#captamerica

Steve, however, wanted everyone to train, he wanted everyone to double down on it. The last major mission we'd been on was sloppy and more injuries than normal. He felt everyone had slacked off a bit so he was pushing everyone harder. I was packing to leave, my door open, Irish pub music blaring in the background. He stood in the door and leaned against the frame, arms crossed admiring the view. He smiled to himself watching as I folded clothes into my suitcase and tapped out the rhythm with my foot while never missing a beat. I could multitask like nothing he'd ever seen. He was enjoying the music too, it reminded him of family get-togethers when he was younger.

The grin that spread across his face when he noticed my body start to shimmy to the music. He wanted to ask me out but could never bring himself to, it was like something was holding him back, maybe it was fear or maybe he was just an oblivious jackass. The last time he fell in love he crashed a plane and was stuck in ice for 70 years. We both knew there was a connection there but if he wasn't willing to push it further than I wasn't going to force him. We'd go out for coffee or dinner, even a few movies, but nothing more than glances and smiles. You wouldn't think to look at him, but he had some confidence issues. He realized he was starting and didn't want to seem creepy watching me so he knocked on the door frame.

"Y/n" His deep voice challenging the music for my attention. I jumped and turned around frowning at him as I turned down the music.

"Damn it, you scared me," I tossed a pillow at his face, he swatted it away with ease slightly amused.

"Hey, we've got a long weekend of training planned, what are you doing?" His eyes bunched up confused.

"Seriously!?" I growled.

"Yes seriously. This is vital as a team that we stay at the top of our game." His lips thinned as he spoke, he didn't understand why she wasn't getting it. She almost got hurt last mission, nevermind that it was his fault.

"NO! Steve I told you, I'm going home for two days and I'm not canceling to train. I have obligations there and I can't back out of them!" I yelled at him, why couldn't he get it. That the mistakes on that mission were his fault, not mine, he dropped the ball not me, not the team him.  If anyone needed to train it was him and train to fucking concentrate instead of staring at my damned ass! For someone who couldn't admit he liked me, he sure spent an awful amount of time staring at me.  He clenched his jaw in frustration and glared back at me not sure why he was getting mad in the first place.

"You have to stay and that's final!" His voice bellowed echoing throughout my room.

"Screw you, Steve, why are you acting like this?  I'm going home for a couple of days and you can't stop me."  I crossed my arms over my chest and glared at him.  

"You can't, we've got group training and drills." He pushed off the frame and walked towards me, arms still crossed flashing his eyebrows of disappointment.

"Huh yes I can, Fury approved it. I know you're a 'Captain' and all but his authority supersedes yours, I'm going home, stop acting like an asshole." I leaned over and zipped up the suitcase and grabbed my backpack off my desk and stomped out my room. What in the hell was his problem, why was he so damned wound up and deadset on training?

"Y/n you have to train, it's important, without it we'll have issues like last time over and over." His demanding authoritative tone was seeping out as he spoke. I turned on my heels and glared at him.

"No, I don't need to train. I've done nothing but train day in and day out since I became an Avenger. If I'm not training then I'm fighting the bad guys, so my whole life is nothing but training.  You've had a massive stick up your ass lately and I'm getting tired of it. I've earned a few days off, if anyone needs training Rogers, it's you." His eyes closed and he sucked in a breath. I'd never called him by his last name before, it sounded so cold and distant to him. I walked out of my room and towards the elevator seeing Happy waiting for me.

"Hey Y/n, you excited?" Happy took my suitcase and held the elevator door open for me. I knew he heard the argument, but he made no notice of it on his face.

"You have no idea Hap, I've been practicing like crazy. Do you know how hard it's been to hide playing the..." I was interrupted by Steve walking up behind me.

"Stay Y/n," but this time instead of sounding like the man in charge, he sounded remorseful for pulling the team leader tone with me. I just shook my head and sighed walking in the elevator.

"You know, all work and no play make people well... you Steve. No one's expecting you to act like Tony, but if you want the team to work together better they need to have some fun. If you can find enough time to pull that stick out of your ass, come find me." The elevator doors closed on his bewildered face.

"I know how to have fun." He muttered to himself heading towards the gym to take out his frustrations on the bag.

Hours later at dinner, everyone sat at the table deep in random conversations but Steve sat silent pushing his food around on his plate. We'd never had an argument like that before, never raised our voices at each other, not even in the middle of a heated mission ducking gunfire. He didn't know what to make of it let alone the way I'd said his last name like that. He sighed and shoved his plate away, resting his elbows on the table and placed his head in his hands. Why did he get so angry at her about leaving? Was I taking out my mistake on her instead of myself or was he just pissed over what he was denying himself?

"What's up Cap? What's got you down?" Sam asked from across the table.

"He yelled at Y/n and she stormed off," Bucky chuckled earning a glare from Steve. "What you did.  I even heard her tell you to pull that stick out of your ass too."

"What?! Why would you yell at Y/n?" Clint glared incredulously at Steve like he'd insulted coffee itself.

"He likes her that's why, but he's an idiot," smirked Bucky watching Steve's face flush. "When I told you not to do anything stupid, I didn't mean ignore the fact that a woman's in love with you."

"Let's pretend for argument's sake that I don't kick you in your shins right now over that, but why yell at her?" Nat tilted her head with a sly grin.

"I don't know why I did it alright. One second I'm watching her pack, the next I started to pan..." he stopped talking and sighed.  He rubbed his face with his hands, gliding his fingers through his hair. "Am I fun?" Tony spit out his scotch and laughed.

"Um, what?" Tony let out a chuckle.

"Y/n made it seem like I didn't know how to have fun and all I do is work and train." His voice sounded defeated as he stared at the table.

"She's right," Bruce stated as a matter of factly, earning a look from Steve. "Well you do, that's all you ever do. Everyone else has some sort of hobby but you... you got nothing. Even when you two hang out, all you talk about is work."

"Bruce is right, when's the last time you had any fun?" Nat smiled watching the wheels spinning around in his head as he thought about it.

"I... I don't know, before the war maybe." His eyes darting around honestly trying to remember when his life didn't revolve around work and shouldering the burden of all this responsibility.

"Which war?" Sam snickered trying to make a joke. "Ultron, the Winter Soldier fiasco, Team Cap/Team Iron Man, New York?" Steve's eyes went blank when the truth finally dawned on him. Bucky dropped his fork seeing Steve's face.

"Are you seriously saying that you haven't had any fun, any fun at all since that Stark expo before I got shipped off to the frontlines?" Bucky questioned in astonishment watching Steve's reaction to the truth.

"Alright then, everyone meet in the lobby by 9 am tomorrow morning," Bucky's voice rang in amusement.

"Why?" Sam didn't like surprises especially when Bucky was involved.

"Team fun, we're heading to Y/n's hometown," he laughed passing down the brochure he found that I'd left on my nightstand.

The team arrived dressed in civilian clothes hoping to blend in a bit. When they reached the festival grounds their senses were assaulted with sights, smells and music galore. They hadn't seen Steve smile this much in a while as they walked through the grounds of a festival celebrating Irish Heritage. Large banners strung throughout the grounds claiming that it was the 45th Annual Irish Fest in Y/n'd hometown.

"Can you believe this?" Bucky laughed clapping Steve on the back taking in all that was around them. "You used to get beat up just because you were Irish and these people are throwing a whole festival?!" Steve couldn't help but smile in wonder, the modern world as still throwing surprises his way.

The team wandered around the festival together actually having a good time at that. Nat, Pepper, and Wanda admiring the clothing adorned by the woman, purchasing a few things from vendors as they walked around. Clint and Thor couldn't get enough of the food, they stopped at every single booth that sold something edible despite having their hands and mouths already full. Tony amused himself sampling the different whiskeys he'd never heard of, ordering a case of each sent to the Compound. They watched dancers of all ages on various stages competing for bragging rights, there was a mini-golf competition for all age categories, and a full carnival of rides.  Along the edges of the forest of the festival grounds, people over 16 years of age threw Ancient Celtic axes vying for a perfect bullseye. Clint bragged that he could do it, why not he never missed right, but he just couldn't do it. Thor, however, hit mark after mark but refused to accept a prize claiming it wasn't fair to the other participants.

They watched the crowing of next years Royal Court and the passing of the crowns, the normalness of the whole thing amused them. The small-town life aspect of it all made them realize that their lives were quite strange indeed. They walked around the vendors selling handmade jewelry, and authentic weaponry that Thor couldn't pass up. They watched a blacksmith as he created those same weapons, admiring the craftsmanship of his work. They each sat for a character drawing of themselves, they chuckled and laughed when Thor and Clint whined to get their faces painted amongst a sea of children sitting patiently doing the same thing. Small bands were placed throughout the festival grounds, some high school students, some older adults spaced out each playing varieties of Irish music. There was even a small parade of dogs native to Ireland in a dog show, Steve had a hard time getting everyone especially Thor and Clint away from that tent.

"This is incredible," Wanda mused sipping her beer. "I can't believe she didn't mention this to us."

"This food ish amazshin," Clint mumbled with his mouth full.

"I'll admit, I'd forgotten how much I missed the food." Steve grinned at Bucky as they all sat around a picnic table under the beer tent enjoying dinner. Steve found it amusing watching everyone eating the same things he grew up on. "It's a lot better than what my mom used to make though. Y/n makes me Colcannon when..." he let out a sigh realizing how stupid he'd been and grinned at Bucky. Bucky had known all along that Steve was a moron. "when I need a pick me up."

"That's that potato dish with the bacon she makes right? The one she threatens to shoot anyone if they touch because it's apparently only for you." Sam laughed finally seeing it click in Steve's eyes. What they've all seen for years.

"That's the one. Don't think I don't see you all looking at me like that, I get it. I've been an idiot, I get it, she's..."

"Been in front of you the whole time and you were too stupid and too scared to believe you deserved it." Bucky flashed a grinned. "I like her, she's what I always envisioned you with."

Everyone sat around the same table, the sun had set, the stars were poking out in the inky blackness shining in the sky. A cool breeze swept across the grounds, they watched a band walk onto a stage on the edge of the beer tent they were in. The team and Pepper were all talking about the day and the fun they had, even made plans to come back next year when they realized not once had they come across me all day.

"You would have thought we'd have seen her." Pepper commented sadly. The speaker system squealed as a member of the band holding a guitar spoke into the mic.

"Welcome to the 45th Annual Irish Fest." The crowd roared and cheered clapping. "You know, we've had a few famous folks come out of our little town over the years. Professional athletes, a senator, a governor, a runner up on American Idol, even a supreme court judge, but never has there been someone like Y/n." The crowd roared even louder at the sound of my name.

"You don't think they're talking about our Y/n do you think?" Bruce asked staring at everyone perplexed.

"Our little band here knew her back in high school. From band geek to Avenger, let's give her a round of applause, she always did have a set of lungs on her." The crowd made up of what the team figured had to have been mostly locals laughed as if they knew some inside secret. "She's a jack of all trades if there ever was one, anyway, give a hand for Y/n!"

I'm not gonna lie, walking out on the stage after all these years in front of some of the same people that made my life a living hell in high school was a little intimidating. Fighting Hydra, no problem, Alien invasion, sure you got it I'm there, but idiots who made of fun of my musical abilities that was a little rough. Steve stood up from the table, smiling watching me walk across the stage. His feet carried him across the tent and near the front of the stage, the rest of the team snickered and followed behind him. They gathered amongst a crowd that was ready to dance and let loose.

I walk out holding my bagpipes under my arm, smiling and waving at the crowd.  I never noticed the team all bunched up near the side of the stage. The band and I warm up playing a few notes and laugh because it felt just like when we were in high school before a band concert, lot of nervous jittery energy, but we knew the second we started the nerves would disappear. I walked up to the mic stand with a nervous side grin. Tony, Nat, and Clint pulled out phones and started recording.

"This is, this is totally weird being back here, but I'm honored. Obviously, we're not the headliners," a laugh went out amongst the crowd. "In a tradition, I can't remember who thought was a good idea, the graduation year of former band geeks were pulled out of a hat for the opening show and here we are. I thought we'd start off the night with a couple of classics before we get all modern on you."

I took center stage and inhaled a deep breath as I began Amazing Grace, the crowd joining in singing the words as I played, slowly the band joined in behind me. From there we moved onto Danny Boy. It didn't matter if you were of Irish descent or not in this town, everyone knew the words. Again the crowd surrounding the stage swayed where they stood and sang along.

Nat nudged Steve, "did you know she could play?" The whole team was bewitched watching the scene before them. They all thought I had been an open book, that they knew all my secrets and yet there I was was up on stage playing an impossibly difficult instrument looking like a punk rock queen.

"No, I-I had no idea." He turned to observe the crowd and the smiles on the team listening to the music. His eyes wander back up to me and listened intently, memories of a time long ago flickering through his mind. He could remember every incident getting his butt kicked in an alley or two as a kid just because he was that scrawny Irish kid and now it seemed like this whole city was celebrating being Irish.

  The band and I all bowed, I grinned like a fool as I started to play Cab Ride to Kingston by Gaelic Storm. The drummer keeping beat behind me, the rest of the band swayed and grooved getting into the song. I was tapping my foot on the stage, soon the whole crowd is clapping in unison. The crowd went wild and cheered watching as we played, people danced away when the guitarist started strumming away. Steve watched as I blissfully closed my eyes, my whole body swaying, dancing around the stage. He had no idea, not in a million years did he know I could play the bagpipes, let alone look gorgeous doing it too.

"She's got some lungs on her Capsicle, you sure you could handle that?"  Tony smirked earning an elbow in the stomach from Pepper trying to hide her own grin.

"I'm not sure he'd know what to do with her, to be honest," Bucky snickered watching Steve blush.

  When the song was over I took a deep breath and grinned down at the crowd, spinning around dancing across the stage as I lead the band into the next song. Gaelic Storm's Stain the Grout. The fiddle player danced near me as well, smiling away because it was a great feeling playing the kind of music that just made you want to dance. You couldn't resist standing still listening to this music. The whole team was getting into dancing around with the crowd. Steve leaned up against the stage staring up at me. I turned around feeling something familiar and was greeted with that great big bearded smile and those sparkling shining eyes of his. I winked at him and continued to dance around the stage but this time towards him.

"I'm sorry, forgive me?" he yelled up at me.  I nodded my head once as I played, a slight smile curled on the edges of my lips. He grinned watching me dance across the stage.  We all bowed when the song was over and I walked towards the mic again.

"Everyone having a good time?" The crowd roared. "Everyone having fun?" Again they cheered out, even Steve. "This next one we actually tinkered with in high school, I know at least one person in the crowd that's going to love it." The guitarist slung an electric guitar over his shoulder grinning as he started to play.

  "HELL YEAH!" Tony bellowed, I grinned seeing Tony with an elated smile on his face, he screamed throwing his fist in the air. It took the team a few seconds to realize what it was, but Tony was full-fledged jamming out. "She's playing AC/DC on the bagpipes Pepper, she's playing at our wedding." Everyone thought he was kidding, only Pepper saw how serious he really was.

When the set was finally over we bowed as a group and walked off stage, Steve was standing at the bottom of the stairs with his hands in his pockets and a sheepish smile on his face.

"Hi," he mumbled out as a touch of pink flooded his cheeks.

"Hey yourself," I smirked, "glad to see the stick removal surgery was a success." I nudged his shoulder playfully making him flash that million-watt smile of his.

"I need to apologize, all that yesterday was completely uncalled for. I'm sorry, you didn't deserve that." It was kinda cute the way he was kicking at the ground, I wondered if he did that at a kid.

"It's alright, I mean not really, but you know, it is what it is," I shrugged my shoulders walking towards him, I rested my head on his chest and hugged his waist. I could feel his breath hitch in his chest at the contact. His own arms wound around me hugging me tightly.

"You were right, I...I am a jackass. Truth be told, I was scared, I've always been scared. Scared that if I admitted how I really felt that something would happen, look at my track record... 70 years in ice. You've always been there even when I didn't deserve it. You think you might wanna teach this old guy how to have some fun and maybe go out for a real date?"

"I don't know," I could feel his shoulders dip, he held his breath. "Do we get to use your senior citizens discount? I mean I'm cool with that and all but I don't wanna start eating dinner and 430 in the afternoon." I nuzzled my head in his chest laughing.

"Ooh haha very funny," he pulled away looking down at me with those amazing eyes. "So what's your answer Doll?"

"Lighten up a little on everyone and you got yourself a potential girlfriend," I smirked.  He leaned down and placed a gentle kiss on my lips and wrapped an arm around my waist.

"Hmm, is it raining, snowing, or sunny?" She asked.

"Doesn't matter."  I smirk, "raining."

"Naked, it'd take too long to grow all this hair back," she laughs motioning towards her long locks.

"Nat, would you rather kiss Stark or an electric eel?"  Wanda giggles.

"The eel no question"  Nat stifling a laugh sipping her tea.

"You know one of these days we need to get the guys to play this, I'm guessing it'd embarrass the hell out of a few of them,"  I said making Wanda laugh so hard she almost spits out her tea.

"If your life depended on it would you marry Sam or Steve?" Questioned Nat

"Again hands down Steve,"  I smirked.

Suddenly the game became one-sided, Nat and Wanda against me.

"Thor or Steve?" Wanda giggled.

"Steve."

"Bucky or Sam." Nat pressed.

"Neither."

"Bruce or Steve?" Wanda inquired.

"Steve."  I quipped.

"Bucky or Steve?" Nat smiled.

"Steve." I raised my eyebrow at the girls, "I'm sensing a pattern here.  What are you angling at you two?"

"Ooh nothing,"  Nat stifles a laugh.

"Y/N?" Steve calls out from the hallway, "I need your help where are you?"

"In the kitchen Capt hot pants."  I covered my mouth trying not to laugh at my slip.  It was no secret to either of the girls I'd had a thing for Steve, I'd been there since they thawed him out helping him adjust to modern life and been by his side every step of the way since.  Who wouldn't have a thing for Steve, he had the most glorious eyes you could get lost in and smile that made a girl weak in the knees, he was intelligent, someone you could spend a few hours sitting next to not saying a word and walk away feeling like you'd had the best conversation of your life.

"What'd you call me?"  His laugh was quiet, footsteps closing in faster towards the kitchen door.

"Nothing," I called out. Wanda and Nat burst out in laughter.  

Steve walked into the kitchen holding his laptop, eyes furrowed looking at the three of us in a fit of laughter, a slight smile on his face when his eyes met mine, a pink tinge appeared on his cheeks.  

"I uh...I did it again.  I don't even know how I keep doing this."  He held out the laptop towards me.  "Can you fix it?"  His smile was sweet the way it curled up at the corners, just like the photos of him before the super soldier serum.

"Why didn't you ask Tony, not that I don't mind at all."  I smiled taking the laptop from him and setting it in front of me on the table, glancing at the locked screen.  A Word document and Youtube were pulled up.  He liked listening to music when he was writing.  Looked like he was writing poetry again, I quickly glimpsed a few lines.

She wears her strength and her darkness equally well,

The girl has always been half goddess, half hell.

"You know Tony, he'll make fun of me to no end, posting the contents of my computer all over the place then I'll end up breaking something in his lab as retaliation.  It'll turn into a thing and I'm not in the mood for his shit today."  He smirked

"Oh my, such language Cap, I think I may just faint." I dramatically held my arm across my forehead, closed my eyes, feigning like I was going to fall out of my chair.  The girls broke out in laughter again, Steve rolled his eyes.

"Sometimes you're just as annoying as Tony," he stuck his tongue out at me and walked to the fridge to grab a drink.

"OOH!"  I huffed, "you take that back!"  I stood up out of my chair trying to look mad and offended but I couldn't help but smile at that face of his, he looked just like those old photos of him and Bucky back in Brooklyn in my eyes.

"Hmm, no," he leaned against the wall and smiled.

"Take that back or I'll...well shit I got nothing to blackmail you with, you're too innocent."  I sat back down pouting, clicking a few keys on the keyboard.

"You may not have any blackmail on Steve, but I sure do!"  Nat spoke in a sing-song voice smirking at Steve.  His eyes went wide and he glared at her.

"Oh you too," Wanda grinned at Nat.

"Pretty sure we know the same thing."  Natasha tapped a finger to her temple, Wanda closed her eyes reading Nat's thoughts.

"Yup, that's what I was talking about."  They both looked at each other and then Steve.  He flushed red and fled the kitchen.

"Wait, Steve, your laptop,"  I called out after him. "What on Earth was that about?" I glared at Nat and Wanda.

"He's got a crush on someone but he won't ask her out, even went out and jumped the gun buying a certain piece of jewelry,"  Nat spoke in a matter of fact tone.

"He deserves a little happiness."  I'd never known Steve to shy away from anything.  

"Because in his head, he's still that scrawny little kid from Brooklyn who couldn't get a girl to give him a second glance," Bucky said leaning in the doorway.

"Does he really think that looks matter that much Buck?"  I sighed.

"In this day and age I guess they do," he smiled at me as if he knew something, the way he looked at me approvingly.

"Too bad, I thought he was more handsome back then in the 40s anyway.  I saw all those before photos of him in his museum exhibit.  He's still got that same smile, those kind eyes, I would have proudly walked into a dance on his arm."  I stared at the wall spacing out thinking about dancing with Steve back then.  

"He's always been a good guy, stubborn as hell though.  Sometimes he just needs a little push to get something he deserves."

"What,"  I shook my head out of my daze.  "What'd you mean Buck?"  He laughed.

"You uh... going to this dance thing Stark's having later?"

"Wouldn't miss it, I love dancing, even though everyone is too chicken and I end up dancing with Happy half the night."  I grinned up at him.

"Y/n when I'm given the choice between booze and dancing, the liqueur always wins."  Nat stuck out her tongue.

"Good, good, I uh... got someone to convince...I mean something to do, I'll see you there." Bucky jogged down the hall.

Steve's P.O.V.

They knew I'd been pining over Y/n for ages, Nat took every chance she got to goad me into asking her out, but she was out of my league.  My head was swimming with the notion I was still that scrawny sickly kid in Brooklyn getting my ass kicked on a daily basis.  No females paid me any attention,  my dance card was empty.  Too many nights spent wondering when someone would see more than just the outer appearance.  A knock on my door brought me out of my thoughts.

"Hey Steve," Bucky stepped through the door with a sly smile.

"What's up, Buck?"

"So this dance thing of Stark's tonight, you going?"

"I wasn't planning on it."

"I think you should, you might have some fun."

"It's Stark, it's usually only fun for him."  I snipped back.

"No, you'll have fun.  Bruce said it's a theme thing, the 40's.  I guess people are dressing up to look like we used too."  He laughed.  

"Really?"

"Yeah, even the music is going to be 40's, full band and everything. I think it sounds kinda fun, Y/n's excited.  Said she can't wait to dance, even if no one but Happy will dance with her."  He smirked knowingly.

"Buck, you're close with her, right?"  I asked staring at the floor.

"Yeah, why?"

"She's not...her and Happy aren't like secretly a thing are they?"  Bucky bust out laughing.

"No, oh god no, he's like a big brother, he looks after her more than he does Stark.  She likes to dance and Happy's the only one that doesn't try to play grab ass with her.  Usually, she justs dances with the girls at these things but it sounds like Nat's just going to drink and now that Wanda and Vis are a thing...ask her to dance Steve.  If you don't, I will."  He wiggled his eyes, he'd never willingly hurt Steve in any way, but he knew without a push, Steve wouldn't take the leap.  

"You still got the uniform, Steve?"  That sly smirk flashed across Bucky's face again.

"Yeah, why?" My curiosity peaked.

"Just wear it, trust me," and with that, he left the room.

Later that Night.

My P.O.V.

I could hear swing music already roaring through the elevator doors, I'd was running behind, messed up my make-up and had to start all over, authenticity's a bitch. The doors opened to the roar of hundreds of voices and brass instruments flooded my ears.  Tony went all out this time, hired a swing band with a full orchestra.  I made my way to Nat at the bar, her eyes wide scanning up and down.  

"Holy shit you really went all out for this didn't you?"  She laughed as I grinned ear to ear.

"Took me ages to find the right dress, it's authentic too."  I twirled smiling at her, her eyes flicked behind me and smirked.  

"Incoming, I think you're about to get your first dance of the night."  I giggled thinking it was Happy, but when I turned around I was surprised to see Bucky in his dress uniform from the '40s.

"Well James Buchanan Barnes you sneaky little fucker, you steal that out of the exhibit?"  I smiled. "You clean up good Sarg."  I winked.

"You care to dance dollface?"  He held out his arm.

"I'd loved too." He swept me out on the dance floor before I could even finish my sentence.

"You know how to swing darling?"  He flashed a grin, eyes darting behind me towards Steve who stood hidden among the crowd.

"One of my favs Buck, but don't go overboard tossing me around okay, this dress wasn't made for that."  I laughed.  

  We danced away, he flipped and twirled me around, I laughed and smiled as he spun me around, pulling me between his legs, lifting me up in the air. The crowd around us thinned out, people stepped off the dance floor to watch us.  Two assassins dressed to the nines and dancing like pros, we were quite the sight, it was one of the few things he didn't seem to forget after Hydra. We danced song after song, getting closer and closer during each dance.  His mouth inched closer to my ear, the sly smirk plastered on his face.

"You know there's someone who hasn't been able to take his eyes off you since you started dancing?"  His breath hot on my ear.  My head flew back as I laughed.

"Seriously, are you flirting with me, James?"

"Not a chance doll, but I'm eyeballing a very angry looking Steve right now, shooting me a death glare."

"Why would Steve be angry?  He never comes to these things, you know his two left feet."  

"Doll, he's in love with you, can't you see it?"  It added confirmation to what I'd found on Steve's laptop earlier in the afternoon.

"I figured it out earlier actually, poetry, my dear soldier boy, poetry."  He looked slightly stunned but he gave me a quick kiss on the cheek knowing what I'd meant.

"Get ready, here he comes."  I felt a light tap on my shoulder, I pulled away from Bucky and gazed at Steve in his uniform and sighed with a dreamy smile until my eyes came to his face.

"Oh Captain, my Captain, you shaved the sexiness off."  Bucky laughed a little too loudly at my pouting over the loss of Steve's beard and walked away.

"What was that?" Steve smiled running his hand along his smooth cheeks.

"Nothing, nevermind. Did you uh...wanna dance?" The blood rushing to my cheeks flushing for all to see.

"I did, but watching you with Buck, I'm afraid I still have two left feet." He laughed softly, those eyes were just stunningly gorgeous looking at me, his smile sweet and pure. The band started up a slower song, Moonlight Serenade.  He pulled me in close, a hand around my back and the other holding mine up to the side of us.  He stumbled a little in his moves and stepped on my foot.  "Shit, I'm sorry. I'm not any good at this kind of thing." He sighed, "why don't you dance with Buck or Happy. I don't wanna break your toes."  He stared at the floor trying to pull away from me slightly embarrassed,  but I tugged him back resting my hands on his chest.

"Non-sense, dancing's better with someone you love anyway."  His eye arched and looked at me like I was crazy.  "Yes you heard me right, you dork,"  I grinned at his stunned face.  "Don't act like you don't love me."

"Did Bucky tell you?  I'm gonna kill him."  His face flushed and that shy sheepish smile appeared on his lips.

"Nope not Bucky, you left your laptop with me remember.  I may or may not have seen a file with my name on it while I was fixing it and may or may not have looked at all the poetry you wrote about me."  My smile wide and confident, my hands cupped his face as I kissed his lips. His eyes closed and a moan escaped his mouth.

"I take it back,"  he grinned.

"What's that now?"  I laughed, the song changed to something a bit faster, our bodies keeping up to the beat dancing.

"You're not as annoying as Tony." He chuckled.

"I know, I'm adorably annoying, unlike asshole annoying like Tony,"  I smirked, "now let's show these old fogeys how to dance, I know you got it in you, Cap."  Sing, Sing, Sing rang out from the band.  

  Steve proved to be an even better dancer than he gave himself credit for, two left feet my ass.  With another kiss for a little encouragement, he flashed that smile and away we danced. The floor cleared completely as people watched and cheered us on.  Tony had F.R.I.D.A.Y. recording the whole thing on the security cameras.  Steve flipped, spun, and dipped me like a pro, boy did he know how to Jitterbug.  Our bodies moved in sync like we'd practiced this a hundred thousand times.  I'd never laughed or smiled so much in my life as I did dancing with Steve.  We were caught up in our own little world dancing the night away.

"Is it a little too early to say I want to marry you?"  He smiled as he spun me around.

"Not at all, we've known each other for how many years now, almost 10 years?"  I laughed. "That's basically a super long courtship by your old fashion standards, isn't it?  We've seen each other at our best and worst, and we already live in the same place."

"Fair point."  He grinned.

"But you need to know, I don't like you for the way you look right now."  He laughed confused as I motioned my hands towards his super-soldier body.

"Huh?"

"I'm not gonna marry Captain America, but I'll marry that scrawny kid from Brooklyn who never backed down from a fight, with the bright shining eyes full of hope and a sweet smile that curls up on the sides of his lips."  He smiled widely at me.  "There he is."  I kissed his lips, tangling my fingers in his hair.  

"Well if we're making confessions, I've been carrying something around with me for three years even though I never had the courage to ask you on a date."  He dropped down on one knee holding my left hand.  "Y/n we've known each other a long time now.   The first time you smiled at me, it knocked the wind out of me and I forgot how to breathe.  Over the years you've gone from being a co-worker bringing me into the modern world to my best friend second to Bucky that is."  'Damn right,' Bucky yelled from the crowd making everyone laugh.  "You're the only one besides Buck to see past all this down to who I really am, and I wanna spend the rest of my life with you because of that."

"Are you seriously about to ask me to..." I was stunned, but so giddy down to my core.  We really had been tight over the years, I went on the run with him during the Accords no questions asked because, well Steve's always been right, his moral compass has never steered him wrong.

"Marry me?  Yeah, I am."  His smile wide and playful.

"Come on Doll say yes and kiss him already so I can spend my nights doing something other than hearing him talk about you!" Bucky yelled.

"Yes," I shook my head and grinned ear to ear, he swept me up in arms and spun me around.  "Is this the blackmail the Girls had on you," I whispered in his ear.

"Yeah, they spotted me out in town the day I bought it."

The next morning the papers throughout the world ran with a picture of Steve holding me after saying yes, and a headline that read,

Months went by as I tried to deal with my feelings, I wasn't the man I used to be. Bucky tracked me down in a little run down bar in our old neighborhood in Brooklyn. I tried drinking myself into a mindless haze but even after drinking every drop in the bar I couldn't get drunk. Falling in love like this a second time shouldn't have been possible, but my whole life it seems was impossible. I wasn't looking for love, not after Peggy all those years ago before the ice, but it found me and slammed into me like a freight train.

"Steve, what's going on?"

"Trying and failing to get drunk Buck." I sighed.

"Yeah, I see that," the bartender flashed a smile, he didn't care, he'd just made more in one night off sales from me than he did in an entire year. "What's going on Steve?"

"I feel guilty," spinning the glass in my hand.

"Is this about Peggy?"

"No. Somewhere throughout the years I fell in love with someone else. I wasn't searching for it but there she was."

"And this is what's making you feel guilty? Falling for someone other than Peggy?"

"Peggy was supposed to be the one, wasn't she? But then she came along and I forgot all about Peggy and then when Peggy died, the only guilt I felt was wanting to be with ..."

"Y/n?" I stared at Bucky.

"How'd you know?"

"Doesn't take a genius to see it Steve and there's no reason for you to feel guilty. Peggy would have wanted you to be happy and you know it."

"How do you know? I always thought that people only got one, one love of their life?!"

"Did you ever think that your love for Peggy was what brought you to Y/n in the first place? You're a man out of his time. If you wouldn't have been frozen, you'd be with Peggy, but you're here in this time and so is Y/n. Tell her how you feel, ask her out, but don't, never feel guilty for loving someone else."

One Month later

I stared at her empty seat at the table, somewhere along the night while I was being pulled around to talk to various government officials by Stark and Fury, she'd slipped away from the crowd. I couldn't blame her, Stark and his parties could get a little taxing on the nerves and years of being a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent had taken its toll on her. She was there when I awoke after 70 years in ice, she brought me into the modern world, teaching me how to use all the latest technology, even shared her apartment with me. Not long later we both joined the Avengers in Stark Tower, she was skilled in many things that still amaze me to this day watching her in the field. She was ex-military, a codebreaker, combat medic, did several tours overseas before she was hand-picked and pulled in by Fury.

The fiasco with Ultron had done a number on her, shortly after that she'd been taken by Hydra for information on Bucky, and tortured for weeks before we found her. She was broken and close to the edge of no return until she opened her eyes long enough to see me rescuing her from the room she was chained in, flashing a haggard smile. She struggled with anxiety and P.T.S.D., that's where she met Sam. She knew him long before I did. She could only handle large crowds for so long before it became too much. All that pain she suffered made her and Bucky thick as thieves when he came along. They were good for each other, but he knew the second he looked at me she was off limits, I'd fallen in love with her.

"You talk to her yet?" Bucky asked as he sat down next to me.

"I was trying to then I got pulled away and now she's gone." I couldn't stop myself from frowning, I'd had the perfect chance, we were out on the dance floor, the band had just started a slow dance when I felt hands pulling me away. She smiled and laughed before she went to sit back down.

"I bet I know where she is," he said smiling, "sitting in front of the piano upstairs. Go tell her. Steve, a girl like Y/n won't stay single for long. I'm not trying to piss you off or anything, but if you really love her you go tell her before someone else swoops in."

Bucky created a distraction long enough for me to hightail it to the elevator that went to The Avengers private living quarters, no one but us had access. I was adjusting my tie in the sheen of the chrome walls, the closer the elevator got to the main living area floor the louder I could hear her playing. It was moving, haunting almost, sending chills down my spine, the doors opened and I could hear her singing, it was a sad song, not entirely like her.

The closer I got to the music, I realized that she wasn't alone, I heard another voice. I rounded the corner to see Loki sitting next to her at the piano playing with her. They played in sync swaying their bodies slightly as they touched the keys. I stayed where I was watching her, she was so beautiful in the simple cornflower blue dress, it was just above her knees, her heels kicked off laying haphazardly to the side of the piano bench, her bare feet on the peddles of the piano.  With the flick of his wrist, the fire raged in the fireplace behind the piano, she laughed startled by the crackling of the fire.

"Must you always use your magic?" She chided him.

"It makes life more fun darling." I could feel a burning rage in the pit of my stomach hearing him call her darling.

"What's the point in life, if everything is so easy?" I grinned, she was ever the logical person.

"It was something I was born with, therefore it is apart of my life so your argument is invalid." He laughed, eyes leering at her, I was fighting back the urge to stalk in there and punch him in his smug Godly face.

She turned and playfully punched him in his arm, he smiled and then he leaned in and kissed her, she didn't pull away like I thought she would.

"Come to dinner with me, tomorrow night?" He whispered seductively.

"Loki I..."

"Is there someone else?"

"Kinda...I don't know, he hasn't asked me, but I know..."

"If he hasn't asked you, then you are free to do as you please. I promise I don't bite."

I was seeing red, raging angry, I turned on the spot and headed towards the gym. I took my frustrations out on the punching bag until it busted open, sand spilling everywhere. I lost my head thinking about his lips on her, I picked up the nearest object, and threw it at the wall. A 50lb dumbbell now embedded in the concrete. For an hour I trashed the gym until Bucky ran in and tackled me to the ground.

"What the hell Steve? What's going on?"

"Loki that son of a bitch!" I yelled, the words echoing off the walls taunting me.

"What happened?" Buck stood up trying to pull me with him.

"I went to find her and they were playing the piano together. He kissed her, they're going to dinner tomorrow."

"Steve it's just dinner, it doesn't mean anything. They're friends, I don't think she likes him like that."

"That wasn't just friends kissing Buck, she...she kissed him back."

I ran out of the gym and up to my suite slamming the door behind me. I spent the night listening to the same song, I Found by Amber Run on repeat, staring at all the pictures I'd drawn of her over the years. Bucky was right, women like Y/n never stay single for long because once a guy realizes what she has to offer, he'd never let her go. I blew my chance, there was no way I could compete with a God. The longer I looked at the sketches of her the angrier I got, I started ripping out pages from my sketchbook, crumbling and throwing them around the room in fit jealousy. I wallowed in self-pity into the next night, I couldn't walk the halls and chance seeing her or Loki. He'd won, and that was my punishment for my cowardice. The words of the song burning into my brain until Stark came pounding on my door.

"Cap wheels up in 30 we gotta go."

"Go without me...I uh can't...don't feel well." I muttered.

"We're already two down, besides you're a super soldier you don't get sick, nice try." I pushed myself off my bed, pulling the door open a little too forcefully, the hinges ripped from the frame.

"Right...you're going to fix that when we get back. What crawled up your ass and died." Stark squinted his eyes in curiosity.

"Nothing," I growled shoving past him walking down the hall towards the hangar elevator.

"Rogers, seriously what's wrong?" Tony stared at me with genuine interest.

"You said we were down two, whose out?"

"Y/n and Loki, something about dinner." He said annoyed, hearing it from someone else made the anger boil over again as I punched a dent into the elevator wall.

"Mhm, so again with the understanding that I may be the next thing hit, what the hell is going on?"

"I'm fine!" I growled.

"Is this...is this because Y/n is at dinner with Loki?" I clenched my fists, my nose flaring, eyes glazed over with rage.

"Right I'm going to take that as a yes, look Rogers, they're just friends man, that’s not the guy she’s into," Tony was attempting to calm me down.

"Friends? Friends don't kiss each other with tongue unless they're you so nice try."

Nat, Clint, Sam, Tony, Thor, Bucky and I boarded the Quinn Jet, I stood in the back doing my best to ignore everything and stop thinking about Loki kissing her, his hands all over her.

Her P.O.V.

Loki and I sat next to the window in quaint little bistro Happy had mentioned in passing. He was funny and charming, but he wasn't who I wanted to be here with and he could sense it. I tried to focus on our conversation, but all I could think of was Steve. Why was he locked in his room again? Was he still upset over Peggy? I did my best to comfort him, even when he tried to push me away, I stayed close, made sure he ate, showered.   He needed someone to be there for him whether he wanted it or not, it wasn't good for him to lock himself away from the world. It wouldn't solve anything. Steve had done the same things for me after I'd been captured by Hydra. He was a true knight in shining armor, but he wore the whole weight of the world on his shoulders, all I ever wanted was to loosen the load, share his burden.

I fell in love with him the moment I saw him, but I denied myself being with him. It'd be wrong, almost like taking advantage so I took those feelings and stuffed them down deep. They were always there festering underneath, threatening to burst over every time he smiled at me, every time he pulled me into a hug, or laid his head in my lap on movie nights. I never intended to fall in love, let alone with him, but here I was out to dinner with another man and my mind only thought of him. I could feel a tear slip down my cheek.

"Did I say something wrong?" Loki asked fearfully.

"No, it's not you, it's..." I shook my head and sighed.

"You're in love with him aren't you?" There was no malice in his voice only sympathy.

"What?" My eyes were wide in shock.

"God of Mischief remember." He smiled softly. "How long have you been in love with Steve?"

"Since the moment I laid eyes on him, to be honest." I smiled.

"Why haven't you told him so?  All this wasted time."

"I was the one that took care of him after he got out of the ice, I was the one there around the clock helping him. It'd feel...l-like I was taking advantage of him. He's so innocent and sweet, a man out of his time, someone who's too good for this world and I'm just...a wary beaten down human." Tears ran down my face.

"Far from it darling. You've survived and endured more than any I have ever seen human or god and you do so with your head held high like a Queen. If you love him tell him, you're both suffering so but together, I don't think there's anything you couldn’t overcome together."  His smile was genuine and comforting.

"You're very sweet Loki, you're better than you get credit for, Frigga would be proud of how you've changed." I held his hand smiling. "I'm sorry I ruined tonight."

"A night making a woman smile whether it’s a smile for me or not, is never a night wasted. Now go, go find him and tell him." He smiled and shooed me out of the restaurant. I found myself sprinting, running out of the building and down the sidewalk to my car when I saw him in the middle of the street staring back at me.

His P.O.V.

Nat landed the jet in a field near a park, they all turned around staring at me.

"What are you looking at?" I growled.

"You, you giant dumbass." Bucky scoffed.

"What'd I do?" I groaned. Natasha got in my face poking my chest.

"Cap, you're going to get off this damned jet and you're going to go tell her how you feel."  Her eyes burning into mine.

"I don't know what you're talking about?" I grumbled.

"Stop lying, we've all known for years, enough is enough. Go get the girl." Tony smiled.

"She's half a block up Steve, go, now," Bucky smirked.

Nervous hope spread through my chest as I ran down the bay doors through the street. A man out of time, rushing towards a future. I never thought I'd fall in love again, but here I was, where I wasn't supposed to be, running towards a girl on a date with another man to tell her I'd been in love with her for years. Would she turn and run, would she be happy, would she tell me to go to hell, would she love me too? The possibilities ran through my head as I ran and there she was staring back at me.

It stopped me in my tracks, her tear stained face looking back at me.  A smile swept across her face and she ran towards me, she didn't walk, she ran, ran like her life depended on it and I ran towards her.  I caught her up in my arms swinging her around, holding onto to her tight.

"I love you," she cried, her body shaking against mine. "I've loved you since the day I met you and I'm sorry, I'm sorry I didn't say it sooner."  I set her down and held her face gazing into her eyes.

"Don't ever being sorry. I've loved you since the moment you walked through that door after I woke up and I'll love you every day on."  I pulled her lips to mine, there were sparks. Her lips were soft and warm, salty from crying. I could feel her smile, I kissed her harder, more feverish, snaking my fingers into her hair.  She wrapped her arms around my neck, a sigh escaped her lips. She moaned my name is such a way it almost brought me to my knees, she was the very reason my heart beat.  

"Let's go home," she smiled pulling me towards her car.  She drove the whole way to the compound with her hand in mine, I kept glancing at her afraid it was a dream, but there she was holding on tight, that sweet smile on her lips.  

I carried her into my room, set her on my bed. She pulled me down onto her, kissing me as if afraid she'd wake up from her own cruel dream.  Her hands roamed around my body, it was hard to feel her touch in this uniform.  I pried myself from those lips tearing my uniform off, no going back now I thought.  I stood before her smiling like an idiot in the nude, she slid off the bed shedding her own clothes.  She was gorgeous, every scar, every freckle, everything she'd always thought of as an imperfection, was beautiful, and I would tell her so every day for the rest of her life.

I gently nudged her back on the bed, she smiled looking up at me.  I kissed her thighs and her stomach, suckling on her inner thigh watching her chest heave, her head fall back, mouth open letting a little moan escape. I couldn't help but smile seeing her like this.  I ran my tongue up and down her folds, watching her hips fighting to stay still, I pressed my hand against her stomach to still her movement, she wrapped her hand around my hand.  My tongue darting in and out, sucking and nibbling on her clit. She was coming undone, hips wanting to work with the rhythm of my tongue.  I slid two fingers in, sucking on her clit, she looked as if she was melting into the bed, her hands running across her breasts, she moaned my name. Three fingers in, her hips moving in tandem.

"I'm so close," she moaned breathily, her fingers had the sheets encased in a death grip, my hand left her stomach, her hips let lose to move.  She rode my fingers until she screamed my name as her orgasm took over, a hand enveloped in my hair pulling me towards her, the sight of her panting drove me wild.

I lined myself up and thrust in, her legs enclosed around my waist, her arms around my neck.  She was love, my forever, I was in no rush, our bodies leisurely working together, for hours we lay entwined in each other, fingers and lips touched every inch of our bodies.  She grinned up at me, I should have seen it coming, that devilish grin, the grin she always used before doing something reckless in the field.  Her legs wrapped tight around me, she flipped me on my back, hair falling in my face.  She was gorgeous like this, my savior, she was free, uninhibited, those eyes driving me insane.  She leaned back on her knees, thrusting her hips in circles, fingers tracing designs on my chest. Leaning down for a kiss, she took my bottom lip in her mouth giving a playful bite, her hips picking up speed, rocking back and forth.  

I gazed up at her feeling like the luckiest man in the world, this glorious creature above me was mine and mine forever.  Sweat glistening as it dripped down her chest, her head fell back, mouth open, soft moans crying out.  Hips thrusting faster and faster, I gripped tight onto her thighs, matching her increasing intensity.  She leaned back, palms on my calves, that body bouncing and shaking a private dance just for me.  I could feel her tensing up she was close again, I'd lost count throughout the night, but she craved it, her body chasing that high.  Just watching her enjoy herself was enough to get me close.  I reveled watching her crest over that edge, moaning out my name for the world to hear, her body shaking and shuttering in delight.  My own release came, fingerprints would be inked into her skin come daylight, her name roared out of my mouth, my body shook and jolted causing her to laugh. She fell on my chest, fingers running up and down my arm, happy, dazed and in love.

"I'll love you forever," she whispered.

"Forever and a day," I replied.