Keira's POV

Steve and I arrived at my apartment building and headed up the flight of stairs that led to my apartment door. We had been enjoying each other's company on the way here. He asked me about my morning prior to running into him; quite literally, I might add. I asked him about his and it appeared we had another thing in common; running early in the morning. I had inquired about why he had chosen the coffee shop this morning.

"I had always seen it on my route that I take and never stopped by. I thought I might take a chance and see what it was like. I didn't expect to run into you there. It was an impulse move I decided to take. I'm glad for it. It brought me to you," he said. I unlocked my door with shaking hands, nervous to have him over to my home, something I only dreamed would happen.

I knew nothing intimate would happen between us given the fact that we had only officially met but knowing this did nothing for my nerves. It only increased them, and I had to take a deep breath to calm my hands, focusing on getting the key in the lock and opening the door. I couldn't be happier, though, with the circumstances that led me to him this morning. I had to admit finding out that man I'd been writing to was Captain America came as a bit of a shock. Not that it mattered because he was still the man I fell in love. The man behind the mask if you will.

I never was one who cared about titles and I certainly wasn't going to go around spreading the news that I had been writing to him, that he was my pen pal. I only wanted Steve Rogers, who made my world complete. Without him in it, I feared I would have a missing part to my soul.

I opened my apartment door and invited Steve inside; a mess appeared before him, which only made my nerves worse. Why didn't I clean up before I left? Oh, right. I wasn't expecting any guests, I thought to myself.

"Uh, sorry about the mess. I wasn't really expecting anyone to come over this morning. I planned on tidying up later this afternoon," I said, beginning to pick up the clothes strewn all over the living room and tossing them in the hamper near the coat rack. Laundry day wasn't until tomorrow, but still I didn't want him seeing the various articles of clothing I had yet to clean. I cleared off the coffee table, which consisted of dirty plates, mugs and cups. Not unusual to see; I had a habit of hanging out in the living room eating and drinking tea unless I felt the need to venture into the bedroom. He chuckled and I turned to face him.

"It's alright. To be honest, it's not even that messy. It's nice to see a little mess. I'm used to being in a cleaner environment and I've seen worse mess than this. We're always expecting someone at the compound, so we have to keep it clean all the time. Plus, with all the missions I've been on, enemies tend to help create destruction that people have to clean up," he said. I cracked a smile and continued to clean up the rest of the dirty dishes, though in less of a hurry. I'd get the dishes later.

"Good to know. I'll keep that in mind should I ever visit," I stated. I froze, catching what I had said. "I mean, if you decided to…never mind," I continued, flustered and looking down at my hands.

"Keira," I looked up into his blue eyes. "I'm planning on inviting you over. You're important to me now. Besides, I had hoped to introduce to my friends, maybe even spend the night there some days if need be," he said. Heat flushed my cheeks, spreading down to my neck. I watched as he approached me, his hands taking mine. He intertwined our fingers as he brought them up to his lips, placing a gentle kiss on both of my hands; the heat grew hotter now spreading everywhere in my body.

"I…uh…should change into something less stained. Feel free to make yourself at home. There's water in the fridge and snacks in the pantry if you're hungry. I'll be just a few minutes," I said. He nodded releasing my hands. I headed down the hall to my bedroom and slipped his jacket off my arms. Removing the stained tank top and sports bra, I pulled on a normal, nude-colored bra and a cream sweater. I yanked off my workout leggings and put on a pair of comfortable jeans, removing my socks. I hated wearing socks if I wasn't going out anywhere and at the current moment, I didn't dare think about leaving this apartment.

Steve's POV
While I waited for her to change, I checked my phone to see if there were any messages from anyone. You could never be too careful; I didn't know if I needed to be somewhere in a moment's notice. The phone lit up and nothing was there. No messages asking where I was, no important email asking for me to go to a mission. My day was free to do what I wanted, and I wanted to be here with Keira. Fate had accomplished its mission in bringing us together sooner. I felt bad about spilling coffee on her, but again we hadn't been paying attention to our surroundings. She was warm and inviting and I could see our future piecing itself together. We were meant to be.

I thought about her appearance; lean and slightly muscular, hips swaying just enough to make me aroused. Olive green eyes which lit up when she was talking about something she loved, long, light brown hair which, in a ponytail reached in between her shoulder blades. Full, pink lips begging to be kissed. She was beautiful and damn, did she look good in my jacket.

I could spend all night with her if I chose to, but it would be up to her; maybe if we continued to talk, things would just end up happening. I had made a note in the back of my mind to cook her dinner tonight, make it our first official date. I desired to kiss her and hold her, not having a care in the world who knew. I only wanted her. The few minutes appeared to take longer than expected and then I heard the twist of the doorknob and out she walked carrying my jacket.

If I thought she looked good in her workout outfit and my jacket, she really looked magnificent in a sweater and jeans, which hugged her curves perfectly. Damn, I'm really in trouble now, I thought, giving her a smile as she continued her way to me.

Keira's POV

I walked down the hallway, pulling my hair out of the elastic holding it hostage. I ran my fingers through the tresses to where it lay evenly down my back, a few strands coming to rest on my shoulders. I had Steve's jacket in hand intending to return it to him. I spotted him sitting on the couch, one leg propped up on a few cushions, the other on the floor. As I handed it back to him, he shook his head.

"Keep it. It looks better on you anyway. Can I ask you a question?" he said. I hung the jacket on the coat rack with the rest of my favorites I constantly wore, seating myself beside him on the couch afterwards.

"Sure. What do you want to know?"

"Can I hold you? At least while we talk," he asked, his cheeks flushing pink, a small smile on his lips. I returned the smile, knowing the answer.

"I'd like that," He gestured for me to come closer, moving his leg in order for me to rest my head comfortably on his chest, my body fitting in between his two legs like a puzzle piece. His arms encircled my waist, his hands once again linking with mine.

"Alright, first question. What made you sign up for the pen pal event?" he asked. He kissed the top of my head, causing me to snuggle into him further.

"Hmmm…I thought it was kind of fun and interesting. Something different. Something out of my comfort zone. It's not something you see or do every day. I thought it could connect me to someone outside of the people I usually hang out with. Even if I only got a new friendship out of it," I answered.

"Instead it brought you to love. To me,"

"Yeah, but it was worth it. If you asked me if I'd change anything, I'd say no. I got to connect to you in more ways than one. What about you? Why did you sign up?"

"I suppose I wanted the same thing. A connection. New friends. Don't get me wrong, I love my friends. They're family to me, but I wanted to meet someone outside of my line of work. Plus, I haven't written a letter in a long time. It brought me back to my roots in some way. It was nice to write to someone again," he said.

"It's comforting I think, to be able to write to someone. Someone you love or really connect to. I don't know why people don't' do it more often. Does anyone know about the letters?" I said, tracing a small pattern on the back of his hand. He shivered a little at the touch.

"No one did at first. Then, Natasha got the mail one day and came across one of the letters. She asked about you and then when she found out I hadn't told Bucky, she made me tell him as well. Tony suspects something since the first letter arrived because he was the one who picked up the mail that day. I don't think he really knows anything or he's pretending not to. He's not brought it up since, so I'm not sure. At the moment, just two people," he said.

"What did they think of it?"

"Bucky loved the idea. Thought it was great I found someone. He's always loved letters though. Another romantic like me, though he used to flirt a little more. He's not as flirty now. He's been through a lot. Natasha was wary about it at first. I think she's come around to it now. Both questioned why I hadn't said anything about being Captain America. I wanted to say something in the second letter and then when your birthday came around, but I guess I feared your reaction," he said.

"Why?" I asked. He sighed, removing his hands to rub my shoulders, trailing them down to my arms and returning them to my hands.

"Most people, women especially, tend to be overly ecstatic when they meet me or hear about me in the news, benefits, etc. I've had the classic case where women will voluntarily throw themselves at me to date me. Well, not me exactly. They want the hero; they want Captain America. They've never wanted the real me, the person behind the mask. I had one relationship with a girl inside the job; Sharon Carter, but it didn't work out. But, the rest of them want to boast to their friends and family that they're dating an Avenger,"

"Hell, we've all had it happen at least once. I didn't want you to be the same. I liked you. A lot. I still do. I love you, for crying out loud. I think it would've broken my hear if you had turned out to be like everyone else," he confessed.

"When did you realize that I wasn't?"

"Around the third letters, with your birthday. The fourth letters really captured my attention though. You had asked about my oldest friend and you wanted to know things about me. You were genuine and when you offered to make the blanket. Everything after those letters pulled me in deeper and before I knew it, I had fallen in love with you. You read a book recommendation and I felt connected with you while we were watching the storm together," he said.

We talked like this for hours, occasionally switching positions on the couch, still touching whenever possible; it started creeping into lunch hour and both of us were starting to get hungry again. I ordered pizza to quench the hunger and we continued talking and laughing at things we'd joke about. The conversation flowed well, and we learned things about each other that we vowed not to tell anyone.

"You should probably know Nat looked into you. She went to a grocery store one day and talked to you. She told me she was concerned you were someone you're not. It ultimately backfired on her. Apparently, she'd grown to like you," he said. I choked on my soda, wiping the liquid from my chin when it dribbled out of my mouth.

"Wait, she's the one who asked about where I was from. She laughed about the whole bread and milk thing where people stock up on it. She seemed surprised I liked storms. I didn't realize she was the same Natasha in your letters. We had book club. We've even made plans to hang out again,"

"Sorry about that. I wanted you to know before I bring you by the compound. In case, her prying upset you. At least you'll know a familiar face apart from mine," Steve said.

"No, no. I'm not upset. I understand why she did it. She was concerned for your safety. I really like her. She's a good friend…acquaintance. I hope she'll be a friend someday. She's pretty awesome either way. She's the one who's engaged to Wanda, right?" Steve nodded. "Good for them. They sound like a sweet couple," I said.

"They are. I'm positive they're going to love you. I'm not sure they've ever met anyone with your personality and take on things. They're kind of used to people who don't have an open mind. It's refreshing to see someone who views the world differently," Steve said.

"Wait a minute. Does this mean your friend Bucky is the Winter Soldier? I know, he's not the lethal assassin he used to be, that he's part of the team. But is he?" Steve tensed at the question and I worried I hit a nerve.

"Yeah. He's a good guy. No question about it. Nothing to worry about. I promise he won't hurt you. He's not like that anymore. The things they…that HYDRA…did to him were…"

"Horrible, I know," At his confused glance, his body more tense as he waited for my response, I clarified what I was about to say. "I read up on him. Not in a bad way, not in a judgmental way. I got curious about him because of the incident in Germany a few years ago. Something felt off about it and I wanted to know more. So, I researched him a bit. He was a victim. I don't think people realize that about him. Except you guys, I'm sure. I'm not worried. I'll be happy to meet him if you want me to," I admitted. Steve's body relaxed completely at my words.

"You're right. No one knows it. Or if they do, they don't believe it. He might be shy when he meets you. It's how he is around newer people. Don't take it personally. He'll open up to you eventually,"

"Steve. It'll be fine. I promise. I'll give Bucky as much kindness as I can. My fatal flaw, I think. Too much compassion, too much kindness," I said. I smiled at him, one hand covering his. He nodded, flipping it over to take my hand and give it a gentle squeeze. We moved from the subject of his friends and more about our lives. The gala came up with the mention of Jana and I was shocked to know we were both in attendance.

"You mean to tell me we were only a few feet apart from each other? If I had approached her instead of dealing with the asshole, she tried to set me up with, I would have met you sooner? That's kind of funny. I'm sorry Jana came on to you like she did. When she gets a little alcohol in her system, she gets a little flirty,"

"Yeah, a little doesn't begin to cover it. She wanted to take me home for "security". By the way, I've been meaning to ask you how you didn't know I was Captain America earlier," he said.

"You mean the names? I didn't connect the two for some reason. I thought you were another Steve Rogers that wasn't in relation to Captain America. I did think it was weird, though, at how the women were acting when we received the pen pals. They kept looking at the sheet they were given and back at the sign-up sheet, but still I never made the connection," I answered. A soft ping went off on the coffee table capturing our attention. I watched as Steve picked up his phone and read the message that lit up on the screen.

"Something wrong? Is there something important? Do you need to go?" I asked, picking up the plates and empty pizza box. I didn't want him to go just yet, but if duty called, I might not have a choice in the matter.

"No. Tony is asking where I am. Do you…should I tell him? Is it okay? I know this has been a secret, but I understand if you're not comfortable going semi-public yet. At least with them,"

"You can tell him. If that's what you want. Unless you'd rather wait to see where this goes," I said, turning on the sink faucet. I ran the water over the plates, squirting liquid soap to clean off the crumbs and anything left from our fingers and mouths. Of course, I wanted to tell him to reveal our relationship, but I wasn't sure what that might mean. I also worried that he might not want the relationship to go any further, though we were having a good time today. I jumped a little when I turned to place the plate on the drying rack and smacked into Steve's chest.

"I'm ready to tell them if you are. Tell me what you want Keira. I'll do whatever you want. Just tell me. I want this relationship to continue. I know what I want. I want you. I need you and I'm willing to reveal all to my friends everything about us. But if that's not what you want then I won't," he said. He hooked a thumb under my chin to turn my face to his. My lips parted, my breathing becoming a little shallow. I knew my answer, I had known it the second he step foot in my apartment.

"Tell them. I want you Steve. I've always wanted you. Ever since the first letter. Tell them everything," I said in a low voice. He nodded and using his free hand sent out the message we both wanted to send.

"Now about the first date," he said. His breath fanned over my skin, warm and stirring inside me. His thumb was still hooked under my chin, also warm. God, how I wanted him to kiss me. Screw the first date. I wanted his lips on mine now.

"Should we stick to the 20th or-," I said instead, hating myself for holding back.

"I think it should be tonight. I'll cook something for us to eat here. I want it to be tonight because I desire to do something right this instant. If you'll let me," he said, his hand moving to tangle in my hair at the back of head. He leaned down to capture my lips, no hesitation on my part, in a kiss. He tasted good; though the taste of pizza remained, there was a mint taste to him mixed with honey. Sweet, sweet honey. Intoxicating, warm honey. My hands traveled up to his neck and continued upwards from there, so my fingers could card themselves in his hair. The kiss lasted maybe a minute, thought it felt like five, and he pulled away, his pupils dilated with desire.

"What do you think about Italian food?" he asked.

"I love it," We raided my pantry for the noodles, tomatoes, marinara sauce and various spices to put in it. Steve found the chicken breasts in the fridge and parmesan cheese, settling on making chicken parmesan for the night. We continued our conversation, making plans to head over to the compound in the next few days. After dinner, his phone chimed several times and he checked it to make sure he wasn't called out for a mission.

"Bucky and Nat are checking up on me this time. I think Tony may have said something to everyone,"

"What makes you think that?"

"They're all asking to send a picture of you. Plus, they're cheering about this. What do you say to coming over tomorrow for lunch? I think they're eager to meet you and if I don't bring you over soon, I fear they'll come over here and ambush you," he said.

"I have to dog sit for a few days, but I'm sure I can spare a few hours to come visit,"

"Great. I'll let them know. FYI, they may or may not prepare a giant feast for you. Nat and Wanda might kidnap you to go shopping," he said.

"We're already hanging out next week, so I won't be surprised," I told him. He smiled and helped me clean up. Long after dinner, we had made our way to the bedroom; he wanted a tour of the small apartment. Steve was impressed by my organizational skills and the trinkets hanging on the bookshelves. Even admired how I had framed his doodles, the dog with the yarn still on my desk for inspiration. We traded numbers and took a picture to share with his friends, cuddling on the bed. We kept talking well into the night; I set the alarm on my phone, turning out the light on my side of the bed, curling up into him. Eventually, I got up and changed into pajamas, Steve's arms enveloping me again.

As we continued talking, sleepiness reared its head and I yawned during parts of our conversation, until at last, sleep took over and I fell asleep tucked against him.

Steve's POV

The whole day I spent with Keira talking and now she had fallen asleep in my arms. I smiled and covered us with some of the blankets she had made. I checked my phone again and discovered a whole new flood of texts on the screen. Everyone had reacted to the photo of us, saying she was gorgeous, beautiful and every other variation of those words. Some of them were questions:

BUCKY: Are you coming back tonight? Or staying there with her?

NATASHA: Did you kiss here Will she come by tomorrow? Did you tell her about me checking on her? Wanda is already excited.

TONY: Where did you meet this chick? How long have you known each other? Why didn't you tell us? I'm glad you found someone to love.

THOR: We should throw a feast. I'll tell Loki to be nice and not play pranks.

SAM: Finally!

BUCKY: I'm excited to have another addition to our family.

NATASHA: This is cause for celebration. You're probably going to marry that girl. Probably after Wanda and I do.

I smiled and replied to the questions and silenced my phone for the rest of the night, turning my attention to the woman asleep against me. I stroked her hair, placing a gentle kiss on her cheek. Reaching behind me, I shut off the lamp and held her close, her steady breathing lulling me into dreamland. Beside the woman I'd love to someday call my wife.