After seeing Jarvis, Hermione knew that all three men had seen her talking to Pepper, so did the only thing she could, apparated away. She stayed on the helicarrier, hiding in the last place the trio would look, in Steve's bathroom, tucked in the shower recess. Of course, she had forgotten about Tony, who probably traced her phone's location, and Bruce, who was able to track her through Hulk's connection to her.

All three men were in the captain's room, he was on his bed trying to work everything out, while Bruce forced Tony to wait, "Yes, she is your sister but how many women want to talk to their big brother about men?"

"But…" Tony slumped his shoulders, "Fine but then me."

"Good, oh and don't say a word to Steve, you scare him and you won't have to worry about me or Mia, I'll tell Pepper and Jarvis," seeing the violent flinch, Bruce nodded before entering the bathroom, locking the door behind him, and stood by the shower, "Mind if I join you?"

Hermione shrugged but did move to make room for her friend. She didn't say anything for a long while before suddenly saying, "None of you had the right to do that."

"Do you honestly think we would so that to you Mia? Jarvis sent the recording to Tony after saying you were troubled. We all thought you were hiding something so we wouldn't be hurt, like you did after finding those rebels coming for me in India. Had we known what it was about, we never would have watched it."

Sighing and moving to sit between her friend's legs, all but hiding her head into his chest, "I know and I was going to tell you but, Merlin, it's just so embarrassing! You ask me about nuclear physics or how to fix an obstructed bowel of a cow, I can answer you but they don't teach how to tell someone they're your mate."

"You had to grow up far too fast Mia, in doing so you missed the awkward years of dating, and going through the positives and negatives involved with it. I'm not exactly an expert on it but I am on you and know enough about Steve to say this. You are an old soul, you are dedicated, passionate, loyal, and have a heart as large as all of Asia that gives love to those you deem worthy, and we are much better for it. Steve was frozen for 66 years, is new to this age, loyal, courageous, and obviously cares about you. Yes, it will be difficult at first but if any two people can overcome such odd beginnings, it is you both," gently kissing her head, Bruce got up, "You have a worried brother about to arrive, you've been warned."

"Thank you Bruce"

Bruce had barely cleared the doorway before Tony was there, bundling his little sister up into a hug on the shower floor, "Oh Mia, I'm sorry."

"It's okay Tony, Bruce explained it was Jarvis, who was just worried for me. I'm not mad, just humiliated. How's Steve handling it?" The brunettes were huddled in a corner, Hermione's head resting on her brother's shoulder.

"Well I was forbidden from talking to him by your green protector but when I came in it looked like he was coming around," a cheeky grin came over his face, "You going to tell him about being untouched?"

"You mean other than my left breast? Totally Tony," Hermione elbowed him, "I don't even know how to face him. How do I tell him I spent all of last night thinking out my feelings for him? How every time he smiles, my heart stops and merely brushing by him sets my skin on fire? And that eventually he will leave me devastated at his death unless he chooses to join me in hybrid hell, watching our friends and family die around us. How do I tell Steve all of that Tony?"

Scratching his head guiltily, the man pointed to the open door, where Steve was standing, "I think I may have left the door open."

"Oh Tony, you dope," Hermione buried her head in her hands, moving to hide behind the glass of the shower. Feeling Tony leave, giving her a parting kiss, and Steve join her, the witch didn't look up as she said, "Please let me attempt to die of embarrassment Steve."

Being very gentle, the captain removed the hands and looked at the golden brown eyes, "Now that's much better. So, my shower is the perfect hiding spot these days?"

Laughing despite herself, Hermione shrugged, "I figured no one would think to look for me here. Forgot about Tony and Bruce, between them I'd never win at hide and seek. How much of that did you hear?"

"Oh I can hear through these flimsy walls, enhanced senses through the serum, so I heard you and Bruce also," Steve admitted before moving to sit beside the woman, "Why didn't you say something? From what I heard, it can't have been comfortable all the times we would workout together."

"Steve, I've never had a boyfriend, was offered many over the years, including Tony, but when most girls are caring only about boys and looking good, I was fighting for my like. I could deal with anything thrown at me before you defrosted and ran from SHIELD, since then I've been trying to ignore it. And then you kept me hostage for 2 hours and all my hard work crumbled. All I wanted at that moment was one night's sleep, just so I would know what it felt like to be held by my mate as I slept. But, of course, I can't, I'll never wake up in your arms or be the first to die, and that honestly hurts more than not ever having you."

"When I was young, before the serum, girls wanted nothing to do with me, I was scrawny and weird, but then I was Captain America and those same girls were throwing themselves at me. The only one who didn't see the body was Peggy Carter, and we had a date planned the night I was frozen, a birthday dinner. There were a few loose women during my first life but these days there are even fewer who wait, a quality that I finds shows an intelligent and moral woman," sighing, the man looked at his companion, "What I'm trying to say is Mia, I never got that date, so I've no idea what I'm doing either."

The look in the blue eyes made the witch blush, "We're both better with facts and information, so how about we ask questions of each other, and once we get all of the facts it may be a little bit easier to go from there?"

"Sounds good but perhaps not in the shower, two over 6 foot people don't exactly fit when sitting down," Steve laughed along with Hermione as they got up, opening the door on Tony and Bruce, both trying to listen in on them.

"Antony Edward Stark and Robert Bruce Banner, were you attempting to eavesdrop?"

Both blushed at getting caught, "More like trying to pick up any broken glass sounds."

"Right, out. Steve and I need to talk, so go keep watch for the cube or better yet, go annoy Fury," magically pushing them out, Hermione then warded the door before sitting on the bed with Steve, "So, would you like to start?"

"Okay. What does mate mean?"

"Essentially that you are perfect for me and I for you. I would never cheat, never leave, you are everything that my inner wolf is certain I will ever need. Now to say I don't have free will, seeing how long I've tried to deny it is proof of that, I just wouldn't want to do any of those things."

"And everything you said before about skin on fire, does it hurt trying to ignore your feelings?"

The brunette nodded, "Yes, while my wolf blood is inactive, which simply means that I don't transform every full moon, I still have a wolf side and she gets pissed off every time I deny her my mate. Just sitting here has her banging on cage walls to get out and well, mark you as mine for all to see. My turn. You have to be freaked out at least a little, how are you feeling?"

"Like I'm not going to be rejected. Maybe it was that you were the first person I spoke to after waking but I've wanted to ask you to dinner since that day. You were my first friend in this time though and I didn't want to risk losing you," he moved a curl away from her eyes, "Now I know I never would have and I'm kicking myself."

Hermione laughed gently, "We're certainly a pair, aren't we? We'll eagerly face war but asking someone out on a date has us quaking. So how about now, are you still worried about losing me?"

"Hell no," before she could react, Steve was cupping her face, his lips on hers, and she acted out of human instinct, kissing him back.

Their kiss was cut short by their heads hitting the roof and their fall onto the bed, breaking it, and as they held each other in the rubble, they laughed heartily. Getting up, Hermione repaired the bed and stood being held by Steve, "Da neglected to tell me about gravity when he told me about his and Tonks' first kiss."

"Probably for a reason. What are the chances we have eavesdroppers again?" Steve asked while placing feather-light kisses along the elegant neck before him.

"No chance, they wouldn't risk the punishment when I caught them. If you don't stop that, I will mark you right now," Hermione said, quickly turning in his arms, "And that cannot happen."

"Why not if not doing so only causes you pain?"

Moving from his arms, Hermione sat back onto the bed, "To mark you will compel you to do the same to me, which forms our bond but for you has the added problem of becoming a hybrid like me. While part of me, the selfish part, wants that, my rational part knows it will mean you have to watch your friends die around you and know it will never happen to you."

"I have no friends that aren't also yours, those from my old life are either dead or dying these days. I would much rather like forever than cause you any more pain, both now and also in the future when something ends my life. I know you are reluctant so we can discuss it later but please think it over, for me," an innocent grin and devilish kiss followed.

"I've corrupted you," Hermione joked before dragging her man out of the room, they were in a war after all.