Hello everybody. I a well aware that my track record in finishing stories isn't the best and that this is very unsatisfactory. I will do my very best to do better this time. The problem is partially that I always end up writing way more that what the initial idea was. Anyway.

I am hoping for constructive reviews to help me with the process.

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the marvel caracters, I have no intention on making any money on them and I appologize to everyone who feels I have not treated their favourit characters quite right. Sorry about that. I am just a fangirl who cannot wait for the next movie and therefore has to make up stories of her own.

Steve was just glad the mission was over.

It had been as close to a disaster as possible. Well, OK they succeeded in the end but Falcon got insured, they accidently exploded the lab they were supposed to observe and infiltrate and Nat and Wanda got into an argument that almost blew Nat's cover.

Needless to say, she was pissed.

She had been accused of being a lot of things in the past, nice and much less niche things but if anything Nat was a professional. So having to deal with the much less professional but all the more enthusiastic Wanda during a covert operation, who thought she had the better plan, put somewhat of a strain on their relationship.

Steve just hoped that in time he would be able to smooth out the wrinkles in the new team.

He liked the new base. Ever since he had accepted the fact that living in this century had changed him he felt himself suddenly at peach in this new live. When this had all started so many years ago he was simply a man that wanted desperately to help his country and his comrades. He wanted to do nothing more or less than his duty and then return home. His encounter with Wanda in South Africa had finally shown him: He was not this man any more. He was not looking for a home with a wife and kids waiting for him. He didn't want a job that ended when the clock rang in the evening and the weekends off. Off course he knew that part the reason for that was that the love of his live, Peggy, was unreachable to him now. But knowing it, he was able to accept it.

His reason in live was something different now. Not fighting to protect is comrades and family. He fought to protect EVERYBODYS family. And that was not a job that new off time or weekends.

He was OK with that. He would always have the memory of Peggy. That one kiss …

Steve sight as he stepped from the Quinjet that had gotten them back from the San Diego Suburbs were their last mission had taken place.

"OK everybody. I want your reports by tonight. We will have a meeting to discuss the mission tomorrow."

"What's there to discuss" Wanda snappishly replied. "I thought I was not allowed to utter my opinion anyway!"

She was glaring at Natasha, who seemed completely unfazed by this. She was storing her weapons and did not respond neither to Steve's earlier statement nor to Wanda's provocation. But Steve could see in the way her shoulders were set and the slight flare of her nostrils, that she was furious.

He quickly interfered before the situation could get out of hand. "Wanda you can voice your opinion as often as you like but for future reference: NOT in the field." He stepped in front of her and waited until he caught her gaze. "Not the best contribution from you today. And you know it." The young woman looked up at him defiantly for another second. The she took a step back and lowered her gaze.

"I just thought this was a mistake I …" She mumbled and cast a sideways glance at Natasha.

"Well you thought wrong. Now get some rest everybody. We will discuss this tomorrow at the meeting."

While he was speaking Natasha had finished storing her weapons arsenal and pushed past him out of the gear room, which they had all come to after exiting the Quinjet into the Hanger Bay. She strode away to, if he was not mistaken, the gym to let of some steam.

Steve sight again. Yep this would take some time.

Natasha had still not quite taken to the new team. She had worked solo for such a long time, that adjusting to the new situation proved difficult for her. Working with Thor, Tony, Clint and Bruce had certainly been quite different.

They had become a team out of immediate necessity. There had been no time for individual struggles they had to work in unison instantly.

Steve smiled as he remembered Banner calling them a "chemical mixture that creates chaos" and although he had not been altogether wrong, the Avengers also proved to be an excellent combination of talents when it came to diffusing global threats.

With Tony at least temporarily gone, Barton retired and Thor away they had to work to regain the balance that they had found in the old team.

And then of course there was Banner.

Steve was not sure how fare he and Natasha had ever progressed. He had seen their banter, how easy it was for Nat to relax in his presence. He knew they had … something. But just what exactly it was and how deep it went he could only infer from Natasha's reaction to his absence.

And judging from that things had been pretty intense at least for her.

It may well be the reason she had so much trouble adapting to, and trusting the new team.

Not that Steve could fault her, he certainly knew the feeling. He just whished the he could help her in some way. Tonight, he felt, addressing the issue was proabably not a good idea. He would opt for distraction instead.

By the time he had made up his mind, Steve had reached his personal living quarters in the Avengers facility. He stepped into his living area which contained a small comfortable sofa and several well filled bookshelves but was otherwise sparsely decorated. He dumped his go bag with the extra set of clothes they always took on missions, in case the parameters changed and one day stretched into a week, and started peeling from his uniform as he made his way to the shower.

"Call Agent Romanoff" he instructed the AI which operated the building.

"Romanoff" came her answer a couple of seconds later.

"Hey Nat. Will you join me to go into town later?" Steve inquired keeping his voice neutral.

There was a silence of several minutes so that he already began to suspect that she would blow him off before he could hear her answer.

"Don't much feel like celebrating tonight Cap."

"We are not celebrating. We'd just grab a drink or two, talk about the old times, gossip about the new. You know … hang out?"

"Rogers you don't hang out!" he could have sworn she was rolling her eyes. "And I don't need to be cheered up."

"Maybe I do." he countered. "Maybe I met a girl in a bar the other night and need a wingman."

"And you would take me?" Natasha asked in a disbelieving tone. "No I rather think you are making this up so you can force me to socialise."

"Well you were the one setting me up on dates, remember."

She had not jet hung up on him so Steve decided to give it one more push.

"Come on Nat. It will be fun. You can find me someone to dance with. Watching me making a fool of myself should cheer you up."

"Yes and I said, I didn't need to be cheered up." she responded, but he could hear her silent grin and knew that he had won her over.

"I'll pick you up in half an hour?"

"Shure, If you think."

Her response was not exactly enthusiastic but at least he got her to come along with him. If he was successful at keeping her from sulking tonight, maybe tomorrow she would be in a good enough mood to forgive Wanda's overly energetic intrusion in her area of expertise when it came to infiltrations and cover ops.

When he knocked on Natasha's door 30 minutes later he was faced with her being still in a sour mood.

"I don't think this was a good idea. I am not exactly party material today." she exclaimed.

"That's fine. You don't have to be. It's not a party remember. Let's just go somewhere and talk. How is the newest addition to ...Huh." he broke off not exactly sure how much of Barton's secret live he could refer to without giving away his secret to overhearing ears. Natasha understood however.

"He is great." and with that she latched into an account of the latest Baby news which considerably softened her features and relaxed her shoulders. The Barton family always had that effect on her. Well maybe with the exception of Clint who more often than not CAUSED tense shoulders.

They rode into town in one of the unmarked Shield cars and picked a small bar with live music and an excellent burger menu. He was quite happy with his method of distraction given that halfway into her burger and their whispered discussion about the next birthday gift for little "traitor" Nathaniel, the last wrinkles on Natasha' forehead finally disappeared. She seemed to have pushed her worries and anger aside at least for the moment.

Steve was happy to see her relaxed and pleased with himself until she suddenly pointed to a woman sitting at the bar.

"Her" was her simple statement.

Now it was Steve's turn to wrinkle his forehead. "Beg your pardon?"

"Ask her to dance with you."

"Seriously Natasha? This is not even a place where people dance."

"You promised me some entertainment. And we do have live music."

"But not dance music!"

Steve started panicking a little. He had honestly forgotten about his half-joked comment from earlier. He glanced around to the Woman at the Bar. She seemed to be there by herself and was sipping at her beer while reading something on the table she had in front of her. Unlike most, who came to the bar, she was not dressed for a Friday night. She wore jeans, a plain dark T-shirt and sports shoes. Her hair was pulled back into a messy bun. He could not see her face clearly from where they were sitting but she appeared to be young.

"You have to. You promised!" Natasha flashed him a wicked grin.

"Fine. Suit yourself. It's your loss since this means you will be sitting here all by yourself." Steve shot back.

He got up to make his way over to her. As he approached he found himself hoping that her boyfriend would appear form somewhere and save him the humiliation of having to try and talk a complete stranger into dancing with him. Preferably before he reached the bar and made a fool of himself.

Naturally, no such luck.

"Hi there." he greeted and immediately blushed when she turned away from her screen towards him.

"Hi."

The silence stretched uncomfortably as he was feverishly trying of something clever to say.

"Uhm. Strange place to be reading."

'Really. REALLY Steve, this is what you are going with? Criticising her choice of entertainment!' he thought to himself.

"Maybe." she agreed lightly. "I had to finish preparing for a meeting tomorrow but staying in a hotel room seed kind of boring so I settled for a compromise."

"So you are not from around here then." he concluded.

"No. Just in town for the meeting."

"And what is it that you do?"

"I am a scientist. Biologist really."

"That's great. I mean some of my friends are scientists and they are … intelligent. I mean … interesting … to talk to. I mean …"

Her laugh interrupted him in his ramblings. "That's all right. The topic is not really fascinating to anybody but a cell biologist."

She had lightly touched his arm and when she drew her hand away from it, Steve couldn't help but feel a pang of regret. As soon as he noticed himself staring at the hand that she just drew back he blushed again.

"So you come here often?" she asked as she noticed his discomfort.

"No. Not really. I mean I've been here a couple of times. But I am not the type to go out much so … We just came to get distracted." Steve explained as he gestured towards Natasha, who was suspiciously busy studying the half a page long menu.

"Oh. So you are not alone then?" she asked.

Steve, realising what he had just implied blushed again. "No! No not like that! We are colleages. Just friends really. Actually," he suddenly decided going about this with the truth, "I promised Nat that she could pick out someone to dance with me. She didn't want to come and I had to bribe her with something."

"And that someone is me?" the woman asked with a sudden understanding.

"Well. Yes."

"Why not. My name is Elena by the way. But call me Lena." she smiled conspiratorial at him. "Let's put on a show then."

Steve's breath caught in his throat as she pulled him along to the small space unoccupied by tables in front of the band and turned towards him smiling mischievous. Steve noticed she was beautiful. Not in the classical way. She wore no makeup and was not styled to perfection. But her smile was infectious and natural, her face open and relaxed. Her blue eyes sparkled through the glasses that she wore. She had a small scar on her chin, like from an old accident and he noticed faint freckles on the bridge of her nose.

"I am Steve by the way."

He added, as they began to dance to the fast rhythm of the guitar that had just set in.

"Nice to meet you Steve." she replied, before catching him completely by surprise by spinning him around in tune with the music.

They did not get a chance to talk much after that, both having way too much fun dancing together. And they only noticed how late it had gotten when the musicians started a slow piece and the patron of the bar announced that it was the last song to be played. Steve looked up to find that Natasha had already left by then. He turned back to Lena, who had laid her head against his chest.

"So. I guess they are throwing us out." He commented as they were swaying gently to the last song.

"Too bad." Lena replied looking up at him again. "This was fun."

"It was. But you have a meeting tomorrow, as do I actually. I …"

Steve was about to comment on the amount of reading he would still have to do before calling it a night, when Lena suddenly kissed him.

His heartrate spiked and he almost involuntary pulled her closer. This was not how he pictured this evening to go. Captain America could not get drunk but it seems that being surprise-kissed may do the trick. He felt dizzy and light headed and he definitely was unable to think anything when Lena finally broke the kiss. But instead of leaving the bar by herself, she dragged him out with her and started heading down the street.

"Wait. I …" Steve had no idea what he was going to say. –Cannot go with you because I have to go back to avenging the world tomorrow and I am also extremely old fashioned due to the fact that I was born in 1918.- That didn't seem right somehow.

Sensing his hesitation Lena slowed and turned towards him.

"It's all right. Don't worry about it. This doesn't have to mean the world."

He looked at her hesitantly, so she drew him in for another kiss.

"You want to come with me?"

Steve unable to say a single word just stared at her.

"Then come with me. Not everything has to be set-in-stone-serious. Let's just have a good time."

And with that she dragged him off towards her hotel.