Keira's POV

I ran around my apartment throwing clothes into a suitcase to head down to my parents' home. I also stuffed books and electronics in two tote bags – one to take on the plane with me and the other to ride with my other luggage. I felt ambitious with my reading and felt that five weren't enough to satisfy me; I packed at least ten, prepared to drown out the would-be drama that would unfold there. I blamed myself for not packing the night before, having other obligations on my mind. I needed to go out to buy last minute gifts that would be perfect for each member of my family.

They also needed to be able to be small enough to fit in my suitcase. I had a late dinner finishing up wrapping the gifts an hour after midnight, retiring to bed. Without packing, I might add. I had plenty of time, my flight not leaving until 2 p.m., but I always panicked anyway. Setting the final touches to my luggage, I changed into grey sweatpants and a black t-shirt, followed by comfortable footwear and a hoodie, which zipped up. I wanted to be comfortable on the flight, maybe catch a nap while on board or dive headfirst into reading.

Like Thanksgiving, my dad would be picking me up at the airport when I arrived. This time, mom would be joining him, helping him with my luggage.

"Oh. I forgot to grab my notebook and envelopes," I said out loud. I sprinted back to my bedroom and grabbed them, my hand brushing over the Polaroid camera sitting on my desk that was near my computer, which I had already packed. I paused, tucking the notebook and envelopes under my arm; I picked up the camera, deciding on whether or not to bring it. I could always send Steve some pictures of the celebrations, I thought. There he was again, burying himself in my mind. Warmth and tingles coursed through my body every time I thought about him, bringing a smile to my lips. So close, yet so far away from meeting. We had both hoped to meet earlier, but fate still hadn't brought us together. Yet. We still planned on the 18th of January, a date too far away in my opinion.

I almost wanted to cancel my plans and run over to his home and see him. Almost. I knew my parents would be upset about it, cancelling plans to meet up with a "complete stranger". He wasn't one in my mind, but it'd be the first thing they'd say. Walking back into the living room, I carefully placed the camera and a couple of rolls of film that I grabbed into my suitcase. I slipped the notebook and envelopes in the carry-on tote I planned to take on the plane in case I felt inspired to write something to him on the plane. Taking one last look around the apartment to make sure I didn't forget anything, I left for the airport, once again leaving Steve behind.

"Welcome home," my mom said when we arrived at their house. The flight seemed shorter as well as the ride. It was almost as if time wanted the trip to go by fast; maybe a sign of wanting Steve to appear in my life at any given moment. I did worry a little that we wouldn't ever cross paths, forever being a secret to those around us. I still kept a positive attitude about everything though, thinking that we would meet one day. We opened the door and Newt launched himself on me, almost knocking me over in the process.

"Hey, buddy. I missed you too," I said, pushing his front feet to the floor and scratching his fur; I moved my hand to the places he loved – his belly and the space between his ears, even behind his ears. He looked like he was smiling whenever I gave him the attention he deserved. His tail wagged and he followed me to the stairs as my parents and I took my luggage to my room. They left me to unpack and as soon as I was finished, I spread out across my bed, staring up at the ceiling.

I closed my eyes and imagined what it would be like to have Steve here with me. Would my parents allow him to stay here in my room or in the guest bedroom? Dad would talk his ear off, maybe grill him about his intentions towards me. Mom would try to convince him to secure a future with me. My other family would welcome him with open arms. I'd be happy to have him to wrap my arms around him, to kiss him and fall deeper in love with him. A knock at my door had me sitting up to see my dad standing on the other side.

"I wanted to tell you Damien's girlfriend is bringing her kids. Dinner will be at 4 tomorrow and be prepared for the same questions as last time," he told me. Damien was another cousin of mine and his girlfriend's name was Carla. Her two kids, Charlotte, 12, and Lucas, 15, were nice but I still wished it could be immediate family only.

"Okay. Thanks, Dad," I said, putting on a smile despite the news. He left the hallway and I laid back down, sighing. I wondered how long my social battery would last the next day. Though it'd be family, I still felt drained at the end of the night. I didn't know why, perhaps it was because I had to put up with the subtle disappointment on their shoulders.

It weighed me down and I often felt I needed to accommodate for them. How could so many people in my life make me feel less of myself? Family included. I knew they tried to mean well, but it came out as something different. Skewed, like they had no filter when they talked to me about my career or love life.

I daydreamed, pulling my mind into other regions I hadn't yet explored with Steve. He had written to me of explicit endeavors; basic, yet something lingered in them causing arousal in my core. They were romantic, sensual, so I allowed myself to imagine the same. Different, but similar to some of the ideas he had.

The feel of his warm skin against mine, our bodies connected, pleasure hitting us everywhere, his tongue exploring where it needed…wanted. His light blue eyes gazing into mine, his blonde hair in his face. I imagined tolling him on his back and…

"Keira! Dinner!" my mom's voice sliced through the scene playing out in my mind. I opened my eyes. My fingers had almost reached down to pleasure myself, eager to match what I'd imagined to be spectacular. I got up and went down the stairs to eat. I'd play later tonight, nothing but Steve on my mind.

Steve's POV
Monday. The night before Christmas Eve. Keira is once away from me. The anticipation is killing me. Metaphorically, of course. Nothing has been exciting throughout the day. Plans were coming together for a giant Avengers feast tomorrow night. Stephen Strange and Wong would be leaving the Sanctum, T'Challa coming in from Wakanda, a couple of Guardians would be visiting, and Carol too would be here. Even Lang and his girlfriend would be here for a few hours. Some with a significant other, some still single. Bucky, Sam, Bruce and a few others still hadn't met someone. I had, but Keira and I weren't together. Not yet. We still hadn't officially met.

January, though a month away, was slow to beginning and I was frustrated to say the least. I think in some way, so was she. What was she thinking about at this moment? Did she have me on her mind? Was she imagining me there with her or was she thinking about being here with me? Maybe, I should have invited her for Christmas. Alone. We could have had a coffee date, or we could have rented out a cabin for the weekend. To talk, to get to know each other more than we have in the letters, I thought.

Though various scenarios had played out in my mind involving skin to skin contact, I didn't want to rush into it. I wanted to find out what turned her on while also falling for her even more than I already had. While contemplating all the dates that could have been, someone had appeared around the corner of the living room.

"Psst! Steve," a voice caught my attention. I turned to see Wanda behind me, clutching the door frame. She appeared to be hiding from the rest of the team, from Natasha.

"Do you need something?" I asked, curious to know why.

"Can you help me with something? For tomorrow night. It's for Natasha," she answered, beckoning me with a finger. I followed her up the stairs to the room she shared with Nat and waited for her request. She checked to see if the coast was clear before opening a secret compartment in one of the drawers of a nightstand.

"What are you…" I began to ask, freezing when she brought forth a small black box. She opened it to reveal a silver ring with black and red gemstones; Onyx and rubies it looked like.

"Wow," I breathed, stepping closer to get a better glance at it.

"I want to propose to her tomorrow night. I love her and for the past three years have shown me just how much I do. I'd like to set up a scavenger hunt for her and then propose when she finds it," she explained. My mouth went dry. One of my best friends was about to be engaged and the girl I was falling for hadn't met me yet.

"Steve? Are you okay?" I cleared my throat and nodded.

"Yeah. I'll help you. When do you want to have it take place?" We discussed plans on how to set everything up. We wrote down clues for Natasha to look for, the first in their room, the next at the bar, the next in the tree and the last on the box, which we placed in the dining room on a shelf. No one would find it, we made sure of that when placing it there.

We planned to do the hunt after everyone ate and each one of us had received one present open before Christmas Day. Natasha would be the last to get hers and when she found it, Wanda would propose in front of everyone.

"Thank you. I'm so excited. I'm about to spend the rest of my life with Natasha. It's going to be the best Christmas ever," Wanda said, giving me a hug.

"You're welcome. I think I'm going to call in pizza for everyone," Those who were out returned to the compound and I went out with Tony to grab the pizzas. We brought them back, ate and afterwards I escaped to my room to be alone. I spread out across my bed, on my back, carding a hand through my hair. I let it rest on my stomach, closing my eyes to think about Keira. Instead of letting my imagination roam to pleasure, I focused on a wedding. Keira in a white dress walking down the aisle towards me, a smile on her face. We'd exchange vows, placing rings on each other's fingers and kissing, binding us together.

It' what I wanted to happen. She had, in a matter of a few months, captured my heart and I wanted nothing more than to be with Keira forever.

Keira's POV

Christmas Eve. One more day. Six more days spending time with family. Enough time to write to him. I woke, went for a run, taking Newt with me and came back to shower.

The outfit I'd be wearing would be a light blue halter dress and black heels. I'd be fixing my makeup to match, my long brunette hair curled and pinned back in 40's fashion. I don't know what made me think of it, but it'd be gorgeous. I stretched out my shower into a bath, putting as much effort into my appearance as possible. I had time to kill, to prepare for another holiday disaster.

Not with my parents; they seemed to back off a little, enjoying my company. I didn't know what to expect from the rest, except the obvious questions about my future. Most likely, it'd be something similar to Thanksgiving. I got out and dried off, getting ready for another couple of hours. Once done, I examined myself in the full-length mirror in my room and descended the steps, book in hand, to the living room.

"Wow. What did you get all dressed up for?" Dad greeted me, wearing a cream sweater and blue jeans; they were nice for the occasion and I was beginning to feel over-dressed. Mom walked in from the kitchen. She was wearing black slacks with a green blouse. Her blonde hair was straightened and her makeup neutral. Nothing compared to the elegance of my dress and how I had my hair and makeup. I had decided to make the best of the night by dressing to the nines, something which made me have confidence surging through my mind.

"I wanted to. I felt good about it," I stated, seating myself in one of the armchairs. It was the Sherlock Holmes book Steve had gotten me; the detective dealt with the "supernatural" and it pulled me into the world and story.

"I'd ask if you were trying to impress someone, but you don't have a date for this family night. Unless there's something you're not telling me," Dad said.

"No, I didn't invite a date. The only ones I'm trying to impress are my family. If I had a date, I wouldn't be able to keep anyone away from him," I said, resuming my book. Guests started to arrive an hour later, and I traded in my book for the camera, taking pictures of the presents gathered around the tree, of the feast, of my family; all of the material for another letter to Steve. I did choose to take pictures of myself, but I decided not to put them in, saving the reveal for the day we met. A surprise within a surprise. This might be the final letter. I still had one planned in case we still didn't meet before the 18th.

We gathered around in a circle, saying "thanks" before we began plating our food. I sat at a small table with Callie and her son Jackson, who everyone called Jack and sometimes joking with him by calling him Jack of hearts. He was 15 and starting to date, keeping girls as long as four months before ending it, bored with the relationship before it got interesting. The feast of the night included turkey and ham as well as mashed potatoes and corn. Staples of every Christmas dinner.

I had already been grilled by other members of the family, expecting Callie to do the same. She was doing well not to mention anything, and I was counting the minutes before it got to be too much.

"So, no boyfriend?" Ten minutes. That's how long it took her from the minute we sat down. I shook my head, stabbing a piece of turkey with my fork.

"You live in New York. No run in with any of the Avengers? No Stephen Strange? No Thor? No what's-his-name? The one with the metal arm?" she continued. I dared not to meet her eyes; the judgment clear in her voice.

"His name is Bucky Barnes. And no. There's no one. There hasn't been any run in with any of them. I doubt Strange would even date the likes of me and I'm not interested in Thor. Don't get me wrong. He's incredibly attractive, but not really someone I look for in a relationship," I commented.

"You're-,"

"You're on the verge of asking me the same questions from Thanksgiving. The world won't end if I don't have a boyfriend. I promise," I cut her off, annoyed.

"But-,"

"Who wants dessert? There are brownies again. Plus, I want some pecan pie," I interrupted her again, getting up and disposing of the remaining meat on my plate. Deciding there was too much residue from the potatoes, I tossed the plate in the trash and grabbed a new one, placing a brownie and pecan pie on it, sitting in the living room to eat in peace. Next came the traditional opening of gifts; not the ones from my parents. We would save those for tomorrow morning when all the excitement died down.

Most of the items were clothing and gift cards. Callie tried to be funny with one that was from "Captain America". A perfume that I liked, and a new scarf were contained within the bag. My mom got a new decoration to put on her mantle and dad got a few clothing items as well. We sat around the fire talking until it got late, everyone leaving the house when all the festivity came to an end. My parents and I stayed up later, unwrapping a final gift for the night, a tradition that we kept between the three of us; four if you include Newt. I received new pajamas to change into and promptly went upstairs to change.

I wiped off my makeup and washed the hairspray from my hair without getting back into the shower. I let it airdry, spraying leave-in conditioner in it, retrieving my notebook from the tote bag. I opened it to a clean page and composed a new letter to Steve, hoping he had a pleasant night. I hoped it had gone better than the one I had tonight. I stayed up later, at least until 3 a.m. writing and pouring out my heart to him, sealing it and the pictures in an envelope.

Steve's POV

Tonight, was the night. Wanda would propose to Natasha and I couldn't be happier. The day started off with a run like normal and I returned to take a shower. Dinner wouldn't be served until 5 p.m. and I spent most of the day reading or drawing in bed. Around 3 p.m. I got up and dressed; the outfit tonight being a blue shirt with black slacks, the dress shoes matching.

I combed my hair back, something similar to the 40's. I wanted to back to my roots a little but also be a bit presentable to those that came tonight. I went down to the living room and talked with Bucky until guests started arriving; Stephen Strange and Wong, the first to arrive. They were followed by the Guardians, and Peter Parker. I was surprised to see him her, but figured Tony had invited him. T'Challa and his family would be here a little later as well as Scott and Hope, the flights getting in at 4:30.

Some of the ones that lived at the compound came down as they got ready, the first woman being Nat, who dressed in a white and burgundy gown. It hugged her curves, no doubt wanting to capture Wanda's attention. Sam and Tony came down next, both in a suit. Wanda followed them, wearing a floor length dress, which was red; the color was something she was known for and it complimented her well. Once all the guests had arrived, Thor and Loki being the last to come down, dinner began. We had Turkey, which I helped to fry, mashed potatoes, green beans and for some reason a kale salad.

Not too traditional, but still good. For dessert, we would have a chocolate cake and pumpkin pie, and ice cream for those who didn't want those. We sat down at the giant dining table, my place beside Bucky and Natasha. Everyone talked with one another, having a grand time; some went back for seconds, while others decided one plate of savory food was enough and went to grab dessert.

The time came for the opening of gifts and I watched as each one of us received one at a time. I looked over at Natasha and could tell she was getting a bit nervous when she still hadn't received hers from Wanda. I rubbed a shoulder, giving her reassurance that she would get one. I watched as Wanda walked over to her and placed a note in her hands. Watched as curiosity crossed her features as she realized what was happening. She left and hunted down each clue, Wanda getting nervous as she located each one.

When Natasha had finally located the small jewelry box, I looked to Wanda, who had materialized behind her girlfriend, kneeling. The final piece of the puzzle connected with Nat as she gasped and turned to find Wanda, tears glistening in her eyes. Every Avenger in the room, stood to watch the proposal take place.

"Natasha, when I first met you, I admit you intimidated me a little," This comment elicited a laugh from Natasha. "But as we grew to know each other, I found myself falling in love with you. I knew from the very first date, we were meant to be together. You have shown me love I never knew could be possible. I'd love nothing more than be with you forever. You're my world and I need you to be part of my life for an eternity. I love you Natasha, with everything I have to give. Will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?" Wanda proposed.

"Yes. A thousand times yes," Natasha accepted. Wanda smiled and took the ring out of the box, slipping it on her finger and standing up. Everyone clapped and cheered for them as they kissed. A pang hit my heart; I was lonely. Again. Even though the letters brought me to someone, I still needed her. I wanted her. I wasn't jealous of Wanda and Natasha. I was happy, but I wanted it for myself.

I embraced Natasha when she came over to me, giving her congrats and she caught my gaze.

"Don't worry. You'll have your moment to shine. She's coming. Soon, I hope. Keira will be yours to have one day. Stay positive. Be patient," she whispered.

"I know. I'm still waiting on fate to intervene," I whispered back. The night winded down and guests began to leave to return to their own homes to celebrate with their own version of family. Most of us stayed together talking, each one retiring when they needed to. I found myself alone in the living room, the last to depart to my room. I sighed and went over to the desk to compose a letter to Keira. I'd have to wait until she sent me her own, before I could send one back to her at her parents' home. I hoped it would be the last.

Four Days Later

The 28th arrived and I reflected on Christmas day. It went by too quickly and the routine resembled. A run, a mission, and meeting. Not in that order. The mission had come early that morning, on Christmas. Whoever decided to cause on trouble on a special holiday was some crazy son of a bitch. Only this time it was a woman. This mission required Tony, Bruce, Thor, Bucky, Strange, Wong, and Sam. I let Wanda and Natasha rest for their engagement, employing the others in taking the enemy down.

It included a form of necromancy, which is why Strange needed to be there. Some freaky things occurred that I was unprepared for. Things one needed to relieve stress from. The battle lasted a while, around eight hours, our bodies exhausted by the time we returned home. I had to brew myself tea, something I hadn't done in a long time. To de-stress further, I took a longer training session, sweating off more energy. A scalding hot shower was also needed; I scrubbed my skin until satisfied that I no longer felt the woes of the battle itself.

A longer run was taken the next day and I still paced the mailbox, awaiting Keira's next letter. It still hadn't come but I doubted it would come a day after Christmas given the time post offices took for the holiday. Which meant more patience. Two meeting occurred in the same day, one from General Ross, who still didn't understand Strange's work and the other with Tony, who had nightmares from that day. He needed to work through what happened, still shocked when someone had to end the necromancer's life. Strange wouldn't do it and Tony had made a last-minute decision to do just that. It still haunted him, but he had no other choice. She would have ended more lives and we couldn't take the chance.

On the 27th, we all went out to drink, playing pool and having fun to shake the tension and to have an official celebration of Wanda and Natasha's engagement with our "family". The letter still hadn't made it to the mailbox, and I started to worry that I wouldn't be able to get mine to her in time before she left.

Today, however, as I paced up and down the driveway towards the end of the day, my hopes were achieved. As the mail man pulled up, I had him hand me the stack of mail for the day, rummaging through it until I found what I was looking for. The envelope was thicker this time and I bypassed everyone in the kitchen to open it in private. I stretched out on my bed, elbows up to read her new words.

Steve,

Christmas Eve. What a glorious night. As you can see, I'm back at my parents' and will be spending the next few days here. I'll be here until the 30th before returning back to New York. A decision I made and can't refund because, well, they're plane tickets. I sent you a few pictures of the night in question. They're of my family and their joy of the holiday. The presents, the feast and them.

You might be disappointed of the lack of pictures of me. Let me explain. I want you to see me. I do, but I would like for it to be the very first time we meet. I want to take in your reaction in person. I want to be able to take your breath away as we lock eyes. I didn't want you to see me in the pictures and know what I look like as I walked through the door.

I think it might be a little romantic. Too much like a movie, but you know what, I don't care. It's what I have envisioned in my head and I want it to play out like that. I know, cheesy. That's who I am though. A hopeless romantic at heart. You should also know that I nearly cancelled my plans to come and find you. I have your address and I was willing to drop everything and come over. But I figured my family would have been upset over it. Maybe next time?

A laugh escaped my throat. I agreed with her. Which is why I hadn't sent her any pictures either. I wanted it to be a surprise. A genuine reaction. I looked over the pictures. It looked like beautiful chaos. Who knew so much fun could be shared in a couple of photos? What surprised me was when she said she almost cancelled plans to find me. I understand why she didn't. I knew she didn't want to disappoint her family, but I was happy to see she had plans for us for next year.

I am alone in my room again. I haven't been in here since I first got ready for tonight. I'm pretty sure I over-dressed. I went with an elegant dress and an old-fashioned hairstyle. I felt great in it and I wanted confidence to go through me. I'm being bold again. Which is a bit weird for me. I think it's a good thing though.

I've resolved to take charge at the beginning of the year. No more letting people get me down. No more letting my friends or family walk over me again. No more having my family judge me for things that make me happy. A chance at a new beginning. I want you to be in it too. January 18th can't come soon enough. I might be on the verge of pining for you. Not that I hadn't been already. It's just more intense.

This is probably too much information, but I daydreamed about you last night. I usually do sometimes as a way to relax or to de-stress or whenever I feel the need to. Most of the time it's more romantic. Last night…it was more, uh, sensual. Remember when you wrote to me of the images that came to you. Of us connected in more of an intimate way. That's what I thought of.

Heat flushed my cheeks as I read the paragraph. It was beginning to seem like we wanted each other in more of a sexual way, while still falling for each other. We both had awakened a new desire in our hearts and we both appeared to want that desire to play out in real life.

I want to feel you on top of me or me on top of you (if you have no preference or maybe if you'd like that). I want us connected. I guess I'm getting frustrated of not meeting you yet. I'm trying to be patient, but I can't help it. I can't wait for our paths to cross. To be able to see you, to touch you. I keep imagining scenarios of how our meeting will take place. I was thinking maybe Central Park, say around noon. I'll be waiting on a bench for you.

Anyways, I will let the night play out for you. My family inquired into my life again. The same questions, which I avoided with my cousin by grabbing dessert. My parents backed off from their judgment, which surprised me. They're the first to say something. We opened presents and proceeded to sit around the fire talking. It was like old times and I wished it could be like that all the time. I hope to share it with you. Maybe create our own traditions.

After everyone left, my parents and I sat together and opened a present each. Which is usually, new pajamas to change into for the next morning, when we open our special gifts with each other. And Newt of course. He about knocked me down when I got home. He misses me when I return to New York. I won't move back though. I'd miss you too much. Unless, we decided to come to North Carolina to live. But I love the city.

I'd move anywhere. If it meant having you with me, I'd do it, I thought. It was the truth. Damn, I really had it bad for Keira. So much so that I'd agree to be anywhere in the world. Though, New York had really become home for both of us. Though, at this point we only wanted to be with each other.

Now I sit here late at night writing to you. I needed to talk to you. To wish you a Merry Christmas. To wish you a New Year's. Though, I'll be back before then. I sit here writing what I think will be my last letter. I hope, anyway. I do have another one planned before the 18th. But I feel like fate is about to intervene. Time seems to be going by quickly, as if it's waiting for the right moment. Do you get that sense? I wonder what you're doing now. Are you having a pleasant night with your friends?

I miss you. Here's to hoping we'll be with each other soon.

Patiently waiting for you,

Keira

Though a little shorter than her last letter, I still felt it was enough. She was eager to meet and felt time getting faster. I felt the opposite. I was under the impression it was getting slower, keeping me from her. I hoped I was wrong. I hoped it would speed up and bring us together before we even realized it. Then we could begin our relationship, engaging in the bright future ahead of us. I got up and wrote the address of her parents' home and went out to drop it off in a blue box, praying it'd get there in time.

The 30th

Keira's POV

Christmas Day came and went. I opened my gifts from my parents and enjoyed the surprises that were in store for me. They knew me well, gifting me kit for watching movies and reading, even throwing in books they thought I'd like. They were thrilled with the ones I gave them and then it was over. Interesting how it lasts only a few minutes and then it's gone. In a flash. We ate and I spent the next few hours relaxing before running one specific errand. I dropped off the letter in one of those blue boxes, knowing the post office would be closed on Christmas day. Now it was the 30th and I still waited for the mail, hoping I'd get something from Steve.

I couldn't wait to hear from him and to see what exciting things happened to him over the holidays. Imagine my surprise when my dad walked through the living room carrying the stack of mail. He rifled through the stack, pausing on an envelope.

"Who's Steve Rogers? Do we know-," he asked, blinking in surprise when I took it from his hand.

"It's mine. It's from a friend in New York. I told him I'd be here for Christmas," I said, clutching it to my chest.

"Oh. Okay. I don't recall you ever mentioning-,"

"He's relatively new. I didn't think you wanted to know everything that's happened in New York and I guess I forgot to say something earlier. I'll be in my room should you need me," I said, disappearing before more questions were asked. I reclined against the pillows of my bed and opened the letter to read.

Keira,

I hope your Christmas Eve is going okay. I'm had a huge dinner with my family. Or what my version of family is. It's nice to see friends who live in other areas. The feast is wonderful, and it makes me wonder what you're having at your parents'. You're on my mind a lot lately. Time seems to be slowing down and January is too far away.

It's like December is stuck, not moving on to the next month. I suspect the 18th will be just as slow to get here. I feel like time is keeping me from seeing you. I desperately want to see you, to be able to embrace you. Will we hug when we see each other? I hope so. Is there a specific meeting place you want to meet? Look at me getting ahead of myself.

No, it's fine. I want to see you too, I thought. I had sent a meeting place in my letter I sent to him and gave him another reason to send me another letter in case these weren't our last letters to each other. I chose Central Park because it was something familiar. I would have chosen my favorite coffee shop, but I wasn't sure if he'd be able to find it or if it would be crowded. I wanted to be able to talk to him in a quiet atmosphere. I started to ask if he'd like to come to my apartment, but there was a part of me that thought I wouldn't be able to keep my hands off of him.

I'm thinking of the future with you. I think it'll be a good one. You might be wondering what's got me thinking about it. I've thought of a wedding and everything. Something exciting and beautiful happened tonight. My friend Natasha and Wand got engaged tonight. It was romantic and perfect. Especially with those two. They've been together for three years, falling deeper in love. It was time for them. It made me lonely, though.

I'm not jealous. That's not it. I…I just really want you here in my arms. I want to kiss you, to hold you. I want to be able to plan out a wedding and a honeymoon. A life with you. I don't want to be ahead of the game, but the engagement has me thinking about it. Of you. I've got it bad for you. I'm not afraid to say it…or write it. I wanted you to know it. I needed to tell you this because it's been on my mind since the proposal.

"Congrats to your friends. It's wonderful news," I said aloud. I was happy for them, but like him it made me feel a bit lonelier too. I wasn't thinking about our wedding yet. I only thought about the beginning of the relationship and apparently the intimate moments. Not that I didn't want to marry him. I'd like to, but I wasn't there yet. But I also didn't witness a proposal like he did.

I suppose you wish to know how it happened. Wanda sent Nat on a scavenger hunt. She employed my help and we hid clues around the compound for Nat to find. The last clue was placed on the ring box in the dining room and she got down on one knee in front of everyone. It was a beautiful speech, and everyone cheered. I gave my congrats, embracing Natasha. I wish you could have been here to see it. Congratulated them yourself. They're going to love you when I introduce to them. I think everyone will.

"That's adorable. I wish I could have been there too," I said, tears forming in my eyes. At the mention of introducing me to his friends, I got nervous. I knew I'd be awkward at first. It's how I was when I met people for the first time, but once I got comfortable with them, I opened up a bit more.

It's getting late and now I feel like I'm rambling a little. I'll end it with this. I'm hoping this is the last letter we will send to each other. Though if it's not then I'll respond to whichever one it ends up being. I can wait until the 18th and I'll offer up a suggestion on a location to meet. Maybe we can get a coffee somewhere. Somewhere quiet so we can talk. Get to know each other more. I'd like to also plan a first date. But more on that when the time comes. Normally, I'd like to get the friendship going, but I feel like we already have that. I'd like to start a relationship. I'd like to be able to kiss you, if that's alright. New beginnings.

Merry Christmas. Happy New Year if I don't see you then.

Still waiting for you (a bit impatient, but I can wait.)

Steve

I smiled. I wanted this one to be the last letter, but I couldn't know for sure if it would be. He felt time went slower while I felt it getting quicker. With the 18th in mind, I'd respond to his suggestion and whatever came my way with work or if something fun happened that I thought he might like to know about. What we wouldn't expect was New Year's Day and the intervention fate would place upon us.