Steve Meets Angie's Brother
“He’s gonna go blind,” Angie said conversationally. “His eyes are gonna pop right out of his head.”
Next to her on the Martinelli’s couch, Peggy made a face. “I do hope not. Your mother would never forgive us for the mess.”
Steve Rogers looked more massive than ever, squeezed into a tiny armchair opposite Alex Martinelli. He smiled but squirmed as the twelve-year-old gaped at him.
Sighing, Angie turned to Peggy, who was closer to the males. “Peg, hit Alex for me.”
“No."
“Not hard. Just cuff him on the back of the head a little, snap him out of it.”
“I’m not striking your brother, Angie.”
“Fine,” Angie huffed, rising. “I’ll do it myself.”
Steve shook his head, held up a hand. “No, you don’t have to do that—”
Peggy’s response was more direct. She yanked Angie back down with one hand.
“Fine,” Angie repeated, shifting so she wasn’t half in Peg’s lap, where the landing had carried her. “Alex! Quit starin. It’s rude.”
“It’s okay,” Steve said. “He’s okay. Right, Alex?”
Alex blinked. Repeatedly. His mouth snapped closed, but he still wore a look of moderate shock. “Yeah, Captain Rogers. I mean, Captain America. Mr. Captain America.”
“Steve’s fine.”
“Yes sir. Steve.”
Angie rolled her eyes.
“I saw you at a USO show,” Alex’s voice rushed with excitement now that he wasn’t mute. “Angie took me. She wanted to be one of your dancers, but she didn’t make the cut.”
“Thanks for reminding me, Alex.”
“Darling,” Peggy murmured, running a soothing hand over Angie’s arm.
“What? I got robbed, I shoulda made it.”
“I know,” Peggy replied. “But of all those girls who did make it, how many of them have your kind of,” her eyes flicked to Alex, “relationship with Steve? I’d say you came out ahead, don’t you think?”
Angie brightened significantly at that.
“In Passaic,” Alex said as if there’d been no interruption. “You said you’d see me again, but I thought you said that to everybody. You remember?”
Peggy opened her mouth to remind Alex, very gently, that Steve met thousands of people on those tours, before Angie said the same thing in a more blunt manner, but Steve spoke first.
“That’s why Angie looked familiar to me,” he said, eyes and smile widening with realization. “You two have the same eyes.” He paused thinking, then smiled impossibly wider. “You were wearing a Dodgers cap.”
Alex looked like he might just pass out. “Yeah! And you asked me how I thought they’d do that year.” Alex got quiet for half a second, then jumped to his feet, running across the room. “We took a picture. I had it framed, saved up my allowance. You wanna see?”
As if he would ever say no. With Angie and Peggy watching, Captain America let himself be dragged away by a twelve-year-old boy.
“Well,” Angie said after a moment of silence. “Better give Mr. Fancy a jingle.”
Peggy frowned as Angie toed off her shoes, slumping into the couch. “Pardon?”
“To get whatever personal stuff we can’t live without from the house. Alex is never gonna let him leave now, and Steve’s too polite to say anything, so we’re just gonna have to live here while my little brother follows Steve around like a lost, annoying puppy.” Angie heaved a sigh, eyes heavenward. “Some luck. From a six bedroom mansion to movin back in with my folks. I told you we shouldn’t have let Alex meet him.”