AN:So...Um...Yeah. It's been awhile, huh?
First off, I'm sorry. It has been far too long since I updated this story. That in itself is honestly it's own story. From graduating college, getting my first grown up job, moving twice, getting engaged and now being a married lady, its been a little bit crazy-pants in my world for a bit. On top of that, I really didn't want to continue my 'post every two months' pattern. The only way to stop that from happening was to just get the damn thing done. And finishing a story like this takes time. A LOT of time. As you'll see from the upcoming chapters, things get kind of crazy and I would've hated to leave you all dangling after a significant cliffhanger for months. Either way, it's done. Blue Eyes is finished aside from some editing and tweaking which means I can get back into a weekly schedule. (YAY)
Brace yourselves kiddos, its about to get wild.
We spent the rest of the week and a half or so before the gala inseparable aside from my shifts at the store and various superhero duties. The next week one of our girls came back from maternity leave, allowing me a bit more flexibility in my days, meaning Steve and I were able to spend a whole lot of time together. We alternated between my apartment and the tower, ending up with most of the time being spent at the tower. Before I knew it, I had clothes in one of Steve's drawers, toothbrush and other toiletries in his bathroom, and one of my knitted blankets on the couch. Steve's apartment was definitely feeling my influence, but Steve seemed either blissfully unaware or perfectly pleased with the idea, not raising a single complaint. I had stifled my own panic alarms at the idea of so much of me existing there, but found that I was surprisingly happy with the whole thing.
Steve and I spent hours together, staying up late watching movies and going at it like rabbits, holing ourselves up in his apartment basically all weekend. By Monday, we both admitted that it was time to come out of hiding and try to interact with other people. We used the rest of the week to hangout with anyone who was in residence. I spent my time off during the days in the labs with Jane, Darcy, Tony and Bruce. Nat and Clint tried valiantly to teach me how to defend myself and I taught Steve how to make lasagna. We had a mini reprise of our ladies night when half of the team got called out to eliminate yet another super-secret threat in a faraway land. The week passed too quickly and I needed to pinch myself nearly every day in order to fully believe what was happening around me. Friday came faster than expected, and before I knew it Steve and I were getting ready for the gala that night.
Sitting on the counter in the bathroom I finished putting on my makeup, thankful for Steph's guidance via Snapchat and my own very basic abilities.
"Charlotte?" Steve called out.
"In here!" I answered. Steve came into the bathroom, almost fully dressed in a black suit and pressed white shirt. His straight black tie sat around his neck untied and he looked up in frustration. He was perfectly coiffed, his hair nicely trimmed, clean shaven, but the look of utter confusion on his face just set me off. I chuckled and noted for the millionth time how very much I loved this man.
"Come here," I twirled on the counter, careful to keep my short silk robe tucked around me. On the counter I still barely came up to his nose, but I was at the perfect level to help him with his tie. It also put me at the perfect height to smell the cologne he'd spritzed on that was slowly becoming a problem for me. Combined with his natural Steve smell, it was enough to make me squirm.
"I hate wearing ties. Even in my uniform it was uncomfortable," he muttered. I smiled and tightened his tie, squaring it perfectly. I patted it softly and looked up at him, smiling at his grimace.
"Mmm, but you look so good. And its only for tonight," I reminded him. He smiled down at me and nodded.
"That much is true," he noted thoughtfully as I scooted off of the counter and gathered my things to bring them back to the bedroom.
"Can I get a time check?"
"6:30," Steve confirmed, following me in. I turned and smiled at him.
"Perfect. We might actually be on time for this thing," I went up on my tiptoes and gave him a quick peck on the cheek.
"Now make yourself scarce, I've got to change," I turned him and began pushing him toward the door of the bedroom.
"I can't stay?" he asked, turning and stopping before the door, a slight pout on his expressive mouth. I rolled my eyes.
"No, you can't. You've managed to go this long without seeing the dress, I want it to be a surprise. Besides I don't need you distracting me."
"Are you sure? We can be a little bit late, can't we?" he murmured, drawing me close and slipping a hand within my robe to grasp my hip. I squirmed under his touch and couldn't help but giggle. He smelled so good, and his hand was warm and big…
"No. We are going to be on time." I said, squirming and refastening my robe, pushing him softly. "Now shoo! I'll be out in a bit." Steve gave an exaggerated sigh and sent me a wink before shutting the door behind him. I took a breath to steady myself, grabbing my dress and laying it out on the bed. I unzipped the garment bag and grinned.
Opening the door to the living room, I saw Steve standing at the window, hands in his pockets, observing the skyline in front of him. He looked so handsome, and I took a deep breath, straightening the folds of my dress carefully, adjusting my curled hair one last time.
"Blue Eyes? You ready to go?" I asked. Steve turned, and his expression was all that I needed. Shock and awe washed over his features briefly before one of his million watt grins bloomed. He crossed the room, taking my hands in his and twirled me briefly. The sequins and beads on the dress glittered, the sheer fabric overlaying the entire dress, extending up to my collarbone and ending in short cap sleeves. The dress was simple, but beautiful. Cinched at the waist, it somehow made me look tall, and gave me the hourglass shape I always had but could never figure out how to dress properly. My dark hair was curled in what Steph called "movie-star" curls, and was pulled to one side, cascading over my right shoulder.
Steve grinned down at me, his blue eyes alight with mischief and happiness.
"You look absolutely amazing," he murmured, leaning down to press his forehead against mine. "How did I ever get so lucky?" I smiled and blushed.
"I could say the same thing about you," I said back to him. His lips captured mine and I could feel myself melt against him, letting the simple joy of the moment wash over me.
"I'm sorry to interrupt Captain, Miss Samuels, but your presence is being requested on the 54th floor," came JARVIS's voice. We both seemed to sigh a bit and reluctantly separated.
"We'll be right up," Blue Eyes answered.
"I guess it's time to face the masses," I said. Steve nodded and we walked toward the elevator arm in arm.
"You know, this might be the last chance you have to be anonymous. We've managed to avoid the paparazzi so far, and as careful as Tony and Pepper are, there'll probably be reporters here tonight." Steve admitted. I nodded shortly, taking a deep breath.
"I'm well aware," I said, remembering the time spent this week hiding any old records I could find. Luckily there hadn't been much, and my past seemed to be just as much a mystery to me as it was to anyone else. After Steve and I had finally shared our feelings, the public finding out eventually seemed like a forgone conclusion. "It's alright Blue Eyes, really. It was going to happen eventually, and I'd much rather it be on our terms rather than someone snapping photos at the park." I finished. Steve let out a little breath of relief and I squeezed his arm reassuringly.
The doors of the elevator opened to the low hum of conversation, and glow of dim lights. The whole room seemed to glitter, the floor to ceiling windows letting in the sparkling lights of the city, red, gold and green decorations glinting on tables and walls. The large, multi-level room was filled with people, men in tuxedos and suits looking dapper, women glittering in gowns of every color, flutes of champagne hanging from elegant fingers. Waiters bustled around, offering drinks and canapés. The whole scene was like something out of a movie, and I began recognizing people here and there from actual films and magazines. Stepping out of the elevator, I felt my anxiety grab hold of my chest and begin squeezing. Just as the hum was beginning to be too much to bear, Tony emerged from the crowd, looking effortlessly debonair and smiling at the two of us with his signature smirk.
"Captain, Half-pint! So nice of you to finally join us!" he said, approaching us with open arms. I felt my anxiety loosen slightly.
"You requested our presence Stark," Steve replied, "And seeing as how I live in the Tower, it would've been a little hard to ignore." Tony rolled his eyes and ushered us in.
"Technicality. Now, let's get some champagne in you both. This is a party after all." He led us through the crowd, grabbing champagne from a passing waiter and giving the glasses to us. Tony led us to a few couches on the second level near the windows where familiar faces greeted us. Thor and Jane stood near the windows, looking absolutely in love with each other. Darcy stood with Clint, obviously making the archer laugh, while Natasha and Bruce sat on one of the couches, talking quietly, with private smiles on their faces. Everyone looked amazing, the men in their suits and the women in the dresses we'd picked out together.
"Pepper should be up here in a bit, but she's got CEO duties to attend to at the moment. You all should really mingle. I promise that most of them won't bite. Most of them," he shrugged, turning to go back down the steps. Darcy and Jane came over, hugging and greeting Steve and I. We traded pleasantries, commenting on each other's dresses. Darcy and I fangirled a bit over the celebrities roaming about. Unwittingly, we all ended up on the couches, watching the skyline and the party, chatting with each other.
It was amazing how close we'd all gotten over the course of the week. If someone had told me at that first movie night that I would be chatting easily with half of the Avengers I would've told them that they were insane. As it stood, I had somehow managed to find a place with everyone, and no longer felt like an outsider. It had been a long time since I'd had friends, plural, and the group dynamics were a little complicated, but with help from Steve and Darcy and Jane, I'd finally found my place. The night passed quicker than I expected, both Steve and Thor pulling me onto the dance floor for a spin. The band that had been hired for the event played mostly Christmas tunes, but every few pieces or so would bring out an old classic. Steve and I swayed on the floor, trading off leading since both of us were so uncoordinated. Thor moved with a grace surprising for his size, twirling and spinning gallantly. The night had begun wearing down when Tony pulled me out to the instrumental version of "Count Your Blessings" from White Christmas. There were very few people left, just a few stragglers lingering over last cocktails. The wait staff had finished serving and were beginning the cleanup process. Tony maneuvered me smoothly, and only protested occasionally when I lost the beat or fumbled.
"You know kid, everyone gets on me for teasing Cap, but it's been a bit of a rough road for the both of us. My father spent the most of his life obsessing about finding Cap and forgot about everything else. I swore to myself that I wouldn't lose myself in my work like him, but after Afghanistan, I was headed down that road," he said. I quirked my head, surprised at the uncharacteristically sincere note in his voice but let him continue. "I hate to admit it, but if it hadn't been for Pepper putting up with my shit, I don't think I ever would've changed. With jobs like Steve and I have, being consumed by your work is easy, and letting it eat at you nearly unavoidable. But, for some reason you seem to make it easier for him. He's been slightly less of a stick in the mud since he met you. It's good."
"Why Tony, is that a compliment you're paying me right now?" I asked teasingly. Tony gave me his innocent/confused look.
"A compliment? No, of course not. Just an observation. That's all."
"Uh-huh. Sure. Well. Thank you," I began, sighing as the song came to a close. "I know I haven't lived through half of the stuff you and Blue Eyes have, but I haven't had the easiest life. Steve makes that better. It's kind of nice." I managed, slightly uncomfortable with how serious the conversation had turned. Tony led me up the steps, looking similarly uncomfortable.
"Good. That's good to hear. Also, it's been marginally better having you in the labs this week. Are you sure you don't want to come in on a regular basis? Even part time?" he offered. I sighed, considering. It had been a lot of fun, spending time in the labs. Between Jane, Bruce and Tony, there was a lot of interesting stuff happening. I'd been able to help here and there, and had learned a ton. It had been challenging and exciting, and I had felt like I was actually making a difference for the first time in a long time.
"Maybe. Maybe after the new year we can work out some sort of schedule, even on call work maybe, considering how irregular your hours are." Tony grinned.
"Fantastic. I'll run it by Pepper. Cap?" Tony handed me off, turning me to Steve who grasped my arm and pulled me towards the terrace.
"Have a nice dance?" he asked.
"Mmm, I did. I managed to only step on Tony's foot twice, so that's a win in my book," I replied. Steve smiled.
"Good. Think you could fit in one more dance tonight?" he asked, stepping out in front of me and offering me his hand.
"Gladly," I said, stepping into his arms. He held me close this time, just gently swaying to the music in our heads, as the band had finally finished playing. It was chilly out on the terrace, but refreshing after the overwarm atmosphere of the party. Steve's arms kept me warm as we danced. He had loosened his tie and unbuttoned the top of his shirt, his jacket somewhere inside and his sleeves rolled up. I nuzzled into his chest, where it was warm and his cologne lingered. Sighing, I looked up, smiling at his expression; eyes closed, quiet smile, face relaxed. As we danced I looked out onto the New York skyline, seeing all the blinking lights, hearing the constant hum of the city overlaid by the sound of helicopter blades whirring through the air. Turning, I noticed a helicopter flying through the city. Must've been taking off from one of the many exclusive penthouses on this block for how close it was. The breeze got more intense, the air kicked up by the sleek black helicopter. It got closer and closer and I could just see the window of it, wondering idly if I would recognize any of the A-listers guaranteed to be inside. As we finished our turn, the door of the helicopter swept open, a man in black swinging to retrieve something long and black before pointing it at the building.
"Steve!" his name was choked out as panic clutched at my throat. Our turn finished and everything seemed to slow down all at once. Steve stiffened and brought me down to the ground, seconds before the helicopter opened fire. Bullets rang out rapidly, shattering the glass window beyond the terrace. Glass fell on us like rain. Steve covered me and began pulling me along, trying to get me inside. He swept glass out of the way in big sweeping motions, surely embedding his skin with shards of glass, but he never made a sound. We made it back inside, where it was no less chaotic. Jane, Darcy and Pepper were nowhere to be found, Tony was suiting up from behind the bar, Natasha and Clint were firing their guns in tandem from an overturned table. Thor and Bruce huddled behind them, Thor calling for Mjolnir, Bruce desperately holding onto control. Steve got me to the staircase and down it before stopping and grabbing my shoulders to look at me intensely. He was all Captain now, but with all the chaos around me, all I could concentrate on was the furrow between his brows.
"Charlotte! Charlotte!" he shook me slightly to bring back my focus. "You need to get to a secure level, you hear me? Get to the labs, to the garage, or get out, do you understand?" I nodded shortly, now noticing that my hands were shaking.
"Ok, ok." I managed to get out. Steve pulled me in for a hard kiss, grounding me in the here and now, and pulling me back from the shock I was most certainly headed towards.
"I love you Charlotte."
"I love you too Blue Eyes," I shouted over the sound of bullets and breaking glass from above.
"Be safe. Now go!" He turned me towards the elevator and gave a little push, spurring me to action. In the chaos I had lost one of my shoes and shook off the other to run properly. I got to the elevator, watching the doors close as Steve leapt up the stairs and disappeared. My heart took up residence in my throat as the doors closed soundly.
"JARVIS? Take me to Bruce and Jane's lab level please," I said, focusing on the doors in order to not completely lose it. No response.
"JARVIS?" I asked again. Again, nothing. A panel next to the door slid open with numbers and buttons. JARVIS must've been down or malfunctioning. My stomach dropped. That was definitely not good. Some kind of shit had hit the fan. Searching the panel, the labels were unclear. I knew that the labs were underground, but I wasn't sure which one I'd been hanging out in all week. A particularly loud explosion sounded outside of the door and bullets began pinging off of the door. Panicking, I pressed a button at random, praying that it could take me someplace safe. Or at least get me to a safer place than this.
The elevator whooshed into movement and I sighed in relief, trying desperately not to think of what was happening upstairs. Taking stock, I saw my hands shaking and dirty, small cuts all over the back from the falling glass. My dress had been ripped, a large slit now making its way up my leg. For a brief second I mentally thanked Darcy for talking me out of that red trumpet style gown. It would have been a pain in the ass to run in that thing. My feet were bare and cut up like my hands, thankfully the soles of my feet were still unmarred.
The elevator doors opened to a dark lab that I hadn't seen yet. Blue lights in the floor dimly illuminated the walkways, and when I stepped out the overhead lights remained off. The halls were long and dark, huge computer servers lining up in perfect rows. I had to be in the server for the building. JARVIS's absence immediately sprung to mind. Maybe I could be of some help. Tony had spent the better part of Tuesday explaining JARVIS to me, and while it had been mostly over my head, I at least gleaned the basics. Walking through the halls I kept my footsteps as quiet as possible. Finally coming to a computer terminal in the wall, I wondered idly if I could access Tony's mainframe from here. To my surprise, the computer was on and accessed already. Someone had been here. The hairs on the back of my neck stood up and I looked around me, trying desperately to see if I was alone in this huge room, but it was so dark, and there was no way to tell. I knew that everyone upstairs was running out of time and maybe getting JARVIS back up would help them. I clicked around quickly and quietly, using my basic knowledge of code to try and bring JARVIS back. I found myself moving speedily through layers of code, searching for anything that looked like JARVIS. How I knew what looked like JARVIS, I couldn't say, but like when I fixed equations, the codes that I needed began glowing blue on the screen, showing me the path.
"Hello, Miss Samuels," came JARVIS's smooth British voice. I sighed in relief as the lights came on.
"Hi JARVIS. Good to have you back," I replied, a millisecond before pain exploded across my skull and everything went black.
AN: Jeez, I come back and the first thing I do is leave you with a cliffhanger?! Man. I'm the worst. Good thing I've already got the next chapter loaded up and ready to go for next week ;)