(Authors Note: Yay! I'm glad you guys seem to like the concept! This one's gonna be mostly romance and stuff, so I'm not planning any really big battles or anything, but who knows? Thanks for the reviews thus far, and I'm really enjoying writing this particular piece. I love you all, seriously!)
"Seriously, Gina.. You'd hit on anything with a dick, wouldn't you?" Carolina mumbled as she watched yet again as another waitress, Gina (who she really disliked, felt it was girls like that that made the entire female race as a whole look, well, desperate) refilling coffee at HER TABLE, yet again. She held her tongue however, and kept on waiting the table full of the diner's usual "older men" crowd, since apparently Gina was going to ignore anything that wasn't shiny and new today.
Gus shook his head and kept quiet. He knew the two women did not like one another, and frankly, he tended to take Carolina's side more often than Gina's. Sure Carolina was tempermental, a bit of a sarcastic smartass at time, (the older man suspected that sarcastic streak came from his old buddy, Bucky) but she wasn't just out there flaunting it and giving it to any man who breathed air. He sighed as he realized that with the added bonus of this end of May heatwave, it was going to be a very long day.
He cleared his throat in Gina's direction, as he gave her the "warning look" indicating she needed to flirt off the clock. The girl pouted, but mumbled something into the man's ear, and made her way over to the table she was supposed to be waiting on currently as Carolina walked over, digging in her pockets. "Goin' for a smoke, Gus. Because if I don't, I'm liable to punch her, right in the face. I mean, did you SEE that shit? How she just ignored the regulars, went straight to that dipstick in the muscle shirt. I give it a month tops, she'll be askin for maternity leave."
Gus couldn't help the laugh that came next, but then the door to the diner opened and he said cheekily, "Ooh.. That's only the second time this week he's been in here, lookin' for ya." as he nodded towards the door. Carolina laughed and without looking up said "Right, I think your memory's goin' Gus, because it's not April Fools day. That joke's not going to work." Gus couldn't help but laugh as the blue eyed man from earlier in the week walked to the same table he'd sat at the other two times he'd been in since, and watched Carolina, rather intently, carefully, like he was trying to figure her out.
"It's not a joke." Gus insisted as Carolina finally got a break and could look up, see him sitting there. She looked at Gus and said "Oh he's in here for Ms. Clarice's pie, everyone falls in love with that apple pie. Just because he's here, don't really mean it's to see me." Gus groaned and then said "Gina's got your other tables, you go wait on that one."
So sue him.. Bucky told him before he passed to look after the kid, and damn it, he was going to do exactly that. The guy had asked about her a lot, both times he'd been in, looking for her, but it was like he was trying not to be obvious. Gus happily told him everything he could think would be important. So, if the guy liked Carolina, then Gus was going to do everything possible to throw them together when the guy and Carolina were in here, at the same time.
Because that little girl of hers needed a daddy, and Carolina needed someone to take care of her. That's what Bucky wanted more than anything. He'd told Gus as much, before he finally passed.
Steve sat down in the usual booth he took when he'd come in here the two days prior, and smiled as he heard once again his reason for being here, bantering back and forth with her boss. As she walked over with the coffee pot, she was headed off at the pass by a rather determined and sort of intimidating looking brunette who said her name was Gina, gave him a slick wink. Right away, he felt uncomfortable, and though he smiled politely, he couldn't help but wish she'd go away.
Carolina walked over and leaning in whispered into Gina's ear, "Fuck off. Gus told me I got this table. Go flirt with your boxer over there. Since that's all you're gonna do is flirt, try to line up a fuck buddy. Sides.. I'm sort of seein' Steve. So it's not like he's here for you, hon."
Steve resisted the urge to laugh, as the brunette gave Carolina a glare, and when she'd all but stormed off, Carolina said "I am so sorry about her, doll. She goes overboard. I hope you didn't mind, I sort of implied that we were together?" Steve bit his lip then a slow smile passed over his face as he said "No, actually, I'm thankful you did. I wasn't sure how to tell her to take a hike, without seeming like a big jerk."
A laugh escaped her lips as she slid into the booth across from him and said with a shrug, "I usually just tell her to get lost. Sometimes, you can't be nice. Not now anyways." as she smiled at him and then said "So.. How have you been since the last time I saw you?"
Steve shrugged and said "Not up to much, just came in here twice. I'm taking it you get a day or two a week off?" he asked as he rubbed his head and thought internally, yeah, good one, rogers.. make her think you're a creeper or something.. that'll really make her want to talk to you. good one.. really good. as he smiled back at her, sipped his coffee quietly.
Carolina could hear Gina bitching loudly in the back about how Gus got onto her when SHE flirted during hours, but Carolina could have a boyfriend present, while she worked, and it just wasn't fair. She sighed and with a grin raked her hand through her messy dirty blonde ponytail as she said "One day.. Just me and her.. I'm going to finally shut her up." before calling out, "Because I'm not trying to SLEEP WITH half the MEN in the building. And anyway, Gina.. Who waits the tables while YOU are out in the alley doing god knows what with god knows who, and picking up god only knows what disease? Thought so, hon. If I were you, I'd keep my opinions to myself. I'm NOT in the mood for them today."
Steve raked his hand through his hair as he one, tried NOT to be amused by this entire thing and two, tried to gauge Carolina's mood, she seemed like a petite little spitfire, and he wanted to be able to get to her before things got out of hand. He'd seen two girls tie up once, over his old friend Bucky, and it had NOT been pretty. Not in the slightest. He gently put his hand on top of hers, as it stiffened on the Formica tabletop and said quietly, " Hey.. It's fine.. Just ignore her." as he played the part she'd "given him" earlier.
He had to notice this only made the brunette glare that much harder at Carolina and he sighed then shook his head as he looked at her and said quietly, "I, umm, actually, I was hoping to catch you in here today, working... I was wondering if you wanted to do something later? Maybe a movie or something? A walk?" as his cheeks practically glowed red, from the nerves he was experiencing, having asked her this, out loud.
Carolina bit her lip and then looked at him as if she weren't sure how exactly to take what he just said, as if he'd been speaking a foreign language. Did he not see the kid when he'd met her? She was shocked, speechless, again even and finally, a bright smile broke out on her face.. "How about you come back to my place, when my shift is up. I mean it's not much, but I can cook something, we can just sit there.. If you want?"
Steve smiled and then said quietly, "That'd be great.. Your boss.. He won't mind I'm in here, while you're working.. Will he?"
Before he could answer, the elderly man, having heard his name mentioned, and the entire conversation to this point, actually said "Mind, hell son, you just go ahead and sit right there as long as you want." Steve thanked him because he really wasn't sure if he wanted to leave, not when the small lively diner felt more like home than his old apartment did, in all honesty.
Looking down at his SHIELD issued cell phone, he hit the one button he COULD work on the damn thing, to silence it. Because if Stark got up to his usual antagonization and antics, Steve would most likely strangle the man. Just a few hours out of the tower. A few hours with a girl who he felt comfortable around, felt like he'd known his whole life. Just a few hours where he was NOT the man out of time, as their previous foe, Loki so kindly put it.
All he wanted was a few hours of normal.. Was that so much to ask?