I realize I left you guys hanging for a few days, and probably rushed this chapter. Enjoy the fluff while it lasts, because I have this habit of putting my favorite characters through not so nice situations.
"Can I drive?" Wanda asked slyly as they got in the car. Steve opened the door for her but she was curious if he'd let her.
"Do you even have a driver's license?" was Steve's reply.
"In Sokovia. Does that count?"
"Afraid not." Steve started the car and drove out of the parking lot.
"Ok then, let's play a game."
"How old are you, twelve?" Steve was surprised at how resilient she was. She, on the other hand, was surprised at how serious he took this.
"Double that, actually," was her reply. "Why don't we play 'I never'? Its where-"
"I know what it," said Steve sharply, "and I'm not playing it. It's extremely immature."
"Only if you let it be. You've obviously never done it outside of parties, have you?"
Steve thought for a moment, though his eyes never left the road. "To be fair, every time I've played it, Stark was usually the instigator." He realized what the name meant to her. "He's trying to redeem himself, you know."
"I know," she echoed. "I just find trying to forgive him very hard. Pietro and I lived for fourteen years with one goal in sight: revenge."
"Not a healthy way to live," he said. "The man who picked me out for the serum and designed it chose me because of my heart, or so he said. He said he didn't want someone who power could corrupt."
"If that was what he wanted, he couldn't have picked a better man." And she meant it.
"Thanks. I tend to get that a lot." Steve liked this little conversation. He hadn't had a proper one-on-one talk with Wanda since she'd first decided to join the New Avengers.
"So, let's get back to playing 'I never,' if we could."
Steve sighed. "Never have I ever been so nervous for a first date."
Wanda's powers meant she could tell he was saying the truth. "That's not how you're supposed to do it," she said, letting off a little laugh under her breath. "You're supposed to make it personal."
"Like what?"
"Like, I never got to say goodbye to Pietro before he died."
She promised herself that she wouldn't bring up her dead brother around Steve Rogers, but hell, she'd done it anyways. The car fell silent.
"Are you okay?" asked Steve, ever the one to watch over her feelings. It was added bonus that he sounded sincere and unguarded.
"I was just thinking, about the last time we spoke. I was defending the vibranium device, and Pietro was helping Barton get the rest of the civilians on the boats. I told him to come back for me only after the civilians had been evacuated, not before. His reply was to scoff and remind me that he was born first, by twelve minutes." She let off another laugh, albeit weakly.
"I'm sure Pietro loved you," said Steve gently, trying his best to walk the fine line that was Wanda Maximoff's state of mind. "You can't blame yourself."
She sighed. "That was Pietro, tried and true. Always the one defending me, always taking stray dogs and cats just to give them a home. I guess if anything, he died saving someone. That counts for something, right?"
She hadn't even noticed that they'd arrived at the restaurant. It was Italian and screamed exquisite.
"Wanda," said Steve again, putting a hand on her shoulder, "don't beat yourself up over something you couldn't control. I don't think Pietro would want you to do that. I think he'd want you to keep on enjoying life. Like tonight."
She relaxed and loosened her mind a little. Wanda was getting the feeling that he had that effect on her. He got out, opened her door (as only the gentleman Steve Rogers could be), and they went into the restaurant. As they walked into the place, a waitress almost immediately greeted them.
"Mr. Rogers and Ms. Maximoff," she said to the pair, who were without a doubt the most notable customers the place had had in a while. "I'll lead you to your room."
Amid light classical music, the pair was led to a candlelit table. The room had the sense of a Medieval castle rather than just some building in upstate New York. Steve pulled out the chair for Wanda, and despite the huff and puff at his almost excessive chivalry, there was a sincere thank you on her face. Their hands touched for a brief second before he returned to his own seat.
Something about the whole thing felt enchanted, even magical, if either of them would bother to use the word. For the first time in a long time, he wasn't the poster child of the US of A, and she wasn't HYDRA's prized guinea pig turned Avenger. They were just Steve Rogers and Wanda Maximoff, a couple on a first date just like any other.
When it came to choosing their entrees, Wanda picked out the most expensive dish available out of sheer amusement. She almost expected Steve to grimace, but instead he just remained calm as he ordered his own food.
"Are you trying to court me with food?" she asked him playfully.
"Only if it makes you happy," he replied.
They talked about various matters while waiting for their food to arrive. They talked about their childhoods, about their early life struggles, and why they'd volunteered for experimentations with two different purposes. Time seemed to slow down as they shared old stories and experiences of days gone by.
Ghost had almost finished hacking the encryption that Romanoff and Rogers had given to him from Gasol's flash drive. Just a few more lines of code and every dirty secret the mob boss had on him would be open to the public. Ok, maybe not the general public, but the Avengers would know.
Then the message hit him.
Not literally, but an email that Ghost guessed must have been activated if anyone tried to break Gasol's encryption: You destroy our world, we take away yours. Expect us.
Ghost didn't know what it meant, so he called Maria Hill over and maybe she could sort it out.
"That was actually pretty good," commented Wanda as she and Steve left the restaurant. She'd picked out a shrimp and scallop dish along with noodles dipped in Alfredo. It was all new and foreign to her, so Steve had decided to let her dig in.
"I agree," said Steve. "But let's head out to the theater." The second part of the night involved driving off to the local theater and watching Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing. Sam had grinned when he heard of the idea, but Steve thought it fit the occasion nicely.
A cold front had settled in, creating a nip in the air. Steve took off his jacket and draped it around Wanda's shoulders.
"You shouldn't," she said.
"I don't get cold anyways," was his reply as the slipped into the theater. An usher directed them to a private booth.
"How did you…" she asked to herself.
"Let's just say a lot of people want to be that guy who did a favor for Captain America," replied Steve.
Her eyes scrolled though the playbill. Much Ado About Nothing was the story of two couples that fell in love over the course of events. One couple suffered through misdirection and ill intent, but all was made good in the end for them. The other couple was Benedict and Beatrice, who were old flames that reconnected over a good five acts.
Thankfully, they didn't have to pause between each act. There was a simple intermission about halfway. As most people got up to take a break, Steve looked at Wanda. "So, how's your night going so far?"
"Good," she replied, her dark eyes gazing into his blue. With her powers she knew that his first priority right now was her, not him. "It's nice to be out and just relax. I haven't relaxed like this in a while."
"I agree, he said. "Unguarded, even. That's nice too."
"Who said anything about unguarded?" A small ball of red energy emerged from the palm of her hand.
Before he could say anything else, the lights went dark again and the play resumed. She let the energy go and turned her attentions back to the stage.
Like many evenings, it ended too soon. The play only lasted two hours. Eventually they had to go back towards the facility.
Wanda didn't have to touch a single door as he escorted her out of the car and towards their rooms.
"Thank you for the evening," said Wanda sincerely as he opened the door to her room. "It was very nice and thoughtful of you."
"All in the job's description," he said back.
Then, she did something that surprised both of them: she kissed him. Not like lovers in their mouths, but just a quick kiss on the cheek. Then they said their goodbyes and he walked off, only to run into Natasha Romanoff.
"Hey Cap," she said teasingly. "You did it?"
"Um, yea…"
"And y'all enjoyed it , didn't you? Don't lie; I see your face turning red."
Steve had to admit she wasn't lying.
"Oh, Cap. It' so cute when you blush after getting kissed. Was that your second since 1945?"