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Steve has always been fascinated with wild girls. Back in his time, they were the girls that dared to show a little more skin than others and wear bold red lipstick. The girls who would dance like nobody was watching, with or without a partner. They would joke around and flirt and not have a care in the world. They looked so happy and at ease with life. Steve thought his fascination was rooted in jealousy. He wanted to be carefree and happy.
But he always had something to worry about. His health. His family. Bucky. The war.
These girls probably had a lot of problems, too but they always managed to smile. They found a way to have fun despite the world crashing and burning around them. And Steve wanted that, too. But if he couldn’t get that, maybe he could get with a girl that has all of that. And maybe she’ll share her secrets with him.
Now wild girls dance on tables in bars with whomever they want and dress however they please. They are loud without being apologetic. They take up space and voice their opinions. Laugh with their entire body. And they don’t worry about what people think of them. They drink as much as they want without caring about the next day.
Now he has no one to worry about, he could take care of himself and the war was over. There was no alien invasion, no crazy guy wanting to take over the world. Still, Steve couldn’t relax for a second. He was always worrying. Always thinking about what was he going to do next and about what others were thinking of him.
Even now, alone in a bar, he was watching other people having fun. Because the voice in his head wouldn’t shut up.
So he gave up. Decided to just have something to drink and watch other people have fun. His attention was on a girl with a pink pixie cut and cargo pants dancing in the middle of a circle when he got hit.
It hurt so bad Steve felt like he got shot for a second, but at a closer inspection, it was just a boot.
“Oh my God, I’m so sorry!” yelled a girl approaching him.
She jumped on one foot until she reached him, still apologizing.
“I was aiming for another guy, I’m so sorry,” she turned around to this guy who wasn’t far away from Steve. “Fuck off! She said she’s not interested!” she took off the other shoe and this time she hit her target.
The guy left.
“He was bugging my friend and wouldn’t leave. Did I hit you hard? Does it hurt?”
The girl dusted his arm where the boot hit him.
“Wow, you’re really big. How much can you lift?” she asked squeezing his bicep.
Steve realized this girl asked him three questions already and he didn’t even get to open his mouth.
“It doesn’t hurt. I’m fine.”
It looked like she finally realized that her hand was still on his arm. She took it off quickly and shoved it in her pocket.
“Let me at least make it up to you. Can I buy you a drink?”
The girl looked like she already had one too many drinks. Her face was a little flushed, her clothes a bit of a mess.
“I don’t think you should keep drinking,” the words slipped out of his mouth.
He didn’t mean to say that out loud, but it was too late. The girl didn’t seem offended though, she just laughed.
“You’re right. How about coffee? Or even better, ice cream?”
“Now?”
She nodded. It was past midnight already but Steve didn’t have anything to do tomorrow unless another supervillain attacks Earth. He finished his drink quickly as the girl was putting her boots back on and they left together.
The girl claimed she knew the best place to get ice cream and it wasn’t far away from there. So Steve left his car in the parking lot with the intent of taking it later.
“Sorry, I can’t remember your name,” the girl said as she was typing something on her phone.
“I don’t think I’ve told you my name.”
Steve was a little surprised. This girl seemed to really not know who he was. Maybe she was just too drunk to realize or maybe she really had no idea about superheroes.
“It’s Steve. What’s yours?”
“Figured you’d be a Steve. You look like a Steve,” she laughed a little. “Y/N”
It took a few seconds to realize the last word she said was her named. She stumbled when she said it. Steve wondered how much she actually had to drink.
“Here it is, this is the place.”
It really wasn’t that far away. They would’ve gotten there even faster if Y/N wasn’t dragging her feet. It was probably because of those enormous boots. They looked heavy. Steve was mentally prepared to carry her in his arms back to his car, just in case.
She let Steve order for both of them.
“Surprise me,” she said. “I’m not really allowed in the store anymore.”
She let out a forced laugh as she plopped herself on the side of the road, it seemed like she didn’t want to elaborate on that story. Steve got two vanillas and a water bottle.
“I was so sure you were gonna get vanilla.”
“If you know me so well, why didn’t you ask for something else?”
She shrugged. The girls tried to get the ice cream from Steve’s hands, but he dodged.
“Water first.”
She made a face but drank the water. “Better?”
After drinking the water and eating the ice cream Y/N seemed better. More alive, less on the verge of passing out. She told Steve about how her friend got dumped and they went out to make her feel better. She told him the story about the creepy guy she threw the boot at and apologized again for hitting him.
After what felt like ten minutes but was probably an hour, Steve realized something. All this time no doubts crossed his mind. The voices in his head were quiet for a change.
No ‘what does she think of me?’ No ‘am I talking too much or revealing too many details?’No ‘does she secretly wants to get rid of me?’
He was simply having a good time and listening to her. Maybe it was something about her voice that soothed his worries, or the fact that she seemed like the kind of person who says exactly what they’re thinking. No pretenses. For the first time in his life, he was spending time with a beautiful woman and his mind wasn’t drowning in doubts.
“Isn’t your friend mad at you for leaving her?”
“The party was almost over anyway. She texted me that she just got home-” Her face suddenly changed. “wait… If she got home, then who’s driving me?”
“I can- I can drive you. You wanna go home now?”
She smiled and licked some ice cream off her fingers.
“I guess it’s getting kinda late,” she said as she got up. “Do you have like, a girlfriend waiting for you home?”
Was she asking this question to make conversation or was she making a move on him? Or was she still so drunk she couldn’t tell the difference?
“No girlfriend. Maybe a friend who’s probably wondering what am I doing for so long at the bar.”
“Are they like a really, really good friend?”
She was making a move. And as pretty and funny as she seemed, Steve knew he had to turn her down. Because she wasn’t in her right mind. Hell, maybe if she wasn’t drunk she wouldn’t have given him the time of the day anyway.
Oops, there they are. The doubts. Steve didn't miss them.
“Let’s go, my car is that way.”
They walked back to the car, slowly. Steve noticed Y\N wincing in pain from time to time. She let out a sigh of relief when she sat down in the seat next to him.
“If your feet hurt, you can take your shoes off. I don’t mind.”
“They make for great weapons against weird guys, but they’re so heavy!” the girl complained emphasizing every word. “They don’t make good shoes for women.”
Then she went on a pretty long tirade about shoes and how she never finds ones that are comfortable and fit her well. She would only stop occasionally to give him directions.
“So, what were you doing at the bar? Got stood up?” she winced. “Sorry, too forward? People tell me that I have no filter and I need to work on that. It’s just that I watched you sitting there all night looking kinda sad…”
“No, I like forward. It’s just… you’re gonna think it’s weird.”
The girl smiled at him. Steve’s heart fluttered.
“Weirder than you driving home the girl who hit you with a boot? Go left here.”
“I like sitting in crowded places and watching people having fun. Just… observing them. It’s relaxing.”
Y/N didn’t say anything for a while after that. Steve’s mind started racing with questions once again. What should I say? Does she think I’m super weird now? Should I change the subject?
“So, you were watching me tonight?”
“Yeah, I like watching cute guys who are really sad.”
She took another sip of her wattle bottle.
“I’m not that sad.”
“Could’ve fooled me- Oh, go this way.”
Steve took a turn and they stayed in silence for a while. Gears were turning in his head. He liked to watch other people live their lives, but he never thought he’d be watched too. She saw that he was sad and brightened his night.
Wait a minute-
“This is my place.”
Steve stopped the car which made an unbearable noise in return.
“Thanks for giving me a ride. I owe you.”
“Y/N,” Steve bit on his bottom lip, scared to ask. “Did you throw your boot at me intentionally, to get my attention?”
The girl was already with one foot outside the car. She froze.
“Busted,” she whispered turning around with a sheepish smile on her face. “Are you mad at me now?”
Steve thought about the situation for a second and found himself laughing. “You didn’t have to throw that hard.”
“Sorry.”
“I’m not mad at you. It was the most fun I’ve had in a long time and I’m glad I got to meet you.”
“So this is goodnight, then.”
“I guess it is.”
The girl got out of the car and leaned in one last time. Steve held his breath for a second thinking she was gonna kiss him. But she just gave him a quick peck on the cheek then rushed to the house. She didn’t give him time to say anything after that. Maybe it was so he won’t get the wrong idea. It was just her way of saying goodbye after a fun night. At least he hoped she has fun.
Maybe he should’ve asked for her number. He thought about it but he was too scared. He wasn't scared of her refusing, no. He was scared of her saying yes. What if they meet some other day when she’s sober and there’s nothing there? They’d just sit there in awkward silence, no chemistry, nothing in common.
Steve drove robotically back home, barely hearing the GPS over his own thoughts. What ifs plagued his mind. He reached for his phone to check for the time and realized it wasn’t in either of his pockets. He searched under the car seat. Nothing. He looked at the passenger seat. Were those… Y/N shoes?
Would she leave them here on purpose so he’ll swing by her place tomorrow to retrieve them?
“Of course she would.”