Marvel Oneshots

Balsamic Dressing (Steve Rogers)

Written for Man With A Plan Bingo on Tumblr! The event's running all year, so go check it out if you can!

Square Three Prompt: "It's hard to say this, but you have something on your shirt."

Summary: Y/N is a good friend of Tony's, working as a mechanical engineer for Stark Industries. When Tony holds a benefit to help raise money to fix the damage done in the Battle of New York, he talks Y/N into attending. What looks like another dumb, boring Stark function however might turn out to be way more when Y/N has a run in with the Capsicle himself.

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Of all the places I thought I'd end up after graduating with a degree in mechanical engineering, standing at a massive buffet next to Captain America was not one of them.

I'd done plenty of weird, absurd things over the years as an assistant for Tony Stark, but none of them had ever been quite as glamorous as this.

A few weeks ago, the Avengers had saved New York (and the rest of the world) from an alien invasion. Despite their best efforts, damage and casualties had still been high. As part of a continued effort to help, Tony had decided to host a fundraiser to for relief and rebuilding. As a member of his staff, he'd asked me to attend. I'd agreed without thinking much about it, and now I was here. Standing behind Captain America. Watching him spill salad dressing on his shirt.

I tried not to stare as I added a roll to my own plate and shuffled down the line. Tony threw out the name "Steve Rogers" casually all the time, but for some reason I'd never considered that I might be in the same room as him, let alone the same buffet line.

I watched out of the corner of my eye as we moved down the buffet line together. He put some pasta on his plate, apparently not noticing the balsamic dressing stain on his white button-down, then paused and stared at the other entrées and the long table of deserts. He started reaching for something, then stopped and pulled his hand back. He leaned forward slightly and squinted at one of the placards explaining the dish, and I noticed a blush on his neck.

I hesitated for a few seconds, debating whether to leave him be and then gathering up my courage when I decided against it. Finally, I took a deep breath, leaned forward, and tapped him lightly on the shoulder.

He jumped, then whirled around to face me. I almost had a heart attack as soon as he looked at me, but I forced myself to stay calm.

"Sorry to bother you, I just..." I cleared my throat. "Do you want a little help?"

Captain America hesitated, then let out a big sigh.

"Please, if you don't mind. Everything here is so much more complicated than in the forties, especially compared to what I could afford to be a part of. I feel like I don't even know what half this stuff is."

I gave him a friendly smile. "If it makes you feel better, it's not just you. Some of this stuff is stupidly weird and obscure."

He smiled back, and the last of the tension I'd been feeling finally faded away. I pointed out the highlights, explaining the dishes with some of the stupider, more complicated names, and it didn't take long before the Captain and I both had plates full of food.

"Thank you so much for all your help," he said, giving me a sheepish smile.

"No problem. I'm just glad I was able to do something. I swear, sometimes I don't even know what half these dishes are."

We shared a laugh, but as soon as it faded, I started to feel incredibly awkward. I shifted from side to side on my feet, moving the plate around in my hand.