It was a couple of weeks later after a couple of missions fury sent her on that things started to get hectic, she had started seeing this guy she met while on a walk around times square.

Jason was a nice guy, it was the first thing she noticed, despite the fact she had run into him but he apologized to her, he was blonde and had blue eyes, he looked a lot like Steve if she was being honest.

After running into him three different times, twice literally, they decided it was time to maybe hang out on purpose, he asked her out to coffee and she didn't want to admit it but the only reason she said yes was because he looked so much like Steve.

To be honest it should have tipped her off sooner.

Soon she found herself not being around the tower as much, little things that normally would have disturbed her or shown her something was not quite right were over looked, because he looked so much like Steve, he had to be good.

Big mistake there.

One morning she got up from bed, shed spent the night at the tower for once, and she was exhausted because she was going on a mission and she had been up way to late the night before.

Clad in a pair of boxers almost too big for her and an old shirt from before she was given the serum, but was old enough and stretch out enough to fit, she trudged to the kitchen rubbing one of her eyes she herd someone trying to talk to her but wasn't listening.

"Too early. Coffee first. Brain broken" she mumbled as she collapsed at the counter next thing she knew a cup was pressed into her hand she pulled it closer then leaned back in her chair barely pausing to breath as she almost emptied the cup when she sat forward again she felt the faint buzz of caffeine in the back of her mind and blinked a few times.

Then she noticed Steve standing on the other side of the island, his face was red, she was struck for half a second with how cute it was, Jason's blush the one time shed seen it was nothing like Steve's.

"What's with you?" she questioned he shook his head "nothing" he turned away and she rose a brow then looked down and noticed what shirt she was wearing, it was blue with an image of captain America on, that wasn't what made her own cheeks heat up, what made her blush was the fact that below it were the words 'real American beauty' and she already knew what the back said.

The quote was 'really American beauty, is captain Americas booty'

"My brother is an ass" is all the explanation she gave "language" his voice was tighter than it should be she glanced at the stove "breakfast is burning" she looked back at her cup and found it empty so went to the counter and refilled it

"Nice shirt" came Natasha's voice and Beth spared a glare for the woman "what time is it?" she questioned raking at her hair while Steve saved his breakfast

"12:03"

"Shit!"

She bolted down the hall coffee cup forgotten on the counter Steve's yell of "language!" following her.

She returned to the kitchen hopping on one foot as she pulled on a boot "JARVIS you didn't wake me!" she yelled as she graved the forgotten cup and shot gunned it wiping her mouth on her black sleeve.

"I tried ma'am" she muttered another curse to Steve's scowl "don't give me that look! I was supposed to be gone an hour ago, tony I'm taking number 4!" she yelled as she went for the elevator.

By the time tony figured out what she meant she was already speeding away in the silver Ferrari.

Fury was sending her on a recon mission and as she drove she asked JARVIS to read the briefing again because she couldn't remember all of it.

Not that she needed to, it was a watch and wait make sure the target some government guy did what he was supposed to then she was on the way back, fury had been giving her a lot of boring missions recently but she had no idea why.

Her first stop when she returned was her boyfriend's house, Jason was happy to see her and even cooked dinner.

But then when she said she needed to go see her brother and other live in avengers he got upset, now she and Jason have argued before, more than once but not every couple was perfect.

It was the first time he'd laid hands on her outside the bedroom though.

She should have seen it coming, he'd been becoming rougher recently but it was so gradual she didn't even notice it, until now.

She didn't want to fight back, she was stronger than a normal person and she knew if she fought back she could kill him, but when things started to get dark her fight or flight instincts kicked in.

She shoved as hard as she could and he went flying and then she ran.

When the tower was in sight she started to slow limping slightly she made it inside and into the elevator "hey JARVIS, anyone home?" she questioned leaning against the wall "no ma'am, Miss Romanoff and Mr. Barton were called on a mission yesterday, Mr. stark and dr. banner are asleep and captain Rogers left a hour ago"

She let out a sigh of relief even if it hurt "ma'am do you require medical attention?" how could a computer sound so worried?

She shook her head "no J, I just need a beer, everything else will heal"

The elevator dinged and the doors opened allowing her to limp to the bar instead of the kitchen "that is a little more than a beer ma'am" Jarvis told her and she looked up "not with my metabolism" she graved a bottle at random then moved to the couch and sat down.

Sinking into the cushions she sighed then unscrewed the cap on the bottle before tipping it back against her lips, it burned for a moment making her relies she had a split lip, but the alcohol barely tingled as it went down.

Mentally she cursed the serum, then the creator Erskine, then for a second she cursed Steve just to cover all bases.

As if summoned by her thoughts the elevator dinged open and someone stepped out "hey tony you still up" she sighed to herself "wrong stark brat" she waved over the couch but didn't turn around.

"Beth? When'd you get back?" she herd steps approach and thanked whoever listened that she hadn't turned on the light "not long ago" she had her eyes closed but when the lights flicked on it still hurt she turned and buried her face in a pillow despite the pain moving caused.

"Why were you sitting in the dark?" she wanted to shrug but didn't "I didn't think to turn on the lights" she muttered but knew he herd, stupid super hearing.

"Ok, why are you drinking? And what happened to your shirt?"

"Since when does a stark need a reason to drink?"

"Normally the don't, unless they can't get drunk"

She bit her lip and turned her head away "maybe I wanted to try" silence answered her and stretched out for a couple of minutes until she felt someone touching her arm "is this blood?" she jerked away but found that was a mistake because her body screamed at the movement.

"Probably" silence again "yours?"

She mentally cursed how observant this man was "maybe?" why did that come out as a question?

She heard a sigh "something happen on the mission?" he questioned she didn't turn but waved a hand

"Nope, mission was fine, just recon, didn't even need my suit"

Finally Steve seemed to get annoyed "stop talking into the couch cushions its rude!" with an aggravated grumble she mentally said fuck it and started to sit up "well forgive me for being so Fu-ungh!" her muscles seized when she was barely half way up she was sure she'd rip the fabric if she clenched her hand any tighter.

Something was broken, she just knew it.

Arm wrapped tight around her middle she slowly pushed herself up until she could lean on the back of the couch eyes closed because she couldn't see anyway she waited for the red to fade before opening them again.

Steve was sitting on the coffee table openly staring at her her lips twisted a little "now who's being rude?" he shook his head "what the- what happened?" he questioned she let her head fall back "bad date" she muttered then cursed his superior hearing when his face twisted into anger.

"easy there captain ice pants, don't blow a vein" he rubbed the skin between his eyes then raked back his hair messing up the perfect rumpled curve he had going on, she tried not to think how much she wanted to do that instead of him.

It didn't really work.

She shifted to try and get comfortable but hissed in pain arm wrapping tighter around her middle "ow damn it" she ground out, the fact that he didn't comment on the curse was testament to how distracted he was.

He rose from the coffee table and disappeared for a minute so she took the time to take as deep a breath as she could to get her head on straight.

When he returned he carried a damp cloth in one hand and a white box with a purple mark on the top, the first aid box "can you take your shirt off?" he asked and she couldn't help but smirk "really cap what kind of girl d'you think I am? You haven't even made me dinner"

When his face went red she chuckled slightly and shifted to remove the offending object it wasn't pleasant but she got it off and found a discolored patch on the shirts left side.

She herd Steve take a quick breath and looked at him then looked down and saw what he noticed, her undershirt had a discolored patch on the side "huh. That explains so much" He reached out for the shirt sliding a little closer and glanced at her "sorry in advance" She grinned at him but didn't know how real it looked "like a band aid cap, I'll try not to punch you"

He shrugged getting a firm grip on the shirt "just try not to hit me in the face" she looked at him but he was looking at the shirt he was slowly easing up, she twitched when it tugged a little and he glanced back at her.

"On three. One"

A sudden sharp pain made her yelp "the hell happened with 2 and 3?" she demanded voice tight he glanced at her "language. And you would have tensed up" her lips twisted but she couldn't deny his logic, especially since it was true and she should have seen that coming.

Didn't mean she didn't have a right to be slightly aggravated.

Once her undershirt was gone Steve made her lay on her uninjured side so he'd have better access to the injury she curled a little because if she stretched out her feet touched the other opposite arm of the couch.

Keeping her left arm up out of the way she felt him place the rag against her side then he started feeling for possible broken ribs, his hands were large and warm, fingers slightly calloused but gently in their search.

"So how's it going with the nurse that's not really a nurse? That still a thing?" she felt him pause for a moment and glanced up at him "relax I just Wanna hear how a functioning relationship is supposed to go" his lips thinned like he suddenly remembered what put her in this position then he shook himself.

"Her name was Sharon, and it's not a thing, we went out for coffee a couple times"

She liked the faint pink that stayed on just the edge of his jaw as he spoke about his girlfriend not girlfriend.

"you planning on seeing her again?" he glanced at her and bit the inside of his cheek "I don't know, this is gonna hurt" she was about to ask what about going on a date was going to hurt until a sharp pain laced up her side.

She warned him shed try not to punch him, but he seemed prepared for it, not so much for her fingers to suddenly curl into his pant leg that was closest to her.

"you should, maybe take her out to dinner someplace nice, I mean if you found someone willing to date a guy as old as you" she didn't expect the swat to the shoulder and glanced at him laughing at his expression.

But he looked close to smiling, closing her eyes she didn't loosen her grip as she laid her head down "I'm just saying go have fun for a change"

He stayed silent but seemed to look at her with a new light after that.

She didn't know why.