Disclaimer: Characters contained within do not belong to me.

Author's Notes: When inspiration strikes, you go with it. I hope people like this story as much as my Clint and Natasha story. They will feature heavily, but this one is all about the Captain and...well...you wouldn't want me to give up the other half of the pairing too soon, would you?;)

As Time Goes By

by Kristen Elizabeth

New York City

October 2012

The Diamond theatre had seen better days around the same time he had, and for that reason it had become one of Steve Rogers' favorite places in Manhattan. Not only was it sparsely attended, which meant the odds of him being recognized were low, but rather than the massive blockbuster movies of the day, it played films with actors he actually recognized. Or 'classics' as they were known now.

He had come to hate that word.

That night, the movie playing was Casablanca. He'd heard about it while he'd been in Europe tracking down Hydra bases, but he never imagined it would be seventy years before he got to see it.

On the screen, Ingrid Bergman pleaded with Humphrey Bogart. "But what about us?"

"We'll always have Paris," he told her. "We didn't have, we...we lost it until you came to Casablanca. We got it back last night."

"When I said I would never leave you."

Steve drew in a breath and shifted in his seat. Trust a gorgeous dame like Bergman to hit him where it hurt.

"And you never will. But I've got a job to do, too. Where I'm going, you can't follow. What I've got to do, you can't be any part of. Ilsa, I'm no good at being noble, but it doesn't take much to see that the problems of three little people don't amount to a hill of beans in this crazy world. Someday you'll understand that."

Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed movement a few rows ahead and a little to the left. Squinting, he could just make out the outlines of two people kissing madly, oblivious to everything but each other.

Rolling his eyes, Steve looked back at the screen just in time to see Bogart lift Bergman's chin. "Here's looking at you, kid."

A memory struck him out of the blue. Peggy's face looking up at him as he prepared to leap onto the wheel of Schmidt's plane.

Suddenly, it was all he could do to keep breathing. Standing up, he shuffled his way to the aisle.

When he emerged from the theatre, he immediately noticed that the temperature had dropped at least twenty degrees. Although he didn't need his brown leather jacket, Steve pulled it on anyway. He drew less attention if he didn't walk through Manhattan in his shirt sleeves on a near-freezing night.

The walk back to Stark Tower, his home for almost six months, took him all the way through the city he had once known like the back of his hand. Truthfully, for as much as it has changed, so much of it had stayed the same. The landmarks were still there...except for the ones that had been wiped out by the Chitauri a few months earlier. It was still New York. It always would be.

At least some things never changed.

When he reached the Tower, Steve fumbled in his jacket pocket for his key card. It only took two tries for him to open the door, a vast improvement over the early days of living there when he'd often had to call up to another member of the team in order to be let inside.

Fortunately, Natasha Romanoff was extremely discreet and never told anyone how many times she had buzzed him in. For that, Steve had decided to tell absolutely no one that she spent almost every night in Clint Barton's apartment.

Rather than head straight for his own floor, Steve took the elevator all the way up to the top level. Although it had once been designed to be Tony Stark's private penthouse, it was now almost communal. The bar was always stocked, the view was second to none, and unlike his own spacious loft, it was rarely empty.

The elevator doors opened and the first thing he saw was Tony Stark kissing his girlfriend, Pepper Potts.

"Oh, wow." Steve shook his head. "Sorry. Excuse me. I'll just..."

"Wait, Steve!" Pulling away from Tony, Pepper ran over and stuck her hand out to stop the doors from closing. "Don't go on our account."

Behind her, Stark wildly gestured for Steve to ignore Pepper and go back downstairs.

Unsure of what to do, but unwilling to argue with a lady, Steve let her take his hand and lead him out into the main room. As they passed by, as soon as Pepper's back was to him, Stark pointed at Steve and drew a line across his throat.

"Tony."

Stark lowered his hand at the sound of Pepper's voice. "Yes, dear?"

"Stop threatening Steve and get him a drink."

Steve shook his head. "That's all right. I don't really drink."

"Now, I know that's not true," Stark said as he walked behind the bar. "There's a dumpster full of empty Kool-Aid packets in the basement that says you do."

"What about a glass of wine?" Pepper suggested, shooting her boyfriend a look.

"It's Kool-Aid for grown-ups," Stark said without missing a beat.

Rather than carry on the conversation, Steven accepted the glass of red wine that Stark poured for him and walked towards the center of the room. The glass doors were closed to keep out the cold night air and a fire was roaring in the massive stone hearth.

"Did you have a nice night out?" Pepper asked as she followed him with the martini Stark made for her.

"Yeah, thanks." Sitting down on the low, white, circular couch, Steve sipped his drink and tried not to wince at its sourness. "I went to see a movie."

"At the Diamond?" Pepper smiled as she sat next to him. "I love that theatre."

He nodded his agreement. "It's nice."

"Bet it's weird not watching movies through a haze of cigarette smoke," Stark said as he joined them with his own martini.

Steve took another sip. "That's one change I was happy to see."

"You know, while I used to love going to the movies by myself, I have to admit, it's more fun when you're with someone." Pepper set her glass down on the table in front of them. "Steve, I realize I might be overstepping here, but I have this really great friend. If you're interested, I could set the whole thing up."

He choked, coughed, and put his fist to his mouth until he recovered. "Miss..." He stopped himself, remembering how she always asked to be called by her nickname. "Pepper. That's real thoughtful of you, but I don't think I'm ready."

"Not ready?" Perched on the back of the couch, Stark continued, "It's been six months. Give or take seventy years."

"Tony," Pepper sighed.

"You're thinking it, too, or you wouldn't be playing matchmaker," he protested.

"I'm not playing matchmaker, I'm just helping out a friend. Two friends!"

"By matching them up. Isn't that the definition of matchmaker?"

Steve hoped that his cheeks didn't look as warm as they felt.

"Tell you what," he said, rising to his feet. "I'll think about it."

Pepper smiled apologetically. "Sure, Steve. Just let me know."

"No pressure," Stark chimed in. He pointed at Steve. "We're here for you, Cap."

Leaving his wine glass behind, Steve escaped back to the elevator and took it down to his floor. Being around Tony and Pepper had made him long for the silence of his room.

His usual routine was to work out before bed, but that night he just showered, brushed his teeth and went straight to bed.

As he lay on his back in the dark, Steve stared up at the ceiling. He'd lied to Pepper; he had absolutely no interest in being set up with one of her friends.

Seven decades might have passed for everyone else, but for him it had only been six months since he'd kissed Peggy and promised to take her dancing. He wasn't like Howard Stark or his son; he couldn't just move on to the next girl.

Peggy was gone. She had been since March 1st, 1998. Over fourteen years. He'd looked it up at the library.

Steve rolled onto his side, punching his pillow into place beneath his head. No woman could ever live up to the one he'd lost. Peggy was the woman he was meant to be with, the woman he should have grown old with.

She was supposed to have been the first woman he ever made love to.

He snorted softly. None of these modern women wanted a 90 year old virgin. He'd known that from the moment he realized he wasn't dreaming and that the world around him was real.

He might have found his place with the Avengers, but he doubted he would ever find another dance partner.

TBC