RHETT SLEPT SOUNDLY THAT NIGHT. After Christian had been picked up and taken away, he headed home with Nicky and Steve, the three of them all collapsing onto his too small bed and falling asleep. No words were shared, not then; it wasn't the right time. So many thoughts, so many questions, so few answers, all they needed to do was sleep.

Rhett woke up that morning to an empty bed and the faint smell of bacon. He smiled at the ceiling, shaking his head as he stood up, stretching. For the first time in nine years, he didn't look over his shoulder as he went; he felt safe.

"Morning," Steve greeted, waving his spatula from the kitchen, Nicky on the counter, pausing the story he had been telling. The younger man hopped down, walking past Rhett and squeezing his shoulder; he already knew the story, it was Steve's turn to hear.

"Are you okay?" Rhett asked, coming to sit on one of the barstools, "I'm sorry that happened."

Steve shook his head. "Nah, I've been through worse, trust me. Just glad you're okay. This guy's gone for good now, no need to worry."

Rhett smiled, nodding. "Yeah. Yeah, finally. God, he was my friend. We told each other everything, but over time he just...he got mean, you know? I know it sounds so childish, but he'd always say I wasn't good enough. When we did training, he'd always pin me down, get me on the ground, to remind me he was better. But now...now I won."

"Are you happy about that?" Steve asked, to which Rhett nodded eagerly. Steve laughed, shaking his head. "Man, that guy was...something. Is he...?"

"Into dudes?" Rhett finished, eyebrows raised, "Nope. He's just an asshole, you know how it is with these kinds of guys. It's less about who it is and more about power."

Steve nodded, running hand over his chin. "Ah. Well, you won't have to worry about him anymore and neither do I."

Rhett smiled sadly. "I'm really, really sorry, Steve, I didn't think he'd go after you, or even know who you were."

He smiled as well, almost ruefully. "It's my fault, all I do is hide my face behind Tony's glasses and a hat, and I don't wear either in my own apartment, it's no surprise he recognized me, what with his anger, he probably had me memorized. Don't blame yourself, it wasn't your fault."

"Maybe you should grow a beard," Rhett suggested, motioning towards his chin, "People look very different with beards."

Steve raised an eyebrow. "Would you be okay with that? I hear that beards are a make or break with some people."

Rhett laughed, propping his head onto his chin. "I think you could pull it off."

The supersoldier laughed, leaning over the counter to simply nudge Rhett's jaw with his nose, placing a chaste kiss to his skin. "I think I might, we'll have to see. But I'm glad I have your approval."

"Hey," Nicky said, walking out of his room with his bag, haphazardly dressed, "Listen, I have a patient I forgot I was gonna go see, I'll be home later. Have fun you two, stay safe."

It was a habitual ending, one that the two roommates had become accustomed to saying just before they went anywhere, whether it was the one leaving or the one staying. Having lived in fear, hiding, for so long, they had grown accustomed to the idea that maybe one day one of them wouldn't be home for dinner. Wouldn't be home at all. But now with Christian Hyde locked away, it was as if ending no longer had any meaning, as if it was as easy as a mother reminding her son to be careful before he went out to play. An instinctual worry as a product of love, but not of real fear.

"You too," Rhett called out, sharing a smile with Nicky because they both knew, they could both feel the change; it wasn't an immediate change, but the initial weight was lifted and things could finally get better.

When Nicky left, he turned back to Steve who had finished cooking, taking the plates over to the dining table and setting them down, looking towards the door as if hoping Nicky would come back and eat before he left, but it was already too late. Rhett took his usual place, but threw his legs over Steve's lap, raising his eyebrows challengingly when the man turned to look at him.

He grinned when he bit into a piece of bacon, tilting his head back with a groan. "I'm glad I kept you around."

Steve laughed softly, reaching out to squeeze the part where Rhett's neck met his shoulder, just resting his hand there. Rhett smiled and tilted his head, using the hand as some sort of pillow. They just smiled at each other, Rhett's legs thrown over Steve's lap, the other man using his other hand to grip one of his ankles.

"God, we probably look so disgusting right now," Rhett groaned, closing his eyes.

"Right out of a fanfiction, huh?" Steve joked, and Rhett was just about ready to stand up and kick the man out, but he wasn't ready to be devoid of the safe feeling around him.

"If we were a fanfiction, everyone would be appalled at how I managed to keep you around even after keeping something so big from you," he lamented, moving his chair so he was even closer to Steve, "And there may be some comments on our sex life, but overall, I hope we're cute."

Steve laughed. "You read way too much into it. But if this were a fanfiction, what would we do now?"

Rhett hummed. "I don't know, but I also don't care. Why would I read fanfiction when I'm practically living one right now. I mean...I'm dating Captain America. Though, I guess we haven't really been on a lot of dates. But you practically live here, I'm sure that counts for something."

Steve leaned over and planted a kiss on his neck, reaching out and pulling him close. "We can go on a date now if you want. Now that you don't have to hide."

"Where would we go?" Rhett asked, grabbing his plate and continuing to eat his breakfast; ever since Steve started staying for meals, he'd started eating less snack food and more "real food" as Nicky put it, which was a plus in his eyes.

Steve tapped his shoulder, tilting his head in thought. "Finish eating, I have an idea."

º º º

"Hey, you're back! It's been a while, I was afraid we scared you off."

Rhett smiled at the familiar barista, glancing up towards the menu despite already knowing what to order.

After he had finished eating, Steve had tugged him back into his room—or their room, though that would take some getting used to—and got dressed, not answering any of the questions the teacher threw at him as to where they were going on their date. It was oddly domestic, to ask where one was going on a date whilst getting ready with the person they were to be going with, but it wasn't bad.

He had laughed when he caught sight of their table, which was as empty as it always was.

"We had to go for a bit, but now we're back," he said, after ordering his usual and ordering one for Steve, moving aside to wait for it. The coffee shop wasn't as busy or crowded, only filled with a few couples or extremely tired souls. "I think you might have called it first. He's my boyfriend now."

It was nice to say. Boyfriend. He would never have been able to say that if he were with Marty. Hell, even if he were with Steve, just back then. He probably wouldn't even have been with them at all. But here he was, in his own present, with a boyfriend and peace. He could get used to it.

"Aw, yay!" she cheered, "Well, you already paid, but the next one's on the house, congratulations, you two are very lucky."

He smiled and took the two mugs from her, but not before handing her yet another fairly large tip, turning around and rushing to his table before she could call him back and refuse the money; a girl trying to get her way through school, he wanted to help out as much as possible.

He nearly dropped the mugs as soon as he stepped out.

There, strewn about the table that he had formed a friendship that spanned two lifetimes, were a countless papers, held down by napkin holders and rocks against the winter breeze. As some blew, he could see pen and graphite markings over all of them, though he couldn't make out what they were.

Steve smiled at him from where he was seated in his usual chair, before going back to sketching, his posture casual and relaxed, as if he was unaware of the mess of papers that covered their table. He reached out for the two mugs wordlessly, letting Rhett examine the pages.

Rhett smiled when he caught sight of some sketches of the various buildings around them on some pages, on others there were the trees nearby, or the gate separating them from the sidewalk. There were tables and chairs and sometimes even his bag or his book, but he knew exactly when each one was drawn.

Steve reached out and plucked one of the pages, showing a loose sketch of a coffee mug that had a heart stain towards the bottom made from coffee drops. "This was when I was just about to say something to you, I was gonna point out the heart, but before I could, you got a call and had to leave."

He reached out and showed one that depicted the napkin holder that always sat between them. "This was when you made that god-awful joke about swallowing and I had half a mind to leave forever."

Rhett snickered and pulled out one that had a drawing of a hat. "This was when we were talking about baseball and I nearly spilled everything and you knew it, but you didn't say anything."

"I figured you'd tell me when you were ready," Steve said, handing him his mug back, using his free hand to start rearranging the papers, easily placing them into chronological order, "Thanks for not finding this weird, Tony told me that it'd be a little too much."

"Yeah, it kinda is, but you're talking to the guy who's been in love with you since we were kids," Rhett sighed, sitting down and taking a sip from his coffee, "I never asked, but do you remember? I mean, you live right there. Just round the corner and you find the spot where I used to put down the two sodas and throw ball around with my friends, right there."

Steve nodded slowly. "The first thing I remembered was that it was right by the old tenement I used to live in with my mom, but that'd already been torn down. But after I saw you playing baseball with the kids that first time, I just remembered not being able to play with everyone else. It wasn't until you told me that I remembered everything."

Rhett smiled into his coffee mug. "Well, I'm glad I was able to bring that piece of the past back, though I'm not sure if I should have."

"It's okay," Steve whispered, "Like I said, I'm okay with where I am. I miss everything, sure, but...Bucky's still alive. You're here. Peggy lived a good life. I wouldn't want to go back, I couldn't do that to her. To him. Who knows what would have happened?"

Rhett shrugged. "I guess we'll just have to be okay with not knowing."

"Are you?" Steve asked, tilting his head, "Okay? With not knowing?"

The teacher thought for a moment. Really thought. He had gone through the same process as Steve; wishing that he could go back, change it all, then be content with what he had—not happy, but content—only to go back again and wish for it back, if only to just be rid of all of the pain, only to remind himself that there were other people other than himself that he would affect. It all led to how he was now.

"I'm okay," he finally said, "I'm okay. Some days I'm a little more than okay, others I'm really not, but I'm okay. You'll get there too, I promise."

Steve smiled, raising his mug. "I'll hold you to that."

The two drank their coffee in silence, Rhett just leaning his head back and appreciating the cold of the hair and hustle and bustle of the city, feeling utterly at peace. Steve sat leaned back in his seat, cap pulled over his head and glasses perched on his nose, sketching loosely in his book, smiling as he drew the man in front of him, the gathered pages tucked safely in his inside jacket pocket.

It was as similar and as different as their first time. Perfectly comfortable, not the same as it was when they were strangers, there was no longer the slight tension of being hyperaware of what they were doing. Now, everything was easy. It was the same, but different.

Rhett groaned softly as he shifted, yawning and stretching. "You wanna get out of here, I don't think they're gonna deal with us loitering for very long."

Steve smiled and nodded, pocketing his sketchbook and standing. "Where are we going?"

Rhett tilted his head. "I have an idea."

º º º

"The usual place was torn down a while ago, but I found the second best thing. Small family run joint, it's close enough."

Rhett sat down next to Steve on the sidewalk. It wasn't a busy street, it was still partly residential, so they could sit with only minimal damage done. Steve hadn't been sitting for long, but he had been there long enough to sketch out a scene, one that he could vividly see.

"Is that me?" Rhett asked, peering over to see a sketch of a boy running back towards a line of other boys, their faces blurred. The boy had his arms raised above his head and a bright expression on his face. It was the same street they were on, but there were apartments and wear and tear.

"This was the first day you talked to me," Steve said, handing him the book and letting him look, "The first time ever."

Rhett smiled, closing it. "That was a past life."

Steve nodded, taking the soda from the man's hands and opening it, taking a sip without asking. "But it was still ours. It wasn't great my any means, but it was a life worth living, wasn't it?"

Rhett nodded, taking a swig from the passed bottle, letting the second one sit between them. "Can't argue with that. It'll take a while for me to remember everything, but...yeah, it was alright. Past life, this life, next life. Most people only get one, but we got two. They're not the best, but we're blessed."

Steve laughed, nudging their shoulders as he took the bottle back. "So what now, Rhett Reiser?"

Rhett shrugged, just staring at the street. "I don't know, Steve Rogers."

On the street of Brooklyn sat two boys. On that same street sat two men. On that same street would sit many boys and many men. Many memories and words were passed between these boys and these men, and many were yet to be passed. In one life sat two boys with no care in the world, but a willingness to take it on. In another sat two men with many cares, but a willingness to endure them.

On the streets of Brooklyn sat two lovers who were willing to take on whatever the world threw at them, because even if things weren't great, they were okay. A past life, a present, and a future. No guarantee it'd be the best, no threat it'd be the worst. But it'd be okay.

Everything would be okay.

AUTHOR'S NOTE

( 01.19.18 )

Hi, I'm Tisha and I cried writing this ending.

Man, you guys. Man. We made it. We made it, I did it! I successfully finished a sequel/spin-off fic. It's kind of surreal, I don't feel like it's finished but...man. Hey, I'll see you guys in the afterword as I do have a few things to say to wrap this up, but for now.

Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed!