Prelude to a Date

Steve successfully avoided Natasha for three full days before she cornered him in the men's change rooms at his gym.

"Hey! You can't be in here!" Steve complained.

Natasha smiled slightly and continued ambling towards him "Please. You don't have anything I haven't seen before in one form or another. But then again..." she raised an eyebrow and looked pointedly towards his hips.

Steve glowered at her, and pulled his towel tighter about his waist.

"So, you never answered that text I sent you the other night" she said conversationally.

"Oh. Yeah," Steve murmured, shuffling his feet nervously. "I figured you were joking."

"No," Natasha said. "I want you to take me out."

Steve nodded. "Why?" he asked. "Do you really feel that sorry for me?"

Natasha smiled slightly again. "Maybe a little." She looked speculatively at him- keeping her eyes on his face.

"Gee, thanks. That's what I need right now, a pity date" Steve said sourly.

"What if there wasn't any pity involved, and it also wasn't a date?" Natasha ventured.

"I mean, it could be a date, we could even make it a practice date from start to finish. I could be your... fairy godmother," she said distastefully, and Steve gave her a confused looked.

"But let's face it- that would be awkward. So, let's just go out and eat, and drink and talk... Actually formulate a plan of attack, as you like to say."

"A plan of attack for what?" Steve asked, brow furrowing.

"For getting you up to speed on dating." Natasha said, a smile tugging at the corner of her mouth. "Instead of just throwing you into the middle of the fray and expecting you to swim, which a certain friend of ours tried to do to you... unsuccessfully, I believe."

Steve frowned, and then considered her for a moment. "So, we would just hang out... talk... and you would give me... advice?"

Natasha nodded. "You don't even have to get dressed up if you don't want to."

"To be honest... I'd appreciate that. I have Tony and Clint and Bruce, and sometimes even Thor filling my brain up with strategies, a lot of which make absolutely no sense whatsoever- especially the things Thor tells me to do... Asgard must be a very unique place..." Steve rambled. "It would be good to get the honest opinion of a dame... a lady... a woman" he licked his lips. "And clearly I need guidance here. So much guidance."

"Clearly" Natasha agreed.

"But... won't it be awkward? If our colleagues think we're... you know?"

"No one is going to think we're knocking boots, Cap." Natasha drawled. "They know you've got more taste and smarts than that."

Steve looked confused for a moment. "Did you just insult yourself?" he wondered.

Natasha smiled at him. "Leave those bozos to me. If they say anything, or try to give you a hard time, I'll sort them out..." she trailed off menacingly, and Steve swallowed nervously.

Now what was he getting himself into?

… … …

Author's notes: Finally it's here; I hope you will enjoy it! Also - follow me on Twitter and Pinterest! I'm registered in both places as Bombshell1701 so add me if you're into those things. It'll be fun.