AUTHOR'S NOTE- This chapter has been modified from its original form to fit the T-Rating on (due to smut). If you want to read this chapter in its original state, head over to ArchiveofOurOwn to read the smut- (Search Nodus Tollens Chapter 18) Reading it here doesn't lose any plot, however, it cuts out most of the graphics (Even the smut is very light, however, better safe than sorry!) Enjoy!

Steve hadn't even been allowed to change before Tony had begun yelling at everyone that it was shawarma time. Steve had been given about thirty minutes to start coordinating search and rescue before Tony burst into the room and told him he needed to eat, and that he'd done enough. Steve didn't necessarily agree with that statement. People were trapped under rubble. People were dead. They couldn't just stop working and bombard somebody's shawarma shop dressed in battle uniforms.

Except that's exactly what Tony intended to do. He corralled everyone, even forcing Thor to bring Loki because he rightfully didn't trust the God of Mischief to be left behind. They strolled down the deserted streets, seeing the first responders begin to search for survivors. Steve felt sick to his stomach as they passed by the hardworking police officers and firefighters storming the buildings. But Tony Stark wanted shawarma, so that's what they were doing instead of helping.

"I hate everything about this." Steve grumbled as he walked beside Natasha and Clint. He had his arms crossed and shoulders squared, looking like a spoiled child who wasn't getting his way.

Natasha chuckled and shrugged, "Stark's eccentric. Let him have this thing. He put a nuke through a wormhole and saved humanity."

"Yeah, but we also blew up half the city." Steve said as he eyed the redhead, "But I am hungry."

"Exactly. We're laying low. We deserve a chance to catch our breath, too." She told Steve, taking a step closer so she could bump her hip into him, "Plus, I heard your lady friend is meeting us."

Steve smiled at that. The thought of seeing Brooklyn again and getting to actually talk to her put him at ease. He also owed her an apology for his behavior earlier. "I threatened to kill her imaginary boyfriend."

"Please don't take this the wrong way, because you are clearly very into her, but she's really not that special." Steve glared at Natasha, but she just shrugged it off, "She's just a person, Steve. Don't be so intense. She's so used to pretending to be somebody else that she's insecure in her own skin. I know that much."

Steve considered this, gazing at Natasha for more clues, but she offered none. All she gave Steve was a nod towards the shawarma shop, and the two women standing just inside the door. The soldier sprinted forward, passing Tony and Bruce, who was looking around in terror at all the damage he had caused as The Other Guy.

But to Captain America, none of it existed anymore. For a brief time, all he saw was the scantily clad, mahogany haired, stunningly captivating woman cowering just inside the shattered door. When he reached her though, the only thing he could get out was, "Hey."

"Hi." Brooklyn answered back, pressing her hand to Steve's, "You feeling better?"

Steve's shoulders slumped as he laughed. He finally felt relaxed, "Yeah, I'm so sorry. I was…"

"Intense. A little insane?"

"Yeah. But I don't regret any of it." Steve ducked his head and snuck a kiss.

Dallas gave a loud, fake cough as the other Avengers reached the door, "We told the owner to expect some business. He's working on cleaning up the back but thinks the food shouldn't have too much plaster in it."

"Good. After palladium poisoning, I doubt my constitution could handle any more foreign substances." Tony grumbled as he plopped into a nearby chair. He looked over his shoulder, seeing the sign flickering as two Middle Eastern men worked on sweeping away the debris, "Ya'll don't sell booze here, do you?"

Steve turned to Brooklyn, realizing she was squirming in his iron grip, "Sorry!"

"You're understandably really out of it, so it's fine. Today." She said as she stepped back and took a deep breath. She looked to her little sister, who gazed at the Avengers with wide eyes and a mouth watering smirk, "Dee?"

"Do you think the blonde would let me touch his hair?"

"No, Thor will not let you touch his hair, get back here." Brooklyn yanked her sister away from the god before addressing Steve, "We can pull this little table over to make it bigger?"

Steve considered this, looking between Brooklyn and the other Avengers. Natasha and Clint were ordering while Thor studied the menu with squinted eyes. Tony and Bruce were already seated as the latter shifted uncomfortably in the shirt Tony had loaned him once he calmed down. Thor had handcuffed Loki to the side of the wall with a muzzle over his sharp tongue to give the heroes some silence. Still, the corners of his eyes crinkled as he watched Steve with Brooklyn.

"We could sit here? Just the three of us?" Steve suggested shyly while he gestured to the tiny table against the wall.

Dallas scoffed, "That's not fun."

"Dee, please." Brooklyn groaned, looking from her little sister to Steve, "The whole gang is here. I need to make sure we're all on the same page. I still don't want SHIELD to know about her."

"Your secret is safe with me. And it'll be safe with them, too. I'll make sure of it. I don't want to share you." Steve growled into her ear, and he saw her smirk when she pushed him away. He dove back in and whispered in her ear, "Can I steal you away? Just for a little while?"

"No, we just survived an alien invasion and I need to make sure my sister is okay."

"Listen," Dallas groaned, leaning on her sister's shoulder, "If you two want to gaze into each other's eyes and tell each other how you've been pining over one another for months, that's fine with me. I'll just plop my cute little ass down in this free chair, next to Thor."

Brooklyn and Steve exchanged a glance as Thor sat down, looking up at them expectedly. "Aren't you guys going to eat?"

"Not hungry." Steve and Brooklyn answered in unison, but Dallas leaned against the empty chair next to his, "I'm starving. She hasn't fed me."

"You're a grown ass adult, feed yourself." Brooklyn argued and the younger sister winked and walked to the counter to order her food, taking Thor's gaze with her.

Steve pulled out a chair at the small table, gesturing for Brooklyn to sit. He sat across from her, swiping the half-eaten food left on the table before the invasion onto the floor. After tugging off his gloves, Steve grabbed her hands and both of his. "Hi."

She smiled softly, "Hi, Steve. How are you?"

"I'm alive."

"Great, so am I."

"How, exactly, are you alive?" Steve asked cautiously and Brooklyn smiled, looking over at the Avengers.

"I was in the cell when Thor was dropped. He got us out. He brought me back to Manhattan." Steve nodded, making a mental note to thank Thor later for saving her. Brooklyn swept her eyes over Steve, eventually landing on the spot where he'd been blasted by the alien weapon, "You've been shot!"

"I'm fine. It'll heal." Steve assured her, but his heart swelled at her worry. It reminded him of their time at the Retreat. Brooklyn knelt beside Steve, studying his wound was she ran her fingers over the ripped fabric. From above, he had a clear view of her cleavage and he looked up quickly as a deep blush overtook his features, "So, uh, what are you wearing?"

She seemed to realize what he'd gotten a glimpse of because she quickly put her hand over her breasts and stood, readjusting her tank top and pulling her shorts down a little, "Dallas didn't know about what I did and I figured the SHIELD logo would draw a lot of attention. I ditched the uniform after we crash landed and I wasn't able to get back to the hotel when we reached Manhattan." She looked down at her top for a moment, then pulled her hair over her chest, "It's a little more revealing than what I wore at the Retreat, isn't it?"

"I don't mind."

"I'm sure you don't." Brooklyn answered shyly. Steve could see her cheeks tinge a little at his words, and she looked over longingly at her sister. "I wish I were more like her. After Mom and Dad died, I got depressed, and she got bold. She had to be, she was the girl with no parents. I was old enough to know what we should have had."

"I don't find you timid." Steve said honestly, unsure where this was going. Was this the insecurity Natasha was talking about?

"I'm not timid, per se, I just don't let people in very well. She's incredibly open with everyone she meets, as you can see." Brooklyn gestured to her sister, and Steve realized the woman was now stroking Thor's bicep as he laughed loudly at something she'd said. "I'm not like that. I'm a background character. That's why your affection kinda freaks me out, I'm not used to having somebody care so much about me. Nobody ever really gets the chance, and I like it that way."

Steve rested his cheek on his knuckles as Brooklyn sat back down across from him. He wanted to give her the world. She'd cared about him when nobody else did. He wanted to return the favor. "I know you don't like to let people in, and that includes me, but I want you to trust me. I'll never hurt you, and I'll never let anyone know your secret. Nobody else gets me like you do, and I'm not going to waste my time trying to get to know somebody new. I found you and I want you."

"My gosh, you imprinted on that girl like a zebra finch. Give her some room to breathe Rogers, you're suffocating all of us!" Tony yelled through a mouthful of food from the other table.

Brooklyn giggled as Steve rolled his eyes and she held his hand a little tighter, "I'm here. You've got me." She leaned forward and kissed him softly, whispering, "Dallas leaves the day after tomorrow, assuming the flights go out. Can I come stay at your place? I'll sleep on the couch, just like old times."

Steve nodded, "Yeah, that would be great. Assuming it isn't in shambles…" He paused, chewing the inside of his cheek as a blush crept across his pale skin, "You don't have to sleep on the couch."

She raised her brow and Steve's stomach churned. He looked over, seeing the rest of the Avengers engaged in conversation amongst themselves. When he glanced at Loki, he found the God of Mischief watching him carefully. "We can talk more about it later. When we're alone."

Brooklyn noticed what Steve was looking at and stiffened, clenching his hand a little tighter, "I think maybe we should go."

"Nothing will happen to you, I promise."

"Get some rest. I'll see you Sunday night?" Brooklyn asked, standing quickly. Steve just nodded as she moved to the Avengers, asking them quietly to not mention her sister to anybody. Dallas looked as confused as Steve when Brooklyn pulled her to her feet and led her out the door of the Shawarma Palace, shooting Loki a warning glare as they left.

Steve took Dallas's spot, and Natasha took her feet off of Clint's lap to turn to him, "So, that was weird, right?"

"Yeah." Steve looked past the table to the God of Mischief, "It was. But today was a weird day."

"He's not wrong." Tony pointed at Steve, taking another huge bite of his lamb shawarma, "This is delicious, you sure you don't want something, Cap? I'll spare ya a few bucks."

"No, thank you. I'm fine." Steve said as he leaned his cheek against his fist, staring down at the table. He wasn't sad like he knew he looked; he was exhausted. A little smile formed across his lips at the thought of seeing Brooklyn again, after a shower and a good night's sleep. At his apartment, alone.

Saturday the Avengers escorted Thor and Loki to Central Park, where Thor was beamed back to Asgard, leaving a searing mark on the overpass they stood on. Steve said his goodbyes to the others and took off on his Harley to his home. At least, what was left of it.

While the building was still standing, the windows had been blasted in, and his couch had been destroyed. At least his apartment was still in one piece, the woman who lived above him had an alien chariot and corpse littering her kitchen.

Steve parked out front, using a chain he'd requested from Stark to tie his motorcycle to lamp post outside his apartment building. Friday night saw panic and celebrations. Saturday, however, began to see protesters and looters. Nick Fury suggested the Avengers stay off the radar for a while. Tony offered to deal with the press side of it all. Steve was just thankful to be able to go hide.

When he reached his door, Steve realized it was cracked open a little. He stiffened as he carefully pushed it open, peeking inside. "Show yourself."

"Stand down, Captain. It's just me." Director Fury stepped out from Steve's kitchen. "I'm surprised it's still standing. I was prepared to offer you a new home in D.C."

"I'm not ready to leave New York yet."

"But what about when June comes?" Fury questioned as he ran his gloved hand along Steve's tattered couch. "That's when Agent Hayes is being called back. She called me this morning. Told me that she broke things off with her boyfriend yesterday. Said she realized she had feelings for you when she saw you on the ground helping civilians or something like that. Agent Hayes informed me that she was going to pursue a relationship with you. I'm assuming you're aware of this?"

"Yes, Sir. I initiated the relationship."

I informed her that we'd be in a relationship.

Steve winced at his own memory and Fury chuckled, "Well, I gave her my blessing, on one condition." Fury reached inside his trench coat and pulled out a manila envelope. "That you consider this."

"Sir?" Steve opened the envelope and studied the contents quickly, flipping from the first page to the second, then the third. "You want me to lead a team at SHIELD?"

"I do. The STRIKE team is an elite kill squad. I'd like you and Romanoff to work with them. I think you'd be a real asset."

"Brooklyn recommended I didn't join SHIELD."

"That was months ago. Plus, she wouldn't be your handler for this. You'd be your own. So, you can date whomever you choose, and you won't need her blessing on what jobs you can do. The only objection you'll get from me is if your relationship effects the work either of you do. You're aware of what she does, aren't you?"

"I think so, Sir." Steve grumbled as he flipped through the packet again. "Does she think I should do this?"

"Don't know. I told her she could have the rest of the month off, and that if you agreed to our terms, you should move to D.C. with her in June." Fury smiled knowingly, his white teeth gleaming in the dark apartment, "We'll have an apartment ready for you. Enjoy the next three weeks, Captain. Good luck with Agent Hayes."

Steve showed Fury out the front door, watching him cautiously until he reached the stairs, "Thank you, Sir."

He closed and locked his door before snatching the packet off of his broken end table. Steve stripped out of his checkered shirt and slacks, discarding them in his hamper and crawling into his too-plush bed in just his boxers.

Steve read the packet again by the light of his bedside lamp, considering Fury's offer until he heard his phone vibrate on his nightstand.

Goodnight darling. (I've waited so long to actually call you that for real) I can't wait to see you again tomorrow. Sleep well.—Brooklyn

The message was sent along with a picture of her and Dallas laying on the bed of their hotel room, the younger sister focused on her phone while Brooklyn made a cheeky grin for the camera. Steve smiled as he sat the packet on his table and laid his head into the pillow, breathing deeply as he closed his eyes. The sooner he fell asleep, the sooner he'd have Brooklyn in his arms.

Steve awoke to the sound of his phone blaring loud rock music. He turned over and tried to grab his phone, accidentally whacking his table a little too hard and causing the wood to crack. When he finally got his cell into his hand, he realized who had changed his ringer, "What do you want, Stark?"

"How soon can you be here?" Stark wasn't teasing and he wasn't happy, "Banner and I need you."

"Twenty minutes?" Steve bounded to his feet and grabbed a green button down from his closet, "Is everything alright?"

"Yeah, just get here as soon as you can." Tony said in hushed tones, "We'll explain when you get here."

Steve was dressed and out the door within two minutes and speeding down the road in five. It took longer than usual to get from his apartment to midtown as most of the roads were still closed to civilian traffic. True to his word though, Steve was walking into Stark Tower seventeen minutes from the time he hung up, and the elevator doors opened to Tony's lab at exactly twenty.

"I'm here, what's happening?" Steve asked as he strode towards Tony and Pepper, noticing how Bruce massaged his temples on a stool nearby. "What's wrong?"

"Tony… why is Steve here?" Pepper's voice was displeased, and her narrowed eyes told Steve that she was skeptical of Tony's motives.

"You said it was an emergency." Steve said evenly and Tony burst into giggles as Banner looked between the genius and the soldier nervously.

"I never said it was an emergency. I just said Banner and I needed you and that we'd explain when you got here."

"I never said anything. I sat quietly in the corner and told him not to bother you, but he didn't listen." Banner argued and Pepper crossed her arms and shifted her weight to one heel, pursing her lips at her boyfriend.

"What have you done?"

"I haven't done anything! And neither has Cap, so we need to have 'the talk', you know?" Tony laughed and the woman dropped her arms and huffed.

She looked to Steve, who just sighed and rolled his eyes, crossing his arms, "While you're here, would you mind if I got a couple of quotes from you to give to the press on behalf of the Stark Relief Fund?"

"Of course. It'll make my trip worthwhile." Steve said with a pointed look to Tony.

Tony grabbed his stomach as he laughed, leaning back against one of his worktables as he waved Steve back with his other hand, "No, seriously, I think we should talk about it! What if you break her in half?"

"I'm not going to break her in half, and I'm not a virgin." Steve muttered as he turned and stormed out of the lab after Pepper.

As he tried to leave, the elevator doors slammed in his face, and when Steve tried to press the button, an automatic voice echoed overhead, "I'm sorry Captain Rogers, but Mr. Stark has requested you stay in the lab. He has business to speak with you about."

"Business, for the love of God Tony! You woke me up and drug me over here to talk about Brooklyn and me? I don't want to talk about it."

"You informed the woman she was going to be your girlfriend; I think we need to have a little talk about consent." Tony hummed as Steve wandered back into the room. "What is it about her? I need to know, or else I won't sleep tonight. And another thing, I called you at 10 A.M. I assumed you'd be awake."

Steve crossed his arms, feeling the fabric of his shirt pulling against his tight muscles as his whole body stiffened. "She just gets me, okay?"

"And that has nothing to do with you two spending six weeks locked in a cabin in the woods with only each other?" Bruce asked cautiously, lifting his head, and squinting at Steve. "All joking aside, it kind of sounds like Stockholm Syndrome. You two weren't intimate, but you were acting like a couple. She feels like your wife. I think that's why you're so adamant about getting back to that type of relationship, because you feel like you're married."

"What the big guy said." Tony nodded towards Bruce while Steve glared at the floor, not wanting to admit that they were probably right. "So. When's the flirty robot leaving?"

"If you're referring to Dallas, she's leaving today, and why is she the flirty robot?"

"She was 'this' close to climbing into Thor's lap. If you were going after that sister, I would have understood. Her sister is a little demurer." Tony explained, then snorted, "Unless that's why you like her? Because she won't jump your bones?"

Steve chose not to respond to Tony's theories, instead leaning against the wall and gesturing towards him. Suddenly, Steve felt the need to prove that he had every intention of sleeping with Brooklyn. Maybe Tony would actually say something useful, seeing as Steve didn't know the first thing about women, "Since you won't let me leave, might as well hear what you got to say."

Stark grinned and clapped his hands together, "Oh, where do I even start?"

Steve Rogers had a plan. He was often well prepared, whenever he could be. He appreciated sitting down and laying out the steps needed to finish his goal, but he was willing to improvise when needed. That's why he was a Captain without even rising through the ranks. Being able to form and enact a great plan was in his super-serum enhanced blood.

However, as he paced around his apartment Sunday evening, Steve began to wonder if Brooklyn would even show up. He didn't know when Dallas was flying out, but he knew that Brooklyn would take as much time with her little sister as possible. She'd texted him occasionally over the past couple of days, but the messages were few and far in between. It was approaching eight o'clock and Steve figured Dallas would have left by now.

Tony had harassed Steve for over two hours that morning, pressuring Captain America to go over his past sexual encounters in cringeworthy detail. By the time Steve was allowed to leave Stark Tower, he was sick to his stomach from the information Tony had prepped him with. He'd thought being intimate was simple. Apparently in the 21st Century, it had become remarkably involved.

After being accused of being too nervous to seal the deal by Stark, Steve's determination to absolutely wreck Brooklyn Hayes grew tenfold. If he just kept his stupid trap shut, everything else would come naturally. Steve had old fashioned values, but he wasn't a prude.

It wasn't until Steve had tossed back two beers that didn't affect him that Brooklyn pounded on his front door. When he opened it, he saw her panting on the other side, "I'm so sorry! I was called into SHIELD to finish up some paperwork about last week. I know I should have called, but my phone died and-"

Steve silenced the woman with a kiss, gently sliding his palm around the back of her neck to cradle her head as she eased her face up to reach him. He tugged her through his front door and closed it, leaning into her to flip the padlock. Brooklyn pulled back to gasp, but Steve didn't give her much time to recover, claiming her lips as he wrapped his arms around her.

She pushed up on her tip toes to get a better grip on him, being almost a foot shorter than Steve. He finally pulled away and looked over his shoulder towards his bedroom, "We should talk, right?"

"We should, yes." Brooklyn carded her fingers through Steve's blonde locks with a look on her face that told Steve she had no intention of using her mouth for anything other than putting it on him. Her eyes were lined with black, causing the hazel hue to pop in the reflection of Steve's lamplight. Her zip up sweater hid a V-neck shirt that barely gave Steve a glimpse of her breasts. His eyes slid up from her cleavage to her mouth, wanting to pace himself.

Brooklyn noticed his shifting gaze and decided to unzip her grey sweater as painfully slowly as possible. Steve's stomach clenched and he bit his lip as she slid the sweater off her shoulders, leaving it on her forearms as it hung around her waist, "What do you want to talk about?"

"You told me at the Retreat that casual sex was fine. Is that still the case?" Steve asked boldly, telling himself if she said no, he would respect that, but he'd be devastated if he had to release the building pressure in his cock on his own.

Brooklyn snorted, running her hands up Steve's shoulders to latch behind his neck. Her eyes were blown out and her breath was ragged, but it was her raspy voice that did Steve in, "I don't think there will be anything casual about our sex, Soldier."

If that wasn't giving him permission to screw her until he shouldn't walk, Steve didn't know what was. He hoisted her up by the thighs and carried her to his bedroom, depositing her roughly onto his bed and planting his knees on either side of her hips, "Say yes."

"Yes." She parroted and he collapsed on top of her, caging her body in between his long limbs. He shoved his tongue down her throat with such intensity she gasped, but all he did was grind his hips into her core. Brooklyn chuckled deeply as she pulled away slightly, "I wasn't expecting this… from you."

"I think you're confusing the idea of Captain America with the person who plays him." Steve purred into the shell of her ear as he caressed her jaw with his thumb. He shifted his lips from Brooklyn's ear to her neck, sucking softly before moving to nibble on her collarbone, "I've already experienced what it's like to have a happy little home with you, now I want to experience what it's like to love you."

Brooklyn let out a low moan and bucked up into Steve as he moved his lips to the last little bit of skin he could see beneath her V-neck, "Can I take this off?"

"I wish you would." She panted and he let his wandering hands reach the hem of her shirt then paused. His eyes darkened as they met Brooklyn's before grabbing the neckline and ripping her shirt down the middle. She gasped in surprise, but her grin told Steve she wasn't necessarily upset, "Steve-"

"Yes?" He batted his eyelashes at her and she leaned her head back and sighed as he began kissing from her clavicle towards her belly button, eventually doubling back to study her bra. After a moment, he fell onto his side and leaned on his elbow to look at Brooklyn as she scrunched her brows at him. "Tell me how far you want to go." Steve whispered as he ran his hand over her abs. He could see goose bumps appear on her arms as she twitched, shifting her legs together impatiently.

"All the way. Home plate. Point of no return. Put your cock inside me." Brooklyn stammered as she quickly pounced on Steve, taking control of the situation as she crawled over him and began to unbutton his shirt. As she reached halfway, she hesitated for half a second, then continued as she looked at Steve from under her lashes, "You sure you want to do this?"

"Trust me, Sweetheart, I don't do anything I don't want to." He sat up and let Brooklyn slide the shirt off his shoulders and down his arms, taking her time to run her fingers over every corded muscle on her way down. When she discarded the shirt, Steve leaned forward and swiftly pushed off the remains of hers before reaching behind her and unfastening her bra with practiced ease. Steve easily switched places with the woman, hovering over her in an instant.

He lazily ran his tongue over her nipple, and she let out a high-pitched whimper that made him hum proudly before moving his lips back up to hers. In between kisses she gasped out, "Have you done this before?"

"Little bit. Back in the day."

Brooklyn grabbed onto the nape of Steve's neck to hold him close as he ducked his head back down to her breasts, daring to rake his teeth across her nipple, "Nobody since you've thawed out?"

"Nope. I've been too busy pining after you." Steve answered as he laid his chin between her breasts and looked up at her with lusty blue eyes that made her breath catch. "Less talking. Unbuckle my belt."

"I think there's another word you're missing in there somewhere." Brooklyn spat playfully as she reached for his belt and gave it a harsh tug to loosen it.

Steve pouted as he unzipped her jeans and pulled them off swiftly, throwing them, and her underwear, onto the floor. "I love you?"

"I was thinking please, but sure, that's nice too." Brooklyn reached up to kiss Steve while her nimble fingers worked to free him of his belt. He shimmied out of his slacks and hovered over his girl as she gazed over him longingly. "Please, Steve," she murmured as he studied her hungrily, "I can't wait any longer."

Steve's mouth broke apart in a massive grin as he shifted his hips forward slowly, "Really? I can do this all day."