Til Death Do Us Part.

Catching Up.

Him reverting back to his old self once more, turning back to me, inching out of the shell he had moments ago buried himself inside, and while I wanted to bring up the obvious... How he was dealing with having to hide, and for once in his life not being the hero, but instead the criminal... I didn't dare. 

I knew how it felt to be on the constant lookout, I knew what it was like to continuously look over your shoulder, half expecting there to be a gun pointed at you at any time... Back in Bucharest that was my life everyday, and the last thing I wanted to do was dwell on the reality that Steve already knew all too well. 

Being labeled the "bad guy" was such a foreign thing to him, and I knew how hard it's been on him for the past 2 years. I knew that inside he must feel so wronged, to have this unjust treatment done to him, and I could see it in his eyes, how unfriendly the passage of time had been to him as of late. 

He looked tired, and while I wanted to offer words of comfort I knew my lacking sweet condolences would be of no benefit. They wouldn't change anything, so I stuck to what I knew would work...

Chatting like we always did, smiling, and briefly, allowing him a break from the real world, and all it's troubles. 

"You know, as far as dates go this one isn't the best." Steve stated, doing a quick scan of his surroundings once more, always on guard. 

"Do you intentionally make flirtatious comments towards me, or does it just slip out?" I quipped, pouring a drizzle of cream into my coffee, skipping the sugar. A lifelong habit I had taken with me like a token from the War days. 

"Sorry. It just slips out." 

"Still not over me, huh?" I continued to tease, hoping to get a laugh out of him, and make him forget about everything else for a second. 

"Well, there's no one like you, Becky." He truthfully admitted, to which I nodded in agreeance. 

"True. We do share the same life experience, and you aren't going to get that anywhere else outside of the residents of a nursing home." 

Steve just looked at me for a moment, giving me the same bittersweet eyes that he used to, and it made me feel bad again, so I wanted to change the subject. Knowing of one's unrequited love a heavy thing to lug around in your heart. 

"So, I hear Wanda and Vision are a couple." I quickly propelled our next topic of interest. Anything being better than dwelling on his love I knew about that I constantly wished wasn't there. 

"Yeah, they work for each other, I guess. How did you know that?" Steve asked, taking a sip of his coffee, his hand engulfing around the mug, dwarfing it. 

"Natasha keeps me well informed since you don't." I bantered, the blaring traffic rushing by, slightly shaking the table we sat at. New York's intrusive noise somehow finding a way to eek into every little hamlet, no space untouched by it's disturbance. 

"I'm in hiding, I can't tell you everything." He opposed.

"Yes, you can," I hastily challenged. "We're friends. I don't care that you're labeled as a "wanted criminal" now, and thus have made yourself into a traveling Nomad with a beard to prove it. You still have to tell me everything." 

The Captain smiled at that, and his shred of happiness made me glad to see it. That I was still his window away from everything, and I wanted this little coffee date to last much longer than it probably would.

But, it did last awhile... A few rounds of refills in, living off from the energy we got from the caffeine, we kept on talking. 

Even when the afternoon hustle had dampened out into the early evening hushed spell. The customers going back to work, having fulfilled their purpose of getting a nice jolt of java into their veins. The few that stayed all busy college students glued to their laptops. They now resided within the cafe, their eyes fixated onto their screens. 

A lone waiter scrubbed off the desert of empty bistro tables around us, and absently I grazed my fingers along the brim of my mug; the coffee cold. 

"So, you're a Doctor now?" Steve commented, leaning back against the little metal chair, and I cocked my head a little in confusion, wondering how he knew. 

"How did-?"

"Buck brags about it all the time." Steve said, and I mustered up a chuckle at that. 

"Really?" 

"Yeah, really. Last time I went to see him it was all he talked about. How he's married to this hot Doctor." 

I just grinned at that little fact. 

"Why did you decide to give up being an Agent?"

"Well, I mean, James is spending his days tending to goats. So, it just seemed unfair to him to willingly put myself in the line of fire doing work like that," I explained. "Being a Doctor I still get to save lives, and do my part. It was time to... Settle down." 

"I'm glad, Becky. And, I'm proud of you." Steve complimented, making my red lips curve upward as I stared over at him, pride in my eyes as well. Pride from just being friends with not Captain America, but with just a good man with a good heart was a gift. 

"Thanks." 

Ultimately even the best of days had to come to an end, and draw to a close like the red curtain coming down once the play had finished. This coffee date being no exception in the eyes of life, and time. 

Both of us never for long being able to have the luxury of abandoning our purposes. Steve had to get back to the shadows in which he dwelled in with Natasha and Sam, and I had to return back to work. The job I chose for myself, but that still took it's toll. 

Waiting on the cracked sidewalk for a sole yellow taxi to come into eyeshot I checked my phone, having received multiple texts from another Doctor I worked with. All about how I was needed at my post. 

"When will I see you again?" I heard Steve ask, hailing a cab for me, and opening up the back seats door like a gentleman. 

"Hmm, I don't know. We should plan a trip to visit James together soon." I said, slipping my cell back into my blazers pocket. 

"Sounds like a plan. I'll see you later, Becky." Steve said, leaning down to engulf me in a warm hug which I gladly reciprocated, wrapping my arms tightly around him. 

"See you later, Steve." I bid my friend a farewell, giving him a kiss on the cheek before leaving.