Steve and Cassidy walked to a coffee shop not far from the tower. They ordered their drinks and got a table toward the back of the café, out of site. Steve had a ball cap on, pulled down slightly so people wouldn't recognize him.

"I do feel really bad about running." Cassidy told him. "I just, I never imagined that it would be you." She told him.

"What do you mean?"

"When I first got my mark, I knew it wasn't you then, because I'd learned all about you at school. About your bravery, and your sacrifice. So, then I thought, well maybe my soul mate is just a really big fan." She told him. "So, I searched, for a long time, with no luck. And then they pulled you from the ice. I thought it was too good to be true, that there was no way you could be mine. You're you, and there's nothing special about me." She told him softly.

Steve frowned and reached across the table to put his hand over hers. "You are special Cassidy." He said. "They wouldn't have put us through everything we've been through if we weren't special." She squeezed his hand, watching his years turn pink, relaxing at how calm his touch made her. "Do you know who our third is?" She asked him.

He looked down and nodded. "I do, and I honestly wish I were telling you anything but this. Our third, his name was James Buchanan Barnes. We called him Bucky."

Cassidy's face fell. She knew his story. "He was a Howling Commando. He fell from a train in Austria in 1945." She said softly. Steve nodded. "I'm so sorry. I wish I could tell you different. I wish I could tell you he was at home waiting to meet you." His grip on here hand tightened and she found tears in his eyes.

"Hey, it's okay." She whispered, making him meet her gaze. "We found each other. That's all that matters." Steve smiled at her and nodded. "Yes, we did."

"Tell me something about you." She told him.

"Um…well, I'm from Brooklyn, lived there my whole life up until I enlisted. I had always been little, and I had so many health problems, my ma wasn't sure I'd make it to my birthday each year." He told her. That broke her heart. "She was always takin care of me, and when she had to work and couldn't, Buck would."

"What about your dad?" She asked. Steve tensed and Cassidy worried that she shouldn't have asked. "He was never really around, and when he was, he was too drunk to care. He hit me and my ma, and I think that's when I started sticking up for myself. He died when I was eight."

She rubbed soothing circles on his hand. "I'm so sorry Steve, I shouldn't have asked."

"No, it's okay. My ma was great though. She worked so hard to make sure I had all the medicine I needed; she would have loved you. Always said I'd end up with the prettiest dame there was." Cassidy blushed. She never thought of herself as pretty. Just plain.

"After the serum, I was in perfect health. I could breathe, nothing hurt anymore, and I was taller, so that was a plus." He said chuckling. "You might not have liked me before." He said softly, looking down. Cassidy bent her head down to catch his eye. "I guarantee I would have." She said smiling.

"Tell me about your parents." He told her.

"They both worked for Shield, met there, started dating, got married, had me. I was always running around the halls. They were the best agents of their time, having the highest clearance. My mom died when I was fifteen, on a mission. I was never given any details. My dad was distant after that, so I spent a lot of time with Uncle Nick." She told him.

"Wait." Steve said. "As in Nick Fury?" He asked. Cassidy chuckled. "Yeah, he's my Godfather."

"I joined Shield when I turned eighteen, my dad was so proud of me. He said I reminded him so much of my mom. He died two years later. Nick never told me the specifics of it, just that they both died on missions. Maybe it's better I don't know. Nick trained me until Nat joined, then she took over. She's like a sister to me, and Barton is like a brother." She told him. He smiled. The little he knew about Romanoff; he didn't think she was close with many people.

"I'm glad that you have people that you're close too." He said. She could tell there was a hint of sadness in his voice. "Just give them time, Nat and Clint don't open up to people easily. Just let them come to you." He nodded at her words and took the last sip of his coffee.

They walked back to the tower together and Cassidy's hand slid into his. She smiled up at him and he felt a rush of warmth fill his body. He hadn't felt this way since he had met Bucky. There was a giddy feeling running thorough Cassidy. Of all the dates she'd been on searching for her soulmates, and she had been on a lot, don't judge, she'd never felt like this. She was pretty sure her face hurt from all the smiling. The elevator ride back up the tower was quiet, and Steve felt more nervous than ever.

He kept glancing down at Cassidy to find her looking at the ground smiling. He was hoping he was the cause. They heard a ding signaling the arrival to her floor and Steve followed her in, nervous about what to do next. Did he ask her out on a real date? Did he kiss her? He knew things were different now, and some women expected more than they did back then. He didn't want to screw this up, and it's not like he had much to go on. Bucky was always the more forward one anyway, and he had always taken the lead with Steve.

Cassidy turned to him, her hand still in his, smiling. "I had fun today Steve. Thank you for telling me about yourself, about your parents. I know it must be hard, to talk about things that were so long ago for most people but was a very short time for you." She told him, taking his hand again, looking up at him. He smiled down at her and he felt like his legs were jelly.

Cassidy rubbed her thumb across Steve's hand, stepping just a little closer to him. She looked up at him through her lashes and she was completely lost in him. He was the most gorgeous man she'd ever seen, and she knew instantly that he would do whatever it took to protect her and love her.

She was waiting for him to kiss her, but he didn't move. He seemed unsure of himself. "I had a really great time today too Cassidy." He said softly. "Can I ask you out again? Maybe for dinner?" He asked her. She was surprised by how nervous he sounded, but then again, things were different than they were in his time.

"Yes Steve, I would like that very much." She told him. His face lit up like a Christmas tree and it was the cutest thing ever. "Pick me up tomorrow at seven?" She asked. He nodded and leaned down for what she thought was a kiss, but he wrapped his arms around her middle and hugged her.

"Can't wait." He whispered in her ear, sending shivers down her back.

Oh yeah, she was screwed.