I know it's been ages (cough…six months…cough) and I'm really sorry! I completely lost my faith in this and was so worried it was slow and boring, but didn't know how to quicken the pace to the good stuff. Hopefully I've worked that out now, and I've got the small issue of uni applications out of the way as well, so fingers crossed for more frequent updates in the future.
Thank you to everyone that reviewed, responses at the end this time as I figured after such a gap people probably don't want to listen to me waffle on!
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters aside from my own OC. The rights of the other characters belong to Marvel and its affiliates.
Enjoy!
By the time they had made it to the nearest café that wasn't already packed by the morning's deluge of commuters in need of caffeine, Coraline had managed to wake up enough to satisfy Steve that she wasn't about to collapse on him. The walk, in companionable silence which wasn't awkward despite both expecting it to be, had given ample time for furtive glances from the captain to the woman walking alongside him.
She looked much more favourable in natural light. Where the harshness of the Triquetra's LEDs left her complexion sallow and the darkness of the sling on her right arm all the more noticeable, the brightening light of another New York morning highlighted the copper in her hair and the light dappling of freckles across her cheeks. He made sure to always look away before her green eyes caught his, but as they crossed streets and dodged taxis that went a damn sight quicker than they used too, their gazes met at least once, followed of course by quick looks down at their shoes and the mottled grey pavements beneath.
Coraline too had been sneaking glances. Captain Rogers - or Steve as her mind kept automatically referring to him as despite her own indignance - looked happy to be out. It was hard not to be. The smell of the real world, however confrontational to her nostrils, was rich and musky and not the vague hint of disinfectant that lingered in every one of the Triquetra's corridors. The noise, the vibrant cacophony of life without the strict order of S.H.I.E.L.D, was a happy deafening to her ears, and the sights – oh the sight of the sky and the offices and the seats outside the coffee shop the Captain was directing her too were enough to have the childish wonder Coraline had always felt when hearing stories of America be ignited in her gait and the way she kept craning her neck to try to see to the top of the towers above her. Between this unmanageable task, she would hasten a glance at the man who had led her to a table with the gentlemanly ease that didn't come naturally these days, and was ordering something from the counter.
She was snapped out of her wistful musings by said man sitting down across from her and sliding a mug of coffee across the table and into her awaiting grasp.
"That's something I haven't gotten used to yet," Steve murmured over the rim of his coffee as he took a sip, "The prices of things these days."
After gulping a mouthful of coffee, Coraline leant back in her chair with a smile.
"I'm afraid I can't help you there. I can explain the political and social implications of inflation, but I couldn't tell you why the economy works as it does or what that means for your pockets – I'm terrible at maths, always have been."
Steve smiled and feigned disappointment.
"There goes my idea of employing you as my accountant then," He joked. Coraline laughed lightly in return.
"Probably a wise decision, good maths skills has never run in our family."
Steve saw an opening and took it.
"What are they like, your family I mean," he traced the rim of his mug with his finger, trying to appear as casual as possible, and "It seems only fair considering my life has been plastered in history books for all to see that I know something about yours in return."
Coraline blushed. Obviously she knew about the Captain's life from her exhibition designs, but he wasn't wrong in assuming that he was famous from earlier studies. The great Captain America had been plastered in history books on either side of the pond from primary school upwards. Kindergarteners and first year students had been hearing the stories of his triumphs from day one, so of course Coraline was well versed in his life story. Also, considering that the man who saved a hundred men was enough of an inspiration for the younger Coraline to have a replica propaganda poster on the wall of her uni dorm was enough to make any reference to her study of the man now in front of her cause at least some level of embarrassment.
"That's fair I suppose," She settled in her seat a bit more, mindful of the constant restriction the sling gave to her position, "Though I can't promise you thrills and dastardly adventures. My life is as stereotypically dull as it can get."
Steve merely gestured for her to continue. Having not been able to dissuade him from getting her to talk about herself, Coraline sighed before continuing.
"I am an only child, both parents still living though we don't talk that much. I've always been a bit of a black sheep to the family – first generation uni and certainly the first to pursue higher education – so we don't have many similarities to bond over.
One thing we do have in common is that we didn't get out much as kids. Obviously, you…um… were sick a lot," she stuttered as she talked about Steve's own life, quoting a biography back to the person it was written on was odd to say the least, but a smile from Steve had her picking back up, "for me it was more that I preferred the quiet. I was about as unrebellious as you could get."
She paused for a moment as if in decision before smiling, "I don't suppose we relate much there do we?"
Steve smiled back, a devilish smile that spoke of all the split lips and bloodied noses and time spent limping off a concussion after refusing to run away.
"No," he chuckled, "I don't suppose we do."
They pause, the silence broken up by the sipping of drinks and the background noise of the morning's chatter, before Steve offers something of an explanation.
"Growing up in Brooklyn, the city being built all around us, it sure as hell wasn't difficult to find trouble to get into."
Coraline smiled, setting her now empty cup down on the table between them. "I can imagine. We didn't have that kind of excitement where I lived."
"Small town?"
"Small farm. As I said, my family aren't really the education type. All of them are farmers, or gardeners or something else agricultural. There really isn't that much you can do to get in trouble when the nearest place with kids my age was a bus ride away."
"But…" Steve could tell she was holding something back. He recognised the glimmer in her eyes just as she had known his.
Coraline grinned conspiratorially. "But there was a bunker, completely abandoned and so steeped in local lore that no one had been inside in years."
Steve watched as the woman's eyes lit up, and raised an eyebrow in response. Gone was the meek young woman stuttering over statistics in the bellows of S.H.I.E.L.D headquarters. In her place was someone who reminded the Captain of the late night stories told around campfires by his compadres. The Howling Commandos were not unknown to start stories with 'But there was a bunker…'
"I'd been told to stay away practically since I could walk, so of course as soon as I was big enough to open the doors I did. It was…" She paused then, her expression dimming slightly, "It was dark and cold and terrifying, but I figured that I'd be told off whether I went four foot in or twenty so I kept going. I didn't know what I was looking for, I was maybe 8 or 9 and my interests were as varied as horses or ponies. I remember I tripped on something, a box or a canister or something…"
She trailed off, and Steve prompted. "And…"
"And after scaring myself silly from landing in cobwebs, I sprinted for the exit, stepped on something that set off a fuse and woke up two weeks later with three broken bones and one hell of a headache."
Steve inhaled sharply, and across from him Coraline rushed to finish the story.
"I was in hospital for a week, and then was back home, grounded obviously, but also unable to get out of bed let alone ride a horse. I was sore and stuck and so, so bored, so I figured I'd find out what it was that landed me with two sets of plaster casts. One book on the Blitz and I was hooked. Upped sticks and moved to London at 18 and haven't lost my interest in the past, yet."
"That's some origin story," Steve eventually managed. Coraline managed a dull chuckle in response.
"Yeah, from farm girl to history hit in fourteen misplaced steps," Steve set his empty mug back on the table, unsure of what to say in response. Coraline softened. "Sorry, I don't remember much of it but my parents rarely let me forget. Strikes a bit of a nerve."
She stood offering a small smile by way of apology. Then, much quieter: "I much prefer your origin story."
Steve pretended not to hear. Aside from the history lessons, all he had been doing since he woke up was recite and have to repeat the same short years of his life that made him 'The Star Spangled Man'. He had hoped someone who already knew about his life would be more interested to talk about the past pre-serum. That or something completely different. Perhaps he had been too naïve to consider a historian a good choice of companion, even temporarily.
But the way Coraline Quinn was looking at him - her eyes solemn even though she was clearly trying to hide behind a smile; that made him halt in directing her back towards the Triquetra, and instead turn towards more familiar streets – towards Brooklyn.
Thoughts? Questions? Criticisms? Please review or PM me with any views, good or bad, especially as I am paranoid that this is too slow and boring.
Also Happy New Year!
Review Responses:
TortoisetheStoryteller I'm glad you think it's realistic, and that I'm not rushing any potential romance. I was aiming for that so it's good to see it translates!
Princess PrettyPants – Not quite the kind of coffee you were probably expecting but hopefully not too boring! Thanks for reading!
Darkpoisonivy – Thank you! I am glad you like it and your feedback is very much appreciated. Sorry the update wasn't very soon at all!
Armand – Sorry it took so long but hopefully you'll like this update too.
