Avengers The Captain's Secret

Part 8: Mission Ice Cream

LESEDI EVELYN POV

I was so excited!

There were cookies and ice cream on this thing? And he knew where?! Count me in! I threw on some SHIELD sweats and waited.

Finally a soft knock sounded on the door. I tiptoed to the door. "Who goes there?"

"It's me! Come on!"

As soon as I stepped out into the hall, he grabbed my hand, and we moved down the corridor.

"How far?" I whispered.

"Not even on this level."

I was even more excited now. "So...what level is it on?"

"Mess hall is three floors up."

"Three floors?!" Okay, this could be fun.

"And on the other side of the ship." He shared my excitement. "Ready?"

"That doesn't sound easy--" I was cut off by him putting his finger over his mouth. Some crew members went by. We froze. When we couldn't hear their footsteps we moved on. I enjoyed following him. At first, he thought I couldn't keep up, or that I couldn't do some of the things like he did. The surprised look on his face was priceless, and his smile was worth more than that.

Within twenty minutes, we were back in my room. As soon as we closed the door, we started laughing.

"Oh, God, that was fun!" I was laughing so hard my cheeks started to hurt.

"Good thinking back there, I almost forgot to get the spoons," Steve winked, and pulled one out of his pocket. I pulled mine out, and we toasted before digging into the ice cream. "What did you get?"

"Butter pecan."

"Fancy," he grinned. "I got cookies and cream, nice and simple."

"Simple is vanilla, chocolate or strawberry."

"Cookies and cream means you don't have to get two things, and that's simple."

We sat crosslegged on my bed eating. Who would have thought that I would be sitting on my bed chowing down on ice cream with Captain America?

"Ugh!" He closed his eyes tight. "Brain freeze." He opened his eyes. "How come you don't have it?"

"I am okay with it," I shrugged. "besides, I know how to savor ice cream."

"Hmmph, you know what you get savoring ice cream?" He asked as he ate another spoonful. "Melted ice cream, that's what!"

"Hmph, mine looks fine." I gloated. "Observe." I dipped my spoon deep and got a nice heaping spoonful, sure that I got some pecans in the deal. I opened my mouth and closed it over the spoon, slowly pulling the spoon out. I closed my eyes. "Mmmm...." I licked what was left on the spoon and turned it for his inspection. "See?"

His eyes were not on the spoon, I realized. They were on my mouth. "I can see your point." Even his voice sounded gruff as he dug into his ice cream again, a little more slowly. His eyes rose to mine, a mischievous smile on his face as he shook his head and gave a little a laugh. Then he winked at me again. "No brain freeze."

"Yeah," I felt breathless--again! What was it with him? I'd been around so many men-techs, soldiers, medics-and here he was setting off every bell and whistle that Dad warned me about, and that I read about or seen in movies. But Dad made it sound bad. This felt...all fluttery and like melting ice cream...but not the kind you can't eat, the kind you put in a shake and just enjoy a different way. I was suddenly reliving his arms around me, sleeping on his chest that night when it felt like the world was ending.

We finished the ice cream, and watched a little TV. As soon as I yawned, he laughed.

"Guess we'd better turn in, and before I fall asleep here," he yawned. "Stuff's contagious, and I don't think that will go over well with...Uncle Nick?"

I gave a small laugh. "He's kind of a distant uncle."

"I can see that." He looked around. "You'll be okay?"

"I think so."

"I'm right down the hall."

"Okay."

He leaned forward, and so did I. He hesitated, and then kissed my forehead. "Sweet dreams."

I leaned up and kissed his forehead, making him chuckle. "You too."

I watched him roll out of bed and head out the door. How I wanted him to stay. He could protect me from Uncle Nick. I really didn't want to do any more tests.