Steve held Melanie's chair as she sat.
"What do you want?" he asked.
"Maybe I should go order. I do know how you take yours."
He leaned over with his hands on the table. "You get my coffee almost every morning. Let me get yours this time."
"Two creams, four sugars."
"Four? You like it sweet."
"I do. Decaf, please."
Steve ordered their coffees then returned to their table to wait.
"So... decaf."
"It's too late for caffeine. I'd be up late, have to get up early for work. Not fun."
"I guess I forget. Caffeine doesn't affect me now. Alcohol, either."
"Well, we know who the designated driver is."
Steve smiled. "Does that imply future dates?"
"We'll have to see."
The barista sat their coffees in front of them, and Melanie watched her gaze linger over Steve until she walked away. A quick glance around the room found others doing the same. If Steve noticed he didn't pay any attention to it.
"So, what do you do for fun, other than draw?"
Steve took a sip of the coffee. The steam coming from it was proof that it was way too hot, and would have burned the mouth of anyone else.
"I don't have much free time," he said. "I'm either training or learning."
"What are you learning?"
"The world. I lost a lot of years."
Melanie shook her head. "Right. Sorry, I didn't even think about that."
"It's ok. I like that you didn't think about that."
Melanie smiled. "Ok, if you had the free time, what would you want to do for fun?"
Steve sat back in his chair and took a deep breath. "I don't know. What do you do for fun?"
Melanie chuckled. "Most of my fun is solo activities. I read a lot. Movies, tv. Nothing as far as talent goes, like your drawing."
"Sounds like you and I are passing time the same way. Maybe we could do it together, sometime?"
Melanie's eyes widened and Steve blushed.
"Pass time, I mean."
She laughed, and nodded. "Yeah, that could be fun. I'll bet there's movies I love that you haven't seen yet."
"That's a safe bet. I think—"
"Excuse me," a blonde walked over and sat on the edge of your table, leaning in front of you to face Steve. "You're Captain America aren't you?"
Steve sighed. "Yes, ma'am."
"I think what you do is so amazing."
"Thank you, but we've got men and women who do more than I do everyday—"
"Sure, but are they as sexy as you?"
"Ma'am, I'm having coffee with someone, if you don't mind."
She flipped her hair. "I don't mind. So, are you—"
Melanie stood and walked around the blonde intruder as she continued talking. She took Steve's hand, tugged him to his feet, and led him from the coffee shop.
"Hey, I was talking to him!"
"That's right, you were."
Outside, Steve took a deep breath. "Thank you."
"Bet you're not used to forward women."
"Not really. I mean, we had some forward women in my day, but they tried to hide it. Way more subtle. Not so rude."
"Welcome to the new millennium."
Melanie glanced at her watched and Steve shoved his hands into his pockets.
"Somewhere to be?"
"It's early. How would you like to come back to my apartment and watch one of those movies?"
Steve's eyebrow twitched.
"Purest of intentions," she said, "I promise." She crossed her heart. "I just figured you could have some privacy."
"That sounds great, actually."
At her apartment, Melanie scanned over her DVD's looking for something she thought Steve might enjoy. It wasn't until her eyes landed on a box set of a tv show that she smiled.
"Have you ever watched I Love Lucy?"
"No. Heard of it, though."
Melanie pulled out the first disc and popped it into the player.
"It was a tv show in the 50's. A little closer to the type of entertainment you would have been used to."
She sat next to him on the sofa, leaving just enough space so that they weren't touching, and grabbed the remote.
"I thought the point of this was to get me caught up on modern stuff?"
"I thought the point was to enjoy ourselves?"
Steve smiled.
"This is a date, right?" Melanie asked.
"Right. A date."
The smile slowly faded from Steve's lips as his eyes flicked over Melanie's face. Melanie cleared her throat and started the first episode.
"So, what we have here is a situation comedy. Every week, Lucy finds herself in a new situation, and misunderstandings and slapstick comedy ensue."
"Sounds kind of predictable."
"In general, yes, but the brilliance is in the ridiculousness."
After laughing his way through the first episode, Steve asked to continue. Two more in and Steve's arm ended up behind Melanie on the back of the couch. His presence was overpowering.
"Would you like something to drink?" she asked.
"No thanks."
Steve settled into the couch a little more, his leg drifting until it rested against Melanie's. She sighed, louder than she meant to.
"You ok?"
"Fine. Why?"
Steve grabbed the remote and paused the show.
"You seem a little... uncomfortable."
"I'm not uncomfortable."
He sat up a little straighter. "Have I worn out my welcome?"
"Absolutely not."
"Well, something's changed."
"I'm fine."
She played with her fingers in her lap until Steve took one of her hands in his.
"Talk to me."
"Ok. Honesty."
"That would be nice."
He visibly tensed, as if waiting for some horrible confession.
"You coming into the coffee shop was a huge surprise. I knew who you were the moment I saw you, but you had that hat and you were kind of hunched, like you were trying to hide. So, I didn't say anything."
"It's what made me come back."
Melanie nodded. "I kind of figured. But, I'm human. I was attracted to you before you walked in. News and photos... that suit does amazing things for you."
Steve blushed, but Melanie kept going.
"Having you here, next to me, I'm just finding it a little difficult to not focus on how attractive you are."
"Well, that's quite a confession."
Steve smiled as he said her words back to her. She smiled back.
"Yeah. And after the way that woman hit on you at the coffee house, I didn't want you to think I was pulling the same thing."
She stared at their joined hands. His thumb swept back and forth over her skin. When she looked up, Steve put his free hand to her face and pressed his lips to hers. An almost chaste kiss, except for the hum he released. He sighed as he pulled away.
"You free tomorrow?"
"Two nights in a row? I thought you didn't have that much free time?"
"I'll make time. Tomorrow?"
"Tomorrow. More Lucy?"
Steve smiled. "Sure. Maybe I can bring dinner?"
"Now, that is a great idea."
Steve chuckled. He stood and walked to the door, never letting go of her hand. His free hand tucked a stray piece of hair behind her ear, then he pressed his lips to hers, very briefly.
"Good night."
"Good night, Steve."
