▌𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐓𝐰𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐲-𝐓𝐰𝐨 ━︎━︎𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐊𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐎𝐟 𝐋𝐨𝐯𝐞 ▌

━︎━︎━︎━︎𝐈𝐓 𝐁𝐄𝐂𝐀𝐌𝐄 𝐀 weekly routine for Steve and Liliya to sit down and watch a Star Wars movie, although they had originally started doing it every day, they both realized to better correlate with their schedules it would be best to sit aside one night dedicated to their movies. Wednesday nights, to be exact. Liliya was currently standing by the microwave, fixing the popcorn. It had taken her a couple of tries, the first two times she had burnt the popcorn to a crisp, the next few times Steve had to carefully watch her to make sure she didn't burn it anymore―︎he was tired of scrubbing his microwave clean of the smell, but of course he would never tell Liliya that. But now, Liliya perceived herself as a true professional at cooking popcorn.

When the microwave beeped, she pulled open the door, shaking the rest of the kernels out before pouring into a bowl for them to share. She smiled proudly at herself, grabbing the bowl and walking into the living area and sitting on the couch. Steve, who saw the proud smile on her face, couldn't help but smile himself.

"You're getting pretty good at this." He noted.

Liliya beamed. "I'm a professional now."

"I don't know about professional," Steve joked.

Liliya chuckled. "I'm getting there." She leaned back into the couch. "Now, which one are we watching today?"

"Well, unfortunately, we've run out of Star Wars movie, the next one won't be coming out for a little while. So, it is completely up to you."

Liliya frowned. "Well, we've not many options, so let's do that other movie you'd suggested the first week we started."

Steve nodded, standing and putting in The Princess Bride, before sitting back down on the couch and pressing play. The movie went as it always did, the two of them watching in a comfortable silence, Liliya somehow managing to lean into Steve's side with his arm gently laid around her shoulders.

"Have you ever experienced that?" Liliya suddenly asked, her voice soft.

Steve looked down at her. "Experienced what?"

"That kind of love. The kind where you would do anything to get to that special person. To make sure they were safe. Has that happened for you?" Liliya looked up at him, pure curiosity in her eyes.

Steve shook his head. "No, I haven't. But, I know someone who has."

Liliya sat up a little. "Really? Who?"

"My sister."

Liliya furrowed her brows. "You have a sister? That wasn't in your file."

Steve nodded. "I do." He paused. "Rather, I did."

She frowned. "What happened to her?"

"Her name was Evelyn Rogers, she was my twin actually." A sad smile began to pull on his lips. "Back then, it was not common for a woman to be with another woman, it was quite frowned upon actually. But, Eve, she always pushed aside social norms. She never listened to anyone. She was an amazing person, and she had a full heart, and her heart belonged to Peggy Carter. They got married, although I don't think it was ever an official marriage, but to them it was. Evelyn would have done anything for Peggy, just as Peggy would have done anything for Evelyn. She lived a long life, my sister did, she died last year. Old age."

"And what of Peggy?" Liliya softly asked.

"She's still alive. She has Alzheimer's. She struggles to remember a lot of things, but Evelyn. She remembers Evelyn more than anything else. Even a disease couldn't stop Peggy from ever forgetting someone she loved for almost her entire life."

Liliya heart seemed to warm but also break slightly. "I bet she was a wonderful person, Evelyn I mean."

Steve nodded. "She was. She was the best person you'd ever meet." Clearing his throat, he met her eyes. "What about you?"

Liliya glanced at the television before meeting his eyes once more. "No, I have not. I was never in a position to ever get that chance."

"And what about now?"

Liliya searched his face for a moment, eyes betraying her as they flashed to his lips before meeting his eyes again. "Now. . . I think I am in a very different position of my life that. . . if I were given the chance, I'd like to say I would jump at it, but truthfully I think I would be terrified. I try not to show it, but I'm really messed up. And I don't know how to fix myself. I don't want to put someone else in a position where they have to deal with this broken, screwed up version of me. That's not fair to them."

Steve shook his head. "Liliya, you are not broken. You had to go through horrible torturous events in your life and you have survived all of them. You do not need to be fixed, you are who you are and if anyone can't handle that, if anyone cannot see the true beauty that is Liliya Petrova, then they do not need to be with you."

Gently, he grabbed her hand. "You do not need to change for anyone, Liliya. You were forced to be someone that you aren't and you can't be blamed for that. You are a survivor and I think that when you do find that special person in your life, that they need to be able to make you feel like you don't have to survive anymore, they should make you feel like you can actually live your life. If they don't do that, then they are not worthy of you."

She didn't know why, but suddenly she felt tears pool in her eyes. For the first time in her life, she felt truly seen. This man had taken the weight off her shoulder, he taught her what it was like to actually sit down and relax, to not be on edge waiting for an attack 24/7. Liliya swallowed thickly. "Does that mean you are worthy of me, Steve?"

Steve felt his face heat up, his heart beat racing. "I think that is up to you to decide, not me. You are in control of your life now. You make the decisions. No one else."

Liliya nodded in agreement. He was right, she was in control of her life now. She could do whatever she wanted. And what she wanted, what she so desperately wanted, was to know what it felt like to have her lips pressed against his. So, that's exactly what she did. She kissed him and every part of her body exploded in flames, a desire filling her that she's never experienced before. She pulled away, meeting his eyes, praying that she hadn't ruined everything. But when he gently cupped her face with one of his hands and pulled her back to him, she knew she hadn't.