Loyalties Lie [s. r.]

.10

After the kiss, it was weeks before Camryn and Steve had time to talk. They weren't avoiding each other, but missions kept them busy, putting them on off schedules.

On days Camryn was free, Steve would be whisked away to some unknown country for a mission, returning days later, too exhausted to stop by and say hi.

About the time he was returning, Camryn was being called on her own missions, leaving them no time to talk.

The kiss eventually faded from their minds due to how busy they were, and Steve came to realize it was probably a good thing nothing more came from it at the time. He had begun to understand he was projecting his grief and desire for Peggy onto Camryn, only realizing it after Steve had a dream he was back in the forties with Peggy. But she looked like Camryn, and he knew it was a sign.

That wasn't to say he didn't miss Camryn. She was his only friend in the twenty-first century, after all. It just meant his feelings for her were a bit more confused.

He recognized he found Camryn attractive. It wasn't a surprise. She was beautiful, and even if Steve wasn't romantically attracted to her, he could admit that. But then there was the problem of her making him so happy. She gave him the desire to try and live in the future. She made him forget about what he had lost, if only for a moment. When she wasn't with him, he found himself missing her terribly.

Ultimately, he knew it didn't matter since she had her rule. She didn't date agents, and she didn't date civilians. Or so he believed.

Really, Camryn had just panicked and come up with something on the spot. She hadn't expected him to kiss her, and when he did, she didn't think she'd like it so much. And due to her own pride, she didn't want to admit it had been her first kiss.

She didn't really know how to feel about Steve, either. He was nice, sure. Handsome, yes. But she didn't know if she could be in a relationship with him. It was too soon, and they hadn't known each other long enough. So Camryn just disregarded the kiss entirely.

When she saw him in the hallway one Tuesday afternoon, she couldn't help but smile. It was the first time they had really gotten a chance to see each other.

"Hey. Long time no see. Where are you headed off to?" Camryn asked, making Steve turn and look in her direction.

"To the gym. I'm teaching a self-defense class." He explained softly. He had a bag with his gym clothes thrown over his shoulder, as well as water and anything else he could need. "How have you been, Cami?"

"I've been good. Busy. Shield's had me run off my feet on missions." She sighed softly. She tilted her head as she registered exactly what he said. "You teach self-defense classes? Where? What gym?"

"My gym," he replied sheepishly. He hadn't ever made a big deal out of buying a gym. "I teach classes for women and children. You could come with me if you'd like, and I could show you?"

Really, he just wanted an excuse to get to hang out with her some more. He always appreciated her company.

"Your gym?" She repeated. At his question she nodded, figuring she would hold her own questions until later. "Yeah, just let me change really quickly."

It only took Camryn five minutes to throw on some clean athletic leggings and a crop top, coming back out and throwing her unruly curls into a bun. Generally she kept them flat ironed since it just made her hair so much easier to deal with on missions. But a lack of motivation left them larger than life and hard to control.

"Okay. I'm ready to go." She said. "I can drive if you'd like?"

He smirked, shaking his head. "You're only offering because you hate my motorcycle," he replied. "Sorry, doll. We're taking my bike."