When Natasha heard Steve say those words, she pulled back from his embrace. Sure, she had read them in all the letters he sent, but hearing them made her heart race. As the truth of it settled in, she wanted to be looking into his eyes. When she looked up at him, he began to worry that he had said it too soon. Now he was afraid she was going to run again.

"Nat, it's the truth. If it was too soon, if you're not ready, you don't have to say it back, it's okay."

She sees the flush in his cheeks, and remembers the first time he said I love you. He said it the exact same way then, as he did now. The memory of it makes her smile. Though she pulled back, she didn't let go.

"Steve, you haven't changed a bit. Come on, I want to show you something."

Before he can respond, she grabs his hand, pulling him along behind her. As she starts to run, he manages to grab her stereo, so it doesn't get left behind. He can only follow as she drags him up the stairs to her front door.

"Nat, wait. I have to…have to catch my breath."

"Right, you know I didn't forget about the asthma. I don't want you hyperventilating when you see this."

A few minutes later his breathing stabilizes, and with a smirk, she opens the door.

"You ready, soldier?" Come on in."

Entering the apartment he looks around and feels like he's been transported back in time. In the living room is the couch where they cuddled up for movie night. When he walks into the dining room, he sees the table they bought together. On their first anniversary he made her favorite breakfast, Russian Syrniki. When they finished eating, it was the first time they both said I love you. Eager to move things along, Nat pulls him down the hallway to her bedroom. He's surprised that even the bed is the same. When he looks at her she makes an admission.

"Yeah, I kept everything from our apartment on campus. This isn't what I wanted to show you, though."

Quickly she runs into her closet, and pushes the box with his letters aside. On that top shelf, is an old leather bound book. After she pulls it down, she moves to sit on the bed and beckons for him to join her.

"This is what I wanted you to see. Open it."

Steve flips through the pages one by one. In an instant, all of his memories of their time together come roaring back.

"You saved all of this? The photos from the arcade where we made goofy faces for the camera, and the corsage I bought you? That's the caricature the artist made of us when we went to Coney Island. He didn't even draw me as I actually looked at the moment. I remember I had just thrown up after riding the cyclone."

"Bucky made you do that. I bet he still doesn't take no for an answer. Keep looking."

After flipping a few more pages, he finds that the rest are empty.

"I don't understand. You never finished filling this?"

"I didn't. There's nothing in there from the time I spent with the other guy. The remaining pages were never meant for him."

As understanding begins to dawn, he looks up to see her smiling back at him.

"I put that scrapbook away, after you left. Even with my fear of you not coming back, I kept those pages empty because this is our story. Now I can put your letters in there. And then one day, we'll finish filling it. I never stopped loving you, Steve."

When she takes the book back from him, she gently closes the cover. Now getting his first good look at it, he sees their names imprinted in the leather. Just a simple: Steve and Natasha.

With their trip down memory lane complete, they move back to the living room to watch what became their favorite movie. When they first started dating, she was surprised to discover that he loved old black and white movies just as much as she did. Cuddling on the couch, Casablanca starts to play. An hour into the movie, they both fall asleep, they know it by heart anyway. Steve is the first to wake up another hour later, when his phone started vibrating. His team had the weekend off from their work on the mural, so he knew who was calling.

"Steve! Where are you?"

Quickly he covers the ear piece so the shouting doesn't wake Nat up. She shifts against his shoulder, but remains asleep.

"Cool it, Buck," he whispers, as best as he can. "If you keep shouting you'll wake Nat up."

"You're with Natasha?!"

He has to cover the ear piece again, apparently his best friend didn't come with a volume control.

"Yes, I'll tell you what happened later. I have to go."

"No, Steve wait…tell me now. I…"

Bucky is cut off as Steve hangs up, and turns off his phone. He knows that his best friend will forgive him later. Right now, he just wants to enjoy the time he has missed with the woman still leaning her head on his shoulder, while she squeezes his arm a little tighter. He's not surprised when she speaks, but doesn't open her eyes.

"You know he's going to be pissed off when you get back to his apartment."

"I know, but I'll deal with that then. Besides, if you come with me, he won't stay angry for long. You still scare him."

She chuckles as they fall asleep again. In the end, Bucky will be happy that they resolved this, and are rebuilding their relationship.