Into the Snow || A Captain America Love Story

34

     "Aw, thank you!" I exclaim, taking the bouquet of snowdrops from Steve.
     Steve smiles. "My pleasure."
     I place them on the small table that is in front of the door and stand back in front of Steve.
     "And yes, I'm ready." I add.
     "Then, let's go."
     He offers me a hand and I gladly take it. We walk hand in hand out of my shared hallway and go in the elevator. Once it opens, we step out and leave the Avengers Tower. The air is crisp and clear and the sun is like a drop of honey sinking down the horizon. The streets buzz with cars and people. We walk along the sidewalk and through the crowds, Steve guiding me.
     "We're almost there," he says.
     "Okay," I respond.
     His eyes shift and he drags me with him, sprinting somewhere. I laugh and follow him down the street. He stops in front of the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree. I gaze at its lights, loving the colors.
     "I can't believe that it's already almost Christmas," I say.
     "I can't either," Steve says, staring at the lights. "Now, let's do the thing that I planned."
     Steve points to the ice skating rink in front of the large tree.
     "This is going to be interesting," I laugh.
     "C'mon!" Steve says, dragging me to the rink.

•••

     "Is this your first time?" I ask Steve, gripping onto the sides of the rink.
     "The first time in over seventy years," he says, quickly catching himself on the railings.
     I laugh at myself while I attempt to skate along the ice, holding the railings as I go.
     "This your first time?" Steve asks me.
     "Yeah," I say. "I've never been the type until now."
     "Really?" Steve questions me, finally starting to get the hang of it.
      I stumble across the ice, my legs feeling like jelly. Steve slides next to me, slowing down. He takes my left hand, the one not holding on for dear life.
     "You just have to let go," he says. "Not literally, just yet, but relax."
     I exhale and balance on the small blades.
     "Good," Steve says. "Now slowly slide on foot in front of the other."
     I do as he says, still holding onto the sides. Steve slowly glides next to me and encourages me to keep going. After a few minutes, I let go.
     "Good, good!" Steve cheers. "Now, glide as you did before."
     I tightly hold onto his hand and slide across the ice. We go faster and faster as we go, becoming more graceful, as well. Soon enough, we are gliding across the ice and passing others.
     "I'm doing it!" I exclaim to Steve.
     "You are!" he says.
     I loosen my grip on Steve's hand and continue to glide with him. I realize that I am grinning like an idiot and I don't slap it off my face. It is now dark, only the lights of buildings and streetlights lighting our way.
     We stop for a moment, Steve looking into my eyes. He plants a kiss onto my forehead and smiles.
     "You missed," I say, grinning.
     "What?" he asks innocently, running his fingers through his blonde hair.
     "You missed," I repeat.
     He smirks and places his lips on mine. I savor every moment of it, not caring about the people around us. There might as well be no one there because I don't hear them or sense their presence. We pull away quickly, not wanting to annoy the people that are there. The remnants from the tingling lingers in my body.
"Better?" he asks.
"Yes," I grin.