Eira fought.

         Vines of every color of green sprouted out of the ground in front of her to shield her against her enemies that were only digital images. Then she had them cascade outwards like a tsunami to knock the enemies away.

          But it left her defenseless from behind and an air blast hit her which sent her flying before she landed on her back on the ground.

             She groaned as the digital scenery faded. She got up and huffed, disappointed with herself.

                ___

             She was now sitting in Fury's office at the Triskelion with a busted lip and a growing bruise on her cheek. It was safe to say that fury described him perfectly.

            He was replaying a clip of her in New Mexico, burning down the Destroyer. She turned her eyes away from it; she didn't like how violent or out of control she was. He spoke when it was finished.

             "That was you," Fury said. "Yet you haven't been able to do anything like that after months of training."

              "I-I was angry then," she explained. It was hard to be angry when the things she were fighting weren't even real but, truthfully, she didn't want to be angry.

             "And you shouldn't have to rely on anger to get the job done," Fury stated before asking a rhetorical question. "Are you angry when you create storms out of thin air?"

              "No," she muttered.

             "Then what is the problem?"

             Fury wanted an answer she couldn't give. But, deep down, she knew the truth: she was afraid of herself. Because the limits of her abilities might be in the stars and maybe the stars were too far.

               ____

              It was movie night.

              She and Steve got together every Friday and watched a movie neither of them had seen (which was quite a lot). But she was quite distracted by her thoughts and why she let Steve eat all the popcorn.

                She told Fury she was done with training for now and that she was taking a break. She couldn't focus on the movie at all.

               "Okay, what's wrong?" Steve asked as he paused the movie.

               "Nothing," she brushed off.

                "Eira," he warned.

               She was silent for a moment before responding, "After you got the serum, were you ever scared about it? Like...scared that you had too much power...that you'd abuse it?"

               "I was scared that I had too much at first. Suddenly, if I hit someone too hard, I could kill them. I had to learn to pull my punches," Steve answered. "But I wasn't scared I'd abuse it. I knew what I wanted to do and it wasn't to kill people."

                "But you did kill people," she stated.

                Memories flashed through his head, "I crossed that line because my enemy didn't care about it. I did and not a day goes by that I don't carry that with me."

              She had frowned deeply and placed her hand on his arm like he somehow needed comfort.

                 "Eira..." he called with a small smile to get her to look at him and her eyes gazed up at him. She looked at him like his smile held all her relief. "I'm convinced you could break the world if you wanted to and maybe your afraid of that but it's not in your nature to break things."

                 He remembered that a month ago she'd taken in a wounded bird and nursed it back to health. And before that she cared for a homeless dog before finding it a home. She was a person that wanted to make things better and fix them.

               "Then you don't know me very well, Steve," she held a small smile as she rested her head against his arm. "Because I'd break anyone that hurt you."

              Steve made her realize that, sure, she didn't like breaking things...until they tried to break her or anyone she loved. And in that way, it was okay to set the world on fire as long as that fire protected the world.

               She turned her head up to look at him, "You're my best friend."

                He smiled and wrapped his arm around her. "Then I'll promise the same."

             _____

            Eira was on a walk by herself when she breathed in the smell of smoke. She quickly started running towards it and turned the corner to see a building on fire.

            No authorities were there yet but people were running out of the building. There was screaming from inside by people who were trapped.

              Eira ran to the chaos and stood just outside the building. She breathed deeply before holding her hand out towards the fire and focusing. Everything seemed to stop as she became one with the Earth and she could feel the burning flames around her as if she were the fire itself.

               And she simply wished it all away into a cool summer. The flames died down in an instant and she could hear the surprised murmurs of everyone around her. All that was left was smoke and she dropped her hand.

               She held a smile. This is what power was like and it wasn't something to be afraid of.

              _____

             Eira was on the phone with Janet. She'd been talking to her for awhile but as she glanced at the time she became alarmed.

              "Janet, I have to go or I'll be late," she said hurriedly.

              "Late to what?"

              "I'm meeting Steve at the diner to talk about the books we read."

                They had both finished The Lord of the Rings and were going to talk it over.

                "Huh huh, and to meet at a diner, was this his idea?" Janet asked.

                "Yes," Eira answered slowly. She was confused as to where this line of questioning was going.

                "Eira, honey, when a man suggests dinner, it means it's a date."

               Her eyes widened, "I-I don't think...that's what Steve meant."

                Was it really a date? No, Steve would've told her, right? Was she supposed to dress up? Oh. God. She was starting to breathe heavily.

               "Eira, calm down," Janet reassured. "I'll tell you what to do."

                ____

            Janet had her wear a dress.

            There was just one thing she didn't tell Janet. She didn't like, like Steve. But Janet got all excited that she was 'finally getting a boyfriend' so she didn't have the nerve to tell her.

               She got along with Steve really well. He made her feel understood and reassured. They never had any disagreements. They got along too well. Truthfully, he calmed her down but he didn't light her up; he could always temper her but could never excite her. He was a moth, she was a flame, and another man was her candle match.

____

When Steve saw Eira walk into the diner, he stood to attention. His eyes had widened in surprise at the fact she wore a dress.

Was this a date? Did he give the wrong impression? If this was, he was severely underdressed. Oh god.

Honestly, he asked Eira here as a friend. He treated it like any other time they came here after their morning runs (well, her walks). It was a little run down diner with not a lot people so no one bothered them. But apparently Eira thought of it as a date. And he didn't know what do.

"You, uh...." he spoke as she slid into the booth across from him. And he was still standing staring at her with wide eyes. "...look nice."

Look nice? He thought as started to sit back down and curse himself in his mind.

____

It turned out the night wasn't as much of a disaster as either of them believed it be. They just talked about the books they read and then they made plans to watch the movies.

Everything flowed between them just as it always did. Now they were both in the hallway of their respective apartments.

"Eira," Steve breathed out nervously. "I didn't-I mean, I don't want to lead you on. I hope you didn't think this was a date...not that there is anything wrong with you because you're beautiful but I just..."

"I know."

"You do?" he looked at her with wide eyes. "What about the dress?"

"Janet thought it sounded like a date. But I know you and I know that's not what you meant."

"Oh," he nodded.

She smiled before she kissed him on the cheek, "Goodnight, Steve."

She walked into her apartment leaving him standing there to reach for the warmth she left on his cheek and the warmth that had settled into his chest. And there was a part of him that wished he had let her believe it was a date.

AN: Steve and Eira are making me feel things. I am going to be making a marvel book where they're together. But for now, trust me I will make you guys love her with Thor.