Note: 1 of 2 chapters posted on July 4th, 2020

Chapter 20

Lucy awoke to her alarm at her usual time. The dawn light was not quite visible around the edges of her bedroom curtains, but she was suddenly wide awake. She reached for her phone and found a message from Lena waiting for her.

'Happy birthday, birthday girl! I miss you! Is there any way you can fly over for a day trip? lol If not, we're partying extra hard next time I see you! P.S. Happy Thanksgiving! I miss it. A serious downside to living abroad. T_T'

Lucy laughed softly and replied.

'Thank you! I miss you, too. And I wish I could, but duty calls.' She paused. She meant it as a figure of speech, but secretly hoped that Lena would be able to discern something more from it. If only her friend knew how truthful the statement was. 'Can't wait to see you again,' she continued. 'It's been too long. I'll call you later! And I'll hold you to that rain check! P.S. I miss it, too. Too busy with work to go home. T_T'

Her smile was somewhat bittersweet as she hit send and tossed her phone onto the bed, then pulled a fresh set of workout clothes from her dresser. It wasn't often that her birthday and Thanksgiving fell on the same day, and it was tough to imagine what she might be missing out on at home, but she also felt sorry for her parents, not having her there for the first time, and hoped that there would be a nice get-together with some of their other family.

When she emerged from the bathroom a few minutes later, she checked her phone again, smiling excitedly as the screen lit up with another message, this time from Steve.

'Happy birthday.'

The two simple words made her grin widen.

'Thanks, Cap,' she sent back.

Moments later, he replied. 'Birthday run?'

'Yes, Sir. Are you going to join me?'

'I would be honored.' She almost felt a blush color her face at his choice of words. 'But I won't be going easy on you.'

She smirked.

'Of course not. I'll be down in a few minutes.'

After a quick drink of water and a few bites of a granola bar, Lucy hurried down to street level, feeling exceptionally invigorated.

Had she not already been wide awake, the brisk late-November weather would have perked her right up. She was glad that her hair now covered her ears, giving her at least a small amount of extra warmth. For now, she refused to wear a hat; she found them stifling. The exercise would raise her body temperature just fine, and she would just end up taking the hat off anyway.

As usual, Steve was waiting when she reached the sidewalk. It had been a few days since they had been able to run together, and the sight of him in his navy-blue hoodie and black sweatpants put a bright smile on her face. They set off at a brisk jog.

Lucy was nicely warmed up by the time they reached the park, but she was far from tired. Her stamina had increased significantly over the weeks, and as soon as she laid eyes on the Reflection Pool, she felt the surge of excitement to run. Without a word, she picked up her pace, and Steve was quick to follow suit. Despite her increased speed and endurance, and her ability to give the captain a run for his money, she still wasn't his equal. He always made the sprinting look so effortless, but she always felt the effects once they came to a halt. Perhaps it had something to do with his serum, or maybe it was just the difference in their genes, but truthfully, even though she would like to be even more like him, she enjoyed having someone to look up to—someone who was better than her. Natasha had honed impressive skills, without the help of a super-soldier program, which Lucy was still unable to match, but having a role model like Steve Rogers was beyond compare.

They came to a stop in the grass beneath a tree after three laps around the pool, and Steve cocked a grin at Lucy as they caught their breath. He was standing tall, chest heaving, while she allowed herself to bend over for a few seconds, hands on her knees, the cold, pre-winter air biting into her lungs. She had been so eager to leave the apartment that she had forgotten to bring water. She didn't always take a bottle with her, but she was slightly regretting it today.

Steve never brought any, and he always seemed fine. Leave it to the captain, Lucy thought, returning his smile as she straightened up.

After a few more seconds, he cocked his head toward the pool, raised an eyebrow, and, without a word, started to jog slowly, casually back to their circuit—backwards. The challenging glint in his eye egged Lucy on. "Oh, really?" she grinned, and started to follow him at a normal jog, then broke into a sprint, forcing him to turn around to keep up as she passed him.

Ten minutes and many laps later, the pair came to a halt once more. Lucy glanced up at Steve as she caught her breath. This time, he looked almost as exhausted as she felt. His neatly trimmed hair was slightly disheveled, reminding her of that day in New York, when she had seen him without his mask after he had been thrown through the window and landed on the parked car. It was at times like this that the reality of how drastically her life had changed hit her all over again. She had grown so accustomed to things since settling in DC that it was somewhat hard to believe that just over six months ago she had been unaware of the existence of S.H.I.E.L.D. or the threats that they prevented. And she had not even met Steve Rogers, a man whom she never would have imagined being able to call a friend. She couldn't fathom going back to that old life.

"That's the longest we've gone in a while," Steve said as soon as he had caught his breath enough to speak.

Lucy half-smiled, straightening up. "Was it too much for you, old man?"

Steve gave her a look, but was smiling nonetheless. Then he said, "It's still early. How about some practice? If you don't mind getting knocked down by an old man on your birthday."

Lucy raised her eyebrows in mock surprise. "The old man sounds awfully sure of himself."

He glanced off into the distance, his expression full of false consideration for her words. "I've had some experience."

Grinning, they set off for home at a brisk walk. The sunrise cast long shadows across the streets, providing a meager touch of warmth to the chilly morning. Despite the cold, Lucy's body temperature remained at a comfortable level the entire way back.

Once they had reached their building, Lucy invited Steve over for a small bite to eat. Sparring on a full stomach was out of the question, but doing so on a practically empty one was just asking for lapses in performance. A little food would do them both good, and Steve agreed and followed her to her apartment.

She offered him some water, and took a long drink of a glass of her own before whipping up some scrambled eggs.

As she plated up two helpings of eggs and one slice of toast for each of them, she recalled elaborate birthday breakfasts that her family used to make for each other: pancakes or waffles with eggs, sausage, bacon, and sometimes fruit salad. She had always looked forward to such things, but somehow, sitting down to these plain scrambled eggs and her piece of buttered toast felt just as satisfying.

Maybe it was the company.

Lucy's feet left the floor, and less than a second later, her shoulder collided with the mat. Again. Steve held her down until she conceded begrudgingly, though she was unable to prevent herself from cracking a grin. He stood up, raising a self-satisfied eyebrow at her as she turned onto her back, catching her breath.

"You know I was kidding about the 'old man' thing," Lucy clarified with a smirk as she sat up.

Steve's eyes twinkled. "What? Too tough to admit that you can't beat one? What was that, four times?"

"Three," Lucy corrected, knowing full well that he was aware how many times he had just taken her to the mat.

He offered her his hand, and she took it.

As he pulled her to her feet, a familiar voice interrupted them. "How about you let her get picked on by someone who's more her size?"

Lucy and Steve turned to see Natasha striding toward them. She wore a black tank top, tight black pants, and no shoes.

"Fury wants to see you, Rogers," the redhead stated as she reached the mat.

Looking a little surprised, Steve glanced at Lucy before going to retrieve his jacket from the floor.

"It might take you a while," Natasha added, "so I'll go a few rounds with the newbie and then give her a ride back for you."

"Newbie?" Lucy repeated with an incredulous smirk, though Natasha's teasing didn't bother her a bit. It made her feel like she was a close member of the team.

Natasha stepped onto the mat and circled around Lucy, her strides graceful yet strong. But Lucy's attention was split, and a second later, she caught herself staring after the captain as he headed for the door. She hoped that whatever Fury wanted wouldn't take too long.

Suddenly, the woman's voice brought Lucy back to Earth. "Come on, let me see how out of practice you've gotten after all those hours of bookwork."

Lucy turned her full attention to her new opponent, who stood at the opposite side of the mat. Natasha began to pace slowly, as if waiting for Lucy to make a move. Lucy wasn't going to fall for it. Natasha could be more cunning than Steve in her fighting style. Carefully shifting back and forth on the balls of her feet, Lucy prepared herself to either counter or evade in a split second.

The split second came, and within a few more, Lucy found herself hitting the mat. Again. Maybe she really was too out of practice. Natasha probably didn't take many days off from combat training—if any at all. Lucy wondered if Steve had been secretly training with Natasha without her, and wished that she had made use of the Triskelion's facilities more than just a few times in the last two weeks.

"Rustier than I thought," Natasha chided, straightening up and going back to her side of the mat while Lucy righted herself. "You can do better than that."

At this point, Lucy wasn't so sure.

No, she corrected herself. I can.

She inhaled slowly, gathering her confidence, refocusing to harness the skills that she had developed at the training facility.

I will.

One hour and one thorough workout later, the two women entered the Triskelion's garage. The quick shower had been refreshing, but Lucy was feeling the effects of the morning of exercise. Her body was tired, but in an almost relaxed kind of way, like the thorough, satisfying fatigue after a good swim. She was somewhat glad to be riding in Natasha's slick black car rather than on the back of Steve's motorcycle. Almost.

As they made their way to the car, Lucy's eyes automatically went to the bike—and were met with an empty space. Her brows furrowed in confusion. Had he gone home already? The thought gave her a bit of relief. If Fury had planned on sending Steve on a spontaneous assignment, the motorcycle wouldn't have been needed.

Unless something else had happened. Lucy couldn't presume to understand everything that the director had on his plate. He could very well have needed the captain for something more local. Or perhaps Steve had needed to return to his apartment before heading off on an extended mission.

That thought made Lucy's stomach turn.

She opened the car door and slid into the cool leather of the passenger's seat. Soon, the growl of the engine filled the vast garage, and Natasha drove out into the morning sunshine.

Natasha had the windows down, and Lucy gazed out over the water as the wind whipped at her short hair. The scent of the river mixed with that of the well-kept interior of the car. She already missed the feeling of the open air and leaning into Steve's back as they raced across the bridge on his motorcycle.

As soon as Natasha pulled up in front of the apartment building, Lucy saw the rear wheel of Steve's bike parked in its usual spot. As she opened her door and got out, Natasha did the same. Lucy glanced at her curiously.

"I need to talk to Cap about what Fury wanted," the redhead explained, heading for the front walk. Lucy followed close behind.

At her landing, Lucy parted ways with Natasha, and couldn't help but wish that she were able to go up to the third floor with her. The thought of Steve being sent on an assignment without her—and possibly without Natasha—did not sit well with her. Not that she doubted his abilities. After all, he was much more experienced than she was.

She shook herself mentally as she approached her door. She already had plenty to concern herself with, such as her ongoing studies. Steve's business was Steve's business. She reached into her jacket pocket for her keys—

Empty.

Her blood ran cold. She dug into the pocket more aggressively, then tried the others, until she was certain that none of them held her keys. She rubbed her forehead in frustration and sighed. Had she forgotten to grab them at the last minute before leaving with Steve earlier? It was embarrassing, but she would just have to go upstairs and explain to Steve and Natasha what had happened. Surely they would have a way to get her back into her apartment in no time.

She was about to turn and head back to the stairs when a muffled noise reached her ears.

From inside her apartment.

Her hand went for the doorknob before she could think.

Unlocked.

She threw the door open and barely stopped herself from rushing carelessly into whatever awaited her. Burglar. Or worse.

Her body tensed as she crept down the short entryway, ears straining to identify the threat, waiting for shattering glass or other signs of looting.

She paused at the door to the living room and gathered herself. The exhaustion in her muscles was practically nonexistent. She was ready to fight. And this time, she would not be bested.

She stepped into the doorway, prepared to launch herself at the intruder or behind the most convenient piece of furniture if the intruder had a gun.

But her heart skipped a beat, the adrenaline quickly receding as she stared in shock at the blonde man standing in front of her couch.

He gave her one of his cockeyed grins.

"Happy birthday."

She almost staggered as her gaze fell to the coffee table. Laid out upon it was a variety of party foods, and in the center stood a small white layer cake decorated with purple and blue flowers.

Emotion welled up inside of her so quickly that she didn't have time to push it down before her eyes began to fill with tears. But she didn't care. She just grinned, not knowing what to say.

Suddenly, she sensed another presence behind her, and she turned to see Natasha standing there with her arms folded, not looking surprised in the least. In that moment, it all clicked.

"Did Fury even ask for him?"

"At least your brain isn't rusty," Natasha teased. "Must be all that studying."

Lucy exhaled a laugh, resisting the urge to roll her eyes, as she and Natasha entered the room. "I can't believe you guys planned this," she remarked, taking in the spread on the table as she rounded the couch, coming to stand beside Steve. "It's amazing." She beamed up at her friend, whose kind gaze betrayed his satisfaction with the success of the plan. "Thank you."

The food was wonderful. "Pseudo-Thanksgiving; mostly birthday," as Natasha had put it. Nothing extraordinarily fancy or Thanksgiving-like, but Lucy couldn't have enjoyed it any more if the chips and dip and pigs in a blanket were traded in for a roasted turkey and cranberry sauce. Soon, the three of them were seated around the coffee table—Lucy and Steve on the couch, and Natasha lounging in the nearest armchair—in the midst of a game of poker.

Lucy popped a small cube of watermelon from the fruit salad into her mouth and laid out three of her cards. Steve dealt her three more from the deck. She tried not to react as she sorted her new hand, taking in the less-than-desirable sight of a pair of tens with a queen high card. She gave Natasha and Steve a look that suggested that she was hiding something interesting.

Steve took three cards as well, then tossed another tortilla chip onto the plate on the corner of the table, which represented the pot.

"Raise, huh?" Natasha said, leaning forward to add her own chip to the pot. "I'll see that and raise you one more."

Lucy tossed in two of her own chips, while Steve threw in a second, and everyone laid out their cards.

"Pair of aces with a king high," Steve announced.

"A pair of tens with a queen," Lucy admitted, reaching for a grape.

"Three of a kind," Natasha said nonchalantly, revealing three red jacks and two other, inconsequential cards. "I'm surprised at you Rogers, I thought you'd be better at this," she remarked in jest as Lucy and Steve passed her their hands for her to shuffle.

"It's been a while," was Steve's only reply.

As Natasha dealt the next hand, a sudden electronic humming sound interrupted the festivities. It came in steady intervals, and Lucy turned, looking to her jacket draped on the couch cushion beside her. She reached for it and dug out her phone, smiling brightly when she saw Home on the display.

"I'll have to take this," she told the others, and answered the call.

She had been looking forward to hearing from her parents all morning. They expressed their love and how sorry they were that they couldn't be with her, but were delighted to hear that her two friends had thrown her a lovely celebration. Her dad was particularly pleased to hear that these friends enjoyed playing poker, as it had been a game of choice at certain family gatherings and many a family game night when Lucy was younger.

Her mom said that they had sent her a present, and that it should be arriving any day now, and after a very charming rendition of Happy Birthday, during which Lucy struggled to keep her tears in check, they ended the call.

Lucy placed her phone on top of her jacket and reached for the cards that Natasha had just dealt her, trying to pull herself together. She hadn't realized just how much she would miss her parents on her birthday.

Then, a large, warm hand gently gripped her knee, and she looked over to see Steve's understanding expression. She gave him a small smile of silent thanks, and they resumed the game.

Steve ended up winning two hands, and Lucy came away with a couple of victories herself, but Natasha did the best, which, somehow, Lucy didn't find to be all that surprising. Following the card game, Natasha stuck three candles into the top of the cake and lit them, and Lucy leaned forward to make her customary wish. She didn't have to think too hard. She wanted to see her parents again soon, and she wanted her friends—and herself—to be kept safe on their assignments. With a single deft puff of air, the tiny flames were extinguished.

Natasha raised her eyebrows as she began to remove the spent candles. "If you punched like you blow out candles, you might stand a chance against this big guy." She tipped her head toward Steve.

Steve gave her a little nudge with his shoulder, and Lucy cracked a smile, shaking her head.

The cake was a light yet flavorful vanilla with creamy frosting. Lucy managed to eat most of her piece before she had to set the plate aside. Now, with a full stomach on top of the thorough workout, her fatigue was beginning to set in once more. She settled back into the welcoming cushions of the sofa, feeling relaxed and content.

Suddenly, Steve got up from his place beside her and made his way into the kitchen. When he returned, he was carrying a package wrapped in festive blue-striped paper. Lucy sat up straight at the sight of the unexpected surprise, while Natasha began to clear a space on the table.

Steve set the present down in front of Lucy, then took his seat once again. She looked from the gift to the man beside her, her chest clenching with renewed emotion. The box was a couple of feet wide and almost a foot deep, and she immediately thought that, whatever it was, it was too much.

Steve merely smiled at her, waiting for her to open it.

So she did.

The paper fell away, and when she opened the box, she froze.

She found herself staring at another box—wooden this time, in a lovely warm brown. It had a lid, and there was a series of decorative slots in the front that could only be speakers.

A record player.

Once the surprise passed, a grin spread across her face. The player was vintage and appeared to be in good condition.

"Steve—" She almost said that he didn't have to get her something like this, but she stopped herself. "I love it. Thank you so much."

Still smiling, Steve got to his feet, and without a word, he picked up the record player and carried it over to Lucy's media shelves, placing it on the very top. Lucy watched questioningly as he bent down and reached behind the shelves, then plugged something into the back of the player. He then retrieved something that had been leaning up against the side of the shelves, just out of Lucy's line of sight. She realized what he was doing as the sound of vinyl leaving its sleeve filled the room. He slipped the disc onto the turntable and carefully moved the needle into place. Lucy perched on the edge of the couch, practically holding her breath.

An upbeat jazz tune came to life through the speakers, and Lucy beamed. She had never heard this piece before, but she instantly loved it. Somehow, it felt familiar, like an old friend.

"I was hoping you'd like it," Steve said, his blue eyes exuding warmth.

"I love it! What's it called?"

"Jersey Bounce," he replied, then added, "Benny Goodman. It was popular in . . . forty-two, as I recall."

Natasha suddenly piped up from the armchair. "You're making yourself sound old again, Rogers."

Steve glanced at her tolerantly, but his expression held a spark of humor. Lucy's grin widened. Unable to help herself, she got to her feet, crossed the room, and threw her arms around Steve's neck. "Thank you so much."

After a brief moment, he returned the embrace, his hands on her back as he bent slightly to compensate for their height difference. Lucy almost felt like she could forget that Natasha was there as her heart reacted strongly to her close proximity to the captain, but she was suddenly painfully aware of the other woman's presence.

Resisting the urge to stay right where she was, she gently pulled away from Steve, her hands slipping from his broad shoulders, and smiled up at him, trying to pretend that she hadn't just been effected the way that she had.

After the music ended, Natasha stood up. "Well, it's been super fun, lady and gent, but I have someplace to be, and you—" she nodded at Lucy "—look like you could use some downtime."

Lucy didn't want them—him—to leave, but at the same time, she was grateful for Natasha's suggestion. She nodded in agreement and looked between Natasha and Steve. "Thank you again. This was . . . really great."

"It was our pleasure," Steve replied, giving her shoulder a gentle squeeze. Then he said, "I'll help you clean up," and moved toward the coffee table.

Lucy almost turned him down, but decided to accepted the help, shamelessly admitting to herself that it was because she wanted to spend more time with Steve, and not because she couldn't take care of the food on her own.

"You kids have fun," Natasha quipped on her way out, and a few seconds later, the door closed behind her. Lucy shook her head, trying to hold back another grin as she gathered up a few bags of chips and her plate and brought them into the kitchen, while Steve followed her with the remnants of the fruit salad and the rest of the plates.

They finished quickly, and Steve pointed out that he had left her keys—which he rather sheepishly admitted to sneaking out of her jacket pocket at the gym—on the kitchen counter. She forgave him without a second thought. Then, they both said their goodbyes, and Lucy saw Steve out. She paused after locking the door, as if her brain needed a moment to finish processing the events of the morning. But now that she was alone, her bed called to her insistently, and she was more than happy to oblige it.

Note: This was an especially fun chapter to write. ^^ And it was so cool to be able to write the birthday scene at the end on my actual birthday (July 1st) and live vicariously through Lucy~ :')