Dancing Flames

So here I am again with another Romanogers fic but with Pre-Serum Steve. I'm sorry, I just like the idea of Nat meeting Steve before he became Captain America. I feel like he would be her guiding light and would teach her how to open up.

The relationship between the two will build up slowly because I don't want to rush things. This will take place before the first Captain America movie, so this is a different setting. In my first Romanogers fic called "Graceful Beauty," Nat will be a couple of years younger than Steve. So while he's 25, she'll be 23 in this fic.

I've always liked the Romanogers 40's AU setting, I have read several Romanogers fic in which Steve finds Nat in the 40's, but they're all after the first Captain America movie, so this is just my little spin on it.

Disclaimer: I claim no ownership of any characters used

Summary: he was just an art student, it wasn't until he met a certain ballerina, that his world had begun to change

I haven't read the comics, so I apologize for any OOCness with characters, everything is being based on the MCU verse alongside what I've read in other fanfics.

ENJOY!

Steve had always liked that college was completely different. Many of the people at the university were mature and he didn't always have to worry about the bullies. Though he also liked the fact that he and his friend, Bucky, were attending the same college, Brooklyn College. Though despite being a college student, Steve still had trouble talking to women, it was even worse when they would complement him on his drawings and he'd blush, and stutter each time he'd try to form a sentence.

The blond just let out a sigh as he finished up on one of his art assignments that his professor had given them. It was basically draw a sketch of people that inspired them, so Steve ended up drawing both his parents. His father had inspired him to join the army after he graduated, while his mother inspired him to become a better person. Steve never really knew his father but his mother was his hero, and it broke him after she passed.

Lost in thought, Steve didn't hear his best friend calling out to him.

"Steve."

"Yo Stevie boy!"

"ROGERS!"

Let out a small shout, Steve fell off his chair and onto the floor. Groaning as he rubbed his head, he glared as he heard Bucky laugh at him.

"Going deaf on me pal?"

"Shut up Bucky," he grabbed the lending hand the brunette offered him, "what do you want now."

"Aw don't be rude Steve," Bucky gave him a grin, "just wanted to know if you'd be up going out on a double date with me tonight."

"Figures," Steve mentally notes, "Bucky you know that I don't do great with gals."

Bucky rolled his eyes, "Aw don't be such a sore, besides this double date will help you get comfortable with dames. Aren't you tired of not approaching them?"

"That's part of the problem."

He frowned at Steve's negativity, "Come on Stevie, just because you're scrawny, doesn't mean you can't show a dame a good time."

"Unless it's dancing."

Bucky laughed, "Yeah, you still gotta work on that."

Steve laughed too, "Thanks, but no thanks Buck, I've got too much to do."

"Like what, homework?"

"Well yeah, I promised my ma that I'd get myself a degree, and I ain't breaking it. Besides I'm working on a collage and an internship."

Bucky shook his head, "Sooner or later you gotta learn how to let loose."

"Maybe someday Buck, but not today."

"Alright punk, take care of yourself."

"You too jerk."

Steve watched as Bucky exited out his apartment. The blond had managed to keep the apartment his mother had rented out. Thanks to his job and the savings his mother had, he was able to continue living in it and still had enough to support himself and get him supplies for college. It also helped that he was given an art scholarship thanks to a drawing that he did for a contest a few years ago.

Although despite using academics as an excuse to stay home, Steve just didn't have the charm to attract women. It didn't help that he wasn't tall, build, or healthy. In fact he was the opposite, and he hated it, being born sick and small. He couldn't risk working out because it would trigger his asthma, what was even worse it could cause harm to his spine. So all Steve could do was just draw, but he found comfort in drawing, and it always made him feel better. The downside of it was that he was colorblind, so there were certain colors he couldn't see that a normal person could, so he would have to write down what colors they were.

Surprisingly, being colorblind still didn't prevent Steve from becoming an artist. He could recall how happy his mother was each time he showed her a drawing that he would finish, whether they would be sketches or painted pictures.

Letting out a sigh, Steve looked through the window of his apartment and watched random people walking alongside the streets of Brooklyn. He'd watch couples carefully, taking notes on what to do if he ever had the chance to go on a date. Hopefully one day he would meet a dame that his late mother would approve of. But at the current moment, Steve would just busy himself with drawing until that day came.

"Another well job on the assignment Rogers," Steve's professor, Allan, patted his shoulder.

"Thanks," he blushed in response.

As he began to pack his bag, a few of his female students walked up to him.

"That was a beautiful picture of your parents Steve, maybe you can give me some pointers one day," a petite blonde named Mindy commented.

Steve blushed, finding no words to come out, he just nodded as Mindy and her friends giggled as they walked out of the classroom. Once he exited the room, Bucky wrapped and arm around his shoulder.

"Man, you get girls to talk to you but you can't talk to them."

Steve just rolled his eyes, "She was just admiring my artwork."

"Yeah and she flirted with ya," Bucky guffawed, "I mean she giggled too."

"Bucky just stop."

"Alright," the blond groaned as he received a noogie, "let's go get something to eat."

The two friend's picked a small diner to get some lunch.

"So do a lot of girls ask for pointers in art," Bucky wiggled his eyebrows.

"Idiot," Steve kicked his friend underneath the table, "they just want to know how they can improve in their drawings."

"And do you?"

"Ah come on Buck, we seriously aren't having this conversation, are we?"

The brunette just shook his head and laugh, "I'm just messing with ya Stevie. So this Saturday…"

"Don't tell me it's a double date."

"Stevie, you know me too well."

"Bucky," Steve gave a low warning.

Of course it was ignored, "Just this once, we're going dancing, and my date's friend is just your height. It'll be fine!"

"You know I can't dance."

"So you'll learn, it's never too learn how to dance."

Saturday night 8pm.

Steve shuffled nervously as Bucky was introducing him to their dates. Bucky's date was a beautiful brunette with gorgeous brown eyes, her friend was a couple of inches taller than Steve, thanks to the high heels, she was a dirt blonde with brown eyes.

"Ladies, meet my friend Steve, Steve meet Clara and Nikki."

"Nice to meet you Steve, I'm Clara," the brunette shook Steve's hand.

"Ma'am."

"And I'm Nikki," the dirt blonde smiled at Steve in which he smiled back.

"Now ladies," Bucky held his arms out, "let's go dancing!"

Clara laughed as Bucky happily led her to the dancefloor and the two began to enjoy each other's company. Steve began to shuffle nervously around Nikki.

"Wanna dance?" Nikki asked.

Steve just blushed, "I don't know how to."

She giggled, "All you gotta do is listen to the music and let your body move to it."

"That's just it, I can't listen to music."

"Oh are you deaf?"

Steve shook his head, "I'm partially deaf, so I can't hear very well."

"Oh, that's too bad."

"Yeah, sorry."

The two ended up sitting at a table and watched their friends enjoy themselves. Of course Bucky stepped in and ended up dancing with both ladies, while Steve just sat by himself nervously. The blond didn't know why he agreed to come with Bucky on this double date, even though he knew it would end with him just by himself. Steve didn't know how to talk with women and just didn't know how to dance.

Later on, both Bucky and Steve called a cab to drop the ladies back to their place. Before Nikki stepped into the cab, Steve apologized to her.

"Sorry for not showing you a good time."

Nikki giggled, "That's okay Steve you're still new at this."

"Yeah," he rubbed the back of his neck.

"Promise me, that once you find the right gal for you, you'll show her a good time, for me?"

Steve nodded, "I promise."

She smiled, "Good, and good night Steve."

Once the cab drove off, Bucky gave the blond a one arm hug.

"Wow, I'm surprised that you could hold a conversation."

"You can thank the beer," the two friends laughed and headed home.

END

Well I hope you like the first chapter. I always imagined that if little Steve drank a few beers, he'd be a bit loose and talk to women. I also wanted to show that Steve could hold a conversation with women, but only for a certain amount of time.

Fun fact, I was going to give Nat a cameo in this chapter, but decided against it.