Author's Note: Since the reaction to the first chapter was so positive, I figured we could explore this a little more. Honestly, this was actually more fun to write than I assumed it would be and I've already got some of chapter 3 already mapped out because of it. That being said…

Please enjoy.

"You want me to go out with who?" Darcy asked glibly.

"Steve…from the Avengers," Jane answered.

The two women were sitting in Jane's apartment, having a girl's night in. They'd done the movies and wine potion, and the dinner and wine portion, and were now on the gossip and wine portion of the evening. The entire time that Darcy had been over Jane had been completely unsure on how bring up the subject of setting her up with, of all people, Captain America. Finally, after Darcy had complained about the last guy she'd gone out with, a guy with a massive inferiority complex that lived in a hostel instead of a regular apartment, and, apparently, had a handful of warrants that he'd neglected to mention.

Jane listened as Darcy went on about how embarrassing it was to be sitting in a slightly fancy restaurant, enjoying a night out, only to have to the police interrupt in order to arrest her date. "I swear, there really are no good men left in New York," Darcy capped off the story.

That was when Jane blurted out what she and Natasha had talked about a few days earlier.

"So you're talking about Captain America?" Darcy clarified.

"Technically, yes," Jane said. "But I'm talking about Steve, the man under the mask and costume."

"Captain America. Just say, Captain America," Darcy smiled.

"No, I think I'll call him Steve."

"Who is also known as…Captain America. Jane, just say, 'Darcy, I want you to go out on a date with Captain America'."

"Why are you making fun of me?" Jane asked, the alcohol making her defensive.

"Because it's fun watching you go all awkward," Darcy laughed. "But seriously, when did you think up the idea of me going out with the Star-Spangled Stud Muffin."

Jane took a drink of her wine and started to explain how Natasha had approached her with the idea. That Natasha was making it her mission to get Steve back out into the world, preferably with someone to enjoy it with. And most importantly, that somehow, Natasha had determined that Darcy was the best possible match for Steve.

"So why am I the Bergman to his Bogart?" Darcy asked. Jane raised an eyebrow at her friend. "Casablanca," she clarified. Jane looked blank. "Really? 1942; starring Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman? It's only like one of the greatest movies ever made."

And that is probably why Natasha picked you, Jane thought.

"She just thinks that someone like you could do what he's afraid to."

"And just what is Captain America afraid of?"

"This century," Jane hesitated.

"So you two want what? For me to…?"

"Just show him that he doesn't have to be afraid of living in the now. And look at it this way: you get to go out with a nice guy who's cute, smart, funny, and respectful. Hell, for once you probably won't have to worry about whether his eyes are on your face or your cleavage."

"That would be a nice change," Darcy mused. "Fine, I'll do it. Go ahead and set it up."

Friday night rolled around and Steve found himself sitting inside a restaurant with Natasha and Sam. They were going to catch a bite to eat before heading to a Broadway show that Natasha really wanted to see. The place was slightly more upscale than the places they usually went to before the night out. Typically they'd just hit up some trendy bar that Sam wanted to try out, hit the show, and then Natasha would bring them to a place like they were currently in to say thank you for indulging a night on Broadway.

"I'm surprised the waiter hasn't been by yet," Steve said as he sipped the complimentary glass of wine that was brought to each of them.

"It's probably shift change," Natasha reasoned.

"Uh-huh," Steve nodded.

The answer sounded good enough, but he was slightly suspicious since Natasha seemed to be keeping an eye on the door. "Waiting for someone?" he asked.

"Just doing some people watching," she replied.

"Anyone interesting?" Sam asked as he looked over the appetizer list.

"Not yet."

"Shouldn't we be heading over to the theater?" Steve inquired.

Natasha looked at him and just shook her head and smiled. She didn't say anything, but the message was clear, we're doing fine on time.

"Well look who just walked in," she said suddenly. Before Steve and Sam could look, she was out of her seat and heading over to entrance. Their gaze followed her until she stopped and they saw who had grabbed her attention: Jane, Thor's girlfriend, and her assistant, Darcy. At least Steve hoped he was remembering her name correctly since he'd only met her once.

As he took in the sight, his interest was focused on Darcy. The young woman caught his attention, and probably the attention of every other man in the restaurant, in her figure hugging red minidress. The dress came down to just before mid-thigh and seemed to mold itself to her curves. It had thin straps that led down to a slight V-neckline that on a normally endowed would've already caused every man in the room to focus on her cleavage. On Darcy – it caused everyone to focus on hers. And even Steve found himself staring just a little more than was necessary since she wasn't at their table yet.

Natasha was taking to the maître d, and soon Nat was leading the two women over to their table where the staff was brining two more chairs. "Guys, you remember Jane and Darcy?" Natasha said as she sat back down.

Sam and Steve said their hellos as the two women got settled. Jane was sitting next to Natasha and Sam, while Darcy was put next to Steve.

"So what are you two doing here?" Sam asked.

"Just getting a bite before we hit the town," Jane answered. "You all?"

"Nat here wants to see Cats for some reason," Sam revealed.

"Oh my God, I haven't seen that in years," Jane gushed.

Darcy scoffed. The eyes at the table went to her. "What? Cats is boring," she said. "If I want to watch some talking and singing animals, I'll watch Disney."

Steve couldn't help himself and let out a small laugh.

"See, Army Boy agrees with me," she said as she tapped her hand to Steve's right arm. She let her hand linger, gripping his bicep through his jacket. "Wow, and I thought Thor's muscles were huge," she smiled.

Natasha and Sam laughed at Darcy's reaction while Jane shook her head. This is working perfectly already, Nat thought as she looked on.

"Thank you…I think," Steve uttered nervously.

"You know," Natasha began, "Steve didn't really want to see Cats either, so…Steve you wouldn't mind if Jane took your ticket?"

"I thought she was out with Darcy tonight?" he questioned.

"I'm sure Darcy wouldn't mind spending the evening with you instead, would you, Darcy?" Natasha prodded.

Darcy shook her head. "I thought that's what I was here for?"

At that statement, Steve almost glared at Natasha. "Really?" he asked, clearly annoyed.

"On that cue, we should get going, enjoy dinner you two," Natasha deflected, motioning for everyone who wasn't Steve and Darcy to get up. Jane practically jumped from her seat, anxious to get away.

"Have fun, Cap," Sam encouraged as he got up much more casually than Jane. "Darcy, don't break him," he smiled to the beautiful brunette.

Steve and Darcy watched all three of their friends walk off, leaving them alone. "I'm guessing you weren't expecting me?" Darcy deduced. Steve shook his head. This would be my luck, she thought. I squeeze myself into this dress for a hot, muscly guy, and he had no clue that I was coming. You so owe me, Jane, she finished thinking. "If you want, we can call it a night right now. No harm, no foul."

Steve shook his head. "No, you got all dressed up – and you do look beautiful by the way," he complimented her nervously. Darcy smiled at his praise. "I should at least treat you to dinner."

"That'll do, then," she accepted, though her smile was hiding a small amount of disappointment.

Natasha was curled up on one of the chairs in the common room at the Avenger's compound. There was a glass of wine on the table next to her and she was busy reading a book. She was a few chapters in when she heard someone walking in behind her. She turned and saw Steve making his way toward the refrigerator.

"You're back earlier than I expected," she told him as she watched him pull a beer out.

He twisted off the cap and leaned against the island. "Yeah, well, what can I say, tonight was…"

"Don't tell me you had a bad time?"

Steve shrugged.

"You didn't like Darcy?" Nat asked apprehensive.

"Darcy was…she's…," Steve trailed off again, not knowing how to really answer.

"Not pretty enough? Not your type?"

"Darcy is beautiful," Steve said just before he took a drink. Natasha was able to keep herself from smirking at that statement, though inside, she was all smiles. At least we know the man has a pulse, she thought. "My type? Don't know. We didn't get past dinner."

"Did you even try to have fun?" Natasha asked as she got up and went over to island, standing opposite of Steve.

"I made the effort, but when only one of you knows why you're actually there, things get tense very quickly," he told her seriously. "You should've told me."

Natasha tried not to take that harshly, after all, Steve didn't say it that way. But she could tell, behind that stoic expression and guarded demeanor, Steve Rogers was angry. Not the outward, focused kind of angry that he used on the battlefield. This anger was a quiet, inward, reserved kind of burn. The kind he reigned in because he knew if he didn't, bad things would happen.

"I didn't think you would go if you knew," she reasoned.

"Even if that might've been a possibility, you still should've given me the choice instead of springing it on me, not to mention deceiving that girl," he told her. "I get that you're trying to help me, but I should have a say in it too," he finished.

Without waiting for a response, Steve pushed himself off the island and walked out of the common room. Natasha watched him leave, finally deciding that it was best to not try and fix this at the moment.

"Sorry, Steve," she said to the empty room after she was sure he was out of earshot.

"So how'd the date go?" Jane asked hopefully as she sat on her bed, her laptop in front of her. She'd waited for Darcy to call her to see how things had gone, but as the hours went by and the evening got later, Jane realized that Darcy had either forgotten to call her – or, hopefully, was too busy to call her.

"Amazing?" Darcy answered, her voice cheerier than normal. "Best date of my life."

"Really?"

"No, it was a disaster," Darcy dead panned. Jane couldn't see Darcy's face, but she could feel the scowl that was probably on it.

"What happened?"

"What happened was I was the only one who apparently knew it was a date," Darcy answered as she scrolled through Netflix, searching for something to watch to take her mind off the train wreck of a night she had. "How could you not tell him that you and Black Widow were setting him up?"

"Natasha thought if he knew about it, he wouldn't show," Jane cringed as she admitted the deception.

"So you lied to the man instead?"

Jane gripped her nose between her thumb and forefinger, shaking her head. This was a rare moment for the scientist and she wasn't happy to be in it. Darcy was not known for her temper. Sure, she was known for getting upset at times, but it usually bordered on annoyance. Right now, though, this was actual anger, and it made Jane regret getting involved in all this.

"Is it really a lie if he just wasn't told?" Jane tried.

"Yes, because that means he's walking into an ambush. Steve is a soldier. Ambush. Soldier. Two things that do not go together," Darcy scolded.

"So what did happen?" Jane wanted to know, wishing to make Darcy stop acting like, of all things, an angry adult for once.

"We talked – awkwardly. Then we ate – in awkward silence. Do I need to keep going? Or do all those science degrees help you see the pattern that's starting?"

"It was awkward."

Darcy didn't reply, but Jane, knowing her friend, knew that Darcy was nodding her head. "So, what are you going to do?"

"Do?"

"Are you going to try seeing him again?"

Darcy thought about it and scrunched her face. "Probably not," she drew out.

"Darcy…"

"Look, I get that you wanted to set me up with a nice guy, but sometimes, you just gotta walk away from the car crash and not look back."

"I'm sorry it didn't work out," Jane sympathized.

So am I, thought Darcy.

"I know you are," Darcy said, her voice dropping just a little.

Jane let out a small sigh. "Fine, I'll see you tomorrow."

"Have doughnuts as a peace offering," Darcy snuck in.

"Doughnuts? Really?"

"I'm out of ice cream to drown my sorrows," Darcy joked.

"Fine, one box of doughnuts. Night."

"Night," Darcy finished. Once the phone sounded that it had hung up, she tossed it aside. Looking back at her TV, she sunk into her couch. "I guess it's a night of unrealistic relationship goals," she sighed sadly as she tried to decide between a romcom or Disney.