"I love you," Steve said again, playing with her hair.
"I love you too," She mumbled
Steve pulled the blanket over their bodies and hugged her tightly against his body before falling asleep. That was his first night without nightmares in a long time.
He woke up early the next morning when a shy ray of sun hit his eyes. He blinked a few times trying to remember where he was. The soft pressure on his chest made him looked down. Amelia was sleeping peacefully.
"You make me feel whole again" Steve whispered after a while, playing with her hair. Being there with her felt like home. He belonged there. Steve didn't feel like a man out of time anymore, like an outlier weirdo that never fully understood what people were talking about. He felt normal, accepted, and loved for who he truly was, Steve Rogers, just a kid from Brooklyn. He never felt like Captain America with her. She would never refer to him as such "Just lemme bring him back. I owe him that" He added
Carefully he stood trying not to wake her up. He got dressed and left the apartment. It was only seven am.
Two hours later Amelia woke up alone in her bed. Her heart ached in confusion: did he really leave?
"His clothes are gone too," she said out loud with tears filling her eyes "did he really leave without saying goodbye?"
"No, I didn't" she heard Steve's voice from the living room. Probably his super-soldier ears allowing him to hear her "I went to grab us breakfast" He added walking in the room and sitting next to her "I thought about making it myself, but you don't deserve that torture"
Amelia giggled wiping her tears. Steve's cooking was terrible.
"I'm sorry I made you sad" He added cupping her cheek "I should've left you a note or something"
"It's ok" She whispered closing her eyes and enjoying his touch
"I'll wait for you in the dining room," he said letting her get dressed.
She wore an oversized t-shirt (one of the ones Steve left behind) and put her hair on a messy bum
"You look adorable," He told her seeing her putting on her glasses, too sleepy to find her contacts
"Thank you for breakfast," she said grabbing the coffee he offered.
"Of course," he said sitting on the table with her"I hope I got it right"
"You did" she smiled grabbing her cornetto with chocolate "let me guess, you got the classic American breakfast?"
"Well, they don't call me Captain America for nothing" he joked. Black coffee, sunny side eggs, bacon, and pancakes were his favorite
They eat in silence until Steve cleared his throat putting his coffee back on the table.
"Mm… I got something else when I went out earlier this morning" he mumbled feeling a little nervous
"What is it?" She asked drinking from her coffee "Hopefully another coffee because this one is delicious"
He smiled
"I did get you two coffees" he continued passing her the second one "and also this" He grabbed from the chair next to him a yellow envelope and pulled out a thick pack of papers. Amelia grabbed them carefully
"Sokovia Accords"she read seeing the first page not fully understanding what was going on. Would he really sign them for her? Did he really love her as much as he said he does?
"Keep going," Steve told her with a little tremor in his voice, and she passes the pages carefully. Her heart was speeding in anticipation of what she could see next. She reached a page that read "The Avengers" on top. Amelia saw her father's signature, and her uncle's, Natasha's, and… "you signed it" she whispered so softly that a normal person wouldn't have heard her
Steve nodded blushing a little, he was twisting his hands nervously under the table
"I had two copies at the hotel with me. Tony said I might need them later. I guess he is right and I'm predictable" Rogers explained taking a deep breath "I went for them this morning. One was mailed to Tony already; he'll give it to Ross"
"And this is the other one," Amelia said looking at it as if it was made of crystal "why do I have it?" she asked him, holding The Accords with both hands
"Well, I always promised you I'll stop so we could have a normal life together" Steve conveyed hesitantly. He wasn't sure if Amelia still wanted to have a life with him. They slept together and said they love each other, but maybe she was just ready to move on despite that. What if last night was just closure "I should start keeping my word if…you are OK with it of course…I want to give us another chance, but I don't want you to feel pressured or anything…I know we said things last night, but I don't know, maybe it was just closure?"
"Steve, you are trailing off," She told him shutting him up with a peck on the lips "That one night in my apartment, a few years ago, that was closure. Last night was us proving to each other that we can't be apart"
He blushed and smiled at her with sheepish eyes. She sighed before continuing
"I never really got over you, so yes. I wouldn't mind another opportunity to get what I always wanted with you" she continued "If it doesn't work at least we tried, and we could move on"
"That night wasn't closure"Steve whispered"I stood in your door for half an hour wanting to go back in and be together again. It hurts too much to be without you"
"I know," Mia told him"I couldn't stop crying after you left"
"I heard you. I still hate myself for that" Rogers said kissing her hand "I'm sorry"
"Steve…" She started and paused for a second "If…you don't stop after bringing Bucky in. I can't and I won't be with you. I love you, but…"
"I wrote a letter suggesting Sam as the next 'Captain America'"Steve cut her swallowing the guilt "I'm done. I want to grow old with you"
"Is Sam okay with that?" Mia asked trying to ignore the heat on her cheeks "I want to grow old with you" those words were like water in the desert
"I don't know, he wasn't back from his date yet," Steve said rolling his eyes in annoyance. Sam was a player "It is just my suggestion
Amelia laughed again whipping her tears
"I don't know what to say" she whispered smiling "I never thought this day would actually come"
"I'm sorry, that is my fault," Steve said "I should've kept my word all those years"
They stayed quiet for a few moments. Sipping their coffees and enjoying each other's company
"You know, I wouldn't mind if you notify that Bradly guy you are not interested anymore," Steve said feeling a surge of jealousy
"Sure" She gave him a smirk "I wouldn't mind if you stop hooking up with Romanoff"
Steve blushed like crazy and try to articulate words for a while. Amelia just laughed at the sight
"How did you find out?" He finally said. Even last night he noticed Amelia was aware of them – "Only Tony knew, did he tell you?"
"God no, he is actually a good friend. He never talked about your life with me" She said "I heard you guys at the compound. Remember when Pep's dad had a heart attack?"
"I do," Steve said, remembering full well that he stayed awake all night long with Nat.
"Dad was planning to propose after their dinner. He had all this romantic set up ready" Amelia continued "He called and asked me to please get everything out of the room. She was destroyed, and he didn't feel like it was the right time to propose"
"Why didn't he ask me?" Steve said "I was living there at that time"
"He did" Stark responded "You were probably too busy to hear the phone. In any event, your room is in the way to his…so…I heard you guys. Awkward moment to be honest"
"I'm sorry," Steve said "as I said, we are not together. We were both heartbroken and..."
"That's fine, I get it. That's why I was dating Harry Osborn" Amelia told him "what about bucky?" she added changing the subject feeling uncomfortable. Steve hated him. He tried to force Amelia to…be…with him.
She had locked herself in her restroom and called the first person she could think of: Steve. It was needless to say that Osborn almost got killed that night. Rogers stayed there with her all night, and the next morning Tony had his lawyers press charges and file a restraining order. After kicking Osborn's ass too, of course.
Steve's eyes darkened in anger. He should've killed him. She never told them how much happened, but he knew her. He knew way more than what she said happened.
"I'll still bring him in" Steve finally snapped out of his wrath "Romania is not in the accords, so technically I'm not breaking them. After that, I'm done"
"Do you promise? Are you sure?" she asked him "I don't want you to resent not being Captain America anymore"
"I died for my country already, I my debt is paid" Steve explained "I deserve a family, a life"
Amelia blushed, was he thinking of settling down with her? She knew he loved her, but they never talked about marriage too seriously, mostly because she was only 23 at that time.
"I'm sure" Steve continued "There is one more thing I want you to have"
"What is it?" Curiosity growing in her chest
"This was my mother's" He showed her a Claddagh ring, an Irish tradition "She told me to give it to the love of my life, so I want you to have it. I'm not proposing, not with this ring…I don't even know where the one that I got years ago is, but I love you and she said I needed to give it to the woman I love and that is you"
"You were trailing off again" Amelia whispered against his lips after kissing Steve deeply and slowly. He smiled "Did you…have a ring years ago?"
"I did," he said "Tony gave me his blessing and tried to kill me at the same time. I'm not…proposing now, but I do love you and want you to have it"
Amelia grabbed the ring with shaky hands
"This…it was your mom's Steve," she said "you should keep it; you don't have that many memories of her"
"I do have her in my mind all the time," he said closing her hand around the ring "and she wanted me to give it to the love of my life"
"I love you," she said with shy tears escaping her eyes
"I love you too" he whispered leaning forward to kiss her
Eventually, Steve headed out to look for Bucky
—-Tony's garage, twelve hours and seventeen minutes later —
"Mister Stark," said Friday "there is a package from Mr. Rogers at the front door. It is coming from Italy"
"Rogers? Italy?" he asked without lifting his eyes from the engine he was modifying for his car.
"Yes sir" Friday continued
"Idiot" Tony said carelessly, but deep inside he was relieved. He knew Amelia needed to see Steve. No matter how many times she would say she was over him, Tony knew his daughter, she was still in love with Rogers. Proof of that was moving to Italy to distance herself from him.
Stark knew Rogers needed Amelia too. They would barely touch the subject so Tony would be in the middle, but the few times they did Steve confessed not being able to find someone that made him think of settling down again.
"I thought Romanoff and you were steady," Tony told him passing him another beer
"I guess we are. I don't know" Steve said "but when I wanted something serious, she was still into Bruce and now that the roles are inverted…I just can't get Amelia out of my head"
"Did you ever get her out of your head?" Tony asked from over his drink "Don't get me wrong, Romanoff is gorgeous, but you never looked truly happy with her"
"No, I always have Amelia on my mind" Steve sighed "you know I wanted a family with her"
"I know," Tony said "don't forget you asked for her hand"
"I never got the chance," Steve said pulling a ring box out of his pocket "it hurts seeing this every day in my drawer"
"Don't open that drawer?" Tony offersto try to lighten up the mood
"Ha ha ha," Steve said sarcastically
"Come on it was funny," Tony said, and Steve smiled
"Can you...I don't know…hide it for me?" Rogers asked putting the ring on the table
"Yeah, I'll put it in the safe" Tony said "I'm sure you'll end up needing it sooner or later"
"That is some wishful thinking," Steve said drinking from his beer
"Have some faith old man" Tony said "or have another beer…whatever suits you"
Stark snapped out of his memory. Tony didn't need to open the package to know what it was. Steve Rogers signed the accords. It was a relief, but Barnes was still out there. Brainwashed or not he could use Amelia as leverage to hurt Steve