Ever After

Part 12 - New York, 2012

When you wake up the following morning, Steve isn't laying next to you; as memories of the night before creep into your mind, you remember where you are. Getting up, seeing the case holding the stones still sitting in the middle of the room, you feel relief that Steve hasn't just left you here. Grabbing your stuff from it, you head to the bathroom; disappointed to find there's no running water working yet. "Damn it Stark," You sigh, quickly getting dressed and waiting for Steve.

Looking out of the window, you see the sun shining down on Manhattan; the hustle and bustle of New York makes you smile; there was no where else on Earth you'd rather be. Thinking back to what your life was like at this point in time, well that was a little more complicated. SHIELD had kept you and Steve apart ever since he'd been found in the ice; you were running back to back missions with Nat for Fury, while Steve was getting accustomed to this new world. You shake your head at how naive you were about SHIELD, before the guilt catches up with you that back then you had no idea that Bucky was still alive. 

The sound of the door slowly opening draws you from your daydreams; you sneak over to the wall, pressing your back firmly against it, ready to fight when Steve slips in. "Jesus Christ Steve, you scared the hell out of me. Where were you?"

"Sorry," He raises his hands in defence. "I needed to check out the place. We slept too long, I don't know how easy it'll be to sneak out of here."  You nod, before checking your watch. Steve sits on the bed, which dips heavily under his weight, reminding you of the noise you heard last night. "Don't."  He smirks as you snigger a little at the memory. Taking a seat next to him, you're tempted to take his hand, but nerves get the better of you. 

"You want to talk about last night?" You ask, terrified as you place a hand on his knee. He looks down at it, before standing and grabbing the case.

"Not really." He huffs out, clear embarrassment on his face. Trying not to feel hurt, you remind yourself that you pushed him away last night; swallowing down the urge to push him on the subject you nod. "We got a couple of hours before Loki attacks, even then we'll have to hide out here." 

"Yeah I got the memo Steve. We can't interfere, blah blah blah." He can't help but smile at you, before shaking his head. "So we're stuck in here till then. Great." You roll your eyes as your stomach rumbles, a idea forming in your mind. "Can we at least get something to eat?"

"We can't risk it Belle, what if someone sees us?"

"Right now no-one even knows about us. Right now you and I are miles away on the Helicarrier." He thinks about it, looking out the window. "The shawarma place is just around the corner..."

"Oh no, that experience was bad enough the first time." Steve finally breaks out into a laugh; your heart warming at his smile. "Ok, there's a small cafe near the train station," He continues to smile, starting to change out of his Captain America uniform. "But you can't go dressed like that." He points to you in your jumpsuit. Looking around you, you notice the hoodie still laying on the floor. Dusting it off you put it on. 

"This is all I got Cap," You laugh, pulling your hair up into a messy bun. "It's Manhattan, I'll look like I've just came from the gym." You shrug.

***

Steve laughs at the enormous pile of pancakes piled up in front of you, while he picks at his smaller portion. "You really going to eat all of that?"

"Hell yeah," You smile in between mouthfuls, sipping at your coffee. "I feel like I haven't eaten in days." You take another bite, wiping the syrup off your mouth with a napkin. "I wish we'd done this, back then." You admit, wishing you'd said it in your mind rather than out loud. 

"Me too," Thankfully Steve admits it, reaching over to take your hand, before something in his mind pulls him back. "I always thought about you, you know. Where you were, what you were doing? Sure wasn't the same girl I remember."

"Meaning?" You furrow your eyebrows in frustration, not only as his comment but the fact that he pulled away. He laughs at your expression.

"Don't get me wrong, I like this version of you." He can't quite keep the smirk off of his face. "But when I first found out you were alive, I remembered Isabella the nurse, not Belle the secret agent. That's all." 

"I know the feeling," You smirk back. "I couldn't help but worry about my little Steve when you were out on missions, even though, well you know." You gesture to how he looks now. "I miss that little guy sometimes." Steve just shakes his head at you.

"You'd have never looked twice at that little guy," He says to himself, but you hear him, feeling your heart break. Just as your about to reply, a burst of blue light shoots from the top of Stark Tower. The attack on New York had begun.

***

Slipping through the back streets, you and Steve stay back from all the action; despite the urgency in you both to jump in and fight, right some wrongs that had been done, you knew that it could cause havoc for the future. Bruce had been explicitly clear on that. Slowly but surely you make it back to the tower; knowing that the final minutes were almost upon you. "Ok, you head to Bleecker Street," Steve sighs, tucking the time stone into one of your ammo pouches; since you had already been there due to your interaction with Strange, it made sense to split up and cover both stones simultaneously. "I'll make sure we give the sceptre back to Sitwell. We'll meet back here."

"Got it," As you head off, you get distracted by the fight going on in front of you; 2012 Steve and you are fighting side by side. It feels like a lifetime ago, worse for Steve who stands behind you placing a hand on your shoulder. "I had never been so terrified in my life Steve," You reach up and clasp his hand, pulling it down so you can intertwine your fingers in with his. "I had just gotten you back, and I was terrified I was going to lose you all over again." 

He squeezes your hand and without thinking, you turn to him, gripping him by the scruff of his neck and pulling him down, closing the gap by pushing your lips onto his. Last night he had opened a door you had been terrified of, for years. Remembering how you felt back then, the start of your feelings for him; you decided you weren't going to give up on him now. I love you Steve, you yell out in your mind, before pulling away and running off.