Turns out, Steven Rogers is not a safe driver. Not in the fact that he doesn't keep us safe, but the fact that he has absolutely no care for any driving laws. Yellow lights just seem to challenge him and the speed limit is just the barest of guidelines. The one time we have to actually stop at a light, I crack up because the people in the next car freak out since Captain America is beside them. Steve's chest shakes slightly and I know he's laughing too before we take off again. It takes ten minutes to get to the Grand when it would normally take twenty. When I get off I can't help laughing again.

"You are..." I shake my head as he parks. "surprising." I settle and head towards the steps.

"I hope that's a compliment." He says, following me at a little distance so I can deny him entrance.

I mull over the choice in my head before speaking, "Uh, look. I'm sorry I didn't call." My move is blunt but as Steve's eyes widen his smile does too. "One-night stands aren't really a thing for me and I was drunk and embarrassed. Not of you, just in general." Steve waves a hand at me and I shut my mouth in relief.

"It's okay. Honestly, I think I gave you my number just so I could excuse the fact it was a one-night thing." He allows and I sigh to relieve the tension in my body.

"Really?"

"No." He laughs softly at my expression and I hate to admit that my lips ache to smile at the sound. "Would've been an idiot to not at least give you my number after a night like that." Pink brushes across our cheeks, although mine is definitely darker. "I understand though. Wasn't sure you'd even remember-"

"Oh, I remember." I interrupt. Have to be comatose not to remember that night. His eyebrows raise and I rub my temple. Jesus, when am I going to learn to just keep my mouth shut.

"I'll take that as a compliment. Anyways, let's call it even. You ditch me and then save a kid. Friends?" Steve suggests, offering his hand. A tentative smile on my face, I accept.

"Friends." We shake once, then our hands drop. We linger a moment before he steps back towards his bike. "Uh, are you hungry?" I ask without thinking, but he stops. "It's about lunchtime and we've got time to kill before Sam's. Come in for a minute?" I propose, my heart softening slightly at his gentle smile.

He shrugs. "Sure." We walk into the big lobby and I wave to the concierge as I slip my beanie into my jacket pocket, loosening my curls with a hand. When I don't head towards the elevators, Steve's brows furrow.

"Don't think you're the only surprising person here, Steve," I tell him and walk through the dining room, then through the kitchen. "Hey, Don!" I shout and hear the crash of a dropped plate.

"Rea, my girl! What do you need? Just made alfredo, up for it? New recipe." An Italian man with short hair blacker than ink turns around a corner and surprises me with a plate. Laughing, I accept and smile smugly at Steve.

"You're the best, Don. Brought you a new fan. Steve, meet Donny." I introduce an increasingly confused Steve, but he shakes Donny's hand nicely.

"I'll make him a plate too. Garcia! Scendi dal tuo culo pigro e prendimi un altro piatto!" Don yells and a fat man jumps to his feet, plopping fat noodles onto a plate then slathering them with alfredo sauce. Don takes this plate and sprinkles a little white pepper on top before shoving a fork into it and giving Steve the plate.

"Thanks, Don. Tell you what we think in a little while, promise." I wink at him and grab Steve's hand to show him the way through the labyrinthine kitchen. We emerge out of the exit to a relatively clean alley. "Tada." I release Steve's hand and wave around the space. A purple van sits to the left, snug in its place with brick walls inches away from the sides. There's a small table with two mismatched chairs sitting alongside it, a cream table cloth draped on top of the wood. I step forward and put my plate down on the table, taking Steve's as well when he looks like he's in shock. I open my van's doors to reveal blankets upon blankets, books stacked on either side, a pillow made from a large bag of my clothes, and a partition blocking the front from the back. "Make yourself at home," I tell him and take a seat while he looks around a bit.

"You live here?" He asks after finding his voice. Carefully, he peeks inside my van and shakes his head.

"Yeah. Don keeps me fed, concierge lets me use one of the rooms showers when I need it, obviously, washing machines too, and I sleep out here in this van. Go ahead, you can lay in it, it's comfy." I encourage and giggle when his feet hang out of the space. When he comes out he looks at me concernedly. My finger points to the seat across from me and he walks over, sitting down with a sigh.

"And you're...happy?" He asks hesitantly as I eat the delicious alfredo. God, Don's a genius. I smirk a little at Steve obviously trying not to shit on my living situation. Shrugging, I clear my throat.

"It's life. I call not being miserable a win. Are you completely content with all your fancy stuff up at the facility?" I ask and the pause between us answers my question for me. Steve sighs and leans forward slightly.

"At least I have a job, a purpose, what are you doing back here?" He asks, unabashed even though his words could be insulting. That earnest shining in his eyes tells me they aren't meant that way. It's just concern. Cute concern.

"I think you better eat that or Don'll kill you. Captain or no." I tell him first and he just can't not smile but starts eating while waiting for my answer. "We don't really know each other, Steve." I remind his pretty blue eyes.

"Right, we've only slept together." He reminds me and, of course, I blush.

"Fine. We're strangers other than the fact that we've made passionate, passionate love to one another." I relent and he puts a hand over his mouth as he chokes on his laughter. My smile comes easy at the sight, but I digress. "I've worked on getting jobs but they never exactly work out for me. I'm just too good at everything." My joke rolls off his shoulders. Little does he know how true that is.

"I could get you one." He ignores everything I just told him with blue eyes shimmering with laughter and interest. "At the facility. You'd get room and board too."

"Did the whole, 'don't trust strangers' thing never sink in for you?" I ask and twirl noodles around my fork playfully. His pink lips turn up at the edges and finishes chewing before answering.

"You brought a stranger home with you twice now. Sort of. Pretty sure you're worse off than I am." He points out and makes a damn good point.

"Technically, I've known you since grade school. Read about you, I mean. History books and the like." Steve's eyebrows pop up and my cheeks get just a little hot. That sounded a little more stalkery than I'd like.

"Not exactly the same thing. Anyway, I'm serious. Come to the facility with me tomorrow, if you're not busy. Even if you don't want a job around the place, I'd like to introduce you to the team." He tells me smoothly. I purse my lips to keep from smiling.

"You drive a hard bargain." I start, pausing when Don comes crashing out of the back.

"Dessert!" He shouts, his deep voice echoing hilariously around the alley. Steve and I meet eyes and mirth shimmers in both of us.

"It was delectable, Don. Genio." I tell him honestly as he takes our plates and puts one plate down with what looks like chocolate mousse on it, two forks to the side. Aw, geez. This is more of a date than when we first met. Does he think this is Lady and the Tramp?

"Ah, thank you, bella. Better than the, ah, the penne?" He asks me as Steve looks between us with a bemused, but charming smile. I nod.

"You know if it was up to me you'd have a fifty-page menu, Donny." A bright smile lights up his face and he puts a hand over his heart.

"A woman after my own heart." He turns to Steve and waggles a finger in his face. "Not good enough for idle men who don't eat all their pasta!" He waves a hand at the one offensive noodle on Steve's plate. Steve opens his mouth to respond, but Don has disappeared back inside before he can.

Laughing, I put my hand on Steve's lying on the table for reassurance. "Sorry about him. He's passionate." I shrug and Steve chuckles. Our hands part and we both pick up our forks. Steve lets me slice into the mousse first. "I have a question for you. Why are you so determined to get me to tag along?" I ask and he has to wait until I've stopped moaning to answer. My god, this is so good. There's a raspberry jelly on the bottom that compliments the chocolate perfectly. Steve watches my face amusedly. "Not many people want their mistakes to hang around," I add and he frowns slightly.

"Wouldn't call you a mistake, first of all." He corrects me and it's achingly sweet. "Honestly," I nod my approval, "I think you have potential. Seeing you move on tape was...impressive to say the least." Well, who wouldn't be flattered by that? "Also, you're hiding something." His eyes burn into mine and my fork pauses on the way to my mouth. "The way those men moved on the tape just after you spoke. Something was up. And today at the hospital when Jamie's bill just disappeared?" He shakes his head and I get a moment to let worry wash over me as he takes his first bite and has a minor orgasm. "I'd like to know what's going on." He ends. I hum as I take another bite and claim the raspberry on top.

"So, our...entanglement has nothing to do with it? Huh, I'm almost insulted you're not just trying to get me back in the sack." I joke so I have time to think. Steve is obviously amused by this and clears his throat slightly, looking down at his hands before looking back at my face.

"Wouldn't go that far." He says softly and I gulp in surprise. Nervous laughter chitters out of my throat before I shut my stupid mouth. My fingers flutter over my lips as if to guard against any other weird sounds before I carefully speak again. I decide to address the first bit first.

"I told you I was persuasive, Steve. That not enough for you?" I stall, trying to wrap my brain around the fact he's found me out so quickly. Might be old, but Steve Rogers is no idiot. Wish I didn't find that so attractive.

"You'd have to be damn good to convince someone intent on killing someone to stop in their tracks," Steve tells me and sets his fork down, leaving the last bite for me. God damn it, he's good. Very good. I decide to test him just a little.

"Okay. So, whatever I tell you, are you going to take it at face value?" I question and take that delicious last bite. Steve's brows furrow, but he nods. Mm, well we'll see about that.

"I'll believe what you tell me." He replies earnestly. Our eyes consider one another and I still just can't believe this guy is real. I set our forks on the plate and lean back in my chair, crossing my arms over my chest and tapping my fingers worriedly on my arm. We stare off for a couple of seconds as my brain scrambles to find words that form an intelligent sentence.

"I can say anything to anyone and they'll do exactly what I say." Weights pull down my lips as I tell him and I watch the shock hit him in the face. Oh, dear god help me.

A/N

Reagan has a special ability. First takes on it? What would you do with such an ability? How do you think Steve is going to react? Give me your feedback, peeps. :)

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