Hey guys! I know I haven't written anything in a while or updated my other stories, but I hope to work on that soon but for the meantime I've started a new one. Hope you enjoy it!

Steve turned the corner to his apartment building, enjoying the last few seconds on his motorbike. He liked taking it out for a ride, especially at night when the city was quieter. It was hard to go anywhere without people noticing him or bothering him. He appreciated the support and gratefulness he got from society, but it did make getting used to things a lot harder.

However he was making progress. He wasn't questioning as much as he used to, but then he had learnt to stop asking when he realized just how much he didn't know. Steve wanted to be independent, he hating relying on others, and he wanted to adjust to this new world by himself. The world he fought to save.

When he turned off the key and stepped onto the pavement, he was startled by the young woman who appeared standing behind him.

''Didn't you say I could borrow this thing one day?'' she narrowed her eyes at him.

Steve smiled and tossed the keys around in his hands as he turned to her. She had her hands in her jacket pockets and a backpack on, and given their previous run-ins late at night, Steve knew she would be returning from the gym.

''I said you could take it for a spin,'' he corrected.

''Oh come on, not all of us get to drive those things around, I don't even have a car,'' the woman whined jokingly. ''Believe it or not working at a run down diner doesn't exactly give someone an opportunity to invest in one,''

''You know what? Next time I'm out of town, you can take the keys,''

They both walked over to the doors of the building and went inside to the silent hall, beginning to climb the stairs. She lived in the apartment below Steve's, playing her music loud and often enough that Steve took an interest in it, and she'd been recommending artists and albums to him ever since. Especially when she found out about the list he was keeping.

''Did you watch Star Wars yet?'' she asked as they stepped up the stairs. ''Because I have the whole set of Pirates of The Caribbean that you need too see next,''

Steve chuckled at her eagerness to share the movies. She was always suggesting things for him to catch up on.

''I'll put them on the list,''

They finally reached her floor and Steve waited until she unlocked her door, being the gentlemen he was. He always looked out for her whenever he could, she was the youngest resident in the building and he couldn't help feeling a little protective of her especially since they'd become quite good friends.

''Well, goodnight Steve,'' she looked back over to him when she pushed her door open.

'''night Jess,'' he smiled before continuing up to his apartment on the next floor.

When she locked the door behind her and flicked on the lights, Jess carefully took off her backpack and threw it onto her couch. She began to slowly unzip her jacket, wincing as she slid it off over her shoulders which were bruised and swollen. She let out a long sigh once her heavy clothing was off, standing in her living room wearing her underwear. There were red stains all over her body but compared to other times, this was nothing.

Jess walked to the mirror in her room and looked over her body, shaking her head in annoyance and she reviewed the damage.

''This is what I get for leaving my gun at home,''

Natasha had been trying to convince Steve for a while now to go out on a date. Specifically with his neighbor Kate who was a nurse, but Steve had never actually been on a date before. Back in the 40's, Steve wasn't a ladies man at all, in fact he was lucky to have a conversation with one that lasted for more than 'Hello'. But, what Steve didn't tell anyone, was that he wasn't over his first love, Peggy.

Steve and Peggy didn't date exactly, but they never had the chance to. Where Peggy could mourn and eventually move on and live a life for the next 70 years, Steve was stuck on ice. To him, he was still in love with Peggy like it was yesterday, not decades ago. He wasn't ready, but he knew he had to try.

Natasha had brought up the topic again when she dropped Steve off a few blocks away from his apartment building. She just wanted him to get out there and be more confident, but Steve just assured her he was too busy for a relationship, not wanting to delve into the real reason.

As he walked along the street, he saw the diner that Jess worked at and decided to grab an early dinner. If he went home right now, he wouldn't know what to do with himself. He had to keep himself busy.

''Mommy look!'' a young boy pointed.

Steve smiled at the child as he walked inside, opting to sit in a quieter area in the corner. He was always getting recognized, he began to regret not wearing a hat or something to make him a little less obvious. He sat down at a table for two and couldn't help reaching into his pocket and pulling out the compass he had kept with him since the 40's. He stared at Peggy, unable to stop a smile from creeping onto his face, but it soon faded when he looked up at the empty seat across from him. Steve had to move on, get with the times, and he was trying, but some things were harder than others.

''Since when do you come here to eat?''

Steve looked up at the familiar voice, closing the compass and slipping it back into his pocket.

''Well I heard of this thing called a friends discount,'' he smiled teasingly.

''Really? Because friends let their other friends borrow their bike when they're late to work,'' she joked.

''I said you could have the keys when I was out of town, didn't I?''

Jess rolled her eyes and chuckled.

''True,'' she nodded, pulling out a notepad. ''So what'll it be Cap?''

Steve had spent most of his meal thinking rather than eating, wondering what he was supposed to do now. He had been adjusting to life here for a while now and he had gotten used to as much as he could, but he couldn't help feeling like such an outcast. Society celebrated him, they loved him so much, but he couldn't have felt lonelier.

Natasha was right, he had to get out there and build up some confidence. He had to ask Kate on a date, make some progress even if it was a lengthy conversation in the hall. It had taken him almost two hours to make that decision, and when he looked out the window he could see the streets becoming darker.

''Mind if I join you or are you having a 'me' moment?'' Jess asked, already sitting down across from him, setting her milkshake in front of her.

''Lost track of time,'' he broke away from his thoughts. ''You always sit down with your customers?''

''Hey I've been here since 6am, I'm officially done for the day,'' she told him, reaching over and grabbing a few fries. ''Food here not so good?''

Steve looked down and saw he had hardly ate anything on his plate.

''Oh, no, it was great,'' he shook his head, feeling rude. ''Just...got a lot on my mind I guess,''

Jess nodded as she popped each fry into her mouth individually, slurping at her strawberry milkshake in between.

''Anything you wanna talk about?'' she offered.

Steve took a moment. He didn't really like opening up to people, especially these days since he barely knew anyone enough to tell them anything at all. But he always felt differently about Jess, like she was a little sister he could talk to about anything.

''I thought the hardest part about adjusting to a new world was all the technology and how much I'd have to catch up on, but I guess I was wrong,'' he told her as she looked over to him, listening. ''It might have been 70 years to everyone else, but to me it was like an hour-long nap, and when I woke up everyone I knew was...gone. My family, Peggy, Bucky,'' he paused.

Jess looked away for a moment, knowing how much those people meant to him and how hard it must have been for him to just wake up and discover they were all gone.

''It's unfair. After everything you did, you lost the most,'' she reached over to his hand for a moment. ''But you're not alone here, you don't have to be,''

''I know,'' he nodded.

''Hey I get it. I mean, I don't get it because I haven't been through everything you have, but I get feeling alone. I know like three people in this city, I'm just as lost as you are here, except I get way more reference than you do,''

Steve chuckled and smiled over to Jess. Although he was older than she was, he always felt that she was the one comforting him the most and helping him through a lot more. Whether it was a short conversation down the stairs of their building or walking around the city for the day, he liked her company. And it was true, she did feel just as lost here as he did. Jess had told Steve the basics of her life, but he didn't like to pry. He knew she wasn't close to her family, that something had happened that caused her to go off on her own and ended up here by herself, but she didn't talk about it too much.

''You know you can always talk to me Steve,'' she reminded him with a smile.

''Yeah I know,'' he smiled in return. ''Thanks,''

Jess glanced at her phone for a moment before finishing off her milkshake and throwing her bag over her shoulder.

''Well, I'm gonna skip the gym and go home and watch really bad reality TV, care to join?''

''I might pass on the reality TV. How about we start those Pirates of the Sea movies?'' he suggested as he stood and followed her out the door of the diner.

Jess stared at him for a moment when they began walking on the pavement.

''Pirates of the Sea?! It's Caribbean,'' she explained, almost insulted.

''Hey, I've only heard of it once,'' Steve defended.

''70 years of sleeping does not excuse calling it Pirates of the Sea,'' she laughed for a good minute. ''Now we have to watch it

Steve shook his head at her mocking as they continued walking. The streets were busy and there were a lot of people who looked twice at Steve before beginning to stare at him as they recognized who he was, but he was used to it now. It still made him slightly uncomfortable though considering he was still trying to ease back into things, but he'd learn to live with it.

''Still up for that run in the morning?'' he asked Jess as she yawned.

''Why wouldn't I be?''

''You seem a little tired,'' he smirked.

''Hey, I'll be up and ready for that run before you are that's for sure. Just because I'm not a super-soldier doesn't mean I won't be able wake up for a run,''

''That's funny because last time you agreed to go on a morning run you slept until midday,''

Jess turned to glare up at Steve who was trying not to smile too wide, shaking her head at the memory she probably wouldn't live down.

''Shut up,''

So I hope you guys enjoyed this first chapter! I just want to make it clear I am not intending Jess to be a romantic interest or anything like that in this story, just a close friend. There's a lot more behind her and this story that I think is a unique idea and that you guys will like to please follow this story and please review. Thanks!