Chapter 10: I Can't Get Drunk
Tony disappeared off to his room while I ran off to my room to grab the scotch and cruisers. On the way, I bumped into Steve, who was looking pretty damn pissed off.
"Steve, hi!" I squeaked from the ground, having fallen on my butt after bumping into him.
"Oh, sorry ma'am." He offered me his hand and helped me up.
"It's okay, and please just call me Noel." I smiled. "Where are you headed?"
"To Fury's office, do you know where it is?" He asked,
"Yeah I do, but he's off on an errand. He probably won't be back until morning." I told him,
"That's too bad, I really needed to talk to him." Steve said frustratedly.
"Tony and I are hanging out in his room if you wanna come." I changed the subject, "There's gonna be drinks and food and yeah, mainly alcohol." I smiled.
"I can't get drunk." Steve replied,
"So? Doesn't mean you can't have fun, plus you can make sure we don't do anything stupid." I coaxed him into coming eventually and I ended up loading him up with the packs of raspberry cruisers and two massive bottles of scotch.
"Why do I have to carry everything?" Steve whined, scrunching his face up as well.
I smiled, "Because you're the one with all the muscles and super strength. And don't whine it's a terrible look for you."
I got a bit lost trying to find Tony's room but I found it with Steve's surprisingly good navigational skills and knocked a couple of times.
"Come in!" He called from behind the door. My hand was on the doorknob, twisting it.
"It's locked, you dumbass." I called back,
"Hey, no name calling or I won't let you in," He threatened,
"Jokes on you. I have the alcohol!" I exclaimed. The door unlocked not three seconds after I'd replied and he let us in.
"Why's Captain McFreeze here?" Tony asked.
"Because I invited him." I said simply. Steve didn't have any comment in relation to the other nick name but he placed the alcohol on the kitchenette counter and Tony practically leaped over the lounge chair to grab a bottle of scotch. I laughed at him and Steve rolled his eyes.
I cracked open a cruiser and made myself comfortable on the S.H.I.E.L.D standard issue, leather couch.
"Hey, aren't you nineteen?" Steve asked and I stopped sipping at the sweet drink.
"Yeah. What's your point?" I shrugged taking another swig.
"I'm pretty sure the legal age to start drinking is twenty-one." He said.
I looked down at my knees feeling guilty, usually, I would have downed a cruiser by now but for some reason, Steve made me want to be a good girl, to obey orders and not drink underage. But I didn't switch it for water, I kept drinking and ignored the guilt gnawing at me. I wanted to get drunk, I wanted to forgot about this colossal mess that Loki was causing.
Steve sat down with the other bottle of scotch and so commenced Tony and I trying to get drunk and Steve staying sober.
Two hours passed and it had hit eleven PM. I was mid-way through my second cruiser (you had to watch yourself with cruisers, they may seem like harmless fruit drinks but they were packed full of vodka and if you had more than three were you were pretty much in an alcohol black out -I speak from experience.) and Tony's bottle of scotch was long gone, he was on his forth cruiser and Steve was on his second, his bottle of scotch had been finished for about half an hour ago.
I giggled, feeling a little bit more than tipsy. "You know what would be funny?"
"The Hulk in lingerie?" Tony mused. I snorted and fell of the couch laughing.
"Yes!" I exclaimed, "But not what I was originally thinking."
"Were you thinking about me?" He asked, leaning down close to my face.
"Yes. But Steve too." I giggled, looking at him starry eyed.
"Oh, no. Sorry, I mean, I've done the twelve Victoria Secret calendar models -all at the same time. But with Steve, no way." Tony shook his head. "That's where I draw the line. No offence, Cap."
"I have no idea what you're talking about but, none taken." Steve replied, tipping his drink up in the air like a 'cheers' and then drinking.
"Wow, you really did them all?" I asked, fascinated.
"Yep." Tony said proudly, popping the 'p.'
I finished my second cruiser. "Anyway! Do you want to know what I think would be funny?"
"Out with it woman!" Tony ordered.
"If you guys switched suits. I mean, like, Steve in the Iron Man suit and then Tony in the Captain America suit. You guys would look hilarious!" I laughed. "And if the Captain America suit makes Steve's ass look that good then can you imagine what yours would look like, Tony?"
Steve shifted awkwardly while Tony suddenly got very serious, "I have been meaning to find some pants that would make my ass look good. You think the suit could work?"
"Hell yeah," I exclaimed and actually reached up and tapped his butt. "But if you just bought some tighter jeans that would do the trick too."
"Thanks for the tip." He cheers my empty bottle to his.
I smiled flirtatiously at Tony Stark for the second time that day, "No problem."
Eventually, at about twelve thirty, Tony passed out and I'd started to sober up a little. I drank heaps of water after my second cruiser and I could already feel the effects wearing off.
"You all good?" I asked Steve.
"Still sober." He smiled. "You?"
"Sobering up." I told him, pulling a blanket from the bed over a passed out Tony on the couch.
"You know, I like him better like this." Steve commented and I hit him playfully in the arm.
"That's mean. He's not that bad." I said, "He's good underneath all...that."
Steve chuckled, "You just pointed to all of him."
"You know what I mean." I protested,
Steve sighed, "Yeah, I know. He's exactly like Howard, sarcastic and mean on the outside, good on the inside...sometimes."
I laughed and looped my arm through his. "Walk me to my room, Mr. Rogers?"
Steve replied with a knee wobbling smile, "It would be my pleasure, Miss. Barton."
* * *
"I've never met a person like you." I smiled, my hand on the doorknob to my bedroom. I was late. Really late. The other members of the team had gone to sleep hours ago (and Tony had passed out), but Steve and I had stayed awake talking. He fascinated me, he had views on this world that I'd never heard before and they were surprisingly convincing.
"And I've never met a person like you." He smiled back. Steve had the best smiles. Ones that made me go weak at the knees and transformed his face into something otherworldly. Not even Thor could rival the power Steve had over me in this moment.
I managed to shake my speechlessness for a second to reply; "Well, obviously."
"What makes you say that?" Steve replied,
"I'm from a different time. I bet back in the 1940's women were proper. Didn't swear, didn't fight, didn't dress provocatively...didn't have tattoos, were skinny and classically beautiful. They didn't fail." I stared at my shoes. By now, I was listing off things I'd immediately thought of when I'd read Peggy Carter's file. I wasn't supposed to have read her file, but I wanted all the information on every Avenger.
I wanted to know them inside and out so nothing could surprise me. I wasn't the biggest fan of surprises.
"What are you talking about, Noel?" Steve frowned.
Without thinking, I blurted out her name, "Peggy Carter. What was she like?"
My eyes widened in realisation of what I'd just done, I covered my mouth in shock before I literally stumbled over myself apologising.
Steve stepped back a bit, staring down the hallway with a blank expression on his face.
"Oh God. Steve, I am so sorry. I'm so so so sorry." I reached out and touched his forearm. "Steve?" I pleaded. I wanted him to look at me.
Before I could blink he had me up against the wall, my arms pinned over my head. "Steve?"
"Stop apologising." He breathed. His breath smelt minty despite the fact we'd been having a few raspberry cruisers.
I couldn't help it. My heart started to flutter and my stomach did flips in nervousness. My lips parted to speak but before I had the chance to respond, Steve's face slowly and hesitantly moved towards mine.
I could feel his hands sweating and I resisted the urge to giggle. Even the Super Solider got nervous.
My eyes fluttered closed and I felt Steve's lips brush gently over mine. And just like that, there was a spark of something I'd never, ever felt before. A current of electricity was circuiting between the both of us.
I felt Steve release my hands and run his own down my arms until the finally rested on my hips. Steady and reassuring, yet they jittered as if he were freezing.
Somehow, my hands found their way into his short blonde hair. It was as smooth as it looked. I smiled against his lips as he slowly pulled away, but not removing his hands from my waist and suddenly I felt self conscious, his fingers made an L shape instead of a C when he held my waist. And that was enough to bring back the memories of seeing Peggy's pictures. She had been so thin, yet so curvy and perfect. And I so wasn't, I was chubby and squishy and was the very definition of 'imperfection.'
Obviously, those few drinks we'd had, had affected his judgment more than my own.
I felt self conscious enough to slink out of his arms and almost run toward the Tarmac of the hellicarrier. I grabbed an oxygen mask on the way out and placed it on my face.
What was I thinking? Steve Rogers could never feel that way about me. He was Steve Rogers. And he was still obviously in love with Peggy Carter.
Perfect Peggy Carter.
Who could measure up to her?
How could I ever measure up to her?
* * *
About half an hour later, I couldn't see out of my oxygen mask because it had fogged up and tears were leaking out of my eyes. I'd only ever felt this self conscious once in my life and that had been when my ex-boyfriend had dumped me ten minutes after we'd first done it.
I sat under a jet and I was considering just jumping in it and taking it out for a spin. I had my junior pilot licence, and if I got into trouble with Hill or Fury I could just lie and say I was using it for practice.
I could feel the tears drying on my face as I decided to get up and go inside the jet. It wasn't locked so I just walked in and sat at in pilot's seat.
And that's what I did for an hour. I just sat with my hands on the gear stick. I couldn't bring myself to start the engine.
"Noel?" I heard someone's voice off in the distance calling my name but I didn't answer. "Noel! I know you're out here!"
I heard footsteps on the floor of the jet and the back of the plane closed up. I took off my oxygen mask.
"Noel?"
I didn't reply.
"Noel are you alright?" Steve asked and then, after a minute he spoke again, "Did I do something wrong?"
My head snapped up, "No! My god, Steve, no. You could never do anything wrong." My voice was gruff and gravelly, like I'd been swallowing glass.
"Then what's wrong?" He asked, sitting in the co-pilot's chair.
"It's not you, trust me." I replied.
"Then tell me."
I hesitated before responding, I didn't want to bring up memories that would hurt him, "How do I measure up to her? I mean she was perfect and gorgeous and you're still in love with her, but you kissed me. Why? I'm nothing like Peggy." I whispered the last part.
It was quiet for a while, all I could hear was the wind outside and Steve's heavy breathing. Or maybe that was me...yeah, that was me.
"Noel." He broke the silence, "I may still feel something for Peggy but that doesn't mean I have to move on with another 'Peggy type.' Everyone's different. And I happen to like your differences a lot."
I blushed and admitted. "I kinda like you too."
* * *
Authors Note: OMFG GUYS! They kissed! :D what do you think!?
I'm so jealous of Noel right now, shes got Steve!
And if you're already stuffed with Steve and Noel I can tell you now that the next chapter is pretty much Steve/Noel central. I really need to come up with a couple name for theme....Neve? Stoel? Haha I don't know, if you guys have any ideas, feel free to share!
Before I go, thank you SO much for the 1,000 reads guys!!
Also, a big think you to Watson (my editor), she's so cool for putting up with my drafts :) and also a thank you to @SheGotSwag for being so nice and promoting my story in her 'all about me' thingy, you have no idea how much that means to me!!
Until the next chapter (which will be very soon considering its already half done)
*huggles* arielleblack