When next she opened her eyes she was in the medical center Bruce had set up in his lab at the tower, relishing she was here she figured she couldn't have been hurt too bad.

Or shed been hurt bad enough she wouldn't have been able to make it to the hellicarrier.

Her eyes hurt and her mouth was dry, she didn't try to sit up because last time she felt like this that had been a very bad idea.

Glancing to the left she saw Bruce was nodding off in a chair but bolted awake when she shifted and hissed at a pulling in her chest "Easy Beth" he soothed sitting up then shifting forward.

She swallowed thickly to relieve some of the dryness from her mouth "how bad was the hit?" she asked not really sure she wanted to know "well, it didn't puncture anything vital, but you're going to be feeling it for a few days"

She chuckled "did you take into consideration my healing ability's?" he looked at her dead serious "that's why I said a few days and not a few months, a normal person would be dead" she paused and looked down biting her lip softly.

"guess I must have freaked you guys out" Bruce shrugged "I knew you'd be fine and tony freaked out a little, but it seemed like Steve took it kind of hard" she turned her head to look at Bruce "really?" he nodded "well if someone took a possibly fatal blow from you and muttered something about a promise wouldn't you freak out?"

She winced but not from her wounds "you guys herd that?" he nodded and she sighed "I'm not asking I just figured you'd want to know in case tony comes and freaks out at you"

Shaking her head slowly she had to laugh a little "yeah, when can I go to my room?" he rolled his eyes she guessed he'd been expecting that question.

Steve was in the gym the loud sound of his fists hitting the punching bag, for the last two days he'd been having horrible dreams about Beth, about her blood on his hands, her muttering about a promise, what she said at the grave coming back to him.

'You don't understand anything' 'you're not the only on in pain!'

He smashed his fist into the bag punching a hole in it and throwing it across the room.

"And they said I had anger management issues" he turned to see Bruce standing at the elevators she turned to fully face the man "how is she?" he asked and the man barely resisted rolling his eyes.

"She's awake and already went to her room, I figured I needed to tell you something in person" Steve rose a brow and got closer listening to what he had to say.

Beth was lying in bed staring at the ceiling when the door opened.

Turning she expected to see her brother but instead it was Steve, having not seen him in person for a while she was surprised to see the bags under his eyes.

She winced a little as she sat up and leaned against some pillows "Steve? What's wrong?" she watched as he walked up and sat in the chair beside her bed "Bruce told me something a few minutes ago, I wanted to ask you about it"

He crossed his arms and resolutely didn't look at her "ok, shoot"

"he said you've been keeping an eye on me ever since the funeral, he didn't say exactly what that meant but I've felt like I've been being watched for the last few days, care to explain? And while you're at it, why not tell me why you took that hit for me?"

She glanced away when he looked at her and rubbed her neck "I told you I couldn't let you take that hit, it would have killed you"

He suddenly sat forward "and you dying is better? Damn it I already lost Peggy I can't lose you to" his hands rose fingers digging into his hair "why would you even do something like that for me? After what I said that day"

He stopped when a hand graved his wrist, gentle yet strong she pulled his hand away and he looked at her other hand also lowering, she saw his eyes were wet and smiled a little with a soft sigh.

"You really don't get it do you Rogers?"

He stared at her as she looked at his hand holding it in one of her own "no, I don't" she smirked a little "when I took you out for your birthday I didn't have any motives, I did it because your my friend, closest I've ever come to having a best friend really"

She licked her lips uneasy about admitting what she said next but she knew she had to do it "just before the end Peggy asked me to look out for you and I promised her I would"

"Out of pity" he tried to pull his hand away but her grip tightened raising her eyes to glare at him "no you idiot, I'm trying to say I care about you. Since the funeral I have been watching you, I never left and I was always close by on the very slim chance you needed me"

Her grip loosened and she sighed but his hand stayed where it was "I care about you Steve; it was useless to make that promise because I knew I already watched out for you, but she needed the reassurance. You're not the only one that lost someone close to you"

When she looked up she saw his face was wet again and he was staring at her, ignoring the pain it caused she sat up and put a hand on his neck pulling him closer to rest his head against her shoulder, his hands grasped her shirt and she stroked her fingers through his hair just like that night at the hospital.

"Hush, it's alright" she soothed but felt him shake his head "no its not, how can someone like you care about me? After what I said to you" she shrugged the shoulder he wasn't leaning on "people have said worst honestly I'm used to it" he shifted away a little to look at her.

The look in his eyes was a strange one "how much worst" she shrugged with both shoulders "to much we recount in one sitting. I take great pleasure in proving them wrong"

He was looking down again so she reached out finger tips under his chin to make him look at her "listen babe, my brother might be horrible with emotions but I'm not exactly an expert either, the few relationships I've had turn out the same way as that Jason thing but with less kidnapping"

She saw a flash of anger in his eyes at the mention of that man she couldn't blame him.

"But when I care about someone, there's nothing I wouldn't do to help or protect them, yes at the time what you said did hurt me but I knew you were grieving, so I got over it" he shook his head corner of his mouth twitching "your to forgiving"

She glanced up humming "hmm no, not when you consider my brother is tony stark, genius billionaire, you know the spiel" he chuckled softly and leaned forward resting their heads together.

"I don't care what promise you made, don't you ever do something like that again" she smirked "fine but you have to do something for me first" his brows rose "and what's that?" she smiled then shifted forward and pressed her lips against his own.

It was caste and quick, barely worthy of being called a kiss but when she pulled back and looked at him, his face had turned bright red and she couldn't help laughing then wincing as her injury pulled "damn that's cute" he muttered something that sounded faintly like 'language' and rolled her eyes before something struck her and she stared at him.

"That was the first time anyone's ever kissed you isn't it?" he shook his head still blushing "oh yeah, how many other people have?" he held up one finger and she looked slightly unimpressed before reaching out and uncurled his second finger, and then his third.

He looked in confusion then looked back at her when her hand landed on his neck she slid in slowly this time giving him plenty of time to pull away, but he didn't, so she kissed him and third time truly was the charm.

She felt his hands slide around her waist and allowed on of her arms to drape over his shoulder and pressed her other hand against his cheek guiding him with gentle patents.

When she pulled away this time she found the blush had lightened and he was looking at her with a new light in his eyes.

"So where are we going for a second date?" she laughed even though it hurt "how about I finish healing first then we'll talk about a second date" he smiled widely as she slipped away.

"Sounds good, get some rest" he gently kissed her forehead and turned to leave but she caught his arm "and where are you going?" he looked back confused "my bed is big enough for two and if it makes you feel better you can sleep above the sheets"

He raised a brow at her, considering her for a long moment before crawling into bed settling as a warm weight behind her.

She settled into place then paused something was missing, she reached back and pulled Steve's arm over her waist so she could lace their fingers then sighed happily, that was much better.

She felt him press a kiss to the back of her head then mutter "go to sleep" against the strands.

She was compelled to comply.