A/N: If you don't like the character's, plot or pairings, then don't read.
DISCLAIMER: I don't own Captain America, only my character/s
WORD COUNT: 1, 888
Chapter 3:
Iron Involvement.
Steve looked over the list he had made.
It was different than all the things he wrote down that he had to catch up on in the little red pocketbook he had. Instead, this list was on an A4 piece of paper, with small little drawings all over it.
So far, all he had written down was:
POTENTIAL SPOTS FOR DATE ON SATURDAY, 6:30:
1. MOVIE THEATER (CHECK INTERNET FOR POTENTIAL MOVIE)
2. COFFEE DATE (TOO CASUAL?)
3. LUNCH DATE (AGAIN TOO CASUAL?)
4. DINNER DATE (TOO FORMAL?)
5. DANCING (STILL DON'T KNOW HOW TO DANCE)
6. CARNIVAL IN TOWN (TOO OLD FOR THAT SORT OF THING?)
7. BRUNCH?
8. ? ? ?
God, he didn't know what to do!
Discarding the paper, he turned back to his sketchbook, looking at the drawing of Persephone he had just completed. She was sitting on the cold metal bench of the bus-stop just as she was before, the dim light creating a mass of mid, light and dark shadows that brought realism to her. She was in the dress he had first met her in, her face positioned up toward the sky, a gentle smile curving her full lips as her sketched eyes glittered as the stared at the stars. She was presented in the sketch as he was watching her from her side, her hair tumbling down her back and lay perfectly against the leather jacket that he drew over her shoulders. Her hands poised just over the jacket to simulate that she was creating friction to keep warm and a soft smattering of what seemed to be smoke coming from her lips, but it was just steam from her hot breath meeting the cold air.
Picking it up, he looked at the drawing and smiled. Even in his drawings, she brought life to it. She was breathtaking.
He just didn't expect a hand to come in his view and snatch the sketchbook as well as the A4 list he had compiled.
"Hey!" Steve boomed, standing and turning around, but sighed, watching Tony look at the list before turning his attention to the drawing of Seph.
"Easy, Cap. You are using the stationary I purchased, therefore I have every right to see what you have drawn on my property."
"Tony, just give me back my things." Steve ordered calmly, though if Tony didn't cooperate, then JARVIS would have to call a cleaning crew and maybe a medic.
"Who's the girl?" Tony asked, ignoring Steve and he observed the obvious attention to detail. Every line of her face and hand, skin simulation and every individual hair. It was like the unnamed woman was alive on the page. "You're pretty good, Rogers." He tossed the sketchbook back to his older friend.
"Thank you." Steve dodged Tony's question, closing the sketchbook.
"Hmm. Coffee date, dancing, c-" Tony stopped and looked at Steve with his famous 'really?' look. "Carnival? Cap, have you ever even seen a date?" Tony taunted before handing the list back.
"I'm looking at all my options. I want to think of them all before I make a decision, see which one Persephone likes the most." Steve's eyes closed and his facial expression took on one of pain as
"A-ha! So her name is Persephone, huh?" Tony taunted, making Steve rest his head on his hands. His elbows banged on the table, making the entire thing shake. "It's about time you went out with someone, Cap. And you picked a damn beautiful girl to go out with." Tony patted Steve's back, "a girl values spontaneity. If you talk to her about it and plan it every step of the way, she's just gonna go with the motions and be a bore. She needs to be surprised about where you're going, what you're going to do and on how you treat her."
Steve looked at him, "that sounds like a lot of work."
Tony rolled his eyes, "of course it is, old timer. Because it's the first damn date. Make an impression. How long have you known this girl?"
"Literally: a week and a bit, but we've only met twice." Steve shrugged.
"And how did you meet both times?"
"The first time we met, she was shivering at the bus stop, she was waiting for her transportation, so I lent her my jacket and kept her company. We spoke for a bit, she found out her bus cancelled so I walked her home."
Tony nodded, "second time?"
"She had told me where she worked, so I went to her day job to surprise her and she. . . punched a jerk right in the face, sent him over the island counter." Steve had a smile on his face as he thought of that moment. It proved to him that she wasn't just a pretty face or a damsel in distress.
Tony's eyes softened before he looked at the sketch and it was obvious that Steve had memorized every single angle and line of Persephone's face, just he had memorized Pepper's.
Cap had found the real deal.
"Okay, Cap. I'm going to give you the crash course of dating in the modern world, so put on your specs and I'll educate you in: First Date Physics 101."
(..)
By the end of First Date Physics 101, Steve and Tony had adjourned to the lab where Cap was sitting in Tony's not so favourite wheelie chair and had written notes down furiously while Tony stood in front of him with the holographic slideshow playing in front of him with a steel pointer. "You get it, now?"
"So, don't write a list of potential date spots." Steve concluded.
"Exactly." Tony said, retracting the pointer and throwing it away carelessly. "Okay, JARVIS, you can take the slideshow down."
"Certainly, sir." The slideshow disappeared and Tony sat opposite Steve.
"Now, as far as first date's go, you need to make a good impression, especially if you've known her for at least a week. Take her to dinner and after, take her to a club and well, if you want, 'do a little dance, make a little love, get down tonight,'" Tony grinned, hoping sincerely that Steve didn't catch the reference.
Steve's eyebrows furrowed in confusion, "what?" He asked Tony, looking up at genius.
Tony inwardly applauded himself, "it's a reference to a song. Maybe Persephone can show you what it is."
"Maybe." Steve mused, thinking of Tony's suggestion to treat her to a meal before taking her out dancing. "I think I like your idea, of taking Persephone out to dinner before taking her dancing."
"Of course you like it, I came up with it." Tony casually said, "I'll make the arrangements; you text her to wear something she can dance in. Something casual, it's not going to be a high-class expensive club or restaurant, because let's face it, it won't be exactly pleasant for you, especially if you don't know what to do. Whole date is ruined." Tony rambled.
Steve's eyebrows lifted in surprise at Tony's forward thinking and his genuine care. "Thank you, Tony."
"You deserve a win, Cap. You out of all of us." Tony stated simply, walking away. "Remember, text her and when you see her, use that reference. She'll love it. All women do."
Steve nodded, pulling out his phone to text Persephone.
Now, how to word it.
(..)
Seph fell down on the couch, sighing after another arduous shift at Reserve.
It was about 11:30.
Kelly, their kitchen-hand was off sick, so Seph took her shift also. In return, she got Saturday free.
The lamp turned on and Seph's head snapped up to see her nephew Joey. He looked a lot like his father. Dark brown hair that reached the nape of his neck and fell around his head like a mop, his eyes were a beautiful indigo blue, but he was pale like Barbara. He also had her calm, compassionate nature, but he was also incredibly fierce and protective of his family.
He was skinny and he was incredibly youthful, long dark lashes framed his beautiful eyes as he looked at his aunt. "Hey," he said.
"Hey, Joey. I thought you'd be in bed." Seph said, maneuvering herself in a sitting position as she looked up at him sleepily.
"You weren't home at your usual time, so I stayed up until you did." Joey simply nodded toward her, not meeting her eyes before he went back in his room without another word. Seph sighed, rubbing her forehead before standing and slowly shuffled to her room, heading into the en-suite bathroom, having a hot shower.
She threw her work dress into the hamper along with her undergarments, her makeup removed and her blow-dried hair piled in a messy bun atop her head.
Her phone pinged.
Seph turned to see her lit phone screen in the center of her queen-sized bed. Grabbing it from the bed, she saw an unread text message, swiping over it so the unlock screen disappeared and the message was in full view.
'Persephone, I've figured out what to do for our date. Wear something sexy and easy to dance in and then easier take off at the end of the night. Steve ;)'
Her dark brows knitted together, she didn't know Steve that well, but she was pretty sure that he wouldn't be acting that lewd already, or possibly ever.
'Steve?'
Her phone pinged instantaneously.
'Yes, sorry about that. Tony took my phone and sent the above message. I am so sorry, I hope it didn't cause any discomfort.'
Now that was more like Steve.
Of course, now, Seph's imagining Steve in her room. . .on her bed. . .holding her to him. . . Jesus.
'Oh no! Not at all! I just got a little confused. I thought it didn't seem like you. But if Mr. Stark knows about our date, I'm guessing you came up with something for us?'
'Well, Tony helped out mainly. He said my ideas needed to be more creative. I had some hand in our date, don't worry.'
'Okay then, so, I'm guessing I should be wearing something I'm comfortable in, yes?'
'Yes, comfort is key. Or so I've been told.'
'We are still on for Saturday 6:30, right?'
'Yes. I will pick you up. You might want to wear something more fitting for a motorcycle instead of a car. That's the only mode of transport I have.'
'Motorbike it is. See you Saturday, Captain.'
'Until then, Miss. Brandt.'
Persephone's massive grin stayed on her face as she pulled on her undergarments, slipped on her comfiest pajamas and got into bed, falling asleep with a smile on her face.
Just a little fluff episode with Tony! The next chapter will get into the plot.
Thank you for following this story!
~Munsurieya