Steve's hands shook as he stared at the letter in front of him, unable to read another word of the offensive material. He knew –he'd known for a few months now that it was a possibility, that the Alpha Council could, in theory, force him to do this but he hadn't honestly thought they would actually do it. In living memory, they'd never before sent out such an order but they were taking exception to him. Because he was the sole successor of Project Rebirth. As such he was an even more valued member of society and he had certain expectations he had to fulfil. And if he didn't… Steve crumpled the letter up and threw it as far as he could. The paper ball bounced against the corner of the room and rolled out of sight. They had placed him on leave of duty. This was so far above Fury's head that it was laughable –there was nothing anyone could do to get him out of this situation.
Everything had been arranged already. Due to his failure to start a family of his own, the Alpha Council had stepped in and was arranging it for him. The Alpha Council was figurehead governance; they were there to ensure that the population saw steady increases and to monitor the Alpha/Beta/Omega ratios. It had been over one hundred years since they last arranged a marriage for anyone. Their letter claimed that they had made an exception for Steve specifically because of his Project Rebirth involvement and because they needed to ensure he remained virile long enough to start a family. After he was married, he would have five years to produce an heir or he would be expected to start looking for a new spouse. He supposed they had meant for him to feel grateful that they hadn't chosen his partner for him and had instead left him several options. Names and facts listed about each possible candidate –all five of them. But after signing his life up to the military for nearly a decade because of Project Rebirth, he felt nothing but resentment. He was not going to do this willingly, not if he could fight it.
But every lawyer he contacted said the same thing. An Alpha Council order could not be fought against in court. Nelson was the only lawyer who would explain why without trying to con Steve into coming down to his office and being charged for his time there. He just needed answers.
"There's this loophole, made way back when the president and the Supreme Court were worried there would be no humanity left at all. They let the Alpha Council take blood samples and issue other tests, pairing the most virile couples together. That law was never repealed and the Alpha Council is always worried about populace numbers slipping, see, so they won't relinquish that control. And I don't think President Ellis wants to get into a power struggle –there are still factions out there convinced that the Alpha Council should be doing more in case another disease happens. If the president ignores those issues, they mostly just go away. I'm sorry, Mr. Rogers, really I am."
Steve sighed heavily. "I have to go through with this?"
"Even if we took it to court, it would take years to sort anything out. And there would be no guarantee that the law could be repealed in which case, during the time we were at court, you'd still be expected to marry, I'm afraid."
"This isn't right," Steve said, frustrated.
"You're right, it isn't. If my partner were here, he'd be all for taking this to court. But I don't think it will get you anywhere, just entangle you in court battles for years and attract a media frenzy. People are still scared of what happened."
"A media frenzy might result in the Alpha Council issuing more marriages," Steve said slowly.
"It could," Nelson hedged. "They're legally entitled to do so."
He thought about Natasha and Bruce, the only other surviving members of Project Rebirth. Neither of them were 'successful' like he was. He was the only Omega and he was the only one whose orientation was altered. Being an Omega wasn't something he was ashamed of or looking to change but it was one of the effects the scientists had been interested in. He'd never really felt like an Omega though and he couldn't say he regretted that change. It made life easier in a number of ways. But he would always remember what it was like being so small. He was the only one whose body changed significantly –at sixteen he put on an extra fifty pounds in muscle weight and actually started to look like a military-trained combatant. He also grew a foot. By the time the whole project was over, he was over six feet tall and around two hundred pounds of muscle. Blonsky's transformation didn't could because he became, well, an Abomination. And Schmidt's deserved even less consideration seeing as he died. Which as far as Steve was concerned, was the best outcome for everyone other than Schmidt and whatever family he might have. So even if he went through with the Alpha Council's demands, they wouldn't be able to turn on Natasha or Bruce. Especially considering they couldn't measure Bruce's bloodwork seeing as how it would be radioactive and all from what Steve could understand. Perhaps most importantly, neither of them were Alphas. Although the Hulk was, and in that case, Steve would very much enjoy watching the Alpha Council enforce their rules onto the Hulk.
"I understand. Thank you Mr. Nelson. You've been very helpful. If I have any difficulties or plan on taking them to court, it'll be your office I contact."
Nelson was clearly flustered by his words and it took him a few moments to respond. He wished Steve good luck and apologized again for not being able to do more before hanging up. He paced his living room absently. He hated feeling like he had no other option. The Alpha Council were forcing him into this. It wasn't like he could claim to have a significant other now as they had stated they'd already spoken with his close associates who had informed them of Steve's singlehood. If he refused to marry, they would put him in jail or worse. And it wasn't that he was upset at the prospect of marriage –he was upset that he had no power over it. He didn't know anyone on that list. But he supposed he should be grateful that they had given him mixed genders, although not orientations. The Alpha Council's orders were absolute. Only the president himself could override it and while Steve could have maybe called on a personal favor either for himself or through request of Tony, neither option would win him favor or free him from this situation. He was a gifted soldier and biologically enhanced. The president and half his senators, if not all of them, would want to see more super-soldiers created. Especially if the cost was so low as to force Steve into marriage. It was better than killing him and dissecting him, in their minds; Steve figured that was how they would end up justifying their decision.
While he didn't have to remain married to whoever it was of the few names they'd provided him with, Steve knew without a doubt that he would give everything he could to the marriage. An arranged marriage didn't ruin the sanctity of a marriage and he still got to meet with his potential spouses before anything went further. He had some choice in who he got to marry. And as such, it was going to be someone he thought he could build a future with. He didn't want to get married, he didn't want to have to listen to the Alpha Council orders, but he would. And he wouldn't take it out on his potential spouses either because they were innocent in this too. Arranged marriages weren't that uncommon, especially for rich Omegas and Alphas. Betas had a lot more freedom. It wasn't as though the Alpha Council hadn't warned him either; after his engagement with Tony Stark fell through, they'd told him he would have a year or two to find himself a partner before they did it themselves. He hadn't believed them then. Now he was out of time and out of options.
As much as he would love to take them to court, he didn't have the time for that. He was supposed to be out there fighting Hydra and saving the good guys. But the Alpha Council had given him a year's leave from his service. And that must have pissed Fury off. It also might have explained why Natasha had recently taken such a keen interest in his dating life as she tried to set him up with anyone she could find. It was too late to regret turning her offers down now. He set his jaw stubbornly before letting out a breath of frustration and wandering over to search for the crumpled ball of paper. Steve methodically unfolded it, sitting down on his couch uneasily as he reread it carefully.
Dear Captain Rogers,
Following your esteemed military career after the success of Project Rebirth, it has been our pleasure to witness your fine exemplary actions first hand saving New York. However, as a prime Alpha candidate and the only successor of Project Rebirth we came to a consensus regarding our duties. Though it has been many years since we enacted this, we fear that if we wait any longer the chances of a viable pregnancy will decrease for you and your partner. As such, you are hereby on an indeterminate leave for the duration of these processions. With your current age you are still at peak virility and we wish to see your legacy carry on through biological heirs. We spoke with several confidants of yours and we feel reassured knowing that you are not currently in a relationship. Therefore we have taken the opportunity to contact several Omegas who are compatible and equally virile in order to secure heirs. From the time of your marriage, you will have five years to produce an heir. At the time that an heir has been conceived, you are free to divorce or annul the partnership with no repercussions to you or your spouse. It is our belief that this be done in your best interests and in the interest of the United States of America. We hope you understand the decision was not an easy one for us to reach, but we have agreed that it is the best way forward.
Carter, Sharon. Age twenty-eight, Level Eight security clearance at S.H.I.E.L.D. Enjoys art and appreciates nature, she is a skilled marksman. You will meet with her on the seventeenth of March at the Smithsonian 12pm.
Hodge, Gilmore. Age thirty, mechanical engineer at Hammer Industries. Has a black belt in judo and is an accomplished martial artist known for volunteering at animal shelters. You will meet with him on the twenty-fourth of March at the Aka Dojo at 11am.
Hart, Zoey. Age thirty-three, human rights lawyer at Rose & Lark. She is a collector of art, an avid reader and talented musician. You will meet with her on the first of April at the National Gallery of Art, 2pm.
Barnes, James. Age thirty-two, decorated army veteran. He is an eager fan of all things science fiction, fluent in Russian and French, and a connoisseur of all things delicious. You will meet with him on the seventh of April at the Blue Duck Tavern, 7pm.
Neumann, Bonnie. Age twenty-nine, photographer for National Geographic. She is a strong activist for her community and others and routinely helps clean up the environment, she is a fan of the orchestra. You will meet with her on the tenth of April at the National Symphony Orchestra, 6pm.
If you fail to meet with any of the potentials listed above, or fail to choose one, you will be imprisoned. And if you continue to refuse, our persuasion methods may become less socially acceptable. This is an action within our rights to take and we truly hope you can understand our concerns. We look forward to seeing you on the seventeenth of April, 9am, with your chosen partner.
Sincerely, your Alpha representatives.
They had all signed their names in elaborate fashion at the bottom of the page, not that Steve cared. Not when he apparently had a date tomorrow afternoon. He wasn't even sure if the facts were facts that each person had listed for themselves or if the Alpha Council had chosen how to represent them too. Did they even know who they might be getting married to? He'd heard of Sharon Carter before but he'd never actually met her. Natasha or Clint might have but they were both out of the country right now on an undercover operation. Strike Team Iota –Steve's team –was supposed to be joining them tomorrow. But now he had a date to go on instead. It felt like he was betraying the others. At least Sharon would be able to understand that, he hoped.
He had less than a month to meet each potential spouse and to choose them. And no picture to help him recognize who he was meeting so hopefully the others had received a photo of Steve which they could use to identify him. Seeing as all he had was their name. Steve sighed. And no friends in town who he could call on for help either. He read the letter over a few more times, wondering what he was supposed to do with such little information on each potential partner. He hated that he had to do this. Whether he wanted to have kids or not should be a decision left to him and his partner and whether or not he did have kids was definitely a choice between him and his partner. He'd given so much to his country, so much to the military already. But this was it. This was his line in the sand. He would do exactly what they wanted him to do but if anyone asked him to do something as ridiculous as this; he was not going to do it. He wasn't going to fight this in court simply because he didn't want the Alpha Council to start dictating to anyone else about who they could or could not marry. If he went along with it, it'd stay out of the media and other than his friends no one would be any wiser.
Tomorrow he had a date at the Smithsonian. It was going to go horribly. Of that he had no doubt. He enjoyed art himself and he sketched in his free time but he wasn't an expert in it by any means. And while he was well-read on history, he wasn't sure if he was going to enjoy the Smithsonian. Especially since they had just opened their new Captain America exhibit with a specific segment on his time in Afghanistan. He'd been avoiding it so far. He wished there was more information about the people he was expected to marry. But there wasn't. So he spent the day nervous and trying to come up with appropriate small talk conversation. Mostly, his thoughts kept circling the big questions –had she or he willingly signed up for this and how did she or he feel about having an arranged marriage? Steve wasn't sure if that was the kind of discussion he wanted to have in a museum –he wasn't even sure if it was a conversation he would be able to have in a martial arts dojo let alone at an orchestra. He was not looking forward to meeting either Gilmore or Bonnie. James and Rose both seemed intriguing. And he couldn't help but –James Barnes, one year older than him –and he knew there was no way it was going to be Bucky but…
Steve shoved his running shoes on and tossed his jacket aside, locking his apartment after him as he headed out. He needed to burn off some energy. He didn't pick any route in particular; just let his feet carry him where they wanted to go. By the time he was done, he'd run more miles than he could count and he was actually out of breath. Most importantly, he felt a bit better about the whole situation. He was keeping the rest of the population safe from this kind of a situation. He startled when his phone went off, a shrill blare in the quiet dusk of the neighborhood he'd stopped to catch his breath in.
"Rogers speaking," he answered.
"What's the Alpha Council got you doing, Cap?" Fury asked, sounding resigned. "They don't just put their noses where they don't belong unless they've got an ace up their sleeve and I've never seen them do this before."
"I'd rather not discuss it until I have to," Steve replied guardedly.
"Whatever they've got you doing, I can't get you out of it. I've come awfully close to pulling in favors for this one and there's nothing anyone can do."
"This one's my fault, apparently," Steve said, wiping his hand across his brow. "I'll get it sorted out as soon as I can."
"Keep safe, Rogers," Fury said. "I don't like the Alpha Council very much, even less when they stick their noses in my business. You understand me?"
"Absolutely sir."
Fury hung up. Steve sighed softly. He was certain that part of the arranged marriage would require an actual wedding ceremony of some sort. But he also knew that if he told anyone they would be up in arms about getting rid of the Alpha Council to get him out of this situation. They'd warned him of this when Tony had ended their engagement. He should have fought it back then, taken their warning seriously. And Fury had said he'd called on his friends and none of them had been willing to get involved. This was his battle. Fighting it wouldn't get him what he wanted but neither would agreeing but of the two choices, agreeing would get him further. He would gladly take one for the team if it meant keeping Bruce and Natasha out of a situation like this one. If it meant he could keep one or a hundred people from being forced into an arranged marriage. So long as his partners were equally as willing…
No one could know. Because if he went along with it, there was no drawing attention to the laws that allowed the Alpha Council to do this. If he went along with it, there would be no fighting for rights over whether or not the population needed a boost, no fighting to defend Steve Rogers from having to get married to a complete stranger. No one would ever know. He wrote the dates down on his calendar and burned the letter when he got home. He made dinner and didn't taste it as he tried to distract himself by watching television. Nothing of interest was one. He tried reading but found he couldn't concentrate on it either. So he grabbed his sketch book and started drawing. He didn't have an image in mind, but when he was done, he had drawn the Captain America uniform with marionette strings forcing it to dance. He slammed his book shut and went to bed.
Sharon was a lovely woman. Steve had seen her around S.H.I.E.L.D. before but he'd never officially met her. And it turned out that she had no interest in the Captain America exhibit, in fact, she hadn't even known it was going on. They looked at some of the other exhibits and talked about history and art and culture. Steve awkwardly asked her about whether she wanted to be married or not and she admitted that she was still undecided on the subject. She did want a partner but she wasn't sure if she wanted to be married and pregnant within a few years as she was working on her career. She had volunteered a few years back with the Omega Society in order to meet eligible bachelors on her terms –on days that she had off and at places that interested her. Overall, the date went far better than what Steve had been anticipating. Sharon even gave him her number in case he wanted to get in touch after. Or, maybe, in case he picked her. He agreed and she gave him a peck on the cheek before leaving.
It left Steve with a whole week to agonize over his second date. He shouldn't have spent quite so much time worrying about the date because it proved to be even less entertaining that he'd expected. From the start, he didn't like Gilmore. The guy had waved him over, snapped his fingers at the concession people and spent the entire competition critiquing the fighters. And they were professional fighters at that. Steve didn't even ask him about his interest in marriage or willingness to be here. Steve left in the middle of the competition after faking an emergency phone call from Sam and fleeing the scene. He'd been on a lot of bad dates on his own, but that? That was the worst date he'd ever been on. And he wasn't even responsible for it. Gilmore hadn't paid him any attention, instead focusing on the martial arts. Unlike with Sharon, who while she had been interested in the exhibits, she always checked to make sure Steve was equally entertained by what was going on. He could only hope that the others were more like Sharon and less like Gilmore.
He started meeting with Sam for daily runs around the White House so he could spend less time stressing out about his upcoming date with Zoey. Sam was good at not pressing for information so he accepted that Steve was in fact going on dates, but he certainly didn't believe that was all that was going on. Being away from work for so long was turning out to be disconcerting. Steve didn't know what to do with all the free time. Mostly, he spent it worrying about his next date and wondering what he would have to do in order to get Sharon to marry him if it turned out that all the others were more like Gilmore. He read more books and caught up on some of the movies he'd missed while he was in Afghanistan. But generally he just started drawing.
Drawing like he hadn't done since he was a kid, a young teenager stuck waiting for the procedures to finally be over. He briefly thought about going to art school –that had been his plan as a boy, when he'd been afraid that the army would never take him. Bucky had loved it, used to go around calling Steve the best artist to ever come out of Brooklyn. Steve used to point out that he wasn't an artist yet and he hadn't managed to leave Brooklyn either in lieu of pointing out that he didn't think he'd ever be better than Fields or Merkin. Bucky wouldn't have known who they were or cared to know either. Aileen Fields was a beautiful sculptor and it wasn't exactly a fair comparison to make seeing as how Steve wasn't interested in sculpting. Richard Merkin on the other hand was a painter and an illustrator, determined to capture the imagery of a lifetime past. Steve wasn't sure where his art would take him but he didn't have the patience for painting. His sketches weren't even on the same level as either of those artists and honestly it'd been so long since he last drew anything, he was rusty. At least it gave him something to work on though, he supposed.
Zoey was a stunningly beautiful woman and frighteningly intelligent. Steve spent most of their time together tripping over his words and trying to contribute meaningful conversation. In her high-heels, she stood just a few subtle inches taller than him and everything about her was naturally elegant.
"I am passionate about my job, Steven," she said airily, stopping to gaze at a portrait. "Yes. As such, if you are against this pairing, I would understand. It is not an easy thing, to give up freedom to romance another."
"Yeah," Steve agreed cautiously. "I'm not against it, exactly."
"But they have you between a rock and a hard place," Zoey finished for him, turning to face him. "I chose this. It is difficult with work and long cases to find time to meet men. Most Alphas in the service have volunteered too, but despite how politely worded their letter was, I understand the same cannot be said for you."
Steve winced. "That's all true. But I'd really appreciate that no one finds out this isn't exactly my idea?"
"Of course," Zoey agreed serenely.
"Thank you."
"I suspect you don't know what they put in your application? You must have gotten a similar briefing on each of the Omegas they selected for you. Would you like to know what your package said?"
"I-I would appreciate that."
"It stated that you were appreciative of art and fine culture and an accomplished martial artist within your own line of expertise."
Steve sighed. That explained so much. "I wish I'd been involved in writing my own interests down."
"Inaccurate?"
"Mostly. I do like art and I like music –which I assume is what they meant by fine culture –but I don't really care for martial arts. I appreciate the invaluable skills they are and I appreciate the fine men and women who can utilize them. But it doesn't mean I want to sit down and watch a competition for fun."
Zoey chuckled. "Yes, I imagine it would be like being sent in to watch court trials. Far too much like work however interesting it might be."
"Exactly!" Steve said, relieved.
"Well, Steven, if you are interested in pursuing this with me, please feel free to contact me." She leaned over, pecking his cheek. "And good luck in your difficult choice ahead."
Zoey was certainly something different all right. Steve still felt a little floaty afterwards. He liked her though. Compared to Gilmore though, she was as perfect a date as Steve could have ever imagined. Although he felt a like she was always two steps ahead of him. She was the one who had organized and led the entire date. She cued in when he was feeling uncomfortable and soothed those feelings without him even realizing. It was great that she was so empathetic and understanding. Even if she was a little off-putting with her serene leadership. That trait of hers certainly wasn't a bad thing. And she was more interested in pursuing a relationship than Sharon seemed to be. He accepted her number gratefully and spent the rest of the week exchanging the odd text with her.
And in every free moment he had, he remembered he was going to be meeting James Barnes and spent pushing aside the anxiety. He didn't know what to expect. So he simply didn't think about it. Until April seventh rolled around and it was the day.
"You alright man?" Sam asked, breathless after their run. "You didn't get in as many laps as you usually do."
"Got a date tonight," Steve answered. What else was he going to say? "Blind date, actually."
"Brave of you," Sam said, straightening. "This is what, the fourth in as many weeks?"
"Something like that, yeah," Steve hedged, stretching his arms above his head. "I've been a bit distracted."
"I can tell." Sam glanced at him. "You alright?"
"Just nervous," Steve lied. It would be fair to no one if he started treating James Barnes like a long lost friend. He didn't know what was so scary about meeting someone with the same first and last name.
"Well you've got my number. Call if you need anything."
"If something comes up, I will." It wasn't like he had anyone else he could call. And Sam already knew who he was –he'd recognized Steve when they first met.
Sam nodded and they hugged briefly before Sam was heading off to work. Steve missed working. He missed it a lot. He could remember being a kid, loving the endless summers when he could go outside and play. Or when he would stay inside at Bucky's and do nothing. Nothing at all. He couldn't help but wonder how he managed that. It had been almost twenty years since he'd had that kind of free time and he didn't really know what to do with himself. Steve didn't know for sure what the Alpha Council wanted him to do with his indefinite leave considering it was only taking a month to sort through he was going to marry, but he figured there was going to be a honeymoon period. Likely, a lengthy honeymoon period at that. And then they would have to let him go back to work. If they didn't, well, he would start by asking and see where that got him. If it didn't get him back at S.H.I.E.L.D. he would go to Nelson and Murdock and see if they could do anything for him without outing his arranged marriage. He sighed and started the long walk home.
Ten days from now he was going to be engaged if not married. He didn't know how to feel about that. He wished he could talk to Clint or Natasha or even Phil. But Phil was in the middle of Turkey and Clint and Natasha were undercover in Nepal. If Clint and Phil managed to forgive him for getting married without them, then Natasha certainly wouldn't. She would never believe it was a real marriage and there would be no hiding the truth from her. She would be furious if she ever thought he was doing this for her, even partially. And he wasn't. He was doing for a lot of people –for anyone who might potentially be forced into this situation. It would have been different if he'd volunteered, as Zoey had pointed out. Steve started running again, weaving down familiar streets as he headed for his apartment. He needed to make peace with the fact that he was giving up a small piece of his freedom in order to maintain freedom that others were afforded. And he knew, deep down, that no court would ever let him walk away with the super soldier serum his and his alone. They had expectations for him. And if he fought getting married and having a family that they would have no qualms about stating that he needed to go to a health clinic and donate his sperm for the benefit of science. And that –that left him feeling worse than he already did. Any children of his were his. He wanted to be part of their life. He wanted to be able to keep them safe from the government and being a sperm donor would not provide them that protection. He wasn't going to let any child of his grow up as a glorified lab rat. And if he wasn't there to protect them, he was certain that would be their fate.
Getting married wasn't the worst thing. He needed to remember that. One day he would make the world a different place. Where anyone who went through the kind of experiments he went through would be completely protected, allowed to learn about their missing childhood friends and visit their dying mothers before they had already died. In the future there wouldn't be Omegas being kidnapped en masse. But he needed to be working at S.H.I.E.L.D. in order to start making those changes. He was thirty-one but he didn't look a day over twenty-five. And sooner or later someone was going to figure it out. Someone was going to want his miracle cure. But they would find nothing except for Steve, Natasha and Bruce. And anyone who went looking for the research would find it had since disappeared. Dr. Erskine died shortly after the procedure was completed and he'd always intended to release the participants but without him, all of them had been kept for further experimentation. The kind of experimentation that was un-invasive, just checking over reflexes and weight gain, that kind of thing. Natasha got out first –either she escaped or Hydra broke her out and Bruce hit legal age sooner than the scientists' anticipated and he walked out those doors. S.H.I.E.L.D. was the only organization who helped him when he asked for it; they gave him what he wanted with no exception clauses. And they followed through on what he had asked for.
Steve ended up going through his closet four times before he decided on what to wear for dinner at the Blue Duck Tavern. It was just a restaurant or a pub; it was the National Gallery of Art and it wasn't the Smithsonian. It also wasn't a sweaty dojo. In the end Steve went for casual and hoped he wouldn't look out of place next to James. He settled on a nice button-up shirt that was a gentle grey –Natasha had once commented that he seemed more human when he was wearing it, so, hopefully that was a good sign –and well-fitted jeans. He huffed at his reflection in annoyance and brushed his fingers through his hair, attempting to put some order into his appearance. He had shaved after his shower so hopefully he would look passable. Acceptable. He'd spent just as long agonizing over what to wear when he met Sharon and Gilmore; less time when he went to meet with Zoey, half-way convinced that she was going to be another Gilmore. He wished he'd spent more time preparing for their date than he had. He grabbed his black coat without much thought and drove over to the Blue Duck Tavern for his seven o'clock date.
"Do you have a reservation?" asked the server politely, glancing up from her podium.
"Yeah, I think so," Steve said nervously. "Steve Rogers, or B –James Barnes?" What was wrong with him? Already messing up the guy's name with his missing best friend and he hadn't even met the guy?
"Ah yes!" she said brightly, smiling at him. "A table for two on the outdoor patio, right this way sir."
It was a pretty nice place but Steve was grateful to see that the outdoor seating was roomier than inside. The half-dozen other seats were already full but there was one table where just one person was sitting and his server seemed to be leading him right in that direction. His date certainly dressed well. For all that he was casual, wearing a jean jacket over a white top, he was more attractive than Steve had expected. His face lit up when he saw them approach and he rose to his feet smoothly. He couldn't help but notice the way James held himself, his left hand mostly hidden behind his body. It did nothing to conceal the glint of metal under his jacket sleeve.
"It's Steve, right?" he asked, offering his right hand.
"Yeah," he answered, shaking his hand. He couldn't help but notice that James' eyes were a lovely aquamarine color. "And you're James?"
His grin only grew wider. "I certainly hope so; otherwise I'll be disappointed I didn't get to have dinner with the hottest guy in the room." He withdrew his hand.
Steve blushed. "Thanks," he said lamely, sitting down across from James. What was a good follow-up to that kind of compliment? 'You look good too' didn't have the right level of enthusiasm.
"You don't do this much, do you?" James inquired, grinning that lazy smirk. It was a good look on him –a very good look. It didn't make him smug, maybe a little cocky, but he wore it well.
"You found me out," Steve admitted, splaying his hands palm up.
"Lucky guess," he said kindly.
Steve chuckled in spite of himself. "I'm sure that's all it was," he drawled.
"Oh absolutely," he said, his eyes twinkling.
"Good evening, I'm Alice and I'll be your server tonight," chirped the young lady standing at the side of their table. "Is there anything I can get for you?"
"I'll have a coffee," James said.
"Same," Steve said, relieved he wouldn't have to pretend to care about pretentious wines.
Alice flashed them both a dazzling smile. "Perfect, I'll be right back with your menus." True to her word, in less than five minutes she had returned with their menus and their coffees.
Steve added a teaspoon and a bit of sugar with a small amount of cream to his coffee, watching James. He absently opened his menu and turned his focus to it as he lost count of how many spoonfuls of sugar his date had put into his coffee. He took a slow sip of his coffee, staring at the menu prices. They weren't exorbitant and considering the helpful slogan tacked onto every page, promising quality, local food he had to admit the prices were very fair. He was curious about what lavender honey was –honey from lavender, maybe –but did that change the taste? Surely, honey was just honey. But if lavender honey was specific to lavender, then he did wonder what flowers regular honey was created from. Since there were apparently people out there who categorized that sort of thing. Steve wasn't in the practice of eating out –he preferred to buy and cook at home when he could help it. Unlike Natasha and Tony who were both more exotic in taste as they had each dragged him out to different fancy restaurants before. It really didn't help that everything had a different name when you moved a state over. For instance, why would anyone roast bone marrow? Steve skimmed down the list, hoping that something would stand out to him. The braised beef rib sounded good but the steak, although pricier, was the better option.
"Ooh, oysters," James commented, winking in Steve's direction. "I think the salmon sounds good, personally."
"I think I'm going to try the steak," Steve said.
James hummed, flipping a page in his menu. "That does look good," he agreed. "I think I'm going to stick with the salmon." He shut his menu and set it to the side.
Steve did the same, taking another sip from his coffee. He glanced at James' cup and wondered how many spoons of sugar actually went into it. Before they had time to start talking, their server was back, taking their orders down. Steve kept his simple, ordering a salad for a starter and champion potato as his side. James ordered his smoked salmon with rice as a side and a fresh spring pea salad for his starter. Alice smiled at them both again and promised it wouldn't be too long of a wait on their salads before she left again.
"So I can trust that the food here's good?" Steve asked nervously, tentative. James glanced at him quizzically. "Your –you said that you were a connoisseur of all things delicious?" Had he gotten it wrong?
James smiled. "Yes, yes. It's great food here, from what I hear anyways."
"Inviting me out to eat when you haven't even tried it yourself, gutsy move for a first date," Steve teased.
"Darn," he drawled over-exaggeratedly as he leaned in on his elbows to peer at Steve in faux concern. "Don't tell me you'd rather have gone to an art museum or something than have an actual, like, normal date. I don't know if my ego could take it!" He leaned back, his hand over his heart.
Steve rolled his eyes. "Please, no, this is wonderful."
James chuckled, "How many museums have you been to?"
"Just the one and an art gallery but both were a bit ostentatious for a first date." Although according to Sharon, she had chosen that location because it was somewhere she was personally interested in. He wondered if the same was true of Zoey.
"Not so bad then," James said.
"Well they were both better dates than the one at the martial arts competition."
James' mouth fell open comically. "No. Tell me no one took you to that."
"Wish I could," Steve said with an easy shrug. This was probably the most relaxed he'd ever been on a date.
"That must have been boring."
"It was alright, until my date started critiquing the fighters' moves."
"He didn't!"
"He did," Steve lamented, "as soon as the first match started. Didn't shut up the whole way through. I ended up walking out halfway."
"I can imagine," James said sympathetically. "No wonder the art gallery and museum didn't seem so bad in comparison."
"I like the dinner date," Steve said shyly. "It feels normal."
James grinned, slow and easy. "Why do you think I picked it?"
"Here I thought it was just because you liked good food."
James chuckled. "Only a little."
James was a very attractive man, talented at flirting and very smooth. He didn't seem like the kind of person to sign up to meet Alphas –there was no way that someone like James had trouble finding dates. Steve felt out of his league but he also felt flattered. And he also –he really liked James so far. This was possibly the most thoughtful date he'd been on in the last month. He liked museums and art galleries, sure, but he would prefer an intimate dinner date over those any day. It gave him a chance to get to know his date. While he appreciated art and history, he was at a loss on what an appropriate comment would be to a blank white slate. Someone out there considered it art, but that wasn't Steve. He appreciated portraits, sketches and paintings; art where he could practically feel the artist's hard work and intentions seeping through. While there was plenty of that style at the National Gallery, it wasn't the type of art that Zoey had appreciated.
"So did you volunteer? For this," Steve specified, gesturing between them.
"Yeah," James said, sitting up straight. "Hard as it might be to believe, it's not all that easy to meet trust-worthy Alphas in my day-to-day life. At least you guys from the Alpha Council get screened and all." He paused, checking Steve out. "And getting married to someone who's got your looks is no hardship, trust me on that."
Steve flushed brightly. "You barely know me," he protested.
James shrugged. "I know you blush pretty easy," he said. "I know you're good looking and you seem pretty respectful. You haven't even stared at my arm or asked about it, and I know you know about it." As if to emphasize this, he brought his left hand up and took a slow drink of coffee. "You haven't tried to boss me around or anything, and sure, you're probably different in private. But who isn't? You just don't seem like the bad sort to me, Steve."
"I –thank you," he settled for saying. He wasn't sure how else to follow that statement up with. Maybe something about how it wouldn't be so bad to be married to someone like James either.
"What kind of things do you like to do for fun?"
"Oh, I like to sketch. Or go on a run through the city." He paused. "You?"
"I like to go out, dancing usually. Or just to try new things. But staying at home with a good book is nice too."
They spent the rest of the date talking about their favorite writers and their favorite books. Steve gave his phone number out first so that James could message him a list of his recommended reads for science-fiction. And while James was in the middle of texting all that, Steve paid for the dinner much to James' indignation.
"I invited you on this date, I'm the one who should be paying," James insisted.
"I had a great time," Steve said. "I wanted to pay."
James scoffed. "Still I –"
"You can pay next time," Steve said casually, glancing at James from the corner of his eye.
That shut James up fast. His eyes widened. "Oh?" he said, a slow smirk spreading across his lips. "Next time, huh?"
Steve opened the door for them. "That's the way it goes with first dates isn't it?" he asked, playing dumb for the sake of it. "If you have a really good time, you go on a second one?"
"Sounds about right," James said, clearly amused. "Where did you park?"
"Over here," he said, gesturing to the back parking lot.
James stepped in close to him, his hand settling lightly on Steve's shoulder. Steve looked back at him in surprise, distracted enough that he hadn't noticed James moving so close. He opened his mouth to say something –he wasn't sure what –when James brought his lips to Steve's. It was a chaste kiss, brief and over too soon, but it left him wanting more. James chuckled lowly, brushing a metallic thumb across Steve's cheekbone.
"I really enjoyed our date tonight, Steve," he murmured. "Hope I hear from you again."
He stepped back gradually and Steve ached to lean in and follow after him. But he didn't. At least he didn't think he did. James tipped his hand in a mock salute before shoving his hands into his coat pockets and walking off into the darkness. Steve watched him disappear until he couldn't see him anymore. He started his motorcycle, still distracted by the fantastic date he'd been on. He had figured it was just a dinner date but they ended up staying for dessert, splitting an apple pie between the two of them. And that was conversation about books, diverging into discussion about movies based on books before they were off on another tangent. It was probably the best date Steve had ever been on.
Unlike with Zoey, Steve exchanged more than the odd text with James. Most of their conversations were about the books Steve had started to read. Sometimes, the messages just contained a series of exclamation marks or question marks. Steve had almost forgotten about his last date, so consumed by finding out the end of the latest book he'd started on. He made it to the orchestra on time and spent his date in silence, listening to the classical musicians perform. Bonnie never one asked him anything, even during the intermission. He offered her some peanuts he'd bought earlier and she only gave him the cold shoulder. He ended up pulling out his phone.
I wish I'd gotten a second date with you instead, he wrote.
From James: That bad?
From Steve: She won't talk to me.
From James: That's some impressive willpower. I mean look at you.
Steve rolled his eyes. Really, not everyone is attracted to me.
From James: Anyone who isn't is a liar.
"Are you texting someone?" she huffed, offended. "On our date?"
Steve glanced over at her. "I hadn't realized it was a date," he said flatly. "Considering that we hadn't spoken two words."
She glared at him. "Because it's a concert?" she demanded, spitting out the last two syllabls. "You don't talk during a concert."
"It's intermission," Steve disagreed politely. "I think we're allowed to talk during it."
But she just gave another huff and turned her attention back to the stage. He glanced at her, completely disinterested in her and her rudeness. Your confidence in me is flattering.
From James: Are you flirting with me during your date? Tut tut Rogers. Didn't know you had it in you.
He put his phone away when the intermission ended. When the concert was over, his date left without as much as a goodbye. Steve drove home and proceeded to regale James with the horror story of his latest date. He waited until the middle of next week before he asked the big question. He spent the time in between running laps with Sam and reading James' recommended books, texting James. Most of their conversations were inane but Steve didn't really mind. He kind of appreciated it, honestly. He knew who he wanted to go to the Alpha Council with on Friday but he was still anxious over what James' answer would be. On Wednesday he sent the message.
From Steve: You free on Friday at 9am?
From James: You asking me out? I'll have you know I have a personal policy of not leaving bed until after ten. As Steve was struggling to figure out what that meant he received another message. But for you I'll make an exception. He'd even included a winky face.
From Steve: Alpha Council Quarters, 9am.
From James: I'd be honored to come with you.