Following his discharge from the hospital, Steve spent the next few days in Martha's hotel room under constant supervision. Not that he minded so much. His girlfriend had an excellent bedside manner.
Eventually, Martha did have to return to Manhattan and UNIT. With the Triskelion and S.H.I.E.L.D. both in shambles and no real reason to remain in Washington D.C., Steve found himself back in New York as well.
He briefly entertained the idea of getting a place in Brooklyn, but the cost of living had skyrocketed since his days in the old neighborhood. So, for the time being, Steve split his time between Avengers Tower and Martha's place in Murray Hill.
Ever vigilant, Martha placed strict restrictions on Steve's physical activity until she felt that he had fully healed from his injuries. The sedentary lifestyle left Steve feeling restless and he was eternally grateful that it was short-lived. Once Martha granted him a reprieve, he dove head first into hunting for Bucky between missions dismantling Hydra bases with the other Avengers.
Between his responsibilities and Martha's work, Steve's first couple of months in New York City didn't leave much time for romance. But after a casual get-together with his friends and colleagues on the 3rd of July, Steve made plans to spend the rest of the night and his birthday with Martha.
Once they were alone in her apartment, the two of them didn't waste any time creating a few fireworks of their own. "Not bad for a ninety-six year old," Martha joked with a pant as she curled up close to him in bed. "You're quite spry for your age."
"Technically, I'm still ninety-five for a few more hours," he pointed out while caressing her bare back.
"Don't tell me you're one of those blokes that are vain about getting older," she teased.
"Vain? Not at all."
"Good," Martha replied as she traced invisible shapes on the skin of his chest. "I don't mind a pretty boy, but I absolutely draw the line at self-absorbed."
Steve let out an amused huff. "You think I'm pretty? Really?"
Martha scoffed in response. "Are you bloody kidding me? Those eyelashes of yours should be illegal! I think they may be longer than mine."
Steve stifled a laugh. "There's not much I can do about that."
"Blink more when you flirt with me," Martha suggested playfully. "Better yet. Do that thing where you look down at the ground with a shy smile. It really turns me on."
Steve buried his face in her hair and slowly inhaled her scent. "Do I need to tell you what you do that turns me on?"
"I think I've managed to sort that quite well on my own," Martha insisted against his neck.
Steve's fingertips followed the line of her spine in a slow, tantalizing stroke. "Care to prove it?"
Martha lifted her head with a smirk. "Is that your birthday wish?"
Steve met her eyes then glanced downward with a shy smile. "Maybe."
"Oh, you cheeky old flirt!" Martha scolded with laugh.
Steve joined her in laughing. "Is that a no?" he asked, meeting her gaze once more.
"And disappoint the birthday boy?" she asked as she shifted her position to straddle his lap. "I wouldn't dream of it."
Once their bodies stilled again, Steve stared at the ceiling and tried to catch his breath. "Best birthday present ever."
Martha laughed as she rolled onto her side. "Does that mean I should return that lovely leather bound sketchbook I bought you?" she asked. "I'm sure there's another artist in New York with the initials S.G.R."
He turned his head to look her in the eyes. "Okay, it's the second best gift."
"You think? I don't know. That edible body paint that Clint got you might come in handy. Maybe you can give me an art lesson later on."
Steve chuckled quietly. "Seriously?"
"What? I'm a doctor. I happen to have a deep appreciation for the human form," Martha said innocently as she caressed his arm. "And perhaps one form in particular."
"See?" Steve slipped his arm around her waist and pulled her body flush against his. "I told you that you were insatiable," he teased with a kiss.
Martha slipped her hand behind his neck and brought his lips to hers but didn't kiss him. "Says the man with the luscious lashes that initiated round two," she challenged.
"Guilty," Steve replied. "But I can't help it. I missed this. I missed you." He stole another kiss.
"Two months is far too long," she admitted with a content sigh once they broke for air.
"You're the one who put restrictions on my physical activity," Steve reminded her.
"Well I think we've more than made up for it in spades."
"Maybe. Maybe not," Steve joked. "But we should pace ourselves." He glanced at the clock on the wall. "It's only just after midnight. We should get some sleep. We've got the whole rest of the day together."
Martha nodded. "You right. And by the way…" She leaned in for a tender kiss. "Happy birthday, Cap."
"Thank you," Steve replied with a warm smile. She snuggled up close to him again and they held each other tight until they both drifted off to sleep. When Steve woke up a few hours later, he was surprised to see that Martha had gotten up before him.
"Morning sleepyhead," she greeted him with a kiss to the lips.
"This is new. Why are you up so early?"
"It's a special occasion."
"Oh is it?" Steve pulled her into his arms.
"Mmhmm. So special, in fact, that I've decided to work out with you this morning."
"You hate working out."
"Yes, I do," she confirmed with a nod. "I definitely can think of a better ways to work up a sweat. But it's your birthday. Not mine."
"So you're going to subject yourself to my workout regime just because it's my birthday?"
"Well you love it and I love you," Martha reasoned with a shrug. "And I fancy the look of you in your workout clothes." Steve shook his head and smiled. He didn't offer any further comment on the subject as he released her and climbed out of bed to get dressed.
Since he had been spending so much time at her place, Martha had made room for his things alongside hers. In a way, it was almost like they had moved in together after all and the thought brought a smile to Steve's face.
After they were both dressed, they went down to the gym housed inside Martha's building. True to her reputation about not being a fan of physical fitness, she had to ask the doorman for directions. Steve started off jogging on the treadmill with Martha making a show of selecting the machine directly behind him because it had a 'great view.' Eventually, she moved to the one on his right and began a slow stride of her own.
To her credit, Martha kept pace with Steve during their workout, which was admittedly less intense than his usual regime. Once they were done there, they returned to her apartment for a shower and breakfast and, afterwards, they ventured out into the city.
For their first excursion of the day, they took the Q train to Coney Island, where they played boardwalk games. Steve won Martha a stuffed animal on Goblet Toss and she, in return, won one for him playing Ice Ball. After sharing a hotdog, they moved over to the rides, though one look at the Cyclone hit him with an overwhelming sense of nostalgia. A foolish part of him hoped that maybe his search would be over today and Bucky would be there waiting for him, memories and all. But, of course, his birthday couldn't be that perfect.
It was still pretty amazing though. Martha was amazing. And being the wonderfully perceptive woman that she was, she ushered them off to their second destination, the Museum of Modern Art, to save Steve from his melancholic mood.
When night fell, they returned to Martha's building and headed up to the rooftop deck where they watched the fireworks exploding in the distance with none of the noise that usually accompanied them. She quietly confessed that her love for such things had been tainted by memories of her year on the run. On one particular occasion, assailants had pursued her into an underground market in France and ruthlessly fired on the crowds of people gathered there. Anything that even remotely sounded like gunshots still set her on edge. If Steve was honest, he could relate. Sometimes he had flashes from the war that were triggered without warning. But at least they both could agree on how beautiful it looked to see the colorful bursts light the night sky in the horizon.
After the fireworks had ended, they still lay cuddled together on one of the deckchairs next to the rooftop pool. "I feel like I should thank you," he told her with a gentle kiss to her temple.
"Seeing you happy is thanks enough," she assured him.
"I know but…" He sighed softly. "I guess…in a way…"
"Listen to me," Martha cut him off. She sat up straight so she could look him in the eyes. "You don't have to feel guilty about having a nice day, alright? It's what he would have wanted for you," she insisted fiercely. "I know you haven't given up on finding him and we will do that, but there is no shame in taking one day for yourself. Especially when you give as much as you do."
Steve smiled at her sadly. "There you go again saying exactly what I need to hear."
"I guess you're getting predictable in your old age," Martha teased with half a smile.
Steve let out a breathy chuckle. "So I can't surprise you anymore?"
"I'm not saying it could never happen, but there are certain patterns in your line of thinking," Martha joked.
"Alright. So what am I thinking right now?" Steve challenged.
"Hmm…" Martha stared him in the eyes and broke out in smirk. "That you want to snog me senseless."
Steve leaned in closer, but stopped short of kissing her. "Eh…I guess that's close."
"Rooftop shag?" Martha retorted.
Steve laughed. "That's a little too high profile for an old geezer like me."
"So then I was right about the sex, but wrong about the location?" Martha pressed keenly.
Steve sat up straight. "I would like to have sex with you again tonight," he admitted. "But…"
Martha quirked a brow. "But?"
"But," Steve continued, biting back a smile. "I was thinking that maybe we could have a little art lesson beforehand."
Martha stood up and pulled him to his feet. "Alright, but fair warning, I'm not artistically inclined."
"Well here's hoping I make a good teacher," he joked, reflecting on the conversation they had the first time they made love.
Martha glanced over her shoulder with a smile and led the way to the elevator. "Don't worry. I like to think of myself as a quick learner."