Nervous.

With a scowl, Steve pulled the slim throwing knife from chair where it had landed so close to his shoulder that the fabric of his hoodie was pinned between the knife and chair. He tossed the knife to the ground and shot Jax an unimpressed look. She was grinning wickedly from her own chair, legs kicked up and resting on the table in front of her where Tony was working on another project

“You know, Fury won’t be happy about his chair,” said Steve, with a hint of a parental tone edging in his voice. Jax shrugged as she spun another knife around her fingers, dark eyes twinkling with mischief.

“I’ll replace it.”

Steve shook his head and moved to leave, but once again was pinned back against the chair by a knife.

“Jax!” he growled threateningly. The knife clattered just beyond the pixie-like girl after she had tossed up her third knife, knocking the one Steve threw off trajectory and sending it to the ground beside her. Her grin widened.

“You know Gramps, if you would just talk to the baker girl, Arleigh wouldn’t be having so much toying with you right now – while I do find it very entertaining. It’s a novel concept really, just talking to someone,” said Tony from his work station. He didn’t look up once as he continued to barrel through countless equations.

“Her name is Ella,” sighed Steve quietly.

“Right, right. I forget, sorry.”

Steve glanced over to Arleigh Jaxon, or Jax for short. She was his best friend, but she was more than a handful on more than just an occasion. It was an every- day occurrence that she gave him hell for something, but he should have known this was coming. She had given him time to talk to Ella on his own, but he kept biding his time and pushing it off. Jax and Ella weren’t the closest of friends, Steve attributed it to Jax’ abrasive and trouble-seeking nature, but they were friendly enough that they talked semi-regularly – as far as Steve knew. Still, he found it odd that Jax was pressuring him so intensely.

“Why is this so important to you, anyway?” he asked and narrowed his eyes at the smaller girl. “Do you know something I don’t?”

Jax threw him a wink. “I’m only tired of seeing my best friend mope around over nothing.”

“You’re not telling me everything,” he accused, glaring when she threw her head back and laughed. “Jax,” he groaned in exasperation.

“Darling, just go talk to her. I’m not asking you to propose marriage to the girl, or telling you to just drop your pants at her doorway.”

“I’m sure it couldn’t hurt if you did try that though,” chirped Tony, and Jax snorted. Steves face was blazing red with embarrassment now, and he stood abruptly to leave.

“You’re not helping,” said Steve, throwing a glare at the chuckling mischievous pair.
“Come on now, Cap, you know that’s just how they are,” came a third voice just entering the room. “You shouldn’t let them near each other.”

Jax leapt from her chair, all grace leaving her body as she almost tumbled to the ground, and she danced over to Clints’ side. He mumbled a greeting to her with a small grin and wrapped his arm around her shoulders.

Steve glowered at the pair, feeling a pang of jealousy shoot through his body when Hawkeye bent down and pressed a kiss to Jax’ forehead. She grinned and wound her arms around his middle.

Steve sighed. He wanted that; he wanted Ella to be waiting for him when he returned from a dangerous mission, he wanted her to spring from wherever she was seated and run to him the second he appeared to jump into his arms. Jax and Clint were too cool for celebrations like that or any other display of public affection than what had just taken place, but Steve wasn’t and he knew Ella was the same as he.

He turned his gaze to the red-head who had entered behind Clint, and gave a curt nod. “Natasha.”

She nodded back with a tiny smirk, “Steve.”

“Glad you two returned safely.” She smiled in response and quickly crossed the room, headed to the winding staircase that led to their room compartments without another word.

“Now, Steve,” began Clint, dragging up another rolling chair as he motioned for Steve to sit back down. Steve collapsed back into the chair, watching as the other man rolled closer. Clint leaned over with his chin resting on his folded hands. “Is this about Ella again?”

Steve said nothing, just averted his gaze to the ground briefly.

“Just go talk to her, man. You’re acting like she’s already rejected you before you even ask her out. You guys are good friends, it’ll be fine.”

“I don’t want it to come between our friendship.”

“You think ignoring her wont?”

“I know, I just… I don’t know, okay? I’m nervous.”

Clint glanced back to Jax, who was deep in conversation with Tony about something or other, and motioned for Steve to lean in. “Between us, she told Jax she’s into you. That is why she’s relentlessly pushing you now.”

“Why wouldn’t she tell me that?”

Clint shrugged, “Women are odd like that, I guess.”

---

Ella Grant was exhausted – physically and mentally.

Work was picking up a lot in the past few weeks, so her shifts not only increased in length but also in difficulty. Sometimes, the customers were downright hateful and impossible to please. She really just wanted to sit and have a hot chocolate with Steve, but he had disappeared as of late. Maybe he was on a mission, and just forgot to tell her? Or didn’t have time to tell her?

The thought made her uneasy; Steve always told her when he was going to be out of town for a couple days or weeks, and he told her who would still remain in the city were anything happen and she needed someone.

Had she pushed him too hard, dropped too many hints? Maybe he wasn’t interested in her, and Jax had only been messing with her. She liked to think the short haired spitfire was kinder than that, but then again… she just didn’t know. Still, it seemed cruel.

With a grunt, she dropped the remaining groceries onto her island counter. She contemplated making something for dinner, but damn, pizza sure did sound heavenly. It took Ella roughly ten minutes to finish putting away all her groceries, feed her dog, and find her cell phone.

She had just sat down on the sofa with the local pizzeria menu in her lap and was just about to dial their phone number when her doorbell chimed through the house. She let out a slight yelp of surprise and dashed to her door.

“Steve?”

He smiled nervously down at her. “Hi.”

“Um, hey…” Ella waited for him to say something a moment longer, but when he just continued to stare she sighed. “What’re you doing here? Do you need something? Is everything alright?”

“Oh!” He chuckled softly, rubbing the back of his neck. “Right – sorry. Were you busy? Have you had dinner yet?”

“I was just about to order some pizza, would you like to join me?”

Steve grinned brightly and shook his head. “No, no… Uh, I was going to actually ask you if you wanted to maybe grab something with me?”

“Um, I’m not sure that’s the best idea…”

“I’m sorry, El, I’m sorry I disappeared on you.”

The honesty in his voice and the earnest gleam in his clear blue eyes was all it took for her. She found it pathetic how easily she would forgive him, but she nodded anyways.

“It’s alright,” Ella shrugged. “Why did you, though?”

“I was nervous.”

Ella’s brows pinched together in confusion, and her head tilted to the side. “Nervous?”

A small smile appeared on Steves’ face, and he gingerly took her hand in his own.

“Yes. Would you like to go on a proper date with me?”