( Steve Rogers Love Story) His Best Girl

A new neighbor

Steve Rogers was conflicted.

He had come to the bookstore almost every day for a week straight and never again saw the redhead whose eyes filled his sketchbook.

The pictures she had given him were kept in a box at home, along with other things he valued from before he woke up. The pocket compass, Bucky's dog tags, his own tags clinked around his neck. Photos of the commandos were now joined by the black and white pictures the woman had taken at the cafe. However, he did not see her again.

Steve Rogers didn't want to give up on finding the girl. But he didn't want to stalk her either.

So you could imagine his surprise when he heard a commotion in the hallway late one Saturday afternoon, only to find a flash of red hair. The sound of a crash caught his attention away from the book he had been reading in his quiet Brooklyn apartment. At first, he had simply ignored it, the lady two doors down was very grumpy and had a plethora of small dogs that like to cause a ruckus on occasion, but when it continued with a loud thump curiosity got the best of him. Creaking open the door he saw a large stack of cardboard boxes, all assorted sizes, and various laundry baskets. It seems someone was finally moving into the new apartment.

" Ugh!" Came a frustrated groan and a clatter if something metal hitting the floor. Moving from the doorway, what he saw made his jaw drop.

She was small, maybe five foot five inches or less, faded jeans covered in paint marks and rips hung low on her hips. She wore a grey t-shirt and an overly large flannel that hung off her elbows. On her feet were worn cowgirl boots. Auburn tresses peaked out from the bun sloppily pulled atop her head. The woman was obviously struggling. A box on her hip, and her keys on the floor while trying to reach them.

Shock reverberated through his system like cold water. The girl, the woman, she was the same from the café. " oh! Um... do you need some help ma'am?" He stumbled over his words. Mentally he was kicking himself, his mother would have whacked him for not helping sooner. Reaching forward he scooped the box from her arms, the girl, Charlotte was breathing hard as she held a hand on her chest winded. " Thank you! I'm so sorry I -oh!" Her blue eyes lit up when they reached his in shock and embarrassment, her pale cheeks flushing a deep red. It was cute. " Hi! Sorry! You looked like you needed some help" He stuttered, awkwardly unsure of what to say, outside of SHIELD, Natasha, or the occasional person at the café this was the first lady he had spoken to.

The redhead had a small smile " No !... I mean ... thanks, I dropped my keys trying to open the door". With a grace had had only seen cats and certain black widow poses she bent down to pick up the cluster of metal and the long strand of colorful ribbon that held it together. " I can get it, if-if you want, thank you" she reaches back for the box, Steve grinned, " I think I got it" as he slid it to his hip. Where is this coming from? He wanted to kick himself at the sudden confidence in his tone, he sounded like Bucky.

The woman's face was tinged with a blush, her eyes averted to the keys in her hand, red nails, he noticed. "Um... if you don't mind me asking, ma'am..." he gulped, confidence gone, she glanced up at him again. " um... are you the same lady I met at the bookstore recently ?" a piece of hair fell into her face as she tilted her head to the side with a shy twisting of her hands in front of her " I hope you didn't mind I..." oh no... Steve backpedaled immediately " No! I love them! I just thought you looked familiar". Charlotte's eyes widened, the corner of her mouth turned up.

" Do you need any help?" He asked eyeing the boxes, some of them looked like they weighed more than she did. The little thing in front of him shifted from boot to boot almost nervously " if you don't mind? I can get everything else up from my truck..." Steve felt almost giddy " No problem! Let me know where you need help ma'am" he felt a genuine smile creep onto his face. Getting bigger as one matches on hers, showing dimples in her cheeks " My names Charlotte West, it's nice to meet you" she extended the hand not holding her keys, he lightly shook it, nervously, as it was dwarfed by his own " Steve Rogers, pleasures all mine".

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It was well into the night before they were done unpacking. Also, well outside the original plan. Charlotte had repeatedly insisted she was fine to move some things on her own but Steve couldn't resist her smile when he scooped up whatever it was and made her laugh. They talked too, he found out she was from a small county in Tennessee. Her deep southern accent was addicting, and the more he talked to her the easier she spoke back to him. Small talk was made as they moved various things into the bare space of her apartment. Steve had followed dutifully, hands in his pockets as he talked.

The cover story SHIELD had given him used to feel like chalk coming from between his lips, now it felt like a safety net, a shield between him and the fear that the already skittish girl before him could bolt at the knowledge that she was speaking to one of the Avenger, a possibly dangerous resurrected man from the 1940s.

"A Captain huh?" she asked as they walked downstairs to the parking garage, Steve felt an amused smile reach his lips " of duty Army ma'am, Stationed out of DC" a bob of her head caused the end of her braid to wave between her hips as they padded down the stairs. "So what brings you to Brooklyn Miss West?" Steve asked. Just as they turned the corner next to his favored black Harley was a well worn light blue and white F250 pickup truck.

Boxes aside, all placed in the respective rooms he learned the little lady he was following had moved to the big city on request from a law firm not too far from the cafe. Deciding to take the job as she had not been to New York since apparently college. Neither of them noticed how late it had gotten until the last box was set down, Steve not really breaking a sweat. Charlotte, however, looking winded, pulling two bottles from the fridge and offered one to him never ceasing what she was saying" ... You can't tell me otherwise! In New York or anywhere Mr. Rogers!" she teased with a smile taking a long sip of her water. He felt a full-blown laugh come from his chest as he leaned against the wall across from her, the cool water felt good as he took a drink "I'm not arguing! I'm just saying I've never actually had bacon on pizza" he shrugged crossing his arms. Glad this shirt he had gotten was actually big enough to fit him when he did so.

Her face

Steve Rogers wanted to roll on the floor laughing. The pretty little one in front of him was absolutely flabbergasted, positively gobsmacked. Her water lay forgotten on the counter abandoned as her jaw was open in shock, blue eyes blow out wide.

"WHAT?!?!"

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The Avengers were gathered around the island of the common of the Avengers tower. Each of them munching on their respective Thai food as they do every Thursday when they noticed something or a lack of something.

A very large,

Patriotic

Someone.

"Hey has anyone seen Capsicle?" Stark piped up with a mouth full of noodles from somewhere on the couch nearest to banner, only now looking up from the tablet the two had been fanboying over. Each hero looked around, nope, no Captain.

"Huh" Natasha's eyebrows bunched together. It was very unlike Rogers to be later for anything, much less something team related.

"Oh leave the old stars and stripes alone !" Clint rolled his eyes pointing his chopsticks at Stark with narrowed eyes " He's probably still traumatized from that video you tried to show him last week!"

That got the attention of everyone and the subject was changed as Natasha threw a shoe with deadly accuracy at Stark's' head, grumbling about his lack of respect for the delicacy of "Physical anatomy".