The next morning Howard grabbed Steve right away to ask him questions about how the serum kept him alive and numerous other questions. Poor Steve didn't have any choice but to attempt to answer to Howard, who had frantically been working all through the night.

Luckily an hour later Natasha went down to the lab to free Steve of the endless questions.

"Ana made breakfast so you should probably come up now," She smirked inwardly at Steve's expression. He looked so confused before she spoke up about a break. His face instantly lit up like a child on Christmas morning and quickly went upstairs.

"You coming?" Natasha asked Howard, who was currently writing down something in his notebook. Looking up and obviously checking her out he shook his head.

"Yeah, I'll be up," he mumbled waving her off passively.
"Too much like Tony," Natasha mumbled as she went back to the others.                                "Who the heck is Tony?" Howard threw his hands up as Natasha shook her head.

After eating their respective meals, eggs and bacon for Jarvis, Natasha, Steve, and oatmeal for Ana and Howard. Whilst Ana went out to run some errands for the house Mr. Jarvis busy with an "Important meeting".  Natasha and Steve were left alone in the kitchen as Howard never came up from his lab after eating.

"So, how's it feel to be back here?" Natasha slightly teased.                                                              "Well, honestly weird. It felt like I was just getting the hang of everything and now, just poof. Back here," Steve said looking as if he had something more to say.

"You want to see her." Natasha stated. Steve looked at her confused as to what she was talking about. "The girl from the warehouse, in 'Jersey. The one on the wall next to Howard."

Steve's heart started to beat a bit faster. "How did you remember that?"

She smiled, "You looked like a lost puppy. She clearly meant something to you. Peggy, wasn't it?" Natasha asked. Steve's face lit up.

"Yeah, Peggy Carter." Steve's voice wavered slightly at the mention of his old love.

"I've read about her. Nick always talked highly of her." Steve nodded.
"What's wrong?" She asked carefully, not wanting to upset him further.
Steve blinked a couple of times before meeting her emerald green eyes. For a moment they only stared into each other's eyes.

Mixed emotions plagued both sets. Natasha's with her worry and concern for one of her closest friends. Steve's were tinted with sadness causing them to expose a tiny bit of green in them. That bit of green only appeared when he was saddened or possibly angered. However, based on the rest of his features, he was clearly the first.

Gaining his voice back Steve answered.
"I'm just thinking about the last conversation me and Peggy had before I went under. I was flying a plane with hundreds of bombs and other weapons. I had to sink it into the water."

Even though Natasha had heard this story before when Nick Fury gave her a basic rundown of who Captain America was, something was different about the way Steve told the story. It felt genuine.

Of course it would, it's his story, She thought inwardly.

It was much sadder and personal. Nick and the world only understood that Captain America was doing what needed to be done to save lives. However this wasn't Captain America's story, it was Steve's.

"Well, Peggy was on the line with me. She was the last voice I heard. The last thing I remembered. Our dance." He looked down and smiled softly, remembering her words.

"When the war was over we were going to have a dance. I never learned how to dance, seeing as I was a scrawny pale kid from Brooklyn. But, of course I never got that chance." Steve's eyes looked down and didn't met Natasha's.

He didn't want pity. Scared to look up and see Natasha with a pitiful smile would only worsen the pain.

"I understand." Natasha breathed out. Steve looked back at Natasha who was currently fiddling with her sweater end.

"I understand what it's like to loose someone you love. Even if it wasn't for a long time. Or even if it wasn't supposed to be love." Natasha elaborated while bitterly smiling . Confused, Steve looked at her longing face.

"Over the years, I've had several fake marriages assigned by me in the KGB. Of course none of them loved me and I never loved any of them. Except for one person." Natasha breathed in slowly, her eyes getting slightly glossy.

Their conversation was abruptly ended by a door slamming open and loud footsteps drawing near. The two stopped and look to see what had caused such a commotion.

"Jarvis I don't know what sort of sick prank you and Howard are doing but it is completely out of line! I came here to deliver a message from-" A woman's voice boomed from down the hall.

"S-Steve?" Peggy Carter's frame came into view. She gasped, not believing what she was seeing. Steve's heart began to flutter and his heartbeat increased. Peggy slowly walked up to Steve and looked him dead in the eyes. Her gaze was hard and stern. Steve felt a rush in his body as he saw his love once again.

Steve began to smile but as soon as the idea of smiling reached his head, a cold feeling fluttered into his face.

Slap

Steve touched his cheek that had just been hit by Peggy. He cupped his cheek and looked at Peggy in disbelief.  Natasha smirked at the exchange.
"It is you. You're real." Peggy's eyes began to water as she looked up at her first love. Before Steve could say anything, Peggy wrapped her arms around him, her body shaking. Her lips met his and the two were engulfed for a moment.

"Steve. I thought you were gone." She met his eyes again as he wiped her single tear dripping down her cheek. She embraced him once more as Steve gently rubbed her back with one hand with the other gently holding the back of her head.

"I'm here now aren't I?" He smiled softly at the brunette. Jarvis and Natasha decided to leave the two alone and walked out the room. After all it would be slightly awkward just to stare and watch such an intimate moment between them.

"Ms. Natasha? Where are you going?" Jarvis asked once they reached the front door.
"Oh, I was thinking about waking around town for a bit. I want to see what it's like." She smiled.

Jarvis nodded. " I just wanted to make sure everything was okay."
"Thank you." Natasha curtly spoke.
"Oh, would you like me to drive you?" He offered.
"No I prefer walking but thank you for the offer." She smiled graciously at Jarvis and shut the door quietly behind her.

Peggy was holding tightly onto Steve, enjoying every second of it. Her grip was strong but not strong enough to hurt Steve in anyway. Her heart was beating as fast as a car and her emotions were all over the place.

Yes, she was happy but the nagging feeling of guilt surrounded her. She truly loved Steve but she had given up on him. Her new priority lied with her work. Not to mention her slight romance with Daniel Sousa.

Her emotions were blurring together but her pure joy of her love being back overcame anything else she could possibly feel.

"How are you back?" Peggy finally, pulling away from Steve.
"Well, that's a long story." Steve sighed as a smile curled at his lips.

"Please, tell me." Peggy urged, sitting both of them down on a couch.
Steve laughed gently. "Well after crashing it turned out I wasn't actually dead. After being... well unfrozen for lack of a better word, I was taken in by-" He cut himself off.

Can I tell her this? He wondered, certainly not wanting to cause any laps in the universe.

"I was taken in by... a family. Well more like a group of people around my age."
"Wait... 100 year olds or-" Steve laughed.
"How I appear, it was like a family though." A bitter shock courses through his body thinking about his friends.

This did not go unnoticed by Peggy. Grasping his hand into hers she looked up at him.
"You miss them, don't you."
"It has only been a day but all of this feels like a dream. But it's real. I don't know how to explain it. I just hope that I can get Natasha back to her home."

"Natasha? Was that the redhead in the corner next to Mr. Jarvis?" Steve nodded his head.
Peggy's eyes widened. "Oh no. You two aren't a thing. Oh God, I hope I didn't upset her-" Steve chuckled at Peggy's ramble.

"Peggy, it's okay. We're just friends. We... work together." He didn't want to confuse her even more with talking about the Avengers so he opted to be vague.

"I'm guessing Howard bombed you with questions?" Peggy changed the subject into a more lighthearted conversation. Steve nodded his head and sighed. "Of course, he's Howard." Peggy chuckled at his tired tone.

"Well, I guess I should do what I actually came here for." Peggy pulled out a small envelop from her purse. "It's for Howard. Some new research for my job." Steve nodded. "Where are you working now?"

"The SSR here in Los Angeles. It's much better than the one in New York. I'm actually respected here." She scoffed slightly.

Steve eyed her. "I forgot how... typical it was back here." Peggy's eyes lit up.
"You mean, women and men have the same rights and are both respected?"

Steve didn't know if he was allowed to say things about the future but since it was Peggy he had to tell her. "For the most part. Obviously there's still some... "men" in the world but they don't matter."

Peggy smiled. She was glad that some changes in the future happened; that what she was fighting for at her job wasn't in vain.

"Ah there's a Peggy in the house." Howard said not even looking up from his paper.
"Howard." She responded and threw down the envelop on his desk which gained his attention.

"What's this?" Howard asked.
"SSR notice. I'm guessing they need another weapon or research done for them." Peggy dismissively said.
"What Sousa can't figure it out on his own?" Howard joked.

Peggy rolled her eyes. "Daniel is a very smart man."
"Whatever puts your mind to ease, Peg." Howard sarcastically remarked glossing over the letter not giving it too much thought.

"I would actually read that one over." Peggy reprimanded Howard, only earning an eye roll by the man. He mumbled something sounding like a "Whatever Peg." Peggy sighed at Howard's attitude but let it slide.

"So, I know you might be busy but since I don't have anything to do today I was wondering if you wanted to maybe go grab a bite to eat? I know this really good diner with amazing strawberry smoothies." Peggy offered to Steve.

Before Steve could respond Howard piped up. "I would love to Peg! Thanks for the offer!" Peggy rolled her eyes at the man. "Not you." Howard faked a hurt expression.                
"I didn't want to anyways. Besides I have real work to do." Howard shot back earning an icy cold glare from Peggy.

Peggy swatted Howard on the shoulder.
"Jeez woman." He mumbled under his breath.

"So?" Peggy asked Steve in a sweet voice.
Steve cracked a smiled. "Of course Peg."

___

After eating at a so-called "diner" (which was more like a nice restaurant) they decided to take a walk in downtown LA so Peggy could show him some of her favorite places.

"Oh and here's this lovely café-" Peggy stooped.
"What's wrong Steve?" She looked over to see Steve lost in thought.

After receiving no response she repeated her question. Steve shook his heads slightly before a small smile tugged his mouth.

"Nothing, it's just I missed your voice. And well... you." Steve nervously rubbed the back of his neck when he heard what he had just said.

Peggy's cheeks tinted slightly and she brushed a piece of her curly brown hair behind her ear.

"Oh." Was all Peggy could muster up.
"Sorry that probably sounds super cheesy and-"

Peggy stopped Steve by shaking her head.
"No it's fine... I feel the same way." Their eyes meet and they both paused for a moment before Peggy broke it.

"We should get back to... Howard." She cleared her voice and looked down at the grey sidewalk.
"Right."

The two walked back in somewhat of an awkward silence. Neither one knew what to tell the other. It was like they had nothing to say to one another but at the same time they had everything to tell each other. Neither one was brave enough to spark up the conversation that was plaguing both of their minds.

What are we?