Pushing the door open to the gym, Lana made her way through it, her old crutches back in her hands assisting her.

"Steve? You in here?" she asked out loud. The gym was big and seemingly empty, and the air was cold.

"Yeah, I'm here," Steve replied, stepping out from behind a big wall of weights Lana hadn't noticed at first.

"What's up?" he asked, smiling kindly while unwrapping his hands.

"Are you busy?" Lana questioned, slowly moving towards him to lessen the big space separating them.

"Not at all. What's up?" he asked before noticing her crutches; "Where'd you get those?"

"Oh, these old things?" Lana asked, muttering something about not knowing. Cap looked strictly at her.

"I did not steal them back because I was going insane, that's for sure," Lana told, changing the subject before Steve had a chance to lecture her.

"Anyway, I promised my friend William I'd come look at apartments with him today, and I really don't want to cancel, but with what happened last night, I thought maybe I should have some agents as backup, but I don't actually have a way of contacting Fury."

"Where's Bucky? Are you two still not..." Steve's voice faded out midway through the question, a concerned look reaching his face.

"Oh, no, no we're fine, we're good, I just... I think he might need the sleep," Lana tried explaining it, smiling as if there was no deeper reason.

"Nightmares?" Steve questioned.

"How did you know?" Lana asked surprised.

"Lana. He's my best friend," Steve reminded her before shrugging; "Besides, pretty much everyone in the tower gets them."

"Right. Sometimes I forget what kind of things you guys actually face," Lana admitted, laughing awkwardly and looking down.

"I think it's safe to include you in that, by now," Steve pointed out, smiling caringly at her.

"Right. Anyway, I was wondering if you had Fury's number or something? So I could see if there's an agent available to go with?" Lana asked, smiling politely. Steve frowned slightly.

"You've spoken to Bucky about this?" he asked instead of answering.

"No, as I said, he's sleeping. Why?" Lana asked, confused.

"No reason. Actually, I have the day off, so I could go with you if you'd like," Steve suggested instead, making Lana break into a surprised smile.

"Really? Are you sure?" she checked.

"Definitely," Steve assured, nodding. Lana left Steve so he could get ready and went back to the room she shared with Bucky. The crutches were annoying enough to use, one of them being bent was only making it worse, but it was better than none.

She grabbed the stack of post-it's and quickly scribbled down a message.

James,

Do not panic, I'm fine. I'm apartment hunting for William with him and Steve. Do not kill anyone while I'm gone!!!

You suck,

Lana

Ps. if you do kill someone, make it someone worth it

She glanced at her phone, checking the time and back at Bucky, sleeping peacefully. Steve wouldn't be ready for another ten minutes, so she grabbed a new note and began writing, grabbing a second note to continue it once the first was full. Once the time had almost passed, she added a last message to the original note before leaving both behind and heading out.

Pps. list of suggestions of people to kill is on the nightstand

When Lana spotted William, she immediately broke into a smile. She hadn't seen him since the attack, only spoken with him on the phone, and seeing him walk down the street had an immediate calming effect on her.

"William, I'm so glad to see you," she told, pulling him in for a hug, awkwardly holding her crutches at the same time.

"Thank you! I did feel like my hair was working with me today," he told, smiling teasingly. Lana rolled her eyes at his antics.

"Oh, this is Steve, by the way," she introduced, gesturing to Steve; "Steve, this is William."

"Captain America?" William checked, Steve just smiling politely.

"Pleasure to meet you, William," Steve greeted.

"Oh, right back at you... War hero and American icon," William added, either cool enough with the situation to joke or uncool enough to be awkward.

"So, where's the first stop?" Lana asked, clearing her throat.

"Right here, actually!" William told, gesturing to the building they were standing by. "Tadaa!".

The large building was entirely square, the flat, grey paint only interrupted by the occasional window.

"Oh... It's, it's very nice," Lana told, scruffing her nose slightly.

"Give it a chance, will you?" William asked with an eye roll, opening the door and holding it for them. As they finally reached the third floor, Lana sighed in relief.

"So, is there a realtor to let us in?" she asked, glancing at the door with the correct number.

"No, the realtor left a key for us," William explained, letting his hand run along the upper door frame until he found a key and held it up with a confident smile. Sticking it into the lock and unlocking, he allowed the three to walk directly into an open space.

"This is nice," Lana commented, considering the options the space held. If he wanted to, William could both fit a small dining table, two chairs for it and a couch in, even if it'd be a little crowded.

"If you mean a nice place to die of asbestos, then yeah, maybe," Will agreed, looking at the dark patches in every corner. The door to the bedroom was missing so you could see straight into the small room, but the door to the bathroom was present, and even clearly capable of closing.

"It's not that bad," Lana claimed, trying to sound sincere; "Steve, what do you think?"

"It's... It's nice," Steve agreed slowly, not sure what to say.

"Phf, you're just saying that because you're straight," William claimed, walking in and pushing the door to the bathroom open. The bathroom tiles were a yellowish colour and the shower head was on the opposite wall from the sink, but because the room was so small, there was no doubt it'd get wet every time someone showered.

"What?" Steve asked, furrowing his eyebrows confused.

"You're only agreeing with her because you think she's lush," William explained, looking in a kitchen cupboard, which was surprisingly big.

"What?" Steve repeated even more confusedly, glancing at Lana for help.

"He's trying to say you're agreeing with me because you think I'm attractive," she translated, rolling her eyes slightly at William and looking at the view of the street through one of the two windows in the room.

"Oh!" Steve exclaimed, finally understanding.

"Don't even try to deny it, I saw you check out her arse," William claimed; "It's like you Americans have no sense of being discreet."

"First of all, Will, let the poor guy be!" Lana scolded; "He is not checking out my ass, alright? Secondly, I'm American, remember?"

"Technically, but you're an honorary Brit," William insisted, making it sound like the highest of praises.

"So, where are we on the apartment thing?" Steve asked before Lana could say anything else.

"We have three more to see. I don't think I can say for sure before we've seen them," William said with a grimace.

"Well, what are we waiting for?" Lana said, trying to sound positive. They left the apartment and returned to the street. According to William and google, the second apartment was just a few blocks away, so even with Lana's slowed walking, it didn't take long to get to the correct street. William walked a bit ahead, trying to spot the exact building.

"Listen, I'm sorry, he didn't mean anything by what he said. He's a bit freaked out about the attack, even if he doesn't show it, and he's moving here, and there's just a lot going on," Lana explained to Steve, who made sure to be next to her at all times. He was wearing a cap and sunglasses, successfully avoiding attention.

"It's okay, really," he assured, glancing around them.

"Besides, I know it's not like you were looking at my ass," Lana added with a small laugh, Steve immediately breaking into a small cough.

"...Right?" she added slowly. Steve pretended to not hear her as he continued walking.

"Are you serious?" Lana hissed at him, checking if Will was still too far away from them to hear.

"I'm sorry, okay! It was just a glance!" he promised quickly.

"You are supposed to be watching out!" Lana reminded him frustratedly.

"I am!" Steve assured her.

"What for?! Cute girls?"

"Lana, I'm sorry," Steve told.

"No, I'm sorry," Lana replied, sighing deeply. "It's alright. I know you'll protect us."

"Of course," Steve agreed, still walking slowly to match her pace.

"Besides, it's not like I've never checked out your butt," she pointed out.

"What?!" Steve breathed out shocked.

"What?!" Lana asked, looking around them to see the danger.

"You've checked out my... Butt?". Steve quieted his words so the last only came out as a whisper.

"Steve, we slept together. Obviously, I find you attractive," Lana reminded him casually.

"You slept with Captain America?!" William asked loudly, the two having gotten close enough for him to hear the words.

"Will, will you quiet down?!" Lana hissed, shushing him.

"It was one time!" Steve told quickly.

"I had just gotten in from England, I was upset, he was upset," Lana excused it.

"Lana! You slept with the enemy!" William claimed offendedly.

"How is he our enemy?" Lana asked, glancing at Steve, who didn't look offended, but rather confused.

"He's friends with your father!" William said dramatically, pointing accusingly at Steve.

"Tony hates Steve!" Lana claimed desperately.

"Tony hates me?" Steve asked, looking at Lana, who ignored him entirely.

"And Steve hates Tony!" she continued unaffected.

"I don't hate him," Steve claimed.

"Steve? Shut up," Lana advised, looking at Will, who looked deep in thought.

"Okay," he finally decided; "Who knows?"

"No one," Lana replied.

"And we would appreciate it if you wouldn't tell anyone," Steve added nicely.

"Hey! You should be proud to have slept with her!" William defended her quickly; "She's my best friend and one hot piece of ass!"

"The next person to talk about my ass is getting smacked," Lana informed in a threateningly cold voice.

"Fine," Will agreed with a small whine; "We're here anyway."

Lana sent Steve a small smile before following William, struggling with the many steps. William allowed her to pass him and take the lead, not wanting to accidentally leave her behind. He glanced at Steve before slowing further down.

"Hey, Steve?" he asked, matching the speed of the super-soldier previously behind him; "I know you're Captain America and everything, but don't hurt her, alright?"

"Wouldn't dream of it," Steve promised, smiling at the soft boy beside him.

"I'm serious! She's been hurt, and she didn't deserve it, and I'm not letting it happen again. Not on my watch, alright?" he explained quietly.

"I respect that," Steve admitted, impressed. The guy next to him didn't seem particularly strong or capable of fighting, and yet he was willing to do just that to protect his friend.

"What do you mean she's been hurt?" he asked.

"She dated a guy named Lucas. He, however, dated lots of people," William explained with an unimpressed scoff.

"He cheated on her?" Steve checked, William nodding.

"A lot. Looking back, I think he might've been using her because he thought she had access to her dad's money. I think he stayed with her because he figured she'd eventually get them," William told, looking at Steve to see his reaction.

"That's horrible," Steve muttered, glancing ahead to see Lana struggling with the many steps.

"I know. And I'm not letting anything like that happen ever again," William reminded him.

"Good," Steve agreed; "Just so you know, though, we're not together." William smiled.

"Lana doesn't just sleep with anyone," he informed.

"I know, she told me. But it really was a... What do you call it, again? A one night stand!" Steve remembered.

"Lana doesn't do one night stands," William told.

"Neither do I," Steve muttered with a small sigh.

"And yet, here we are," William pointed out, smiling emotionlessly. Steve nodded, turning right when the stairs did.

"So... How long have you liked her?" he asked, glancing at William, who looked at him surprised

"What?"

"How long have you been in love with Lana?" Steve continued matter-of-factly, William just shaking his head.

"I'm not in love with her," he said dryly.

"You're moving to the USA for her," Steve pointed out.

"I'm moving here for a job. She's just a perk, alright?" William assured, sounding slightly annoyed.

"Alright," Steve muttered, walking in silence.

"You're not the only one," he said after a while.

"What?"

"The only one in love with Lana," Steve elaborated,

"What? I thought you said y-"

"Not me," Steve interrupted; "And I don't know if she knows, I don't even know if he knows, but..."

"Thank god, we're here!" Lana exclaimed dramatically from ahead of them; "Is a lift too much to ask for?!"

"Considering my budget, yeah, actually," William said as he reached her, shrugging. Lana narrowed her eyes at him and laughed mockingly.

"Where'd they hide the key here? Let me guess, under the doormat?" she suggested, William just replying with a teasing smile.

"Nope. This play is proper fancy," he assured before knocking on the door. It opened within seconds, revealing a woman seemingly in her thirties, wearing a professional pantsuit.

"You must be William! I'm Amanda, the owner of this apartment, as well as a few of the others in the building," she introduced, shaking his hand before shaking Lana and Steves.

"Well, let me show you around!" she insisted as she waved them into the kitchen. It was slightly bigger than the last apartment but significantly nicer. She showed William to a door.

"Here we have the bedroom, with its own walk-in closet," she explained, continuing to list all the perks of the apartment as she showed him in. Lana looked around the big open space, realising that there'd be room for both a table for dining and a small sofa set.

"Lana," Steve said quietly, stopping her before she could follow William. He took a deep breath before continuing, worrying Lana slightly.

"Just so you know," he began, swallowing the lump in his throat; "I don't regret it."

"Neither do I," Lana told, grabbing his hand and squeezing it assuringly; "I know we're friends, but... I was pretty determined to do what we did, and of all the people I could have run into, I'm pretty thankful it was you who I did run into."

"Me, too," Steve admitted, smiling at her.

"I am sorry I was your first, though. It should have been someone special," she told, releasing his hand.

"It was," Steve just said.

"I mean someone important to you," she corrected, smiling at his kindness.

"It was," Steve repeated; "I'm not in love with you, but you're one of my best friends. I know it's not exactly conventional, but... I can sometimes struggle to adapt to the ways today, the world is a lot more loose than it was in my days, and..." Steve ran a hand through his hair and sighed.

"I guess what I'm trying to say is, friends who started out sharing a night might not be so bad," he explained.

"Definitely not," Lana agreed.

"Guys!" William exclaimed as he returned from the bedroom; "This place has windows that can open! It's so much better than the last place!"

"And it's rent-controlled, so the price is very good," the owner added from behind him.

"Lana! The price is very good!" William repeated excitedly.

"That's great, Will. Actually, though, we do have a few more apartments to check out today," she reminded him.

"I have to warn you, things move very fast around here," the owner informed, smiling politely.

"I'm sure they do," Lana agreed, equally polite; "When are you having interviews?"

"Pardon?"

"You're not interviewing potential residents?" Lana asked, trying to look surprised as she looked at William, who was trying not to smile in amusement.

"No, that's not so common here in America," the owner explained.

"I'm sure not, I just figured you'd want to be sure that it's the right person renting," Lana replied, waving her hand as if saying 'never mind'.

"What do you mean?" the owner asked, glancing at Will.

"Well, you mentioned yourself, it's a pretty cheap place to live, anyone can afford it. I just figured you'd want to be sure the renter would be someone responsible. Like William," Lana added, as if only just remembering him as an example; "The only reason someone like him is looking at a place like this is because he's just getting settled after a big move. He finished his studies not long ago. Massachusetts Institute of Technology, maybe you've heard of it?"

"Impressive, but having gone to MIT doesn't mean you won't bring in pets or make holes in the walls, which is really all I'm asking for," the owner explained, doing a fake laugh.

"Oh, I'm sure! And William would probably wear and tear on the walls, if I'm being honest with you," Lana admitted, grimacing; "He's building a home, you know? He's not looking for a place to store himself, but a place to live, he'd want to get settled, with everything that includes. Hanging pictures on the wall, shelves in the bathroom. I just figured, with someone like Will you're sure to get someone with a steady income, someone who's not looking for a drug den or a party house, but someone who's looking for a place to kick back after coming home from work at Stark Industries."

"I see," the owner said, a strained smile on her thin lips; "Well, as I said, highly competitive prices!"

"I'm sure. Where was the next one, Will? Is that the one a bit more upstate?" Lana questioned, looking at William.

"Uh, no," William stuttered, giving the address.

"Oh, you don't wanna live there!" the owner assured; "If you're looking for a nice place, this is where you want to be!"

"Yeah, it's a bit worn down there, but we were talking with the owner, he said something about allowing us to renovate," Lana told, running a hand over the kitchen counter.

"Renovate a rented apartment?" the owner questioned, glancing between William and Lana.

"Well, yeah," she said, acting confused about the question; "The owner would get a newly renovated apartment for free, William would have a nice place to live in for the rent of a lot less nice apartment."

"I thought you said he just finished college? And his credit score-" the realtor began.

"I said he'd finished college, I didn't say anything about debt," Lana reminded her; "His family chipped in a little, I'm sure they'll do so here, too. His credit score probably isn't worth much, with it being family money and him moving to another country."

"I see," the owner said.

"Well, we should get going," William stated; "Thank you for showing us around!"

"What just happened?" Steve asked when they got back in the hallway, looking confused between Lana and William.

"I'm confused, too, but this is what she does. Trust the process," William encouraged.

"Yeah, Steve, trust the process," Lana agreed laughing.

"But, I don't understand, if your family is paying for the apartment-"

"They're not," William interrupted as they descended the stairs.

"But Lana said-"

"I said they'd chipped in with his college tuition, and they did. All I said was what I think, and I think they'll help out here, too," she explained, struggling to get down the stairs.

"But you haven't said anything about renovating," Steve reminded William.

"Steve, he's gonna work at Stark Industries, he'll live alone, he'll have practically no outcome. I think it's safe to assume he'll have a bit to spare, and if nothing else, I'm sure he's like a coat of paint or something," Lana claimed, not as worried about her exact words as Steve seemingly was.

"I actually wasn't digging the bathroom all that much, I think some new tiles would do wonders," William piped up. Steve couldn't tell if he was being sincere or saying it to get him to trust that Lana knew what she was doing.

"See?" Lana agreed.

"But it's going to take time to save up!" Steve pointed out.

"I never said he was going to do it right away!" Lana exclaimed in a tone matching Steve's.

"I don't understand, why go through all that trouble to have her understand he'd make a good occupant?" Steve asked. William's phone made a sound and he took it out of the pocket it had been resting in.

"I do! She just messaged that she accidentally gave me the information on the wrong flat and that this is a cheaper one! She lowered the price by almost 200 dollars a month!" William told, grinning happily.

"There we go," Lana pointed out, smiling satisfied.

"That's impressive," Steve admitted as they reached the ground floor, walking out of the building with the two friends.

"I have to take it, right?" William questioned, looking at Lana.

"Do you want it?" she questioned.

"I think I do, actually. I'm kind of excited. And that silly walk-in closet, if you were to knock down that wall, I'd have a decent bedroom, too," he thought out loud.

"That's insane, but alright," Lana commented, humping down the street with her friends. Steve had returned to his hyper-aware state, constantly keeping an eye out for threats.

"Lana, I have three shirts, I don't need a walk-in," William pointed out to her.

"Well, that's insane, too," she argued.

"Should I tell her yes?" William asked excitedly, biting his lip.

"It's your choice, Will. Go with what feels right," she encouraged, smiling at him.

"I'm going to say yes," he decided, breaking into a smile.

"You don't wanna see the last ones?" Lana suggested.

"I don't think I have to," William admitted, grinning.

"Go with your gut, Will," Lana repeated.

"I'm gonna do it. I'm gonna say yes!" he exclaimed, jumping slightly while walking.

"That's so great! Congratulations!" Lana exclaimed, smiling excitedly, too.

"This is crazy! I'm moving to New York!" William pointed out, laughing out loud.

"We need to celebrate," Lana realised.

"Celebrate?" William asked.

"Yes. A celebratory cup of coffee or something, it's on me," she offered.

"You just saved me quite a bit a month, I think I can handle coffee," William pointed out laughing.

"There's a cafe right there," Steve pointed out, nodding to a cosy looking shop on the bottom floor of an apartment building.

"Perfect! Right by my flat!" William realised happily.

"I wouldn't be so sure with all those renovations you'll be doing," Lana teased as they passed the street to get to the cafe.

"Oh, right, I need to make sure I'm allowed to knock down that wall. And maybe do something about the bathroom at some point," he added thoughtfully.

"Just text her, she already texted you to negotiate," Lana pointed out, smiling at Steve who held the door for her.

"Right," William agreed, grimacing slightly; "Will you do it?"

Lana laughed at him but snatched his phone and began typing. They walked to the counter together, William ordering for Lana while she typed away. Steve carried two coffees while William took his own, and they made their way to a small corner table.

"So, William, what is the next step?" Steve asked kindly, figuring he'd have to take over the conversation for Lana, who seemed deep in thought, biting her thumb and running her eyes over the screen.

"I'll have to go back to England and pack up my stuff, send everything I need over here," William explained, mentally creating a checklist of all the things he'd need.

"She says it's good," Lana told; "Renovations 'within reason' are permitted, as long as you talk to her first. Do you want me to try to talk her out of that bit?"

"You think you can?" William asked unsurely.

"I can give it a shot," Lana just told, shrugging slightly. William took a deep breath before nodding.

"I'm actually going home tomorrow, and I won't start work until next week, so I'll have plenty of time to pack up," William told Steve.

"Especially considering the fact that you only have three shirts," Lana muttered, apparently not paying as much attention to the screen as she seemed to.

"I have trousers, too," William retorted, making Steve laugh silently.

"I said that we think that sounds good, as long as it can be done before you move in," Lana told.

"But I want to move in next week," William pointed out, glancing to Steve to see if he understood.

"Exactly," Lana agreed, typing with both thumbs; "Either she agrees and lets you do your thing, or the apartment has to be empty. No one is making any money off of that."

"She's insane," William told Steve impressed.

"She has her quicks," Steve agreed, smirking slightly.

"I know, isn't it great," Lana added, waiting for the phone to alert her of a new message. Instead, another phone sounded.

"Steve?" Lana said, nudging him slightly. He looked at her confused.

"Your phone," she reminded him. He made a surprised sound before getting it out of his pocket, furrowing his eyebrows as he read the text.

"We have to get back. Impromptu strategy meeting," he told Lana, sending her an apologetic glance.

"Alright. Will, I'll miss you while you're gone, but message me the second you land," Lana ordered as she and Steve stood up.

"Will do. And Steve, great meeting you," he added, smiling. Lana kissed his cheek bye and left with Steve.