Maybe it's a dream, a really, really, really nice and muscle-y dream. Ooh maybe he's in one of those puffy shirts, with the open top and theres a horse waiting for us at the end of the walk up, Sarah sighed as the brick wall cleared its throat. Wait, brick walls don't have throats…
"Do, uh, do you often run into brick walls?" The brick wall, no man, spoke which broke Sarah out of her moment.
"Oh my god, I'm so sorry." She pulled herself from the drool worthy arms and blushed bright red, meeting the person's eyes. Blue met green, and for Sarah it felt like a million mini lightening bolts were hitting her. It is now to be said, that as this was happening, someone had opened the front door and a gust had made its way down the hall, which caused her shirt to go flapping around. "Gah!" she hugged her arms around her middle and prayed the floor would swallow her up whole. Any time now, universe.
"It's okay, ma'am." He was also blushing, which made Sarah take a closer notice of his face and frame. Jesus, he's tall, she thought to herself. And he was, tall that is. He towered over her tiny frame by at least a foot, and had gorgeous blue eyes that looked kind. His hair was a nice shade of blonde, cut neatly, and his jaw line looked like it was cut by marble. His shoulders were broad, stretching well past her own, and they slimmed to his waist, at an almost too perfect ratio. Hot damn, she concluded.
"What?" He spoke again and her eyes widened.
"…Did I just say that out loud?" She really, really wanted the floor to swallow her up now. He cleared his throat again, and nodded, looking down at her shyly.
"…"
"I'm Steve, uh, Steve Rogers." Screw the floor, Sarah would happily just spontaneously combust if it meant making this any less awkward.
"I'm Aldridge—I mean Saldridge—I mean Sarah!" She nearly shouted at him, before composing herself and offering up a small smile. "Sarah Aldridge, it's meet to nice you…I mean nice to meet you." She awkwardly laughed and pushed some imaginary hair back behind her ear.
"It's meet to nice you too." He chuckled and scratched behind his own neck as well.
"Oh good! You two have met!" A third voice at the other end of the hallway caused the two to turn in that direction. Mrs. Wallace stood their, in her neon pink bathrobe and curlers, looking like the cat that had caught the canary.
"Hi Mrs. Wallace." Sarah gave an awkward wave and shivered a little at the air in the hallway.
"Oh Steve, this is Sarah, the girl in 4F. I told you about her, remember?" Now it was Steve's turn to wave awkwardly.
"Yeah, I was, uh, just seeing if she happened to know of any places for food around here." At that Mrs. W's smirk really grew into something dangerous.
"Really now? Well, I'm sure Sarah would just love to offer up some places. Maybe she could even—"
"Oh look at the time, I really should…feed my fish." Sarah stepped back towards her door.
"You don't have a fish, dear. You have a cat, remember?"
"The cat's name is Fish?"
"Mhmmmmm. Now, I'm sure Sarah would just—-"
"Aunt Sarah, did you get the pizza or—-woah, a giant." Thea opened the door, stopping as she spotted Steve. "Is this why you're always making me eat my green beans?" She poked him, any manners she happened to possess flying out the window at the moment.
"Thea!" Wow, the universe is really testing her today. Love you too, Universe, Sarah huffed in her own mind.
"What?" Steve took in the tiny girl with the expectant eyes, now standing next to him poking his leg harder.
"How many green beans do you think you ate? I wanna be a giant too, it'll look good when I'm a Princess-Ninja-Doctor-Lawyer." Thea raised an eyebrow, wanting to know just how many green beans she would have to eat in the future.
"Okay, that's enough of you." Sarah stepped in, intending to shuffle Thea back into the house, lock the door, and never step a foot out ever again.
"Aunt Sarah, you're being rude." She stepped out of her Aunt's reach and stuck her tiny hand out. "I'm Thea Aldridge. You are?"
"Steve Rogers, " He looked at Sarah, before shaking the tiny hand in front of him. What he didn't expect, was for her to pull him down to her level.
"Hmmm you've got nice eyes." She studied him for a moment before adding, "and you look like the guys on the front of Aunt Sarah's b—"
"Oh kay! That's enough of that!" Sarah covered Thea's mouth and scooped her up, deciding to take matters into her own hands.
"Mister Rogers, lovely to meet you. Mrs. H, don't hurt yourself from laughing too hard. Goodnight, folks." She said to the both of them, a little bit of her sass shining through as she addressed Steve and Mrs. W. She pulled a squirming Thea through the opened door and took one last look at Steve, trying to convey her apologies.
"Wait, I want to hear more about these b—-" With that Sarah slammed the door and set Thea down, who glared.
"What was that for?" Thea huffed, stomping her foot.
"That, missy, was for talking about Aunt Sarah's books and things." Sarah said, as she made her way from the door.
"Hey, did you get the pizza's?" Lina walked out, looking at the aunt-niece duo. They wore matching looks, and Lina added, "I take it that's a no." At that moment, the bell rang again.
"Coming!" Sarah yelled again and Thea huffed.
The second time Sarah met Steve, it was planned. She had just finished work, a stack of papers in her bag ready to be graded, when the text had come:
Elsie's Diner on 6th Ave. 6:30 pm, go alone.
She didn't have to check the senders number to know it was from her mother. "Nice job, Lillian. Real warm and fuzzy." She grumbled, checking her watch and seeing that it was already 5:30. "Shit!" She rushed home, opening the door in a flurry of a coat, a bag, and messy hair.
"Hey Sar-are you okay?" Lina stepped out of the kitchen, an apron around her waist and a fork holding her red hair up.
"Fine! I just have to be somewhere at 6:30. What's for dinner?" She asked as she slipped her shoes off, keeping mind of the time and deciding to just keep what she was wearing on.
"Chicken Chili and green beans, per request of Thea Bean." Lina nodded her head towards the living room where Thea was engrossed in an old Barbie movie. Thea was on a green bean kick, as of late. She very much believed that if she ate them constantly, she would grow to be a giant…or at least as tall as Steve.
"Sounds delicious." She walked past Lina into the kitchen, her stomach growling at the smell coming from the pot. She lifted the lid and was met with a slap on the hand from Lina.
"Uh uh! It's not done. Where do you have to be at 6:30?" Lina crossed her arms and leaned against the counter.
"Elsie's for that…thing" Sarah turned and stood on her tip toes, reaching up into a cabinet. "Why're the glasses always on the top shelf?" She murmured as she nearly jumped to grab one.
"Right, that thing." Lina gave her a look, wiggling her eyebrows slightly.
"Not that! Damn it, between you and Mrs. Wallace, I swear." Sarah shook her head as she filled the glass with water.
"Swear jar!" Thea shouted from the living room, which caused Lina to laugh loudly.
"Seriously? No 'Hello, Aunt Sarah, how was your day?'" Sarah yelled back.
"Hello, Aunt Sarah, now put the cash in the swear jar. I need a new Dream House." Thea didn't turn around to even acknowledge the two women.
"Are you sure she's four?" Lina asked, trying not to laugh too hard.
"Sometimes, I ask myself the same thing." She checked the clock again, cursing when she saw it read 6. She'd have to walk there, which took 20 minutes, plus it was cold.
"I have to go…" She cringed internally at the prospect of having to walk back out into the cold.
"Have fun!" Lina grinned from the counter not noticing the burning pot behind her, which quickly caught flame.
"Your chili is on fire." Sarah stated, sending Lina back the same look.
"Wha-SHIT! My chili! No!" She turned back around, attempting to put the fire out.
"Swear Jar!" Thea yelled again.
"Have fun, you two!" Sarah made her way back into the hall and slipped her shoes and coat back on.
"My Chili!" Lina lamented as Sarah closed the door behind her.
"Okay, onto Elsie's." And thus she began her trek to the diner.
Outside it was cold, the beginning of fall and the leaves were beginning to turn colors. Sarah wasn't particularly fond of the weather, this time of year, but it was a step up from the sweltering heat of summer in the city. The walk to Elsie's wasn't too terrible. The wind blew a bit and tangled a leaf in her hair, not that she noticed. Her shoes had begun to hurt a few minutes into the trip, but she powered through, not wanting to turn around. By the time she spotted the old sign and design painted on the glowing windows, she was in dire need of a chair and a hot drink.
"Welcome to Elsie's! How many?" A chipper young college girl, who smiled brightly and wore dressed in the pale pink uniform, said.
"Uh, I'm meeting someone." She scanned the restaurant, the college girl nodded and looked around with her. Sarah didn't see him, and was about to give up hope when she saw the guy sitting in the corner booth. "Found him." She said to the waitress, flashing her a smile and walking in that direction. She walked, maneuvering around tables and servers.
"You couldn't have picked a better booth?" She said as she made it to the table and slid into the booth.
"This seat is—Sarah?" Steve looked up with surprise.
"Hi, Mr. Rogers. How's the neighborhood?"