Guardian Angel | Steve Rogers

28

"I got it." She reassured him, and he nodded, taking the seat beside her.

"It's good to see you moving around again." He brought up.

"Yeah, getting there." She sighed.

"I hope it's okay that I'm here. Tony said I could." He stumbled, even with her powers flickering here and there from her injuries, she could feel how nervous he was around her.

"I think he would have described it as you begging." She joked, making him chuckle, feeling his aura getting lighter.

"Okay, maybe a little." He admitted.

"What's on your mind?" Arden asked, she didn't even have to use her powers to know that he had something to say. She could just look at his scrunched up face, just like he always had when he had a heavy heart.

"You're not using your powers are you? You should really be taking it easy." He worried, scooting closer to her.

"No, I'm not. I just know you, that's all." She informed him, putting him at ease. She knew him just as well as he knew her.

"There was never a good time, but I just wanted to clear the air about the tension between us."

"What tension? There's tension?" She made light of the situation, and he rolled his eyes at her dodging the subject.

"Arden, come on. We've been going in circles for years now, but we've never talked about it."

"No, we did. And you wanted to be friends." She fought back.

"And it was the biggest mistake of my life." He sighed, grabbing her hand, a small tingle shocking then both at their touch. "I love you, Arden. I have always loved you, even before I knew it myself."

His pupils dilating just talking to her sincerely, her heart beating out of her chest. The words she had been waiting to hear for years, yearning for his acceptance of their feelings for each other.

"It took me almost dying for you to admit it, huh?"

His serious expression, turned light at her comment, brushing his thumb over her hand. "Do I get points for saying them out loud finally?"

"A few." She smirked at him.

"I think this might be the part where you say how you feel back." He pleaded.

"I think you've always known how I felt about you."

"Tell me." He ordered delicately. "I want to hear you say it, so I know it's real."

"Steve, I have loved you in every life I've lived. The moment I laid eyes on you, I knew you were going to change the world, I just didn't know you would change mine." She expressed, every word of it was true. No matter what lie she was telling, no matter the job she was working or color she had to dye her hair, Steve was always in the back of her head. His blue eyes haunting her in her dreams.

"I think you beat me on the love confession." He swallows, resting his hand on her thigh. The both of them laughing when they heard car doors closing, Sam, Bucky and Thor headed their way. Tony following suit from the house, Steve removing his hand from her out of respect of their company.

"Were we interrupting something? I hope we were." Sam jokes, leaning against the house.

"They look to be in a serious conversation." Thor added, scowling at Steve.

"Nothing too serious, just that they finally admitted their feelings for each other." Tony answered the guys.

"Tony." Steve and Arden scolded him.

"I wasn't listening in on your conversations on the camera." Tony outed himself.

"Wow, after all these years. Finally." Sam applauded them.

"Really?" Bucky asked, looking at them both.

"Yeah, we're together." Steve smiled, grabbing her hand.

"I never said that." She denied, his smile dropping, confused at the situation.

"You just said you loved me back."

"I did." Arden confirmed.

"But we're not together?"

"No." She answered bluntly.

"Uh oh." Sam whispered.

"I'm sorry, I'm confused." Steve shook his head. getting up from the chair to stand in front of her.

"I went through hell with you about our feelings. Didn't speak for a while, friend zoned me, hell I even left the planet because I was heartbroken." Arden reminded him.

"She's got a point." Thor backed his sister, Bucky hitting him in the arm to stay quiet.

"If you think we're just going to forget what's happened in the past few years, you're crazy. You've got work to do if you want us to actually be together." She added, there was no way she was going to give into him so easily after what he put her through, no matter how much she loves him. Living so many years and so many lives, she wanted to get her only chance at love right.

"You heard the lady, you better get to work." Tony patted Steve's back, making Steve let out a small laugh finally. 

"Prepare to be swooned, Arden." Steve bent down in front of her, grabbing both of her hands and kissing each of them. 

"I think I'm going to be sick." Thor pretended to gag, and Arden laughed, accidentally making the porch lights explode, making everyone wince at the broken glass spreading everywhere. 

"Sorry, still working on that." Arden apologized.