The first puzzle piece that you found wasn't hidden very well. It was hastily taped to your morning coffee mug. The drawing was of a hand holding a book. It was elegantly drawn despite its simplicity, and you knew who put it there.

Steve had been your best friend almost immediately after he was found in the ice. The first SHIELD agent to see him as he woke, you took a personal interest in helping him to acclimate to the modern world. In those first months, you were spending every day together. You taught him how to survive in this new version of New York, and he taught you to slow down for the simple pleasures around you. He was the perfect gentleman, and never once were you concerned of his intentions. In fact, you've recently begun to wonder if he would ever find that 'special someone' and settle down.

"Hey, Cap. Sleep well?"

All you could make out was a low mumble as he dropped himself into the chair next to you, head in his hands. "I don't think I slept all night."

Reaching over to him you ruffled his hair, but he quickly sat up straight into an uncomfortable posture. "I'm sorry, (Y/N), guess I'm just jumpy this morning." He grabbed his coffee and quickly exited.

Yeah, that wasn't weird at all.

The next few puzzle pieces were scattered around the tower for you to find. Each one became harder to find than the one before, but also with much greater detail in the drawings. As each piece was found, you built the puzzle on your bedroom door. So far you had much of the form, but never any hair or facial features. What was Steve doing? You hadn't seen much of him lately, and when you did he was quick to find a reason to leave.

Finally, you were down to the last piece of Steve's puzzle. It was the body of a woman, graceful and soft, but so far unrecognizable. The face was all that was missing. It suddenly occurred to you that it could be Peggy. Was he struggling with dreams again? Is that why he isn't sleeping? Frantically searching the tower, you began to lose hope that you would find the final piece to unlock Steve's message. Exasperated, you laid back on the couch in the common room, hoping to clear your head. Two hours later, you woke to a dark room.

Dammit.

The faint sounds of Steve working in the gym caught your attention. You were going to figure this out once and for all. Just go up to him and ask. He's your best friend; if something is bothering him then he should know he could ask you for help. When you entered, the gym was dark, with a small light in the back of the room. Feeling your way towards it, you recognized your puzzle on the far wall; it looked complete.

It was you. It was exquisite. And suddenly you couldn't breathe.

"Hey, (Y/N)."

You jumped, turning around to find Steve behind you. He was as gorgeous as you had ever seen him. Even in the dark room his blue eyes shined. He actually looked rested and happy, something you hadn't seen for days. He gently smiled at you as you regained your composure. "Steve, what's going on?"

With a deep sigh he began, "(Y/N), we've been friends, best friends, for a long time now. I see you every day and still I miss you the moment the day is over, and I can't sleep because I want to get to the next day with you. But each day gets harder and harder because I want nothing more than to tell you how much I love you. And I'm terrified that you don't feel the same way, but I'm even more scared to not try because I may be missing out on starting the best part of my life with you. I didn't know how to say it, so I tried to draw you so that you could see the way I see you, and hoped that you would just know."

You didn't realize that your mouth was open, a look of shock on your face. "Steve...I..."

"I know, I'm an idiot." His face dropped a bit, his arms lowered to his sides. "Anyway, here, these are for you." Tears filled your eyes as he handed you a bouquet of your favorite flowers, starting to slowly back away.

Rushing forward, you threw your arms around him, standing up on your toes to kiss him. His hands moved to your hips, pulling you closer until there was no space left between you. For just a brief second, you had worried that this first kiss would be awkward; the end to your friendship.

But it was perfect, and you wondered why you both had waited so long.