Little Star // a Steve Rogers, Captain America, Avengers story

Brunch Bunch

Wondering if this was what 'swooning' felt like, Ellie closed up the house for the night and made her way upstairs. Thinking a bath might help her relax enough for bed, she poured in lavender salts and set the tap running. Suddenly she remembered that tomorrow was Sunday.

She sent a text to the number, or whatever it was, that Steve had used to call her earlier that day. "How about Sunday brunch? Meet me here at 10:30."

With the phone safe on the shelf next to the tub, she lowered herself into the fragrant water, sliding as far down in the tub as she could. 

Her phone rang.

"Seriously?" she said to the room at large, before drying her hand and swiping to answer.

"Hello?"

"Ellie. It's Steve."

"Hi Steve. Thank you for such a pleasant evening."

"You're welcome. I would love to join you tomorrow morning, but I have a slight problem."

"What's that?"

'I'm not sure I have appropriate clothes. I didn't even bring a change of slacks."

"Khakis are fine. You'll want something more than that t-shirt, though." She remembered how it had hugged every muscle, almost like he was wearing nothing at all. "Maybe a button-down shirt or a sweater?"

"My host and I don't really wear the same size, but I imagine I could dig up a sweater that would do. Um... you sound a bit strange. Is it my phone?"

"No, I don't think it's on your end. I'm in the bath."

"Oh, well, I'll let you get back to... to... I'll see you in the morning, Ellie, good night."

"Good night, Steve."

She was pretty sure that she had just heard the sound of blushing.

~

Ellie was prepared for the knock the next morning, and answered it fully clothed and ready to go.

"Good morning, Steve, how are..."

She stopped talking as she looked down from his face to his chest. He was wearing a red sweater with an image of Tony Stark's arc reactor knit into the pattern. It was subtle, the same color as the rest of the sweater, but unmistakable. And the sweater was almost as tight as the t-shirt had been. She burst into laughter.

"Steve, that is the best sweater ever... mostly because it's on you. Wait, are you staying with Tony Stark? Tony Stark has a house around here?"

"Shall I explain while we walk?"

She slipped a cardigan over her dress, put the key in a flowerpot under the front window, and they were off.

"Tony has property all over the world; he's only visited this location a few times. I'm lucky that he happens to have a place here, because it'll be much easier than staying in a hotel when I visit you. That just attracts more attention."

"You think you might visit again?"

"I'd like to."

He took her hand and they continued down the street in the dappled morning light.

~

Ellie groaned inwardly as they passed a large grey stone church just as the parishioners were exiting. A round little middle aged man and his tall angular wife approached them right away. Mayor and Mrs. Jenkins invited the couple to join them at the Silver Queen Inn for brunch. It was an invitation Steve couldn't comfortably refuse, as much as they would have preferred a quiet meal alone.

Eleanor West, Janice Jenkins best friend and wife of a highly respected judge lost in the Snap, joined them, as well as Principal Webber. Ellie was struck by Steve's easygoing charm and his sincere interest in the stories told and questions asked. She thought he seemed tired, but happy, and from time to time when he glanced her way, she made sure to have a smile just for him.

Excusing herself to use the powder room as the meal ended, she wondered who would follow. Because of course they would. She was washing her hands when Janice and Eleanor came through the door. They had dragged her name through the mud with a vengeance ten years earlier. Now, in public, they were friendly. It was time to see how they would treat her in private.

"Ellie, darling," cooed Janice, "this is quite a surprise. I thought Captain America didn't do dates and girlfriends. How'd you manage to catch him?"

"I didn't manage anything, or catch anyone, Janice. We met when he came to visit the school and we had dinner last night. I wouldn't presume to speak for Captain Rogers about his personal life, but you could ask him yourself about 'doing' dates and girlfriends."

"But dearie, you haven't been on a date in years," Eleanor's whiskey and cigarettes voice grated. "Are you, well, back to your old self?"

"My old self? Eleanor, I'd like to think I've always been my same self. Now if you'll excuse me, Steve is waiting."

He knew right away that it was time to leave as she approached the table, shaking slightly.

"I can't thank you enough for the warm welcome your town has shown me. I need to get Miss Morris home so I can get back to work. We have a few pressing engagements coming up.

"I hope to be spending more time here in the future, and I'd like to be treated like any other visitor to your town, at least as much as possible. I also hope Miss Morris' privacy will be respected. Mayor, can I count on you and your lovely wife to encourage the community to make this happen?"

Janice Jenkins had just enough decency to blush and look at her feet as her husband said, "Of course, Captain Rogers. We're honored to have you visiting our town, and Miss Morris will be treated with all due respect."

"Thank you, Mayor." 

Ellie, standing at Steve's side, turned to the mayor and his wife.

"Yes, thank you Mayor Jenkins. And thank you Janice, for your concern. I won't forget the words you had for me just now."

Steve shook hands and made his goodbyes, then lead them out of the building and down the street towards home.

"What did she say to you? I don't have to have a degree in psychology to know that woman upset you. A lot."

"She brought up some questionable decisions I made as a young woman. Over the past ten years I've managed to mitigate the stigma of a bad reputation, but people never really forget, do they?

"Bad reputation? What kind of bad reputation?"

"Exactly the kind you'd imagine." 

She pulled her hand out from his arm and walked ahead, wanting to avoid that conversation as long as possible. His long stride brought him immediately back to her side. As he put his hand on her shoulder to slow her down, she suddenly took notice of the house they were passing and stopped dead in her tracks