Chapter Six

Whereas life on the base was boring and dull before, now it was full of color and eventful. Every day brought a new adventure, and Bethany could really feel the base, no matter where it was, become her home. This mostly had to do with the people. Howard, like always, was ragging on her about anything he could. Bethany and Peggy would allot one hour a day to gossiping. Bucky was always available to show her a good time, inviting her to the bars with the rest of the men. Dum Dum Dugan took it upon himself to teach Bethany how to throw a proper punch. But Bethany's favorite relationship was with Steve.

Things between them got only easier. Steve stopped blushing whenever a compliment came his way and wasn't as shy to ask Bethany personal questions. They spent a lot of time together, merely talking about childhood memories, listening to the radio and occasionally having a smoke or two. While Bethany hated the smell of the sticks, the mood always seemed to call for one. There was something so intimate about them sharing a cig, making her feel like she couldn't live without Steve in her life.

Every time the team would suit up for battle, Bethany found herself getting more and more anxious. For years, it had been just her and Howard, and where one went so did the other. She never had to worry about his well-being. But with her new-found family endangering themselves on a weekly basis, Bethany had a hard time staying calm.

"There," she said as she finished wrapping Steve's arm. "Good as new."

Steve gave her a quiet thanks as he got up from his bed. He had just returned from a successful raid, unknowingly wounded. Bethany, who was stopping to pick up Steve's shield to repaint it, had found Steve pressing a white t-shirt to his arm in attempt to mop up the flowing blood.

"You don't have to hide it, you know," Bethany enlightened. "They know you're human. Seeing you bleed a little will probably only deepen their faith in you. Let them know that you're risking your life just as much as they are."

"I wasn't hiding it," Steve said with a sigh. "I just didn't notice until I took the suit off."

Bethany nodded, picking up the suit. "I guess the padding soaked most of the blood up. I'll get someone to fix this so it'll be perfect for the next raid. Any plans tonight?"

"No," he replied, flicking on the radio. "Bucky'll probably round everyone up for drinks, but I'd like to just stay here and rest."

"I can leave-"Bethany began, sensing that he wanted to be alone.

"Stay," Steve insisted, lying down on his bed. The door to his room was propped open with a stack of books, Steve not wanting to start any rumors. "Tell me something about your childhood I don't know."

Bethany sat on the side of his bed, watching as his eyes fluttered closed. "Hmm. Let me think; it was about eleven or twelve years ago and I really wanted to see Flowers and Trees, the Silly Symphony movie. There was something so wonderful about the idea to me, so I begged Howard to take me. Finally, one day he did."

"And?" Steve asked, eyes still closed.

Bethany let out a small laugh. "And I fell asleep ten minutes in."

Steve smiled, snuggling deeper into his pillow. "I'm sure Howard loved that."

"Our parents had just died, and he was all I had. We had to spend our money wisely, and finally Howard granted my pleas. He even bought me a new dress for the occasion. But all I did was sleep through the movie and get buttered popcorn all over my new dress."

"I saw that show," Steve whispered. "I remember thinking that if I really worked on my talent, I could do what Walt Disney was doing, and one day make movies."

Bethany smiled down at the man on the bed. If Bethany only focused on his face, she could still see that little boy from the recruitment center at the World of Tomorrow Expo. So innocent and pure. No war scars or bulging muscles. Just a little boy, dreaming. "Is that still what you want? Once the war is over, I mean."

"I'm not sure," Steve admitted, opening his eyes. "It depends on where I am after the war. Whether I've met a dame, or have intentions on marrying her."

"Why would it matter? Shouldn't she want you to be happy?"

"Being a professional artist is one of those jobs that doesn't promise a paycheck. And we all know what it's like not getting a paycheck."

Bethany nodded, remembering the Depression. Yes, she was young and money was something she didn't understand, but being where she was now, she couldn't imagine not having money. "I guess that makes sense."

A comfortable silence fell over them as Steve sat up and leaned against the wall, playing with Bethany's hair. She could feel his fingers massaging her skull, then dividing it up into sections for a braid. This had become the norm with them, ever since Bethany's hair got caught in some gears and it took three men to unwind the locks. Afterwards, Steve had braided her hair since Bethany's own hands were covered with grease.

"Hey, please don't bring your lips close to my cheek. Don't you smile or I'll be lost beyond recall," Sinatra sang in the background.

Bethany closed her eyes as Steve's fingers continued to play with the blond curls. "Have you ever been in love, Beth?"

The question came from nowhere, as well as the nickname, but neither of these aspects bothered her. In fact, it seemed so natural. "Once," she admitted quietly. "But that was a long time ago."

Steve's fingers stilled and moved away from her head, the braid slowly slipping undone with nothing to hold it in place. "What happened?"

Bethany shifted slightly on the bed, but didn't met his gaze. "He couldn't love somebody the way he loved himself. Everything was about him. What he wanted, what he needed. I mean, I guess I knew it was coming. All he ever did was use people."

"Then why did you fall for him?" Steve asked, his breath suddenly very close to her neck.

She cracked her middle finger, trying to form the right sentence. "It picks you sometimes, I guess. I mean, he was charming. He had a way of sweeping someone off their feet, telling them something and having them believe it was their idea. He would play tricks on my mind, which lead to my mind playing tricks on my heart. Part of me thought that… that I could change him, to be honest. Everyone wants the upper hand because in the end, you don't want to be the one whose left heartbroken. Trying to get that upper hand is what ruined the relationship."

"How could you love someone that treats you that way?" Steve whispered.

Bethany took in a deep breath of air. "I loved the challenge. I loved the adventure. Maybe I didn't love him as a person, but everything around him and everything that followed."

"With just one motor gone, we can still carry on. Comin' in on a wing and a prayer," the radio sang as the silence fell between the two again.

Howard had the brilliant idea to slip away from the base for a picnic with Bethany, Bucky, Peggy and Steve. The weather had evened out and Bethany was suffering from a serious case of stir crazy. Packing up some imported chocolate, cheese and wine, the group carefully ventured out in search of a perfect place to sit.

Everyone was dressed in casual wear, a desperate attempt to escape wartime plagues. "An afternoon of just friends hanging about" is how Howard described it. Bethany took the opportunity to wear one of her less fancy dresses, tying a long sash around her waist. She had noted that she looked more innocent in the flowy dress, enough to fool anyone. Her reputation of being sexually experience was well known around the base, even though she had refrained from the activity in months. It was hard, but Steve's words always seemed to ring in her head whenever she was tempted. She was keeping her eyes out for men who clearly wanted more than just sex, but they were few and far between.

As they sat down, Bethany instantly grabbed one of the bananas from the basket, shoving as much as she could before letting out a low moan. "So good," the mumbled with a full mouth. Howard frowned at her as Bucky laughed.

"Can you not?" Howard asked. "I don't need an image of your late night activities."

"It's just a banana," she mumbled again, finishing it off. "Not everyone has a dirty mind, Howard."

"Would you like another one?" Bucky held out another ripe banana, bigger than the first, with a twinkle in his eyes.

She took in graciously, her love for the fruit overtaking her. She thought she heard Peggy mutter "men" but she ignored her as she began to eat the banana, taking smaller, more appropriate bites this time.

Light conversation took over, Bethany being the leader of it all. The girl had the gift of gab, and was able to strike conversation from anything. As promised, they all avoided the topic of war. It was the perfect opportunity to get to know everyone better.

"What's that?" Bethany suddenly interrupted, pointing to the brown leather hidden under Steve's leg. "Is that your sketchbook? Can I see?"

Steve looked uncertain, but the excitement on her face was enough for him to consider. "I don't know…"

"There something you don't want her to see?" Howard asked popping an olive into his mouth. "Perhaps something pornographic? 'Cause she's seen it all-"

"Can we not?" Bethany said strictly.

"Howard, please," Peggy spoke annoyed at the same time, watching as Steve's face heated up. "Not every conversation needs to have this turn."

"Knowing Steve," Bucky said as he reached for a piece of cheese. "It won't be that. Probably just nervous on what you'll think."

"I'm sitting right here," Steve reminded the group.

"It's me," Bethany reminded him after a moment of silence, assuring him that she wasn't going to mock him. "I just want to see something. You can pick."

They shared a soft, caring look, Steve's blue eyes searching her green ones for truth in her words. Sighing, he pulled the book out and opened it to his favorite page. He handed it to her and she took it in awe.

"This-this is amazing," she whispered, carefully touching the paper.

"It's my mother," Steve revealed in a moment where it was only Bethany and Steve, no one else. "Or what I remember. I have some old photos, but the quality of them aren't the best."

"Are you planning on drawing today?" Bethany asked, closing the book and handing it back to him.

Steve nodded, pushing his hair out of his face. "It's been a while since I've been around complete beauty. I figured if I found something worth drawing, I might as well keep it close."

"Smooth," Howard let out. "Say that to any woman, and she'll forever be in your back pocket."

"Do you ever shut up?" Peggy questioned, earning her a chuckle from the group.

Bethany stood up and stretched before heeling her shoes off and eyeing the big tree they were sitting by. "Bucky, close your eyes."

"Huh?" he asked, mouth full with a sandwich.

Bethany rolled her eyes at his puffed out cheeks. "I'm going to climb the tree, and since I'm in a dress, I don't want you to look when my skirt hikes up."

"Oh, I'd be fine with that." Bucky said with a smirk.

"I wouldn't," Howard said, sending Bucky a glare. "Despite it all, she's still my kid sister."

"Well how come just me?" Bucky asked insulted.

Bethany put her hands on her hips. "Because I trust Steve enough not to look. He's a gentleman. Howard wouldn't want to look and Peggy has seen me naked, so it doesn't matter."

"Wait-what?" Bucky asked turning to Peggy. "You've seen her nake-why were you two naked? Together? In the same room?"

"It's called taking a shower," Peggy enlightened. "You should try it someday."

Bucky narrowed his eyes, mumbling under his breath while closing his eyes. "Thank you!" Bethany said as she turned to climb up the tree.

"Careful," Howard called up to her as she settled on the first thick branch.

"Yeah, yeah," she called down, legs swinging, tucking the skirt of her dress around her legs. "Okay Bucky, you can open your eyes."

While doing that, he jumped up and started climbing the tree behind her. Bethany shook her head amused as the soldier settled in behind her. "Hi."

"What are you doing?" She giggled.

"Hey Steve!" Bucky shouted by her ear, Bethany cringing. "Wanna draw something beautiful? How about us in this tree? You know the most beautiful people you know."

Steve shook his head smiling, "Get down before you kill yourself."

"Eh!" Bucky let out, insulted. "What about her? I'm just making sure she's safe."

"There's a bigger chance of you falling than her," Howard stated, lying on his back.

"And I would catch her if she fell," Steve shared. "I'm not catching you."

Bucky frowned, but Bethany just smirked. "Shall we try this out?"

"Huh?" Bucky asked as Bethany swung her leg over and pushed off the branch, completely fearless. There was barely any time for anyone to react, except Steve who did as promise and caught her.

"Good catch," Bethany said brightly. "That was the ultimate trust exercise right there."

"Are you nuts?!" Steve demanded as he held onto her tightly.

"The test results haven't come in yet," she joked, wrapping her arms around his neck. "I like the view from up here. You can see Howard's grey roots."

"Haha," Howard let out dryly, lying on the grass . "Very funny."

"Next time, we should play baseball." Bethany said slipping her arms away from Steve, indicating that she was ready to be put down, which Steve complied to. "Or bring something else to do."

"Have a nap," Howard said, putting his hat over his face.

"I'm going to read," Peggy said with a smile. "I think I'm the only person who has yet to finish Gone with the Wind."

"A nap would be nice," Bucky said before climbing down the tree to do just that.

Bethany frowned. "You're all fuddy duddies."

Steve chuckled, scratching the back of his neck. "Now is a good of time as any to draw. Would you like to help?"

"Me? Draw?" Bethany asked with a chuckle. "You'll regret it."

"I was thinking… more like… well," Steve struggled as his face darkened. "More like my model."

"Oh," Bethany said straightening her posture. "Really?"

"If you want to," he let out quietly.

Bethany sat against the tree, nodding. "Do me justice, Captain Rogers."

Silence, for the most part, fell over the group as Steve began to trace Bethany's outlines. Bethany, however, was singing quietly, the soothing sound of her velvety voice ringing throughout the area. The five of them were at complete ease, all thoughts of war a foreign concept.

"Way up high, there's a land that I heard of once in a lullaby. Somewhere over the rainbow, skies are blue. And the dreams that you dare to dream really do come true," Bethany voice proved to be as impressive, if not more so, than Judy Garland's. It brought peace to the group, hope for a better future and filled them all with so much happiness.

Steve remembered when he and Bucky went to see The Wizard of Oz, Bucky arranging their dates. It had, as usual, ended up less than hopeful for Steve, but he almost didn't mind because the movie was so… inspiring. And the colours! The beautiful shine of the Ruby Slippers against the famous Yellow Brick Road. Not only that, but the bright blue of Dorothy's dress, the bubblegum pink of Glinda's gown and the bright shine of the Emerald City. Nothing had ever been done like it before, and it was sure to be popular years on. It would have faired better in the theatres if it hadn't been contending against Gone with the Wind.

Sure, they had changed a lot of elements from the original books. But Steve personally thought that the changes were needed. Keeping the slippers silver like in the book wouldn't have had the same effect. And having the Scarecrow, Tin Man and Lion look more like human made them more lovable than the drawings in the novel, which used to give him nightmares.

"If happy little blue birds fly beyond the rainbow, then why, oh why can't I…"

"Sing another one," Howard mumbled.

Bethany sighed contently. "Howard, can you see if you can arrange a movie night? I think that would be nice."

"And what?" Howard asked sitting up on his forearms. "Play Wizard of Oz?"

"Why not?" Bethany questioned, picking at the grass. "It instills hope or something. Brings back happy memories."

Howard thought about it before promising he would set it up. "Sing another one," he repeated.

"You had plenty money 1922, you let other women make a fool of you. Why don't you do right like some other men do? Get out of here and get me some money too."

He kept his promise and a month later, a room full of SSR agents, soldiers and nurses sat in front of a giant white screen as The Wizard of Oz began to play. Looking around the room, everyone had smiles on their faces, the movie instilling just what Bethany had said; hope.

"Did… did Glinda just call Dorothy ugly?" Bethany whispered to Steve.

"Huh?" he asked turning his gaze to her. She looked so effortlessly radiant that night and his desire to hold her was greatly intensified by the becoming glow from the screen.

"She said only bad witches are ugly and then proceeded to ask whether she was a bad witch or a good witch," Bethany elaborated.

Steve smiled, holding back his laughter. "I didn't catch that until now."

"I think Judy Garland is one of the most beautiful girls in the whole world," Bethany responded with, watching the screen with wonder in her eyes. "Don't you agree?"

Steve turned his attention back to the screen and studied Garland's features. Yes, she was beautiful. But nothing compared to where Bethany sat beside him, her skin smooth and always a perfect color. Not to mention, the perfect bump of her nose, a small cluster of freckles decorating it.

"She's beautiful," Steve whispered. "But she wouldn't make my top five."

Bethany turned to him with a shocked smile on her face. "You have a top five list? Captain, I'm absolutely shocked. You didn't strike me as the type who would judge based on looks."

"I don't," Steve quickly assured. "But if I was to choose the top five most beautiful women in the world, she wouldn't be there."

Bethany crossed her arms, challenging him. "Oh yeah? And who would be there."

Steve reached up to scratch the back of his neck. "Well, in no particular order; Hedy Lamarr, Rita Hayworth, June Lang, Simone Simon…"

"That's four," Bethany pointed out, poking his bicep with purpose. "Add Judy Garland and there's five."

Steve shook his head, "She wouldn't be five."

"Fine, then who?" Bethany said, crossing her arms again. "Lana Turner? Ingrid Bergman? Olivia de Havilland? Oh, I bet it's Gene Tierney. She's absolutely gorgeous."

"She's not an actress," Steve said turning back to the screen.

Bethany frowned. "Okay, I give. Who?"

Steve said nothing for a couple of seconds, watching as Dorothy began a tongue twister of a song while deciding if he should tell her. He knew she wouldn't give it up until he told her, and somehow picking a random person and lying didn't seem right.

"You," he finally whispered.

Out of the corner of his eyes, he could see her smile fondly at his words, looking down at her hands as if she was shy before snapping her head up and loudly saying "Gene Tierney is much prettier than me."

A few people surrounding the two, Howard, Bucky and Peggy included, turned to them. Bethany just gave them a quick smile before turning her full attention to the screen.

After a long mission that kept Steve away from the base for almost two weeks, he was more than happy to see Bethany waiting in his room. She sat by his desk bending over something while muttering to herself.

"Beth?" Steve asked as he stepped into the room, door fully open.

She turned around smiling, taking in his appearance. He looked… frankly, exhausted. His face was dirty, his Captain America suit torn in some places and some blood drying down his face. But despite it all, Bethany pulled him into a hug.

"Finally," she said as if annoyed by his absence. "Do you know what I've had to go through these last weeks with only Howard for company? And okay, maybe Peggy too, but you know her. Always busy with battle plans and such. The knucklehead actually tried to convince me to climb through a wood chipper! I may not be able to die, but it still hurts."

Her words came out in one breath, but Steve didn't mind as he took her in. Her hair seemed longer, somehow. And she had long stopped wearing it in victory rolls and pin curls. Yes, she always had the perfect curl of finger waves, but it made her hair look constantly soft and shiny. His desire to run it through his fingers overtook him as he took a strand in between his fingers.

"I missed you too," he said with a confident smirk. Bethany responded by raising one eyebrow. "What cha got there?"

Bethany turned back to the desk, bouncing on the heels of her feet lightly. "Oh, just a little welcome home present. Well, not really welcome home, but welcome back. And it's not really a present considering I have to give it back to Howard later, BUT I figured you'd like this. Why don't you go take a shower, put on some clean clothes and I'll set it up?"

Steve looked at the metal contraption on his desk surrounded by some paper bags and decided it would be better to do what she said instead of questioning her motives.

The weeks without her pulled at his heart. While he tried to focus on the mission alone, every little thing reminded him of her. There was so much he wanted to tell her. It became a reflex. He knew there were whispers of them around the base, brought to his attention by Bucky. Steve had assured his friend that he and Bethany were just friends, that their friendliness to each other was just that. But he knew he was lying to Bucky and more importantly, to himself.

Everything about her was intoxicating. There wasn't a moment when her beauty, inside and out, didn't shine. And there wasn't a moment when being around her was a source of misery. Even when she was working in the lab, wearing men's clothes with grease all over her face, rambling about things Steve would never begin to understand, she was a delight. The way her eyes lit up when she made a discovery or got an idea. Or the way she would stop mid-sentence in one of her rambles and laugh at herself. He wanted to spend every single waking moment with her.

He loved Bethany. He knew that. He had known for a long time. And it was so strong that he didn't care if she never reflected the feelings back to him, just as long as he got to be around her. To share his fears and dreams. And more importantly, for her to share hers. Their relationship had become something he never thought possible with any girl. She made it so easy for him to be himself, to—for the most part- stop blushing at every compliment and laugh at his innocence. But her laughter; it was never in a mocking way. It was always as if saying 'why are you so perfectly innocent, so perfectly you?'

Bethany made him love life, and more importantly, himself. He was more confident, not just around her, but around everyone. His orders to his team came so naturally now. And it was all because of her.

"You hungry?" She asked when he returned, his hair damp still.

"Yes," he admitted lying his suit on the bed.

Bethany frowned at the suit, already thinking about how she would be patching it within the next day. "Can you stop ripping my masterpiece? We haven't invented rip-proof material yet."

"Well, what's taking so long?" Steve asked with a smirk, shoving his hands into his pockets.

"Ha ha," Bethany said, unamused, but with a gleam in her eyes that Steve didn't miss. "Come here. I made fondue."

Steve walked over to the desk, but couldn't help the groan and roll of his eyes. "Really, Beth?"

"Really Stevie," she said mocking him, babying her voice. "It's good, I promise."

He watched as she dipped a piece of bread into the melted cheese and held it out for him. He took hold of her wrist and steadied her hand as he lowered his head and took the bread from her fingers. He didn't miss the light blush and gulp as his lips touched her fingers, but she recovered quickly by wiping them against his shirt, pretending that the act had disgusted her.

It didn't though, and Steve knew this. He could feel his heart hammering in his chest, and he knew that if she got any closer to him, she would be able to hear it as well.

Steve peered around the corner before waving the go ahead to his team. Their mission was simple. The next HYDRA base was a few miles out, and their current mission was to set up camp around it and gather as much information as possible about the comings and goings. Howard had also given them an experimental device which should be able to pick up any radio signals in or out. Overall, the mission was fairly safe and easy. Of course, they were expecting the occasional HYDRA guard to be lurking in the mountains they were planning on hiding in. The goal was to beat them as quickly and quietly as they could.

As the team rounded the next corner, Steve let out an annoyed sigh as a team of HYDRA guards rushed towards them. The team went about their work, trying desperately not to be the causality of this battle. Wiping them out was easier than Steve initially anticipated and nodded towards the group to move forward. "Let's mov-"

A big thunk came from behind Steve, who turned to see a HYDRA guard behind him, now knocked out from a blow to the head. "You missed one," Bethany said with a smirk.

"Bethany?" Steve asked, more than one emotion lacing his words.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Howard asked coming forward.

Bethany crossed her arms. "Why are you here again?"

"To secure the signal so we can tap into the radio calls-"

"Exactly," Bethany said as if it was obvious. "I heard Colonel Phillips. You plan to split into two groups, one on each side of the mountain, right? Well how are you going to secure the signal for both groups if there is only one of you?"

"You shouldn't be here," Steve spoke with authority, but his fear was clear in his tone.

"I pointed this flaw out to the Colonel after you left," she continued, ignoring Steve. "Therefore, here I am now."

"It's too dangerous," Howard said to which Bethany rolled her eyes.

"You're kidding me right? I'll be fine," she stressed trying to remind both her brother and friend that she wouldn't be dying any day soon. "Let's just keep going before nightfall."

"Steve?" Bucky asked from behind him. "Are you really gonna let her stay?"

Steve looked to Bethany who was picking some dirt out from her nail. "I don't see how I have a choice, Buck. And even if I wanted to send her back, I wouldn't send her alone. She's right about nightfall though."

"She's a girl," Dum Dum said arrogantly to which Bethany made a face to.

"Excuse me, a certain Agent Carter has accompanied you men before. I can sure as hell fight better than Howard. Why single me out?" She demanded, looking up to Steve for a last plea. This meant more to her than it should, but she was tired of people regarding her as just a pretty thing to look at, and not see her full potential. "I'm not useless."

"Can we just-" Steve started taking in a deep breath. "She's right. She's completely right about everything. We need to split up, and have someone who can activate the signal on both ends. Howard? You, Jim, Montgomery, Gabe and Jacques stay here for the night. Bucky, Dum Dum, Bethany and I will travel over to the other side. We meet back tomorrow at the landing."

The men nodded, accepting his plans, but Howard looked thoroughly displeased. "Rogers, I'd rather my sister not-"

"Howard, I'll be fine," Bethany repeated, her face pleading him. "And completely safe."

The hike to the other side of the mountain had been much more than what Bethany had anticipated. She was tired and cold and… sweaty? Was it possible to be both cold and sweaty?

"Okay, we're here," Steve said, the words like an answered prayer to Bethany's ears. "Dum Dum, can you stand guard while we check out the cave?"

"'Course Cap," Dum Dum responded, thankful to sit and relax.

Bethany dropped her bag to the ground, stretching her back. "I could've carried it," Steve told her watching as she stretched.

"The gesture is nice in theory, but insulting in practice," Bethany said before letting out a yawn. "You were carrying enough bags to double my body weight. I'm not completely hopeless." Taking out some flashlights, she handed them to Bucky and Steve. "I'll set up the device. You two look around."

"Don't wander too far now boys," Dum Dum said with a tone as if they were dogs.

Steve and Bucky nodded making their way down the tunnel of the cave. "I don't like it Steve."

"What?" Steve asked, flashing the light around, looking for any source of danger.

"Bethany. Being here." Bucky elaborated.

Steve sighed, "I don't either, but she'll be fine. She's strong. And she did take out a lurking HYDRA guard on her first day."

"I thought you'd be a little more protective over her."

"I've seen her get shot and be fine the next day," Steve shared. "But that doesn't mean I won't jump in front of a bullet for her."

"You think Phillips is nuts? I mean, sending her in is crazy on a new level. She isn't even an agent," Bucky asked, kicking a rock.

"No, but she's resourceful. Think about it; she has just as much mechanic experience as Howard, and medical training on top of that. Plus, Dum Dum has been teaching her to hold her own."

Bucky nodded, trusting in Steve's judgment. "Is it… is it getting warmer in here?"

Steve frowned but realized he was right. "The air is thicker too…"

Bucky shone the light farther up and smiled. "Well, would you look at that."

"Well?" Bucky asked while bouncing slightly on the balls of his feet.

Bethany, who was leaned over a large spring of water turned to look over her shoulder. Bucky and Steve were waiting patiently—or at least Steve was—to find out if the water was safe or not. Bucky had earlier made fun of all the things Bethany took with her on a mission, but was now seeing the usefulness of the supplies. "At least it's not shoes," Bucky had mumbled when she had opened her bag.

"All clean," Bethany spoke with a smile, standing up. "Good thing too, because my ass is frozen solid."

Bucky shot his hands up in the air in a gesture of success. Steve just shook his head at his friend's antics, yet turned his full attention to Bethany as he heard an echoing clack hit the floor. His face quickly dropped, mouth hanging open at the sight of the goddess in front of him. Who was currently only in her undergarments.

Bucky seemed to notice too, for he stopped his miniature celebration and let out an "alright! That's what I'm talking about" before toeing off his shoes.

"Woah," Steve said, quickly shifting his body to face away from the almost naked girl, turning Bucky to face the wall along with him. "We're on a mission. Bucky, put your pants back on."

"You heard the girl," Bucky complained. "Frozen ass. C'mon, Steve. Bethany set up the device thing. You said so yourself that we only needed one man on watch. Have a little fun."

The sweet rippling sound of water moving caught their attention, and both of them slowing turning their heads to face where Bethany was letting out a small moan. "Feels fantastic," she enlightened, eyes closed and taking in the feeling of the hot springs.

"See?" Bucky said, clearly excited to jump in after her.

"Bucky-"Steve began, unsure if this was the best decision. While he knew long ago he couldn't control Bethany, he still had hierarchy over Bucky.

"Steve," Bethany's voice sounded out. "If you're not going to join, then let Dum Dum come back here. I'm sure he would like a nice hot bath."

"J-join?" Steve asked as if the word was foreign to him. The thought of joining a near naked Bethany in small body of hot water never occurred to him, never even crossed his mind. But now that the image came up, a part of him wanted it. Daring a look over to her, his knees felt weak. Her hair, those beautiful blond wavy curls he loved so much, were piled on top of her head, yet a little frizzy from all the humidity. Her skin, in the dim lantern lights, glowed a healthy peach color, looking soft and smooth, and the water droplets hanging off every crevice like icicles. And it really didn't help matters that she had a light sheen of sweat covering her face, making her features seem more alluring than Steve ever thought possible.

"I won't bite," Bethany said innocently enough. Yet Steve had then noticed that while he and Bucky were facing the wall, she had slipped out of her undergarments.

"Yeah, but if we're lucky, she will," Bucky mumbled quietly to Steve.

Steve took in a deep ragged breath, the thought of Bethany's perfect mouth opening and latching itself onto his skin, her white teeth sinking in and leaving trails of her possession over him was too much. He could almost feel the heat from her mouth upon him.

The heat, the images, the fact that Bethany was there, asking him to join her naked. It was every dream he shamefully dreamt of, every fantasy he could ever conceive of and so much more. The guilt that flooded his body was evident, him knowing no one should be thinking of her in such a way, but it was impossible to vanquish the desire that was growing and growing.

"I'm going to join Dum Dum," he quickly and quietly said before leaving. He could imagine Bethany quirking an eyebrow, Bucky throwing her a smirk and stripping before joining her in the water. He could hear the splash of his body followed by Bethany's excited squeals as Steve escaped.

As he got farther away from them and closer to Dum Dum, the cold mountain air surrounded him. It felt like when he was a kid having an asthma attack and waking up one morning to lungs filled with fresh air, breathing no longer a nuisance. The sweat upon his brow began to trickle dry as his heartbeat began to steady. He hadn't realized it was taking a toll on his body.

That she was taking a toll on his body. But of course she did. She always did. Because it was Bethany, and the very idea of her made his heart pound.

"Can I ask you a question?"

"Yes, you will get wrinkly the longer you stay in here," Bethany said with a smirk, poking her toes out of the water.

"No," Bucky replied, rolling his eyes. "I had one in mind."

"If I can ask you one back," she answered, crossing her arms over her chest. While the two had been submerged in the water for almost a half hour and Bucky had respectfully kept his distance, she felt extremely exposed and now wondered if this was a good idea.

"Deal." Bucky nodded. "There's rumors about you on the base. Are they true?"

She let out a heavy sigh, letting more of her body fall into the water. "You mean about me sleeping with all the men? Then no. I actually haven't slept with any of them."

While she could barely make out Bucky's features, she could clearly see him frown. "But then why-"

"Because I had a reputation back home that seemed to follow me here," Bethany explained. "Because, yes, back home I slept around and I didn't care."

"But you do now," Bucky answered for her.

Bethany nodded. "I do now."

"Because of Steve," Bucky asked slowly, not sure of the reaction he would get.

Bethany's gaze was on the water, the soft way it rippled as she shifted under it. It was so calm and peaceful, so easy. How life should be, but never would. "In a way, yes. Like I told you, he makes me want to be a better person."

"That's the only reason?"

She scowled, snapping her gaze up to him. "What are you getting at Barnes?"

"You two are just really close," Bucky told her truthfully. "I can see you care for each other, so why not be with each other."

It was quiet for a couple seconds before Bethany whispered "because he deserves someone who can give him everything, and I couldn't be that person even if I tried."

Bucky absorbed the words, picked them apart and stitching them back together. "But you care about him?"

"Of course I do," Bethany replied evenly. "He's perfect, inside and out. But I couldn't be who he wanted me to be. I would never be able to reciprocate those feelings, fashion love and dress myself up as the perfect wife. I care for him, yes. But would I be able to spend a lifetime with him? Be a lover, a wife? A mother, of all things? I can't love him the way he wants me to."

"And why not?" Bucky demanded. This was his best friend they were talking about, and through the months since they were reunited, he could see that Steve loved this girl more than he ever thought possible. That Steve would actually give everything up if it meant being with her.

He watched as Bethany turned her gaze to the rock walls, water running down them looking very much like tears. Then, so softly he almost missed it, Bethany whispered "because to love and respect someone like that, you have to love and respect yourself first".

Silence fell over the two until Bethany remembered her question back to Bucky. "So my question is, ironically, about Steve." She waited until Bucky nodded for her to go on. "He's a gentleman, I know that. A good man, clearly. And his skills with women are steadily improving. But he's never seen a naked woman before, has he?"

Bucky chuckled. "If he has, he probably locked himself in a church, confessing his sin over and over again."

"I should apologize for stripping then," Bethany replied, pushing a stray lock of hair away from her eyes.

"I think he rather enjoyed it," Bucky answered. "I mean, he didn't actually see anything, because he probably would've reacted out a little more drastically than he did. But the idea of it… I think you tempted him."

"I was cold," Bethany spoke, a small laugh in her tone. "All I wanted was to warm up. I do things without thinking. Howard says it's the Stark family curse, but in all actuality, I think it's because we don't see the rules of society the way everyone else does. They're all expendable to us."

"Sounds like a nice way to live," He took his arms out of the water and leaned them against the floor behind him. "To be consequence free?"

"Oh, there's consequences. We just deal with them and move on. No lingering. No guilt. It's not the best way to live, but it's the only way we know how. Coping with ever haunting guilt is not my idea of a good time."

"So you just push it all away?" Bucky clarified.

She responded with a nod. "Sometimes it's easier than others. But I'm slowly learning that nothing is easy. Everything and one has baggage. And no matter how hard you want to rid yourself of that baggage, take a nice long trip without any of it, it's always there."

"If anyone could start over, I'd think it'd be you."

"Lying to other people about who I am has never been difficult. But I can only lie to myself for so long. That's when I crack. That's when I spill my guts and face the reality that I can't escape my past decisions. Like you said, there's rumors about me around the base. I haven't been that girl in a long time, but here I am, still that girl. I can't just pretend that everything I did didn't happen."

"You could… reinvent yourself." Bucky said, carefully choosing his words. "I mean, I've always thought the double standards that it's okay for men to sleep around and get experience and women couldn't was always idiotic. If anything, the women should get more experience."

"Who wants to spend their wedding night in pain," Bethany stated with a smirk.

"Exactly," Bucky said with a smile. "But hey. I mean it. You could do it, you know. Re-invent yourself. Or better yet, surround yourself with a group of people who let you be the best version of yourself. The person you want to be."

Bethany nodded, small smile gracing her features. "You know what Barnes? I think I've found them."

As Steve looked out into the night sky, he could hear the heavy chattering of teeth. He had been keeping watch for almost four hours now, his team fast asleep. Or so he thought. Turning his head, he watched as the lump that Bethany was shivered uncontrollably. They had ruled out lighting a fire to avoid drawing attention, leaving their sleeping area very damn and very cold.

"Beth?" Steve's whispered out to her. "You okay?"

He watched as her eyelids fluttered opened, pulling the blanket impossibly closer to herself. "J-j-I'm just co-l-ld."

Steve frowned as her teeth continued to chatter. "Is there anything I can do? We could move you over closer to the springs."

"I-I'm f-f-ffine"

Getting up from his place, he moved next to her, laying his body along hers. Wrapping his muscular arms around her, she snuggled up against him, the tip of her nose against his neck. "Better?"

"A little," she whispered, pushing herself against him even more, trying to savor in his warmth. "Your skin is so warm."

Steve lifted up her blanket and tucked himself inside it with her, before hitting Bucky who was sleeping beside him. "Wha-?" Bucky mumbled shooting straight up.

"Can you take over watch?" Steve whispered, not wanting to wake up Dum Dum.

His friend nodded sleepily and got up from his spot before noticing Bethany wrapped up in Steve's embrace. "I miss something?"

"She's cold," Steve explained. Bucky nodded, taking the blanket he was using and draping it over the couple.

"Thank you," Bethany said quietly, yet her teeth still knocking together.

"You know," Bucky said as he took his perch at the opening of the cave. "Skin on skin creates warmth."

"Bucky," Steve warned, but as Bethany continued to shake he knew he was right. Looking down at her, her eyes unfocused as it was evident she was trying to stop her shivering, he realized this was a side of Bethany he had yet to see. She was vulnerable.

Finally, he let out a deep breath of air, it swirling into fog. "He's right."

Bethany looked up at him, questioning his motives, but not telling him no. Steve shifted under the blankets, struggling slightly to get the Captain America suit off, but once it and his white t-shirt was lying empty on the rock floor, Bethany could instantly feel his warmth pouring over her.

With shaking hands, she began to take off her clothes. Seeing her struggle, Steve covered her fingers with his hands, a silent telling that he would do it. He could feel her gaze on him as he slipped her jacket and shirt off her body, goose bumps covering her bare skin. He carefully avoided her chest, still covered by the material of her bra, but very much wanting to take that along with it.

He swallowed, aware that he was ogling at her a little, fingers trailing down the side of her body to the top of her trousers where he stopped.

"I'll do it," Bethany whispered, sensing his inner turmoil. He brought his gaze up to her face, forcing himself to concentrate his view there. Yet, as soon as her pants were gone, she was curling up to his side again, sighing contently at his warmth.

Steve pulled the blanket around them tighter, pulling her so she was half lying on him. "Better?" He asked quietly as her legs tangled with his. She was freezing, but he could feel her limbs defrosting as they mixed themselves with his.

"Much," Bethany said, lying her head on his chest. "You're so warm."

"I don't get cold much anymore," Steve shared, daring to take in a breath of her hair. It smelled so sweet, so like Bethany that for a couple of seconds, he was blinded of all other senses but smell.

"Lucky," he faintly heard her whisper.

Her hand laid flat on his stomach, dangerously low to his hips. He could feel the unrequited desire burning throughout him, stirring the most heavily where her body touched his. With one hand on the curve of her hip, and one on the flat of her back, he slowly moved his thumbs in a comforting motion. Another sigh escaped her lips, making Steve almost shiver in delight.

"Thank you," she whispered to him, leaning up to kiss his cheek before returning her head to his chest.

Steve smiled at her, her blonde curls spreading across his arms and chest as she got comfortable. "You're welcome, Beth. Good night."