Date Night
The moon had made its way well into the sky by the time hugs were passed between all the Avengers and Eleanor. They'd broken down to Darcy's request and played multiple rounds of Charades, as well as a few card games from a deck she had pulled out of nowhere. To Eleanor's understanding, game nights had been put on hold since Thor had accidentally broken a table. How he had broken the table and why was still unclear to her, but Steve had promised to tell her another day. The young woman couldn't help but feel almost at home amongst the group of superheroes. They easily included her in their antics and conversations, and she'd been given the nickname 'Clutch' for being so good at the games they played. At least substitute teaching had helped her in improving her poker face and charades game strategies.
Jane was a little drunk as she moved back to hold onto Thor after their hug. Before Eleanor could be dragged or guilted into staying longer, Steve led with her to the elevator entrance, magically appearing with her scarf, hat, coat, and boots. His hand guided her on her lower back. He'd been the one to suggest they wrap up for the night, but Ella was sure that he'd seen the exhaustion in her eyes when the group was talking about switching activities. He swayed the conversation right into their departure, leaving very little room for arguments. She wasn't used to big group interactions, and she knew that she'd spend the next few days in recharge, preparing herself for school again.
Before they entered the elevator, Eleanor took her time in wrapping her scarf around her neck. She knew she was repeating herself as she thanked the group again for their hospitality. They'd mostly waved her off. Pepper was halfway through her fourth or fifth glass of wine. She was still totally poised when she walked and spoke, "You have to come back soon with that board game you were telling me about, the team one? Maybe for Christmas?" Ella laughed. She'd mentioned over one of their games that she had a whole collection of board games in her apartment, but very rarely had people to play them with.
With the invitation extended, both women glanced up at Steve who had a small smile on his face. He winked and Eleanor shoved him a little bit. The large group in Stark Tower was acutely aware of the glances the two shared. They showed little affection aside from a push here or a touch on the back there, but there was a certain softness in their eyes that was hard to place. The girls had tried to get more on their relationship out of them, but they were both tight-lipped. Even Tony couldn't help but make notes as the two made their way into the elevator with their final goodbyes for the night. Steve told them that he'd take her home and then probably head to bed when he got back—still wanting to maintain his terrifying running and training schedule.
The door to the elevator shut and Steve and Eleanor stood quietly the whole way down to the garage. Steve could see the tension release from her shoulders and let her lean into him, resting an arm on her waist. At the sub-level, Steve took the keys from his pocket and they walked side by side to the car. The doors clicked open and Steve opened the passenger side door for her to slide in.
"How are you feeling?" Steve asked, breaking the silence once he got in on the driver's side.
She seemed to sink into the soft seats of the car, "Tired, but good. Everyone was really friendly."
"I'm glad. I told you that you had nothing to be nervous about." Ella adjusted her dress after clicking her seatbelt and smiled at him. She leaned a little more against the door so she could see Steve a bit better as the lights from the garage lit his face up.
"So now I can come to visit you," Ella teased him. He snorted and rolled his eyes at her, letting her get it all out. "Is your kitchen anything like the one on the main floor?"
"A little smaller."
"I'm sure it'd be a lot better than both of us trying to fit in mine."
Steve laughed and pressed the button to start the car. "I like your kitchen though," the intimacy of her smaller apartment was much more comfortable than the open concept and space of his own. It was hard to make something totally designer feel like it was lived in. Steve didn't have a ton of possessions to line the walls either, much less furniture of his own. He wasn't even sure where to buy furniture if he wanted to. He was still hoping that the tower would continue to be only a temporary home, and once he was more active with SHIELD he could find something more… him.
They drove out and into the streets of New York. It was nearing midnight, so the traffic wasn't as bad as it normally was. The car stopped at a light and the two watched a police car speed by. Eleanor knew that the blue and red lights just piqued Steve's curiosity, but his priority was to get her home first. As a superhero, he wasn't responsible for everyday crime through areas of New York were slowly becoming more dangerous. Although luckily for a holiday, the streets were quiet as they pulled into her neighborhood and Steve found his way into a parking spot for her building that was open. They both got out of the car and Steve offered his arm.
Ella couldn't help but feel very 50's walking up the staircase on his arm. Steve wanted a little more time alone with her before he had to go home for the night. The people in the tower had monopolized most of Eleanor's time, and while she seemed happy chatting with him, Steve preferred having her undivided attention. Regardless, he could recognize the fact that the night had gone much better than he had expected. While the team had been a bit embracive, they hadn't been critical or mean, which for Tony Stark, was a bit of a miracle. He felt a lot more confident in having her over, and even spending more time with her now that he didn't have to avoid telling his team and knowing that they'd also look out for her when they could.
The thirty-second walk was stretched just barely to a minute, they both stood outside her door. Ella unlocked it and left the door open a bit, but she didn't step in, she just looked at him closely. Their eyes connected and while he could see the weariness, he could also see that Eleanor Moore was content. Neither of them wanted to leave the other.
But it was late.
Steve put one hand to her head and leaned down, pulling her in gently for a kiss. Her soft lips moved against his. Steve took his time, he let his fingers move into her hair, and felt her step a fraction closer to her, her body relaxing against his. There was a spark of curious and childish delight this time. His last kisses had been short, hardly as exploratory as this. He tried to express how proud he was of her, and how happy he was that she came with him that night. They both got a little bit lost in the kiss, but somehow their hands on each other reminded them of their place. His hand ran down to her neck and he felt the shiver go up to her spine. He laughed into their kiss and she pulled away. Her eyes twinkled in the streetlights like stars but she didn't look away.
"Goodnight" she whispered, knowing he could hear her.
"Good" he pecked her lips, "Night" and again. "Eleanor." Once more his lips met hers quickly. She stepped away from him, slowly into her apartment, tripping on the lip of the doorframe. Steve felt a sense of pride when she got flustered. She seemed to sense this and stuck her tongue out at him.
"Put that away," He said, laughing at the scandalized look she shot at him. She laughed too.
"Goodnight Steve." She finalized, closing the door.
Steve tried his best not to dance down the stairs but knew that his smile from ear to ear wouldn't go away until he slept that night.
The following week school started again with a big push from administration to get things done before Christmas break. Eleanor, as a substitute teacher, didn't have too big of an expectation placed on her head, but she was still hoping to perform well and help the students where she could before she had to leave. This meant making sure she was checking their project process a bit closer, and she was also keeping close notes on behavior and progress to leave for the teacher when she returned from maternity leave.
The students were all very excited about the school break, which made classroom management a bit of a pain though.
"Jackson, please find your way to your seat," Eleanor said in her disapproving teacher's voice- even though she very much wanted to laugh at the seventh grader's attempts at flirting with a girl from a different table on his way to sharpen his pencil. Some things about middle school never changed. The day was slowly winding to an end, and Eleanor glanced at her phone as it lit up. It was on silent, so none of the students could really pick up on if she used it or not. Ella felt a bit like a student herself, hiding her phone. It could only be one person anyway.
It was hard not to get excited for her newly labeled Thursday date night with Steve. According to him, he had their afternoon and evening planned and told her that she wouldn't need to change clothes after school. He knew she usually wore dresses, but what could he be taking her to that he'd want her to wear a dress specifically for? Eleanor was both excited and nervous to find out. The message read "leaving the tower,"
Steve meanwhile had continued- even increased his training at SHIELD. He almost always seemed to be at their New York office, and Ella couldn't help but laugh at the thought of him learning how to hack into things on a computer. He'd admitted to her that he was glad they usually had communication devices that would connect them to specialists in the case they needed them on a mission.
A mission.
She hoped that it just sounded more intimidating then it was. Or at the very least that SHIELD would start him out small rather than throwing him into an active battle zone on his own. He'd told her amended versions of some of the things he'd done with his barbershop quartet in German in the '40s, and while she did admit it was impressive, she hoped that the current leaders had better resources to keep people out of fighting and the receiving end of modern weapons.
Fortunately for her, the afternoon came to an end and the kids practically sprinted out the door. Eleanor was not too far behind them. She put her things in her small bag and packed it underneath her desk, only grabbing her purse. She'd arrive at school a little early to finish making a few materials for her class but didn't have anything that she needed to take home until Friday. She changed from her flats into boots that were short and heeled and wrapped her long coat around her before making her way down the hallway, passing a few students and saying hello. It felt good to be recognized.
The day was fairly overcast. When Ella stepped out into the school entryway she scanned the pickup zone. Not seeing any car she recognized, she walked around to the parking lot. She noticed Steve almost immediately and couldn't help but laugh to herself. Like he always did when they went out into public spaces, he wore a baseball cap and a leather jacket. He kept his head down when people passed him, preventing them from getting a closer look. She couldn't help but admit that his behavior in a school parking lot looked a bit suspicious.
"Do you know that guy?"
She jumped and looked to her left, the school vice-principal also staring at Steve.
Suspicious indeed.
"Yeah. That's my boyfriend. He…" Eleanor thought of an excuse, "doesn't like people." The principal gave her a look like she didn't fully believe Ella but seemed to shrug it off. Steve once had told her that as long as she acted normal people wouldn't think twice, but he was definitely not a master at the skill himself. In order to avoid any more looks, Ella hopped down the stairs and quickly made her way over to him. He probably heard her approaching because he looked up and smiled, moving away from the car.
They met halfway and Ella felt the grin stretch across her face. "Hello." She said.
"Good afternoon Ms. Moore." He responded.
She put her hand on his cheek and brought his head down for a quick kiss. When they separated, she glanced for a second behind them at the staircase to see the vice principal moving away and back indoors.
Steve followed her gaze, staring at the entryway where students moved in and out of the school, "What are you looking at?" His eyes narrowed.
"Someone thought you looked out of place. I told them you were with me."
Steve sighed, "I guess I do need that extra camouflage training," Eleanor gave him a single nod, smiling when he put his hand to his hat. She knew he wanted to run it through his hair, but it was a bit difficult to do that when a barrier laid between it and his hand. He adjusted the course by playing with the bill. Looking around once more to see if they'd garnered any more attention, he motioned to the car.
"Maybe we just need to get you a wig. Or some fake tattoos to put on your face." Eleanor joked. "I can see you with long blue hair,"
Steve chuckled, trying to imagine himself in a wig. "I think the blue would make my skin look pale," He shot back. Ella hummed at him.
"Just the face tattoos then." She concluded. Once they were strapped into their seats, she turned to look at him before he could start the car, "where are we going?" she asked.
"I told you it's a surprise."
Eleanor loved surprises, but that didn't stop her from being an impatient child. She was curious, as most of their Thursdays had been pre-planned by both of them. What could Steve have come up with on his own? He pulled out into traffic. Eleanor watched the map on the dashboard for a while, trying to get a better sense of where they were going. Steve's sense of direction was unparalleled. It probably helped that the roads in New York and the street names were much the same as when he'd lived there, but he'd admitted that he only needed to look at a map or an address once or twice before he had it memorized. His mind just seemed to archive it.
It was probably the Super Soldier Serum. However, that didn't make it any less fair. Eleanor was good at directions, but even she couldn't memorize a map.
As they passed Central Park and headed south, Eleanor bounced in her seat with impatience and excitement. They drove liberally around times square and toward the water to the west of the city. Steve eventually rolled the car into a parking lot. They got out and she wasn't sure what she was supposed to be looking for, but Steve offered her his arm without speaking a word. She could smell the water, and it was a bit chilly to go much closer to it. Steve seemed to know this, and instead, they crossed the street and into a building that had the sign Chelsea Market on the outside.
It was a dream. The entryway was like a million other historic Manhattan buildings, you could see the pipes and support beams, but walking further and around a big walking tour of people everything opened. The main walkway was nearly empty on a weekday at 3:30 pm, giving Ella the space to look up and around at the winter decorations. The ceiling was pointed with skylights and fairy lights ran along the walls and the shops. It reminded her a bit of an indoor Saturday market, with bakeries and fresh fruits and a bookstore. Steve motioned for her to have a go.
Bookstore first.
Eleanor and Steve spent hours weaving their way in and out of stores. Ella hadn't even realized that the market existed prior to arriving. Steve told her that it was something Pepper recommended, noting that Eleanor liked finding vintage things. They went through four different thrift stores. Mostly window shopping. Mostly. Eleanor purchased one or two things, small enough to carry herself, and kept telling Steve that they had to return on another day. She was just taking it all in.
They stopped at a small bistro for sandwiches and ate at an empty table near the back of the room, watching the people go by and played their game of making up stories for people that passed by.
"Tourists, from Minnesota, here for two weeks and the daughter is definitely a Volleyball player." Eleanor nodded at the family of four that passed by. Every person in their small party had at least two bags they were holding on to, and the lighter coats said something about them being more used to the cold. Steve took another bite of his second sandwich.
"What're your plans for winter break?" He asked.
Eleanor gave him a look. He knew her answer. "Hanging out, doing some human society stuff. Why?"
"I'm debating driving upstate after Christmas, maybe find a lodge or something." She could tell he was still in the primary stages of planning it out and smiled.
"Is that an invitation?" she flirted, winking at him.
Steve winked back.
"Sounds good to me if you've got a car that will make it without any trouble." Eleanor shrugged. Of all the things she didn't want, she definitely didn't want to get stuck off the interstate because of a car that couldn't handle the snow.
"Good point. I'll bring it up with Pepper. You're still up for doing Christmas with us?" It was hard to forget the holiday was coming quickly, the music was nonstop everywhere you turned in New York City. The trees on the side of the road, all of the shops, Santa's on every other corner either ringing bells or drunk or available for pictures.
"Mmhmm!" Eleanor had agreed that she would be attending Christmas dinner. Pepper had even gotten her number from Steve and sent her a text as a follow-up. "No idea what to get everyone…" She started, hoping that Steve could give her a hint or two.
"Something home-cooked," He responded easily with one of the things he'd want most gifted from his- for lack of a better word- girlfriend, "or you could go the book route. We can go shopping together or something, I don't mind helping."
They chatted a bit longer about shopping and the best places for them to go, as well as their possible trip upstate. But as the mall got more crowded with evening shoppers, Steve checked his watch and asked if Eleanor was ready. "What else do you have planned?" she watched his face closely.
"This one is more of a 50/50 chance we like it." He noted. Putting all of their garbage onto the tray and standing up to throw it away. He grinned at her, "I found it on the google."
Eleanor didn't correct him, but rather enjoyed it when he added the article 'the' to google. Although she did have to admit she was proud of him for using the technology that he had. They hadn't gone over checking the quality of things just yet, but she was curious to see if he had figured out Trip-Advisor or Yelp on his own. He did seem confident. They walked past the garage they had parked the car in and a few blocks further down the street. Another old and Historic building stood in front of them when Steve turned her toward it. A big banner reading Theatre and a list of upcoming shows were set on one of the columns for drivers and pedestrians to glance at. Eleanor raised both of her eyebrows to steve. He had never shown or suggested to her that he was a theatre type of person. But then again, he was an artist, and art came in many forms.
He handed two printed out tickets to the people in the entrance, thanking them when they ushered the two of them in and told them to sit where they like. Eleanor read the sign that stood in the entryway as they walked in- "A comedy show?" She raised her own eyebrows, almost more surprised than she had started out.
Steve pursed his lips, trying not to look excited. Eleanor bounced on her feet, lifting onto her toes to give him a quick peck on the lips. They were early and there weren't many people around just yet.
"Perfect." She said. Steve wasn't totally sure what she was referring to, but he felt the relief roll off of his shoulders. Bucky would be proud of him for thinking the whole date through.
After the show they waited for some of the crowd to die out before making their way to the doors. Eleanor's cheeks were red and sore from how much she laughed, and she was totally sure that there were tear marks in the corner of her eyes. Steve held her hand the whole time, and their seats were great, not dead center, but definitely worth more than the mezzanine or seats higher up. They were able to see the faces of all the comedians just fine. The speakers had been very topical, but also each of them were very good about not being offensive.
Some of the jokes definitely went over Steve's head, but that almost made Eleanor laugh harder, so he couldn't complain. He marked the comedy show as an absolute success. On the drive back they even discussed the possibility of going to a few Broadway plays- Steve knew that he could have Pepper get the tickets, and Eleanor had only seen the Phantom of the Opera live. She gave him a light synopsis on the play Wicked, which honestly seemed just up his ally now that he had seen the follow-up movie to the Wizard of Oz.
When they arrived back at Eleanor's apartment, she insisted Steve come in for a Hot Chocolate.
"I must give you kudos." She said as she put her pot on the stove. "You planned a fantastic date night. I've got my work cut out for me the next time I decide where we go." She paused. "Maybe after New Years. I think I have a few ideas. Might need to borrow a car"
Steve just sat at the countertop, leaning forward and watching her think.
"I'll look forward to it," He told her. She stared at him and he stared back. Eleanor could feel the tension in their silence with the prolonged eye contact, and she slid around the counter and lifted her finger. Flipping Steve's hat off and behind him by the bill.
He blinked.
She giggled and moved away quickly. Steve's hands reached out to grab her, but she was just out of reach. He could see the spark of playfulness in her movement away from him. He gave her half a second longer to realize that he was ready to pounce. Her eyes widened and she got barely three steps away before he was on his feet. He caught the stool before it could fall, but it gave her just enough time to get around to the couch.
The couch a barrier he feigned left, but Eleanor was smarter than that. She didn't move an inch from her side but did bend her knees in preparation.
They both knew that no matter what she did she wasn't going to win, but the chase still made it fun. When she was in the middle of a breath Steve took the direct route and vaulted himself lightly over the couch landing on his toes. Eleanor attempted to run to the right, but Steve's arms wrapped around her waist without much effort, pulling her against him and falling onto the couch. They both laughed full-heartedly as they landed. The crinkled edges of Ella's eyes drew Steve in, and before he could think much more about it his lips were on hers.
They had to adjust, so Eleanor could sit up, but he held her to him, not letting her escape and limiting her movements just a bit. Their mouths opened slightly and Eleanor rested both of her elbows on Steve's shoulders, her hands coming up to play with the short hair on the top of his head. He let his hands rest on her waist, moving them up and down slightly, but hyper-aware of her dress and making sure it didn't creep up too high. He didn't think he was ready for that kind of thing yet.
After a few minutes of making out, Steve could smell the hot chocolate. Or, more accurately, he could smell the burnt chocolate on the edge of the pot in the kitchen.
"The chocolate's burning." He said
"The chocolate's- Oh! The Chocolates burning!" Eleanor extracted herself from his arms and ran into the kitchen to stir the hot chocolate, cursing under her breath. She glanced over her shoulder at Steve who laughed and rolled her eyes exasperated with him. Her cheeks were a rosy pink and a few pieces of her hair stuck up from being at a weird angle on the couch. Steve knew that his own hair was probably sticking up as well, but it being shorter made it a lot less work to pat-down.
For the better part of a half-hour, they both sipped on their drinks and chatted quietly on the couch with the television on a random channel. Eleanor's eyes slowly began to droop. When she realized how tired she was she glanced at the clock. "Midnight!" She said loudly and then covered her mouth, hoping her neighbors couldn't hear her. "You need to get home!" She told Steve in a whisper-yell. "I have school in the morning!"
"What you don't want me to spend the night?" Steve chuckled. She sounded like a high school student when she said it like that. Or a mom.
She pushed him to the door, giggling the whole way. "Maybe on a Friday," she laughed looking into his eyes when he turned around and caught her arms on his own. The look she gave him caused the hair on the back of his neck to rise and his heartbeat to increase, and he knew it was probably best that he do as she said. He slipped on his coat without looking and lowered his lips to hers in one last prolonged kiss before putting his shoes on his feet.
With a final peck in the doorway, Eleanor watched him walk toward the stairs. With a quiet voice, so as not to wake up her neighbors she said. "Let me know when you get home." Steve gave her a light salute and watched her head move back into the apartment and the door click shut.
As he walked down the stairs he glanced at a car sitting just across the street. It was a newer car, much different from the ones that most of the people in the neighborhood drove, and it was turned off. But he could see the head of the person inside. They just sat there. He couldn't help but wonder if SHIELD was still monitoring Eleanor, as the whole situation made him uneasy. But then again, he could just be paranoid. He gave the license plate a nice hard look, memorizing the letters and numbers and logging them away as he got into his car, slowly pulling out of the parking lot. When he passed, he couldn't catch the driver's eye, but they did look busy. They had a hat on and seemed to be looking down at their phone, an arm resting on the window like they were waiting.
Well, at least they weren't texting and driving.
Once his car had turned down the street. The figure in the car sent their message.
Target Verified.
A/N: Happy New Year! I hope you all are well and excited to start 2020 off! Lots of fluff in this chapter, I'm excited to push the plot forward though, the in-between chapters are hard for me to write. If anyone has any ideas for NYC dates or filler chapters that they want to see leave a review! (Also if you just want faster chapter updates... Leave a review!)
Thanks for reading! Lots of Love from the Middle of Nowhere Asia!