It was just a cake.

After leaving her the night of the party, he drove to his house, his mind plagued with everything he knew about her and all the information he had gathered so far.

She was a guarded girl, that was for sure, but he had seen her interacting with her friends, and she acted differently, like she was two different people.

He wondered what her life had been like before coming to New York.

Peter had sent him the little information she had shared with him when he was driving her to Becca’s birthday party: her bad relationship with her mother, the death of her father, and working at a club at a young age. Not exactly a fancy life.

He took out his phone, debating whether he should follow Bucky’s advice and ask Tony or Sam to look into her background, but he dismissed the idea.

He was already doing enough by asking Peter to keep an eye on her, and he wanted this to be done the old-fashioned way, getting to know her in the present, not digging into her past.

When Monday came around, he entered Bucky’s office with a smile and a plan.

“Hey, pal, do you know the names of the flowers in your garden?” he asked, grinning at his friend.

“I do… why?" The brunette raised an eyebrow and looked at Steve.

“I’m going to send her flowers, and she liked your garden.”

“Of course, she liked my garden. I have great taste in everything,” Bucky rolled his eyes and crossed his arms over his chest.

“Come on, Buck, I’m not asking you to cut flowers from your garden. I’m just asking for their names,” Steve knew he could convince Bucky.

“Whatever,” Bucky started writing the list on a piece of paper. “I’m still against this, whatever this is.”

“I know, and I appreciate you having my back,” Steve’s tone was serious and sincere. “But I like this girl.”

Bucky only grunted and handed him the list of flowers.

Steve didn’t waste time trying to convince Bucky otherwise about her. He knew his friend would eventually come around and give her a chance.

Sending her flowers turned out to be an excellent idea when his phone buzzed with a message from her.

“Thanks for the flowers. They’re beautiful.”

“You’re welcome, sweetheart. I saw how your face lit up when you saw them in Bucky’s garden.” he replied with a small smile playing on his lips.

For the next few days, he made sure to text her every morning. He wanted to be more present in her life before asking her out on a date.

When Friday arrived, nothing was going according to plan. Bucky had woken him up at nearly four in the morning, one of their shipments had been stolen, and that could only mean one thing… HYDRA.

Thankfully, none of their men had been seriously hurt, but they still had to deal with the aftermath of the encounter.

By the time they arrived at the office, it was later than usual. He collapsed into his chair, exhausted from the lack of sleep and frustrated by what had happened.

He took out his phone and saw that it was too late to send her a “good morning” message, so he moved on to the next part of his plan.

“Hi, sweetheart. Just wondering if you’d like to have dinner with me tomorrow?” he texted, staring at the screen, waiting for her reply.

“I can’t tomorrow. I promised Darcy and Jane I’d go out with them. Can we do it another day? Sorry.”

That was definitely not the answer he was expecting. According to Peter, she wasn’t the type of girl to go out much, she was too guarded and only went out when it was absolutely necessary.

A knot formed in his stomach. Was this her polite way of rejecting him?

Before responding, he decided to call Peter. If anyone knew what was going on with her, it was him.

“Hey, kid, have you noticed anything unusual with her? Anyone visiting her?” he asked.

“Hey, boss. No… Well, actually, ever since I left the flowers, she’s had this happy vibe about her. I don’t know how to explain it… she just seems more relaxed,” Peter said through the phone. “Like a ray of sunshine compared to the past few weeks.”

“Thanks, kid. I owe you one,” he said and quickly hung up.

He could have been the type of man to get angry about something like this, but at that moment, all he could think about was the fact that he was making her happy, he was making her feel safe enough to lower her guard and agree to go out with her friends.

“Don’t worry, sweetheart. Go and have fun with your friends. How does Tuesday sound?” he texted.

“Tuesday sounds perfect. Thanks, Steve.”

When Steve later found out that the girls were going to Thor’s club, he decided it was the perfect night to head there with the guys and have some drinks after their stressful week.

He made sure to arrive earlier than the girls. They were already in the VIP section when they walked in. From a distance, he couldn’t make out much about her, except that she was wearing a black dress, and he was sure she looked both beautiful and hot in it.

He wanted to go to her, to get a closer look, but for now, he decided against it. He would stay in the shadows.

“Are you serious, punk?” Bucky asked, pulling his attention back. “You dragged us here because of her?”

“What can I say? You know me,” Steve answered nonchalantly.

“That’s a little obsessive, don’t you think?” Stark commented with a smirk.

Steve only shrugged in response. Yes, he was obsessive when he liked something, and right now, that something was her.

He kept an eye on her while chatting with his friends, listening to them tease him about his behavior.

Several minutes later, his attention was drawn back to the girls as they made their way to the dance floor. At first, he saw how tense she was, but slowly, she let herself go with the music.

Her movements ignited a fire in him. All he could think about was how much he wanted to feel her body against his, the way her hips moved making his thoughts turn darker.

He swallowed hard and took a large sip of his whiskey.

“Having problems, pal?” Bucky teased, snorting in amusement.

“Shut up, Buck,” he groaned.

Then, he saw a man touch her arm and say something to her. His stomach twisted, and his fists clenched so tightly they turned white. Jealousy threatened to take over, but then, he saw her shake her head and decline whatever the man was offering.

“That’s my girl,” he thought, satisfaction filling his chest.

The night continued like that. His plan wasn’t to let her know he was there, but when a particular song started playing and she began dancing with Nat in a way that was both sensual and mesmerizing, he couldn’t hold back any longer.

Nat knew what she was doing. She knew he was there. And knowing Nat, she was doing this on purpose.

He confirmed his suspicions when he walked closer and she shot him a teasing grin.

Biting his lip, his gaze traveled down her exposed back, then lower, taking in the way her hips moved and how perfectly that dress hugged her body.

He closed the remaining distance, gripping her waist with one hand and pulling her flush against him while placing his other hand on her hip. He saw her initial, feisty reaction, but the moment she realized it was him, her body relaxed.

“Sorry, sweetheart. I saw how nice you were dancing with Nat and couldn’t help myself.” he murmured against her ear, his voice husky and seductive.

He felt her body react to his presence, and he smiled.

She smelled like alcohol mixed with something distinctly her, vanilla, cinnamon, and apple.

She started dancing again, just like she had been with Nat. Her back pressed against his chest, her hips moving against him.

He groaned internally. He wanted to take her out of there right then and find out how good her body would feel against his without clothes in the way.

When the song ended and another began to play, he turned her around, not letting go and pulling her even closer. His eyes traveled to her mouth, watching as she bit her lip, making his self-restraint slip away.

He started leaning in, their lips just about to connect…

He didn’t know how it happened. One moment, he was about to finally kiss her, and the next, there was a woman he had rejected months ago screaming at him.

“You rejected me because of her?!” she yelled before slapping him hard.

He had rejected her because he couldn’t stand her. He didn’t like her, she was childish and not very smart.

He felt the sting on his cheek and the warm trickle of blood spilling from the cut. Anger bubbled inside him, but he restrained himself. He wasn’t the kind of man to hit a woman under any circumstances. His fists clenched tightly at his sides.

She raised her hand to slap him again, and he braced himself for the impact. But before she could land the hit…

His girl punched her square in the face like a professional, her expression dead serious.

He gasped in surprise. He knew she was tough, but not to this extent.

“Holy shit, did she just…?” Tony muttered, suddenly appearing at his side along with Bucky.

“You fucking bitch!” the woman shrieked, ready to lunge at her.

Steve saw that she was more than ready to fight back, but before anything could escalate, Bucky grabbed the woman while Steve wrapped his arms around her waist, practically dragging her toward the back of the club. She struggled against him, trying to go back.

This wasn’t exactly how he imagined dragging her out of the club, but he had to admit, it was funny in a weird way.

“Steve, let me go!” she demanded, still fighting against his hold.

“Not a chance, sweetheart,” he chuckled, amused by how feisty she was.

She had just punched someone to defend him, and that only made him more attracted to her.

When they arrived at Thor’s office, he kicked the door shut and finally let her go. The place was small, dimly lit, and quiet, a stark contrast to the chaos outside, something he was thankful for.

“I didn’t know you had that in you, sweetheart,” he laughed, shaking his head. “Let me see that hand.”

“I’m fine,” she said, stretching her hand toward him. He examined it carefully.

“I just need to put some ice on it.” she continued. “You are the one who needs to clean that before it gets infected.” She pointed at his cheek. He wanted to laugh. He’d had worse than a little cut.

“Do you have a first aid kit here?”

The idea of her patching him up was oddly appealing. He nodded toward one of the cabinets, and she walked over to retrieve it. She lifted her hair into a ponytail, and he saw it, a scar, a big one, high on her back. His eyes lingered on it, but by the time she turned around, he had masked his expression.

She walked back and gestured for him to sit on the couch  “Sit” 

He wanted to tease her, but seeing how serious she was, he obeyed.

She sat on the coffee table in front of him, fitting herself between his legs as she unpacked the medical supplies. He watched as she pulled on gloves, moving with practiced ease. She knew what she was doing.

“This might sting a little,” she warned before pressing a cotton ball to clean the wound. It did sting, but it was nothing he couldn’t handle.

“What was all that about?” she asked, still focused on her task. “Is she your ex?”

“No, she’s not my ex.” She glanced at him, looking unconvinced but didn't comment anything.

“She asked me out a couple of months ago, and I rejected her,” he explained.

“Oh. I suppose that’s a problem only hot people deal with.” she said casually.

His heart skipped a beat.

“Did she just admit she thinks I’m hot?”

“Done,” she announced with a proud smile.

“You’re awfully good at patching people up.” he murmured, touching the bandage on his cheek.

She started packing up the first aid kit, but he wasn’t letting this slide.

“So… you think I’m hot?” His voice was low, teasing.

“I’m sure you have mirrors in your house,” she replied, pretending to be busy. 

He smirked, reaching out to gently tilt her chin up, forcing her to look at him. His gaze darkened.

“I want to hear it from you,” he demanded.

She hesitated for a second, then sighed. “I think you’re hot.”

A satisfied smile spread across his face.

“I think you’re the most beautiful girl I’ve ever seen,” he admitted.

Doubt flickered across her face, like she was expecting him to take it back, but he wasn’t joking. He was being completely honest.

He leaned in, his lips barely brushing against hers. She moved closer too, and that was all the invitation he needed.

Their lips met in a slow, tentative kiss, testing, tasting. Her hands slid around his neck, his arms wrapped around her waist, pulling her closer. The kiss deepened with every passing second, turning desperate and breathless. They only pulled apart to take in quick gulps of air before diving back in.

They only stopped when a knock at the door startled them apart. Both of them were breathless.

“Boss, the girls are leaving. They’re waiting for her,” Thor’s voice came from the other side.

“I guess it’s time to go,” she said reluctantly.

“No more picking fights, sweetheart,” he teased, leaning in for one last peck on her lips. “I’ll pick you up on Tuesday for our date.”

She smiled. “See you on Tuesday.”

He watched her leave the office, letting out a deep sigh of contentment. The night hadn’t gone as expected, but in the end, it turned out to be a damn good night.

As Steve walked back to his friends, the little smile on his face spoke volumes.

“I take it that things went well?” Bucky asked.

“Yeah…” Steve replied, still smiling. “What happened with…?” He couldn’t even remember the woman’s name.

“Let’s just say Nat didn’t take it well that she slapped you,” Bucky shrugged.

Steve winced. He knew how loyal Natasha was, he could only imagine what had happened.

“Natasha? Come on! Did you see how the little rabbit jumped in to defend Stevie boy?” Tony cut in, his voice full of amusement.

“Little rabbit? More like a rabid rabbit,” Bucky chuckled. “She was ready to rip that woman’s head off. I can respect that.”

Steve looked at his best friend, surprised by the admission.

It seemed like tonight had been a good night for a lot of reasons.