'm here, Dove. I've got you."

He never tried to shush you or stop you when your tears soaked the collar of his shirt. Instead, he rubbed slow circles over your back and let you cry out all the sad, angry, frustrated tears you had been holding in all day.

When you finally reached for a tissue, he already had the box close at hand. You blew your nose and grumbled afterward. "I sound like an elephant."

Cole kissed your temple. "You're the cutest elephant I've ever seen."

A giggle escaped you, and you swatted his chest.

Seeing the small smile on your face, he chuckled too. "There she is." His thumb brushed lightly over your cheek. "My Dovie."

Beaming at him, you kissed him this time, and he leaned into you. When you pulled back, you rested your head against his shoulder. For the first time that day, you felt safe. Stable. Here, in his arms, was exactly where you needed to be.

You picked up the remote again. "Can you pick something very cheesy for us to watch?"

He grinned. "Cheesy movie. Coming up." He flipped through the movies until he found one, then settled back against the couch with you, pulling a blanket over both your legs. "Comfortable, Dove?"

You kissed his cheek. "Definitely."

Evans Variants Masterlist

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You and Steve spent your first anniversary in the middle of a Louisiana swamp oil spill. Neither of you minded much. A month later, you were finally home.

Both of you dropped your duffels by the door and took turns showering, trying to feel a little more human after the long deployment. While Steve showered, you made pasta and cleaned out everything that had gone bad in the fridge while you were gone. The smells were horrendous, although you figured that was probably because your nose had been clogged for most of the deployment.

By the time you set two bowls on the table, Steve came out of the bathroom with his hair still slightly damp. He walked over and kissed your temple before pulling out your chair. You stole a quick kiss from him before sitting down.

As Steve settled into his chair, his gaze caught on the calendar hanging on the wall. His brow furrowed. "You have an appointment today?"

You blinked at him before turning to look at the calendar. "Shoot, I forgot about that physical." Leaving your food where it was, you pushed your chair back and reached for your keys.

Steve stood as well, catching you before you made it to the door. "Whoa. You sure you want to go today?"

You smiled up at him and kissed his cheek. "Yes. I've been putting it off for six months. It's just a physical. Honestly, I'd like to get it over with."

He nodded, pulling you into a quick hug before pressing a kiss to your forehead. "Okay. Be careful, then."

You gave him one more smile before heading out the door

You fidgeted on the exam table while you waited for the doctor to come in. They had run all the usual tests beforehand, and you had already done the blood work before leaving for Louisiana. Still, sitting there waiting made you antsy.

A moment later, your doctor, Dr. Faraday, walked in with a smile. "Hello, my dear. How are you feeling?"

You smiled at the older man, relaxing a little at the familiar voice. "Fine. I've been a little nauseous here and there lately, but nothing dramatic."

He chuckled as he pulled the results toward himself. "Well, that's to be expected."

You frowned at him, but before you could ask what he meant, he handed you the sheet. At first, you saw nothing unusual. Numbers, abbreviations, results you barely understood. Then one word caught your eye.

Positive.

You stared at it. Your mouth opened, then closed again as you looked up at him. "Are we sure about this?"

Dr. Faraday smiled gently and nodded. "Your blood work confirms it, but we'll do one more test to be certain."

You swallowed hard and nodded. "Okay." If it was true, it explained a few things. The nausea. The tiredness. The way your body had felt just slightly off for the last several weeks. And suddenly you were very glad Steve had not come with you.

Old blues played quietly from the radio in the kitchen while Steve moved around the stove, stirring the stew as it simmered. After you left for your appointment, he had run to the grocery store for a few things and taken out the spoiled food you had bagged up before you left.

Now he swayed slightly to the music as he cooked. You had been craving beef stew for weeks, so the least he could do was make some for your first night home.

The door opened and Steve looked up, smiling when you walked through. "Hey. How'd the visit go?"

You smiled back as you closed the door behind you. "Fine."

Instead of sitting down, you crossed the room and kissed him. He kissed you back, then studied your face when you pulled away. "Everything okay?"

You licked your lips and nodded. "Yeah. Just glad to be home."

Steve hummed softly and kissed your temple before turning back toward the stove. You started setting the table while he ladled stew into two bowls, and soon the two of you were sitting across from each other eating.

You were still caught up in your thoughts and did not say much. Steve noticed after a few minutes and reached across the table for your hand. "You sure you're okay?"

You squeezed his fingers. "Yeah."

He gave you one more questioning look before letting it go and returning to his dinner.

You took another bite and looked around the tiny apartment. A siren sounded from the firehouse below, and for the first time you found yourself frowning at the cramped space around you. Steve still had things in storage. You had things in storage. The apartment had never been meant to hold two people's entire lives, and now somehow it was holding both of them anyway. His books were mixed in with yours, stacked wherever there was room because the bookshelf was still occupied by radios and equipment.

You took another bite of stew, already deciding you were going to kiss him for making it later. Then the thought came. "We're going to need a bigger house."

Steve paused with his spoon halfway to his mouth and looked up. "What was that?"

You set your spoon down and cleared your throat. "We're going to need a bigger house."

The confusion on his face deepened. You reached into your back pocket and pulled out the image from the doctor's office. Carefully unfolding it, you slid it across the table toward him.

Steve stared at the black-and-white image. He looked up at you, opened his mouth, then looked back down. When he finally looked at you again, his voice was barely above a whisper. "You're pregnant?"

You nodded.

He shook his head slowly and looked back at the sonogram. "But we're careful."

You leaned your chin into your hand and gave him a look. "Not in Oregon."

Steve blinked. "Right. Oregon." Understanding spread across his face. "Yeah." He looked down at the sonogram again, swallowing hard. "We're having a baby."

You smiled. "Yeah."

Steve took a slow breath, staring at the image as if he could somehow understand the entire future contained in it. For the first time, he had something new to plan for. Not another deployment or another disaster, but a family.

He pushed his chair back and moved around the table before kneeling beside you. His hand settled carefully over your stomach. "So you're what, four months along?"

You covered his hand with yours and rested your forehead against his. "Yeah."

He looked up at you.

"You okay?"

A small laugh escaped him. "I'm terrified." His thumb moved gently beneath your hand. "But we really are going to need a bigger house."

You smiled, just a little smug. "I told you." Steve laughed, and you bit your lip as another thought came to you. "I have an idea about that."

He looked up. "What?"

You took a breath. "I still have my parents' old place. And the settlement money from Elias."

You watched his face change as he understood what you were suggesting. He took both your hands and kissed your knuckles. "You haven't used it for more than a way station in years. Are you sure?"

You squeezed his hands and nodded. "Yes. For a long time, I thought leaving it alone was the only way to keep it from becoming something else." You looked around the little apartment before meeting his eyes again. "But maybe it does not have to stay the place where I lost them."

Steve leaned forward and kissed you, slow and sweet. "Only if you want."

You smiled against his mouth when he pulled back. "I think I do." You looked down at the hand still resting over your stomach. "Not just for me. For you. For our baby."

Steve glanced around the apartment again, already slipping into practical mode. "How much work?"

A laugh escaped you as you wrapped your arms around him. "A lot."

He grinned. "Good. I was worried you were going to let me have a quiet retirement."

Evans Varian Masterlist

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Steve pulled the laundry from the dryer, sorting it into piles without much thought until he held up a piece of black lace between two fingers. He studied it for a moment before looking over at you. “Is lace not a little impractical for what we do?”

You glanced over from the counter where you were stirring the pasta. “It makes me feel pretty.”

Steve paused, considering that with the same seriousness he might give a deployment briefing. Then he nodded once. “Got it.” He tossed the lace onto the pile with the rest of your clothes before reaching for another shirt. “Good talk.”

Snickering, you turned your attention back to dinner.

Steve had been between deployments for almost a month now, and somewhere along the way, the two of you had fallen into a rhythm neither of you had really stopped to examine. Laundry. Groceries. The community center. Deployments when they came. Dinner when one of you felt like cooking, takeout when neither of you did.

There was always a coffee cup sitting somewhere that belonged to the other person. His jacket had migrated onto the back of one of your chairs. Your things had somehow found their way into his bags, while half of his belongings had taken up permanent residence in your apartment. It had happened so gradually that you had never noticed it happening at all.

You carried the pasta over to the table and began plating dinner while Steve folded the last few pieces of laundry.

“Come on,” you said, setting his plate down in front of his usual chair. “I'll help you finish the laundry later. Food is getting cold.”

Steve folded one last pair of pants before setting them aside. He walked around the coffee table and dropped into his chair, rubbing his hands together once before reaching for his fork.

You watched him take his first bite, waiting for his reaction. You were still getting better at cooking. There had been a few disasters along the way, and Steve had developed the unfortunate habit of trying very hard to be diplomatic about them.

He chewed thoughtfully before swallowing. “Not bad.” He reached for another bite, then pointed his fork toward the plate. “The shrimp and seasoning are better this time.”

Relief loosened something in your shoulders, and you finally dug into your own food. “Thank you. I can't believe it took me this long to learn how to cook.”

Steve laughed quietly, shaking his head as he took another bite. “You never really let yourself do anything except focus on the community center before.”

You reached across the table and swatted his hand. “Hush. I was coping.”

Steve pulled his hand back with an innocent look that did absolutely nothing to hide the amusement in his eyes. “Mmhmm.”

You narrowed your eyes at him before taking another bite. He only smiled.

Two days later, Steve got a call to deploy to a set of warehouse fires in Maryland. You stayed behind, worrying about him going into collapsing structures.

You shook yourself from your thoughts and turned your attention back to the paperwork spread across your desk. Hiring Jenna had finally given you enough time to focus on auditing the books and putting together a budget for the next year for the city council to review.

The familiar chime of your phone pulled your attention away again. You smiled when you saw Steve's name on the screen. It was a picture of him, Nat, and Cal standing outside one of the warehouses, all three of them covered in soot and ash.

Gotta love that newly burnt smell.

A laugh escaped you as you typed out a response. You had barely sent it when Mari walked into the office.

She stopped just inside the doorway, narrowing her eyes at you. “Is that Steve?”

You set your phone facedown on the desk and rolled your eyes. “I am allowed to laugh at my phone.”

Mari planted her hands on her hips and stared at you. “And he is coming back after they are done?”

You leaned back in your chair and picked up your pen again. “Yes. He still hasn't found a new place, and his divorce was only final a few months ago.”

She crossed her arms over her chest. “You keep going on deployments with him.”

“Because I can help.”

Mari walked over to your desk and plucked the pen right out of your fingers. “And how does he take his eggs again?”

You answered without thinking. “Depends. Sunny-side up at home. On the road, scrambled because it is hard to find a cook who can do it right.” The words were barely out before you stopped. Slowly, you looked up at her.

Mari's mouth curved into a smug smile. She held your pen between two fingers and pointed it at you. “Exactly.”

You reached for it, but she pulled it just out of reach.

“You sleep next to him when you are in the same place at night,” she continued, pacing slowly around the desk. “You know how he takes his eggs. You go on deployments with him. You buy groceries for him.” She stopped beside your chair and tilted her head. “I bet you even miss his warmth when he is gone.”

You opened your mouth to argue. Nothing came out. You closed it again.

Mari's eyebrow rose. “Thought so.” She finally handed your pen back before walking around the desk and pulling you into a quick hug. “I am just saying,” she murmured against your hair, giving you a squeeze before letting go. “You two? It is not friendship anymore.” She headed for the door.

You watched her leave, then called after her, “We're just close.”

Mari waved one hand without looking back and disappeared into the hallway. The door swung shut behind her.

You slumped back into your chair, staring at the paperwork without actually seeing any of it.

We're just close.

The words sounded reasonable. They had always sounded reasonable. Except now, for the first time, you were not completely sure you believed them. You looked down at your phone. Steve's picture was still open on the screen. You smiled before you could stop yourself. Then your smile faded.

You did miss him when he was gone. Not just because you worried about him. Not just because the apartment felt quieter. You missed him. And maybe that was the part you had been refusing to look at. Friendship was not supposed to feel quite this much like missing someone.

Before Steve even made it home from Maryland, Katia hit Florida. You arrived ahead of him and the rest of the team, immediately falling into the work of coordinating with local responders. By the time Elena arrived, she already had supply numbers and logistics routes waiting for her instead of having to spend hours building them from scratch.

The moment the team reached the site, Steve crossed the remaining distance and pulled you into a hug. Surprisingly, Cal did the same. Apparently, after discovering you were younger than him, Cal had decided he needed a younger sister, and apparently you had been elected without being consulted.

You rolled your eyes as he ruffled your hair. "Cal, I am only two years younger than you."

He laughed and gave your hair one last tousle before letting you go. "Yeah, but I am the baby of the team. That means now you're the baby, and I finally have someone to mess with."

Shoving him away, you turned back toward the maps and pointed out the newest cleared route to the survivors. The others were already moving into their assignments. Natasha joined the search teams, Elena took over logistics, Sam headed into the air, and Steve moved toward the front lines. You followed not far behind, already familiar with the terrain and the local responders.

Three weeks into the deployment, the local Baptist church gymnasium had become the best place to rotate crews through for food and a few hours of sleep.

Steve sat on a cot with a sandwich made by one of the volunteer teams from California when Cal dropped down beside him. They exchanged a nod before settling into a comfortable silence, eating and watching the activity around them.

Cal's attention eventually drifted toward you as you moved between tables, checking supply lists and talking with one of the local coordinators. He swallowed before bumping Steve's shoulder. "You still pretending she's temporary?"

Steve nearly choked on his sandwich. He coughed into his fist and looked over at Cal. "I'm not—"

Cal gave him a look that stopped the argument before it started. "You are building a life with her while continuing to call it temporary."

Steve stared down at his food, suddenly finding it difficult to swallow.

Cal watched him for a moment before looking back toward you. His expression had lost all of its teasing. "You know what you're doing to her?"

Steve's hand settled briefly on Cal's shoulder. "I would never hurt her."

"I know." Cal shook his head. "That's not what I mean." His gaze followed you as you picked up a plate and started toward them. "You're giving her a life that isn't yours."

The breath left Steve slowly. Cal was right. For months, he had acted as though he might move on any day. As though he was only staying until he figured out what came next. But somewhere along the way, he had stopped passing through your life and started living inside it.

You reached the table and sat beside him with a tired smile. "Looks like a real meal for once."

Steve nodded, his attention briefly moving over you as he checked for the little signs of exhaustion he had learned to recognize.

Cal finished the last of his food and pushed himself to his feet. "I'll leave you two to it. I'm beat."

"Night," you called after him as he walked away.

Once he was gone, you turned toward Steve with a puzzled look. "What? Do I have something on my face?"

A quiet laugh escaped him. "No. I'm just making sure you're eating as much as you tell me to."

You reached for his hand beneath the edge of the table and gave it a squeeze. "I promise I'm trying to take care of myself as much as everyone else."

Steve tightened his fingers around yours. "Good. We should get some rest soon."

You finished another bite before letting out a tired hum. "Yeah. The hotel sounds great right now."

A few hours later, the two of you were back at the hotel. Steve remained quiet as you showered first, then settled against the headboard and watched the news coverage of the storm finally beginning to dissipate. When he came out of the bathroom in clean clothes, he stopped for a moment and looked around the room.

Both sets of boots sat by the door. Your dirty clothes and his were mixed together in the same laundry bag. Your deployment bags were shoved beneath the small table. Nothing about the room belonged to either of you separately anymore. His eyes eventually settled on you.

You caught him staring and lowered the volume on the television. "What?"

Steve shook his head and looked away. "Nothing. Just tired."

You watched him for another moment, then accepted the answer and pulled back the covers. "I'll mute the TV. We can sleep."

He climbed into bed beside you, and you immediately curled into his side as though you had done it a thousand times. Within minutes, your breathing evened out.

Steve stayed awake. He stared into the darkness, one hand moving slowly over your back as Cal's words came back to him.

You're giving her a life that isn't yours.

Maybe that was the problem. Maybe he had been so determined not to take anything from you that he had never stopped to consider that you had been giving it to him freely. And maybe it was time to stop treating that as something temporary.

It had been a long day of wading through floodwaters and picking through debris fields. By evening, you were in the logistics tent with Elena packing lunches for the crews the following day. She had been watching you for the better part of an hour, and eventually you caught her at it. When you finished taping up another case of water, you turned toward her. "What is it, Elena?"

She finished adding the last of the chips to the bag in front of her before setting it aside. "You really don't see it, do you?"

You frowned and took a couple of steps closer, crossing your arms. "See what?"

Elena mirrored your stance as she leaned against the table. "You and Steve. You orbit each other."

You opened your mouth to argue, but she kept going before you could get the words out.

"He calls you before he books hotels. He always looks for you first."

You made a tired sound and shook your head. "Elena—"

"You do the same thing." She pushed away from the table and came a little closer. "Not sometimes. All the time." She rested a hand on your shoulder, her expression softening. "It's time to stop being in denial, honey."

You stared at her. The noise of the tent seemed to fade around you.

"You two are a unit. All of us see it. It's time you do too." Elena pulled you into a hug before you could answer.

You hugged her back, holding on a little longer than necessary. Was she right? You did not have an answer. But for the rest of the day, you could not stop hearing her words.

Even when Steve found you later and suggested grabbing dinner at a local diner before heading back to the hotel, Elena's words followed you. You were quiet enough that Steve noticed almost immediately, but he did not push. Instead, when the waitress came over, he ordered for both of you without asking. Your usual. Exactly the way you liked it. You blinked as the waitress walked away.

None of your previous boyfriends had ever been able to do that. The thought landed harder than you expected. "Thanks," you murmured.

Steve reached across the table and took your hand, his thumb brushing over your knuckles. "You okay? You seem a little off."

You met his eyes and let out a slow breath. "I'm okay. Just thinking about something Elena said."

He gave your hand a gentle squeeze. "You two have your hands full with logistics here."

You nodded and took a sip of water. "Yeah. It's a lot, but we're managing."

The conversation shifted to the survivors you were finding and the work still ahead of you, but part of your attention remained somewhere else. You found yourself watching the two of you from a distance. Two people eating dinner. Sharing a table. Holding hands. Looking, somehow, like a couple. The thought should have felt strange. Instead, it felt familiar.

That night, you lay curled against Steve's chest, listening to his heartbeat. It had become a familiar sound over the months. Something that once might have kept you awake in an unfamiliar hotel now did the opposite. The steady rhythm lulled you toward sleep because it meant he was there, and for the moment, you were both safe.

Your eyes drifted closed. For the first time, you let yourself ask the question Elena had forced into your head.

What would you do if Steve asked you to leave Port Reyes?

Not for another deployment. Not for a few weeks. To actually leave. To build a life somewhere else with him. The answer came without hesitation. You would go. Because it was not really about Port Reyes anymore. It was about him. And if Steve asked you to choose him, you knew you would. Every time.

After things in Florida finally settled down, Steve flew back to visit Bucky before returning to Port Reyes with you.

Bucky was waiting in the pickup area and grinned when he spotted him. "Look at you. All tanned up."

Steve snorted as he walked over. "Hard not to be when you're in Florida for two months."

Clapping him on the shoulder, Bucky steered him toward the old pickup. "Fair enough." He opened the driver's door, then glanced back at Steve with a familiar smirk. "How's that Yellow Rose of yours?"

Steve rolled his eyes as he tossed his duffel into the bed. "She's not mine."

Bucky laughed as he climbed behind the wheel. "But you already knew exactly who I meant."

Steve's ears went pink. "I walked right into that one, didn't I?"

Bucky started the truck and pulled away from the airport. "Yep."

The drive toward the old neighborhood was familiar enough that Steve barely had to think about where they were going. The same streets stretched out ahead of them, the same trees lining the roads, the same houses tucked behind them.

Eventually, Bucky turned onto the street where they had grown up. The house looked almost exactly the way Steve remembered it. It should have felt like home.

Instead, as he watched the familiar landscape pass the window, Steve felt strangely detached from it. The memories were still there. He could picture himself and Bucky as kids, running through those rooms, growing up in that house.

But when he thought about home now, his mind went somewhere else. A small kitchen. Your coffee, which somehow always tasted better than anything he made himself. Your things mixed in with his. Your warmth beside him at night. The quiet of waking up and knowing you were there.

Steve stared out the window for another moment before closing his eyes. "Buck…"

Bucky glanced over.

"I'm in trouble."

A grin spread across Bucky's face as he pulled into the driveway. "Took you long enough."

Steve groaned and dropped his head against the headrest.

Bucky laughed.

Steve walked into the apartment as usual and set his duffel down by the door. After a week away, he expected to find you somewhere in the usual places, but instead you were sitting by the window, staring out at the street. "Hey."

You looked over and smiled softly. "Welcome home."

Something in the words made his shoulders relax. "Thanks." He crossed the room toward you, studying your face as he got closer. "You okay?"

You stood and wrapped your arms around him. Steve held you tightly, one hand settling against your back as you buried your face in his shoulder.

"I missed you." The words came out quietly. +You took a breath before pulling back, tears shining in your eyes. "I don't know what I'd do if you left for good."

A lump settled in Steve's throat as he searched your face. He lifted his hands to your cheeks, then rested his forehead against yours. "I've been trying very hard not to ask you for something you weren't ready to give me."

You swallowed and looked into his eyes. "What's that?"

His nose brushed against yours. "A life here with you. A home." His thumbs moved gently across your cheeks. "I don't want to keep pretending I'm just passing through."

Something inside you loosened at the words. "I want you to stay."

Steve let out a short, almost disbelieving laugh. "I want that too."

You bit your lip, still searching his face. "How do we do this?"

He brushed a kiss against your cheek. "Together." His forehead rested against yours again. "We'll figure it out." When he paused, his lips were only a breath from yours.

You searched his face for one last moment before tilting your head slightly. Steve met you halfway. The kiss was not fleeting or uncertain. It was real and sure, the kind of kiss that came from finally knowing neither of you was going to pull away. When he broke it, he only leaned in to kiss you again, making you giggle softly against his mouth.

He smiled down at you and brushed a final kiss across your forehead. "I'm jet-lagged. Can we sleep now?"

Nodding, you caught his hand and tugged him toward the bedroom. The two of you changed and climbed into bed, settling together beneath the blankets as naturally as you always had.

Steve pulled you against his chest and pressed one more kiss to your temple. "Night, love."

The endearment made your heart leap, but you only snuggled closer. "Night."

Part Eleven

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