NYC Nights
Chapter 7: NYC Nights
Hermione had apparently not noticed the sight, Steve had yesterday.
Unlike the previous day, she behaved less closed. Sometimes she was completely somewhere else with her thoughts, but otherwise, she was a good roommate.
Steve kept trying to stay normal, but he knew he felt more than friendship for her. Secretly, he wished she felt the same for him.
,,So, Ms. Granger, you're ready to spend an uncertain time in America?'' Fury asked.
,,I think that would be the best thing for me now. I feel more comfortable here than I do in London. There, all the memories would come back in a painful way. If it doesn't bother you. And the Avengers, of course.’’
Bruce nodded and Clint and Natasha made shocked noises.
,,Of course, you can stay here, what kind of question is that?''
Hermione smiled with relief and looked at Fury.
,,Maybe I can get a job?’’
Fury seemed to be thinking. ,,I will inquire by tomorrow. Miss.’’
She nodded and Nick walked out of the room. As soon as he was gone, Bruce took the conversation.
"So Tony wants everyone going to his party today. His....second this week. In the evening on the party deck. He is unstoppable.'' Bruce patted Clint on the shoulder as he walked by and disappeared behind a door. ,, And he said everyone has to appear!''
"Hey, Steve! ''
Natasha waved to him as he walked out of the gym, the bandages were still around his hands, himself, glued in a sweat-wet T-shirt. And once his hair wasn't neat.
Hermione felt a strange tickling in her, neck when he came along. She turned her attention to his body and he was about to fall over. The sweat dripped from his nose tip and chin, his lips half open. And his incredibly sculpted chest moved up and down.
Normally, she didn't pay too much attention to a man's appearance, because her mother had always said beauty comes from the inside and not from the outside.
Steve, she knew that he was beautiful from both sides.
From the stories of her grandfather, who was in the same soldier camp with Captain Rogers and Sergeant Barnes, she heard that Steve had always thought of the others before he took care of himself. And he really was. At first, she couldn't believe that this was exactly the man her dead grandpa was talking about.
He liked to dance, but never wanted to, because in women's affairs he was exactly the opposite of what he was at war. But he had a love: Peggy Carter. She had remembered that.
Peggy Carter had always been Hermine's heroine.
Now Steve stood in front of her and looked at her? Everyone looked at her, as she looked big at Steve.
Natasha, Clint, Bruce, and a few agents. How they looked at her, how Natasha's mouth went up, suddenly it was too unpleasant for her and she ran out with a red face. She held her ears to ignore every comment and stormed into one of the elevators.
She didn't care that Tony stepped in.
,,Hello Granger, I hope you will come to the party. No apology this time. Otherwise, you can move out of the tower!''
Tony lifted his sunglasses to the end of his nose and he was shocked.
''Holyshit, you're red.''
Hermione brought a chuckle out of her mouth and nodded to tell her that she was coming.
Stark got out with a wink.
She fled the tower as soon as possible.
She took a car key and drove a SHIELD SUV to a nearby cafe while she considered what to wear for the evening.
,,A chai latte please and apple pie.''
Hermine ordered without really looking the waiter in the eye.
She knew she was in the news. In the newspapers and television.
And that was exactly what she didn't want.
It had never been the intention to become famous for something like what had happened at her.
It was cool and Hermione stood in a cabin and looked at herself in the mirror.
The beige dress with silver, shiny patterns went skirt-like to the knees.
She donned semi-high silver high-heels and wore a white vest to button up.
She had managed to wear some decent make-up and admired how flawless her red lipstick was applied.
Hermione inhaled deeply and tried to get into the party room inconspicuously.
But that went wrong.
Tony was critical of how she walked in high shoes and couldn't leave the comment so that everyone else was looking at her. Thank you, Tony.
"Do you have a bunch of nails in your soles Granger? Just as you're going does really look like that. But it's good that you've come. And by the way you look beautiful. Isn't it so, Rogers? ''
Tony waved Hermine with his hand to Clint, Thor, Natasha and Bruce's direction. Pepper was speaking to Maria Hill. And there was also Steve. Hermine's neck felt the fluttering again. He had a blue shirt on and she could see his arms, to Hermine's regret, too clearly in that shirt. Hermione sat down without having eye contact with Steve, Natasha, Bruce or Clint.
She looked stunning.
He had seen Hermione look at him that afternoon when she had stormed out of the room.
It painfully reminded him of Peggy's handling of love.
But he wasn't better, he thought.
Hermine took a sip of the cocktail and had to cough.
They laughed. Tony was ready for a joke again.
,, You know, she's used to just drinking vodka.''
Maria laughed brightly and Clint sighed.
"I can't cope with a second Russian anymore." and Clint reaped laughter and a hit from Natasha.
Hermione sometimes compared the Avengers to a family and sometimes everyone was just idiots.
But God forbid, how much they had grown close to her heart.
,,You and Rogers, what's going on? ''
Tony re-started and Hermione got up and went to Harry, whom she had just discovered:
''Nice try Tony.''
She called.
"Nothing at all! It's just as much a question as if you and Fury had something on.''
Steve didn't know what to think, he tried to understand this sentence as fun, but couldn't.
It was ridiculous that he took something like this seriously, but it hurt in a way. She was probably right, there was only friendship.
No more, not a bit what he wanted.
Harry hugged her and asked about her everyday life.
After an hour, when the two had nothing more to talk about, he dropped the bomb.
,, Hermione, Ginny is pregnant. She's so damn happy and I'm happy because I managed to tell you. ''
He looked on the ground.
Hermione remained briefly petrified and then tears of joy came into her eyes. ,,Oh Harry!''
She hugged her best friend. He was already getting offspring. While she didn't even have a boyfriend here. She felt like a little child without a mind of love, even though Harry was younger than her.
"When is it expected? You absolutely have to take time off. I think Ginny is a strong woman, but at times like that, I think as much support as possible is needed.''
'In several months. I she only found it out a week ago. I'm going to take the last month off completely, don't worry. And just don't say Ginny is weak!''
Hermione laughed and heard Tony shout into the loudspeakers that they were going to watch a movie. Many followed him and Harry took Hermine's arm, who refused.
"No, I'd rather stay here."
Harry shrugged his shoulders and before he left alone, he asked what made Hermione relieved, that he hadn't asked in the middle of the conversation.
,,You and Steve?''
'You're all idiots, Harry, everyone. Even you.''
Harry raised his thumbs up with a laugh.
She saw that all the Avengers stood up to watch the movie but Steve was hesitant.
He went with them until halfway, then stopped and slowly went back. She saw that he was quite overwhelmed.
She thought of the words of her grandpa and Hermione decided to make him an offer.
She walked quietly to him and sat down with him. He looked at her and took a sip of the beer.
Hermione smiled and brought out clipped words.
,, You... uhm look great, just that you know that.''
"Do you think, you don't look fantastic? But it is not worthy of an apology. I... You don't need to feel guilty. Go to the cinema. I am not a big fan of films'', which was definitely wrong.
Hermione didn't know what exactly he meant by that, but she asked what she wanted instead.
"Would you dance with me? I didn't really want to go to the cinema and the music here is good. ''
Hermione noticed her blushed.
Steve watched her attentively and got up.
The sound of him putting the beer bottle on the glass table made her jerk.
He raised his hand and Hermione put her on it. How warm she was. How she smelled was beguiling. She smelled of rose and lavender. It was like a dream, a not really happening illusion. He carefully pulled her against him and put his hand on her waist.
"I can't dance, just that you know you're warned. ''
Steve just muttered. Hermione brought out a little laugh.
,,Don't worry, I can't do that either. ''
She slowly placed her palm on his shoulder and she just felt muscles.
Hermione had to take a deep breath.
They quietly weighed into the music, which was a rather sleepy number and sounded after the 90s.
Steve put the other hand on her lower back and had to restrain himself, not to reach deeper.
Hermione pulled them aside a little bit along the beat of the music and he carried along.
She looked happy.
"I never thought that New York can sometimes be so magical. Away from the crowds. Here and now. That's just not what you always see. I always found the night more beautiful than the day. You can see so many lights, that you don't see in the bright of the day.''
Hermine's face was now so close to him that she could touch his nose.
The little lights reflected in her brown eyes and made him breathless.
She was incredibly beautiful.
Her pale freckles, the brown, soft hair and beautifully shaped chin.
The twilight around her blurred the contours of Steve and a stunning shadow fell on his lower cheek.
His eyes, these clear blue eyes, blinked under these long lashes.
,,Hermione? I wanted to ask you something, something... Did you mean the comparison with Fury and Tony seriously?''
He strengthened the grip on her hip, with all the tension. Hermione raised her gaze and looked him deep into his eyes.
He approached her and it was as if an infinitely long time had passed before her lip tips touched slightly.
They were soft, so damn soft.
He pressed her waist a little firmer and she groaned into the kiss, which became more intense.
He tasted a whiff of alcohol and let himself be carried away by the pure feelings.
Hermione had placed her hand gently on the back of his head and took individual samples from his lips.,
''How could I?''
She muttered in the kiss without breaking it.
Steve took a hissing breath and dropped his hands on her butt.
She let her tongue play a little with his one before they both met with such force, that they practically melted.
She raised her hands on his cheeks and followed his edges with her index finger.
He reached into her hair, they were soft and felt light.
He wanted to take her to his room, and the next moment he was dragged into a kind of vortex and the next second he stood in front of the glass window in his room and the stars seemed so bright today.
Hermione was beside him.
She had become thoughtful.
He pulled her to himself before the thoughts devoured her and he pressed his lips against her.
,,Steve...'' she did not finish the sentence. 'It's all so wonderful.''
Steve let her work on his shirt before he slowly helped getting her out of the dress. Her body had partially faded wounds and scars and although that, it was incredibly beautiful. Her skin was silky and soft.
Hermione had her fingers touching over his magnificent, trained belly as he began kissing along her neck in a very intense, breathless way.
He wondered for himself that he could do it so well, but at that moment Hermione was more important.