Disclaimers: All rights to Marvel. Characters, lines and movies context from Marvel movies Captain America: The First Avenger and The Avengers. Joanna Splendore is my original character.

Author's Note 1: 3rd story in my Welcome to Level 7 series, following Deep Blue and Supernanny - but it can be read as a stand-alone. Steve's background, movie-verse canon-compliant - 11 chapters.

Started as a love story, and ended up being Steve's journey to find love... and the right partner! I hope you enjoy!

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Chapter 1 - Reminiscences... of family


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Present day, New York

Steve Rogers woke up. The dim light coming through the window indicated it was late afternoon. He blinked slowly a few times and frowned slightly while taking stock of his surroundings. The lounge room at the Avengers Tower's common area remained peaceful. He stretched, pleased, and picked up the book that had fallen by his side on the couch. The break for a tranquil reading had turned into a well-earned rest. The small drops of sweat dripping down his forehead were the only sign that he had been dreaming. No nightmares, just memories. Not that it mattered.

As long as he remembered, Steve always woke up the same way, evenly. Sometimes faster, when in battle or on a mission. But every single time, even after being frozen in suspended-animation for sixty-six years - a non-conscious coma state - he woke up without any sudden movements.

When you have a force so formidable, you cannot afford to lose control. Not even while waking.

It had always been this way. Growing up as a sick boy, with all the times he had been admitted to the hospital, he had learned the importance of remaining silent and steady. Even when in hunger or in pain, he needed to be quiet to not disturb the other patients and not disrupt his mother's work. This willpower and self-control had grown within him, and had been fundamental when he became the super soldier. No surprise that one of Captain America's strongest features is the indomitable will.

That's why, after the serum - that changed him from a frail young man to the very peak of human potential and conditioning - he never thought of himself as skinny Steve, as the little guy. Once he was transformed, he chased the spy who killed Dr. Erskine and saved that boy by the pier - instinctive acts that he didn't need to think to accomplish. The simple truth was that he always had the heart of a true hero and finally got the body to keep up with it. His new physique came with the understanding that he needed to be permanently self-conscious to never, ever, harm anyone inadvertently.

'Because a strong man who has known power all his life may lose respect for that power, but a weak man knows the value of strength.'

But Steve didn't forget who he was before, of course not. And sometimes, the little guy came back with full force in his memories.

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After months of rehabilitation, Agent Phil Coulson was finally cleared for work, but it meant a desk job and paperwork at SHIELD's New York Headquarters. For years he had been the unofficial go-to-guy for everything about Captain America, so he wasn't surprised when he received the package. Security X-ray indicated that inside the larger box there were only two metal objects, small and harmless. He checked the sender, Ralph Splendore, born in 1940, Italy, immigrated to the United States in 1945. Passing through all safety procedures, he brought it to the Avengers Tower.

"Hi, Cap," Phil likes to call him 'Cap,' even though he has long considered him a friend. "This is for you. It's from the family beneficiary of your will, after the crash, right?"

"What?" Steve got up from the couch, took the package and read the sender's name. "Oh. Yes. Thanks, Phil."

The Agent kept looking at his childhood hero waiting for any new detail about his past life, "Uh… I'm sorry if it's too personal, but are they your relatives?" Phil knows Captain's story better than anyone, and his parents were Irish, not Italian.

Steve said they were old neighbors - friends of his mother - who kept his things when he went to war. He excused himself and left, holding the package close to his heart.

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Back to his floor in the tower, Steve went to his studio. His safe place, where he could be surrounded by classical furniture of wood and leather, all his books, and his drawing and painting tools. He put the package on his desk and sat down, relaxing his body in the comfort of his chair. He closed his eyes for a moment and hoped. Prayed. Carefully, he unpacked it and sighed deeply when he recognized the antique chest that seemed to be locked for years.

He opened it and felt his hands trembling slightly, although to an outside observer they were steady as ever. Among books and other packages there was what his heart yearned for. Tears finally flowed when he opened his old wooden box to find his mother's ring and his father's Infantry Insignia.

Steve was overwhelmed by a mix of emotions… sadness… happiness… gratitude. He cried silently and allowed these feelings take over him in a release that he didn't know he needed. At that moment he felt safe and sheltered in a way that he hadn't felt in a long time. Mom. He missed her. And he was carried away by the memories of his loving mother.

The night had already come when drier eyes landed back to the books and old photos still inside the old chest. Everything so carefully kept. He recognized the ribbons tied around them and fondly remembered the long curly black hair that these same ribbons once wrapped around. And he noticed a pile of postcards and a bigger one... of his drawings. She saved everything for him. He smiled and picked up the paper on top of it. The first drawing he made of her.

Joanna Splendore.

She always took so good care of everything. Of him. He learned she died a long time ago, and yet she had still found a way to take care of him, to give his things back. After all this time she still knew exactly what he needed.

He closed his eyes and there she was. Beautiful. Those trusting dark blue eyes and the smile that always warmed his heart.

My petite Italian chef.

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End Note 1: Thanks for reading! I hope you had a good time!

I'm a romantic happily-ever-after kind of woman. And here I am writing a romantic/drama story. What happened? Skinny Steve happened. I hate to call him that, so he'll be the little guy!

'To the little guys.' I use movies/comics quotes as reference, not as part of the dialogue, ok? ;)

Anyway, I was chatting with Winterbeauti about romance and Steve Rogers - my favorite subject! And all I wanted was to read about someone loving the little guy. He is the heart behind the hero, and he was always adorable. So Joanna Splendore happened (the one in the photo). She came slowly, sweetly, and suddenly the little guy was in love of her, and so was I! I've never imagined that I could create a character - this is as exciting as it's terrifying. The story is already all written, finished, but they, Steve and Joanna, keep changing some scenes! It's not a tragic story, but is canon compliant. So, it became Steve's journey to find love.

English is not my first language. The mistakes are mine. Thanks to Winterbeauti for the inspiration and the incentive, and Polexia Aphrodite for the invaluable historical-research help and so much more! I'd be lost without their help!

I'm a technical writer (in Portuguese), but this world of fiction is completely new! This only my 3rd story, but I guess I definitely got bit by the writing bug. I got inspired by you!
Feedback is the best way to improve. So, please, review it, send me a PM! I hope you enjoy the journey!

xxoo Mari