"Let's be lovers!"
Benjamin's voice invaded the kitchen of the avengers HQ. Peggy was standing by the counter with cup in hand drinking her usual tea. Her gaze shifted from him to the empty side to her left and then she looked at him and raised an eyebrow.
"I missed something?" - She finally said. He approached.
"One of the best restaurants in town is offering free dinner for boyfriends. I thought we'd take the opportunity and eat for free." - There was a genuine and huge smile on her face. He held the flyer out to her and she took it and studied it.
"You want us to pretend we're dating so we can eat for free?"
"Exactly!" Peggy looked at him amused, but knew he was serious.
"It is not right." - She drank some of the tea and put the cup on the counter.
“It's free food, Peggy. You love to eat and it's one of the best restaurants." – He paused. She still wasn't convinced. "And there's music and dancing."
A smile finally crept onto her face.
"That's a very low blow."
"No, that's a smart strategy."
Benjamin knew that she loved to dance, and that she hadn't had much time for it in the last few days either. The proposal had advantages for both.
Peggy looked up at him with her amused smile. She wouldn't have anything to do on Valentine's Day anyway. Natasha even tried to include her in relationship apps, but none of the selected suitors pleased her. Her plans for the night involved lying on her comfy couch, eating ice cream, and watching TV.
"All very well."
"Is that a yes?" The smile on his face grew.
"Yes, that's a yes." - Ben wrinkled his nose and pressed his hands towards her in the air. It was a funny way to celebrate something.
"I'll pick you up at eight o'clock."
"OK."
Benjamin was leaving when Natasha crossed his path to enter the kitchen.
"What are you doing here architects? Want to join the team?" – Natasha and all the other members of the avengers were more than used to having Benjamin circulating around the base. Nat just teased him every time she saw him. It was just a joke, she explained to Peggy later.
"I came to invite my girlfriend to dinner."
"Girlfriend?" – Nat questioned turning his body to face him, but Ben was already gone. Then she faced Peggy, who was still drinking her tea.
"Let's be pretend boyfriends so we can have a free dinner."
"Fake boyfriends, right? I know." – She smiled to herself pouring juice into a glass. Only an idiot who didn't know their relationship would believe that. That included both.
⍟
At 8 pm sharp, Benjamin was waiting at the door of the building where she lived. He texted her that he was waiting for her, but she didn't see it, Peggy still wasn't in the habit of checking her own phone unless someone called. Anyway, she was quite punctual and when he looked up from his cell phone screen, he saw her crossing the entrance to the building and heading towards her.
Her mouth opened in a perfect "O" at the sight of her. Peggy wore a red dress that fell just below her knees. It had short sleeves, a shy neckline, and hugged the perfect curves of her body. Her hair was tied up on the left side, the rest loose and curled at the ends. They were a little below her shoulders now, only because she said she hadn't had time to cut them yet. She looked beautiful no matter what, but he loved her long hair. She didn't wear a lot of makeup, but the red lips were always there. She wore black shoes without very high heels and had a smile plastered on her face.
She was perfect, and he thought that word wasn't enough to describe her. He tried to think of others, only to realize that all her thoughts were solely on her and nothing else. She couldn't get any prettier than she already was, and Benjamin realized he was wrong about that. Peggy always got prettier every time he saw her.
When he managed to regain his ability to speak and think, Ben closed his mouth and returned the smile he received from her.
“God, you are the most beautiful woman in the universe. The other universes must die of envy for not being able to appreciate your beauty." - Peggy felt her cheeks heat up.
"Stop it. Your cheap charm doesn't work on me."
"I think I need to practice more." Her smile grew.
They used to playfully flirt. But the two no longer knew how to differentiate when the other was playing. It was their game, but they got lost in their own rules.
"Looks like I'll have a lot of competitors to admire your beauty tonight."
"I'll have to take care of my boyfriend. Hmm... It smells good." Ben smiled a little silly. The word "boyfriend" sent a familiar tingle through her body, even though it was a lie. At least tonight it wasn't. Peggy was his girl, his girlfriend by the end of the night.
Handing him her purse, Peggy reached up pulling his shirt to adjust the collar. He wore a black shirt, a dark gray blazer, and matching pants. White shoes and hair combed to one side. As soon as she finished adjusting his collar, she ran her hands through her hair, ruffling it.
"It took me a while to leave them the way they were, you know?" - he protested with a false air of irritation.
"I'm sorry about your work, dear." – She placed her hand on his face and caressed it lightly. "Why don't you ever adjust the collars of your shirts?"
"Maybe because I like that you do it?" Peggy rolled her eyes, still smiling.
Pulling away from him, she turned her attention to the car he was leaning against.
"Where did you get the car?"
"I rented! Well, I wouldn't take you out to dinner on a motorbike."
"I like the bike."
"You wouldn't like it after arriving at the restaurant disheveled." Ben opened the car door and held out his hand for her. "Honey, please."
She took his hand and got into the car, fixing her dress before he closed the door. Turning around, he got in the driver's side.
"What do you want to hear? We have: Bee Gees, Christopher Cross, Lionel Richie, Phil Collins…"
"Bee Gees."
"OK." - He pressed play on the bright name that appeared on the screen of the car stereo. How Deep Is Your Love began to play.
Starting the car, he drove toward the restaurant. On the way they started a discussion about music, since they were listening. Peggy liked slower, softer music. Ben was a little more eclectic, it all depended on his mood. But he preferred songs that were a little more upbeat. She commanded the music playlist along the way, choosing singers and songs with more romantic tones that made him roll his eyes and smile.
The trip to the restaurant wasn't long. In less than 30 minutes they arrived and Ben parked in a free space. He opened the car door for her to get out and held out his arm, which she took and they walked to the driveway.
"We have a reservation." – Said the receptionist.
"Of course! Mr. Glimmes, isn't it? What about Miss Carter?" Ben nodded. "OK! Your table is ready. Have a great dinner and Happy Valentine's Day."
"Thanks." – They spoke at the same time.
"I am your fan." - Peggy heard the receptionist whisper and smiled at her before entering the main hall.
"Didn't count on having to compete with the women tonight either." – Ben joked and got a light punch in the stomach.
"Did you make a reservation? I thought it was a promotion."
“Yes, but I had to make a reservation. I told you, it's one of the best restaurants in town and it's in great demand." – He wasn't wrong. The place was full of couples, the air smelled of food and something fragrant that Peggy identified as roses. There were several spread across the tables. The space was well lit and had a pleasant atmosphere with soft music played by local musicians in the background.
One of the waiters led them to their table, which faced a dark glass window overlooking a bridge that was brightly lit and busy at the moment. Ben pulled out the chair for Peggy and then settled into his own seat.
"Would you like to order or would you rather try the daily specials?"
"The special entries." – Ben chose after Peggy agreed with him.
The waiter nodded and before leaving he served them the white wine he had brought and left on the table.
"I didn't know about this place." - Peggy confessed after taking a long sip of her drink. The alcohol didn't affect her anymore, which was great.
"One of the reasons I brought you here."
"You've been here?" She leaned her arm on the table and looked at him intently with her big brown eyes.
" Sometimes."
"With a girlfriend..." — It wasn't a question, it was a statement with a hint of jealousy. Ben lowered his head and chuckled before looking up at her.
"Not with my parents. My father would bring my mother here on Valentine's Day, have dinner, dance and then go to one of the tallest buildings in town to admire the sky."
"And you? What were you doing?"
"Me? There was a place for me with the kids. We also got a special dinner and dessert. And then, my dad would carry me in his arms and I would sleep beside him while they enjoyed the night."
Peggy had a sweet smile on her face. He looked a little embarrassed by her attention and took a drink to not embarrass himself further. Even after years of being friends, she always made him nervous and looking like a schoolboy.
"They seemed to be in love."
"They were. I've never known another couple who loved each other as much as these two did. And even then...he still loves her."
The conversation was interrupted by the arrival of the special entrance. Tomato and cheese bruschetta. More wine was poured, the waiter asked again if they would like to order and they agreed looking at the menu.
"I want a gnocchi stuffed with cheese." - Ben informed the waiter.
"For me it might be a meat ravioli with Bolognese sauce." – The man wrote down his orders and left again.
They both loved pasta and never ordered the same thing either. Because one always tasted the other's food, it was their thing.
Ben tasted one of the Bruschettas and found it delicious. He offered it to Peggy, but when he glanced at her he noticed that her attention was on a few couples dancing a little way off.
"Do you wanna Dance?"
"What?" His attention returned and she frowned at him.
"Do you wanna Dance?" He stood up, holding out his hand.
"Our dinner will be here. And we still have starters to eat." - She argued.
“Dinner will take a while. Come on, I know you want it."
He waved his hand in the air and earned a smile from her. Peggy took his hand, stood up and let him lead her onto the floor and they joined the other couples. The music was still soft, he placed his hand on her waist holding her other hand. She placed hers on his shoulder and they rocked back and forth.
Peggy loved to dance, and he loved seeing how happy it made her. And if something made her happy, he would be happy too. Pushing her away a little, he took her hand and spun her around in the middle of the floor watching her face light up.
"Benjamin!" – she protested looking around. She hated being the center of attention.
"What's up? We're dancing." - He turned her again and again and she came to him with her hands resting on his chest. She had a genuine smile of happiness, and that endeared him. Embracing her, they danced to their own rhythm, one song after another.
At one point, Peggy rested her head on his shoulder and they just enjoyed the melody that was already distant for both of them. Ben could smell her slightly sweet and peppery perfume, smell her shampoo. The heat of her body against his, and he thought there could be no better place for him than next to her. And he quickly regretted the thought, Peggy was her friend and he shouldn't think of her more than that.
Peggy lifted her head and looked him in the eyes. Her smile was gone, but the twinkle in her eyes wasn't. And she thought, looking at him in that moment, that she would like to kiss him. She wanted this. But Ben was her friend, and she would never risk their friendship over a silly wish or just for the moment.
He also wanted to kiss her more than anything at that moment.
She completely pulled away from him.
"I think we'd better go to dinner." – He agreed and they returned to the table.
They ate their starters and dinner arrived. The pasta was delicious, the red wine made everything even better. The mood between the two had changed. And she hated when that happened.
" How was your day?" she asked as she stuck her fork into her sticky dough.
"Nothing interesting. I finished one project and threw another one in the trash because that's where it should have been since I started it."
"You are too heavy with your own work." – she ate and saw him deny.
"I'm honest. It was really awful. Believe me." – She didn't believe it. Ben was really hard on himself sometimes.
"Do you really enjoy working for Nick?" He stopped eating and thought for a moment.
"At least give me good money. And I'll have a lot of retirement benefits." She laughed, throwing a piece of paper at him.
"How was your day?" - He asked drinking some wine.
“I went to check a lead this afternoon for an investigation that S.H.I.E.L.D. Is doing. However, it didn't lead to anything." – She paused briefly to wet her throat and continued. "But if we manage to find a single thread, things are going to get complicated."
"It looks pretty serious. I think that explains Nick's request about the latest blueprints I sent him."
"Are you involved in this too?"
“In a way, yes. But I don't know what it's about, he didn't want to talk, and... We're talking about work."
"Did we make an agreement about not talking?" – She made a thoughtful face before smiling at him.
"We're fake boyfriends, why on a romantic night would we be talking about work? I brought you something."
Ben reached into his blazer pocket and pulled out a small gold package. He held it out towards her and she opened it and saw that it was a bracelet with a single pendant in the shape of a flower in red and blue.
"I don't like flowers." – She joked.
"Then I know you will never forget." -Peggy checked the jewel again and captured her blue eyes.
“It's beautiful, but I can't accept it. It must have been very expensive and I didn't bring anything either." - She tried to return it, but he shook his head and hands in the air..
"It's not a gift because of today's date, it's because I remembered you when I saw it. I don't accept returns, you can do whatever you want with it because it's yours, but I don't accept returns."
Peggy looked defeated. She looked at the gift and held her arm out to him.
"Please!" -Ben took the bracelet and put it on her wrist, running her fingertips over her exposed skin. Peggy felt the place tingle as he pulled away and the smile on her face grew. The jewel matched her dress and matched her attire and her shield. "Thanks."
Taking advantage of his distraction, she stole one of the gnocchi from his plate. Benjamin falsely protested and took revenge by stealing some of her ravioli. Dessert was chocolate and they shared it between the two of them. She got a little sticky on the side of her mouth and Ben helped her clean it up, which brought them closer as they sat down side by side. Peggy closed her eyes during the contact and knew he was taking longer than necessary. But she didn't care about that.
At the end of dinner, Ben won a bouquet of roses to present to his girlfriend. Peggy took the flowers thanking her for the dinner that was really wonderful and the two left the restaurant.
"What will we do now?" – She was excited.
"I thought I'd go for a walk, what do you say?"
"I think it's very good."
So they walked. Peggy hooked her arm through his and they walked aimlessly, or so she thought. They were silent during the ride, but both paid attention to each other.
They arrived at an abandoned tall building in the city. Smiling at her, he clasped their hands together and pulled her inside. They climbed the stairs to the top, and when they got there, Peggy couldn't remember seeing such a beautiful view of New York before. From there, the city all lit up, many skyscrapers, the wind ruffling your hair and messing up your perfect curls and the night full of stars.
"It's beautiful." - She said smiling.
"It's reallybeautiful." “But he wasn't referring to the view. Ben was looking intently at her, taking in every detail of her, as he always did when they were together.
"Did your parents come here?" – Peggy moved away from the edge and set the flowers aside. Ben offered her his blazer when he realized what she was going to do. Thanking her, she laid him on the floor and lay with her hands on her stomach and looked up at the sky. He lay down beside her.
“No, that one I found myself. There are many abandoned buildings in the city, they will be demolished soon, but this was one of the most popular hotels from the 60's to the 90's."
"And what happened to him being abandoned?" She turned her head to look at him.
"The owner was robbed by his accountant and went bankrupt. He couldn't resist the impact and ended up dying of a heart attack a few days later."
"Poor thing. How do you know that?" – She asked curiously.
"I'm interested in buildings and their stories. My father taught me that, he would take me places and tell his stories."
"My brother used to make up stories for me. I thought they were all amazing until I found out they didn't exist." - She laughed. "But they're still amazing." – He smiled along with her.
The wind rose, Peggy approached him. Ben put his arm around her back and she laid her head on his chest and listened to her heartbeat. Her heart was pounding wildly at that moment, and it drew a shy smile from her without him noticing.
“I loved tonight, Benji. I had so much fun."
“I also loved it and had fun. Thank you for agreeing to be my girlfriend, girlfriend."
"It wasn't a sacrifice." - She lifted her head and looked into his blue eyes. "It was a pleasure, actually."
Peggy brought her face closer, their breaths in rhythm. She seemed to think for a while before leaning down and kissing his cheek next to his mouth. He could just turn and put their lips together, thought about doing that and she seemed to expect him to. But when she pulled away, he snuggled into her body again and they were silent.
None of them had the courage to cross that invisible line. Although they had wanted this for a long time, they still felt insecure about it. And they would still want each other because they were both stupid enough not to see that they wanted to be more than just friends.
...