Everly || Steve Rogers

71. Future Days

~ ONE YEAR LATER ~

Everly smiled as the breeze rustled her hair. Her bare feet sunk into the warm sand of the beach that stretched as far as the eye could see. One hand gripped her brown sandals, while the other hand sat perched in Steve's as they walked side by side. The setting sun scattered rays of pink and orange across the cloud-speckled sky.

"I'm just saying, pineapple doesn't belong on pizza." She shrugged, peering up at the man beside her.

"Have you tried it?" Steve returned, raising a challenging brow.

"Have you?" She argued. 

"Ew, no." Everly laughed as he shook his head in disgust. 

She suddenly jumped, her hand slipping from his as she sucked in a sharp breath when a wave crashed over her feet. Her gaze fell back to Steve as he chuckled amusedly. She grinned, kicking up a bit of water to splash him. He quickly stepped backward and held his arms out as he looked over the water droplets on his shirt. A squeal slipped past her lips when he rushed forward, splashing water right back at her. She giggled as she playfully pushed him away and he stumbled deeper into the water, his pants now soaked up to his knees. He scoffed, peering back up at his friend as she made a run for it. He snatched her up with an arm wrapped around her waist, dragging her out deeper with him.

"No! No, no, no!" Everly retaliated, hardly able to breathe between fits of laughter as she squirmed in his hold.

"You're coming with me." He beamed, allowing himself to fall backward into the water. 

Everly quickly popped back up and wiped the mess of brown hair from her face as water droplets fell from her eyelashes. Her eyes met Steve's and the biggest of smiles graced his features despite them both being completely soaked. She stepped closer, the ripples circling her waist. His admiring gaze flicked from her eyes to her lips. She leaned in toward him in the slightest, hesitating before rustling his hair and taking off in the other direction. He shook his head lightly and began wading through the water toward the beach where Everly had begun wringing out her hair.

She waited patiently on shore, water droplets tickling her legs as they raced to her sandy feet. Steve slowed to a stop just before her and her heart fluttered as she looked up into those bright blues. She felt as though she'd melt into a puddle at his feet when a smile spread across his lips. He gazed down at her as if his entire world had been confined to the woman standing just before him. Within a matter of seconds, he'd pulled her close and caught her lips in a kiss.

They'd both dried off entirely by the time they made it back to the apartment. The yellow lamps lining the streets illuminated the silent sidewalk in a hazy light. The pair talked all the way home, neither of them seeming to run out of conversation material. 

Everly stepped inside and kicked her shoes off at the door while Steve brushed past her to flick on the light. She started toward the bedroom and paused in the doorway. She hesitated, spinning back around to see him filling a glass of water in the kitchen.

"You know, you don't have to sleep out here." She said, rubbing the back of her neck awkwardly as she gestured roughly toward the living room. 

"It's fine." He shrugged, not even bothering to look up at her as he shook his head lightly.

"Steve." He met her eyes and she let out a puff of air from her cheeks. "Please don't sleep on the couch."

Because neither of them could seem to fall asleep, they decided to watch a movie. Titanic, to be exact.

"It would've been fine if they filled all the lifeboats." Everly said annoyedly as she watched the screen across the room. She frowned when Steve didn't so much as stir where he laid with his head resting atop her lap. A smile spread across her face when her gaze fell to his sleeping form. She ran a hand gently through his hair and pressed a kiss to his forehead, wishing the moment would never end.