Well...this turned out differently than I'd hoped...

hateme101: Steve won't be here for a while, but I'm glad you liked it!

xenocaanan: Things are still gonna be sweet for a while, but obviously there's still some demons they need to work through.

DarylDixon'sLover: Don't worry too much. I've been in a really fluffy mood lately.

chibichibi98: Don't worry, things will be all sunshine and rainbows for a while!

ZakiChiUmi: I have a serious problem, and can't stop writing this story. But I'm glad you like it, and I had to throw a little filler in there while I wait for Civil War to happen.

inperfection: Thanks hon! The whole idea of this story was to be dark, which I've failed at keeping up because things are very fluffy right now. But I have a few ideas that are going to darken things up again.

Lesliezin: Yeah, I kinda used your idea on that one. I needed a way to explain it, and it was brilliant. Things are very fluffy right now. Very, very fluffy.

Guest: Yes! They finally kissed! Well, she kissed him...And I left that a little ambiguous to possibly hint towards the future of the story, so don't worry if you don't understand it yet. You will eventually.

jennyrenee: Haha! Don't worry. You'll get to see his side of things here.

LovelyFandomLover: Things are very fluffy right now. But you're right, don't get too used to it. I've got some dark stuff in the works again.

GilyFlower: She'll get her lessons soon. And that's going to be interesting...

Guest: Aww thanks! I'm glad you like it! You're so sweet!

RosiePosie15: Yes! They kissed! And you'll find out in this chapter!

Tiphanie: They're both in love and don't know what to do! It's like a soap opera! What will James do next? What will Olivia do? Will the couple live happily ever after? Or will the unexpected romantic interest tear them apart? I kid, I kid. Things are going to get so fluffy I might die! My dark, tattered soul can't handle the sunshine and rainbows! Just don't get too used to it...muahahaha.

Earwen85: I love Steve, but if I had to pick between the two, I'd go for Bucky. Actually, I'd ask for both first...but that's just me. And don't worry. They'll figure things out.

Enjoy!

James' lips were tingling as he watched Olivia rush back into the apartment. It had taken him by surprise, not expecting her to kiss him. But at the same time, he couldn't deny the shiver that had ran down his spine. He'd turned to look at her in the light of the fireworks, and found her staring at him. Her face was illuminated by the light, her eyes shining. Her hair fell around her in waves from where she'd had it braided, like a golden halo. He couldn't ignore it as she bit her lip, something stirring inside him. Something he hadn't felt in a long time. Then she'd kissed him. Just like that. Her lips were soft, and tasted like the chocolate she'd eaten earlier. He'd kissed many girls on New Year's Eve, but none of them had been like that. He hadn't ever been as close to them, as he was to her. They had a bond. Something he had only shared with one other person in his life. He found himself running his tongue over his bottom lip, tasting her still. He got up, walking into the dark apartment, his trained eyes making out her form on the couch. She was curled up, the blanket thrown over her head. He figured he should leave her be for now, and got ready for bed.

He heard her get up, her sniffle loud in his ears as she stumbled to the bathroom, tripping over the edge of the bed. He was facing the wall, closing his eyes as the door opened, light shining through. She shuffled back to the couch, curling up under the blanket. She sighed as she got comfortable, and he waited for her breathing to even out again. He was still tingling a little from the kiss, his heart skipping a beat occasionally, when he thought of how soft her lips had been. How gentle the kiss was. How sweet. In all honesty, he wanted to do it again. And again. And again.

When James woke the next morning, the back door was open, and Olivia was nowhere to be seen. He got up, making his way out the door, finding her sitting in the same place she had been last night. Her eyes were trained ahead of her, not even blinking when he took up his spot beside her.

It was silent between them for a long time. Neither of them knew quite what to say. He could tell she was nervous, still a little embarrassed by what she did. He wanted to tell her not to be, to tell her he liked it. That he wanted her to do it again, but he decided to let her make the first move. He didn't want to rush into things, to get a wrong impression and push her away. He wanted to be with her. He understood that much. But he wanted her consent. He wanted to know what was going on in her head. He wasn't going to force himself on her again. Not this time.

"I'm sorry." She finally said, looking down at her bare feet. It was cold outside, and she was in nothing but a t-shirt and sweatpants. "I...I don't know what came over me. I'd never been kissed before, and I wanted it to be special, and now I've ruined everything-"

He cut her off, gripping her chin. He turned her face to his, pressing his lips against hers. Obviously letting her make the first move wasn't going to work. She was guilty, thought she'd done wrong. Pushed him away. But she'd only dragged him closer to her.

Their kiss was sweet, short. Just like the first. James' fingers were soft, gentle as he ran them down her jaw, then back up. Her skin was smooth under his hand, and he felt himself yearn to feel more of it. He pulled away, her eyes closed, lips parted slightly. He watched as her eyes fluttered open, her eyes meeting his. There was a little green in her eyes. It was faint, but it was there. He hadn't noticed that before. Most of the times they'd been this close, she'd been trying to calm him down.

"I don't want to rush you into anything. And I certainly don't want to make you feel uncomfortable. But I've wanted to do that since last night." He heard her shaky exhale. "I'm not mad, and I'm certainly not going to push you away. I've...been feeling something building inside me over the past few weeks. You've been so good to me, doll, and I can't help but want more. I want to be able to hold you, feel you next to me all the time. I want to be able to touch you." He cupped her cheek, running his thumb over her skin. "Feel your soft skin, the warmth in your cheeks when you blush." He smiled slightly when she did indeed blush. "You got me goin' crazy girl, and I'm just glad you were brave enough to make the first move."

"I've wanted to do that for a while now." She sighed, moving her hand up over his on her cheek. "Just...the way you look at me, the way you talk to me, like I'm something special. The way you take care of me. I've seen your worst, violent side. Hell I watched you murder a man. And I would still take you despite that. I've seen your best side. Your ability to be kind and gentle. You've cared for me. You killed a man because he was touching me. And as twisted as it is, I find that really sweet. That you care that much about me. Granted, I'm not exactly the most put together, I'm still broken inside, but...you've helped me put myself back together this far." I laced my fingers with his.

"You've helped me more than you know." He said, holding my hand tightly. "I don't know what I'd do if I ever lost you. You're the only thing keeping me sane. You've pulled me from nightmare after nightmare, flashback after flashback. You buy me things...plums, books, you let me talk to you. Just being around you makes me feel like I can be something again. Someone again. But, if we're going to do this, I want you to know that you're calling the shots. You take this as fast as you want. If you get uncomfortable, then we can back off. Take as much time as you need, doll. Because I don't plan on going anywhere."

I cupped his cheek, leaning forward to press another kiss to his lips. His metal hand cupped the back of my head, holding me there.

"I'm a little rusty." James said, pulling away for a breath before kissing me again. "But it's starting to come back to me."

"Good." I said between kisses. "Because I have no idea what I'm doing."

We both laughed before kissing again, the cold air biting at us on the balcony, but neither of us cared. We were so engrossed in each other, the feel, taste of the other we didn't even notice. Plus, James was warm enough for the both of us. I couldn't have been happier in that moment. I felt complete, whole. I was starting to rebuild myself from the inside, and I had someone there to glue me back together.

Happy New Year indeed.