After that night things were different between them, they'd shared such an intimate moment that it was impossible for there not to be a marked difference.

The dynamics of their relationship changed too. But neither of them addressed it, they just enjoyed it.

"Good morning." Aphrodite said as she strolled into the kitchen one morning one of the following, Steve hadn't gone for his morning run as he usual would around this time. Instead he was sat at the table with numerous papers scattered around him.

"Morning." Steve said glancing up at her then back down at the papers in front of him.

Aphrodite, who was nothing if not inquisitive approached him from behind and rested her hands on his bare, broad shoulders, "What's all this?"

"There's a museum here in D.C., the Smithsonian," he began, leaning back into her hands as she started to massage his shoulders, the tension in him all but melting away as it like to do whenever she touched him. "They want to curate an exhibit about Captain America, the experiment, the war, the ice. Everything they could, they're just waiting for my approval."

"Are you going to give it to them?"

"I don't know."

"How do you feel about it?"

"Shield seems to think it'll be a good idea."

"That's not what I asked."

Steve sighed, "I feel like I'm just now getting used to the world again. If I do this it could to change everything."

"Only if you let it." She shot back.

"It won't just be Captain America, they'll see Steve Rogers too."

"From what I understand you were the world's first superhero, they want to remember you as that, commemorate it. You should be honoured."

"I am," and he really was. It was just, he'd lived in the 21st century now with some semblance of privacy. Everyone saw Captain America and not Steve Rogers. His 'secret identity' wouldn't be a secret at all anymore.

"Then let them honour you, the only way they know how."

"Will you go with me?" He asked rolling his head so that he could look at her over his shoulder.

"Of course." She responded staring down at him. "Do you want to go there now?"

"Yeah," he said blowing out a breath before standing. "Before I lose my nerve."

It took them no more than 20 minutes to get themselves together then they were downstairs and outside the apartment where Steve kept his motorcycle parked.

Neither of them really needed helmet so he climbed on first on started the engine then gesturing for Aphrodite to get on behind him. She did, swinging her leg over the seat before settling down behind him, Steve glanced back over his shoulder before reaching down and around Aphrodite's knees and pulling her closer so that she was pressed flush against the length of his back. Then took her hands so that they were wrapped around his waist.

"Hang on." He told her lowly and she nodded, before he revved the engine then took off into the street.

The exhibit curator was all too happy to hear that Steve had approved of the exhibit and insisted that they get started immediately on what could be shown in the displays, artifacts that were kept in storage were brought out and he was also given a list and told to just check off the ones that he was okay with being displayed in the exhibit.

Some of the things they'd found in the ice along with him, others had been kept after he went MIA then presumed dead.

In short, it was a lot to take in. Yet it was like taking a welcomed and long overdue trip down memory lane. Until he got to an item that hit him like a punch to the gut. It was his compass, and when he opened it, Peggy's picture was still stuck to the inside. Even after all this time.

"Is this them?" Aphrodite's voice cut through the fog gathering in his head, and he turned to see her approaching, holding a picture in her hands. "The Commandos?"

"Yeah it is." He said clearing his throat then pointing out who each man in the photo was.

"Nice to finally put some faces to those names." She told him prompting a small smile, but it was half hearted at best. "Who's that?" she questioned nodding to the still open compass in his hand.

"Her name's Peggy," He said softly.

"She's beautiful." Aphrodite said, and she really was. And judging by the tone in Steve's voice he was an important person from his old life, he only got that way when talking about his loved one's from the 40's. "Is she, gone?" she asked gently.

"No, she's not. It's complicated."

Aphrodite nodded and sensed from his tone that now was not the time to talk about such topics, so she decided to switch it. Catching sight of the perfect distraction she let out a long exaggerated gasp, quickly Steve looked up to see what had caught her attention, without thinking about it he slipped the compass into his pocket.

"Is that your old uniform?" she asked approaching the mannequin that was wearing his original 40's uniform, the last time he remembered seeing it was before he went into the ice. After that it was the revised suit given to him by Shield, which Coulson had a hand in designing. Then his stealth suit which he used on missions with the Strike team.

"Hey, c'mon don't laugh."

"I would never." She responded smiling still.

"You don't like it." He teased her

"No, no. I think it suits you." She said smiling at him, Steve's response was cut off by the curator seeking his attention.

"Captain Rogers," he said moving closer. "I think we have enough to start off with, but you're welcomed back anytime. Well inform you on when we'd like to open to the public." As the man spoke Steve got distracted by something out the corner of his eye.

"I don't remember this being on the plane." Steve joked approaching the record player and opening it up see the excellent condition it was in.

"No sir, it was given to the museum some time ago for one of our past exhibits, we ended up not using it and then some of the higher ups thought that it might have a place in this one. But we're still having trouble finding a place for it."

"I can imagine." Steve said, and he could understand the man's frustration. It must have been difficult for the museum to find a place for such an item. Especially in what was going to be an exhibit honour and American war hero.

"If you want, it's all yours."

"Really." He asked incredulously.

"Yeah, think of it as a gift from the museum. And sort of a thank you, we knew you were a bit on the fence about the exhibit and we really do a appreciate you saying yes."

"It's an honour." Steve said repeating what he and Aphrodite had spoken about earlier today.

The man nodded, "If you'd like to leave your address I can have it sent there by tomorrow night."

After writing down the address to the apartment Steve thanked the man one last time before

"What was that about?"

"Just a little something to spice up the place." Steve said smiling in a way that said it was more than just that, she didn't get a chance to respond as he began leading her from the museum.

"What do you want to do tonight?" Steve asked as they were climbing the steps back to the apartment ready to settle in for the night.

Aphrodite sucked in a breath through her teeth, "We could finish those movies." She suggested.

"Which ones?"

"Saw." She said grinning, according to his little book and the internet there were at least four more of those movies to go.

"No." he immediately deadpanned. He hated those movies so much, but she seemed to love it. He still couldn't believe the amount of sequels that were made.

"Why not?"

"I don't like them." He responded as they approached the floor the apartment was on. "We still haven't finished Star Trek." He suggested.

"I don't like those," she declined this time. "I told you they're not an accurate depiction of what space is like."

"Right, right." He said nodding, she had been quite adamant that those movies were slandering the beauty that was outer space. "Rocky?" he recommended.

"Rocky." She agreed nodding.

"All I wanna do is go the distance," A different voice chimed in and suddenly there was a woman on the landing with them. Blonde hair a shade or two darker than Aphrodite's, shorter than her as well but not quite as small as Natasha. Very pretty too. "Sorry, I heard Rocky and couldn't resist," she added suddenly embarrassed. "I love that movie. Steve." She greeted.

"Kate," he responded politely. "Oh by the way this is,"

"Aphrodite." The taller blonde woman interrupted extending her hand.

Kate took her hand and shook it surprised by the strength behind the grip. "Oh wow, like the goddess Aphrodite?"

"Exactly like that," Aphrodite said smiling releasing her hand. "Kate was it?"

"Yeah, uh, I'm Steve's neighbour." Kate said feeling the need to say something, anything to this woman. Then looking back and forth between the two of them, taking in their posture and the tail end of the conversation she'd just heard. "Your Steve's girlfriend?"

Steve himself felt his face heat up and shot a wide-eyed look over at his companion but she had an easy smile on her face. "No, I'm just staying with him for a while. Family trouble." It wasn't an entire lie.

"Oh, well I hope it all works out." Kate said sympathetically.

"Thank you."

Kate then looked down at her phone which was buzzing. "Sorry to cut this short, but I gotta' get to work. It was nice meeting you." She said quickly making her way to the stairs.

"You too." Aphrodite called out.

"Goodnight Steve."

"Have a nice night Kate." He said in response. When he turned back around he caught the slight glint of something in Aphrodite's eye.

"She seems nice." Was all she said before continuing on to the apartment leaving Steve to trail behind her.

Outside Kate, or rather Sharon Carter leaned up against the wall and took a deep breath hoping that her cover hadn't been blown. When she'd receive the briefing package on Captain Rogers, the Asgardian woman named Aphrodite was listed as an affiliate, but she didn't think that she'd actually meet her. She didn't even know that the woman was on earth, obviously neither did Fury.

What was more concerning was the fact that listed at the very top of Aphrodite's file was the fact that she was a mind-reader. Praying now that she was in the clear, she set off to the Triskelion to report back on the latest developments.

"You don't talk about Asgard much." Steve said handing her a cup of tea.

"There not much to talk about." She responded taking the cup as he settled himself on the other side of the couch. "It's big, it's old and it's golden."

"C'mon, you're a princess." He urged. "Surely you'd have some stories that could top mine?"

"Well I wouldn't want to embarrass you," she teased. "Your few years of war are nothing compared to mine."

"Hey, how old are you?" he questioned suddenly genuinely curious. He was aware that she and her brothers came from stories of legend, but hadn't ever really given much thought to the idea that some of the stories were true. Especially the ones that dated back thousands of year.

"You never ask a lady her age, Steve," when he opened his mouth to protest she cut him off. "I'm not telling you." She said in a tone of finality.

"Tell me something."

Aphrodite thought for a moment. "One of the very first battles I even took part in was the battle of Vanaheim, my people went to war with the Vanir. My father wanted to unite the two realms, the way they once were, the Vanir refused. . ."

"Before the serum I was colour-blind." They'd migrated to the kitchen, sitting on the floor between the counter and the island facing one another. Steve was leaned back against the counter with his legs spread in front of him nearly touching the island across, Aphrodite was sat in between his legs.

"Hmm, I have a missing knuckle."

"Really?"

"Mhm." She hummed offering him her right hand where the aforementioned missing knuckle was, Steve took it and grazed his thumb over the spot where the knuckle used it be.

"How?" He questioned lowering his hand but keeping their fingers loosely intertwined.

"Punching a Kronan."

"Which is?"

"Rock monster?"

"Ah."

"Did you have any siblings?" Back to the living room they went, Steve insisting that the only way for them to sit and continue to trade stories would be to place the couch cushions all along the floor and lay out on top of them.

"Just Bucky."

"You two were very close."

"He was my brother, blood or not."

"Thor and Loki? Just the three of you?"

"Yes, believe we were more than enough. I still applaud my mother for getting us through to adulthood, those two especially."

"C'mon it couldn't be that bad."

"Thor used to pick up random snakes outside the palace. And Loki used to stab Thor every chance he got. And I mean that quite literally. Once Loki transformed himself into a snake, because he know that Thor loves them, and then . . ."

"I can't get drunk." Steve said strolling back into the living room totting a bottle of whiskey along with a pair of glasses.

"No." Aphrodite gasped dramatically.

"Unfortunate truth." He said pouring them both a glass. "My metabolism burns four times faster than the average human. Cells regenerate and burns off all the alcohol. The joys of being a super-solider."

"And Asgardian." She chimed in taking the glass as he sat.

"You can't get drunk either?"

"No, I can. Just not with your alcohol. It's far too weak."

Steve nodded in understanding. "Well," he said raising his glass. "We can both still enjoy a drink."

"Cheers." She said tapping her glass against his. "Please tell me you at least got drunk before the serum."

"Sweetheart, I was a 100 pound asthmatic, getting drunk was one of the easier things I could do."

"Can you like, turn it on and off?" Steve asked after she told him the full spectrum of her abilities. He was most interested in telepathy.

"Something like that." She shrugged.

"Have you ever read my mind?"

"No, I've found that over the years most people find it quite rude, and intrusive."

"How many people, can you? You know?"

"I can read the minds of every person in this building if I allowed myself. Everyone in Washington if I tried, the world if I really wanted to. But there is a price, as is with everything,"

"What's yours?"

"Sleep, it's nearly impossible to do when you have over a billion voices in your head, feel everything they're feeling. So I impede it, now I can only hear what I want."

"That's amazing."

She smiled. "Mostly it's a pain in the ass." That got him to let out a real laugh. "One of the joys of being me." She repeated what he's said earlier in the night back at him.

"Do you get beat up in every alley in Brooklyn?" Aphrodite questioned through her laughter as he finished telling yet another story of him getting beat up when he was small.

"Seems like it sometimes."

"Did you have something against just leaving, running away?"

"You start running, they'll never let you stop." Steve said remembering a conversation very similar to this happening 70 years ago. Along with that came the realization that the feelings he'd had for Peggy were intensified tenfold when he was with Aphrodite.

"But Bucky was always there to save you?"

"Hey, I had every one of those guys on the ropes." he defended knocking back the reminder of his drink.

"Sounds like you did." She teased.

"Will you do me a favour?" Steve questioned, they'd shifted again still in the living room but now Aphrodite was leaning back against the couch and Steve had his head in her lap and she was carding her fingers through his hair. The bottle was less than a quarter full and neither of them felt a thing. But Steve enjoyed it, it was familiar.

"Hm?"

"Ask me something personal."

She hummed thoughtfully as she thought about topics that they hadn't touched on yet. "What's your mother like?"

"Ma was very beautiful, smart, kind, compassionate," he said turning the glass over in his hands.

"Before or after?" she asked knowing that he knew what she meant.

"Before, she was a nurse and she caught tuberculosis from the ward. Nothing we could do."

"And your father?"

"Died before I was born, he was a soldier in the 107th, he was killed on the front lines. Mustard gas attack."

"Is he the reason you wanted to be a solider?"

"Yeah," he said nodding. "Ma used to tell me all the time that I was just like him, it only seemed right that I would follow in his footsteps. All I ever wanted to be was a soldier."

"Have you visited her? Peggy? After you came out of the ice?" Outside the apartment the barest hints of daybreak were peeking out over the horizon but neither of them paid it any mind.

Steve took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Yeah I did."

"What happened?"

"Some days are better than the others. Sometimes I go there and she remembers I'm alive, and others she just cries."

"When was the last time you saw her?"

"Right after I came to DC. It was" he paused. "She thought I was a ghost."

"If you hadn't taken the serum. What do you think you would have been doing?"

It was a loaded question but Steve knew the answer immediately. "I'd be an artist."

"Really?" She asked sitting up from her reclined position jostling him slightly in the process from where he was still laying with his head in her lap.

"Yeah. I uh- I have a major in the fine arts." He confessed.

"Do you still draw?"

"No, no. I don't." he immediately declined.

"You're lying." She said eyes slowly widening, and nudging him so that he sat up. "You are lying." She said again smiling as she slowly shifted beginning to rise up.

"No, I'm not." He continued to deny mimicking her movements and starting to sweat a little, if she found his book and what he'd drawn he wasn't sure what he'd do.

"Where is it?" She questioned this time.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

They stayed like that, at an impasse for a beat. Luckily Steve was placed between her and the hallway he thought as he stared her down challenging her, daring her to try and get past him. He knew without a doubt that she could probably accomplish the task quite easily, but he wasn't going down without a fight either.

She was the first to move, in a blink she was up and dashing past him. She was faster by that much and was down the hall quickly and he was right on her tail. Just his luck today was one of the days when he's left his book out on top of his bed for all the world to see. Right away she grabbed the book and made to open it then suddenly he was behind her scooping her up with one arm and grabbing the book with the other as she squeal.

"Ah, ah." He reprimanded, hiding the book behind his back when she wriggled free and tried to grab it once again.

"C'mon I want to see it." She pleaded. Fighting and reaching for his arms when he brought them up and the book over his head.

"No," he said playfully, and he couldn't wipe the big stupid grin off of his face if he tried. She was pressed against him, very close to climbing him like a tree in her fervour to try and grab the book, he'd be lying if he said he didn't like the feeling.

But Aphrodite had a few tricks up her metaphorical sleeve, she had two older brothers, both of whom were significantly taller than her and liked to tease her with this very same action on more than one occasion.

"Oh my," she said suddenly serious staring at something past his shoulder, immediately Steve went on the offensive dropping his arms slightly.

"What?" he said looking over his shoulder as well. Of course it was a trick, he thought as she snatched the book with a noise of triumph and dove across the bed to the other side so that it was between them. "Wait, wait. Aphrodite," he begged and tried to warn but it was too late. She'd already opened the book and started flipping through the pages.

He was quite talented Aphrodite thought as she thumbed through the pages of the book in her hands. Building that she'd seen all around Washington stared back at her, the New York skyline, Stark Tower, renamed at the Avengers tower. And a handful of other little doodles scattered about.

The nest page was where things started to changed, because it was her. Sitting on the couch reading one of the many books in the apartment. Standing at the kitchen counter making coffee. A detailed sketch of her side profile. Of course she'd been drawn before, there were painting all over the walls in the palace in Asgard. But none of them had ever felt or looked this, intimate.

Just like that the mood changed from playful to something else.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," Steve said rushing around the bed to stand in front of her. "It's not what you think. I'm not a creep. You're just so beautiful and I can't help but- No that sounds bad. You're not, no I mean you are beautiful, but I don't want you to think that," she cut him off thankfully before he could force his foot any further down his throat by placing one slender finger against his lips.

"This has to be the creepiest," Steve nodded and hung his head but she forced him to meet her eye with a finger under his chin. There was a heavy look in her eye that he couldn't quite place but it seemed to reassure him that his feelings may not be entirely one-sided, "Or the sweetest, most adorable thing I've ever seen."

"Wha- Really?" he stammered and she nodded. "Well, thank you?" he said tone turning confused at the end.

"Your welcome." She said softly offering him back his book which he took and stared down at for a beat. Before looking back up and meeting her eyes again. Then he noticed the inches between them decreasing rapidly as she leaned in.

He hoped with everything that was in him that she was about to kiss him, he didn't know what he'd do if she did, probably spontaneously combust. But he didn't care, he just wanted her lips on his.

But he didn't get it. Instead she pressed her soft lips just at the corner of his own mouth and stayed there for a long moment before pulling back.

He stared at her and wanted nothing more than to grab her and pull her back in pressing his lips to hers and kissing her until neither of them could breathe, but he didn't. What he did do was he took in a shuddering breath and tried to savour the feeling of her lips for as long as he could.

"Goodnight Steve." She said in what was nearly a whisper as she began to brush past him to leave the room.

"Goodnight," he said gruffly. "Aphrodite." He added, mostly to himself as she was already gone and distantly he heard the sound of the door to the other room closing and his shaking legs finally gave out no longer willing to support his frame as he dropped down heavily onto the bed and flipped through the pages in his sketchbook.

crimson. blood. witch: Thank you as always, it was nice to touch on Steve's PTSD since most people like to ignore it or gloss over it.

MidnightPenguin: You're a star. Don't ever change, we're very, very close to the Winter Soldier storyline.

BlueBloodsSVUOrder: Thanks for your votes and the support.

YveMarieFan: One of the great joys in life is making someone smile and I'm happy I could do that for you. Thanks for the suggestion.

BrittStar1199: Neither can I, it's gonna be awesome.

Ivana Bocanegra: Feel free to imagine Aphrodite anyway that you'd like in order for you to enjoy the story. Aphrodite's official title as given to her by Odin is the Goddess of Destiny, but I've taken the liberty to add a few more on. Similar to the titles that Thor and Loki would have had given to them, from Norse mythology but the MCU really only focuses on their big ones. For example Thor's tiles include God of thunder, lightning, storms, strength and fertility, and Loki's are God of mischief, chaos, fire and fatherhood just to name a few. So Aphrodite's are Goddess of destiny, beauty, battle, pleasure, wisdom and procreation (Although could you imagine Odin granting her with that last title, awkward). I can't wait for the meeting with Strange either, or just Ragnarok in general. But I'm more excited to write her meeting the Valkyrie.

DreamboatRogers: Thanks for voting.

TheLadyofLorien: Thank you for all the support. Those were my exact same thoughts when I first saw Rosie. She's beautiful, regal and just enough of a resting face to be intimidating but still kind. To quote the iconic meme 'She's beauty and she's grace. She'll punch you in the face.' Thanks again for the vote and support.

CharRed: Great to hear from you as always. Thanks for the support and the suggestions. Rest assured this will not become a Sharon hater story.

Margot Robbie is officially out of the race, which is funny considering when I first though of Aphrodite she was the face claim that I had in mind. Then time went by and I discovered a whole world of beautiful blondes that could portray Aphrodite. But for now it's:

Amber Heard – 6

Rosie Huntington-Whiteley- 6.

Don't let that stop you guys from imagining Aphrodite any way that you like, that's the beauty of imagination, it's yours. But just in case anyone was wondering I write Aphrodite with Rosie in mind, just who I preferred, plus she already has the accent for the cause.

As always let me know what you think and what you'd like to see in the future. Leave me a review too, as you can see I'll be answering/responding to the ones can. So feel free to say or ask me anything.