Steve's POV

Light streamed in from a window, rousing me from sleep. I opened my eyes slowly and saw Keira still sleeping beside me. She was curled up tight against my body, her arms encircling my waist. I had one arm draped over her torso and the other cradling her head in my hand. A beautiful sight to wake up to.

Though, I didn't want to move, my bladder alerted me to the fact that I needed to relieve myself. Releasing a sigh, I placed a kiss on top of Keira's head and unraveled from her; I took caution not to wake her as I got out of the bed. I made my way to her bathroom and emptied my bladder, flushing and washing my hands after. Exiting, I made my way to the kitchen and decided to fix breakfast for the both of us.

The plan for today was to introduce her to my family; The Avengers. They were eager to meet the woman who managed to snag my heart through letters; I, too, was ready to introduce her to my friends. We planned for lunch; her client dropping off a dog in a few hours. I cracked four eggs into a frying pan, setting a separate one down for bacon. A simple breakfast, sure, but it's what I wanted. To be able to come home and relax with another.

To cuddle on the couch and not worry about anything. Not until I left for work, saving the world. Was it too early to be thinking about marriage? Maybe, but I could clearly see a forever future with Keira. I heard her alarm go off and stirring from the bedroom, acknowledging she had awoke. I smiled to myself, picturing our big day; one that required Keira walking down the aisle in a beautiful white dress.

Keira's POV

My alarm woke me from slumber, and I shut it off to start my day. Sitting up, I noticed Steve was no longer sleeping beside me. I worried he had left without saying goodbye, but the smell of bacon alerted me to the fact that he was still here. I smiled and slid out of the bed and slipped on a hoodie to cut the chill of the apartment, heading down the hall to the kitchen. I was greeted by the sight of Steve cooking breakfast.

"Good morning, Keira," he said, plating eggs and bacon.

"Good morning. You cooked. Again," I stated, taking a plate from him.

"I did. Is this okay? I know it's simple, but I wasn't sure what you usually had in the morning,"

"It's wonderful. I feel like I should cook for you sometime. Though, I could potentially get used to this," I told him.

"I don't mind. It's been a long time since I've cooked for a girl. I'd love to see what you have in mind for a meal,"

"It's a date," He smiled, and we ate talking throughout.

"About today…don't be alarmed if Tony throws a big feast. They're very excited about meeting you. He might decide to go overboard," Steve said.

"Mmm. That reminds me. Should I bring anything? Wine, baked goods, gifts?"

"You're not obligated to. Just bring yourself. If you choose to bring something, that's up to you, but again, not necessary," he leaned over to kiss me, taking my plate.

"I think I'll bake some brownies. Just in case. I want to be courteous to the host or future friends," I said.

"Fair enough. I'm sure they'd appreciate the gesture," he stated.

"I'm going to take a shower. Feel free to make yourself at home while you wait,"

"Hang on a second," he said, pulling me flush against his body. He bent down to capture my lips; my arms circled around his neck, my fingers carding through his hair. Electricity shot through me, causing my toes to curl. He released me after a minute, and I had to contain myself before heading to the bathroom for a shower. What was Steve doing to me? All my insides felt like goo and I had the sudden urge to remove him of his clothes, despite the early stage of our relationship.

I let the hot water run over me, drowning all thoughts of it; the thought of his hands exploring my body, those lips kissing every inch of me. The thought of imagining him in here with me…Keira, stop it. Get it together. Yes, there was obvious attraction towards him, but that didn't mean we should jump each other's bones right this second. I got out, towel-dried my hair and slipped into a white tank top and blue sweatpants. I heard a knock at my door, heard it swing open before I entered the living room and almost laughed at the look on my client's face.

"Hey Barbara. Come on in," I greeted her. The dog I was taking care of for three days was a chocolate lab by the name of Finn. Startled, she turned to look at me.

"He's Captain America," She looked back at Steve. "You're Captain America. How do you know Captain America?" she said.

"Mutual friends," I answered, winking at Steve, who broke out in a huge grin.

"Wait, he's in your apartment. Are you…dating Captain America?" she continued. I took Finn's leash and bag from her.

"Steve Rogers, Ma'am. We've only started seeing each other. Between me and you, I was thinking about asking her to be my girlfriend. Our first date convinced me to take the next step," Steve said, whispering the last part. Though, it was loud enough for me to hear, causing heat to flush my cheeks. Barbara's jaw dropped open and I bit my lip to keep from laughing.

"Anything else I need to know before you leave me with Finn?" I asked. She took a minute to recover and graced me with a smile.

"He's been having stomach issues, so there's a bottle of pills for him to take in case it continues. Just one, dear. With cheese. Congrats on nailing one of the Avengers. See you Wednesday," she said, writing out a check.

"Okay. Thanks. Have a good trip," She nodded and left. I shut the door and unleashed Finn to set up everything for him. I hung up the bag, taking out his water and food bowl, setting them in the kitchen.

"I meant it," Steve said.

"What?"

"Asking you to be my girlfriend. I know we've only had one date, but I want you to be more to me. I love you, Keira. I don't want to let you go," he answered. In a few quick strides, he was in front of me by the kitchen sink. He placed his hands on my shoulders, moving them to my jaw. He tilted my head up to look at him.

"Tell me you'll be mine. Tell me you want me. This relationship. I know I do. I'm in this for the long run. Tell me you are too," he said. My hands went to his chest and I nodded.

"I want this. I want you. I'll be yours. As long as you want me to,"

"Forever. I want you forever," he confessed. He kissed me; soft lips pressed against mine, swallowing my soul whole. A bark interrupted, Steve smiling into the kiss.

"I should take him for a walk before I make brownies. Then we'll go see your family," I told him when we broke apart.

"Yeah. You should probably do that," Neither of us moved, the tension between us becoming more intense. He leaned in to kiss me again, turning my body to press it against the counter. My hands slipped under his shirt, drifting over the edge of his stomach and making their way up to outline his muscles. He lifted me up to sit on the counter, positioning himself between my legs. His lips moved to my neck, eliciting a moan from my lips. Steve would've continued his path downwards, but another bark interrupted us.

He sighed, pressing his forehead against the crook of my neck, my hands stroking his hair. When he looked back at me, his pupils were blown with lust.

"So, about that walk? Can I come?" he asked. I nodded and he helped me off the counter. I went to the bedroom to change into workout gear, joining him by the front door. I hooked Finn's collar to his leash, and we left.

A half an hour later, we returned to my apartment, Finn going to get water once, I unhooked him. I prepared the ingredients for two batches of brownies, Steve helping me with them. I set a time for them to bake before heading back to the bedroom to get ready for lunch with the Avengers. My outfit for today consisted of a green t-shirt, blue jeans and a brown leather jacket. I chose to wear my favorite pair of black boots to complete the ensemble.

I applied my makeup to where it was light and natural; minimal eyeliner and nude eyeshadow, with mascara as a last addition to the look itself. I pulled my now dry hair into a ponytail, coming out to join Steve on the couch. He pulled me against his chest while we waited for the brownies to finish baking. The timer went off and I pulled them out, waiting five minutes for them to cool; I removed them from the pan to pack up for his friends.

"Ready?" Steve asked. I nodded and crated Finn with enough food and water before leaving the apartment. We walked back to the coffee shop where his motorcycle was still parked and rode over to a large building upstate.

Steve's POV

I parked my motorcycle in front of the compound, Keira and I getting off to go inside. I held her hand as we walked through the building, trying to locate my teammates, my friends.

"Hello? Tony? Nat? Bucky?" I called out. We continued to the lounge where Nat, Wanda, Sam and Thor sat.

"Steve! You're back," Natasha stated, getting up. I released Keira's hand to hug Nat for a moment. She let go and focused on Keira.

"Keira. I'm sure you remember me,"

"How could I not? We had a lot of fun talking at the book club," Keira greeted her.

"I hope you're not too upset that I spied on you,"

"No, not at all. I get it. Anything to protect your best friends. I'd do the same thing in the similar situation," Nat smiled and pulled Keira into a hug. She took Keira's hand and pulled her over to Wanda.

"I'd like you to meet Wanda Maximoff, my fiancée," Nat introduced her.

"Nice to meet you. I'm Keira. She's gorgeous. I see why you like her," Keira said, bringing a smile to Wanda's lips.

"Oh, good. We're going to get along wonderfully," she said.

Perfect. She's already having a good time. I walked over to the three women.

"I'm going to change out of these clothes. Put some fresh ones on. Will you be alright here?" I said. Keira nodded and I kissed her before to change. When I came back, Keira was talking to Thor and Sam about her brownies and they were grinning at the treat.

"She's going to fit in with us perfectly. She's like the puzzle piece we've been missing for a while," Nat told me.

"I like her. She's different from anyone I've met before. Please, say you're planning on marrying her," Wanda said.

"I hope so. I'm in love with her already. It's still only the beginning. I want to let this relationship expand before asking for her hand," I said. I sat down beside Keira, my arm resting behind her head. Naturally, she leaned back against me.

"Aww, look at the two lovebirds. You two look adorable," Sam said.

"She makes good food. We need to keep her around to make more brownies," Thor stated. He devoured another one in a dramatic way causing Keira to giggle.

"Where's Steve's girl? I've got to meet her," a new voice shouted. Tony rounded the corner of the living room and walked over to us.

"This her? Is she the Keira?" he asked, gesturing to the woman leaning against me. I nodded and he pulled Keira up and into his arms. I could tell it shocked her, but she returned his hug, relaxing into it.

"Welcome to our family. Are you hungry? We've got sandwiches, pizza, fried chicken. If you don't want those choices, we could always order something you like. For dessert, I've got cake-,"

"Jeez, Stark. Did you really need to order a giant feast?" someone said. I looked past Tony and Keira, spotting Bucky leaning against a wall.

"Yes, I did. It's not every day, Cap brings a girl over. Especially not one he's fallen in love with. It's a cause for celebration," Tony retorted.

"Oh, I don't know if I'm all that special to throw a feast for," Keira said, her face turning a bright pink.

"Are you kidding? Of course, you are. Steve, she's stunning…" Tony continued. His voice zoned out as I watched Keira make her way over to Bucky.

"So, you're the girl who won my best friend's heart? I have to say you did a fine job. I don't he's ever been like this since the 40's," Bucky said.

"I am. My name's Keira. To be fair, he's won over my heart as well. I've fallen harder for him than I've ever fallen in love before. In fact, he's the first man I've been able to see a future with," she said. Bucky's eyebrows rose and he straightened up.

"Well, then. Let's hope you don't lose each other. I'm Bucky. I'm sure he's told you about me. It's a pleasure to meet you," he said, extending his left hand out to her. I assumed he was testing her, to see if she'd do what most people wouldn't. Keira glanced down and then met his eyes, smiling. She grasped his hand in hers, shaking it.

"The pleasure's all mine. I do hope we can be the best of friends," she said. His eyes widened and he let go. He wrapped his arms around her, lifting her in the air as he hugged her. Putting her back down, he looked over at me.

"I like her. Keep her. She's perfect for you," Bucky said. More of the team showed up, including Doctor Strange, who Tony wanted to invite because he had wanted to see her reaction to him. Thor invited Loki for the same reason. Turns out she took to them well, surprising Strange and rendering Loki speechless when she handed him a brownie. With Strange, she had asked to see his hands, delicately running her fingers over his scars. He was startled and a bit of magic shot forth, delighting her.

"Alright, let's eat. Celebrate a new addition to the family," Tony announced. Keira returned to my side and entwined her fingers with mine.

"I like the. You have a wonderful family," she whispered. Heat flushed my cheeks and I pulled her close, releasing her hand to drape my arm over her shoulders. They all wanted to get to know her, our story; everything they could ask to find out what she was like. She answered the questions with ease, interested to know more about them. When dessert came around, she claimed she had to return home; the responsibility of watching Finn a priority. My friends were sad to see Keira leave, but she promised to return, going so far as to set up a movie night with us next month.

She confirmed the girls' night with Wanda and Natasha; all three were excited for it and Wanda planned to bring wine and well wishes. Keira packed up a slice of cake to take back with her and we headed back to her apartment. Finn was excited to see her, and we took him out for a walk before saying goodbye.

"When will our next date be?" I asked.

"Hmmm. How about in two weeks. Next week is super busy for me. We could do two dates in the following week. On that Tuesday and Friday?" she answered.

"That works. See you then. I love you,"

"I love you too," I kissed her and left to return to the compound. Everyone approved of her and she of them. Keira was definitely a part of our family now. Especially, since I wasn't ever letting her go.