First Dates

When Steve Rogers was twenty years old he had his first first date. It was a set-up and a double date with Bucky. Steve was extremely nervous and excited. He'd seen Bucky go out on dates for years and had heard some pretty salacious stories…but he himself had always been too shy or too tongue tied to ask out any of the girls he met.

The date was an unmitigated disaster. The girl took one look at skinny little Steve and he saw her face fall in disappointment. Steve felt a flash of hurt, but pushed it aside. Surely, when she got to know him…

But the girl (Steve can't even remember her name now) didn't even let him try. He tried to start conversations with her; about art, about world events, about the Dodgers, even about current dress styles when he got really desperate. But her monosyllabic responses were designed to shut him down.

Steve had never felt quite as low and worthless as he did by the end of the first hour. If this was what he was missing by not "playing the field" that was 100% alright with him. But that wasn't even the worst part. The worst part came after dinner when they went to a dance hall Bucky liked. Steve didn't really know how to dance and was working up the nerve to ask his date to dance when he had an asthma attack.

He couldn't breathe.

And she only looked at him in horror and disdain.

Vaguely, Steve remembers Bucky helping him to a chair and glaring at something as Bucky's date brought him a glass of water. He eventually started to breathe again, but they left soon after. Bucky never saw his date again either. He said that it was because she was stuck-up but Steve knew that it was because her friend was rude to him. Bucky always put a lot of stock in who someone's friends were.

Steve's next first dates were all variations on the same theme. Some of the girls were polite but they clearly had no romantic interest in him. Some were ruder and some completely ignored him. Steve despaired at being set up but Bucky kept trying. So Steve went on first date after first date, not getting any closer to a second date and never closer to dancing.

OOOooooOOOO

When Steve Rogers was twenty-four years old, project Rebirth happened and he suddenly found himself on the road with about thirty show girls. Senator Brandt's aide (Martin) had taken him aside and told him not to date any of the girls…well, he used some more colorful words than that. But Steve didn't think that it would be a problem.

He was wrong.

While most of the girls treated him like a kid brother (which he appreciated) some of them made eyes at him (which made him nervous) and some made blatant overtures (which made him uncomfortable since someone else always overheard and would laugh).

Right after he turned twenty-five he decided to ask out one of the girls. Doris was always nice to him and tended to diffuse the situation whenever Maggie would make an off color remark about his body. It still didn't feel like his body but he didn't really like how he felt when she said them.

Thankfully, Doris said yes.

She seemed surprised but they had a nice time. He was still a little awkward, but Doris tended to find that cute. But they never went dancing. Doris said that she danced for a living and didn't want to do it for fun. After they had been out on a few dates, Steve had made it past second base, he suddenly found himself sliding into home. He didn't really know what to do and before he knew it, it was over. Doris gave him a smile, kissed his forehead and left. He stood there with his pants around his ankles feeling slight confused and a little let down.

The next day, all the girls were giggling and patting Doris on her back. He heard one say something about "doing it for America" and he must've made a noise, because they all looked over. There was an awkward pause and then Maggie laughed. Soon, all the girls were laughing. He saw the flash of guilt on Doris's face, but he didn't care. He ignored her when she tried to talk to him and kept to himself the rest of the tour.

He realized that his dates with Doris were not dates with Steve Rogers. They were dates with Captain America. He vowed not to go out with a girl again unless they were certain that they were on a date with Steve Rogers and not Captain America.

OOOOooooOOOO

When Steve Rogers was twenty-nine (ninety-six) he went on a first date with Darcy Lewis. The date was a disaster…mostly.

Steve had dressed casually and Darcy had dressed up- each trying to make the other more comfortable. Darcy had babbled about changing when he came to pick her up…but she looked so pretty he said. She blushed and they left in a cloud of stammering conversation.

He had planned on a walk through the park before going to a restaurant and then dancing. Darcy hesitated at the entrance to the park and he glanced at her face seeing a bit of hesitation before she seemed to steel herself. They walked into the park, talking about an exhibit they had both seen at the MOMA.

Steve felt like, clothing aside, this was going well. They were talking and it wasn't awkward. He wiped his sweaty palm on his pants leg and was casually reaching for Darcy's swinging hand, his heart beating frantically as he felt their fingertips brush. He saw her blush and…

She sneezed.

Like a lot. And loudly. Steve was actually pretty worried after the sneezing continued without stop for several minutes. Darcy looked embarrassed and miserable. He made her sit on the nearest bench.

"Darcy, what's wrong? Can I- can I do anything?"

"It's ok." She gasped. "Allergies." She managed before another sneeze attack took her. Steve felt like an idiot. He'd forgotten that all the oak trees were pollinating now. He used to keep track of that stuff. Before…

"C'mon." He said and lifted her into his arms making a hasty exit. After getting clear of the park, Darcy's sneezing and coughing let up a bit and Steve set her back on her feet, rubbing the back of his neck. "I'm really sorry…"

"No, I should've said something." Darcy interrupted with a rueful smile. "And I completely forgot to take my Claritin this morning." She gave him a smile. "I was sort of distracted."

Steve looked down and saw her smiling up at him. Something in her gaze, the way she looked into his eyes and seemed to see him made him start to lean forward. He saw he eyes flutter shut and…

A car honked.

They were in the middle of the street. Blushing, Steve and Darcy moved over to the sidewalk as the taxi drove by in a blur of yellow and curse words. Steve gave Darcy a grin and a shrug, stuffing his hands in his pockets, unsure what to do with them.

"We should get to dinner, I guess." And he waited for Darcy to get to his side before walking to the restaurant, shortening his stride to match hers. Steve stiffened when he felt her hand on his elbow and he looked over to see her looking hesitantly up at him. He felt himself relax a bit and used his opposite hand to twine her arm through his. She grinned up at him and Steve grinned back, feeling a flush of color in his cheeks and his heartbeat pick-up.

Maybe he hadn't ruined this after all. They could recover from one little allergy attack.

Dinner actually went really well, with only a few instances of embarrassment. The conversation flowed easily because despite being born over sixty years apart, they had a surprising amount in common. And when Steve spilled his soda all over himself and the table (and a little on Darcy although she tried to deny it) she had just laughed it off and he didn't feel like a complete bumbling idiot.

As he paid for dinner, Steve mentioned going out dancing; mentioning the name of a club that Tony had recommended. Darcy gave him a look he couldn't really decipher before shrugging and agreeing. Steve was more than ecstatic. He'd never made it this far on those double dates with Bucky and he'd never felt this way about Doris.

He and Darcy walked to the club, feeling slightly uncomfortable bypassing the line as Tony suggested (read: told Steve to do). When they got inside, Steve completely froze. That…was not dancing. And the girls! He swallowed. They were wearing less than the show girls! He blushed. What must Darcy think of him, bringing her here?

He felt her take his hand and gently tugged him to an empty table and Steve could actually feel the words bubble out beyond his control.

"Darcy, I'm really sorry…I had no idea…I just wanted to take you somewhere nice to dance and oh! I am never listening to Tony again!" He averted his eyes from hers, afraid that she would let him down easy, no matter that she wasn't angry with him. When he felt her hand under his chin tipping his head up, he met her eyes relieved to see her smiling at him.

"Steve, it's ok." She said. "I was a little surprised you wanted to come here but as soon as we got in I could tell that this wasn't what you had in mind…" She trailed off with a shrug and Steve felt the dam break.

He began to talk. To tell her about dancing in his day and how he never really went. How he was overlooked. About his missed date with Peggy. About how he was so happy that this date had been so perfect (soda and allergies aside) and he thought…he thought…he broke off when she pressed a kiss to his cheek.

"Sorry." He muttered and started to look away.

"Steve." Darcy said and he turned expecting to get a polite brush off after word vomiting all over her. Instead he saw her looking at him with sparkling eyes. "Do you really that I'm that special?" She asked in an unbelieving tone.

"Yeah." He breathed out unable to deny it. He had noticed her around the tower before they were officially introduced. He'd been thinking about her but was pretty sure she'd never see him as just Steve…he'd already started mourning something he would never have. But then they'd met and he knew he was a goner.

She didn't reply, just leaned up and kissed him, tentatively at first, then with feeling when he started kissing back. When they broke for air, she grinned at him and he smiled back. Then, Darcy pulled away and took her phone out of her purse. Steve felt a bit of trepidation.

"What're you doing?" he asked after a couple of second of watching her type. She gave him a grin.

"First, I'm looking up a dance place where we can actually dance." She said and Steve's heart literally skipped a beat as he smiled at her. Her hands paused and she blushed slightly before looking back down at her phone.

"Then?" Steve prompted and she let out a burst of laughter.

"Then, I'm emailing Tony to tell him that he is the most useless wingman in the world and is not allowed to give you any dating advice. Ever." She reached over to squeeze his hand. "You don't need advice from anyone on that." Steve shifted so her hand was clasped in his.

"Not with you…not anymore." He said earnestly. Darcy blushed and just as Steve was thinking of kissing her again, her phone chirped.

"Ugh, it's Tony." Darcy said and grinned before hitting the red button and her grin widened. "Ignore!" Steve laughed and stood up, offering her his arm. She looped her arm through his as though it was the hundredth time rather than just the second.

"Let's get outta here doll."

Together, they left the club and went to a place where dancing was actually dancing and they laughed together as they both fumbled through the steps. And at the end of the night when Steve kissed her goodnight and went back to his apartment, he felt like this really was a first date…there would be a second. And a third. And a future with Darcy.

And he swore, no matter how busy he got, no matter what complicated mess/disaster/emergency happened he would never be too busy to take his best girl out dancing.