Taking a deep breath after the last swell she dove straight into the next arms pointed strait she used the back pull to carry her faster through the water, at first the saltiness of it stung her eyes but she adjusted quickly.

She didn't know how but she could hold her breath for a frighteningly long time possibly because of the serum not that she cared all it meant to her was not she could go deep water diving something she had found a great love for.

She watched as the ocean life barely paid her any mind as she moved as if one of them, she reached the ocean floor a bit away from the beach and fund something glinting at her she reached out and picked it up, it was a shell completely white but when she turned it over the underside shined like a rainbow.

She returned it to its place and felt tightness in her chest so she let out few bubbles making the feeling abate but she knew it was time to go back up.

Turning she swam leisurely to the surface breaking it with a splash and took a deep breath exhaling causing her to sink down a little, she turned and swam back toured the beach, walking when she was close enough her feet could touch the bottom.

She gathered her hair and wrung it out as she walked seeing Steve sitting there absorbed in whatever he was working on, she sat down knowing she would need a shower anyway and relaxed in the sand to absorb some sun.

When he finally noticed her he stared, she knew he did because she could feel it but she didn't care just stayed stretched out so he could look to his heart's desire, being the ass her brother always said she was, not that it was her fault she looked so good.

She smirked when she thought that because it really wasn't her fault it was shields.

Finally she opened her eyes and looked at him his face the same color as a really bad sun burn, and sat up "what ya working on?" she bent over but he jumped slightly and bent away "nothing, uh I mean, it's not finished yet" she smiled at his flushed nature chuckling a little.

"Calm down before you give yourself an asthma attack wing head" he punched her arm making her laugh harder "jerk" she grinned at her boyfriend "y know you love me"

She pushed herself up and dusted most of the sand out of the places it should never be then graved her clothing and offered Steve her hand he glanced at it then rolled his eyes but accepted it "thanks" he said sarcastically as she easily pulled him to his feet.

He kept his pad tucked under his arm as they walked back toured the house, shaking off as much of any lose sand as she could she walked toured the bedroom "I'm jumping in the shower" she told Steve who had settled on a couch in the living room pad open again.

Glancing up Steve gave a half nod to signal he herd what she said so she walked to the bedroom barely closing the door and stripping off the swim suit, throwing it into a hamper she stepped into the bathroom leaving the door open.

The bathroom was large, with both a Jacuzzi like bath tub and a large glass shower, while a bath sounded nice she didn't want to sit in any sand that came off her body so stepped toured the shower turning it on to start heating up.

The industrial sized water heater in the basement making sure there was an ample supply of hot water.

When the hot water first hit her body she shivered then sighed making a face when she moved a foot and felt the sand on the shower floor.

The floor was tilted just marginally so there wouldn't be any standing water so she knew it would just be a couple of minutes before the sand was gone, sure enough five minutes later it was all gone from the floor and her body so she went about cleaning herself.

After she finished she stood there head tilted back with the spray hitting her throat before she sighed and turned off the shower drying off quickly and rubbing a towel over her head messing up her hair.

She walked to the sink still completely nude towel laying over the hamper she ruffled her hair before picking up a neon blue comb to start untangling it having no problem standing there completely naked.

After a second she herd the door to the bedroom open and felt her mouth twitch slightly "Beth?" Steve called "in the bathroom" she called somehow hoping he'd walk in since the door was open "I was wondering what you wanted for dinner it's starting to get late and-"

The way he suddenly trailed off made her look in the mirror, her hopes had not been in vain because he stood in the door way staring at her.

She put down the comb and ruffled her hair so it didn't cling damply to her head before turning round "I was thinking about ordering in" she leaned leisurely against the sink and saw the way his face reddened.

A grin stretched her lips slightly "what's wrong Stevie? Looks like you've seen a ghost" she saw him swallow thickly face coloring slowly.

"What?" if he could repeat even a single word of what she just said she'd be amazed.

She walked toured him pushing off the sink walking with a predatory grace, one could say it looked like she was stalking him which in a way she kind of was.

Once in front of him she reached out and with a finger under his chin tilted his head up to look her in the eye, she could already see his pupils dilated, she bent down to kiss him slow and dirty, then pulled away smirking.

"But then again there's something else I'd like to eat first" his face went cherry red and he took a sharp breath starring right at her.

He started stuttering until she kissed him again silencing him.

When she nudged him to get him to start walking her stumbled but caught himself walking backwards as she tried to crowed him, herding him back toured the bed "a-are you sure?" he stuttered and she smiled at him, the wicked curve of her lips enough to make him blush even darker which she didn't think possible.

"Never been so sure about anything in my life" she told him calmly.

When he reached the bed he sat down heavily "yeah but. I mean I'm not much to look at, not like I was and I haven't really" before he could continue she put her hands on his knees and crowded him.

"Steven."

The seriousness in her voice made him stop talking and look right at her and she smiled at him "as an artist have you ever heard the expression beauty is in the eye of the beholder?" he nodded slowly "and do you know what it means?" he blinked at her wondering how art related to the current conversation.

"Everyone sees art different, what's beautiful to one man could be ugly to another" she nodded humming approvingly "that is like this" she motioned between them with a hand "you don't see yourself as much right now because you never have, you never had anyone call you beautiful before the serum and somehow you started to believe you weren't"

She brushed at his hair finger tips trailing over his face in a gentle caress "I've seen you as both, before and after, I've seen you drowning in grief, I've seen you burning with rage, I've seen you pushed beyond the boundaries of normal men and walking through hell, yet it didn't touch you" she held his face between her hands and kissed his forehead.

"You are a beautiful man Steven Rogers and that beauty is more than skin deep. I don't care what you look like; you're just as appealing and sexy to me now as you were when I first met you on the helliecarrier all that time ago. Nothing will change that and in sixty years when were both old and grey I'll still love you the same"

She felt something wet on her skin and shifted away enough to see the shining trail the tears that escaped his eyes had left on his pale cheeks, she leaned in to kiss them away and felt him wrap his arms around her.

"Can I keep you forever?" while the question surprised her she had to smile draping her arms over his shoulders "if you think you can put up with me for that long" he smiled then shrugged "you've grown on me" he said and she grinned against the shoulder of his shirt "like a fungus"