The Misadventures of the Avengers [HIGH SCHOOL AU]

Eight

Chapter Eight

The first thing we needed to do was find out who were the people behind Hydra. But Clint had other plans.

"We're always acting like cops!" he whined, as the five of us walked home that day. "I want to have fun. This is high school."

"Well, what did you have in mind?" Bruce asked, kicking on a small pebble.

"Hm, there's this shooting area near my place – "

"We are not going to shoot arrows for fun," Tony grumbled.

"It's not our fault you have terrible aim," teased Natasha.

"Why don't we just get our job done?" I suggested. "Evil never sleeps."

"Whatever. I'm asking Pepper out on a date this Friday night," Tony whipped out his phone, and suddenly Clint had an idea.

"Oh! Why don't we go to the amusement park this Friday night with dates!" he suggested enthusiastically.

"You up for it, Bruce?" Natasha nudged the boy on the arm, making him smile bashfully and adjust his glasses.

"Well, if you are, then let's go," he shrugged. Clint appeared between them and put his around each of their shoulders.

"Yay! Hey, Steve, you can bring Peggy!"

"Huh?" I looked up. "Oh, uh. Yeah, sure. It's just that..."

"Just that what?" Clint raised his brow in suspicion.

Tony's eyes lit up in recognition. "I know what! Little Stevey is afraid to ask her out."

Clint and Tony burst in laughter, Natasha and Bruce trying to hide their smiles. I just looked down, my cheeks reddening in embarrassment. Truth was, it wasn't that I was afraid, but I've never asked a girl out on a date before.

When I voiced it out, I swore Tony almost died laughing. "You never asked a girl on a date before? You're such a grandpa!"

I rolled my eyes. "Yeah? At least I haven't been turned down by one."

Clint shouted 'buuuuuuuuuurn' while Tony just let out an angry huff.

We kept on talking about the upcoming Friday night, with me worrying about how to ask Peggy out. Clint sounded so sure he could bring a date by then, 'what with his charm and all.'

They dropped me off at the orphanage and bid me farewell. Natasha took me by the arm and said, "Ask. Peggy. To the park."

"I – Can I, really?"

"You really don't see it, huh? The way she looks at you isn't the same way she looks at other guys," she said, and I froze in the steps. She walked away with the guys, and I wondered if what she said was true, or if it was just some sort of plan to get me to ask Peggy.

I went inside for dinner with the Howling Commandos, and immediately went to sleep to make up for last night, a certain brunette on my head.

+

The next day, I found Peggy in her locker. What made me think twice about my plan about being straightforward was that Hodge was leaning against the locker beside her, seeming to be flirting. I was too far to see them, and Peggy's back was on me, so I didn't know what was happening. I felt my heart drop.

But then, in a twist of fate, Peggy turned to Hodge and punched him in the jaw, making him fall to the floor. Everyone around to notice laughed. Peggy only shut her locker and walked past him like nothing happened.