Hi everyone! Back with an update after a casual 5 year wait. I'm sure anyone following this story has long forgotten it (as I had) but alas, I found it again and thought: why not? To be honest, I can't completely (read as: don't) remember where this story was meant to go so I'ma try my best to make it make sense. My writing may be slightly different (5years different) but my flaws, unfortunately haven't changed. I still time skip like a lunatic and have no idea what a story structure is. I'm as lost as the rest of you. If this annoys you, perhaps stop reading now well you can! Cause I haven't chaaaaaaanged. D': But keep your fingers crossed I miraculously improve in the next few chapters doubtful)

Thanks in advance for waiting and reading, and one day I'll rewrite the first 3 chapters because they're terrible.

Leave a review if you like, otherwise happy reading! :)

"Rogers, what are you doing?" I snapped. I'd been waiting here for the better part of an hour. Realistically it was more five to ten minutes but when one is impatient by nature, exaggeration of time can be expected.

"Time is money Rogers, my time especially so."

I ignored the glare SHIELDS newest secretary bimbo gave me, the secretary who he was currently fawning over.

"Two more seconds Toni." He didn't take his eyes off her but held up two fingers like I was too stupid to figure out what two bloody meant. "We're just waiting on the Belikov files."

Yeah..That's not all you're waiting on.

The secretary gave me a smirk before fiddling with her computer some more. It didn't take this long to get a file. I knew it, she knew it and Rogers damn well knew it.

And yet still, we continued to 'wait.'

I started pacing in case I wasn't clear enough in my need to leave.

Rogers ignored me and the secretary kept typing. I heard Rogers murmur something and the girl let out a soft giggle. For goodness sake.

More typing. Tap, Tap, Freaking Tap.

Losing patience again I slapped the counter.

"Listen Jo." I looked pointedly at her name badge. "You seem to be struggling. Would you like me to help?"

"No I'm fine thank you." She bared her teeth in a fake smile. "It just takes a bit of time is all."

"Toni just let her do her job." I glared at him but didn't say anything.

I did however move out to the car. Whether I stayed here or there it made no difference but I'd prefer not to lose my appetite well I waited. Nothing made me quite as sick as watching two people get gooey eyed over each other.

I couldn't tell you how long I waited in the car for but I knew my bad mood had sky rocketed with every second it took. I had my phone piece out when I heard the door open.

"Next time you want to waste my time, can you like umm. Not." I didn't look up, instead I glared at my phone, pretending to be occupied with various blueprints and files I'd dragged up.

The car started up and Steve pulled out of the park while replying, "Wasting your time? I wasn't kidding about needing the information on the Russians."

"Right, information on the Russians." I pulled a face.

"What's with the face?" Rogers' brow rose. "And I don't understand the tone. What're you implying?"

"I'm implying what you were really doing there the whole damn time!"
"Which was what exactly?"

"Does flirting with that idiot ring any bells?" Ugh I found the thought so annoying and frustrating I couldn't keep still. My leg bounced up and down repeatedly. An annoying tell of mine for when I was upset.

He let out a bark of laughter and took his eyes from the road to stare at me. Not that I'd meet his eyes, I studied the window intensely instead.

"Flirting? Toni I wasn't flirting." He finally shook his head.

"You were practically drooling on the counter." I snapped.

"Even if I was." His voice sounded amused. "Why are you so upset about it?"

"I'm not." I sniffed still refusing to look at him. "I just don't appreciate the fraternisation on my time."

"Okay Toni, next time I decide to 'fraternise' I'll make sure you're not around." I think it was meant to placate me but I whipped my head around to stare disbelievingly at him.

"You're not seriously interested in her are you?"

"I don't see why not." He said, a grin on his lips. "She's beautiful."

"Hardly."

"And smart."

"Define smart." God he thought that bimbo was smart? I knew plenty of beautiful woman that could outwit her any day. If smart was what he was after I'd write him a damn list of candidates.

"She has a sense of humour." He managed to say before biting his lip to stop from laughing. This situation wasn't funny in the slightest.

I rolled my eyes.

"And she's nice."

"Clint's grandmothers nice-."

"-Unlike some people-" He looked pointedly at me.

"-I don't see you getting it on with her."

"Getting it on with her?" Steve threw his head back in laughter. "She's 80 years old Toni. I'm pretty glad I'm not."

His comment from before suddenly registered in my head and I snapped my head round to glare at him.

"Are you saying I'm not nice?"

"Toni." Steve shook his head incredulously. "What is wrong? Why are you getting so worked up?"

"I'm not worked up!" I yelled in disagreement but it hardly helped to validate my point. If Steve had any doubts before, the volume of my words just cemented the idea that I was, in fact, very worked up.

"Toni." Steve began, this time the humour was gone from his voice. He took a hand from the steering wheel to rest it on my leg. "Why are you upset?"

He gave my thigh a reassuring squeeze.

"I'm not upset." I argued.

He didn't say anything in response so we sat in silence, his thumb rubbing circles on my thigh. After a long pause he started with, "Are you jealous?"

The words were said cautiously, like he knew if he didn't step carefully I'd blow up. Clearly he knew me well because despite his wariness, my voice came out as a shriek.

"I'm not jealous! That word isn't even in my lexicon! Why would I be jealous of her? I'm amazing!"

Any dignity I had managed to retain at that point was completely lost.

Steve didn't respond and I didn't blame him, screaming like a banshee had that effect. I wouldn't know how to respond to my excessive outburst either.

The car remained silent, and my need to break it was strong. I spoke before I'd properly thought it through. "I just don't like the idea of you dating her."

Even though I was surprised by my words, I was happy I'd said it. I didn't really know what my issue was with this Jo but I knew I didn't like the idea of her with Steve.

"Alright." Steve gave my thigh another squeeze. His eyes left the road to look at me briefly, holding a warmth to them that had my heart beating faster. "I won't date her."

"I wasn't jealous!" I grunted for hopefully the last time. My voice came out strained as sweat poured down my face. I was doing sit ups as Pepper stood on my feet. She was using the time to go over my schedule for the week.

I'd explained to her the car situation and Steve's accusations of jealousy in the hope I'd have her support. Instead, the treacherous woman had chosen to back him.

"Alright if that's not jealousy, fine. What was it?"

"I don't know!" I yelled desperately, "That's why I'm asking you."

"Hey I already told yo- Break." She instructed hitting the stop button on her watch.

I laid down with a grunt trying to catch my breath, "- told you what I think." Pepper finished.

I glared up at her.

"Start." She hit the button again, I continued with the crunches.

"My side Pepper, remember?" We'd had this conversation many times and for some reason, she always chose logic over… well I don't know, being a blindly supportive friend. Ugh. "You're a terrible friend, you know that?" I told her, but she remained unfazed by the comment.

"Aren't I your only friend?" Pepper shot back.

"Hey. Not fair." I gritted out. "Stop highlighting my bad side. Another example of you being a bad friend."

"The truth hurts Toni, and you were jealous. Acceptance is key." Pepper smiled, "Now accept the great wise words of wisdom coming from your friend"

I stopped mid crunch to glare at her again.

"I'm sick of talking about Steve. New subject." I ordered.

"How's Alex?" Pepper changed the topic so fast I felt like I got whiplash. My brain searched through all the Alex's in my acquaintance trying to piece together what she was asking about.

"Who?"

"Alex Michaelson. That guy you went on a date with last week."

I was almost embarrassed to admit I still had no idea who she was referring to. "Ooooh yeah him."

"You have no idea who I'm talking about." Pepper accused straight away and I rolled my eyes at the judgement in her tone.

"Okay maybe not." I paused to catch my breath before continuing. "But to be fair, I know a lot of people."

"Well you were pretty into him last Saturday. I should know, you talked about him more then you normally would."

"Yes well, I don't know what you want me to say." I frowned. "I guess I just wasn't as interested as I seemed."

"Could it be because someone else has your interest?" The question stopped me because I had the sudden urge to wring her neck.

Pepper looked bored, instead paying close attention to her nails but I could see the vindictive gleam in her eyes like she'd lead me directly into her trap.

"Excuse me?"

"I mean, has someone else caught your eye. You know, maybe someone you've been spending much more time with lately." She shrugged nonchalantly. "Maybe someone you haven't been jealous over?"

"If you're insinuating that I somehow like Steve, I need to bring someone in to check if you're mentally well."

"So why were you jealous the other day then?" Back to this already?

"I knew I shouldn't have told you anything. You're reading way too much into this."

"Hey if the shoe fits, wear it."

"The shoe doesn't fit, Pepper. Not even a little."

The ringtone I had set for Steve suddenly blasted through my phone and Pepper gave me a sly smile.

"Steve gets a personal ring tone does he?"

"Get off my case!" I groaned exasperatedly.

She let me up off the ground and I tried to contain my smile as I hit answer.

I knew I didn't succeed when Pepper raised her brow pointedly.

"Tell me you're free all day tomorrow." Came Steve's voice, no preamble.

I knew I wasn't free, I had meetings booked back to back from ten onwards, one of which I'd already cancelled before. Even knowing this my mouth seemed to respond before my brain had fully caught up, "I'm free tomorrow. What's up?"

Pepper who was watching the exchange carefully narrowed her eyes at me, knowing full well my schedule was booked.

"A surprise. Be ready at 9am. I'll pick you up." He hung up before I could ask any more questions and even though Pepper looked pissed, I couldn't stop smiling.

"You're not free tomorrow." She reminded, "Something you already know."

"Please Pepper." I jutted out my bottom lip, giving her my best puppy dog eyes.

"They're gonna be pissed." She shook her head, "It's too short notice."

"Just remind them I'm Toni Stark." I told her like it was a good excuse.

"I'll remind them how much of an asshole you are."

"Whichever works." I grinned.

"I really hate you Toni." She turned, her heels clicking on the floor as she exited the room.

"I love you Pepper." I called after her. She turned back like I knew she would and gave me an exasperated look. "I love you too."

I was glad Pepper was such a worry wart when it came to business and order. If she wasn't, she might have stayed to tease me further about Steve. Instead she'd let herself get distracted by work.

Maybe she was onto something though. Maybe I was jealous.

But only because my friend who I had just started to get close to, might have been taken from me.

A feeling I hated because I liked him. In a strictly platonic way of course.

Nothing more than that. Friends got jealous over friends right? I'm pretty sure Clint was jealous when Tash started paying attention to Bruce, and he never liked her in that way, therefore I was probably in the same boat.

With that settled, my thoughts went back to what Steve could have planned. I couldn't wait.

My relationship with Steve changed drastically these past few weeks. I spent nearly all my free time with him, dinners, projects, meetings. It was something I'd never experienced before. The comfortability of being around someone for long periods of time. Don't get me wrong, I was close with Rhodey, Pepper and Banner –they were my best friends after all- but I always hit a point where I couldn't stand to be in their presence any longer.

Where I needed to get away from them and recharge socially with someone else, anyone else.

I couldn't say what the difference was, why the feeling never arose with Steve, but it was a difference I liked.

"Here." Steve took his coat off and wrapped it around me. We were heading back from a fireworks show and I had a shawl wrapped around my shoulders. The temperature however, had taken a dip in the last few hours, and the shawl was no longer sufficient in keeping the cold away.

Had we gone straight home as planned -from the charity we'd attended earlier in the night- I would have been fine.

But I hadn't wanted to go home. I'd insisted on walking the streets, enjoying the night, the lights, the atmosphere, and so convinced him to take a wander with me.

There was a festival on the water front and we'd spent the last few hours there.

Eating an excess of junk food I'd have to work off tomorrow, and talking the night away.

I wrapped my arm around his, leaning my head against his shoulder.

"I feel sick."

He let out a snort, "I told you to cut down on the candy floss."

"But I like candy floss." I responded like it explained everything.

"I know you do. I've seen you eat bags of it and I know you usually make yourself sick. Which is why I warned you not to."

"I'm after sympathy Steve, not a lecture." I poked his side and watched him squirm.

When he settle back in I put my head back on his shoulder.

"We're nearly there." He rubbed my arm reassuringly.

We were quiet for the rest of the walk back to the hotel. We'd entered the lobby with a greeting from the concierge asking about our night and stood waiting by the elevator doors when I finally asked the question that was on my mind.

"How'd you know I always get sick anyway?"

"The Day and Night festival two years back with the three day Q and A. Do you remember it?"

"Vaguely." I tried to cast my mind back that far.

"Well each one of those days you spent hanging off first Bruce, then Clint then Tasha for the same reason."

"And you thought you'd hold onto that information to throw at me at a later date?" I raised an eyebrow.

"No." Steve shook his head in a negative, raising a hand to run through his hair. "To be honest, I don't know why I still remember that."

"I do." I spoke as the lift doors opened with a ding. "It's because you've always been obsessed with me."

"Maybe." He shrugged like it was no big deal, entering the lift behind me.

"Well that's no fun." I nudged his arms, "You're supposed to deny it so I can tease you about it the rest of the way up."

"It's hardly an embarrassment even if were true." Steve explained dismissively, "Like you've said on multiple occasions, plenty of people are obsessed with you."

"Yeah but none are as attractive as you." I highlighted the difference so he'd understand why it was embarrassing. I realised too late that in doing so, I'd inadvertently admitted to finding him attractive something I was hoping would go over his head.

However Steve wasn't an idiot and shot me a grin straight away.

"You think I'm attractive?"

God why'd I have to open my big mouth. This was about making him uncomfortable, not me!

"That's not what I meant." I rolled my eyes. Turning away from him.

"Oh really?" He asked and I scowled at the fact the tables had turned. "What did you mean?

"Just forget it, this conversation's boring." I sniffed, folding my arms and keeping my head turned so he wouldn't see my cheeks reddening.

Why I was flustered I didn't know but it was an extremely annoying feeling to have in such a confined space.

The elevator finally stopped on my floor with a ding and I exited faster then was probably necessary.

"Good night Toni." Steve's voice carried down the hall and I could hear the amusement in his words.

"Good night!" I huffed back as I reached my door and shoved my key card in.

I got the door opened and turned to Steve who was still at the lift, leaning on one side of the door so it wouldn't close.

My heart warmed at the sight.

We'd had continuous squabbles over this. He insisted on walking me to my door every time, while I insisted it was the 21st century and, although I appreciated that chivalry wasn't dead, I was also a freaking Avenger. Walking me to my door like I was some defenceless citizen was just discrediting my ability to protect myself.

And if I couldn't protect myself, how did he expect me to protect the world? Something, - I reminded - I'd done on multiple occasions.

He'd finally ceded the point when I told him if he felt that strongly about it, we'd have to go back to only spending time together in the daylight hours.

After the 'threat'-as he liked to call it, though I much preferred the term negotiation, he'd finally agreed.

I'd let him continue walking me to my house, or in this case, to my floor, but not the door.

There was caring, and then there was condescending. I could deal with the first.

"Alright my doors opened." I called out exaggeratingly to him. "I'm walking in, you may leave now!" I entered the room to a laughing Tasha lounging on the bed, and Pepper walking out from the bathroom a green mask on her face.

I knew even after the door closed behind me, that Steve would wait another few minutes before leaving, He always did. Keeping his ear out for any unusual or distressing sound. But I didn't care about that. Some battles just weren't worth fighting.

"I don't know why you give him such a hard time." Pepper scolded going through her nightly routine of skin moisturisers and toners.

"Because it's funny." Tasha defended throwing popcorn into her mouth. "It's good for him to get put in his place occasionally."

"Exactly." I agreed appreciatively.

Throwing my shawl and purse on the ground and turning so my back was facing Pepper I spoke. "Unzip me please."

"But he's just showing he cares." Pepper argued as the zipper went down and I stepped from the dress.

"And I'm showing him women in this century are badass creatures."

"Yes bitch." Tasha spoke throwing rock horns in the air. Pepper tried to stay serious but I could see the smile trying to break through.

"I agree that we are, but I also think he's just being kind." Pepper argued.

I picked up all the items now strewn on the floor and threw them all on my bed so they wouldn't get in the way. Tasha and Pepper both were clean freaks so I tried occasionally to reign in my mess. Steve's coat, which I still had, I hung on the back of a chair.

"Of course you do. You don't have to put up with him for long periods of time." I told her,

Tash adding in, "And Toni's the only one who ever gets to have their way with him, so the more pushbacks she gives him, the better."

"The benefits of being stubborn." I put my hands up in a 'what can you do' sort of way.

"I don't think it's your stubbornness that changes his mind." Pepper looked at me pointedly.

"Oh my gosh yeeeeeeeeees!" Tasha was quick to agree and far to enthused by a statement that didn't warrant it.

"I don't know what you mean."

"If you didn't notice yet." Tash rolled her eyes like she was explaining this to a simpleton, "You're the only one Steve actually let's have their way."

"Yeah." I agreed, "But that's hardly saying much considering A) I hold my ground more and B) I hold my ground more."

Tash and Pepper both looked at each other exasperatedly.

"You know who else holds there ground more?" Tash asked, "Thor."

I went through all my recent memories ready to point out any discrepancies in her statement.

"And how many times has he won against a Steve decision? Zero." She held up her hand in an O formation, "Zilch, Nada, Finito." She continued.

"What about when Thor asked for no meetings the two first week of the February?" I mentioned. "Usually hard to get."

Considering how much of a stickler Steve was for routines and order, I'd been surprised when there was no argument. We met up often but the only date that was constant and without question was the third of every month.

"Hmm I wonder why that is?" Pepper put a finger to her chin thoughtfully, "Could it be because you had already booked for the Isaac Newton convention?"

"Uh FYI Pepper." I emphasised the syllables of her name like it contained a hundred more 'P's' then it did. "I hadn't even brought that up to him so moot point."

"Point not moot," Tasha interrupted, "because he knew you had the convention, it's every three years. He'd already rearranged the schedules before Thor asked, I know because I was there when he did it."

Pepper smiled at me smugly, and Tash continued with, "Point one to Team N.P."

"Well, point to Team Toni." I snapped back. "What about when Thor refused to wear the vests fury wanted implemented as the team uniform."

"Thor didn't win that argument." Tash shook her head.

"Um I think you'll find he did, we're not exactly wearing the uniforms now are we?" I shot right back

"Because you didn't want to."

"I never said that." I denied having no clue what she was talking about "I didn't speak up at all during the discussion."

"If you remember correctly," I continued, "Steve let it go after Thor threw the conference table across the room." I broke out into laughter at the memory. How the table went flying straight through the window, smashing it to pieces. Fury's fury at the mess. Good times.

"I do remember that part," Tashas voice was equally as sarcastic, "But I also remember how you muttered to Bruce something about the vests cutting into your side and how they better supply us with tubs of healing ointment."

My eyes narrowed. "How did you even hear that? I asked incredulously, "Or better yet, remember that?"

I had to admit it was incredibly impressive. But also an undeniably weird thing to recall.

"I'm a spy, it comes with the territory." Natasha spoke, "And if I could hear it, you can be damn sure Captain America could."

"Two point's to Team N.P" Pepper clapped her hands together, "Zero points to Team Toni."

"Okay I give up." I spoke grabbing a towel off the end of my bed. "I don't like being ganged up on." I left with a huff, whipping my towel so it flung out at Tash before I left. I missed but with her speed, that was hardly surprising.

"Sore loser!"