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"You are going, Steve. I know you don't have any clue who they are, but this is a necessary experience for you to have and band to know," Darcy told him as she packed up a small bag with a beach towel, water bottles, and her dark prescription sunglasses.
She had mentioned this concert at the beginning of the previous month, but he had been busy taking down the bad guys, that he didn't give it a second thought. And now she was moving around their room in the Tower, gathering what they would need in order to attend.
It wasn't that Steve was averse to attending, he was actually quite interested in this subject that Darcy clearly cared for; he was just so tired.
He had returned from a mission at an ungodly hour the day before, only got about two hours of restless sleep, and had spent the whole day being dragged from party to BBQ to fundraiser to ceremony all in honor of the birthday he shared with the country. Then to top off the draining day, he had been kept up for a good chunk of the night by the exploding sounds of fireworks. He truly hadn't been in a celebrating mood, but somehow Darcy had managed to pull him through the day.
Because of that, he felt that he should accompany her to the concert - though it wasn't like she was really giving him an option.
☆
After three and a half hours of meaningless and random chatter in Darcy's car - Pepper had offered them use of Tony's private plane, but Darcy had said no, thanks and insisted that he experience the road trip to the concert - they had reached the park. It was a beautiful expanse of land, very natural and open. It was a drastic change from the aerial view of the bustling and busy city they had at the Tower. It was a change he could get used to.
"C'mon," Darcy was holding her hand out to him, impatiently waiting for him to remove his gaze from the woods and join her. "The opening act starts at seven and we still have to wait in a huge-ass line just to get in. I don't wanna miss it."
With a fond smile, Steve accepted her outstretched hand, locked the car and followed her to wherever it was they were going.
Darcy had been right. There was a huge-ass line that they had to wait in. The brunette had announced that she still had to actually buy them tickets, and made him wait in the long line as she retrieved them. Darcy pressed a quick peck to his cheek and muttered that she'd be right back, then briskly walked in the opposite direction, her black Converse kicking up dust on the dirt path as she walked.
In her absence, Steve had concluded three things about concerts: they were loud, filled with cigarette smoke, and that he would probably always end up being the designated driver on the way home. Unfamiliar rock music poured from speakers that he couldn't see. The chattering between others was almost unbearable on his sensitive ears, as each person was trying to talk louder than the other in order to be heard. His nose continuously and unconsciously twitched at the thick scent of smoke that burned his lungs every time he breathed. As for his predetermined position as driver, he knew how Darcy liked her alcohol, and if the plastic cups of beer already in the hands of the people infront of him were anything to go by on a concert atmosphere... Well he would just assume for the time being. It had to be at least eighty degrees out. There was no breeze to cool him off and the line had formed out in the open, even though there was a large shaded area nearby. Upon observation, Steve knew he had overdressed, in thick jeans and a dark blue plaid button up, while others had come clad in shorts and band t-shirts. He could already feel a thin layer of sweat forming on his face. He tried to take a deep breath, but the hot, stale, and smokey air could not help him cool down.
In order to forget about his discomfort, Steve trained his blue eyes in the direction Darcy had disappeared in, and waited.
☆
"We just made it," Darcy declared when they got past the security bag and ticket check. The music on stage was much clearer and louder to Steve now that they were in. The opening act had just began their first song and Darcy started to drag him along to a spot on the lawn.
They found a perfect spot with a perfect view of the stage, which had Darcy beaming with great excitement. The sun had begun to fall behind the tall trees, so Darcy decided to change from her sunglasses to her regular glasses. While she had been digging in her bag for the case, Darcy pulled out a simple navy blue baseball cap and tossed it Steve's way. He thanked her and slid on the hat.
He was admittedly nervous being in such a large public place without any weapons, the risk of being recognized so high that Steve now found himself hiding underneath a baseball cap.
"Hey, handsome," Darcy grunted. "Quit worrying and scanning this place for threats and come help me lay out this blanket."
☆
"Thank you for coming with me tonight," the brunette said from her position leaning against his chest. "You honestly didn't have to. Yesterday was a lot, and I know how you elderly people like your naps." Darcy joked.
Steve smiled fondly, used to her teasing, and shook his head. "You wanted me here, and I guess a part of me actually wanted to come, so it's fine. And if I end up not liking the concert, I can try to catch up on naps here on this blanket." Darcy just rolled her eyes and nestled back into his warm, strong chest.
☆
The lights on the stage had turned off again, and somehow Steve knew it was starting. Oh, maybe he got the clue when Darcy quickly jerked from his hold to shriek 'It's starting!' in his ear. People around them began to rise and he let Darcy pull him up - more like he held her hand as he pushed himself up - too. Steve could see the giddiness, excitement, and anticipation in her sparkling eyes and wide smile. Without thinking, he reached out and brushed a few dark curls back over her shoulder, loving the way her eyes fluttered shut and her lips parted as his warm hand brushed her pale neck. Suddenly, her excited eyes snapped open as a deep guitar note was played.
"Here we stand," the lead singer started off. "Worlds apart. Hearts broken in two, two, two." In the corner of his eye, Steve could see Darcy moving her mouth. He thought she was trying to talk to him, but he realized seconds later that she was mouthing the words along with the song.
"Sleepless nights. Losing ground, I'm reaching for you, you, you," the man continued passionately. "Feelin' that it's gone. Can't change your mind. If we can't go on to survive the tide. Love divides!" The music suddenly got louder as the drums were pounded on.
"Someday love will find you. Break those chains that bind you. One night will remind you How we touched and went our separate ways," Steve could definitely hear Darcy's voice quietly singing along with the song and crowd now. "If he ever hurts you true love won't desert you. You know I still love you, though we touched and went our separate ways."
When that song and the next were over the lead singer introduced himself, thanked the crowd for coming out tonight, and then introduced the guitarist, Neal Schon.
The man began to strum a few chords, eventually easing into a very rock n' roll rendition of the Star Spangled Banner.
At a nudge to the ribs, Steve met Darcy's eyes. She had a small smile on and directed it at him. He returned it and they both looked back at the stage.
Neal Schon played the song wonderfully on his beautiful green guitar. When he finished, the lead singer returned to the stage to speak. "Thank you. We hope you all had a wonderful Fourth of July. And it was just brought to my attention that we have another song to sing for a man whose birthday was yesterday, as well." Steve could see a smirk begin to grow on Darcy's face. "So, if you could all join me in singing Happy Birthday to the one and only, Captain America!"
No wonder Darcy had taken so long getting their tickets, she had also been spreading news of the presence of the national hero at the concert while she was gone.
"Happy birthday," Darcy grinned up at him as the crowd sang to him.
As soon as the birthday song was over, the band was jumping back into their set list.
The first song that Darcy really sang out loud to was one that the guitarist had talked about being one of the first songs he had written with their original lead singer, about San Francisco.
"When the lights go down in the city, and the sun shines on the bay," the singer, Arnel as he had introduced himself, crooned into the microphone. "I want to be there in my city. Ooh, ooh. So you think you're lonely. Well my friend I'm lonely too. I want to get back to my city by the bay. Ooh, ooh." She had a lovely voice and Steve found himself wishing for her to sing more at home, as the tempo picked up. "It''s sad, oh there's been mornings, Out on the road without you. Without your..."
☆
He was enjoying himself, definitely not as much as his girlfriend, but Steve was enjoying the concert. At the moment, the pianist had started a piano solo. Darcy was gripping his hand with more excitement than he'd ever seen on her.
"He always does this," she spoke into his ear. "At every concert. His piano solo always leads into Open Arms."
And sure enough, the lead singer was soon softly singing, "Laying beside you, here in the dark. Feeling your heart beat with mine. Softly you whisper. You're so sincere. How could our love be so blind? We sailed on together and drifted apart. And here you are by my side." Darcy was now belting out the lyrics with the crowd and singer. "So now I come to you with open arms. Nothing to hide, believe what I say. So here I am with open arms. Hoping you'll see what your love means to me. Open arms."
"Thank you for inviting me, Darce," Steve mumbled into her ear.
"Living without you, living alone. This empty house seems so cold. Wanting to hold you. Wanting you near. How much I wanted you home..."
"I think 'invited' is a little generous, but you're welcome. Ya'know, if I didn't drag you here, we would've probably ended up staying in, ordering a pizza, and letting Sam third-wheel us because he's got nothing better to do and no one else to tell his corny jokes to."
"Now that you've come back, turned night into day, I need you to stay."
"Sure, but we would have sent him home early and enjoyed the rest of the night, anyhow. Much like how I am enjoying this concert with my lovely girlfriend."
"So now I come to you with open arms, nothing to hide."
"Oh, stop it, you sap," Darcy blushes, anyways.
"Believe what I say."
"You still love me, anyhow," Steve grins and turns her to face him.
"So here I am with open arms, hoping you'll see what your love means to me."
"I love you and all your sappiness," she pushed onto her tiptoes and pressed their lips together.
"Open arms."