The Soldier and His Girl. (Steve Rogers Love Story)

Chapter Thirteen: Who is that?!

As Steve and I bid Peggy farewell, I felt a surge of excitement. I was determined to inject a bit of fun into the evening, a chance for Steve to experience something new and light-hearted. As we walked back towards Steve's motorcycle, I gently took hold of his elbow, spinning him around to face me. The look of confusion in his eyes only made me smile wider.

"My turn," I said playfully, tugging him down the sidewalk.

Steve's brows knitted together in curiosity. "Where are we going?"

I glanced back at him, a mischievous grin on my lips. "Well, what does every great date need, besides the outing?"

Steve's expression was a mix of confusion and thoughtfulness. After a moment, he shrugged. "I don't know."

"Food," I declared triumphantly, noticing that we were nearing the destination I had in mind.

As we approached the storefront, Steve's look of confusion was replaced by amusement when he saw the sign: Crave. He followed me inside with a chuckle, his eyes widening as he took in the array of ice cream flavors and toppings displayed.

I watched him with a grin as he examined the choices, and when I explained the process of ordering, he decided on vanilla ice cream with rainbow sprinkles.

"Seriously? Vanilla?" I teased, scooping key lime ice cream into my own bowl.

Steve shrugged, a playful glint in his eye. "Sometimes, you just can't beat the classics." He took a bite and grinned at me, clearly enjoying his simple choice.

Rolling my eyes, I made my way over to the toppings bar, selecting graham crackers and white chocolate chips. We found a small table outside, and as we sat down and dug into our ice cream, I noticed Steve fidgeting, clearly contemplating whether to ask a question.

"Spill it," I encouraged, taking a bite of my own treat.

Steve hesitated before asking, "I told your father about the dreams you've been having. Did he say anything about it?"

I met his gaze, my expression serious. "He did. He thinks I might have precognition along with my cytokinesis. My mother had the ability to see the future, and Dad believes that when she passed away, the power came to me. We're still figuring out how it all works together."

Steve stirred his ice cream, deep in thought. "So, your father thinks that when someone dies in the family, the powers get passed down?"

I nodded, setting my spoon down and looking at him intently. "That's what it seems like. But there are so many questions. Like, does the next person in line have to be living for the power to transfer, or will it just remain in the bloodline until the right individual is born? There's still so much we don't know about my family."

Steve's eyes widened with the new information. "And your father—he has abilities too?"

I smiled, recalling one of our first conversations. "Yes, he has geokinesis. He can manipulate the earth."

Steve's eyes grew even wider. "How?"

I chuckled. "Well, when he gets angry, you'd better find cover, because a rockslide is likely to follow."

"Why didn't Howard and I ever notice this?" Steve asked, looking puzzled.

I looked down, feeling a pang at the mention of Tony's father. "He had to learn to hide his abilities, especially during the war. If people had found out, who knows what they might have done to him or if I'd even be here now. It's different now; things are more accepted."

Steve absorbed the information thoughtfully. "So why does Anthony look like he's in his late 50s while everyone else seems to age normally?"

"We age slower," I explained. "We're still mortal, but while Tony might look 90, I'd still look like I'm in my late 50s."