"If you could change one thing in your life, what would it be?"
"Not loving you sooner."
Steve stared, and Gia smiled, a little hesitantly, a little shyly. She had never technically confessed to Steve, and didn't know if this counted. Maybe it did. He blinked at her.
"I'm sorry. Was now not the right time? Did I ruin the mood? Goddammit, I did it again, I fucked it up, I'm so sorry." She swallowed, struggling to keep back the tears. This happened every time. Every time she truly loved someone or truly enjoyed something, she somehow managed to fuck it up.
She stared at the floor and pressed her palms into her eyes. As she stared, she felt warm arms around her. "Shh," Steve whispered. "It's okay. You're okay. You didn't fuck anything up at all."
Hiding her face in his shoulders, she put her arms around his neck and began to cry.
"In fact, I'm glad you said something. You're much braver than I am. I was a coward. I couldn't even tell you I loved you first."
She sobbed. It was impossible. It was some prank, some cruel trick. This couldn't be real. There was no way Steve Rogers loved her back. There was no way.
Maybe it was all a dream.
"Don't cry, baby. Don't cry."
Gia tried desperately to draw a deep, steadying breath, even as her heart shot into overdrive. Did he just call her baby? She was going to faint, right here in his arms.
He pulled back, placing a hand on her teary cheek. He smiled, and, hiccuping, she tried for a smile in return.
"I love you, Gia. I know I don't deserve you, but I love you."
"You? Not deserve me? I think it's the other way around, vita mia. I don't deserve you, and that won't change, no matter how much I love you. I-"
He kissed her. He kept one hand on her face, and the other slid to the small of her back, steadying her even as she felt like she would float away. She was too shocked to do anything but feel sensation after sensation, his lips on hers, his warm gentle hands, the tenderness with which he kissed her, like she was something precious. He pulled away but stayed close, his nose brushing hers, his breath fanning against her face.
"Gia Bishop, sometimes I think you're an angel in disguise. There's no other way to explain you. You're just too good to be true."
A smile tugged at her lips. "Are you sure you're not the angel, Stevie? You're pretty divine yourself."
He smiled at the nickname. "I'm positive, baby. You're the angel here, not me." He bent his head to brush his lips against hers. He made to move back, but she placed her hands on his cheeks and pulled him back down.
She had to break the kiss when she needed to breathe, and as she drew in a deep breath, she began to cry. "I'm okay," she choked out at Steve's alarmed face. "Just emotional."
"I believe you," he said, and drew her into a hug. They stayed that way until Gia could breathe normally again.
"So does that mean we're dating now?" she asked into his shirt.
"I guess it does."
She smiled. "Good. Ti amo, vita mia."
"I love you too, darling."
