Steve paced around the kitchen with his phone, he was tired of sitting. He wasn't getting anywhere with this project. He heard the dial tone stop and the phone make a click.

"Steeeeeeeeve..." boomed from the other side of the phone.

"Sam, how's it going?"

"Steve, what's up, my man?" Sam sounded cheerful.

"I need a little help, buddy. Thought you might be the guy to go to." Steve confessed.

"Sure, what can I do?" Sam asked. He was always ready to jump in and lend a hand when Steve asked... no matter what it was.

"I don't know if you remember this but when Nat was in the hospital..."

"You said you were going to ask her out," Sam jumped in.

"Okay, you do remember," Steve chuckled.

"Of course I do, because I was going to hold you to that!" He was enthused. "It's about damn time. So when are you going to ask her out?"

"Already did, actually." Steve's deep voice sounded somewhat pleased that he beat Sam to the punch.

"Heyyy! Steve, alright!" The sound on Sam's side of the line got muffled for a few seconds. "You can't see me but I'm doin' a little dance!" Sam hummed a little ditty into the phone.

All Steve could do was laugh, even though he desperately wanted Sam to calm down so he could be used as a sounding board. That was exactly why Sam was good for him though.

"So what's the plan?" Sam inquired.

"...That's the problem," Steve confessed. "I keep thinking of ideas but I can't seem to nail down a perfect idea. It needs to be perfect."

"Everything you do is perfect, what are you worried about?" Sam teased him. He softened his tone a little bit. "Ohhhh, I get it, I get it... I'm kidding you. This is a little more important than usual."

"Yeah," Steve said with a sigh. In his mind and in his heart, he already knew this was a big deal. He hoped this was the first of many dates. He knew that if Natasha would have him, she was the one he wanted. They'd already been friends for years and he knew her so well. He could get carried away and see into the future. His throat felt a little tight thinking about it. What if she didn't end up wanting him?

"You are nervous!" Sam almost couldn't believe it. "Okay, so what do we have so far?"

Steve looked at his handwritten list and started reading it off to Sam. They began one of their rapid fire conversations.

Steve: A concert...

Sam: What kind of music is she into?

Steve: Lots of different kinds, having trouble pinpointing something just right.

Sam: Moving on...

Steve: Coney Island.

Sam: Too Steve... Oh, and too public.

Steve: Drive-in movie...

Sam: Too Danny Zuko.

Steve: Who?

Sam: Add the movie Grease to your list, dude.

Steve: Sunset picnic?

Sam: Can't picture it.

Steve: Nature hike?

Sam: (sigh)

Steve: I'm trying here!

Sam: I know.

Steve: A show?

Sam: What show?
Steve: I dunno.

Sam: Try again.

Steve: Moonlight canoe? No, I'd have to wait for a night there's a moon.

Sam: Right. And bugs.

Steve: Private dinner? Rooftop candlelight dinner? Please just shoot me, Sam.

Sam: (giggles like a schoolgirl) I'm sorry, man. I really am. I'm not trying to laugh at you. It's kind of strange to see you so flustered like this.

Steve: You're lucky you're not standing in front of me. (laughs)

Sam: To be honest, I kind of agree that this is tough. It's not like you can really just go anywhere. You wanna concentrate on your girl and not be taking selfies with people and worrying about someone being on your tail.

Steve: Wait... I might have an idea...

Steve sat down at the table and started typing on his laptop. "I drove past a place on my way to see her last night, I feel like it might fit the bill." He talked and scrolled. "Ah, there it is."

Sam waited patiently.

"Yeah, I think this could work. Okay, Sam, I'm going to send you a link. I want to see what you think about it." He shot an email off to Sam.

As Sam was waiting to receive the email, Steve said "Great, they do private parties. Maybe I can rent it out."

"Got it," Sam said. "Oooh, I think this is it, baby."

"I have a good feeling about it," Steve said.

"Go get her, Steve."

"Appreciate the help, Sam."

Steve set about getting the plans made. It was only the first step in his master plan.

***

Natasha felt her phone vibrate in her pocket and pulled it out to see SGR flashing on the screen.

"I was just thinking about you," she spoke into her phone instead of answering with hello like she would for anyone else.

"Is that so?" Steve asked. He couldn't help but smile when she said that.

"I'm glad we got to talk last night."

"Me too. It's been too long," he said. "I'd still like to take you out on that date..."

"I'm game," she confirmed.

"Well, okay, in that case... Natasha, will you have dinner with me tomorrow night?" His charm was showing.

"You mean I would get to see you twice this week? - Twist my arm, Rogers." Natasha tried to sound cool but in reality, she wasn't joking that she'd like to see him that much. Actually more. She missed the days when the team mostly lived together at the Avengers compound. She missed seeing his face randomly throughout the day.

"Too much?" he asked, his confidence now down a peg.

"No... not at all," she said softly.

Steve had not prepared himself for her voice sounding sexy like that. Don't chicken out now, Rogers, he thought. He was relieved he wasn't facing her in person because he was sure he was turning a shade of pink. He was trying hard to be the gentleman he always thought he would be when he imagined taking girls out... in the days before the super soldier serum when he only imagined taking girls out. And he was sure that if this conversation was with any other woman, he wouldn't be getting flustered at all.

But it was Natasha.

There was a lot more riding on the line now.

"Would it be okay if I pick you up at 5 then?" He was regaining composure.

"Yes, absolutely," she said. She would have offered to meet him somewhere but she was positive he would insist on picking her up since he lived his life like a white knight on a horse. Good one, Natasha. Thanks, Natasha. Mental high five.

She tried to focus on their conversation a little better. "Are you going to tell me where we're going?"

He chuckled, "No, I'm not actually. I like surprises."

Steve was sure she would give him a hard time but instead she just said, "I can tell you like surprises since you showed up out of nowhere yesterday... Okay, well what should I wear then?"

"Hmmm," he hummed into the phone as he thought about it.

"Ball gown?" she asked.

"Too much." he answered.

"Pant suit?" she asked.

"Ummmm....."

"That one was a joke," she laughed. "How about a dress?"

"That sounds right," he said. "Okay so I will pick you up at 5 with no pant suit..."

Honestly, we have the most ridiculous conversations sometimes, he thought. I absolutely love it.