"Shit," she mutters under her breath, ducking her head down and tightening her hold on her satchel. She keeps in the center of the sidewalk: Not too close to the street filled with honking cars and not too close to the alleyways where she can easily be pulled into without anyone noticing despite the sunny day.
She had felt their eyes on her when she passed by one of the pretty frequented day bars. At first, she hadn't realized that they were following her and she thought that they were just heading the same way as her, but after five blocks of them following her, she knew differently.
They're far enough away that she can't feel their eyes on her and that no one will expect them to be following her, but she knew different. She knows that they're after her. She's dressed more suggestively than normal in a short tight skirt and a blouse that accentuates her rather average-sized bust. And with her dirty-blonde hair tied up in a messy bun and not covering her breast, they can easily see her cleavage.
She mentally curses her employer to hell. He had made her dress this way for the meeting with one of the more popular businessmen and she hadn't dared to deny him. He would have cut her pay and she doesn't make enough money as an assistant as it is.
Her heart speeds up as she crosses the street, hearing their laughter increase. She knows-she just knows-that they're talking about her. Probably making crude remarks and jests about her. She can just feel it, and it does not feel good. At all.
She curses under her breath as her heel gets caught in a crack in the sidewalk, forcing her ankle to twist painfully. She falls to her knees painfully and her satchel somehow makes its way out of her hands, causing a few papers to slip out. She mutters under her breath and rushes to grab the papers before they're stepped on. Her boss will have her hide should anything happen to them.
People pass by her without a second thought, some even scowling at her for getting in the way. She pulls off her heels, knowing that she'll only hurt her ankle worse should she try to stand up in them.
She grabs the small little fence boxing in a tree and pulls herself up, wincing and stumbling to the side as she puts pressure on her ankle. She can hear the men getting closer and that causes a panic to rise in her. She stands up, pushing away the pain in her ankle for now, and walks away as fast as possible.
As she turns a corner, she bumps into something hard. "I'm sor-Hey, is everything alright?" a deep, masculine voice asks. Her eyes widen in panic as she looks at the man who grabbed her upper arms to stabilize her before she looks over her shoulder at the group of men getting closer to her.
"Uhm-ah-y-yes-I'm fine," she squeaks out, pulling away from the man without properly looking at him and she stumbles away from him, whimpering as her ankle shoots in pain. She stumbles and nearly falls again before the man's arms are around her. Her face flushes as her hands press against the man's pecks and his hands rest on her hips. "Sorry!"
He pulls away but doesn't remove his hands from her and to be honest, she's kind of glad as she's sure she would have fallen again. She looks up at his face and her eyes widen as she recognizes him. I mean, who wouldn't? she thinks to herself. He's freaking Captain America.
"Are you alright, ma'am?" he asks her, completely disregarding the fact that she knows who he is. "Are you in trouble?" She looks into his eyes to see that he's not looking at her, but over her shoulder. Right at the men who have been following her.
It's only now that she realizes that she's shaking like a leaf and that her knees are bleeding. Also, not to mention the fact that her ankle is currently throbbing in pain and she hopes to God that it's not sprained. She can't afford to have a sprain right now.
His baby blue eyes meet her wide light brown ones and she's sure that he can see the panic and pain in them. "Why don't we get you somewhere safe?" he questions, tilting his head to the side as he glances at the group of men again. They have stopped walking and are currently hiding in one of the bus stops.
She glances back at them, taking a step closer to the Captain as she sees their eyes on her. "Yes, please," she whispers. She doesn't care where he's taking her, she just doesn't want to be left alone with those men hanging around.
"How about something to eat?" he says, wrapping an arm around her as she stumbles again. "I was just about to head to a local diner. It's not too far from here." She nods her head and lets him guide her across the street, not really listening to what he's saying.
It doesn't take them long to reach a small diner hidden on the corner of a block. The outside looks brand new and very modern, but she's surprised to see that the interior of the diner is very vintage. Very nineteen-forties. I suppose I know why he likes this place, she thinks to herself, thinking that the man fits in very well here.
Along one side of the diner in front of the entrance is a long counter with red and white bar stools. Along the side where the doors and windows are located are booths, also red and white. At the very end of the diner to the right is an old-looking jukebox and she knows it's still working as music is flowing throughout the room. It's more modern, but it still sounds old. Surprisingly, she likes it.
There's a dark-skinned man behind the counter with white hair and he smiles up at the Captain as the bell above the door rings. His smile falters as he sees her tucked under his arm, knees bloodied and ankle swollen. "Savin' lives again, Cap?" the man says, grabbing something from under the counter.
The captain walks her over to one of the bar stools closest to the end of the bar and the old man drops an old-looking box on the counter. She doesn't have to wonder what it is as the red peeling paint and the white cross explains what it is.
Her face flushes as the man looks at her with a raised eyebrow. "So..." the old man says, looking over at the Captain. "What happened this time?" Her face flushes even more as the Captain picks up her ankle with tender fingers.
"Tell me if this hurts," the Captain says, ignoring the man for the moment. He doesn't move his eyes from hers until she nods her head in understanding, tightening her hold on her satchel.
"I twisted my ankle," she supplies, seeing as the Captain completely focused on seeing whether or not she's sprained her ankle. She lifts up her black nine-inch heels as the older man raises a white eyebrow at her. She winces and mutters under her breath as the Captain presses against a sore spot. "Ow."
"Sorry," the Captain says, grinning sheepishly up at her in apology. He grabs a gauze roll and gently wraps it around her ankle. He's tender with her and she watches as he wraps the bandage around her ankle and makes sure it's tight so her ankle won't move. He grabs a pack of frozen peas from the old man and presses it against her ankle.
She grimaces as he grabs a baby wipe and begins cleaning the few spots of blood from her skinned knees. "My boss is gonna kill me," she mutters, frowning at the marks on her knees. The Captain grabs two large bandages but she shakes her head before he can open them. "It's fine. The bleeding'll stop soon."
"So..." the Captain starts, straightening up as the bleeding stops. He puts some Neosporin on the cuts but doesn't put the bandages on. "Why is your boss going to kill you?" She smiles softly as she knows that he's just trying to make conversation.
"He likes his assistants to keep pretty for when he's meeting with businessmen, but with my skinned knees, he's most likely gonna call me off until they're healed," she says, not really caring that she's sharing how much of an ass her boss is. To be honest, it feels nice. "Without pay, might I had." She frowns at the thought. I'm not going to have much left after paying the bills.
"That sounds... really mean," the Captain says, placing all of the first-aid products back into the box. He smiles at the old man as he retrieves the box. "Thanks, Mack." The old man waves his hand around.
"You eat here every day," he says. "The least I could do is provide first-aid to those you save. And don't you dare try to pay me back for that." The Captain smiles at the man sheepishly, ducking his head. "Now you two go get a booth. Chris'll be right over to get your orders." The man walks away as a new customer takes place on one of the stools.
He slips off of the stool and holds his hand out for her to hold. "Thanks, Captain," she says, smiling up at him. She grips onto him harder as he leads the way to the booth right behind them.
He shakes his head. "You don't have to thank me, ma'am," he says, waiting for her to take a seat before he sits across from her. "And please, call me Steve." She grins up at him cheekily.
"Then you have to stop calling me 'ma'am'," she retorts, picking up one of the vintage-looking menus. "I'm only twenty-four, for God's sake." She scans the menu, a smile lifting on her face as her eyes light up. They've got milkshakes. She doesn't remember the last time she's had one.
"Then what should I call you?" Steve asks her, raising a teasing eyebrow. The cheesy grin on his lips makes her blush.
She clears her throat and smiles nervously at him. "Alice," she says. "You can call me Alice." She looks up as she hears someone walking towards them. It's a boy no older than fifteen and he, like Mack, also has dark colored skin.
His hair is shaved and he has glasses. Only the top part is framed and she thinks it looks nice with the red and white of his uniform. He's got black slacks, partially covered by a white apron, a white button-down, and a red bow-tie and red suspenders. She thinks he looks absolutely adorable.
"Hello," he says, somewhat startling her with how deep his voice is. He looks over to Steve with a grin lighting up his face. "You want your regular, Cap?" The Captain nods and the boy's smile seems to grow. "What would you like to order today?"
She hums as the boy writes the Captain's order down and she's curious as to what Captain America's regular is. "Can I have a vanilla milkshake and... some chicken tenders with a side of fries and barbecue sauce, please?"
"What? No ketchup?" the Captain teases. He chuckles at her disgusted face and smiles up at the boy. "Thanks, Chris." The boy smiles back and tears off the piece of paper with their order on it, tucking the notebook and pen into his apron pocket.
"Anything for Captain America," he says, his eyes lighting up. "Your order should be done within the next fifteen or so minutes, but I'll get your milkshakes out right away." At that, the boy walks away and into the kitchen.
She blinks and looks back at Steve. "What kind of milkshake are you getting?" she asks, realizing that the boy said that the Captain's getting a milkshake. "Strawberry?" She giggles at his disgusted face and she forgets for a moment that he's Captain America and that he just saved her.
He shakes his head, a small smile on his lips. "Chocolate is the best," he says, his eyes lighting up. They stare at each other for a few moments and his eyebrows crease in concern. "Are you okay?"
She sucks in a deep breath and looks down at her hands. She hadn't noticed earlier, but she scraped those, too. Luckily they hadn't bled, though. She purses her lips and thinks over today's events.
She had started her day waking up at five in the morning after falling asleep late, to take over two hours to make herself look as perfect as possible for her boss's meeting. Then, the businessman that he was meeting with was not only late, but had grabbed her ass. She wasn't even allowed to slap him in fear of getting fired. Her boss was the only one who hired her when she couldn't even get a job as a waitress and she's sure he'd make it so she couldn't find another job.
Then, after the three-hour long meeting with the businessman continuously ogling her breasts and ass, she had been forced into another meeting with two more businessmen who wasn't shy about looking at her, either. On top of that, she wasn't allowed to sit. At all. In nine-inch- heels. Her boss said that it was unprofessional for the assistant to sit at the table with the men.
Then, after work, she had been followed for five blocks by men who she just knew were making jests and jokes about doing things to her. Horrible things. And then, she sprained her ankle and sliced up her knees because of her stupid heels. She pinches her nose and sighs heavily, leaning her head back.
The only good thing about her day was meeting Captain America and him saving her from the men following her. And maybe coming here. To the diner. She's surprised that he showed a complete stranger where he eats and that he cleaned up her cuts and bandaged her ankle. Steve Rogers really is a good man, she thinks.
When she opens her eyes, he's looking at her with concerned blue eyes. Despite how crappy her day was today, she feels her lips curling in a smile. "I'm okay, now," she says, beaming up at him. "Thanks for helping me back there and taking me here."
He grins at her but she can still see the concern in his eyes. She supposes that he's always like this. Concerned for the welfare of others. She grins as two milkshakes are placed on the table and thanks the Chris before he runs back to the kitchen. She doesn't hesitate to take the straw between her lips, closing her eyes and practically moaning at the taste of the milkshake.
She hears Steve cough and she blushes at the redness in his cheeks. "That good, huh?" he asks, sipping at his own milkshake. He hums lowly in his throat as his eyes sparkle. She nods at him and they continue drinking their milkshakes. Soon their food is placed in front of them and they're eating in companionable silence.
She shifts around in her seat, hissing out as she hits her foot off the table. "You should probably get home," Steve says, setting down his napkin. "Get some ice on your ankle and some painkillers in you." She nods her head and feels almost sad. She likes the Captain and doesn't want to say goodbye yet, but she supposes all things good have to come to an end.
She sighs and nods her head. "Yeah. I've got work in the morning and I have some things to do when I get home," she says, wiping her mouth. She slides over to the edge of the booth seat before pushing herself up. She winces as she puts pressure on her ankle, but she's glad that she can still walk. She's already slipped her heels back on and she's not happy about walking all the way back to her apartment building.
"My bike's not too far if you want a ride," Steve offers as if he read her mind. "I'd feel better if I knew you got home safe, as well." Despite the pain she'd be in if she walked home alone, she almost denies his offer. But then she looks into his puppy-dog eyes and she knows that she can't refuse him.
"Fine," she says, huffing out a breath. He looks like he's going to celebrate before she continues her statement. "But, I'm paying for myself." His lips draw into a frown and he shakes his head.
"I can't let you do that, sweet'eart," he says. "I'm the one that took you here, so I should pay." She crosses her arms and stares into his eyes, defiance making her feel much stronger than she felt a few minutes ago.
"I pay the tip, then," she says, knowing that he'll insist on paying for her. He looks like he's going to protest, but with a sharp look from her, he backs down. She smiles to herself as the boy comes to collect their plates, dropping their bill of as well. She has a feeling that he was eavesdropping, and while that somewhat annoys her, she knows that the kid meant well.
She pulls her wallet from her bra, making Steve's eyes widen and a blush crawl up his neck, and she pulls out a twenty. She may be a bit tight on money at the moment, but she's not letting the Captain get away with paying for their whole bill. His lips draw into a line as she sets the piece of paper down, but he doesn't outright protest.
He sets a twenty and a ten down and stands up from the table. "I'll be back within five minutes," he says, slipping out of the diner. True to his word, he pulls up next to the diner five minutes later, turning off the bike and walking back into the diner. She raises an eyebrow because she's pretty sure what he just did is illegal, though she doesn't own a car, so she doesn't know.
He helps her up and lets her lean against him as her ankle threatens to twist again. He sits down on the bike before handing her his helmet. She tries to refuse, but with his stern look, she puts it on.
"Where to?" he asks her, turning back to her as she hesitantly wraps her arms around his hard and toned stomach. She mutters her address and they take off. It takes them barely five minutes to reach her apartment and she grumbles to herself, knowing that it would have taken her over twenty minutes to reach it on foot usually.
He cuts the engine and stands up, holding his hand out for her to grasp. She stumbles a little, squeaking as she falls into his chest. His chest rumbles in a chuckle and she ignores the warmth that spreads through her at it. He tugs his helmet off her gently and tucks it under his arm, holding his other one out for her to grasp. She raises an eyebrow and he shrugs.
"I want to walk you to your apartment." He thinks for a few moments and ducks his head down. "If you'll allow me, that is." She shakes her head and smiles up at him, gesturing towards the front door of her apartment building.
She heads straight for the elevator even though the old thing jerks around and makes her nervous. She does not feel like taking the stairs tonight. She presses the button for the fifth floor and presses herself to Steve's side as it jerks. She blushes as the doors open and leads the way to her apartment.
She turns around after unlocking it, biting her lip and looking up at the built man in front of her. She blushes even more to find his eyes already on her. "Thank you for helping me earlier and buying me dinner," she says shyly, staring down at her feet.
"No problem," he says, making her look back into his eyes. "It was nice to not have dinner alone for once." She smiles, and before she can think about what she's doing, she puts her hand around the back of his neck and pulls him down as she raises on the tip of her toes on her one foot.
She plants a small chaste kiss on his lips before leaning away. "Thank you, Steve," she says, and then she's in her apartment with the door closed. She touches her lips and leans against the door, her eyes wide.
Did I seriously just kiss Captain America...? And then closed the door on him?
