5 April 2013

Alex had taken the day off 'ill' again. The same day, every year. Someone would probably cotton on eventually, but for now, she had the day off. She half expected Steve to come round as soon as it was light and do something with her, like he did last year, but he didn't come. She thought he had forgotten it until about 12, when he texted her saying 'Happy Birthday, see you later.'

Alex didn't know exactly how much later 'later' was, so she put on some clothes and continued binge watching Arrow like she had been for the past two days.

She hadn't actually seen him in a couple of days. He had gone on a business trip, which he seemed to go on more often than everyone else she knew. Then again, he did work for some private sector of the government that was so top secret that even she didn't know what he did or what it was called.

Later turned out to be about 6, a lot later than Alex had initially expected. Steve came in without her knowledge (for she had given him a key) and when he said hi, she had ended up screaming.

"I'm sorry I couldn't be here earlier. When I got back yesterday I was really tired, and then a friend of mine called and said he had an emergency, and asked me to cover his shift. I was supposed to have the day off today." In reality, Steve hadn't got back until early that morning, due to them doubling back about six times to throw the plane that had been tailing them off, and before that he'd been in a S.H.I.E.L.D. hospital getting the bone in his arm aligned so it would be able to heal on the way home. He still had an itchy brace under his sleeve, but his bone was probably healed by now. And after that disastrous flight, Fury wouldn't let him home until he'd completed a mission report. And he had get the stuff ready for the night ahead.

"It's fine, seriously. I was just… watching this thing."

"Are your eyes square yet?"

"I don't know, why don't you check?"

Steve took her cheek in his hand and their lips finally met. Although she normally closed her eyes when they kissed, Alex kept her eyes open this time, so she could re-map the blue orbs that seemed to be full of electricity. Full of life.

"Yep. Definitely square."

"Shut up and come sit with me."

"No, you're coming with me."

"And where will we be going?"

"My place." Alex shut down her laptop and went to a cupboard to find her beat up old converse and a jacket. She put them on and struggled to find her keys, eventually Steve found them in the pocket of one of her other jackets.

As they walked down the couple of streets between their apartments, Steve put his arm round his girlfriend. She kept making stupid, unfunny jokes, and he laughed in spite of how shit they really were. "What are we actually going to be doing?"

"That, my dear, is for me to know, and you to find out." Alex rolled her eyes as they stopped outside his building. Steve found his keys and opened it, and the two of them began to climb the stairs. When they got to the third floor and Steve bypassed his own front door, Alex stopped.

"Don't you live here anymore?"

"I never said we were going in. We're going to the roof."

"You have an accessible roof?"

"Yeah…" He led the way up another for floors until there was just an open flat roof. Which happened to have a couple of beanbags and blankets on it. And a couple of packets of marshmallows and chocolate digestives. Because who doesn't love s'mores?

That night they slept under the stars, and Steve was bloody glad it didn't rain.

4 July 2013

ALERT: 1 New Message
From: Alex
Happy Birthday! Fireworks tonight? Celebrate & stuff?

ALERT: 1 New Message
From: Steve
Thanks & sure

He'd been away, again, the week before. S.H.I.E.L.D. kept sending him away, to do more Captain America stuff. They'd tried to get him to do a speech tonight, but he couldn't. He'd point blankly refused. Not since he'd confided in Alex when his birthday was. Plus, they'd had him on a lot more missions lately, and even on a super soldier, that was taking it's toll.

Alex didn't know what to do or get for Steve's birthday. She eventually decided on the crappy idea of fireworks again. Again. So unimaginative. Seriously.

Steve hated that he did have to go to S.H.I.E.L.D. in the morning. He had reports to give in and they couldn't wait. The second part of the operation was being planned during the day, but Steve wasn't planning on staying once he'd put forward his points and given the report in.

Last year, he hadn't wanted to take the day off, and Fury had made him. This year, Steve wouldn't have minded, and Fury seemed to not have even remembered it.

As he walked down the final flight of stairs on his building, Steve crashed in to a small brown-haired, person shaped blob, also known as Alex. "Hey. Where are you in such a hurry to go?"

"Work. Why're you here?"

"It's your birthday. And a holiday. I'll come back."

"No, come with me. It'll only take a couple of minutes, I only have to drop this report off and we can be gone."

"You sure I can come?"

"Yeah... maybe not inside but there's a couple of benches out front." She hopped on the back of Steve's motorbike and Steve drove the familiar route to S.H.I.E.L.D. HQ. It was probably against about 67 protocols, bringing her near the place at all, but he was Captain America.

Alex knew the building as soon as she saw it. She didn't often come here on her visits to her uncle, he was based in DC and used video messaging to communicate with the New York base, but she had been here at least twice before. So Steve worked for S.H.I.E.L.D. That explained the business trips. Missions. Alex thought that he must be good, because he never seemed to come back hurt. "I promise that I'll be right back." Steve told her as they stopped.

Could he take her inside? Show her S.H.I.E.L.D.? Tell her that he was… No. That would ruin everything. He raced up to Fury's office and acknowledged Natasha who was standing outside Fury's door. He knocked rather forcefully and heard Fury's bark of "Come in!" Before even a second had passed.

Barton was inside, which explained Romanoff waiting outside. "Agent Barton, would you excuse us for a second." Clint stood up and walked back to the door, stepping outside. "And don't think I don't know that you'll be listening in!" Steve swore he could hear the spies' sighs.

"Here's my report sir. I'm afraid that I won't be able-"

"I know. Do I need to remind you about the rule which states that S.H.I.E.L.D. is a private, secret organ-"

"I know, it's just…"

"It's your birthday and your girlfriend surprised you?"

"Yes."

"Well, have a nice day Mr. Rogers. And don't break her heart. She's a good girl that one."

"You know her?" Steve asked, confused by Fury's words.

"Something like that. Tell Barton to get back in here, and Romanoff that we won't be done for a while and Barton can find her in the gyms afterwards." He knows them too well. Steve passed on the messages, Hawkeye going back inside the office, Widow disappearing down a corridor Steve didn't even know was there.

Steve walked outside, taking his ID tag off. "So this is it?" Alex asked, frowning at the building

"Yeah. The top secret government organisation that you most definitely do not know the location of."

"Obviously"

"Indeed."

They had barely made it in to Steve's apartment before Alex pulled a small box out of her jacket pocket. "Happy Birthday." She said with a kiss.

"You didn't have to get me anything."

"I really didn't get… just open it." Steve snapped open the box and saw a key inside. Before he could even contemplate what this meant, Alex said "Move in with me? I mean, if you don't want to, you don't have to and-"

"Of course I want to. I'd love to. And I love you." Alex smiled a cheeky grin that Steve had grown to love.