Little Star // a Steve Rogers, Captain America, Avengers story

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Time passed quickly. Someone, somewhere, had amassed a good-sized army of mercenaries armed with stolen alien weapons. A drug lord had found a dirty bomb, commandeered a cruise ship, and threatened to sail it into New York harbor if he wasn't given a full pardon for his laundry list of crimes. And it was time to submit half-yearly psychological evaluations for the thirty two students currently receiving counseling at the high school.

They managed a few dates. Dinner and cards was a success (Steve won at poker, Ellie at gin), as was dinner and a movie (Steve chose Christopher Reeve's Superman), and dinner while exploring Ellie's favorite music (Harry Connick Jr. was a hit; Nirvana not so much). There was a new level of comfort between them, and more kisses as well.

Although apart on Christmas, they sent one another gifts. Ellie had her mom's best friend knit Steve a sweater with his shield on the chest. He sent her a photo of himself, smiling, in the new sweater. Tony, frowning, stood next to him in the (stretched out) arc reactor sweater.

Ellie received a beautiful ebony jewelry box, with her initials inlaid in mother of pearl on the lid. Inside, in one of the square storage spaces, was a small piece of paper on which was written, in perfect cursive, 'save this space.'

Before she knew it, Valentine's Day was approaching and Steve was in a country Ellie had never heard of, saving a lot of good people from a single bad guy. Although disappointed to miss the romantic holiday with him, she was also pragmatic enough to understand that any day was as good as another for romance. Unable to send Steve a gift, she would wait until the next time they were together.

Ellie had Valentine's Day dinner with her best friend Kate, whose husband John was traveling for work himself. Kate's present from John was a beautiful bouquet of silk parrot tulips – her favorite flower – and a card that read 'These will last as long as our love.' Ellie felt that many couples who had remained together after the Snap found a much deeper connection, recognizing that they could so easily have lost one another. Kate and John were the real deal, before and after.

As Ellie held the small gift bag that had been delivered to her doorstep that morning, she wondered what might be inside. Jewelry, from the look of the black velvet box that was emerging from the wrapping paper.

Slowly, she opened the box to reveal a pair of star-shaped diamond stud earrings, full of fire. They had to be a carat each. A card fell from the wrappings.

'Ellie, your sparkle fills me with light and hope. Happy Valentine's Day, Steve"

Never in her life had she received a gift like this. It wasn't the size or beauty or value of the diamonds that overwhelmed her. It was the sentiment.

Suddenly, she knew. She knew without a doubt that she loved this man. That she could spend an eternity with him, making him happy, being happy herself. It was terrifying. His life was almost nothing but danger, chaos, heartbreak, and unimaginable responsibility. Could she truly be the one to bring him hope and happiness?

"Ellie, honey, are you alright?" Kate asked as after full minute ticked by.

"I'm fine, Kate. A bit overwhelmed by my present. A bit overwhelmed by my life, I guess."

"May I see what's in the box?"

"Of course. Here you go."

Kate took in a quick breath as she opened the lid, then exhaled, saying, "Oh my goodness. Oh my goodness. Well, I think you'd better put them on so we can send a picture to Steve. He'll want to know you got them."

Ellie's hands shook as she fastened each star. "Well, how do they look?"

"Go over to that mirror, and judge for yourself."