One | Steve Rogers

1

FIVE

YEARS

LATER

"Jelly filled?"

"Boston cream."

Lauren sets down the box of donuts on the table with wobbly legs. The table starts to fall, but before the box hits the ground, a green glow outlines the box and table, reversing back to before it fell.

Steve starts to set up the chairs in a circle, but Lauren waves her hand and all of the chairs move on their own and set themselves up in a circle.

Then he sighs.

" You know, I could've done that."

" Just wanted to help."

The husband and wife keep their eyes on one another from opposite sides of the circle of chairs.

" Do you want to lead today?"

" Up to you."

The room eventually gets filled, the chairs get sat on. Steve leads the group, and Lauren just listens to people talk.

" So... I, uh, I went on a date the other day.It's the first time in five years. I'm sitting there at dinner. I didn't even know what to talk about."

" What did you talk about?" Steve asks.

" Eh, same old crap. You know, how things have changed. My job, his job. How much we miss the Mets. And then things got quiet, then he cried as they were serving the salads."

" What about you?"

" Right after dessert. But I'm seeing him again tomorrow, so..."

" That's great. You did the hardest part. You took the jump. You didn't know where you were gonna come down. And that's it. That's those little  brave, baby steps we gotta take to try and become whole again, try and find purpose. I went in the ice in '45 right after I fell in love for the first time. I woke up 70 years later and I'm sure glad I did, because then I met the love of my life," Steve says, then looks over at Lauren and grabs her hand, " You gotta move on... because sometimes... something even better will come into your life... and you'll forget why you were even sad in the first place."

" Have you guys found a place yet?"

Realization hits, and Lauren's smile slowly fades.

" No, uh, w-we're still looking," She responds.

Once everyone leaves, Steve and Lauren fold up the chairs and put them away, this time she does it by hand.

She puts away the last chair as Steve pours himself a cup of coffee.

" Steve?" She asks, but not turning around to face him.

" Yeah, hun?"

" What are we doing?"

" What do you mean?"

" Why haven't we moved out of the compound?"

" We haven't found a place."

" Over 2 billion people are gone, I don't think there's a lack of options."

" I thought you didn't want to leave Nat."

" I didn't... I-I don't... but..."

Steve walks over to his wife, puts his hands on her shoulders, and kisses the top of her head that's covered in long, black hair. He wraps his arms around her and rests his chin on her head.

" But what?"

Lauren pauses for a moment, her eyes locked on the wall in front of her, but her mind trying to focus on her racing thoughts.

" I want us to be happy. I-I want to live a normal life."

" Lo, you can read people's minds and I can lift a semi. I think normal is a little far away for us."

Lauren hums in response, then turns around to kiss her husband.

They make their way back to the Avengers compound, and the first thing Lauren does is go check on her best friend.

She sees Nat about to break down, her head in her hands.

" Gee, I didn't know my presence made you that miserable," Lauren says as she leans against the shelf.

" You here to make dinner?"

" And to see a friend."

" Well clearly your friend is fine."

" You know, we saw a pod of whales when we were coming over the bridge."

" In the Hudson?"

" Fewer ships, cleaner water."

" You know, if you're about to tell me to look on the bright side... um... I'm about to hit you in the head with a peanut butter sandwich."

As Lauren takes a seat, she notices the ballet slippers on the floor. Before she can even asks, Nat speaks up.

" Don't."

" Old habits die hard, huh?"

" You would know."

" It's not worth the pain."

" That's why you stretch first."

Lauren lets out a half smiles, but then crosses her arms and sighs.

" What's the word on Barton?"

" Mexico. It's... worse."

" You need me to track him?"

" That doesn't always work."

" I've gotten better."

" So have I."

" You know... Steve keeps telling everybody that they should move on and grow. Some do... but not us."

" If I move on, who does this?"

" Maybe it doesn't need to be done," Steve says from the doorway.

" I used to have nothing... and then I got this. This job... this family. And I was better because of it. And even though they're gone. I'm still trying to be better."

" I think you both need to get a life," He says.

" You wanna hit him with the sandwich?" Lauren asks.

" It's tempting."

The hologram dings and Natasha hits it. It displays video surveillance  on non other than the insect they worked with all those years ago.

" Oh, hi, hi! Uh, is anyone home? This is, uh, Scott Lang. We met together at the airport a few years ago... in Germany. I was the guy that got really big. I had a mask on. You wouldn't recognize me."

" Is this an old message?" Steve asks.

" It's the front gate," Nat and Lauren say at the same time.