The Flame (Avengers Fanfiction)

56-You Are My Sunshine

More than Five Years Ago

When Steve Rogers first laid his blue eyes on Peyton Stark, he didn't know what to think. His mind was a jumble of thoughts as he watched the blonde saunter towards him and Agent Coulson. She was the prettiest girl he's laid his eyes on since Peggy. Peyton's lips were such a vibrant red that he had no choice but to look at them. She lowered her sunglasses, her green eyes studying the Captain as she smirks.

"Hello Captain Rogers." She says with a grin, pulling her hand out of the pocket of her leather jacket. Steve doesn't realize that she means to shake his hand and a blush covers his cheeks. Her hand was so much smaller than his, so much softer.

"Captain Rogers, this is Agent St-" Couslon starts to introduce her, but the blonde cuts him off just as Steve awkwardly shakes her hand. The much older man worries that his hand might be too sweaty-Oh God save him. Steve knows Bucky is somewhere, cussing him out.

"My name is Peyton." The Agent says with the prettiest smile that makes Steve all weak.He smiles back as they pull their hands apart. The three of them walk back to the Jet, Steve stealing glances at Peyton when its appropriate. Oh my God, Steve Rogers you are a creep.

"Peyton is one of our best agents, Captain. In fact she just got off a mission not too long ago." Couslon informs him, obviously noticing that Steve can't stop looking at the woman. Steve uses this to look curiously at Peyton, who has a smirk on her face. Why was her shirt cut so low? Oh my, was it get warm? Steve rugged at the collar of his button up. Suddenly it felt too tight.

"I was just retrieving something that belonged to SHIELD. No biggie." She tells Steve causally with a shrug. The Captain nods in response just as Coulson hands him a tablet. He wants to talk more with Peyton, but she's fast asleep. There's a smile on her face. You could imagine how shocked Steve was to learn how absolutely deadly and destructive that sleeping angel was.

Hours or so later, when Loki attacked the Helicarrier, Steve, Tony and Peyton were tasked with fixing the huge hole in the ship. Steve almost shits himself because the blonde woman simply jumps out into the missing part of the Helicarrier, seemingly falling to her death. The old man almost had a heart attack when she flew up, covered completely in flames.

-

Captain Steve Rogers is of course hurt by the fact that his wartime sweetheart is sick and had a disease eating at her mind, but the fact that there was a beautiful blonde woman driving him did help slightly. There's a huge smile on her face as she talks about her childhood with Peggy. It makes him so happy to hear Peyton talk about her childhood. Her blonde hair was pulled away from her face and into a ponytail. A pair of sunglasses covered her face. Her lips weren't bright red for once, no today they were her natural pink color. The only thing that was on it was the cherry smelling balm she kept putting on.

"There's two people I love most in the world and it's Tony and Auntie Peggy." She tells Steve, almost proudly. Steve laughs, his eyes on her as Peyton drives them to Peggy's care facility.

"I can't imagine you being a child around her." Steve responds and Peyton laughs, turning his head to look at him momentarily. A huge smile is on her face. God, her laugh is beautiful-Steve, she has a boyfriend. She is someone else's girl.

"Believe it or not, I was a child, Rogers. Got the pictures to prove it." She says, a huge smile on her face. He chuckles, shaking his head. Suddenly, she squeals and turns up the music that was quietly playing in the background.

"Now here you go again, you say you want your freedom. Well, who am I to keep you down? It's only right that you should" Peyton singing along, making Steve grin. As she continued to sing loudly, Steve felt a swelling in his chest. Her huge smile and her happiness made Steve realize that he didn't really just like her.