First date
Coulson was trying not to freak out, he had kissed Captain America, and now they were going to dinner. The Captain had asked him where they should go, of course he had he reminded himself, the Captain wouldn't know anywhere good in New York. But they had just kissed, where should they go for dinner, what kind of restaurant should they go to, where would be acceptable, and what did the Captain want? Coulson's mind was racing, and he knew that his panic was showing on his face.
"Any idea what you want?" Coulson questioned trying to calm down. He should cater to the Captain that would make this much easier.
"Something simple, Tony keeps trying to get me to go to restaurants with names I can't even pronounce."
Right, this was a man of different time, he'd want something that reminded him of home. He's want something simple, something old school. "There's a diner a couple of blocks up," he replied remembering his old midnight haunt that he frequented when he had an abundance of paperwork. The small hole in the wall that made a decent cup of coffee, "and I know their pie is delectable," he said justifying the diner. The smile on Captain Rogers' settled it, a home-style dinner it was, nothing fancy, just dinner, dinner with Captain America.
As they walked to the dinner the captain was telling Coulson about his travels, about getting lost in Chicago, about his bike breaking while he was in the middle of nowhere, and of all the things that had changed. Coulson could barely keep himself form melting like a fangirl, but somehow he managed, and made appropriate acknowledgements to prove he was listening, but he was just letting Cap talk. He could still barely believe Captain America was talking to him, Captain America was talking to him like they were friends, like they could more than friends.
Suddenly Coulson realized they were at the diner. He wondered how the walk had flown by so fast. He cleared his throat to interrupt Captain Rodgers, who stopped abruptly at the interruption, and looked at him with a question in his eyes, "Sorry I should not be rambling."
"No, no it's fine, it's nice to hear about your travels, but we're, uh, here," Coulson said tilting his head towards the shop front.
"Oh, right sorry," the Captain said a slight flush crossing his face. Coulson pulled the door open for Captain Rodgers and they entered. Coulson still couldn't believe that he was going to get dinner with Captain America, but he took a deep breath and walked inside behind the Captain, and directed him towards a table in the back of the empty diner.
"Oh hey Phil," the waitress called emerging from behind the counter with a coffee butler. She quickly fills up their cups and softly states "I will be with you in just a minute Max needs a hand in the back a second, enjoy the coffee and I will be right back for your order."
"Come here often.?. Phil" the Captain asked emphasizing his name. The Captain was calling him by his name, Coulson nearly stopped breathing.
"The coffee is manageable, and SHEILD paperwork well it can take all night," Coulson barely managed to reply still dazed from the Captain's use of his first name.
"Well I'm honored you'd share your diner with me, any suggestions for dinner?"
"Uh, umm, dinner, Uh the Ruben is good, but I do prefer their omelets, best in town," he manages to say still faltering his eyes lower to the table, now convinced he's going to die of embarrassment.
"Hey, is everything alright," the Captain questions his hand sliding across the table to Coulson's. Coulson can't breathe as the captain's fingers slide over his, and lightly squeeze. Captain America is holding his hand. Captain America is holding his hand.
"Phil?" the captain whispers a worried look flashing across his face, and Coulson lets out a breath he didn't know he was holding in.
"I… you're… we're at dinner… I…," Coulson stutters he doesn't know where his years of training went, he feels like a bumbling teenager. Captain America is smiling at him across the table, Coulson wishes he could just read the man's mind.
"Dinner it is just a dinner between friends," The Captain says trying to reassure him, but all he can think is that the Captain just called them Friends.
He was Friends with Captain America.
Their waitress walked up just in time to save Coulson from embarrassing himself more. "No paper work tonight, Phil," she sates more than questions her eyes darting to the Captain's hand covering Phil's on the table.
"Not tonight Lexi," he answers collecting himself, "just dinner with my friend." The girl smiles looking to the Captain, who smiles back at her.
"I'm Steve."
"Lexi, and what can I get for you tonight?" she asks.
"Phil here said you make a decent Ruben, so I think I will try that," the Captain replies eyes darting toward Coulson.
"It's not half bad if I do say so myself. The usual for you Phil?" she questions, and Coulson nods. She walks off to put their orders in, and Coulson returns his gaze to the Captain who is still smiling that relaxed smile at him.
"How's staying with Stark going?" Coulson inquires trying to get the Captain talking again.
"Tony is an interesting host," he chuckles back, "but I can't manage to do anything in that stupid tower, everything is run by that computer. I can't even manage the stove, you'd think I'd be able to cook myself dinner, but no not in that infernal tower. Is everyone's house like that these days, or is it just Tony trying to make my life harder than it already is."
"Stark is a little over the top with the tech. Just about everyone has a more tech in their kitchen than you did back in the 40's, but I'm sure you'd be able to use a normal kitchen," Coulson says trying to alleviate the Captains obvious stress about the situation.
"Does everyone have one of those microwave things, its all Tony seems to use when he doesn't order in."
Coulson was chuckling now, "Yeah, almost everyone has a microwave. They are quick and easy to use. And there are lots of foods that you can only make in the microwave. Don't worry you can learn to use one easily enough."
"No, I'm not touching one every again," the captain mumbled looking down at the table.
"Again? What happened Captain?"
"I set it on fire."
"What?"
"Jarvin, Jayvis, or whoever told me how to use it, I just wanted to warm up some lunch," the Captain said pulling his hand back, and suddenly Coulson's hand felt cold. He looked at the captain trying to figure out just how he had set a microwave on fire, when the captain mumbled, "Apparently I was shouldn't have left the metal foil on the plate." Coulson smiled at those words. Tinfoil of course, he was just about to tell the Captain that it was fine could of happened to anyone, but Lexi had their food. She was smiling, asking if they wanted more coffee, and at the Captain's nod she quickly grabbed the coffee butler and filled their cups.
Coulson smiled as the captain took a bite of his sandwich, and made a noise of satisfaction, "Told you they had a decent Ruben."
"This is amazing," Cap mumbled grabbing his coffee. Coulson couldn't help but smile, but the buzzing of his phone quickly made him frown.
"I'm sorry have to take this, I'm on call tonight" Coulson stated with frustration, what could be so important. He was having dinner with Captain America, this had better be important he thought to himself flipping his phone open. "Coulson here," he said standing and walking to the other side of the diner. "Director," he replied. There was no way this could be good.
This was not good he needed to be at headquarters and he needed to be there now. "Yes, I understand, no, no, I will make it happen, give me a minute I will be there shortly," Coulson stated as he felt his heart crush he had to go.
He turned back to the captain trying to keep calm, "Captain, I'm so sorry I need to go there has been an incident. There's a car on its way to pick me up"
"How can I help?"
The Captain wanted to help him, he was melting. But no he had work he needed to pull himself together. "Nothing to worry about Captain just a little political matter, nothing for you to fret over, but I have to go. Lexi," Coulson called effectively dropping the matter. The girl popped out of the kitchen, little bits of flower covering her front, Coulson realized she must have been making pies. "Can you get me a box, and put all this on my tab?"
"A box for me too, if you wouldn't mind," Cap called out from behind him, standing to join Coulson. "May be can do this again?" Cap questioned softly, suddenly he had gotten very close. Coulson didn't know how he's gotten so close, why was he so close. Breathing was a problem again.
"Umm.. yeah that would be great Cap, but I really have to run," he replied softly as Lexi sunk past them to pack up their food.
The words "I'd really like that," slipped past the Captain's lips just before the Captain leaned down and took Coulson's lips against his for the second time that night. "Maybe sometime when you not on call, and we can make a proper date of it?"
Coulson wasn't sure he was breathing, Captain America had just asked him on a date, a real date. He didn't have time to slip into euphoria over the idea though, there was car pulling up outside. "Yes, I'd love that," Coulson stated turning to grab is box from Lexi. "I have to go now, but yes, of course," Coulson stammered as he turned to walk out the door.
But the Captain wasn't quite done with him. He grabbed Coulson's arm pulling him back, and kissed him once more, "Goodnight Phil."