It was dusk. The swirling purples and grays of the sky made you pause and gaze in wonder before continuing on your way to your car. You passed a few small shops, and the sidewalk grew a bit more crowded as people scurried along to buy presents for the holidays. You made sure not to bump into anyone, and before you knew it you were out of the crowd and onto a quiet length of sidewalk next to a park. As you trekked along, the cold winter air stung the little that was revealed of your face as the wind whipped your scarf around wildly, making you think briefly of Medusa's snakes, writhing and twisting around her head. You shook your head as if it would help clear your mind. Your job as an editor had you reading through the manuscript of some mediocre author who happened to be fascinated with Greek mythology, and you couldn't seem to stop thinking about the various gods and goddesses in this particular novel. You tried to think about something other than work, but mythology had always interested you, too. You kept walking until you found the parking garage where your car was kept. As you walked in, the flickering yellow glow inside somehow made you feel warmer, even though the temperature was no different than it was outside. Making your way over to your car, you thought about the vivid personalities of the gods of the stories. Lovely Aphrodite, cruel Hades, strong Hercules…
Hercules was right in front of you. You stopped cold, barely breathing. Bathed in the golden light was Hercules himself, exactly as the story had been describing him right where you left off. His hair was honey in the soft glow, and his sculpted muscles showed through the tightness of his shirt. Everything about him was shimmering, but not in the literal sense. He was wonderful. You stared at him blankly, taking in the sight of him. Hercules. He was just standing there, leaning casually against the wall near a long, black car and looking around, as if he was searching for something. His eyes met yours. They were a beautiful, innocent blue. You tried to move, but all you could do was stand there and gape. He cocked his head and continued to gaze at you curiously. Then, when it became clear you weren't moving, he spoke.
"You alright?" The voice of the man who was Hercules voice was deep and smooth. You shivered and broke the eye contact, looking down at the floor.
"Sorry, I just…" you stumbled over your words before coming up with an acceptable lie. "You looked really familiar." It wasn't exactly a lie; you had really thought he looked like a certain muscular Greek god. You glanced back up and saw his eyes narrow.
"Let me guess," he said sarcastically, his godlike mouth twisting into a sly smirk. "You thought I looked like Captain America."
You blinked and then looked at him again. Suddenly, your mind cleared and you almost gasped. You had been staring at the guy for a good two minutes and had not recognized him at all due to the stupid manuscript you had been analyzing all day. How could you not have recognized Captain America? His face had been all over the news after that attack a few months ago. His smirk disappeared as you stood there silently for another few moments.
"Are you sure you're-"
"You're Hercules," you blurted out, interrupting him. Immediately realizing how stupid you sounded, you groaned quietly. You're hopeless, you thought miserably. He's going to think you're some crazed, stalker-y fan of his. You clenched your eyes shut and waited for the sarcastic remark that was sure to come out of his lips, but no sound came. After a moment, you opened your eyes to see the man who was Hercules blushing bright red. His mouth opened and shut again. His eyes betrayed an almost comical amount of embarrassment, and you could practically feel the heat rolling off his body in waves. It was absolutely adorable. You delighted in it, and found the courage to speak again.
"I'm sorry, I've been reading a lot of mythology lately, and you almost perfectly fit the description of Hercules," you started to explain. "I'm so sorry. It's meant to be a compliment," you added, knowing full well he thought of it as such already.
"It's totally fine," he said quickly, the shade of his face lessening in intensity gradually. "I was just a little… taken aback, I guess?" He grinned and stepped closer to you. "Normally I get a lot of girls who try to pick me up using the whole "you look just like Captain America" thing. Yes, I'm aware I look like Captain America. I am, in fact, Captain America."
You laughed. "I thought nothing of the sort, don't worry," you reassured him. "I'm a bit… it's been a long day, you know?" You gave him a tired smile and unwrapped your scarf from around your face, letting your long (h/c) locks tumble down from inside the tangled mess of checkered cloth. You felt a little warmer than you did a couple minutes ago.
His blue eyes widened almost imperceptibly. "You look like a goddess as well, miss," he breathed.
You started. Your mind was devoid of all thought as your heart banged deafeningly inside your chest. It felt as though the entire world was at a stand-still as you watched each other, each waiting for the other to make a move. The warm glow from the lights reflected in the crystal blue of his eyes, and you waited for what seemed to be an eternity before responding.
"Thank you," you whispered. Even though you spoke softly, it felt as if that was the loudest thing in the universe. Something changed in his eyes. The innocent blue had turned a lusty, clouded color, and you felt as if your whole body was nothing but the sound of your beating heart. He glanced at your lips hungrily, and you opened your mouth to say something, but you never got the chance.
In one quick movement, the man who was Hercules had you pinned against the wall, his hands holding yours next to your body with incredible strength. He pressed his lips to yours feverishly, as though he were a man who had been given a glass of water after almost dying of thirst, and you responded eagerly. Your eyes closed in pleasure, moaning into his mouth with lust. His soft lips parted and you could feel his tongue in your mouth, somehow feeling both gentle and enthusiastic at the same time. The world was spinning. You struggled to escape from his grasp so you could touch him, but you suspected you'd have an easier time getting out if his arms were made of steel. His mouth left yours, leaving you panting for air as he kissed your jaw line and neck, trailing down to the collar of your coat. He then took the coat in his mouth, yanking it aside with his teeth to reveal more of your (s/c) skin, and sucked at your collarbone gently. You let out a small noise of contentment as he continued kissing and sucking your soft skin. You pushed your hips against his body, aching for some way to touch him. His mouth left your body completely and your eyes met again. He groaned and let go of your hands, breaking all physical contact. He didn't take his eyes off of you.
"I can't believe I just…" he whispered, horrified. "I have no idea what came over me."
You stood there numbly for a few seconds before responding. "I don't-"
The sound of a door opening cut you off, and both your heads whipped around to look at the person that emerged from the door a few feet from where he had been leaning against a wall. It was a man with dark hair and a goatee, crisply styled, carrying a few boxes. He was wearing large coat and a pair of sunglasses, but he was unmistakably Tony Stark. He looked at the two of you suspiciously, and then turned to the man who had just been kissing your neck.
"Who's the cutie?" he asked demandingly. "And why does it look like she's been kissin' somebody?" He raised his eyebrows. "I didn't know you had it in you, Stevie." He set down the boxes next to the black car in the lot and made his way over to you.
The man who was now Stevie was visibly shaken. "I… I don't even…" he stuttered.
"My name is (Y/N)," you squeaked. When Tony shot you a confused look, you tried again. "I'm (Y/N)." Your voice came out stronger this time. "He wasn't…" You trailed off. He was. But you hadn't minded a bit. Stevie came to your rescue.
"We just met. We were talking about the myth of Hercules." Stevie was obviously flustered, but he managed to speak in a steady voice. He glanced at you apologetically.
Tony pursed his lips thoughtfully. "Hmm," he pondered for a moment. "I don't believe you at all," he declared. "Come on, I got the feeling I just stumbled upon the sudden end of a brief but passionate make out scene. What the hell just happened?" He nudged the man next to him playfully and wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.
Stevie blushed faintly and shoved Tony back. "None of your business, Stark."
Tony crowed with delight. "So something DID happen?" He grinned hugely. "Steve's got a girlfrienddd," he sang obnoxiously. Steve rolled his eyes, and you felt like this was a regular occurrence during interactions between the two. He then winked at you, and then turned his attention back to Stark.
"You know Tony-" he started, but then he cut off abruptly, looking at something behind Tony's head. He waved. "Oh, Pepper!"
Tony whirled around to look behind him, and before you could figure out what was going on, Steve took you by the hand and pulled you along beside him. You two began to run out of the garage with Tony chasing behind you, yelling empty threats.
"I'll get you for this, Capsicle!" he bellowed as he tried to keep up.
You and Steve made it out of the parking garage and ducked around the corner and behind a nearby bush, still holding hands. You heard Tony run out a few moments later, and you tried to stifle your giggling as you heard him walk close by. Steve held his hand over his lips to signal you to be quiet, but you were so immensely amused by this turn of events that you couldn't stop laughing. Steve gave you a panicked look, and you clamped your hands over your mouth in an attempt to make yourself silent. Unfortunately, your high adrenaline levels were only fueling your uncontrollable mirth, and you could hear Tony's footsteps grow closer with each passing second. Steve gave you one last desperate look before pulling you close to him and kissing you again.
Your laughing ceased the moment his lips met yours, and you again were intoxicated by Steve's embrace. As he kissed you, you noticed that he smelled strongly of gunpowder and something else. Wildflowers? You couldn't tell for sure, but the strange blend of scents overwhelmed your senses and made you forget about everything in the world except for the man wrapped around you. Although the kiss before had been spontaneously passionate, there was something different this time about the way his lips moved against yours. The kiss was slower and drawn out, making each different movement of his lips send a new wave of pleasure through your body. His arms grasped your waist firmly, making sure that you were staying exactly where he wanted you. You tangled your hands into the previously neatly combed hair, mussing it up gently as you kissed him with increasing ardor. After a while, you pulled apart reluctantly and listened for any signs of Tony, but his footsteps were long gone. Embarrassed, you tucked your hair behind your ear with one hand, and attempted to smooth out your rumpled coat with the other. Dusk was long gone, and the moon shone brightly in the nearly cloudless sky.
"That was… unexpected," you said when you finally caught your breath.
Steve looked you over shyly. "That's not something that normally happens," he said honestly. "But I had to find some way to make you quiet, and well…" He licked his lips. "That was the most tempting option." His eyes stared into yours sincerely, and it made your heart melt.
"Trust me, I'm not angry in the slightest," you reassured him, smiling. Your heart was still beating at a mile a minute. "I find it a little hard to believe that you're not always such a daring and passionate lover, though," you added teasingly.
Steve turned pale and stuttered before finding the words to speak. "I promise, I've never done anything like that before. I'd like to get to know you."
"I'd like that too." You could barely contain your enthusiasm as you replied to him in the calmest voice you could muster.
"Oh!" Steve exclaimed, slapping his palm lightly on his head. "We actually never properly introduced ourselves. That's embarrassing." He laughed. "My name is Steve, but I think Tony made that clear earlier."
Your lips turned up in an amused grin. "Mine's (Y/N), and I think I already mentioned that as well. It's wonderful to meet you."
Steve took one of your hands in his and held it up to his lips. "The pleasure's all mine, fair (Y/N)." He kissed the back of your hand, making it tingle where his mouth had touched. He didn't let go of your hand. "We should actually go find Tony, he's my ride home." He pulled you along from around the bush and you began making your way back to the parking garage. Steve pulled out a phone and sent a quick text, presumably to Tony, before turning to you. "Um, so what's your number?"
"This is all a little backwards, isn't it?" you asked bemusedly. You relayed your number to him slowly as he entered it into this phone.
"Maybe a little bit," he replied, putting his phone back into the depths of his coat pocket. Your phone vibrated.
"That would be you." You pulled out your phone to look at the message and saw a little heart on the screen. The thought of Captain America using emojis was incredibly adorable, and you sent him back a smiley face. His hand squeezed yours tightly as he heard his phone blip, and he glanced at you adoringly.
You two finally made it back to the parking garage and found the black car still sitting there, and you noticed a man in the driver's seat. Steve turned to you, holding both of your hands in his.
"I know this is a little sudden, but I guess all of this was kinda sudden anyway," he started nervously. "Would you like to come over to my place? I'm sure Tony would be all too happy to give you a ride." He looked at you hopefully.
"How could I say no?" you murmured dreamily. "But my car is in this lot, and I'd rather not leave it here. Can I drive it to your place?"
"Sure. Do you need directions?" he asked. Despite his obvious capabilities to take control in certain situations, Steve appeared bashful in the flickering lights of the parking garage.
"Steve, everybody knows where the Avengers tower is. It's only the biggest, most Tony Stark-esque building in the entire city," you said, rolling your eyes playfully.
He chuckled. "I guess that's true. So… I'll see you there?"
"Why don't you drive with me?" you asked. "I'd love the company." You laced your fingers in his. "Please?"
"Absolutely," he replied instantly, his face lighting up. "Let me tell Tony. He just dragged me along to get some equipment for his latest crazy invention. He was taking too long, so I was waiting for him outside. You know those eccentric billionaires."
"Oh, totally," you responded sarcastically. "I know so many."
Steve grinned. "I'll be right back." He walked over to the driver's side window of the black car and rapped his hand on the window. While he spoke to Tony, you took out your phone again and saved his number into your contacts. You couldn't wipe the sappy look off your face as you entered it into your contacts and added the appropriate amount of hearts next to his name. You quickly wiped the dopey smile off your face as you heard him approach again, and you pulled out your keys. You turned to look at him, and saw Tony's black car pull out of the spot. You could have sworn you saw Tony wink into the rearview mirror at you as he drove away.
"Ready?" you asked Steve excitedly.
"Let's go, doll," he replied, sounding pleased.
You led him up a floor until you reached your little white beetle. You were starting to notice the cold again, so when you got in and started it, you turned the heat way up. Steve got in the passengers side, looking almost comical in the small car. You couldn't help but stare at the gorgeous man in the seat beside you as he fumbled to click in his seatbelt. When he finally managed to get it buckled, he looked up at you expectantly.
"You waiting for something?" he asked, cocking his head in the adorable fashion of a confused puppy.
"No, nothing," you mumbled, clicking in your own seatbelt. "I can't believe I have Hercules in my car."
Steve's face turned pink for the second time. "What are you doing to me," he muttered. "I can't think about anything but kissing you right now."
"At least wait until we get back to your place," you teased, turning around to back out of the parking space.
"I don't know if I'll be able to contain myself," you heard him whisper. You immediately put the car back into park and grabbed his face, pulling it to yours. This time it was brief but intense, and you could feel Steve's initial shock melt into the kiss. After a few seconds, you pulled away, and quickly shifted into reverse before pulling out of the space and out of the lot. You could hear Steve breathing heavily beside you, and you tried to keep your own breathing steady.
"Hopefully, that will tide you over," you murmured, turning onto the street that would take the least time to get to the Avenger's tower. You could feel Steve staring at you, but you managed to keep your eyes on the road until you reached your destination.
As soon as you pulled up to the tower, you and Steve got out of car and made haste to the front door. Steve entered some sort of complicated passcode, and the two of you entered what looked like an extremely technologically advanced elevator.
"Hey, JARVIS," Steve said nonchalantly. "My room, please."
You peered at him curiously. "Who are you-"
"Certainly, sir," a computerized voice replied. You almost jumped in fright. Steve grasped your hand.
"Ah, sorry," he said amusedly. "(Y/N), meet JARVIS."
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Miss (Y/N)." The computer spoke in a surprisingly kind voice. "Welcome to the Avenger's tower. I hope you find everything to your liking."
"Uhm," you mumbled. "It's nice to meet you, too, JARVIS." You laughed. "I'm sorry, I've never met anyone like you before."
"Quite alright, miss." If a computer could sound amused, this one did. "Master Tony has been expecting you two for quite some time."
Steve grunted. "Tell Master Tony that even Avengers need to obey the speed limit sometimes."
"I'll relay the message," JARVIS confirmed. "Also, Master Tony gave me instructions to give you this message." There was a soft beeping noise, and then a recording played in Tony's voice.
"I'm so proud my lil Stevie's finally brought a girl home." You could hear his grin even though you couldn't see his face. "Get some, Cap." The message ended.
Steve pressed his lips together in annoyance. "Thanks, JARVIS."
"No trouble at all, sir."
Steve gave you an embarrassed look. "Stark…" he muttered.
"I'm the first, huh?" you asked, casually inspecting the ceiling of the elevator as it sped towards your destination, wherever that was.
"I'm kinda new at this, to put it mildly." Steve was trying to hide his embarrassment. "I've never felt like this with anybody." He stroked your hand with his thumb. You were tempted to lean in again when you felt the elevator stop and the doors began to slide open.
"'Sup, lovebirds." Tony was leaning against the wall, staring into the elevator with a satisfied smirk. You yelped and dug your nails into Steve's hand, making him jump.
"Whoa, whoa there," Tony said hurriedly, holding up his hands in a defensive gesture. "I'm just here to use the elevator. Move along, you two." He ushered you both out of the elevator and pressed the close doors button, winking obscenely at you before he was concealed completely.
For a moment you just stood there, holding hands with the man who looked like Hercules. Then he led you down the hall until you reached a solid, normal looking door. However, when you approached it, a blue beam shot out and scanned over Steve's face, making a glowing grid pattern over his features briefly. When it was done, it beeped and the door clicked, allowing Steve to open the door. He held it open and stood to the side, gesturing for you to enter.
"After you, miss (Y/N)," he said playfully.
"Thank you, kind sir," you replied. You took a deep breath and walked through the door.