Sing to me

Kissing branch

      After a whole year of working with Rogers, Anna got used to the idea that the man lived only with Peggy and every day, naively hoping to turn back time and find herself back in the 1940s.       From a hero, idol, and dream, Rogers somehow quickly turned into a love interest. Literally after their first meeting, fighting side by side with the Chitauri, Anna fell in love with him. The brave, courageous, strong Steve Rogers conquered her heart in a moment of battle, throwing a fleeting and truly kind smile in her direction.       And then he helped treat her wounds, then brought her hot chocolate, and that was it - unrequited love took off in full force.       Moving to live together with the rest of the Avengers in the Stark Tower (well, the Avengers Tower), Anna and Steve became even closer. Almost every evening in the main hall, they would have tea and play Scrabble, which would elicit kind smiles from Romanoff and Stark. Through the game, talking about everything in the world, they got to know each other better and better, which was not beneficial for Anna, as she was falling more and more in love with Captain America. However, she couldn't give up the evenings with Steve. She couldn't even after almost every one of these evenings ended with Rogers telling stories about Peggy, about who she was and their joint adventures. In those moments, Anna would sit and politely smile, trying to distract herself with Scrabble from Steve's sweet voice, which spoke so passionately not about her…       After all this time, she knew Rogers' biography inside and out, as the man didn't hide anything at all. And she also knew everything about Peggy Carter. Of course, like everyone else, she considered her an example, a strong woman, and Steve's first love, but... But she would have liked Rogers to speak so beautifully, with that fire in his eyes, about herself, and not about Peggy…       And today was Christmas. Everyone gathered in the main hall, and Anna stepped out onto the balcony. Leaning against the wall, she lit a cigarette and looked into the distance at the flickering city below. She had come to terms with it, truly accepted the fact that there would never be a place for her in Rogers' heart, as Peggy had permanently settled there...       Having lit a cigarette, Anna smiled. Today was Christmas, but she didn't expect a miracle and didn't dare to ask for one. She simply smiled, letting go of Rogers. She will love him, of course she will, but she doesn't want to suffer from unrequited love until old age.

***

      Roger and Banner were busy in the kitchen, the final preparations for the table. The ribs, various, appetizers, and pudding were already ready; they just had to wait a few more minutes and take the corn casserole out of the oven.       "How was our game of Scrabble yesterday?" Banner asked, pouring eggnog into glasses.       "It was good, as usual, Anna beat me again," Roger replied.       "When are you finally going to talk to her?" Banner asked.       "There hasn't been a suitable time yet," Roger replied quietly, glancing at the main hall where everyone (except Anna, where was she now?) was engaged in a lively conversation, completely ignoring the men in the kitchen.       "You know, there may never be a suitable time for something like this," Banner replied.       "But I can't just suddenly tell her how I feel, Bruce."       "Why can't you?" Romanoff asked loudly, sneaking up on her friends.       Steve jumped, almost dropping the tray with the hot casserole. Placing the tray on the table, he could only smile at Romanoff, unable to answer her question.       "He can't make another casserole; there's no time left," Banner said, the first thing that came to his mind, looking at his friend sideways.       "You can't lie, Bruce," Natasha replied, crossing her arms over her chest. "Okay, boys, I heard everything. You're in love with Anna, aren't you? Only a blind person wouldn't notice."       "Maybe," Steve muttered, taking off his oven mitt.       "And why can't you just confess to her?" Natasha asked.       "Because it's not that simple, Natasha."       "What do you need to do it then? Fireworks, fanfare, and a loudspeaker?" Romanoff asked, staring at Rogers intently.       "What?" Steve foolishly looked at his friend. "No, of course, I…"       "Oh, come on!" Natasha interrupted Roger's speech that hadn't even started yet. "Go grab mistletoe and go to Anna, she's on the balcony. That's your perfect opportunity—Christmas!"       "I'm telling you, I can't just do it like that…"       "Roger, stop stammering. You fight aliens with one hand, why are you afraid of Anna? Like a little boy, for heaven's sake…"

***

      Imed in her thoughts, Anna didn't notice another person stepping out onto the balcony.       "The table is already set," a voice sounded somewhere near her left ear.       "Oh my god!" The girl startled, dropping her cigarette onto the concrete floor. "Steve! Why did you sneak up like that?"       "Sorry, didn't mean to scare you," the man apologized with a guilty smile.       "It's okay, forget it. It's my fault for getting lost in my thoughts and not noticing you," Anna replied, picking up the cigarette from the floor and tossing the stub into the trash.       "I wanted to tell you something, if you're not in a hurry to join the festive table."       "I think your casserole can wait," said Anna, raising her sad eyes to Steve. "So, what did you want to say?"       Instead of an answer, the man approached closer and pulled out mistletoe from his pocket. Nervously inspecting the sprig, Steve took it in his right hand and raised it above their heads. Anna looked bewilderedly at the man in front of her, blinking dumbly.       "Mistletoe is sometimes called the 'kissing branch,' and I would like to kiss you now, Anna, because I sincerely believe in my feelings for you. I love you and I want this Christmas kiss to give us everlasting love. Peggy was my first infatuation, but I know you will be my last love."       For a couple of seconds, Anna silently stared at Steve, unable to believe her ears and eyes. Had she finally surrendered... or was the Christmas spirit on her side today?       In an instant, closing the distance between them, Anna timidly touched Roger's desired lips. The mistletoe fell to the floor, and Steve pulled Anna towards him, finally feeling the warmth of her body and the sweet taste of her kiss on his lips.       Somewhere in the distance, their friends laughed merrily, but these two were no longer interested in joyful cheers. They had received the best gift for Christmas - love.