Avengers RP Lost Souls Brought by Forgotten Memories - ABANDONED

"It's not a problem." J.J winked at him. "Let me grab my tablet, and change out of this. Then we'll go outside. I'll leave a note for Buck too, just in case we don't make it inside when dawn cracks." He paused and then gently said, "Even though I do say all of that, if you ever...I don't know...wanted to rant to me about your nightmare or vent about whatever's on your mind, I'll listen. I can't offer the best advice, but it's better than holding it in."
~
"I'd like that a lot," Wanda smiled warmly at Vision. "I do enjoy your company Vision, you're always welcome to talk to me or stay with me."

"I understand, and I appreciate it," Pietro nodded and moved away from the railing, "I'll head out there and get a fire started. You like adventuring, right? Enjoy walking out there to find me," he grinned, "I know you're supposed to be watched most of the time, but I know you won't go anywhere," he winked at her and then disappeared.

~

"May I?" Vision put his hand on her waist to signal he wanted to pick her up, and at her nod he floated around and lifted her into the air. Sliding his hands around, he got behind her and sat down in her previous spot with her curled in his lap, and he used his cape to cover her like a blanket even though she was wearing a PJ set. "If you fall asleep, I can take you back to your room," he assured in a soft whisper.

J.J tossed his head back and laughed as he watched the blur disappear. "Okay." He said to the empty room as he left to get changed. He was getting bored of the he/his pronouns, so...he'll let Bucky know if he was still up that he was done while he was getting the stuff.

Speaking of a campfire, he might as well bring marshmallows.
~
Wanda leaned against Vision and nodded her head with consent. He was warm for someone who was a robot, thanks to the machine that they had used to save Pietro and to create Vision. She was glad that he was created, and that he was better than Ultron. His mind was complex, and was vast with knowledge. It wasn't anything she's ever seen before...and the kindness and compassion was genuine rather than program.

He was a sweet man and she felt safe with him.
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Friday night was upon Kerica faster than she had believed. Usually with anticipation it usually takes forever for the event to actually happen. Nat was hooking her heart locket around her neck for her and J.J. was perched on her bed, "I can't believe this is actually happening."

"I didn't think he'd /ever/ ask you out," Natasha agreed with a laugh and she combed her fingers through Kerica's soft, wavy chestnut brown hair before making her turn around, "You ready? He said he'd be waiting out front."

"You sure I don't look too fancy?" Kerica fingered the bracelet she'd crafted herself on her left wrist. She had on black slacks and a darker red, almost burgundy type shirt that had flowing bell sleeves and it had a wrap look to it, which made her cleavage for her 36D breasts stand out.

"Not at all. You look smoking hot, now you just gotta walk confidently. Cap likes confident and strong women," Nat patted her back, "Let's go, J.J!"

J.J jumped off of the bed and gave Kerica a wink. "Amuse-toi!" Have fun She told Kerica as she started walking out of the room. "Just think good things, don't be nervous. I'll go annoy Bucky that his friend has a date but he doesn't." She waved. "We'll want details when you come back."

"I'm sure you will," Kerica giggled and once J.J. parted ways with them, Nat decided to do the same. Leaving her by herself to go meet with Steve by the entrance. She took deep breaths and knew Nat was just going to find a secret place to watch Steve's reaction. Reaching the steps, she easily hopped down them, the black strapped heals she was wearing not even a hindrance to her walk. "Hey, Steve!" she greeted cheerily, "I'm ready to go. I hope I didn't take to long. Nat insisted on doing my makeup or I would've been out sooner."

She was gorgeous. He couldn't believe what he was seeing. It wasn't anything overly fancy, but she looked like a model at the very least. Her shirt was red and the black pants accented her hips perfectly. She didn't over-do it with jewlery and her make up..."You look breathtaking." He told her sincerely, with a smile. His own outfit was a little more simple. He was wearing slacks and a button down blue shirt tucked in, the sleeves rolled up a little, showing his forearms. "I hope I look good next to you."

"You really do know how to flatter a lady," Kerica smiled and reached out to take his arm, "I am enjoying how this as become a regular thing now. You opened the floodgates good sir, I hope you are aware of that," her smile morphed into a wide grin, "You always look stunning, by the way. You're the fabulous Captain America. I think it should be the other way around, and I have to worry about looking good next to you."

Steve laughed as he allowed her to take his arm. "I don't think you'll have to worry about that at all. You always look good." He assured her as they walked out. "Tony allowed me to borrow his car. I suggested my motorbike, but...Tony was insistent that I'd make a horrible impression on you if I did that." He glanced at her outfit. "Now that I see what you're wearing, I understand why he said it too." He noticed the bracelet on her wrist, but decided to save that conversation for the diner.

"I love motorcycles, but...yeah, that's better left for a warm night were a need for speed and the rush of wind would be more appreciated. As it were, my hair would just end up a tangled mess," Kerica laughed, "I know how to ride a motorcycle, too, I just don't own one. It's hard to find a bike I can fit on, since I'm so tiny."

"If you let Tony know, it'll give him something more to work on." Steve agreed and walked her over to her side of the car, opening the door and letting her in before shutting it and going around his side. "You said you were a simple girl, but I wanted to go a little crazy and compromised on a restaurant. Decent prices, better food rather than a diner. I hope you don't mind the change in plans?"

"Wherever you want to go, Cap," she gave him a mock solute before laughing and getting buckled, "I really don't mind unless it's super fancy. I'm dressed nice but I'm anything but rich."

Steve shook his head, "No it's nothing incredibly fancy." he told her as he buckled himself and started driving. "Believe me, it took me forever to shoot down all of Stark's ideas. It's a regular restaurant, nothing too outlandish. Even I get uncomfortable with the money Tony throws around sometimes."

"That's another thing we have in common then," she winked at him, and she snuggled down into the seat, "Could we turn on the radio and listen to music on the way there? Do you like 104.7?"

"Sure," Steve said and watched as Kerica turned on the radio. Even though the stations and the music were different, he did enjoy it. He liked writing down what songs were good so that he could put them on his own Ipod. Who would have thought that record players would've been portable?

~*~

They got to the restaurant and once they got out, when Steve offered his arm she bypassed it, instead snuggling under it against his side, arm around his waist and she hummed, "Who needs a jacket when I could just wear you?" She paused and then snorted and covered her mouth, "Oh god, I'm so sorry, that was such a horrible pick up line I'm embarrassed at myself."

Steve laughed as he wrapped his arm around her shoulder, "And here I thought I was the one hanging out with Stark too much. That sounds like something he'd say, or Natasha for that matter." He shook his head. "I don't mind." He liked having her snuggled against his side, while she was very capable of protecting herself, it made him feel like he could protect her. They went inside where it was dimmed lights and nice soft music as they went up to the host stand. They were sat immediately, most likely because the host recognized Steve. Using one hand, as the other was busy holding on to her, he pulled out the chair for Kerica and then went to his side.

The loss of warmth was noticeable and she shivered a bit before she picked up her menu. When asked what drink she wanted she looked at what was available before saying, "Root Beer sounds awesome right now, thank you."

"Just a water for me, thanks." Steve smiled at the waitress and she disappeared. He swallowed a little, thinking about what to talk about, and sadly the only thing that came to mind was the bracelet on her wrist. "You craft leather?" He asked curiously. "I couldn't help but to notice your bracelet is my symbol."

"I prefer bead-working than anything else, really," Kerica brought her hand up and placed it over the table so he could look at it closer, "I whipped this up this a couple years ago with things I found during 4th of July, before I joined S.H.I.E.L.D. and I wore it every day before then, even to my interview with Fury, but I didn't want it to get damaged by work so I usually keep it in my room. It's kind of..." her cheeks darkened, "...become a sort of comfort item. I rub the star like one would their pen during work."

"Bead work?" Steve questioned. "You'll have to show me what kind of beading you do sometime. I could show you some of my sketchbooks. Not that you haven't seen any of them...have you?" He found it flattering that it was like a comfort item to her.

"No, I haven't. I've caught you doodling in your little notebook, but I've never actually looked at any of your drawings," she went back to looking at her menu for a minute, "I make beaded bracelets and necklaces, but I've been practicing in making earrings lately. They're a bit tricky, and it's a pain in the ass coming across sterling silver or gold to work with. I can't wear stainless steel because it's usually coated in nickle. I didn't bead a whole lot when I was younger, but my grandmother - on my dad's side - let me have her beading collection because her arthritis makes it difficult to craft."

"I'll make sure that next time I bring out one of my books, I'll let you see." Steve smiled a little, happy to be learning more about her. "Your grandmother must be really pleased to know that her craft was passed down to you." He would have to keep in mind that she was allergic to nickle and be careful of stainless steel if he was going to get her anything in that department.

"Yeah, she really enjoys my work. I use it as a way to get a little extra cash between paydays, selling to people around the facility or on etsy.com, which is a site where people post the things they've made," she was torn between two different meals and kept flipping between pages, "How well do they follow your instructions when they cook steak here? Like...if you say medium rare it doesn't come out well done? Happened to me at Outback and I hated it."

"They're pretty good with the steaks," Steve nodded his head as he glanced back at the menu. "They wait until you cut into it to make sure it's cooked properly. Very rarely it's not."

"Awesome, because the juicier the better. I find well done to be too chewy." she explained, finally settling on the one she wanted just as they received their drinks, "Do you drink soda at all?" she decided to ask.

"Sometimes." Steve answered and turned to the waitress who had asked if they were ready to order. He ordered 2 steaks, both medium rare and gave his two sides. "I enjoy Dr. Pepper. The cherry flavor's pretty good."

"Hell yeah! Cherry Dr. Pepper for the win," Kerica made a triumphant fist by her side, and then blushed before looking at the waitress. she told her which one she wanted before adding, "I don't know if you guys pepper your steak, I know some places do, some don't, but could you add a note 'no pepper'? I'm alergic and I don't want any mishaps, you know?"

"Oh, sure, no problem!" she nodded and jotted it down. After making sure that would be all, mainly asking Steve, she left with almost a pout on her face.

"She was attempting to flirt with you, you know that, right? Pretty sure she gave me the stink-eye, too," Kerica rolled her eyes and sipped her soda.

Steve wasn't oblivious. He knew that the waitress was trying. "I'm a little more than captivated by the person sitting across from me." He told her easily as he sipped on his water. "I didn't know you were allergic to pepper. Is there anything else you're allergic to? Just in case something happens?"

"Tomatoes and pineapple," Kerica explained, "It's the citric acid, all three of those things make my throat close up. I used to not be able to eat oranges at all, or at least could only have a couple slices. Still can't drink apple juice or orange juice. Please don't ask why I can have ketchup and tomato soup," she knew he'd seen her eat those two things before, "The basic answer is that they're processed differently. I've argued with people over it before."

"It makes sense. I'll keep you away from all that." Steve nodded his head. "I understand completely. I'm not allergic to anything...most likely from the serum, but I understand about the foods being processed differently."

She was relieved and set her soda down, leaning forward and lacing her fingers together, "I know you weren't around for the 90s, but a lot of the stuff from then is my childhood. I know you've been doing your best to catch up and research stuff, but I want to ask you if you've seen some movies yet."

"I have seen a lot of the movies. A few from the seventies, eighties..not many from the nineties." Steve nodded his head, mirroring her and also leaning forward. Not as much as she was, as her chest was spilling out of her shirt, but he kept his eyes focused on her face. He wasn't going to degrade a woman, not one he liked. "I seen more of the 200s."

"Have you seen Jarassic Park? TMNT...er...Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles?" Kerica smiled, "They're some of my favorites. There's also Back to the Future, ...I could find you a list online and print it out for you. That's an idea for a movie night, if you're interested."

"Back to the future I've seen and the Jarassic Park series." Steve nodded his head. "Not too much of a TMNT fan though, sorry." He shook his head. "Donnie Darko had been a trip I remember that movie. It was...a very weird movie, I don't think I understood half of what was going on. Have you seen any of the Mad Max movies? I hear those are supposed to be pretty good."

"No, I haven't, I don't even know what they're about," she shook her head, "Any other movie suggestions for me? Have you seen The Fifth Element or the Matrix?"

"Sure! The more the merrier!" Kerica agreed, eyes bright, "Any other questions for me?"

"Not that I can think of at the moment, do you have anything about me you want to know about me?" Steve asked curiously, tilting his head.

"If I think of any, I'll definitely let you know," she promised.

~*~

"When was the last time you relaxed and enjoyed the sunset?" Kerica asked, her head on Steve's arm as they were both leaning over the railing on a bridge in Central Park. She was pleasantly full from the steak dinner and then the ice cream sundae her and Steve had shared.

"It's been a while." Steve agreed as one of his arms folded over the railing. He was hestiant about bringing his arm around her waist, he didn't want to put too much on this. It was a first date and the last thing he wanted to do was make her uncomfortable. Taking a leap of faith, he moved his arm so that she was no longer leaning on it, instead was leaning up against his side and chest, his arm wrapped around her waist instead. Was it too much? "I'm used to relaxing during the sunrise. Wake up before the dawn, get a early morning head start, that kind of thing. Sunsets...I'm usually running around in the building not outside."

Kerica accepted it immediately and curled up closer to him, the night air causing her a chill and she was reminded of her comment on their way into the restaurant, wearing him as a jacket, "What's your favorite and most hated seasons? I love the Autumn, all the colors when the leaves change, and hate the Winter. Everything's so gloomy and dead and cold. I don't envy you going to /Russia/ of all places."

Steve laughed. "No, but that was for a mission. It was a freezing mountain and forest, it wasn't going to be any fun at all. Well, the fighting had been interesting. That's something I think you'd be upset to miss." He admitted to her. "Spring, Summer, Winter...was really bad for my health and since I came out from a frozen lake, even worse. I do like the autumn. It's one of my favorite seasons to draw and practice coloring when I'm in the mood for it."

Kerica's hand rubbed over Steve's on her waist in comfort, "Hey, we can bitch about Winter together then," she smiled, "When you decide to color your art, do you paint? used colored pencil? Chalk? What's your medium? My dad has a lot of my paintings hung up at home. I keep whatever I make there because after what happened to the Stark Tower, what, twice, and the original S.H.I.E.L.D. building, I'm kind of paranoid. So if you want to see my artwork you'll have to settle for digital photos on my phone or Facebook."

"Facebook," Steve raised an eyebrow at Kerica. "I didn't think you'd keep one if I'm honest. If you don't mind me scrolling through your phone sometime, I'd like that." Even though Tony camped out at the facility sometimes, he was mostly at his tower trying to rebuild it so that the avengers could come back. Tony had his doubts that everyone wanted to be at the S.H.I.E.L.D facility since there was more red tape and less freedom.

If anything could bother Tony it was the less freedom. Unless it was hacking, Steve was pretty sure Tony hacked all of the files already. His boredom knew no limits. "Colored pencil. Sometimes I paint, but I like pencils. It gives it a softer look and you can go harder on the edges. Of course that's just a preference."

"I need a new box set of pencils," Kerica mused as the last sliver of sunlight left and it was now getting bluer and darker before the moon would come out, "I do digital work on photoshop, too, and I like blending and shading and seeing what I can do differently between pencil and computer. I first learned photoshop on my school computer, and it was awesome. I was always coloring something. Did you know I hate black and white shows and movies because I despise the lack of color?"

"No," Steve shook his head, not at all surprised. Black and white had been what he grew up with and when colored started it was like a fucking miracle. The older movies that were colored probably were boring to the special effects of today as well. "It's not shocking, no one really has a penchant for them anymore, unless you're old and nostalgic, or have a thing for that kind of aesthetic. It's become a required taste, like coffee or wine."

"You make a good point," Kerica nodded. They stood there in silence for a little while, just watching the water. It was a comfortable companion-type quiet instead of feeling the need to fill the air with chatter. The wind blew by and she closed her eyes, tilted her head back and took a deep breath, "I love it when the air smells like flowers."

"It is soothing." Steve said, watching her. The sunset had died and the night was starting to rise. She looked gorgeous in the dying light, her hair catching the last hints of the sunrays and her face relaxed against the darkness. She was beautiful, and he was pleased to know that he was the only one so far who got to see her like this. Completely relaxed and vulnerable. He was kind of glad to do the same for her. "What's your favorite flower? Do you have one?"

"My favorite flower is the yellow rose," Kerica answered, "It means friendship. Pretty much the only yellow thing I like, really," she chuckled and looked up at him. His hair while more of a brown-blond, had turned golden in the sunset. His blue eyes shined and sparked, revealing so much and yet so little about what went on in his head, and his expression was soft. As it got darker, the lamps on either end of the bridge lit up and she had to blink rapidly to adjust to the change, "Shall we go home?"

"Sure," Steve responded and instead of offering his arm, he allowed her stay close to him like she had been, his arm wrapped around her shoulders as they walked slowly along the well-lit bridge. He would have to remember the yellow roses for another time.

He'd have to see more about the language of flowers as well.
~+~
It didn't take long to go back to the facility and Steve found himself a little disappointed to know that the date finally came to an end. He parked the car away, and opened the door for her. He gave her his arm and they walked, talking a little here and there with a smattering of conversation. They walked up to her room and Steve took a breath, "Wait." He said before she could open the door. "May I...is it okay if I kiss you goodnight?"

Kerica' heart lept into her throat and her eyes widened. A kiss. The First Avenger, Captain America, was asking if it was okay to kiss her. Biting her lip, she smiled through it and finally she nodded, "You don't have to ask to kiss me," she assured breathlessly, and watched how quickly his nervousness turned into relief and happiness.

Steve smiled warmly, "No, but I wanted to ask anyway." He moved forward and gently cupped her cheek with his hand. He watched her for a moment and then leaned down, kissing her gently against the lips. He could taste the the sweetness of the soda that she had earlier as well as ice cream that they had enjoyed. He didn't want this to be too deep, but he let it linger. He pulled away slowly, watching how her eyes were closed and how her face was stilled, completely absorbed by the kiss that he gave her. "Thank you," he said in a low voice. "For tonight. If it's okay, I'd like to have another date with you sometime."

Kerica put her hand over his until her heart no longer felt like it was going to burst from her rib cage, her lips still tingling from the action and she had to fight not to kiss him again. Oh, he was going to be a damn challenge. He was going the follow the 'no sex on the first date' rule like the blasted /gentleman/ he was. She was going to enjoy teasing him and trying to figure out his triggers and see how long it'd take for him to snap. If he would. He could be the 'no sex until marriage' type for all she knew, in which case she was /definitely/ out of luck. "I'd enjoy that...if there's a movie coming out soon you'd like to see, we could go to the cinema," she let out a slow breath and dropped her hand, reaching for the clip on her handbag where her keys were, "Goodnight, Steve. I enjoyed tonight, and you're welcome."

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