Chapter 3: Old-Fashioned Love

"Hey there, Captain."

Steve looked up. Christina was standing outside of Stark Towers, a cigarette perched between her fingers and a small smile on her face.

"I know my brother's absolutely insufferable. I was gonna go for a walk, get away from him for a bit. Care to join me?"

Steve nodded, looking skeptically at the cigarette. "Sure. I'd love to."

They walked in silence for a bit, sneaking the occasional glance at each other. Steve spoke first.

"I heard you came all the way from California."

"Mhm."

"Where?"

"Los Angeles."

"...What's it like there?"

Christina frowned slightly. "Bright. And warm. I lived in the skievier part of town, which sucked. But sometimes I'd go to the beach, just to stare at the water, marvel at the clear air, you know?"

Steve looked at her curiously. "You can't get much clean air with those." he nodded towards the cigarette.

"No, I suppose not," she agreed, taking a long drag. "I'd leave those home if I wanted the fresh air."

"Does your brother know you smoke?"

Christina smirked. "Yes. He saw me walking back with a pack in my hand. He told me I couldn't smoke inside-messed with the machines and the building's clean energy rep. Which is fine. More of an excuse to leave for a while."

"He's not...so...bad..." Steve tried to stammer out.

Christina grinned. "Yes, he is."

Steve smiled. "Yeah, he is," and they both laughed. They were quiet again for a few minutes, when Christina ventured, "So what's it like? Being Captain America?" she asked.

Steve frowned slightly, thinking. "Huh. I guess...I never really though about how it feels. Great, I guess. I can help people. Change people's lives."

Christina nodded. "You saved that woman's life during the alien attack. And countless others, I'm sure."

Steve shrugged. "It's just...what I do."

Christina smiled genuinely at him. "That's sweet," she said softly, touching his hand. Both of their cheeks turned pink at the sudden spark.

"...Well I...I guess I'd better start heading back," said Christina sheepishly.

Steve nodded. "Yeah, I guess..."

"Well..." she smiled and gave him a little wave. "See you." she started to walk away.

"Wait!"

She turned around.

"Would you...would you like to have dinner with me? Tonight?"

Christina smiled and nodded. "I'd like that. I...I'll meet you here?" Christina knew full well that her brother did not like Steve Rogers.

"Yeah, yeah, around...say six?"

"Sure."

Steve grinned, and Christina stretched up on her toes to kiss his cheek. "Bye," she whispered, walking away.

Later, Christina was in her room, trying to find a suitable outfit.

What does one wear on a date with Captain America? she thought, when Tony knocked.

"Hey," she said. "Finished with your homework?"

"Homework is never done."

"What's Loki up to now?"

"None of your business." Tony smirked. "Where are you off to?"

"Out." replied Christina.

"Out where?"

"To a place."

"With?"

"A person."

Tony laughed. Christina smiled and started applying her makeup.

"Seriously though, where are you going?" he asked.

"I told you. I'm going out. I have a date."

"With who?" Tony asked again.

Christina looked in the mirror, decided that the skirt and tank top were good enough, and replied coyly "Wouldn't you like to know."

"I would." said Tony as she walked past him, to the elevator.

"Do you really want to know?"

"Christ, Christina, who are you going out with?"

Christina grinned. "Steve Rogers."

The last thing she saw before the elevator doors closed was Tony's incredulous expression.

"Hey there, Captain," said Christina, smiling at him.

"Hi," he replied. "You...you look beautiful."

She blushed. "I clean up good, don't I?"

Steve smiled, nodded, and offered her his arm.

Christina smiled and took his arm. "So where are we going? Please tell me it's not shawarma."

Steve laughed. "No, it's not shawarma."

"Good. I'm sick of the stuff."

"It's this little place I know, not too far from here..."

"Sounds like a plan." said Christina, holding his arm tightly.

The diner was just a few blocks away. The entire way to their table, Christina and Steve kept sneaking glances at each other, blushing when one caught the other.

"So...what did you tell your brother...about tonight?"

"The truth, of course. I told him I had a date."

"Did you tell him...with whom?"

"I might've mentioned it just before the door closed in his face, yeah."

Steve choked on his food.

Christina raised her eyebrows. "Don't worry, Cap. I won't let scary Iron Man hurt you." She poked him playfully.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" Steve asked curiously.

"I just...this must be so strange for you. It's a different America than the one you once lived in."

Steve nodded. "It is different. It's...it's crazy, the technology, the science. But the people are the same, really."

"Yeah, I see what you're saying. People are still just as...mindless." She took a sip of her drink.

"I wouldn't say mindless. Not all of them, anyway."

She shrugged. "I suppose. I don't have much faith in people to begin with."

Steve frowned. "Why not?"

"I just..." Christina shook her head. "I've seen too many heartless people to be giving with my own."

Steve looked at her with a curious expression on his face.

"But anyway," Christina continued, her expression clearing, "about the new technology. Have you ever been to the Apple store? It's insane. We have to go there later."

They finished their dinner; then, as Christina promised, the walked into the Apple store, as Steve marveled at the touch screens, the tablets, and Siri.

By now, it was almost 9 o'clock. Sometime after they'd left the diner, their hands had wormed into each other's. Steve and Christina were laughing over some thing or another when Steve noticed the time.

"I suppose I should take you home now..."

"Yeah..."

They looked at each other sheepishly. Then Steve hailed a cab, which took them to Stark Towers.

Outside, they paused to look at each other. "Christina?" Steve asked softly. "Yes?" She replied, just as softly.

He looked in her eyes, searchingly. "Can I kiss you?"

Christina blushed and looked at him seriously. "I thought you'd never ask."

He cupped her face with one hand and wrapped his other hand around her waist.

"Well?" She breathed, wrapping her arms around his neck. "What are you waiting for, Cap?"

He smiled and pressed his lips to hers. She sighed softly and tightened her grip on him, as if he were her lifeline.

"Rogers, if you don't get the hell off my sister I will kick you in the star spangled balls."

They jumped apart, and Tony grabbed Christina's arm. "Get inside." he hissed, dragging her upstairs.

"Ow, Tony, ow-"

"Where the hell have you been?"

"I told you, I had a date-"

"But why with him?" Tony's face was contorted with utter fury. "You know I don't like him-"

"So just because someone pisses you off, that means I can't date him?"

"Actually, yes, it does."

Christina yanked her arm out of Tony's grip and stormed towards the bar. He'd been drinking, she noticed: there was a bottle of whiskey and a half-empty glass sitting on the bar.

"Tony, that's not fair." Christina took a deep breath to try to calm down and de-escalate the fight. "Look, I really, really like him, and I think he really likes me. And he's really sweet..."

"Oh God." said Tony, disgusted. "Wipe that lovesick grin off your face. It's horrifying."

Christina glared at him. "Why are you so adamant about me not dating Steve?"

"Because he's an 80 year old S.H.E.I.L.D agent!"

"He's not eighty!"

"Christina." Tony took a deep breath and looked at her seriously. "Listen to me. What do S.H.E.I.L.D agents do?"

"They...get sent on missions...?"

"Yes. And make no mistake, they are dangerous people that we deal with."

"I know th-"

"These aren't your average stupid villains, ones that you see on Saturday morning cartoons, Christina-they can't be easily outsmarted and they're not afraid to hit a girl."

Christina said nothing.

"And there is a crazy, demented alien god who is just waiting to take his revenge on us for messing up his grand performance. "

Christina's eyes widened. "You...you think Loki...would come after me?"

"Oh, I know it would cross his mind. And not just his, anyone's who was trying to get to...him."

"What about you?" Christina frowned. "Couldn't they come after me trying to get to you?"

"Sure they could try. But they wouldn't do it."

"Why?"

Tony looked her in the eyes. "Do you really think I'd let anything happen to you?"

Christina, though touched by the sentiment, was still thoroughly pissed off. "What makes you think he wouldn't protect me, too?" she asked softly.

Tony opened his mouth to respond, then shut it. "Alright little sister, you got me there."

Christina looked up hopefully. "Does this mean I can date Steve?"

Tony sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Alright. Fine, fine." He made a gesture of surrender. "Go ahead. But I swear to God, Christina, if he breaks your heart I will beat the patriotic shit out of him."

Christina laughed. "That's your job, big brother." She yawned.

Tony smiled at her. "Go to bed."

"Yeah..." She started to walk away, then turned back. "Oh, and Tony?"

"Hmm?"

Christina smiled. "I can protect myself. I'm not as helpless as you may think." She picked up her brother's glass of whiskey and knocked it back like it was water. And with that, she turned her back on Tony's incredulous look and went to bed.

Three weeks passed peacefully enough. If she wasn't out with Steve, Christina was at home trying to help Tony with various projects. If she wasn't doing that, she was out on her own, smoking while walking around Manhattan, trying look for her own place and a job to pay for it. Then at night, she was at Manhattan's various clubs and bars-using her name to get in underage. Sometimes she even went after dates with Steve, or took alcohol from Tony-he had enough that he wouldn't miss a bit, she reasoned. Part of her knew she was going too often-but she often managed to shut that part out.