"The facility huh?" I question and meet his shining blue eyes. "Not sure that's a good idea." Because they'll hate me or because this is leaning dangerously close to a relationship making expedition, who knows. Both probably. Either way, I'm trepidatious. A heavy sigh slips from his lips as he boards his motorcycle.

"You have a talent, Rea. Just what you did tonight will make an impact. Honestly, I don't think you think enough of yourself." He tells me with kind eyes. Well, he doesn't know the whole story behind me, does he? My mind asks silently. "Tell me you don't want to keep doing this and I'll drop it. We can be friends and I won't push you anymore." He rests his arms on his thighs as I tuck away his hanky in my pocket once again. His words spin inside my head while I try to decide.

"Friends who've seen every inch of each other's naked bodies," I add with a small laugh, grinning when Steve laughs along with me.

"Yes." He affirms, but the way he's looking at me and, honestly, the way I'm looking at him has nothing to do with friendship. Aw, hell.

"You can't even promise they'll like me, Steve. In all honesty, I'm still shocked you're as calm as you are. People, even good people like Sam and Bucky, usually hate me. At the very least." I tell him, desperately wishing for him to comprehend this. "I mean, are you aware that I could tell you to do anything, anything at all, and you'd have to? Hurting someone, yourself, all of that is a possibility."

"Are you trying to convince me to change my mind? Because after seeing someone who can do all that and move stuff with her mind, this isn't that horrifying." He jokes lightly, but there is a bit more seriousness in his eyes. I sigh and consider his beautiful eyes. A sliver of vulnerability rests on my tongue as I speak again.

"I haven't allowed myself to have a lot in my life. If I let this happen, allow myself to get entrenched in a team and multiple relationships, I've got to be sure you know what you're signing up for." Steve's eyes scan every inch of my face before his expression softens even further.

"Maybe I need to believe in someone just as much as you need someone to believe in you." He replies quietly and his words touch my heart. "Besides, you went to great lengths to keep me from being affected by you while Wanda doesn't always do the same." I smile a little at him. "I can take you to your van and you can drive it there, or we can go straight to the facility. If you want." Steve makes sure that it's my choice. Hands once again claiming those strong shoulders, I slip comfortably behind him.

"Let's see if they like me before I show up in a purple van." My hands pat his abs and he chuckles before we burst into the street.

*     *     *     *     *

We arrive at the facility and it takes me a minute to remove my cheek from the leather of Steve's butter-soft jacket. After I do and look around, I'm thoroughly blown away. Soldiers run in groups across the green grounds and water shoots out of the abstract fountain. There's a landing pad for helicopters or quinjets, as well as a hanger for them to be stored in. Steve and I walk out of the garage and towards the building closest to the fountain. At least five stories, not counting a basement, and made from shining steel, glass, and concrete, it's a formidable dorm. We head in and I'm very much aware of Steve's eyes on me 24/7.

"This is the building we all sleep in. There's also the gathering rooms, kitchen, gym, pool, lab, hospital, and workshop." Steve tells me as I spin around the cavernous lobby.

"Wow," I say shortly. Everything is concrete and metal, just like the outside, but this concrete is smooth and has a light sheen to it. The ceiling is vaulted with metal beams the size of railroad ties across it. Must rise to the third floor since I can see the second-floor balcony protected by half a glass wall to my right, a bridge looping around the glass windows to the second floor on the left side. Tinted windows partially hide what looks like a big office.

"That's the war room. We head there when a mission comes in." Steve tells me, happy to be my tour guide. A coffee bar lays against the left windows overlooking a pine tree forest, the boughs waving at me as if to welcome me. Straight ahead is another pair of doors and I can just barely see water in the distance. Gently, I feel Steve's hand on my arm. Dark brown eyes meet his light blue. "Can I show you around the rest of the place?" He asks humorously and gestures to the right.

Nodding, I follow close to his side. We start on the top floor, the fifth floor. Doors with names line the hallway ending with Sam and Bucky's names. Then, every door is blank. Steve opens the first blank one and waves at me. "This would be yours." The walls are a soft grey felt and the floor is simple white tile. A low sitting bed is in the center of the wall and the wall across from the door is covered in half windows, letting in a lot of natural light. Little circular tables are on either side of the bed and there's a black tv stand with a little flatscreen on it. I turn to peek in the white bathroom and sigh at the sight of the bathtub. Could definitely soak in that.

"Pretty nice," I tell Steve when I pop out of the bathroom.

"Nice to not have to share a bathroom." He jokes and I roll my eyes at him. "Everyone's room starts off the same and sort of grows the longer they've been here." He leans comfortably against the doorframe. "Or, depending on how popular you are, it gets decorated for you. A week after we got here my room was redone in all red, white, and blue." He chuckles and shakes his head. We're both quiet before he meets my eyes again. "Want to see? I got most of it out, but I think I might still have a couple of things." We walk down the hall to his name and he opens the door, guiding me in with a gentle hand on the small of my back.

The set up is similar, but just a little different. The bed is just slightly off center because of the desk beside it. Covered with papers, charcoal, pencils, and pushpins, there's a waterfall of drawings pinned above it. The tall tv stand has been pushed to the far corner of the room and there's only one tiny bedside table, the opposite side's space occupied by a record player and a lifetimes worth of records. A long dresser sits beside the desk and stretches all the way to the door.

"Well, I guess I understand why we didn't come back to your place that night." I murmur and he chuckles as I look down at the floor. There's a big rug on the floor that makes me giggle. "Nice rug." I can't resist complimenting him and he sighs down at it. It's a carpet replica of his shield which is leaning against the end of his bed.

"Tony gave it to me for a Christmas present." He says with disdain, but I hear the fondness in his voice.

"I think it's cute," I tell him honestly, looking at his wall of drawings with interest. "You know, in all the books I've read about you, none of them said anything about you being an artist." My eyes rove over to him and see the barest hint of pink tint his cheeks.

"Oh well if I only knew you were into artists I would've used different moves on you in that bar." He teases and I shake my head.

"Obviously you didn't need to." I remind him and do my best to ignore the heat between us as he comes closer.

"Yeah, well. Turns out the books don't get everything right." He jokes and sidles up next to me. I consciously look at the drawings instead of his enticing eyes. "Have a favorite?" Steve asks softly. I exhale and think. He has a lot up here. The New York skyline, the Brooklyn bridge, charcoal drawing of the famous V-day kiss, a small apartment building, and so on. They're all eye-catching.

"They're all beautiful. But this one," I go up on my tiptoes and just barely skim the sharp lines of the Brooklyn Bridge. "there's something about it." Out of the corner of my eye, I see the corner of his lips turn up and I turn towards him to appreciate it more. He stares at me a moment before realizing. I blush slightly and look out the windows.

"Ready to keep going?"

"Lead the way, Captain." I wave him forward, but he waits until I'm by his side before walking down the hallway. "Not so bad, so far." I tease lightly and he smiles while we jog down a flight of stairs. Fourth floor. The room immediately to our left is a gathering room and we walk in. It's big. A kitchen to the right with a bar and stools sitting at half a tall island. A couple steps down is a leather sectional on a plush, cream carpet. There's a black coffee table, recliner, and a flatscreen on the wall in front of it. On the other side of the room is a long table with chairs sat all around it. Hm, I wonder how much that's been used? "You all eat together?" I ask, letting my fingers skim the dark wood and appreciating the distance between us so I can breathe.

Steve shrugs. "On the off chance that we're all in one place for a night, yes. Pretty sure tonight is pizza night."

"You all really are like a little family, huh?" I ask softly. Interest enters Steve's eyes at my tone of voice and he nods slowly.

"Yeah, we are. It's nice being around people who have an idea of what it's like to be different. Not as frustrating, most of the time." He smiles humorously and I return it with my own. "What about your family?" He asks as we walk to the kitchen.

I shake my head. "Dad ran the second my mom got pregnant." Not that I blame him. "And my mom died years ago. No siblings." My response is short and doesn't seem to assuage the curiosity in his eyes, but I'm not quite ready for an interrogation. "More to go?" Steve nods and takes the hint. Gently, his fingers curve onto the inside of my elbow to tug me in the right direction, then slip off. My skin tingles where he touched me and I feel goosebumps pop up all over me. Dammit. Control yourself, Rea.

Next stop is the gym and that's when we run into people. It's a nice gym I'm sure a load of people would pay a high price to use. Machines against the far-right wall, punching bags, shooting range marked by a large sign, and a large expanse of space is left clear in the middle for hand to hand combat. Natasha Romanoff and Wanda Maximoff are there, trading blows. Wanda has red boxing gloves on the size of her head while Natasha just seems to be dodging. Both heads turn towards us when we walk in.

"Rogers," Natasha starts disapprovingly with a smirk on her face. "are you cheating on Barnes?" The corners of my lips lift with the jab while Steve sighs.

"Wanda, Nat, this is Reagan Monroe. I'm showing her around the facility." Steve replies civilly. Both women walk over, but Wanda offers a gloveless hand first.

"Wanda. Are you a new recruit?" She asks with curious eyes and a charming accent. We shake hands while Natasha only nods to me. Mercifully, neither mention the swelling of my jaw and my split lip.

"Maybe. Steve's trying to convince me." I glance at him and bask in his smile.

"Special qualifications?" Natasha questions and I quiet for a moment. Not sure how Natasha is going to take this one.

"Well, I'm a good fighter. There's also this thing when people do exactly what I tell them." Ah, shit that sounded stupid. Wanda, however, perks up a bit.

"Like me?" She questions and I nod.

"Sort of. I have to talk to do it and can't get into someone's mind. I just say something and the person follows through no matter what it is. Telling someone to go screw themselves, for example, isn't something I can say."  Steve chuckles while Natasha lets loose a small smile. Wanda just seems to glow with curiosity and hope.

"Nice to meet you. Glad Steve has another friend." Natasha winks at him before touching Wanda's shoulder and returning to the ring. Wanda hesitates.

"I hope you decide to stay. It'd be nice to talk." She tells me before heading back to Natasha. I'm smiling softly when I leave the gym and Steve notices.

"As I said, it's nice being around people who understand." He says and I can't help but start to agree. I've never been around so many people who take myself in stride. The presence of the hunk of beef beside me helps too. Steve and I are quiet as he shows me the pool, and the lab, but the workshop is anything but quiet.