Hello Captain (Steve Rogers)

Guy Talk

Steve's POV

Sarah and I pulled up in front of Clint and Natasha's apartment building just as they were coming outside. I leaned over and gave Sarah a quick kiss before she got out of the car. "See you tonight. Have fun."

"Bye. Don't drink Clint under the table."

"No promises. He still thinks it's possible to get me drunk."

Sarah laughed as she got out and walked over to Natasha's SUV. Clint hopped in the passenger seat and shut the door. I pulled back out onto the street and headed for our favorite local bar. The selection was decent and no one really ever bothered us when we were there to unwind. We drove in silence; Clint didn't feel the need to fill the quiet and I liked the music that was playing on the radio.

We got our drinks and found a quiet, out of the way booth to sit and talk.

"So what's on your mind, Steve?" Clint asked, taking a pull of his beer.

"Is it that obvious?"

"You've been out of sorts all day. Everything okay with you and Sarah?"

I nodded and smiled. "Yeah. We're good. I like being with her – she makes me happy. I know that word is completely inadequate but I don't know how else to say it." I ran my hand through my hair in frustration. "It's just that we've been dating for a while now and things are starting to get more...serious." I took a long drink of my beer before I continued. "I kinda feel like she wants to take it to the next step and to be honest, that terrifies me."

Clint studied me for a moment. "Are you concerned just because you're so strong? Are you afraid you're going to hurt her?"

I didn't want to think about hurting her, but I was strong enough that I could easily if I wasn't paying attention. "Something like that. I know it's a possibility," I allowed. Clint waited for me to continue, and I struggled for words, not really comfortable talking about this subject. "It's mostly that we stay together every night we're both in town, and while I've been able to hold back for now, she's quite determined to be more intimate than we have been."

"Hold that thought," Clint said, holding up a hand. "I need a couple more beers if we're having this talk tonight." He drained his bottle and sat it back on the table with a firm click. I signaled for another round and the waitress brought them over quickly, trying to flirt with me. I ignored her and watched as she gave Clint an appreciative once over before going away.

"You didn't even look at her, did you?" Clint asked, smirking at me.

"Who? The waitress?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes the waitress! She was practically throwing herself at you."

I shrugged. "I've got Sarah, and I don't really care for that kind of boldness. It's a turn-off to me."

"How did Sarah catch your attention - Nat said something about falling for you?"

I smiled as I thought about the first time I'd met Sarah; it seemed like such a long time ago now. "She tripped over me in the hallway right after she'd moved in. I'd crouched to pick up my keys and she didn't see me. We talked briefly and then I showed her where the workout room is at our apartment building."

"Seriously? Just like that," he snapped his fingers, "you were interested in her?"

"She tells the story better than I do. I spent the first week doing everything possible to avoid her, if you want the truth." Clint laughed, slapping his hand on the table. I waited until he finally quit laughing to continue. "And then she showed up at Shield that next week - the first day you met her." I took a drink before saying something I'd never said out loud before. "It was then that I realized that since she was with Shield, I could get to know her without having to lie to her."