Brooklyn grinned, before carefully placing her foot, then looking at Steve.
"Im in two countries, right now, Steve. Two countries!"

He grinned, lifting the camera. "Yeah. Smile!"
She did, raising her hands in the air, as he took the picture.

"Now, you!" She jogged over to him, taking the camera, taking a moment to check the photo he took of her. She gave a little dance when she knew she approved of the look. She looked happy. Carefree. She kept grinning, as she waited for steve to get into position.

"Hurry up, Steve!" she ordered, lifting the camera, waiting for him to get the pose he wanted to have taken lined up. "I wanna go get food soon."
She ignored his grin, knowing why he was grinning.

When they had woken up in the morning, her backside ached. Bad. After the shower, she had turned around, looking it over, noting the purple marks left by the knots of the flogger. Steve had been correct. It had left marks.

He had watched her from the doorway between the bathroom and the bedroom, a satisfied smile on his face, before he shifted off, coming over to wrap her in his arms, looking at her back over her shoulder. Running a hand down her side, he cupped one asscheek, giving it a tender squeeze.
"Told you." He kissed her shoulder. "Breakfast is ready."
Giving her another squeeze, he let go, heading out of the bathroom.

Now, hours after they had left the campground, heading as far west and north as they could, without leaving the country, they were at the one point in the country where you could legally stand in both Canada and the United States, without causing an international incident.

The drive from Horseshoe Cove campgrounds had been peaceful. Maybe because it was a Monday? She figured that would make sense in a way. People would go off and do things for the weekend, but be sure to be back in time for work on Monday.
And given what she had already seen from this part of the country, with it's vast open expanses of available camping, and high vistas, it was something she was sure would appeal to many who lived her.

Coming down the highway, they had the option of heading a little further west, and getting on the freeway before heading directly north, or wandering around on a smaller, older highway. She didn't even have to suggest it.
Steve simply took the highway, his elbow hanging out the window, his sunglasses on his face to protect his eyesight from the early morning glare. As soon as they started motoring along Highway Nine, he had turned to grin at her.
"Westward, Ho!" He joked, before returning his attention to the winding, gray, old road.

They passed signs for various towns, that didn't seem like towns...but that were still on the map. One made her repeat it, over and over.
Wickersham.. Wickersham...

All Wickersham boasted, it appeared, was it's 'historical railroad'. When she questioned it, uSteve had shifted, and called the town a 'whistle stop'. Basically, unless someone was specifically getting off there, the train would whistle as it passed by, but rarely stop. She had considered asking to stop, to see the train, but something in the way Steve sat stiffly in the driver's seat made her reconsider.

It wasn't until they were further away, when it hit her why maybe taking a scenic train ride might not be the best idea for them, or that it might not be in the cards, anytime soon.

It had been a train that her father had fallen off.
How had she forgotten that? She prided herself on remembering everything she could about the stories her father had told her growing up,. All those little facts that she hoarded and protected, because he had been unable to do so. All those past memories that had been taken from him, she kept safe.

Instead of suggesting the train ride, she instead leaned her arms on the passenger window, letting the wind blow through her hair, watching the dark and dappled green of the trees through her sunglasses.

The drive had been pleasant, even with the winding roads, where Steve had been cautious in taking the turns at the high speed. Instead, he tended to ride the brake, making sure to take it at the suggested speed. At one point, when the road seemed to drop off into a marshy area on her side, she was appreciative of the efforts.
It would suck, she figured, if their honeymoon was cut short if they tipped over the edge.

It was as they were coming down into the valley that Steve sat up. "You're kidding me."
"Huh?" she asked, turning to look at him.

"Acme." He nodded at the township sign. "Like the cartoon, right?"
"You've lost me." She admitted.

"You don't ever watch cartoons with Jules?" He asked, surprised.

"Once she got into the pony show...not really. I mean, I like the puppet show." Brooklyn shifted, looking at him. "But for the most part, the cartoons don't usually interest me."
"There's these cartoons that come on, sometimes, on Saturdays." He began to explain. "It's... usually a bunny, and a duck... but there's a roadrunner and a coyote, who just seem to go round and round. And the coyote usually orders things to help him try and catch the roadrunner. From a company called A.C.M.E."

There was a sign advertising a café and general store by the same name, and he grinned as he slowed down.
"We're stopping?" She blinked, but shrugged.

"Im curious." He explained, still grinning. "there were as lot of companies named Acme, when I was growing up. Because it would be, usually, the first few names available in the phone book, and it was memorable."
"You're kidding." She laughed, as he managed to pull off the highway, finding a place to park the RV, so it would be out of the way. "That seems... an odd way to do things."
"If you weren't using your name, you used something else." He reasoned. "I mean, don't get me wrong. A lot of times, if you had a phone, you would pick it up, and ask the operator for the name of the owner, and the number, and then wait for the connection to be made. You always knew who you were doing business with, back then. First name basis, or at the very least, familiar enough that they usually knew what you were going to be ordering, as soon as you called them. Usually, because it was all you could afford."

She watched as he shrugged, before putting the RV in park, and pulling the keys out of the ignition.

"Is that why you liked that we were on first name basis with the businesses around us, in Carroll Gardens?" She asked, as she began gathering her messenger bag, preparing to exit the RV. "Because they knew us, and we knew them?"
"Yeah." He nodded, standing up, waiting for her to push the passenger seat back to reveal the stairs, then heading down them, grabbing his wallet off the dash. "I mean, I loved that everyone seemed to take to Jules, and were so nice to you. Carmine is the best. I love how he always seems to have a cookie ready for her, or a cupcake, or something small that she likes, when we stop in on our way home from school. Or how the greengrocer down the street likes to give her bits of fruit. Or how the butcher always seems to have the right cuts of meat for us, when we cant get them at the regular grocery store."

Steve opened the door to the rv, jumping down onto the gravel, before turning and holding out his hand for her. "C'mon, Babydoll. This is my time to stop and look."

She grinned, taking his hand and letting him pull her out of the RV.

They explored the quaint general store, admiring the inside decor which was an ode to the local history and it's peoples, before stepping right next door to the café.

Steve, despite the prices, didn't hesitate to order her a milkshake, and an order of fries to go. He explained, almost sheepishly, that small places like this needed the tourism to keep going, and he imagined even the locals would have to be hard up to pay the prices.

She didn't say anything, just sucked on her milkshake, while they waited for the hot and crispy fries to be delivered to them.

Then it was back in the RV, and back on the two lane highway, heading for the nearest large metropolis.

Thet passed farms, large fields both open and filled with growing crops.

A slow down, that passed a train track, with the faded sign on the side of the old store, simply known as Everybody's.

Despite having only stopped fifteen minutes before, he pulled over again.
Again, they left their vehicle to explore.

Unlike the acme general store, this one really was a hodgepodge of items, both locally and non-locally crafted. There was art, toys, clothing, hats... items she couldn't identify, but the handwritten notes near them explained.

She ended up buying a nicely patterned sundress, that was said to have been sewn and dyed by a local, even stating their name, while Steve stopped by the counter, looking at the deli meat and cheese on sale.

"Are those.." he pointed at a glass jar in the case. "Landjaggers?"
"Yup." The long gray-haired man nodded his head, leaning on the case. "Local product."
Steve nodded, pulling out his wallet. "I'll take ten of them."
Brooklyn blinked, holding the dress over her arm. Steve didn't usually ask for something without confirming the price. So, whatever this landjagger thing was... he wanted it, no questions asked. He turned, taking the dress from him, putting it on the counter by the register.
"Will that be all, today?" The man asked, as he pulled the sticks out, putting them in a paper bag.

"Yes." Steve nodded, looking at her for confirmation. "Just these items."
"On vacation?" The man folded over the top of the bag, sliding the case closed.

"Honeymoon." Steve supplied. "My wife wanted to see the country."
"And you decided to take Highway nine?" The gray haired man's eyebrows rose to his hairline.
"I wanted to see the real country." Brooklyn nodded. "the places people don't usually go, when they think of cross country travel. Plus, museums.. world's largest items...things like that."
The man nodded, ringing them up. "I'd send you up to Artisan's point, but it's still closed for the year, until they can get the last of the snow out of the way. We were hit bad, this winter. Bad for the mountain summer tourism, good for the snow pack. Which is good for the fire season."

Steve handed over his card. "We saw the fire...well, the fire trucks, as we passed Chelan, yesterday."
The man fiddled with his card machine, before sliding Steve's card. "Lightning strike. Bad luck. Been known to happen. But, hopefully it's contained quickly, and it doesn't do much damage."
Brooklyn didn't know what to say to that.

Steve took the slip the man ripped off, and the pen, signing it quickly, taking back his card, and gathering the bag and the dress. "I hope there's no fires, near here, then."
"It's coming." The man said grimly. "Damn global warming is going to destroy this valley, if the logging industry doesn't do it first. Did you know, few years back, they wanted to pave this entire valley under, build an eight lane super highway, so the truckers could get through to the border faster, without having to update the interstate highway?"
"You're kidding." Steve barked out, shocked.

"No. Had a local politician try to bamboozle all of us, saying they'd pay us well for our land. This valley... which we worked so hard to get certified organic." He snorted. "But I'll tell you one thing. We found out? Most of the land owners and business owners in this valley went down to where the hearing was. Was it in an area we could readily get to? No, it was in some hotel off the freeway, in city three hours from here!"
Brooklyn frowned. "That doesn't seem right."
"Oh, it's not." The man nodded. "but they were trying to be sneaky, and get it approved without our knowledge, so they could show up, and just pay us a pittance for our homes, and then push us out. But don't worry. We shut that down. Got the entire county on our side. Haven't heard a peep about it, since."
The man blinked, then looks a little ashamed.
"sorry, this valley and it's safety is kind of a point of pride for me. "He offered Steve his hand, who took it, before offering it to Brooklyn. "Jeff Margolis."
"Steve Rogers." Steve stated, then froze.
"Unfortunate name..." Jeff paused, then nodded. "But it's a good one. You should be proud of it."
"I try to be." Steve gave the man a slow smile, before nodding. "this is my wife, Brooklyn."
"Mrs. Rogers." Jeff nodded to her, shaking her hand again. "Or is it just Brooklyn?"
"Im good with either." She shrugged.
the door opened, and she backed away. Jeff turned his attention to the interloper.
"I'll be with you in a moment, Carl. If you want to pull the truck around the back, we'll get you unloaded. I really appreciate this. Those flowerpots have been flying out of here, all week."
The bearded man, who reminded Brooklyn a little of the mall Santa Steve had taken Juliana to see at Christmas nodded. "Thanks Jeff. Daughter was going to come inside and order us a few sandwiches for the crew for lunch. Can you put it on the tab?"
"I can do that. Go ahead and send Lizzy in." Jeff nodded, then turning to Steve and Brooklyn. "I hope you two have a lovely honeymoon. And enjoy your travels."
Brooklyn gave him a wave, as Steve escorted her out the door.

"That's what you meant." She concluded, as she settled in her seat, and as Steve started the RV, waiting out the traffic before starting out on the highway, being slow around the sharp curve. "That sort of small town mentality, that you like."
"Yeah." He confirmed. "it was like how it was, sort of, when I was growing up. Maybe it had still been new York, but you could tell a lot about someone based on what borough they lived in, what neighborhood they lived in. Have to remember, a lot of people never left their borough. They lived, went to school, worked, married, and died there. They rarely, if ever, left. If it hadn't been for the Depression, it might have stayed that way, until the War."
He reached over, grabbing one of the sticks from the bag, bringing it to his mouth, where he worried it for a bit, before finally getting a bite.

"Oh, that's good." He nodded, chewing, before offering it to her. "Wanna try?"
Shrugging, Brooklyn took it from him, finding it slightly difficult to snap off a bite herself.
"It's dense." She commented, chewing, handing it back to him. "What is it, exactly?"
"Hunter's sausage. Landjagger. Usually made with whatever meat they could get, when they hunted. I imagine this one is a little less exotic than that. But it's still good."

They continued on their way, hitting the round about at the end of the highway, turning left, and towards the metropolis, enjoying the drive, and commenting on the views.

Once they reached the city, a town called Bellingham, they headed north on the freeway, until the signs for the Peace Arch Park were seen, and they could get off.

"You ready?" Steve asked, posing. "I'm ready."
She laughed, taking the photo, then quickly snapping two more. Looking at the captured images, she smiled.
"I imagine I could sell this photo for a lot of money." She joked. "Steve Rogers, crossing the border, illegally. Tisk, tisk."
Steve laughed, coming back to her, wrapping his arms around her waist, looking over her shoulder. "I figure you have opportunity to take other photos that might be worth a hell of a lot more money, Babydoll, to the right people."
"Oh, dirty photos. Yeah." She nodded, shutting the camera down, turning in his arms. "I could do that. Imagine, I would either get paid for them, or paid to bury them. You know, since your public image is so fucking important."
He was silent a bit, just looking at her. "I messed up, earlier."
"I know." She sighed, reaching up to pat his cheek. "You told that man your name."
"I...think he knew." He admitted, looking dejected. "I'm sorry, Brooklyn, it just slipped out."
"it's second nature." She nodded. "it's your name. You shouldn't be ashamed of your name. It's who you are, Steve."

"I should have been more careful." He sighed. "I don't want this go blow up in my face, and people finding out where we are, and making us cut our honeymoon short. This is our time It's our time to just be us. No expectations. No Avengers. No.. no one making demands of us. I know I said, a few days ago, that no one was going to suspect we're traveling in an RV across the country, but they'll figure it out if I fuck it up, and tell people who I am."
"Steve." She covered his mouth with her hand. "Breathe. Listen to me. Mistakes happen. It's okay. You're only human. And you can't help it if you're an idiot. But you can help it if you beat yourself up over small things, okay?"

Steve blinked at her, but nodded.
"now, im gonna remove my hand, and you are going to stop, and we are going to find a place to park this RV, so we can use the bike, because I want to go south for a bit, and explore the towns, and based on what I read, an RV wont work in some of the areas. Okay?" She waited for him to nod again, before removing her hand. "there you go, Steve. See? You can learn. Not too late for it."
She patted him on the chest, before stepping back, and turning to head for where they had parked the RV.
"By the way? How do you feel about crepes?" She asked over her shoulder.
"Crepes?" He asked, moving to follow her. "I like them?"
"Good."

****
they ended up parking the RV at the mall in the town, and she took the time to braid her hair back, as Steve unloaded his bike. She figured, due to what she had experienced earlier in this trip, that maybe having her hair somewhat manageable would be a benefit later.

She hadn't told him, but they were heading to a local crepe shop, that had a food challenge. She felt a little guilty about it, now, considering they had stopped for ice cream at a locally acclaimed dairy.
Ed-aleens, as it was called, was literally a shop attached to a dairy, run by a family for at least three generations. Celebrated in this county, apparently the milks and ice creams they sold in the local groceries were sold at a higher price, than the more corporate counterparts.

While the ice cream had proven to be really good, and she had purchased a few shirts to commemorate their visit, as well as Steve deciding to pick up a gallon -a gallon!- of chocolate milk, she had originally chosen the stop because of the fact it was attached to the dairy, While the store opened to a window over the processing floor, she had hoped they would let visitors see the cows.

This was not the case.

So, no cows for Brooklyn.

Which had been a rather.. disappointing stop, even if she had liked the ice cream.

Now, she worried that having made that stop, and Steve still occasionally reaching for the meat sticks he had picked up at the little shop in that valley off the highway, he may have accidentally sabotaged himself.

Would this be the challenge that would defeat him?
He popped up over the passenger seat. "All ready, Brooklyn, when you are."
"Okay." She nodded, tying off her braid, coming over to him, stopping and picking up her messenger bag, pausing to check her wallet. Frowning, she looked at him. "I need to grab some more cash."
Steve nodded, reaching behind himself, before tossing the keys to her. "I'll go move the bike around to the door."
She turned, heading for the safe they had been using to store the money that Kitty had made sure to put in the RV, from their wedding. She opened the safe, reaching in and, not bothering to count, grabbed a handful of hundreds, quickly stuffing them in her wallet, before locking the safe and heading for the door.

Pausing to slip on her shoes, she bounced down the stairs. Turning to shut the door behind her, she locked it with the key on Steve's ring, and checked the door to make sure it was secure. Then, turning again, she gave her husband a smile, offering the keys to him.

Steve took them, then reached back to help steady her as she swung a leg over the bike, being kind enough to wait for her to settle herself in, before starting it, and pushing off. She held on tight, watching as they entered the traffic, stopping at a red light, scrunching her nose at the busyness of the Mcdonald's near by.
"Can we try to avoid eating the massively spread out corporate franchises?" She called out.
"I have no problem with that." He called back, gunning the bike as the light changed.
They worked through the busy traffic, until they were passed the freeway exit nearby, which caused the snarl to begin with, heading towards the waterfront.

She kept her eyes moving, taking it all in, the park on one side, nestled by a school, the small shops that had aged windows, indicating they had been open in their current location for years, possibly under the original operators, or at least in the same families.

Soon, they reached the turn, that would define if they would head directly towards the water, or further downtown.
wordlessly, she pointed over his shoulder, and he followed directions.
Brooklyn was thankful that she had at least inspected and researched the area, a bit, before deciding to come all the way into this township.

The moist air from the waterfront, while...pungent, was welcome after the dry air they had experienced in the mountains, due to the fire conditions. Now, the air was brisk, cool, and she could almost taste the salt on the air. So much, that at one point, when the were bumping along a slightly unkempt street, keeping pace with traffic, she tilted her head back, inhaling as deeply as she could.

Past an old middle school, looking as old as many of the other buildings they passed now. Further down, past the police station, past the library, and past the historic theater standing on a corner. Finally, they reached the official designation of the 'downtown' of Bellingham.
Taking a moment to get her bearings, she guided him towards the restaurant she had chosen. Luckily there was available parking nearby.

Steve, of course, pulled his bike onto the sidewalk, making sure to leave the full spot available for a car.
Brooklyn couldn't help but roll her eyes. It seemed to be an incontrovertible fact that her husband had a distinct lack of respect for parking laws. This was heavily evidenced by the fact that he always parked the SUV he had borrowed from Stark under a 'no parking' sign, in front of Carmine's bakery, blocking the alley access, on a regular basis. And now, she was noticing that he liked to park his motorbike on the sidewalk, as well.

Captain America didn't give a shit about parking laws, at all. Oh, man...if she was looking to start a smear campaign against him, she'd start there.

She slid off the bike, adjusting her messenger bag to her hip, waiting as he made sure the bike was going to stay standing up, before taking his hand, and leading him to the crepe shop.

ABCrepes, according to the reviews, was a niche restaurant in the area, that had been serving their own recipes of the food for years. But that wasn't the reason she had wanted to come here.

They had a challenge. Twenty six crepes, in sixty minutes.

Now, granted, It was a partnership challenge, similar to the ice cream challenge Brooklyn had helped Steve with, days ago, but it was probably going to be a little harder on both of them. She didn't think crepes would go down as easy as ice cream. It was also said you could chose your crepes. They could be savory, sweet, a mix... they could all be different, or they could all be the same.

But the biggest thing about the challenge, in her mind, that made it attractive, was the fact that apparently, in the time it had been offered, only four teams had ever completed it.

She bounced on her toes a little, as he opened the door for her, pulling him inside behind her. Going up to the counter, she rocked their hands back and forth, looking up at he menu.
What to choose? What to choose?
As she understood it, they would pay sixty bucks, and then they could choose their flavors. Well, at least four of the crepes would be flavored. The other crepes would be just plain. But it would still be fun, she thought, to try a couple different ones, as well. She also made a mental note to ask if they could have some syrups or something on the side, to help the plain ones go down.

"Ah, I see." Steve commented, from above her head.

She looked up at him. "Oh?"
"The Alpha-Bet challenge. Twenty six crepes, in sixty minutes." He grinned, nodding, before reaching out with his free hand to tap her nose gently. "You thought you were being sneaky, Babydoll. Im thinking im starting to catch on to your tricks."
"then I'm gonna have to come up with new ones." She shrugged, going back to looking at the menu. "I think I want to try the strawberry banana one. It comes with Nutella."

"it does sound good." He agreed, moving so he could wrap his arms around her, from behind. "I'm thinking the Banna cream pie one looks good."
"That's two flavors. Maybe two of the savories, next?" She leaned back, relaxing into his arms.
"maybe we shouldn't." He rocked, side to side, gently. "I mean, I might be nice, and cut up the sweetness. But at the same time, it might make the flavors muddle."

"So, other than the savories, what other sweet flavors are you interested in?" She asked.

"Well, I think you're right about the one with the strawberries and the bananas, and the banana cream pie one. But the raspberry one sounds really good, too." He hummed. "So, the one you chose, the banana cream pie, and the raspberry one... "
Brooklyn pointed at the menu. "And the blue berry cobbler flavor."
"And that is how we come up with a plan, Babydoll." His voice was full of amusement, as he kissed her head. "This really is a neat little place, by the way."

"I thought so, too, when I saw the pictures and videos about it. Plus, I can't honestly find a bad thing about crepes." She paused, blinking. "Except that they are apparently French."

"You have issues with the French?" He switched to the language. "Why? What did they do to you?"
She turned her head to look at him, surprised. "Your accent and pronunciation are spot on. And that's not right. How dare you make that sound so... sexy. Stop it."

He grinned, leaning down, continuing in French, causing her to have a full body shudder, her thigh clenching. "Does it annoy you? Or is it that you like it too much. Shall I tell you how much I like knowing what it does to you, speaking like this? Is my ability to speak another language a turn on for you? Should I tell you all the things I like to do to your body, tonight, in French?"
"Hello! Welcome to AB Crepes! Are you guys ready to order?" A worker leaned on the counter, next to the cash machine, smiling at them. And Brooklyn wanted to jump over the counter and beat him to death for ruining Steve's attempted seduction via foreign language.

"Yes." Steve spoke, letting go of her, to move them closer to the counter. "We're here for the challenge?"
"Oh." The workers face fell. "Yeah, we require advanced notification? Did you..."
He looked over his shoulder at his fellow worker. "Hey, Geo, did someone put in a request for the challenge?"
"Nope." The worker, Geo called from his place near the griddles. "Wasn't a note on the board when I opened, today. Did they put it in online, call or...?"
It was a little ridiculous, Brooklyn considered, watching. They were literally less than five feel away from each other, but seemed to be.. shouting.

"Okay." The worker looked at them, with a sad face. "So, we need advanced notification."
"I see." Steve nodded. "See, the thing is.. we're on our honeymoon, and we're only gonna be here for... what, another six hours?"
He looked at Brooklyn, and she nodded.

"Six hours." He confirmed with the worker. "And we're kind of... doing food challenges, across the country as we go. And this one sounded like it would be an awesome one to try."

The worker sighed, reaching up to scratch his head, before sighing again. "Your honeymoon?"
"Aw, man.. don't do it, Reggie!" Geo called. "Don't be a sap."
"Look.. gimme... twenty minutes, to clear out our online orders... and... yeah, we can get that started for you. Did you have any flavors you were interested in?"
Steve grinned, and gave their chosen flavors to Reggie, who wrote them down, nodding.
"Okay, as I said.. twenty minutes to get the online orders done, and then... oh, man... yeah, we can get that out to you. Do you want to take a seat... or..."
"We'll take a seat." Steve told him, reaching down to take Brooklyn's hand.
"Okay, so, drinks?" Reggie asked.
"Sodas." Brooklyn supplied, "we'll let you choose. It's not a real big deal for us."
"Awesome." Reggie smiled. "I'll get those drinks out to you, right quick, while we get this going for you."

"Reggie! Man!" Geo groaned, still cooking. "You're gonna get it, when Becky comes in!"
"I'll deal with it! It's their honeymoon!" Reggie pointed at Geo. "Get to cooking on those orders, Geo! Or I'll shove your face in the batter!"

Brooklyn laughed lightly, shaking her head. Steve led her to the back of the shop, pausing at a table, pulling out a chair for her. She pulled of her messenger bag, taking the seat, and putting the bag on the chair next to her, as he sat down across from her. Pulling out her phone, she began checking for messages and emails.
"Kitty wants to know how attached you are to the color you chose for the office downstairs." She told him, reading an email. "She says that, unless you want her to expand the windows to let in more light, the blue will be too dark, and make it seem like a cave."
"And she knows this, how?" He asked, folding his arms on the table, tilting his head, looking up at the TV in the corner, which was playing the local news. "I like that color."
"Then that's what I'll tell her. And she can either deal with it... or..." She shrugged. "Deal with it. It's your office. I don't see an issue with the color."
She began tapping a reply, intending to inform Kitty of Steve's decision, when he reached out, tapping her arm gently.
"Go ahead and tell her to expand the windows. I could do with more natural light in there. And it is going to be looking over where we had discussed putting the play set for Juliana, right?"
"It's.. yeah." She nodded. "The windows look out right next to the sun room."
"Then yeah, expand the windows." He nodded, leaning back. "Has she started on the glass in the sunroom, yet?"
"It's only been a week or so, Steve." She reminded him, going back to typing up the reply for Kitty. "I mean, even Kitty needs time to get things done. According to her email, she's getting the first round of contractors in, this week. They're gonna start on the structural issues we wanted taken care of, like the master bath, and updating the HVAC, as well as installing the heated flooring you are insisting on."

"I'm insisting on it, as you are calling it, because I don't want you or Juliana to have to deal with older floors, and cold feet." He pointed out. "As well as the reason why im insisting on the new HVAC. And the insulation on parts of the house being redone."

"And the pipes." She nodded.

"Most of the piping had been replaced over the years, but some of it is still pretty old. It wouldn't help us, our first winter, if we had a bad cold spell, and half those old pipes burst." Steve refolded his arms on the table, leaning forward. "Why are we fighting about this. We've already agreed. What's changed? Have I missed a memo, somewhere?"
"No." She sighed, lowering her phone to look at him. "I guess I just wasn't aware, when we signed for the house, just how much we actually had planned for it. I know we discussed all of this, bit by bit, but I guess... with it all just happening, it just seems like so much."

"If we do it now, then in the years coming, we won't have to worry about it as much." He nodded. "think of it, as a ounce of prevention, to prevent a pound of trouble down the road. I've also left instructions for her to put in an independent generator, as well. If the power goes out, it might not be enough to heat the house, but at least we'll be able to cook, and keep the fridge and freezer going. And the lights."

"Ah." She nodded. "That does make sense. But what I don't understand is... if we're living just miles down the road from the new complex, why can't we just.. I don't know, string power lines from there to us, and piggy back off that Stark power system he's no doubt installing. You're the one who's all environmentally friendly. Doesn't that appeal more to you, than how ever the power is made we will be consuming?"
Steve laughed. "String a line. That's a.. it's an idea. But, I don't want to be dependent on Stark, when it comes to our home."
He held up a hand.
"I know, when it comes to electronics, and other things, it's unavoidable. Because that's how the market is, and it's what we're dealing with. But... the power? I dont mind running on the local community power grid."
"One would assume," She began slowly, "based on where the house is, in relation to the complex, compound... whatever it's going to be called, that the local power company would think we would get assistance from them, before we would call on them. So if we lose power, during a winter, wind, or whatever storm.. they would take forever to get to us, to get power back to us."
"that's why I put in the instructions for the generator." Steve nodded. "I mean, like I said, we won't be able to run the heating, most likely, but.. that's why we're also getting the fireplace in the living room cleaned up, and brought to code. I've already made sure to inform kitty to start looking for wood. If I've got to chop it, I'll chop it. But I would like a good portion ready, for fall."
He reached out, taking her hand, giving her a smile.

"I'm gonna do everything in my power, Babydoll, to keep you warm this winter. No more fighting with a radiator that either tries to cook us alive, or freeze us out. No more fighting with a super over the heat in the building. No more being reliant on others to make sure we're comfortable in our own space. If the worst happens, and we lose power? You'll still be warm. I promise."
She returned the smile. "I can accept that. Thank you."

He squeezed her hand gently. "Thank you, for believing in me. In my promises."
"I have to." She explained, gently. "You're mine. If im going to keep you, im going to have to trust you, right? If we're going to build our lives, I have to trust you. That's... one of the reasons why I married you, remember? That and.. I would rather have the short days full of memories, than the long years without."
The smile he gave her was... sad. As if he knew she was calling him out on his promises that they both knew were impossible for him to keep. The ones that he made her on the floor of the kitchen, after Sokovia. The ones she knew he was going to eventually break, even as he spoke them.
"I'm going to give you years of memories." He nodded, his shoulders firming slightly. "Im going to."
"I know." She returned the earlier hand squeeze. "I know you are, Steve."

He opened his mouth, only to shut it as Reggie brought over their drinks.
"It's going to be a few minutes earlier than I said." He told them, setting the drinks down. "Had a few cancellations. And it's not that busy, this time of day. You came at the right time, I guess."

"Thank you." Steve told him.

"So, while Geo starts your crepes... I guess I better be the big guy, and start the rules and permissions, right?" He smiled. "So. Rules. Two people. One team. That's you two. You have one hour to eat twenty six crepes. Now, the usual route people go is just... twenty six plain ones, but you guys decided to spice things up. Go you! Yay."

He raised a fist in the air, wagging it a little, before lowering it, as if realizing his joke was falling flat, clearing his throat.
"Anyhow.. moving on... so, it's not required that you guys eat it, fifty fifty. Someone can eat more than the other, and it be okay. You complete the challenge, and clean your plates, you get matching tee shirts, crepes for life, and your name and picture on our wall of fame!"
He pointed to a small portion of the wall... that had only four pictures and names on it.
Brooklyn was now more than a little worried. Maybe that ice cream had been a really, really bad idea. As well as letting Steve eat his hunter sausages.

"And as an added bonus... you'll get your money back. Which, my bad by the way, I was supposed to get from you... before I took your order." Reggie scratched his head, looking ashamed.

"Oh." Steve stood up a little, reaching into his back pocket for his wallet. Pulling it out, he asked, "how much?"
"Well, it's a sixty dollar fee... and a twenty dollar refundable vomit fee." Reggie shrugged.

"Refundable vomit fee. I'm... gonna need some explanation for that one, Son." Steve frowned.

"Well, it's basically ten pounds of crepes. And in your case.. a little bit more, with the toppings and fillings and fruits... so... people have been known to... upchuck it all..." Reggie pointed at a sign indicating where the bathrooms were located. "If you don't, even if you don't win the challenge, you get the twenty back."
Steve nodded, and Brooklyn had a moment of desire to laugh at the absolute absurdity at the idea that either of them would vomit. She didn't even know if she could remember a time when she HAD done so... Steve might have, when he was younger, and before the serum.. but similar to getting sick, their bodies just didn't DO that.

Steve nodded again, pulling out a hundred dollar bill, offering it to Reggie. "Why don't you just hold onto that, for now, Son? I'll come collect it when we're done."
Reggie took it with his eyebrows raised, and Brooklyn hid a smile. "Well, aren't you a confident one. This is gonna be good."
"I've done several of these, by now. And those were, for the most part, all by myself. But this one?" He smiled at Brooklyn, going back to holding her hand. "This one I've got my wife helping. How can we lose?"

"Riiiight." Reggie's voice, and his face when Brooklyn glanced at him, clearly indicated that he believed steve to be utterly full of shit. "But its your money, Sir. It'll be up in a moment. Is there any sauce or something you want with it, to make it easier?"
Brooklyn smiled at the young man. "As many different ones as you can, please? I want to try everything, since this might be the only time we are ever here."
"This time." Steve corrected. "We might come through again in a few years. Maybe make it a family trip."
Reggie nodded again, and turned, heading back to the kitchen area.

"He clearly thinks we're going to fail." Steve commented, good naturedly. "We're going to prove him wrong, Babydoll. Just you wait and see."

"Is there any challenge you don't rise to?" She asked, shaking her head.

He pursed his lip, apparently trying to think. "Well, going out with Junior? I don't think I want to take part in that one. He tried to convince Sam to let him take control of my bachelor party, said he would take care of everything, and that it would be a party worth our time, and it would be one we would never forget."
"That... is probably wise." She commented, shaking her head again, going back to checking her messages and emails, not sure how she felt about Junior attempting to entertain Steve, the night before the wedding, but.. happy Sam had declined. "He likes to cause chaos. I mean, I literally think he was born, and took his first breath, and on the exhale... chaos started."

"And this is the man that Marino is going to leave in charge, when he... what, retires?" Steve shook his head.

"Men in his position don't retire. Not really." She knew she was being absent in her response. But the email from Marcus, saying he was sorry, and there wasn't anything he could do was... odd. Concerning. Maybe something had gone slightly sideways with one of her new business concerns? Or perhaps someone had made a move against her position over Brooklyn? But, if that had been the case, surely Pops would have called her, reached out to her, or attempted to make sure she was well aware of it, before Marcus could have? Unless Pops was attempting to handle it himself? But that didn't make sense. It was her position to protect, so...
She made a mental note to contact Pops, to make sure she wasn't going to be blindsided by losing her position when she got back to New York.

"So." Steve began, picking up his glass, taking a sip of the soda, before putting it down. "What else is there in this city you wanted to see?"
"The museum." She sat her phone down, focusing on him. "It's housed in the old courthouse, which is.. it has history. Plus, I was thinking.. that maybe we could go out to see the Fort. It's apparently where the civil war dude was first stationed. You know, before he joined the confederacy."
"Civil war dude." His voice was tinged with humor. "There were a lot of those. Gonna have to be a bit more explicit."
"He led a charge during the battle of Gettysburg. Pickett. There's a bridge, and his house is a museum, too." She shrugged. "But he lived out here, before all that."
"You guys talking about Picket?" Reggie asked, as he came over, with paper and pens. "Yeah, not one of our proudest past residents. But his house is still kind of cool. Ignore the bridge though. It was put in by the local chapter of the Daughters of the Civil War. So, racists."
He put the paper down in front of them with the papers.
"So, we have to do the standard release forms. We're not responsible for any after affects, including death, resulting from you attempting to do this challenge. This also states that you are doing it of your own free will, and you have been made aware of the rules, as I previously stated. They're also on the papers, just in case you need to check them out again."
Steve nodded, picking up the paper, signing it without looking.
"Seriously?" Reggie asked, watching him. "You don't even want to look it over."
"He does that." Brooklyn stated, looking her own paper over. Reggie has basically outlined everything already, but she didn't want to be caught surprised by anything. But, it didn't look like anything being shady. "He didn't even look at our prenup. Just smiled at my lawyers, and signed with a big dumb grin on his face. I think it gave them a heart attack."
"There was no heart attack involved, Babydoll." Steve snorted, rolling his eyes. "I didn't look it over, because I didn't care. I was marrying you. Anything beyond that was... just in the way."
"And that sums up his life view, Reggie, right there. Something in his way? He barrels right through it." She signed the release form, handing it out to the worker. "And this is why I will own his ass, for ever and ever, if we divorce."

Steve laughed. "Jokes on you. I'd give it to you, anyway. Nothing would be worth anything to me, if I don't have you."

"He's a sap." She sighed. "That's an impossible character flaw. He's cheesy. So damn cheesy."
"Uh huh." Reggie shrugged. "It'll be a few more minutes. We're rushing it through, so we can get it out to you, before we get slammed with more online orders."
With that explanation, he turned, returning to the kitchen area.

"He gave us root beer." Steve commented, reaching for the glass again. "I think that's kind of nice."
"It's non committal." She shook her head. "I mean, I don't know anyone who doesn't like root beer. Even Junior likes root beer, and he's as opinionated as they come."

"It's good." He nodded.

After a moment, he looked at her, his face serious.
"Have we gotten to the part of the marriage when we don't actually talk about anything... important?"

She had to laugh.
"Steve... Honey.. We just spent a good few minutes, just a bit ago, discussing the importance of the changes we're having Kitty do to the house, before we get home. And how if you wanted the color blue you chose for your office, we were going to have Kitty change the windows a bit, so that the light doesn't make it look like some dark cave, and turn you into a troll who breathes fire, and eats goats."

"....nothing was mentioned about me becoming a fire breathing troll who eats goats." He narrowed his eyes. "I feel like that addition is an expression of you feelings in regards to me having an office."
Brooklyn shrugged. "Eh."

"Does it bother you I wanted an office?" He asked, tilting his head at her.

"Well, yeah, kind of." She admitted. "I mean... you're gonna have one at the new place, right?"
"Yes. Stark did say he was going to make sure that we all had our own personal areas. Living areas, office areas... but shared common areas." Steve nodded, confirming her suspicions.
"Yeah." She sighed. "I mean, I know you had one at the Tower. And I guess that... I was okay with that? Considering how our living arrangements were. You know, the apartment being in Brooklyn, and the Tower being in Manhattan. And considering how much time you were going on missions, and being with the team... I guess, I just got used to you doing your paperwork and stuff with us at the kitchen table. It was.. nice. Doing the school work with you. Having you there, when Juliana needed help, or I was stressed over a paper."
"I can still do that." He blinked. "but the office is because... there might be things I don't want to expose Juliana to. I mean, it was... easier, at the kitchen table, because I was just going over old papers and information, and filling forms. But.. going forward, there might be things that... I don't want her to see."
Brooklyn bit her lip. "Steve... I think we have to assume that she's seen things, already that.. we would really prefer her to not have. I don't know what she saw, the first five years. But..if it was.. anything like what I did..."
She let the sentence trail off, hoping he was understanding what she was unwilling to put into words.

He understood, she saw, when he pursed his lips. "I know. But... I don't want her to have anymore of the exposure because of me. It's.. kind of my job, now. To keep her safe. Because she's my sister. Because shes'.. shes important to me, too. If that little girl can be kept from the bad stuff in the world, im gonna do what ever I can to make that a reality."
Damn him. Damn him to hell. Why was he so damn good at that? His ability to say just the right thing, just at the right time.

For all intents and purposes, all the reports said that he was...clumsy, when it came to speaking. But somehow, he was able to form the right sentence at the time when it mattered the most. This was just a perfect example of that.

Before she could respond, Reggie returned.

"Okay!" He announced, his voice happy. "Here we go!"
He placed two plates, topped with towers of crepes, the top one being the chosen flavors, before shifting to the side, as his co worker moved to place two more down. Reggie pulled a timer out of his pocket, placing it on the table.
"Geo, go get the sauces, please?" He asked, as he pulled a chair from another table, sitting down by the table, leaning back and looking at them. "You guys still up for this?"
"Oh, we've changed our minds." Brooklyn snorted, sarcastic. "We've sat here, drinking root beer, and now, even though we've handed you a hundred-dollar bill, and put in the order, having waited patiently for our crepes, we've chickened out, and are now just going to take pictures for our social media, acting like we did it."
"Brooklyn!" Steve laughed, before looking at Reggie. "Sorry, she's sassy."
"Hey, I won't judge. Just make sure to tag us in any and all social media posts, related to your meal here? Please? Oh, and make sure to mention me and Geo, so the boss might give us a raise. We're college kids, you know?" Reggie pointed at himself. "Sociology major. Geo's going for political science."

"What do you do with a political science major?" Brooklyn asked, confused.
"I don't know." Reggie shrugged. "but he loves talking about elections and politics and policies and sh- stuff like that."

Geo returned, sliding two plates with little cups of different sauces on the table, before disappearing.

"Right." Reggie grabbed the timer, moving it and looking at them. "Sixty minutes, starting..."
Steve grabbed the silverware, shifting the plates around, so they were accessible to her.
"Now." Setting the timer on the table, Reggie stood up, and put the chair back. "We're gonna be keeping an eye on you. Good luck!"
Brooklyn nodded, before grabbing one of the plates, pulling it towards herself, grabbing the fork and knife. She cut into the first corner, pulling the knife through it, before putting the first bite in her mouth.

She couldn't help it.

She moaned.

Steve stopped, looking at her, blinking.

"It's good!" She explained, blushing. "I mean, really good!"
He grinned, before shoving his first bite into his mouth, chewing while nodding. After swallowing, he pointed at the one he just sampled. "You're right. Really good."
Steve pointed at the timer.
"Get to chewing, Babydoll. We've got sixty minutes, and twenty-six crepes to get through."

"Doesn't mean I can't enjoy it!" She protested, preparing another bite. "I mean, you enjoyed the meals before, right? I saw your face at the grill in Montana. You loved that meal."
"I did." He nodded, taking another bite, continuing with his mouth full. "but, this one is gonna be a bit of a struggle, because of the ice cream and all that, before."
She nodded, the guilt hitting her again. She could have let it derail her, letting it twist her stomach into knots, until that made her appetite disappear, and her desire to continue eating the fantastic tasting crepes vanish. Instead, she applied herself, occasionally reaching over to try the other flavors, as did Steve. The one with the strawberries and bananas was fantastic. The heat from the crepes melted the Nutella until the whole mess inside was ooey and gooey, and just.. wonderful.

Steve's choice of the banana cream pie was surprisingly good, too, with a tang added to the flavor by the supposed signature sauce added. It was echoed in the other two flavors as well, adding a wonderful tongue feel to it, as she ate.

Soon, they worked their ways down to the plain flavored crepes, which were piping hot. She found herself reaching for the various sauces they had given them, enjoying the different flavors as she did so. It was like trying all the different sweet crepes in one setting, which was... in honesty? More satisfying, then just the four they had chosen. She found herself particularly enjoying the signature sauce, the creamy tangy sweetness of it being a perfect companion for the crepes.

She had finished the first plate, and had started the second, when her ears pricked, and she looked up at the television.

"And in continuing news, more information about Captain America's new wife is coming out. According to the Avengers public relations, which has been very careful about the information given out to the public, citing the new couple's desire to have as much of their privacy while their marriage is still new... they have confirmed that the new Mrs Cap is in fact, the woman that Steve Rogers was seen with, during the recent party held at Avengers tower, back in march, before the Sokovia incident happened. Sources say that the couple was very affectionate, and that she was respectful of the other attendees. No pictures have been provided yet, just confirming her name, again with the citing of privacy, but hopefully, with the increased interest, they will eventually allow some images, of at least the wedding, to be shared with the public. One thing has come out, this week, though... and that was the price tag of the engagement ring Cap used to propose. The jewelers, Levi Jewels, revealed the amount, and other details about the ring on the Avengers wife's finger."
She felt her mouth go dry, the hand holding her fork going limp against the plate and table. A picture of the ring nestled next to her wedding band, but in situ on a bed of black fabric was placed on the screen, while the commentator continued.

"The ring, personally designed by Rogers, has a staggering price tag of a hundred and fifty-five thousand dollars. Noam Levi, the jeweler who worked personally with Rogers during the design process, stated that he was very insistent on every detail, right down to the main stones. He came into the shop, and went over the stones, before choosing the three aquamarine stones that were cut to make the design, personally. Levi went on to state that the stones, coming in at just over five carats, were placed into a delicate filigree style platinum setting, and the style was later mimicked in the wedding bands, of both Cap and his wife."
Pictures of their wedding bands were placed on the screen.

"Levi states that these were the second and third orders from Rogers, who previously came in before Christmas, where he ordered a specially made pendant for the future Mrs. Rogers, with the intention of gifting it to her for the holidays. This order, which he refused to provide a picture of, was used with lab created gemstones."
She reached up, covering the pendant on her collar, grasping it tightly.

"Brooklyn?" Steve asked, concern in his voice. "Are you okay?"
"The jewelers..." She whispered. "They've let people know about our rings. My ring... the price... Steve?"
He sighed, reaching across to touch the hand grasping the fork. "Yeah, I spent... what they said. Or close to it. It was worth it. I wanted that ring for you."

"Spokes people for Rogers said that he had been proud of the engagement ring, and sources say he spoke of the need to make something that was uniquely for her, and her alone. Levi, when asked about this, stated that he rarely works with anyone who gives that amount of attention to every detail of a piece, like Rogers did. In fact, he continued, he looked forward to working with him, in the future."
She looked at Steve. "A hundred and fifty thousand?"
"Yeah." He looked a bit ashamed. "I knew it might set us back, in regard to getting the house... but it was worth it. I wanted a ring that would be perfect for you, that reminded me of your eyes... one that was.. for you. And one that I knew you would be proud to wear, for the rest of our lives."

"I am." She admitted. "I love the ring. I will always be proud to wear it, forever."
He smiled, looking relieved. "That makes me very, very happy. Now." He pointed at her plate. "Sixty dollars, a tee shirt, and our names on the wall of fame, Babydoll. Im not going to let you tap out now."

She tried, she really did. But the news kept up the gossip. And it really was gossip. They were discussing the rumors about how she and Steve had met. Speculation that she had been a friend of Stark's. That she had been at one of the promotional appearances that Steve had done, in the months before they had met. Perhaps she had been a former SHIELD agent, or employee. Honestly, the wildest one they discussed was that she had been a librarian, and Steve had done more than 'check out a book'.

No, they seriously said that.

She managed to take a few more bites, before sighing, putting her fork down.

Steve frowned at her, but finished the second of his own, before reaching over to take what was left of her second plate. He took a deep breath, but began powering through the plate, his eyes glancing at the timer.

There was comments on the fact that the wedding had been kept under wraps, so well, pointing out that the basic posting of the information of the wedding was kept secret, as well. No information had been found out about her, personally, just her name. There was a lot of jokes about how Steve, being the beloved son of Brooklyn, had married a woman named Brooklyn.

She figured that wouldn't last too long, now. Someone was going to eventually talk, despite the Marinos and Maria Hill trying to spin damage control as much as possible.

Lord knew, she had maybe stepped on a few toes, in her brief inhabitation of New York. She knew that Mrs. Crocker wasn't going to keep her mouth shut, for very much longer. After that, there were a few of the dancers who would no doubt not mind a few extra dollars selling their stories about her to fall in their hands.
Those? She wouldn't blame them. Life was hard, and dancing was sometimes harder.

Steve reached out, taking her hand, his thumb rubbing her ring finger, making the hundred and fifty-five thousand dollar ring shift as he did so.

She thought back to October, when he did those PSAs that seemed to drain him of everything, except self-disgust, with each take. How much of that money he had earned from that fiasco had gone towards the rock on her hand? How much of what he had socked away for the home he had been hoping for, before meeting her, had he used on the ring that had sat on her finger for weeks before she answered the question that had gone with it? How much time had he spent designing it, as the jeweler had told the media?

All because he wanted to marry her, despite her objections to it originally. Her, Brooklyn Barnes, who had made him wait for weeks, when any other woman in the country, possibly the world, would have yelled out 'YES!' before he even got the question out, fully.

It made her feel so small, at the moment.

She bit her lip, watching him finish cleaning up the plates, using the last of the extra sauces, before he sat back, a satisfied smile on his face.

"I love you." She told him, turning her hand over to grasp his. "I really, really love you."

He grinned wider. "I really, really love you, too. And... we've won the challenge."

Brooklyn matched his grin, as he turned his head over his shoulder.
"He, Reggie! We're done!" He called, before winking at her. "Im gonna need a small size, and a two xl, depending on the cut."
"Double xl, because of those damn shoulders." She snarked, weakly, still humbled by the ring. "At least I know if it's cotton, it'll have enough give so it'll go over your head."

Steve nodded. "There is that." He paused, looking at their joined hands. "I wanted something for you, and you alone. Something no one else was ever going to have. A ring that I made, for you. Because that's how much I love you. How much I wanted to marry you. I wanted, and needed to give you an expression of my love, and respect for you."
"I thought that was what the collar and pendant were for." She squeezed his hand.
"Oh, that?" He leaned forward. "That's to show the world that you're mine, just like im yours."
"Maybe I should get one made for you?" She suggested. "And I should make sure it has our address and phone number on it. Just in case you get lost."

"Id wear it." He nodded, still smiling, as Reggie came up, his face full of disbelief. "Lord knows, I tend to wander into places I shouldn't. Might be helpful, in case I can't find my way home."
"I'll bring your ass home." She gave him a stern look. "Before I beat your ass for making me come get you."
"You did it." Reggie picked up the timer, looking at it, as it still ticked. "And you still have ten minutes left."
Steve looked at Reggie, before shrugging. "It was good. And I wasn't going to disappoint my wife, when she wanted the shirts so badly."
Reggie picked up the discarded plates and silverware. "I'll just... go get those shirts. And your money... and the camera."
He wandered back to the kitchen, showing the plates to Geo, who came over to the counter to stare at them in disbelief. It was like they were seeing something so amazing, they didn't know how to handle it.

"I don't think they know what to do with us." Steve commented, looking over his shoulder at them, before glancing up at the television show, which had moved onto other topics, politics from the sound of it. "I don't want you to worry about what they say. Okay? They don't matter to us. It's like we're always saying. It's you and me. I belong to you, and since you married me, you belong to me. It doesn't matter what bullshit they dig up, or how they try to spin it, we know who and what we are to each other."
"Okay." She nodded, taking a deep breath. "I'll try. But... if they pull shit about Jules or Papa... no promises."
"Oh, no. I agree with you there. If they come for Jules or Buck, I'll be right beside you, in raising hell." He agreed. "Those are some hard lines for me, too."

Reggie came back, at a fast trot, with a bundle of fabric over his shoulder, and a polaroid camera in his hand. "Okay! So... over by the wall of fame, please?"
Steve stood up, pulling on her hand, leading her over to where the other, lonely pictures were hanging, smiling the whole time.
"And..." Reggie held out a stick of chalk. "Go ahead and put your team name down, so we can take your picture."
Brooklyn took it, letting go of Steve's hand to reach up on her toes to try and write on the chalkboard.
"What are you going to put?" Steve asked, coming over to wrap his hands around her waist, to lift her up so she could reach.
"The Rogers." She stated, using her best hand writing to print it out. "I mean, that's who we are, right?"
"We are." He kissed the back of her head before setting her down. "Very much so."
She grinned at him, turning to face Reggie, who tossed them the bundle of fabric, letting them sort out the shirts, while fiddling with the camera.

"Okay! Say 'crepes!'" He called, bringing the camera up to his face.

"Crepes!" They said in unison, holding the shirts up, grinning as the flash hit them.
"Awesome!" Reggie crowed, as he caught the picture as it came out of the camera, shaking it before handing it to them. "Go ahead and sign it, and I'll go get your money back." He paused, raising an eyebrow at them. "You sure you're not going to upchuck?"
"No." Steve laughed, pulling out a pen and signing the white boarder, before handing both to Brooklyn. "We are definitely not going to upchuck."

Later, as they crossed the street to go to the small shop Reggie had suggested when Brooklyn had inquired about local shirts and souvenirs, Steve swung their joined hands, grinning, his eyes hidden behind sunglasses.
"Im not going to lie. Im going to have to find a bathroom, before too long." He admitted, shaking his head. "That was a fair amount of food."
"Oh, just wait." She smiled at him. "I'm gonna make you go bigger and harder, later."
"I thought that was my job." He teased, as he held open the door for the shop, called Cresswell and Boggs.

"Oh, it' is. But... I thought you figured out im going to use your stomach and stubborn refusal to give up to my advantage, and my desire to have all the tee-shirts from all the places I can." She informed him, as she stepped into the shop, pausing before skipping over to the overhead display of Christmas ornaments. "Oh, wow! These are so cool! Look! They have a cow!"
"Get it." He told her, before pointing out another one. "And let's get the unicorn for Jules."
"And for you?" She asked, looking them over, before giggling, pointing at one. "Oh, look... they have a wedge of cheese!"
Steve laughed, looking them over. "I'll take the jar of pickles. I like it."
"Ew. Pickles." She screwed up her face, shaking her head. "let's not?"
"I want the pickles." He informed her, then pointing at a few more. "I like those, too."
"Coke bottle, and..." She moved her head, looking at them. "Is that a golden retriever?"
"Yeah." He wrapped his arms around her, resting his head on hers. "I like it."
"Is this your way of asking if we can get a dog?" She asked, surprised.

"Maybe? One day?" He gave her a gentle hug. "I mean, dogs are nice."
"I guess." She nodded. "I mean, I don't really... have a lot of experience with them?"
Steve hummed, before kissing her head. "I'll ask one of the cashiers to help us get some of these down, while you wander. That okay?"
"More than." She turned, jumping on her toes to kiss his scruffy chin. "I'll meet you at the counter."
"If I don't find you first." He teased, winking at her. "Go on, have some fun."

And with that, she went shopping.
She was proud of herself, when a little over an hour later, she stood by as Steve carefully loaded their purchases into the bags hanging on the sides of the bike, before letting him help her swing her leg over.
"I didn't take too long." She pointed out, waiting for him to join her.

"I know." He winked at her, as he swung his leg over.

She shifted closer, wrapping her arms around him, waiting for him to turn the bike on before lifting her legs off the ground, placing them on the pegs there for her feet.

"Okay, Babydoll...." He began as he backed them out of the space, and into the light traffic on the street. "Send us to the museum."
She grinned, beginning to recite the directions she had memorized.

A/N: Hey! Look! It didnt take me NINE FUCKING MONTHS this time! Go me! i deserve a gold star!
*rate and comment, please?*