Friendly Face

Chapter 3

It was a long drive out to the safehouse. You listened to the radio for awhile, but when Steve seemed to get overwhelmed, you turned on your ipod, which had familiar music for him. You didn't care what you listened to, as long as the background wasn't silence. You had to stop once to feed the super soldier. That boy could eat. He didn't complain, but you knew how high his metabolism was so you found a comfortable little hole in the wall diner on the way. It was a little mom and pop place that Steve found comfortable, even though it wasn't something that was technically around from before. It had the same feel to it. Sometimes that was more important to him than things he could actually remember.

The waitress was polite, but too flirty with Cap. He laughed it off, but you could see he was uncomfortable. He didn't like to admit he had anxiety, especially when it came to women throwing themselves at him, or just being too nice to him. He seemed self conscious about his looks, and hated when women flirted with him just because of them.

The meal was greasy and delicious, just as a diner should be. You let Cap pay with the cash from his money clip. It made him happy to use the old fashioned courtesy and Fury always made sure Cap's paychecks were in actual cash instead of check or direct deposit like everyone else in the universe. You didn't go out with him often, but on the rare events that you did get him out of the SHIELD building, he always insisted on paying, no matter how many times you offered. He always gave you a warm smile when you offered, pleased by the offer.

You got back on the road after the stop at the delicious diner and finished the drive to the safehouse. You didn't know what you were expecting the safehouse to be, Fury had just given you an address. You weren't expecting the cabin in the woods that you parked in front of when the GPS said you arrived.

No, it was a cottage in the forest.

That was very different from a cabin in the woods.

Cabins in the woods were settings or horror movies.

You insisted this was a cottage in the forest, that sounded more Disney.

"Looks like this is it," you told Steve as you got out of the SUV to stretch from the long drive. Steve followed suit. You left the bags in the car and made your way up to the cottage to check it out before you unpacked. You had the key in your hand and was about to open the door when Steve took it from you and maneuvered his body so you were behind him and you noted that his shield was on his back. His body language said he didn't expect there to be danger, but that he wasn't going to be stupid about it either.

And he definitely wasn't going to let you put yourself in potential danger.

So he pushed you ever so gently and gallantly behind him that you couldn't figure out how to complain that you were capable of defending yourself and entered the cottage first, sweeping it for danger before he'd let you follow him inside. The cottage was cute a simple little place with a living room, small dining area near the kitchen and two bedrooms up the stairs.

"Why don't you check out the place, doll, and choose a room, and I'll bring the bags in?" Steve 'suggested.

You rolled your eyes. "I'm perfectly capable of helping bring the bags in, winghead," you reminded him.

He grinned at your teasing, at how normally you treated him. "Of course you are, but I'm a genetically engineered super soldier who can probably bench press that SUV whose mother raised him right," he told you with a smirk and went to go get the bags and the bags of groceries that SHIELD had sent with you so you didn't have to go out while you were on your vacation unless you wanted to. He also went before you could argue with him.

Annoying soldier

You sighed and climbed the stairs to the bedrooms. The upstairs was small and only had the two bedrooms and a bathroom between them. Great. You were sharing with the stupidly attractive soldier.

He was a gentleman so it shouldn't be an issue. Still, it was kinda weird...

The two bedrooms were identical, still, you picked one and left your jacket on the bed so he'd know which one you'd claimed. On the first trip he brought the groceries in, so you put them away while he carried your bags upstairs.

It was getting late, so you dug something easy to munch on from the groceries and settled on the couch in the living room. Steve joined you a minute later, settling comfortably on the other end of the couch. "Wanna watch a movie?" you asked him, looking at the DVD shelf.

"Sure," he replied and let you pick. You chose something you thought he'd like and set up the movie before curling back up on the couch under the warm throw blanket that had been laid on the back of the couch.

You didn't remember the plot of the movie.

You weren't sure you remembered more than the first five minutes of it.

You'd already had a long day during your shift in the infirmary and then had a long drive on top of it.

You didn't remember the movie

But you thought you remembered the warm masculine sigh, big strong muscled arms lifting you from the couch, with a gentle tenderness that shouldn't have been possible of someone that big. You remembered the absolute warmth and safety of being cradled and held by someone so caring. You remembered the feel of Steve's chest, his scent, how soft his shoulder was when your head was resting on it.

Surely you were dreaming, right?

He was just your friend.

Of course he couldn't be more. He was pining over a lost love from before the ice.

It was just a dream thought up by your hopeless romantic of a brain

So why did you remember a kiss on your forehead as you were tucked into bed?