Even with ruffled hair, dark circles beneath his eyes, Steve still manages to look like a grecian God. Those eyes, like oceans I could swim in for hours, do not leave my own, not even to acknowledge Loki standing flustered at my bedside.

"You're awake."

I nod, my lips parting slightly. Loki decides on a course of action, heads to the door. He tries to give Steve a thin-lipped smile, but Steve places a palm on Loki's chest before he can get past. Still he does not look, does not tear his gaze away from me, and Loki can do no more than stand flustered for a moment.

"The tray," is all Steve says to him.

Loki bounces on the balls of his feet, but ultimately decides not to try his luck. He comes back to relieve me of the tray, and then makes to leave once more. Steve allows him to pass this time, and I can just make out Loki's form rippling back into Shuri, before the doors close behind him.

"Are you okay?" I ask Steve, the words tumbling from my mouth in concern.

I quickly check him for bandages, but he appears uninjured. I remind myself that he is a super-soldier, after all.

Steve grins a little as he moves further into the room. "You're the one in the hospital bed, and you're going to ask me that?"

"Maybe that's exactly why I should ask." I gesture to the screens beside me. "We can all see that I'm absolutely fine."

Steve's eyes darken, the smile slipping from his face. "You are now. Thanks to the Wakandans."

"That bad, huh?"

He sighs. "You could say that."

He takes the seat Loki just left, leaning forward, resting his forearms on his knees. I wait for him to speak again.

"I owe you an apology."

My brows knit together in confusion. "Oh?"

"I believe I misjudged you."

I try to ignore the throbbing in my chest, finally tearing the heart monitor from my finger as inconspicuously as I can manage. "It's okay," I say. "I'd be worried if you didn't think I was kind of a monster. The whole fireball thing, well."

Steve shakes his head. "It's not that. I just… assumed this was a means to an end for you. That you'd turn up, do your part, then be on your way. I had no idea of your, I don't know. Your character."

My own head spins. I try to make sense of his words. "Well, I guess we don't know each other that well," I say slowly.

He nods. "You're right. We don't." His eyes meet mine once more, unencumbered as he confesses. "You surprised me, in that clearing. You saved my shield." I open my mouth to make excuses, but he continues talking. "You put your own life in danger, you didn't have to do that. And then you took that shot for Nat."

I try to think of a thing to say, to make excuses, but nothing comes.

"It hurt me," he continues, "to see you in that kind of pain. I still don't fully understand why. But you're one of us now. Truly."

"Steve…" the words fall from me in a gush, words I've been trying to get out all day, now able to come freely in his presence. "I have no idea what happened, with the fire. Everybody seems to think I'm some kind of hero, but I… I've never done anything like that before. I didn't even mean to."

He's silent for a moment. But when he speaks, it's with such vigour, even I cannot doubt his words.

"Then it doesn't matter anyway. What does matter is what you do choose to do. And the choices you made, that I saw, they make you a hero. Forget the fire. You don't need it to be great."

I laugh a little. "You're a pretty inspiring speaker, you know that?"

He smiles again, my favourite grin. "I've been told once or twice."

"Well, thank you. I'm just glad we won. There was a moment there, when the chitauri just kept coming, I wasn't sure if we were going to make it."

"Were you ready to give up?"

I think for a moment. "No. I wouldn't give up. But I'd be worried about who's going to have to fight them off once we're gone."

He tilts his head. "I really don't know you at all, do I?"

"There's not much to know."

"I don't believe that for a minute."

My breath hitches in my chest, stunned as I am caught completely in his gaze once more. Pull yourself together, I try to think, but he shows no signs of relenting. For the first time, I wonder what it would be like to kiss him. To lean in and brush my lips against his own.

Reluctantly, unwillingly, Steve tears his eyes away to glance darkly at the door. "I better get going," he says. "Stark is busting my ass about getting some sleep, he's about ready to march in here and drag me out by the ear."

I laugh softly. "I feel bad. You shouldn't be suffering just because of me."

He tilts his head to the side. "How do you know that?"

"What?"

"How do you know I was here with you?"

My eyes widen. I try to stammer an excuse, but Steve shakes his head, humour in his eyes.

"Nat told you, didn't she?"

"I don't want to get her in trouble," I mumble.

He lets out a laugh. "She's a tough girl. She'll handle it."

He stands up and for a moment, he hesitates. Should he take my hand, lean in for a hug, do nothing at all? Nat's words, from what feel like so long ago, echo in my ears. I know you wouldn't think it to look at him, but I think he's still really shy. He still sees himself as the way he was pre-serum. Just, he didn't have much luck with girls, is all.

I suddenly busy myself with the heart monitor clip, leaning away slightly. I don't want to torture him with decisions like these, or make him uncomfortable by presuming anything. I give a quick smile.

"Hopefully when I see you next, I'll be out of this damn bed," I say.

"I'm counting on it," he replies, before leaving.