A/N: Sup guys, I'm back. I found a little time to type this up, so I hope you all enjoy it. We're at 42,00 hits, just on this story guys. I used to be excited when I reached 100…I'm seriously so in love with you. We've come so far, and it means the world to me. And guess what? I'M GOING TO BE AN EDITOR OF MY SCHOOL NEWSPAPER! I had to do a writing sample and they said it was fantastic, so I got the job! Yayayayay. Thank you for inspiring me to apply, you're all the best. Love you. Oh, almost forgot! I'd like to thank Jayc Black for sending in Becky's dress design, I really appreciated it!

I rolled over, looking at my alarm clock, and saw that it was already 10 o'clock—time to get up. I stretched my arms above my head, releasing a yawn, and grabbed my phone off the nightstand. I had one new text message from Steve—"Morning beautiful. Hope you slept well. Good luck with Pepper. I'll see you soon." I smiled, shaking my head at how giddy a text could make me. After we had started dating, I had decided to teach Steve how to work his cell phone. He still constantly came across more problems, but he had managed how to text and call a few people.

It had been two weeks since that famous day in the park where I finally told Steve how I felt about him. The only people that knew were Tony and Pepper, and somehow, both of them had managed to keep it quiet. Oh, god, Pepper…

Tony had told Pepper about Steve and I before I got the chance, and she was certainly not happy about that. She had rushed down to my room at seven in the morning the next day, forcing JARVIS to let her in, and forcefully woke me up. She shouted at me for about five minutes, for things like "not being a good friend" and "how could you not tell me?" After she had finally calmed down, she squealed like the happy little schoolgirl she was and had me explain to her the play-by-play of that fateful afternoon.

After nearly crying from the "the romance, the love, the BEAUTY," as she had put it, she reminded me about the upcoming gala for the reopening of Stark Tower. "So, do you have a daaaaaaaate?" she had asked, raising her eyebrows knowingly. I rolled my eyes at her and told her that I had agreed to go with Steve. She insisted she take me out to purchase a dress for the event, which is why Steve had wished me luck this morning—today I would have to brave the wrath of Pepper Potts and be her Barbie doll for the day.

I hopped in the shower and got ready, knowing that Pepper would be fifteen minutes early, like always. I walked out the door, wearing jeans and a one-shoulder tank top, when I ran into Steve, coming back from the gym. "Hey stranger," I said with a grin. His eyes snapped up to me and he gave me an easy smile back, leaning down to kiss me.

"Good morning," he said, taking the towel from his hand and wrapping it around his neck. "Excited for your day with Pepper?"

I rolled my eyes and he smirked. "God help me. I hate trying on dresses."

Steve smiled, running his hand through his sweaty hair. "It'll be worth it. You'll look stunning. Try to have some fun." I groaned, causing us both to laugh, and I leaned up to kiss him again before taking off down the hall.

I pressed the button to the elevator, just as it dinged, the doors sliding open, revealing none other than Pepper Potts herself. "Good morning, sunshine, ready to go?"

I simply nodded, rolling my eyes at her, and stepped into the elevator beside her. We went down to the lobby, Pep chatting away about party preparations. We had become extremely close in the few weeks that I had spent at Stark Tower. As much as her energetic antics tended to get on my nerves, she was the closest female friend I'd had in a very long time. I was friendly with Natasha, but she had been on a mission ever since things had settle down from Loki. Pepper was hyper, lively, nosy, and chatty, but she had become one of my best friends, and I appreciated having a person to talk to besides Steve.

"So? Are you excited?" Pepper asked as we got into her sleek sports car.

I quirked an eyebrow, knowing she was already well aware of the answer. "Oh yes. Completely thrilled."

She rolled her eyes at my sarcasm and took off for god-knows-where. "You know, you should be thanking me. I'm taking you to buy you a dress, for a gala that you're attending with your super-hot boyfriend, who will be wearing a tux, and will drop dead when he sees you. Please tell me what's wrong with this picture?"

We pulled into a parking garage only a few blocks away from Stark Tower. Most of New York had been cleared of the rubble and was beginning to be rebuilt. A few stores, like the one we were about to enter, were reopening. "Because…Steve and I, we're just…casual, I guess. We don't entirely enjoy parties."

"Why?" she questioned, dragging me by the hand into a fancy-looking boutique. It was cluttered by mannequins wearing long, flowy ball gowns and expensive-looking jewelry. "You'll both look sexy, you'll have a few drinks, dance, get a little close…" she raised her eyebrows suggestively and I scoffed.

"Oh, shut up. Now what do you want me to try on? The sooner we get this over with, the better," I said, picking at the material of a deep red gown beside me. Pepper walked silently around the room, surveying each and every dress, plucking a few every so often. After silently tearing apart the room, she approached me with a wide grin, a handful of dresses lying on her arm.

"There you are. I want to see each one, ok? And smile. This is supposed to be fun," she said, hanging the gowns on the hook inside a dressing room. I tried them on, one by one, and walked out to show Pepper, who scrutinized every detail. I had tried on a sleek black one (made me look too "slutty"), a low-cut pink one ("Steve would shit himself if you wore that"), and a high-necked green gown ("Steve deserves a little more than that"). I sighed, throwing my hands up at her, and throw her an exasperated look.

"You know, you did pick these dresses. Don't yell at me for them," I spat at her, and she shook her head.

"How many do you have left?"

I peered into the dressing room, seeing a turquoise gown still on the hanger. "Just one. The blue one." Pepper nodded, waving her hand for me to go try it on. I slipped on the dress and looked it over in the mirror. Dare I say it…I actually liked it. It was strapless with a sweetheart neckline and a row of beads just under the bust. It was one of those short-in-the-front dresses that were all over the magazines at the grocery store. I had always thought they looked silly (what was the purpose of wearing a floor-length gown then?) but as I twirled around, staring at my reflection…I thought I looked pretty. I smiled at myself and walked out past the curtain, showing the dress off to Pepper.

She stood up, circling me, her hand on her chin, deep in thought. "Well?" I asked, wary of her opinion. I really wanted her to like this one. "Do you like it?"

She stopped to look me, a serious expression on her face. "Do you like it?"

I picked at the hem of the skirt, a shy smile spreading across my face. "Yeah. I do, actually."

Pepper beamed, grabbing me by the forearms and twirling me around. "Yay! I knew you'd like something!" I laughed with her, actually enjoying the girly moment. I offered to pay for the dress, but Pep had insisted. The attendant placed the dress in a long bag and we headed back to Stark Tower in a significantly better mood than when we had arrived.

We each punched the buttons for our floors in the elevator, and I smiled over at Pepper. "Thank you so much, Pep. I actually had a really good time today. And I really like my dress."

She smirked over at me, crossing her arms. "I knew you'd enjoy yourself. And just think, Steve's just gonna looooove you in that dress."

"Everything comes back to Steve with you, doesn't it?" I joked, shaking my head at her. "I never make fun of you for putting up with Tony."

"That's because nothing is hidden with Tony and I," she stated, smirking. "If you'd like to know what he and I were doing before you and I went out—"

"Nope, I think I'm good!" I cut off, my eyes growing wide. We both laughed and I stepped out of the elevator on my floor, waving goodbye as I walked to my room. I hung the dress up in my closet, and sent a text to Steve, seeing if he was currently doing anything. There was a knock on my door shortly after.

"Hi," he said, his hands in his pockets, as he placed a chaste kiss on my lips. Mmm. I don't think I'd ever get over kissing Steve.

"Hey," I said, stepping aside to let him in. "You know, maybe I hadn't been inviting you over. Maybe I was just stalking you and really wanted to know what you had been doing at that exact moment," I said, my voice dripping in sarcasm.

Steve smirked, standing in the middle of my living room. "I hate having to type on that little phone. If I don't have to, then I don't, and I knew you were just going to ask me to come over, so I did."

I laughed, shaking my head. I walked into the kitchen, grabbing two water bottles, and plopped down on the couch, pulling Steve down beside me. "How was your day?"

He smiled, lazily putting his arm around me and pulling me close. "It was good. I went to the gym, finally tried on that tux, and had a drink with Tony. I missed you."

I quirked an eyebrow, a smile sliding across my face. While I had managed to find a friend in Pepper, it hadn't been quite as easy for Steve. I knew he liked Dr. Banner, but he was always locked up in his lab, rarely making an appearance. Steve and Tony had always butted heads—they were two entirely different people. Clint had been gone with Natasha for quite some time now, leaving Steve to take to himself when I wasn't available.

"What?" he asked, though he knew entirely well what I was questioning.

"You had a drink with Tony?" I questioned.

Steve rolled his eyes, waving his hand. "It was no big deal, really. He just bugged me about you and I for a good hour, while trying to get me drunk, even though we both know that's not possible."

I smiled, nudging his side with my elbow. "That's still something. You need a friend, Steve."

He grinned, leaning forward to kiss my temple. "I have you."

"While that is true, you need a guy friend. Just…someone you can be manly with—you know, be stupid, pig-headed, idiotic men," I said, being completely serious. Steve raised his eyebrows at me, and I laughed. "You know it's true. I'm going to start boring you at some point."

Steve smiled, shaking his head. "I don't think that's possible."

I rolled my eyes, playfully shoving him in the chest. "You're so cheesy. But I like this new side of you."

"What new side?" He asked, cocking his head to the side, that adorable grin still plastered on his life. I chuckled at how cute the big, tough man could be.

"This," I said, moving my finger in a circular motion towards him. "You're confident and flirty and just…comfortable with me, I guess. It's sweet, but I never thought you'd be like this."

"Well, I'm happiest when I'm with you," he said. "I can just be me when I'm with you. Not Captain America or even Captain Rogers. Just Steve. And, well, knowing that you returned my feelings gave me a slight confidence boost."

I smiled, leaning forward to peck him on the lips. I leaned my head on his shoulder, closing my eyes, and the one thought that had kept coming up in the back of my mind for two weeks came out of my mouth.

"Do you ever think about Peggy?"

Steve sighed, and I picked my head up. "Why do you keep asking about her?" he asked, sounding frustrated.

"I just…" I said, suddenly feeling insecure for no reason. I wasn't entirely sure why I kept asking about the famous Peggy Carter. She had been plaguing my thoughts for a while now. Every time Steve would be overly romantic towards me, I'd get a sinking feeling in my stomach, like he wished I was someone else. It wasn't that he wasn't genuine—I could tell he meant what he was saying. I just couldn't shake the feeling that maybe he wondered what his life could've been like with Peggy. Would he have been happier? Was he just settling for me?

Steve was much too good for me. I didn't deserve a man like him. From what I had learned about Peggy, she did deserve a man like Steve. She was brave, confident, and strong. She fought in a war during a time women didn't do much but cook and clean. I couldn't help but wonder if maybe…I wasn't cut out for Steve. "I feel like I have to compete with her. Like you'll always be comparing me to her. Like…like I don't deserve you."

Steve squeezed his eyes shut, shaking his head. "Becky, please," he pleaded, sounding desperate. "Please don't think like that. There's no competition. It's you."

I closed my eyes, hating how exasperated he sounded. "I'm sorry, Steve," I whispered. I despised feeling like this. I had never been one for jealousy or insecurity, but here I was, constantly afraid of losing out to someone who wasn't even alive anymore. I had never had anything as good as Steve—everyone I had ever been close to had been ripped away from me. I didn't like to put up walls, but it was inevitable. Steve had knocked so much of that wall down, but there was still that last little bit that was hanging strong. I couldn't even imagine the pain I would go through if I lost Steve.

"Becky," he said, putting a hand on my cheek. My eyes slid open nervously and I met his gaze. "I don't want you to worry about that. You don't have to. Peggy…yes, I care a lot for Peggy, but a lot's happened since then. I didn't know Peggy all that long—just because she's my first love doesn't mean she's going to be my only. I've moved on. Yes, I'll always miss her…but my life is all about you now. You and I, we're equals. We're just trying to find our way together."

"I don't think I can lose you, Steve," I said, shaking my head at my childishness. "I've lost everyone I care about. My dad, my mom, my brothers…I can't take that kind of heartbreak again."

"Becky." He pulled away from me, turning his whole body to face me. He took my face in his hands, forcing me to look at him. "You need to have more faith in me. I'm in this, too. Do you think I'm not afraid of losing you? If we're going to do this, you have to promise to give it 100%. You can't keep blocking me out—I've completely opened myself to you, and you need to do the same for me. It's you and me."

My head went into shock, processing what Steve had said. I had told Steve to not think that I had the upper hand in our relationship, but I was cheating him out of a fair relationship. Steve had given me everything, and I hadn't given everything back.

"You're right," I whispered, shaking my head. "I haven't been fair to you, and I'm sorry. No more talking about Peggy. No more walls. You and me."

Steve smiled, leaning forward to kiss my forehead. "You and me."

A/N: Sorry for this filler chapter, I just had to set everything up for the next chapter—WHICH IS THE LAST CHAPTER. Holy crap, what? How'd we get this far? I went back and read the author's notes from this whole story, and I just laughed at how we've evolved. We've all come so far. I might just cry when I finish the next chapter. It'll be sad—but don't worry, I have the sequel plotline all mapped out! (Even though we all know I won't stick to it.) At least I know how to get started. I'll start it up as soon as I finish this story, so don't worry, it won't be a long wait. Thank you so much for all your kind words about my exams and this story in general—I love you all. I'm not sure when I'll be able to post the last chapter, but I hope it'll be soon. See you!