Between Entrance and Exit: An Avengers Fanfiction

Chapter 6: Trompe-l'œil

Heat flooded my body. This was definitely flirting. It was happening. Don't screw it up, don't say something stupid, don't be an idiot. I was so flustered that my mind went blank and I couldn't come up with anything else witty to say.

"Is this a real date?" I blurted out like a moron.

He laughed out loud. "Yes, it's a real date."

I sat stunned. He was serious.

"If you want it to be a date," he added.

"I mean, yeah I want it to be a date. I just thought you weren't... I thought I was too...er...But, like, you want to...take me on a real date?"

"Siri," he said seriously. "Of course I want to take you on a real date."

I melted. Steve Rodgers, freaking Captain America, super soldier wanted to take me on a date. Me. Siri Eisen from Aspen Colorado.

"I'm sorry I didn't make my intentions clearerr," he said when I didn't answer. "I didn't think I was being very subtle. I'm not the sort of guy to string someone along on purpose."

"Your intentions?" I felt my eyebrows rise like hot air balloons.

He sighed. "Let's talk about this in person, if you don't mind."

"Yeah, sure," I breathed.

"How's Wednesday night sound?"

"Great."

"Swell."

I laughed. It was somewhat of an inside joke for him to intentionally use dated words. I had made fun of him once when he said golly.

"Can't wait," I said.

"Night, doll."

After I hung up, I stood frozen, staring at myself in the mirror, still in my 40's costume for a good long minute, trying to unpack and digest what just happened. He had intentions. Date intentions. Steve Rodgers liked me. Likey-liked me.

All that time, I thought he was zoning me, but he had been actually interested. I had wasted so much time wishing for something that I already had. Wasted so much time trying to keep my eyes and hands and brain off him. I blushed furiously thinking about how much time we had alone in that room, grappling.

He had been so...gentlemanly. I never got any vibes that he was interested in anything more than friendship, even when I was litterally sitting on his chest drilling armbars.

He'd said that he hadn't been subtle. It was the time difference, I realized. We came from completely different cultures, he from the '40s. There was going to be a lot of room for error in reading each other's intentions. Direct, open communication was going to be very important if we were going to understand each other.

It was torture, not getting to see Steve, not getting to clear the air completely, until Wednesday night. I didn't fall asleep for a long time, and when I woke up in the morning, it was all I could think about. I burnt my toast and had to start over twice, and almost forgot that I had to find my own way to Stark Tower.

I arrived after 10, and when I got to the ground floor lobby, the public entrance, I had no idea where I was supposed to meet Fury, or even what time I was supposed to arrive. I had forgotten to confirm details with Steve.

Of course, the man at the desk didn't know who I was, and was completely unhelpful. He barely looked up from his computer screen. Irritation bloomed in me. Why wasn't my name on that list? If Fury wanted me to be here, why wasn't I allowed in? This was ridiculous.

I couldn't tell him I was a S.H.I.L.E.D. agent because I wasn't. I couldn't just start talking about the scepter. The guy behind the desk ignored my requests to call Mr. Stark, and I was just about to give up in a huff and give myself another day off when two men in lab coats stepped up to the counter next to me.