Steve opened the door to the restaurant for Natasha and the sound that had been like faint music suddenly enveloped them. He stepped in behind her and took her arm in his. He leaned down close to her ear and said "Miss Romanoff, care to dance?"

She hoped her face wasn't showing the shock she was feeling. "Do you know how to dance?" she tried to sound encouraging.

"It might not be pretty," he smiled with his whole face. That smile made her chest thump. He held out his hand for her. Across the room he caught Barbara's eye and she made a motion to the band leader. The music transformed into something more slow and some trumpet started in, and much to Steve's surprise, he recognized the song from a long time ago. As he was walking in front of Natasha, leading her to the dance floor, he leaned back and excitedly said, "I actually know this song." Natasha laughed a little, she always felt happy for him when he felt part of the life that was going on around him.

He stopped on the dance floor and pulled her near with his hand on her back. He took her other hand with his free hand. He noted to himself that he could have offered to let her put her purse down first but it didn't matter because this is exactly where he wanted to be at this moment. She was so close, he could smell her shampoo and his chin would sometimes brush her hair. They swayed slowly and he leaned down a bit closer so he could talk to her. He hadn't felt this alive in a long time. The feeling of her warm body, her soft skin, her delicious scent... and then there was that palpable flirtation going on between them, it all felt amazing.

"I like your hair and your dress tonight, by the way," he said to her, leaning closer so she could hear. "Did you do that for me?"

"I thought you might like something more... vintage," she leaned back to smile at him.

Their eyes met for what felt like a long moment. She looked at his lips. Steve got caught up in his own mind for a second as he thought She looks like my dream girl tonight. He didn't catch her looking at his lips. His lips were busy trying not to let out what he was thinking. And now his mind was racing for something to say.

...And BUMP.

The older gentleman near them led his dancing partner backwards and straight into Natasha's hip.

"Oh I'm so sorry, honey, he's such a clutz when he's been drinking hard liquor," the nice woman said to Natasha.

"It's quite alright," Natasha smiled.

"Yes but you were the one ordering me all the drinks," he quipped jokingly, looking at the woman. He looked at Steve, "I think she's trying to take advantage of me."

They all laughed.

"48 years of marriage and I still have to get him drinking to get him to dance with me!" she said over his shoulder as he danced her away.

"They're cute," Natasha said, looking up to Steve.

"See? You didn't even have to get me drinking to get me to dance..." he added, charmingly.

"Good to know," she said.

"Well girls weren't exactly lining up around the block to dance with me before... you know, before I took the serum. So I'm getting the chance now."

"Awww, I've seen your picture, you were adorable." She hated to have him feel this way about himself, or, the self he used to be. "Besides, you're just the best guy I know. You would have met someone, you just never got the time." Damn, Natasha... he DID meet someone. He met Peggy. Why would you say that?? She berated herself for that comment.

"That's all in the past," he said gently. He didn't appear to be phased. "I'm learning how to live in the here and now. I'm getting a second chance." He looked down into her face and pulled her closer with the hand on her back again, this time nudging her head gently towards his chest. She leaned her head on his chest while they danced.

Another slow song played and they continued to dance but this time it was much quieter. After a minute, Steve turned his face down to look at her, his chin tickled by her hair. He couldn't get a good look at her face. "You still here with me?" he asked.

"I'm here," she said, not moving her face to look at him.

"Nat? You okay?"

"I might need some air," she confessed.

"Let's head out," he said as he saw her face. She didn't seem to be having a good time anymore. He led her through the other dancers and diners and to the front door, wondering what he might have done to cause this. He was relieved that Barbara seemed to be having a conversation with someone else so he gave her a little wave and mouthed "thank you."

Outside in the garden, only small garden lights lit their way as he tried to get a good look at Natasha's face. Once they were a few feet away, he turned her towards him; her bottom eyelids were glistening. She blinked and a tear rolled straight down her cheek. Steve pressed the pad of his thumb to her cheek to wipe it away as Natasha stared at the ground.

"Natasha, what's wrong?" he asked quietly. Here it comes, she's about to drop the bomb on me...

She sniffled softly and looked back up at him and then quickly away, as if whatever she had to say was too hard to say directly into his eyes.

"You're so nice to me, everything was so great, you put so much effort into it."

"But...?" He prepared his heart for a break.

"No but," she said looking back to his face, her voice getting stronger. "No one's ever done anything like that for me before. I've never danced with someone like that before. I was dancing with you and thinking how nice it was and then I was thinking it was so great to be doing all this with you...and..."

Steve bridged the gap between them in a millisecond and wrapped his arms around her. He leaned in and kissed her on the lips, softly but urgently. He felt another one of her tears hit his face and he squeezed her a little tighter. Natasha kissed him back and reached up for his neck to hang on. She didn't want anymore space between them, she needed to be right up against him. They broke the kiss for a breath and Steve leaned his forehead against Natasha's.

"You worried me there for a second," he laughed lightly as he moved his hands to the sides of her head, his thumbs pressing her cheeks.

"You don't have to worry," she said firmly. "There's nobody in the world that I could even compare to you, Steve. I'm... happy about all of this. I was just realizing I've never..." Oh boy, Natasha, just let it out... "I've never had this before. Not for the right reasons. It always had something to do with... a mission."

Steve rubbed his hands up and down her cold arms, "It's chilly out here."

"I must have left my sweater in the car," she said.

He took his jacket off and put it around her shoulders as they walked to his truck. Natasha's mind raced a bit as she tried to act normal. Never in a million years did she expect Steve to kiss her tonight. He's not a first date kiss kind of guy. She looked away for a second until she was sure she could wipe the silly look off her face. His jacket still held his heat and felt good as a shield against the night air.

Steve concentrated on the sounds of their feet hitting the sidewalk and the scratchy sound their dress shoes made. His nerves were starting to subside, he looked over to her with a grin.

"I wasn't expecting that at all," she looked at him with a little smirk.

"Neither was I," he laughed and she joined in. She tightened her hold on his forearm. It didn't go unnoticed and he was reveling in having her so close tonight, feeling her clutching to his arm.

As they approached his truck, Steve opened her door and held her hand as she climbed up into the seat. He leaned inside the truck a bit and she thought he would kiss her again but instead he looked at her through his dark eyelashes and asked "Are you in a hurry to get home?"

"No, not at all."

Steve made his way around the truck to get in. "Where should we go?"

They sat silently for a minute as they thought and then Natasha busted out her phone. As he watched her close her red purse back up and set it aside, a lightbulb went off over his head.

"You wore red, white and blue," he said, tilting his head to the side with a little grin.

"That was unintentional," Natasha said through a laugh.

"I like it," he added.

Natasha typed and scrolled on her phone as Steve's mind wandered back years... to remember driving with Natasha from Washington D.C. to New Jersey.

Her sitting next to him in that "borrowed" truck.

The two of them trying to figure each other out.

...I feel like if you don't answer it though, you're kind of answering it, you know?

What?

Was that your first kiss since 1945?

"Does that sound good?" Natasha waited for a flash of recognition on Steve's face. "Steve?"

"Sorry," he shook his head a little. "...I'm sorry. What did you say?"

"You want a milkshake?" she smiled.

A slow grin grew on his face. "Yes, definitely. Let's do that." He clicked his seatbelt, rubbed his palms together a bit and asked "Where to, Miss?"

"Looks like it's on the other side of the lake. Gets good reviews." She showed him the map on her phone and they started driving.