So this is probably the strangest chapter I've ever written. Split into three parts, part 2 and 3 are going on at the same time. Alex, in case anyone is interested reminds me a little of Sam Merlotte from 'True Blood', certainly in looks. And as usual, Marvel has nothing to do with me, only the Nightingale family is my baby. And Alex. Thanks to my marvelous beta, Ladyamesindy, who writes impressive Mass Effect/Dragon Age Fanfiction. Go look it up!

EDIT: I've been rightly told that Zoe is missing querying the possibility that Steve could be married – That's completely correct – and originally, the details were there but after I edited it for the third time, I cut the wrong details out as well! So here's the updated chapter. Thanks to 'A Contradiction' for pointing this out!

So next day, he was stood outside the Café, trying to build up confidence to just walk back in there and act as if he hadn't been away for a month. The nerves in his stomach made him feel sick at the idea of just asking her. Part of him thought he should just leave her alone. She had a child, the last thing she needed was a man with a past like his, making things difficult. And yet, when he thought about Peggy, he had taken the decision to just kiss her because he thought he would never have a chance again. If he was in the same situation and that was Zoe and not Peggy, he would never hesitate to kiss her too, no matter her circumstances. Nothing ventured.

Taking a deep breath, he opened the door to the café. There were a few groups in there but it wasn't as busy as he had seen it previously at lunch time. Walking over to the counter, he'd crossed his fingers on the hand stuffed into his leather jacket. Instead of Zoe behind the counter, the man who owned the shop was in.

"Hey, is, erm, Zoe in today?" Steve asked the man quickly.

He frowned as he rubbed his trimmed beard. "She's just gone on an errand for me. She'll be back soon, if you want to wait?"

"Yeah I'll do that. I'll have a coffee while I wait." He dropped his money on the counter as he sat down where he would be able to see the door and the counter. Alex came over with the coffee and put it down in front of him.

"Hey, I know who you are. You're the artist who did that picture of Zoe! I have to say you caught a great likeness of her."

"Oh – erm, thank you." Steve could feel his blush rise.

"I think Zoe's still got it. She uses it as a bookmark. She thinks I don't notice but whenever she reads, I see it." Steve was not sure what to say to the man and just drank his coffee as Alex made his way back behind the counter. As he was drinking his coffee, his heart sped up a little as he thought that maybe things might be alright.

As he was drinking, Zoe came back and did not seem to notice Steve at first. It was only when Alex said she had a visitor and told her to go take her break, that she walked over. He looked up and found himself swallowing. He suddenly realised he really liked her. She looked just as uncomfortable as he felt. Standing up, he pulled the chair next to him out from under the table.
As she took the hint and sat down, they both started talking at once, coming to a stop almost immediately, he smiled at her. "You first."

Zoe seemed to blush and as Alex came over and put a tea in front of her, she seemed willing to wait for him to leave before talking. "I think this is yours," she said quietly as she pushed a piece of paper towards him.

He recognised the drawing he'd made. "Zoe, look, I'm sorry. I should have asked you if you minded."

Zoe blinked back at him. "Oh no! I mean, I love it I really do."

"You do?" Steve was astounded as that was the last reaction he was expecting.

Zoe sat with her hands in her lap, one thumb rubbing nervously over the other. "I do. No-one has ever done anything like that for me."

Steve smiled as he watched her blush. "Well it's not finished but … " He pushed the picture back over in front of her. "You keep it."

"Only if you're sure." Zoe sipped at her tea as she smiled at him shyly. "Did you train in art?"

Steve picked the cup up from the opposite side, now the drink was cooler. He did not wish to get his fingers caught in the cup handle while talking to Zoe. Shaking his head, he replied, "No, I joined the military. Sometimes, life doesn't always go the way you wish."

It was clear by the way the young woman frowned that she was struggling for what to say to that. Perhaps she didn't like the idea or maybe he had read all the signs wrong. Yet here he was, sat with the prettiest girl and she had seemed to like him. Instead, he plunged on, "What about you, what did you want to be?"

"You mean before I became a maker of tea and a clearer of cups?" He thought she was serious at first until he caught sight of the glint in her eye, the small grin. English sense of humour...

"Seriously? I wanted to be a fashion designer or wardrobe mistress. I was hoping to start in the theatre or a fashion house after I left college but as you say, life doesn't always go the way you wish - not that I would want to be without Amy, though." Zoe had been stirring her tea idly during this conversation.

Steve saw this an ideal time to bring up the thing he'd been thinking about for the last month."But what about Mr .. Zoe?" It occurred to him he did not know her surname, as he hesitated.

Zoe gave a shrug. "There is no , as you called him, I mean not any more." Placing her spoon down. "There was, for awhile."

Sensing he'd gone onto sensitive territory, Steve shook his head. "Sorry Zoe. I never meant to pry."

Zoe smiled back at him. "You're not prying. I like talking to you." Steve grinned back at her.

He watched Zoe nip nervously at her lower lip before saying, "What about you? Do you have a girlfriend or a wife? I remember that woman who had the beautiful red hair… " She paused as his eyes went wide, cogs spinning in his head.

"Natasha? N-no, nothing like that." He found himself almost stammering in disbelief. Him and Natasha, she was good looking but … just no. But he could understand how Zoe could make the connection though. They had an easy friendship, no matter their differences.

"In fact she's courting a friend of mine." Steve saw the way Zoe gave him a little smile.

"That's … encouraging to know - and courting, that's an unusual way to describe seeing someone." He felt himself blush at her words. Steve still found speaking like someone from now, hard to do. Pepper had once told him that some women appreciated old-fashioned charm. Perhaps it was the same with Zoe?

A cough from behind the counter as a group of people came in and Zoe motioned to Alex to give her a minute.

"Do you have a phone? I can give you my number?" Zoe asked, hesitatingly.

"Oh! Sure." Steve fumbled in his inside pocket as he got his phone out he barely used. Opening it, they figured out it was easier for him to give his number and to have Zoe send him a message.

"I'll have to get used to using this phone, won't I?" Steve smiled as he saved her number.

"You will. I'll send you a message later, give you some practice." Zoe chuckled. Picking up the picture and her cell, she put them in the front of her apron. Steve's skin prickled as she put her hand on his arm.

"I'll talk to you later."

Steve stretched over for the buzzing phone to pick it up. Pepper raised an eyebrow as she had never heard of anyone sending text messages to the super soldier before. Fury contacted him in person, by other agents or internal phone calls to Stark Tower. Besides, she was pretty sure a text message from Fury would not make Steve smile like that and he'd had a few this evening.

Standing up, she smoothed down her pale green skirt and walked in stockinged feet into the large shared kitchen. "You want a tea, Steve? I'm just boiling the kettle." She still saw that smile on his face as he looked up, brows raised and stood up to walk over to the kitchen. They chatted about this and that, Tony forever in his workshop, Bruce in his lab, the others on missions. Pepper had previously been sat answering messages on her laptop, finding Steve's company calming, as both of them did not always need conversation.

His phone beeped again as Pepper poured them both tea and opened the cabinet for some cookies she had stashed in there, away from a certain billionaire's prying eyes. Steve texted the person back, slowly and deliberately, concentrating on the letters and pressing send.

"You're getting used to texting I see." Pepper observed, trying to be subtle as she laid out the cookies, telling Steve to help himself. She watched the way the man smiled at the other person's responses, even laugh. Whoever this was, Steve had the hots for bad.

"A little." Steve frowned, his eyes clouding over. Picking up another cookie, he asked, "If you were a woman, I mean not that you're not but... where would want to go for a meal, for a first date?"

Pepper tried hard not to giggle as he bumbled his way through his words. Smirking, she asked, "Anyone I know?" Maria Hill perhaps? Or Darcy? Pepper struggled as she came up with possible suspects. They were the only ones she actually knew.

Sipping his tea, Steve shook his head. "She's someone I've met away from SHIELD. I've asked her to go tomorrow night with me but I have no idea where to take her so..." His voice drifted off.

"Well I can think of a few places. Do you remember that tapas restaurant we went to? The one with the small dishes that everyone shared? That's ideal for a first date." Pepper said, the excitement evident in her voice for her friend.

"Who's going on a first date? It's a little late for you and me, Pepper." Tony walked in, raising an eyebrow at the other person in the kitchen. "Don't tell me the eternal virgin is going on a date?" The shock was evident in his voice as Pepper smacked him on the arm.

"Tony! That's mean!" Pepper gasped as the billionaire stole a cookie from her hand.

Steve took a deep breath, trying to not allow the jibe to annoy him and simply shook his head. As it happened, he wasn't a virgin, suddenly grateful to a probably long dead showgirl in Tallahassee, whom he slept with when he thought Peggy and Howard Stark were 'fondue'ing' together. But with Pepper there, he wasn't going to talk about it. Women might be comfortable talking about sex but Steve wasn't. And he certainly wasn't wanting to discuss it with Howard Stark's arrogant son.

"I'm going out for some fresh air. Thanks for the cookies." Steve gave Pepper a smile and walked off towards the elevator. His fresh air involved the rooftop of Stark Tower and continuing to talk to Zoe.

Pepper gave Tony a long hard look. "Anthony Stark, you can be such a jerk at times!"

"Does that mean I have your permission to be a jerk?" His eyes twinkled.

Text Messages

[Zoe] Hey Steve

[Steve] Hello Zoe

[Zoe] Sorry if this is a bad time

[Steve] No, its fine, I'm just relaxing. How about you?

[Zoe] Apart from texting you? Having a glass of wine and listening to my mother vent about her students.

[Steve] Is she a teacher?

[Zoe] History professor. Once Amy is in bed, my mother calls this time of night 'Momma's w(h)ine night'.

[Steve] Sounds like an interesting job. And she sounds fun.

[Zoe] She is, mostly. And she's curious about who is texting me. Keeps saying she would have to meet you if we ever went out.

[Steve] Well, I was going to suggest we meet up for dinner one night. Tomorrow? I mean if you're not doing anything that is...

[Zoe] That should be good. Are you able to pick me up?

[Steve] So your mother can meet me first? That's standard practice where I'm from.

[Zoe] She said she'd be delighted to meet you. Anyone would think it was her going on a date...

[Steve] You know, that made me laugh out loud, don't you? My friends gave me odd looks.

[Zoe] oh I didn't realise you had people there. Brb

There's a gap of 15 minutes or more.

[Zoe] Sorry about that. Amy had a nightmare and wanted her momma. Well, she wanted her Eddy Bear that fell out of bed.

[Steve] How is she?

[Zoe] Better now she has her teddy.

[Steve] So do you like Tapas or spicy food in general? I heard that English people like bland food...

[Zoe] Hey! I love spicy food. Us Brits have much more developed tastes nowadays.

[Steve] Glad to hear it. You know I'm only teasing you, don't you?

[Zoe] Course I do. I best go and get ready for work, seeing as I'm out tomorrow night. I'll send you my address though. Night Steve x

[Steve] Night Zoe. And sweet dreams.

Ok next chapter – the date and meeting the mother. Tell me what you think. I was trying to find a way to put the text messages on there without breaking up Pepper's POV. I tried not to make the text messages too shortened, because though Zoe might use brb and lol, Steve really wouldn't. Reviews are most welcome and thank you so much for the reviews I received, as well as the favourites and follows!