✪ American Noise ✪ [Captain America]

Chapter 11: Liz VIII

Liz let herself into Pops' apartment on the ground floor after closing up the shop for the evening. She hung her messenger bag on a hook by the door, "Hungry, Pops?" Liz called from the entry area. Liz had planned on cooking dinner for the two of them. Her own stomach was grumbling.

When Pops did not answer right away, Liz walked into the living area where she saw him sitting in his armchair on the phone, muttering angrily into the handset for the landline. Liz noticed the television was muted on what looked to be a courtroom drama. Pops hung the phone up rather brashly when he saw Liz.

"Sorry, Sunshine," Pops said.

Liz furrowed her eyebrows, "Everything okay, Pops?"

"Yes, yes. I was just trying to get through to Veterans' Affairs. It seems to be a busy time for them," Pops un-muted the television, stood up from his chair, and joined Liz on the way to the kitchen, "I took the liberty of ordering Chinese," he said, pointing out a brown paper bag sitting on the counter. There was a red pagoda printed on it.

"Pops, I was going to make you something," Liz complained over another grumble from her stomach.

"I had a craving," Pops explained, handing her a plate, "Besides, it sounds to me like your tummy isn't going to protest."

Liz laughed as she emptied the paper bag of food containers and began filling her dish, "It does smell good."

They made their way to the dining table adjacent to the living area to sit down. Liz tuned into the show playing on the television across the room, some lawyer show where everyone looked to be far too serious. She quickly lost interest as she dove into her chicken lo mein ravenously.

"So, you never told me how your date with Steve went," Pops began out of the blue.

Liz almost choked on her noodles, "What are you talking about?" She looked at him incredulously, "We haven't gone on a date."

"The other day?" Pops seemed like he was trying to remind her, "He took you out on that motorcycle of his."

She remembered the afternoon vividly. Liz and Steve had taken a ride together just after she had given Jason a good whack in the face, and after Steve had almost put him through the side of the van. It was the closest she had been to Steve since the morning they had accidentally woken up together. Liz had sat behind him on the bike with her arms wrapped tightly around his waist. Steve rode them through town for the better part of an hour, his back keeping her warm and acting as a shield against the wind of the open road, and she had loved every minute of it. She had not felt that much of a rush in longer than she could remember. Despite the fact that Steve had no helmets to supply for either of them, Liz had felt completely safe and comfortable with him.

"That wasn't a date," Liz defended. Or was it? Liz asked herself. It had not been officially labeled as a "date", but now Liz could not help but wonder if maybe it had meant something.

"Pity," Pops answered between forkfuls of brown rice, "Steve's a good lad. He'd be lucky to have you as his lady."

Liz sighed, "I don't need to be anyone's lady. And I—"

Pops cut her off, "I know, I know. You have too much to do around here and all that nonsense. You can keep telling yourself that all you want, Sunshine. Doesn't change the fact that you two are smitten with each other."

Liz could not help but laugh, albeit rather nervously, "'Smitten?' Seriously, Pops, who still says 'smitten'?"

"I will take that blatant attempt at changing the subject as confirmation that I'm correct," Pops winked at Liz.