▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂

charlie donoghue's residence, 1950

It's been 5 years since Steve flew into the ocean, and Charlie is at an impasse. A part of him knows that Steve is gone, and he believes he's gone but Charlie still has this tiny sliver of hope that Steve will be found and they can live happily ever after. But Charlie knows happy ever afters don't exist so he's been doing what he can to work through his heartbreak.

It helped that Howard, Peggy, and Colonel Phillps had asked him if Charlie would like to be a founder of S.H.I.E.L.D. which stood for Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement, and Logistics Division. S.H.I.E.L.D is an extra-governmental counter-terrorism and intelligence agency tasked with maintaining both national and global security which is why Charlie was confused when he was asked but Peggy had begged him and later on, she mentioned that she was close to pulling the Steve would want this for you card but that didn't happen.

Because of Charlie's lack of combat training, and his leg, he opted out of being an Agent out on the field like Peggy once was. Instead, he was content with sitting on the sidelines and making sure all the finances were intact while Howard was busy creating new technology for S.H.I.E.L.D. and the government. Another development that happened in Charlie's life was that he used some of his salary to buy himself his townhouse, he lived in a federal-style townhouse in Greenwich Village and he loved it. It worked for Charlie because it wasn't far from their New York Headquarters which Charlie primarily works from rather than Director Peggy Carter who works out of their Washington D.C. headquarters.

This morning Charlie knew it wasn't going to be a good day, his leg was hurting. Even though Howard did what he could by making Charlie a new prosthetic which is being constantly updated and changed. Charlie still would be in pain a few days out of the week, and today was a bad one. Instead of laying around like Charlie would love to do, he had to go to the office. He closed his briefcase before grabbing the handle and letting it fall off the bed, he glanced at the clock on the wall and was glad to see he had 20 minutes before his secretary whom Peggy made him hire would come over and make sure Charlie was still breathing.

He rubbed a hand over his face as he limped towards the door, he grasped the doorknob and turned pulling it open. Charlie let out a gasp and dropped the briefcase, It made a clang as it hit the floor but it didn't deter Charlie from who was standing in front of him. "You're dead." Charlie points a finger at the man, Charlie notices that he isn't wearing the clothes that Charlie remembered him in that day. "I'm not. Can I come in?" The man asked Charlie, Charlie took a shuddering breath before nodding and stepping out of the way letting the man enter his house.

At the back of Charlie's mind, he knew he had to call his secretary but he couldn't take his eyes off the man in front of him, even as he closed the door and watched the man take in Charlie's place of residence. "You have a nice place Charlie, I'm proud of you for finally having your own space." Charlie watched as the man gulped as he thumbed a part of the suit that he was wearing, at least it looked like another version of his suit to Charlie.

"Steve, I saw you go into the ice. How are you here? And what are you wearing?" Charlie crosses his arms as he waits for Steve's explanation. "It's kinda weird." Steve winced slightly as he rubbed the back of his head. "Tell me the truth, please." Charlie stepped closer to Steve and grabbed his hands. Charlie noticed that they were rougher than before and once Charlie got a closer look at Steve's face, he noticed that Steve had aged a little bit since Charlie last saw him. "Let's just say I'm from the future. It's a very long story that involves a bunch of time travel but I knew that if I had the chance I would come here to be with you. How it always should've been." Steve pressed his lips together as he squeezed Charlie's hands which were wrapped around Steve's clasped hands.

Charlie licked his lips as he stepped away from Steve causing their hands to break apart. "I'm going to tell you the truth, as much as I would love for you to be here. You can't be, I haven't learned a lot about Howard's stupid time travel theory... well I guess it's not stupid anymore. But what I do know is that you being here is changing things that happened in your time, in the future." Charlie watches as Steve lets out a groan before he walks over to Charlie's couch and takes a seat. He looked down at the pager that was strapped to his belt before sending a short message saying that he would be late, Charlie will always be grateful for Howard's technology.

Charlie walked towards where Steve was and took a seat next to him. "I don't care about what's happening in the future. I love you and I failed you by dying, I'm back to rectify that." Steve wasn't facing Charlie, Charlie shook his head at Steve's stubbornness before he gently moved Steve's chin to look at the man. "You can't stay here, do you have someone waiting for you?" Charlie asks gently, Steve's eyes flicker down before he shakes his head in decline. "You're lying, it's okay Steven. I'm happy here and I know that in the future I'll be happy. I have a good job, I have friends now. My parents are supportive, my sister has a girlfriend. As much as I want you here Steve, you're changing everything. You don't belong here, you belong in you're own time not in 1950." Charlie reached up and thumbed Steve's cheek, the blonde man closed his eyes and leaned into Charlie's hand.

"I don't want to go, I've already left you once before. I promised you things and I broke every one of them." Steve had tears building in his eyes, Charlie just smiled softly before he stood up slowly and held out his hand. "Well, I know how you keep one promise. You promised to dance with me, didn't you? So let's have one last dance." Charlie lifts an eyebrow at Steve, he hesitates but eventually agrees. Steve steps in front of Charlie and places their hands together before Steve starts to sway them to an imaginary song.

Charlie didn't know how long the two men ended up dancing, and the two of them didn't look like they were going to separate until a knock sounded on Charlie's door. They broke apart and Steve walked towards the door moving the curtain slightly to peek to see who it was. "It's the milkman." Charlie snorts as he walks towards Steve, he glances towards the clock and his face suddenly gets serious. "You've been gone long enough, Steve. You have people to get back to, and they're probably worried sick about you." Steve had closed his eyes when felt his lips pressed against his cheek. "It's going to be hard, but I can do this. Don't worry about me." Charlie nods confidently at Steve who still looks sad at the fact that he's leaving.

"I know you're right, that just doesn't mean it doesn't hurt. Do you mind not telling anyone I was here? I don't want to mess up history even more than I already have." Steve asked as he tapped his gloved hand, Charlie watched in amazement as red and white armor covered Steve's body in what seemed like a blink of an eye. "Of course, you're secret is safe with me." Charlie looks back at Steve once he is finished admiring the armor, the two of them lock eyes and Charlie gives a slight nod.

Steve  pursues his lips together as he looks at his hand before locking eyes with Charlie again. "I'll see you in the future." Steve presses his hand and in the blink of an eye disappears and just like that Charlie is alone again. He lets out a shuddering breath as he glances to where Steve was standing before like Steve's going to come back, but Charlie knows he's not. He takes a few calming breaths before grabbing his pager and tells his secretary he's on his way, as much as Charlie would love to think about Steve and what just happened for the rest of the day.

Charlie has to work, to make sure Steve still has a future to go back to.