(You can read "An Artist's Muse" in my first "Avengers Assemble" book!)

Steve ran his hand down his face and sighed. Part of him knew he should cover your portrait back up and leave it. It was better to let the ghost of you fade away. He knew that, really he did. But Steve just couldn't bring himself to shut the portrait away. He couldn't bury his freshest memories of you.

A knock on the door distracted Steve from his thoughts. "Yeah?" The door opened slowly to reveal a fragile looking Bucky. The programming HYDRA did had been broken, but Bucky was still wary about being around the others without Steve, especially Tony. "Steve?" Bucky started, coming further into the room. His eyes landed on the portrait of you and widened.

"I know her," he whispered and Steve nodded, thinking it was a question. "Yeah. She was your best friend back in the day. She was with us almost all the time. She went into the service as a nurse right after you did. But she asked me to do this for her first. A-After the experiment, I never saw her again." Bucky shook his head.

"That's not what I meant. I knew her...as the Soldier." Steve's eyes flew over to Bucky as he shot to his feet. "What do you mean?" Bucky's brows furrowed, his brain trying frantically to recall when he'd last seen you. "I think they used her. They used her to get me to comply when they couldn't wipe me right away. I think they tried to use the serum on her too and then kept her around. It wasn't that long ago I saw her. At least I don't think so. Steve I'm pretty sure she's still alive."

Steve merely stared at his closest friend for what seemed like hours. Bucky wouldn't lie to him. He knew that. Did that mean you really were still alive? Or had Zemo found you and wiped you out too? There was only one way to find out and that meant asking Tony for help. But Steve had to. He had to know because, if you were still alive, maybe he could find you. Maybe there'd be a chance for him to have at least a little happiness.

Without waiting a second, Steve raced from his room with Bucky hot on his heels. He burst back into the common area, making all eyes turn to him. "What's got you in such a rush, Capsicle?" Steve came over to Tony and looked down at him. "Stark...Tony, I need your help." Tony's brows furrowed, but he nodded anyway. "Why not? I've seen this movie a dozen times. It's Pepp's favorite." The three men left again with the eyes of everyone else on their retreating backs.

"What's up?" Tony asked when they were alone in the lab. "I need your help finding someone. Bucky thinks she may still be alive. If she is, she's probably scared and alone. I need to find her, Tony." Tony held up his hands to calm Steve down.

"What is this all about? This isn't you." Steve took a deep breath before looking to Bucky for help. Even after all that time, Steve knew he could count on Bucky when he wasn't feeling strong enough. "There was this...girl. I don't remember her name," Bucky started, stopping when Steve provided your name. "Right. Y/N. She was a friend of ours back in the day. Steve-Steve loved her. HYDRA kidnapped her and tried to turn her into a super soldier. I remember her and I think she's alive."

"I thought Rogers loved Peggy?" Bucky looked to Steve, who gave a slight shake of his head. "I-Nowhere near as much as I loved Y/N. I have the picture I painted of her still. Tony, please. I need to know if my last link to the life I could have had is still alive. I just want to know that she's okay." Tony contemplated for a second, then nodded. "Sure. F.R.I.D.A.Y., pull every file you can find on a Y/F/N and then run facial recognition software. If she's out there, we'll find her."

*Time Skip. Your POV*

You glanced over your shoulder, making sure you hadn't been followed, before opening the door of your small apartment. Italy had been good to you since you escaped from HYDRA. Your only regret was leaving Bucky behind. You knew you couldn't have gotten him out anyway, but that didn't stop you from trying. It was during his rare moments of clarity that he'd told you to run. And run you had. You hadn't stopped until you were certain you couldn't be found. That lead you to Italy.

Inside your small apartment, you breathed a sigh of relief and smiled. It wasn't much, but it was home. A place to call your own where you weren't being used and manipulated every hour of the day. You were able to bring a little bit of light back into your life. The only things missing were your best friend and the love of your life.

You'd never gotten over Steve. How could you? When you first escaped, you wanted desperately to run and find him, but decided against it. After all, he thought you were dead. Why would you bring that kind of pain to him? Besides, he had probably already moved on with someone else. He was happy. At least that's what you had told yourself. That didn't stop you from daydreaming about the times you'd shared together, like you were doing at that moment.

A knock on your door pulled you from your memories. Your brows drew together. The only people who ever knocked on your door were the landlord and your neighbor. The rent wasn't due, so it wasn't the landlord and your neighbor was visiting her family. So who the hell was at your door? You quietly grabbed the gun you kept hidden and approached the door. "Who is it?" you asked in Italian. When there was no answer, you cocked the gun.

"Who is it?" you asked again in English. "Ma'am? My name is Steve. I'm looking for Y/F/N?" Your heart clenched. That sounded an awful lot like your Steve. But it couldn't possibly have been. You inched open the door, keeping the gun hidden behind it. Blue eyes you could never forget greeted you and the world froze.

"Stevie?" you managed to squeak out. He nodded and smiled. "You're alive. I-Bucky was right." Your eyes widened. "Bucky?! So he's alright?" Steve gave you another nod. "Doll, I really want to give you a proper hello. Could you put the safety on the gun?" You glanced at the gun and then at Steve. "How did-" Steve laughed. "Super soldier, remember?" You shook your head fondly and did as he asked. Swinging the door open the rest of the way, you let your eyes scan the form of the man in front of you. It really was him. There was no mistaking it.

"Y/N, don't cry. Baby, come here." Without waiting for an invitation, Steve engulfed you in his arms. You hugged him back tightly as the tears you hadn't realized you'd had began to fall from your eyes. "I never thought I'd see you again," he whispered, "I've missed you so much." You sniffled. "I've missed you. I can't tell you how much."

You let Steve hold you for a moment longer until your doubts crept back in. Then you pulled away and reached around Steve to close the door. "Y/N?" You turned and walked further into the apartment. "Why are you here?" you asked. The confusion was apparent on Steve's face. "When Bucky said you might be alive, I had to find out. I had to know that you were safe...happy. Are you happy?"

"Mostly. What I meant was, won't your girl be upset that you traveled halfway across the world just to see an old girlfriend?" Steve stared at you in disbelief for a moment before suddenly laughing. "My girl? There is no other girl, Y/N. How can there be when I've had the best girl in the entire world?" You arched a brow.

"So you and Peggy then, huh?" Steve rolled his eyes. He took two large steps and lifted your face so he could look you in the eyes. "I meant you. Peggy was wonderful, but she doesn't hold a candle to you, Y/N. My friend, my love, my muse. I still remember how angelic you looked the day we finished the painting. I wanted so badly to kiss you. I came here with maybe a little bit of hope that you might still love me. I know it's silly and I should have moved on. I thought I had until I looked at the painting again and-"

"You still have it?" you asked in surprise. Steve chuckled. "Of course I do. I couldn't part with after you gave it back to me. It's my masterpiece. The only thing better is the real thing. If you do still love me, Y/N, I'd like to try again. Pick up where we left off, but in this time. In this place. Maybe we'll have better luck." You studied him for a moment.

"You still love me?" Steve gave you a smile that made your knees weak. "I do." He reached up and moved a strand of hair from your face as his blue eyes stared into you (e/c) ones. "May I kiss you, Doll?" You didn't have to think twice before answering with a soft, "Yes, please." Steve lowered his lips to yours and nothing else mattered then. In that moment, the entire world was only you and Steve Rogers.