Chapter 6: Playing matchmaker
A month later...
It was nearly a month since Allen Grant had approached him about Amelia, and Steve was giddy and smiling like the twenty some man he was. Not the man who had been through so many hardships who was forced to grow up when he lost his mother when he was barely eighteen. Not the man who had lost a barely fledged romance with a woman who had loved him for his too-big heart, not the man who witnessed his brother in all but blood plummet to his death, not the man who had seen the darkest cesspits of humanity.
Not the man who was thrown out of his time into a strange new world with only a strange new companion. Amelia shouldn't even exist, but he was glad she did, for he wasn't as lonely if she hadn't been there. He was thankful for the Avengers, for they helped him adjust to this new time period. It wasn't as scary when someone was there beside you. Steve smiled as Amelia galloped back to him, his shield in her powerful jaws. She dropped it, and made a low, purring growl. He didn't watch her, and she blew air out of her nose, ruffling his blond hair.
'What do you want?' he signed to her. The massive, snow white animal sat on her haunches, her tail flicking beside her.
'You love her, Nat,' was her answer, but she gave a low growl, telling Steve that she was stating a fact, not making a comment.
'Well, yeah, I do, but I don't know what to say to her, Amelia,' he answered dispassionately.
Amelia chittered and purred, tilting her massive head to her side. Then she galloped off, not before digging up a rose garden. Steve winced, that garden was the pride and joy of his very nosey neighbor, Mrs. Crabapple. The elderly woman on more than one occasion accused him of 'disturbing' the peace in this small, country town. But everyone liked Amelia, especially the children who asked her for rides on her massive back and neck.
Then there was a shrill, loud voice as the elderly woman hobbled across his lawn. Steve rolled his eyes, groaning, fully aware that he was around her age if he wasn't frozen over.
"You keep that damn thing on your property, Mr. Rodgers, or I'm calling animal control to have that thing put down!" she yelled, her monotone, croaky voice high pitched and shrill with indignity. Amelia's scales shifted as she revealed herself, her muzzle dirty, and roses gently held between rows of sharp, imposing teeth.
"You heard all of that?" Steve asked, sounding like a furious parent.
'Yes', Amelia answered, a low, rumbling purr escaped her mouth as well.
Clint Barton wasn't blind when he saw Steve blushing whenever he and Nat were in a room together. Loosing the majority of his hearing due to his job, he became the most observant person within SHIELD, and he always saw when people where lying or when two where hopelessly in love with each other. He wondered why Nat liked Steve. Barton admitted that Steve was a kind man with a big heart who was respectful of the opposite gender.
Then it dawned on him. Steve was different from the other men Nat had 'dated' over the years, he wasn't sexist, he wasn't rude or condescending, but respectful. He liked Nat's streak of stubbornness and cultivated it. Then the master archer smiled to himself, laughing. The infamous Black Widow and America's poster boy hopelessly in love was an odd sight to see indeed! He and Amelia knew it! It was only a matter of time for he and Amelia to plot their first date. Oh it was going to be glorious! He called Tony Stark.
"Hey, Legolas, what's up?" the man chirped happily on the other end of the phone.
"Can you plan a blind date?"
"Ooh! Who do you have in mind to be our unfortunate victims?"
"Steve and Nat,"
"You're insane. I knew there was a reason I liked you,"
"Good, I think we can get Amelia's help though,"
A week later...
Steve nervously pulled at his tie, feeling flustered. The last time he wore a suit and tie was when he was back in the military. He got a cryptic text from Barton that he found a date for him, but he wasn't sure. His eyes nearly bugged out of his skull, his mouth hanging open, when he saw his blind date. It was none other than Natasha Romanoff. Steve felt himself blush, feeling suddenly hot under his collar, despite the cool, evening air.
"Clint planned this, didn't he?" he asked.
"Yep, and Tony Stark,"
"I think Amelia had a hand in this as well,"
The soldier and the world's deadliest assassin laughed well into the evening, wondering how a world-class archer, a multi-billionaire genius, and a highly intelligent animal managed to pull a blind date on Captain America and on the infamous Black Widow. The odd pair laughed easily, enjoying each other's company. The dinner went smoothly, much to both of their shock and confusion.
It was only when Steve hailed a taxi for both of them is when things took a turn for the worse. While waiting for a taxi, a man tried to steal Natasha's purse. Steve didn't know what was in there and he didn't care. He arched an eyebrow when he saw Nat pull a taser out of her purse, but it was shaped like a tube of lipstick.
"Hey, lady, what are you doing? I bet that your boyfriend here cares!" he yelled as he tried to drag her away from Steve's protective side.
Steve was too used to men harassing women, seeing it in the slums of Brooklyn where he grew up, quite frequently in his neighborhood. What he saw what the Nazi's did to the thousands of innocents. What he didn't expect was for Nat to straight out tase the guy, and leave him to twitch in a puddle of something questionable.
"I never leave home without a lipstick taser," she whispered seductively in Steve's ear. Thank goodness it was dark out, because he was turning redder than a fire-truck.
Safely tucked in the warm and cosy cabin of the taxi, Nat rested her weary head on Steve's broad chest. It was a blissful quiet, with New York lit up, the lights twinkled like stars and diamonds. Steve slowly felt the weight of the world lift from his shoulders, as he protectively curled an arm around Nat's much slimmer shoulders, pulling her close.
A/N- A bit of Romanodgers fluff, merry Christmas to all and to all a good night.
