Disclaimer: I only own my OC Lucy. I also make various references to related MARVEL comics/movies and other non related movies/tv shows/music etc. I do not claim to own any of these things.

In a secluded safe house…

Steve didn't really know where he was; it was dark when they arrived. But, it was quiet, so he knew they were far away from the rest of civilization. The windows were covered by thin white drapes that filtered the sunlight. A slight cool breeze came through the screens, causing the hangings to dance in the wind. The soothing sounds of nature could be heard just beyond the walls of the small house.

In the next room, faint popping and crackling noises could be heard from a frying pan. Standing at the entrance, he could see the slight form of Lucy who was at the stove making breakfast. At the same time she was softly singing and swaying along to the familiar sounds of jazz, streaming out of a counter top radio.

"Skylark

Have you anything to say to me?

Won't you tell me where my love can be?"

A peaceful grin spread across his face as he watched her. She was exquisite. The light from the side window caressed the side of her face, illuminating her whole being. Her hair, now reaching down to the middle of her back, was effortlessly wavy. Gone where the tight victory curls that used to frame her face. The color was still the same, a deep chocolate brown that had natural streaks of coppery red and gold.

"Is there a meadow in the mist?

Where someone's waiting to be kissed?"

Her face was calm. A lovely smile stretched across her pink lips. No longer were they stained a deep crimson red. The sparkle in her large blue eyes still shined from beneath her long dark lashes. Her voice rang out clear and smooth, complementing the singer.

"Skylark

Have you seen a valley green with spring?

Where my heart can go a journeying?"

She was taller now. Not outrageously so, still shorter than him, but taller than before. Her movements were more graceful than they used to be as well, if that were even possible. Deft fingers and hands stirred the contents of the pan. The rest of her shifted back and forth, in time to the sweet music.

"And in your lonely flight

Haven't you heard the music in the night?"

The way she soulfully sang the lyrics told him they meant a great deal to her. Seventy years, and yet she still came back to the music of their time.

Wonderful music, faint as a will o' the wisp

Crazy as a loon, sad as a gypsy serenading the moon"

After the abrupt introduction to the present day, Fury sent Lucy with him to a safe house, to recover. Now he was grateful for the peace and quiet, but yesterday, he was just shocked at everything that was happening. Standing here in the kitchen, he could almost pretend it was still the 40s.

"Oh Skylark

I don't know if you can find these things

But my heat is riding on your wings"

They had just won the war, and he was the luckiest man alive to be able to come home to his dame. And what a wonderful woman she was. She chose him. She waited for him. She thought he was worthy of her affections. And he felt proud to be called hers, no matter what time they were in.

"So if you see them anywhere

Won't you lead me there?"

As the song came to a close Lucy took the scrambled eggs out of the pan and put them onto a pair of plates. Turning around she came to find Steve staring at her, how long he'd been there she didn't know. Leaning against the doorframe of the kitchen with his arms crossed, a loving smile graced his lips. He was still wearing his pajamas, his hair ruffled from sleep.

"I could've helped you." He nodded to the meal she placed on the table.

She beamed, turning to retrieve the cutlery, "I didn't want to wake you. I know you didn't get much sleep."

He moved from the door taking the utensils from her hands and stopping her, "I've been asleep for 70 years. You could've woken me up." Leaning in he whispered, "I've waited too long to see your face again." Then he caught her lips with his for a gentle kiss good morning. That pilot light was still there. A slow burning, that no matter how much ice or time separated them, refused to go out. From a spark, a flame evolved that warmed their whole beings. They were coming home after a long winter apart.

Lucy smiled at his advance, "You know." She replied between kisses, her fingers tracing up his neck into his uncombed hair, "The food is going to go cold."

"I don't care." Steve grinned, placing the forks and knives on the counter top as to free his hands to hold her, "I can deal with the cold."

They were the perfect height for each other. His hand ran up her spine from the small of her back, into her long locks. They were at a very accessible length now, the softness of the strands running like water over his palm. Her own hands worked wonders at the base of his scalp, putting him in a delightfully peaceful state. Just as he was about to deepen the kiss, she pulled away.

Smirking at his pout, Lucy laughed and pulled out a chair for herself, "Well, I didn't cook us eggs to eat them cold. Besides," she filled her cup with fruit juice, "we've got all the time in the world for that later."

Steve sighed as he sat down, handing her a fork, "I'm holding you to that promise."

-sublimation-

"What do you mean you're going away for a few weeks?" Tony sputtered into his phone, "I thought you wanted to help me plan Stark Tower?"

"Remember Project Frostbite I told you about?" Lucy replied as she packed her bag, "I'm going to the Arctic Circle. I'll probably be gone for a while."

Unintelligible grumbling could be heard over on his end, "Fine, but I thought you were taking a break after whatever went down in New Mexico. Whatever. Go defrost Captain Popsicle."

"Eddie." She reprimanded, "Behave, I'll check in soon. Be nice to Gin and don't make that building too ostentatious. Also, change the name of that element, I don't think the world will appreciate 'Badassium'."

"Yeah, yeah." Tony rolled his eyes, "Go be a good person. Don't worry about me I am an adult you know."

"I'll always worry about you." Lucy answered, thinking of a young Tony running around and wreaking havoc, "I can't help it. I need to go; I'll see you soon. Love you."

"Likewise." Tony sighed, "See you soon."

-sublimation-

Steve was a quick learner. After a few weeks in their isolated cabin, where they spent countless hours reading books and watching films, Lucy decided they should move back into the real world. With the help of Fury, they got a two-bedroom apartment in New York City. Their new home was a block from an old rundown boxing gym that now belonged to SHIELD, kept up for their exclusive use.

The hardest part of the adjustment period wasn't the amount of information. It was the frustration that things didn't come as simply as they should. But after only a few months, Steve was doing remarkably well. Lucy was proud of him. She remembered how difficult it was for her to integrate herself back into the world, and she was only asleep for 20 years. Her transition was abrupt and made on her own for the first few days. Steve was glad he had her. Without her assistance and support, depression would have most likely taken over.

The new world was so confusing. Everything was so fast paced and complicated. They had moments of nostalgia and sadness for simplicity what would forever evade them. But they moved on, the only way to survive was to adapt. So they embraced changes and learned from their mistakes.

Steve, like Lucy, disliked the progression of music. Gone where the sweet, soulful ballads that expressed the deepest emotions hidden inside dark corners of one's heart. No longer could energetic lively bands be found playing off one another or improvising along with the singer who scatted their away across the painting of a song. The brushing of a snare was lost along with the rhythmic plucking of a bass, making up the foundation of the time. But with the Internet, finding these lovely melodies was made simple.

What was most disconcerting was the ease of technology. Growing up in a time where everything was done by hand, it was a shock to find little machines accomplishing everything for you. It made one feel a bit incompetent. The things you could fill your life up with not having to wash the dishes, or search through a book, or cook food. Again, Steve picked up these things easily. It was the little things that bothered him now.

The minute references that were common in everyday vernacular. The slang that made English sound as if it were an entirely different language. Even with Lucy's patient aid, he felt like a man out of time. He missed the drive and purpose of the 40s. He missed feeling useful. He was a soldier without a war to fight. And Lucy saw that.

One day she brought home a sketchpad and a few writing utensils: pencils, pens, charcoal, etc. Taking his hand she led him out the door with an encouraging smile. They ended up in Central Park. It wasn't the best day, overcast and chilly; but it was a start. The acquainted feeling of thick paper under his fingertips, pens, strong and sturdy gliding smoothly across the blank page. He had almost forgotten what it felt like to draw. He smiled again that day, for the first time at something that wasn't her. And it warmed her heart.

His sleep schedule was still a little erratic, so they established routines. Early morning runs were the best. The two super soldiers felt alive when they ran. Blood pumping through their veins, air pushed and pulled through their lungs, their feet pounding the pavement. Time passed quickly when they ran. They also made good use of the boxing ring. Sparring brought out a competitive side that was hardly seen between the two. For all intents and purposes, they were evenly matched. Each lost about the same number they won, but no one kept track. The heat of a fight made them feel useful. It mimicked a time when they were needed.

They even started to venture out into the public. First it was just to the supermarket. Food was so much better these days. Fresher, sweeter, bigger and most importantly tastier. She even took him for fondue. But most of the time they cooked at home, playing around in the kitchen to old swing songs. She taught him to dance as their chicken burned, but it was worth it.

Mainly they talked. Him asking lists of questions and her spending hour after hour explaining the answers. Multiple times she would have to repeat herself because he would get distracted just watching her; but she obliged.

Their relationship picked up where it left off. They loved each other and that would never change. He was still the sweet and loyal boy from Brooklyn and she the passionate and resourceful girl from a few blocks over. The past couple months were spent just the two of them. It was blissful and challenging at the same time. Nevertheless they emerged a stronger unit than they had ever been. This was good, as they would need that strength in the coming weeks.

For the Tesseract has awakened. It is on a neutral world, a human world. They wield its power, but our ally knows it's working, so that they never will learn. He's ready to lead, and our force, our Chitauri will follow. The world will be his and the universe yours. And the humans, what can they do, but burn!