Steve was old-fashioned. Ororo knew that going into the relationship. It was one of the things she loved about him. He held open doors, always returned her calls on time and showed up exactly when he said he would, usually with a bouquet of flowers in hand. Steve was sweet and she had absolutely no complaints about their relationship...until the girls started butting into her business.

"What do you mean the two of you haven't had sex yet?" Kitty said, incredulously. Ororo sighed and reached for her tea mug. She wasn't caffeinated enough for this conversation.

"Kitty, it's none of your business." She said.

"So it's true what Stark says." Jubilee asked. "Captain America is a virgin."

Ororo sat down and covered her eyes, rubbing them slowly. "Just because he and I haven't had sex doesn't mean he's a virgin." She sighed. "And if he was there'd be absolutely nothing wrong with that."

"Uh, yes there would be." Jubilee responded. "Depriving the sex having masses from the details of sexy times with Steve Rogers is a crime against all that's good and just in this world." She pretended to swoon. Ororo rolled her eyes.

"Jubilee, you have SAT prep and Kitty, what are you even doing here? You should be at NYU."

"I came back for the weekend to do my laundry." Kitty shrugged. " And apparently hear the gossip of the century." She frowned. "Seriously, though is something wrong with him? I mean; look at you. You're smokin'."

"I know, right?" Jubilee agreed. "I mean...if I ever had to choose a woman, you'd be at the top of my list."

"There's a list?" Kitty asked.

"You're on it." Jubilee reassured.

Kitty put a hand to her heart. "Oh thank goodness."

"So's Jean and Natasha and Maria..." Jubilee trailed off. "Guys...I may not be as straight as I though I was." She frowned as Ororo and Kitty started laughing. "Oh sure; go ahead and mock my very important realization."

Ororo looked back at Kitty. "Relationships are built on more than just sex. Steve and I have a deep emotional connection. We're taking things slow." She took a sip of her tea. "It's actually nice to date a man who's actually interested in what I think and feel."


Natasha banged open the door to Steve's room. "Are you insane?" she asked. He looked up from his book.

"Not that I know of." He replied.

"You haven't had sex with Ororo." She said, sitting across from him and crossing his arms.

Steve gaped at her before asking, his voice hoarse; "how did you know that?"

"Kitty and Jubilee were talking about it with Ororo." Natasha frowned. "Why?"

"I don't see how that's any of your business." He said.

Natasha held up her hands. "I'm just a concerned citizen making sure we maintain our national monuments." Steve groaned at her joke. Natasha smirked. "So..." She prompted, putting her elbows on the table, leaning against her hand. "Why not? You've been dating for 5 months."

Steve sighed, putting his book down. Anyone else, he wouldn't open up to; but he knew Nat could keep secrets. "I was raised in an Irish Catholic family." He said. "Sex was...something reserved for marriage. Even though Bucky was..." He cleared his throat. "willing to bend the rules, my Ma always told me that I should..." He cleared his throat. "Do right by a girl." He shifted uncomfortably. "Besides, it's not like the girls wanted me before the serum and after...well there wasn't much time for romance during the war." She looked at his hands.

"So you're going to do your ancestors proud and wait." Natasha deadpanned.

"I just..." Steve looked down at his hands. "She's never mentioned that it bothered her before."

"It doesn't bother her." Natasha said. "At least, she assumes that since you haven't brought it up that it means you don't want to do it with her."

"I do." The words spilled out from Steve's mouth before he could stop them. Natasha raised an eyebrow.

"Really?" She smirked. Steve leaned back and looked up at the ceiling, praying for this conversation to end quickly or for the floor to open up and swallow him whole. He could feel his ears burning.

"This isn't the type of thing I discussed with girls." He mumbled.

"Come on, Steve." Natasha gave him a playful shove. "There's nothing you could say that could shock me."

Steve sighed. "I just...I think about it. Sometimes it's because she's wearing a pretty dress, or...the way she smiles that I know she saves for me or...Sometimes she'll laugh and get breathless and...I wonder what it would like to have her be out of breath, saying my name...Or she'll make that face she does when she's grading papers. That look of concentration where she knits her eyebrows together and..." He trailed off, noticing that Natasha was gaping at him open mouthed. "What?" He asked.

"You don't want sex." She said.

"Yes, I do." He said, surprised by his own blunt confidence.

"You want to make love to her." Natasha corrected.

Steve nodded. "I just...I don't know how to tell her."

"Well.' Natasha stood, going towards the door. "Just tell her what you told me and you should be fine."


"There's something I want to talk to you about." Ororo said when she walked into Steve's apartment. She paused, looking around. The lights were dim and there were about a hundred candles over each surface. "Steve?"

"In here." His voice came from the bedroom. Ororo began walking slowly, making her way towards the room. She didn't want to make assumptions, but Steve seemed to be hinting at something and she would be lying if she said that she hadn't been thinking a lot about the physical aspect of their relationship ever since Kitty's conversation with her.

Steve was sitting in the chair in the corner of the room. He was looking nervously at the bed. Ororo went to stand next to him. "Nice view?" She commented. Steve let out a small laugh.

"I don't know where to go from here." He admitted.

"Well first off." Ororo looked back at the outer room. "The candles are too much. It's a fire hazard." She smiled as Steve looked up at her, giving her a surprised look. "It would really hurt your boy scout image if you were to burn the tower down."

Steve laughed, the tension leaving his shoulders. "I was never a boy scout."

"Clearly." Ororo said. "But if we're going to have this conversation, I'd rather not have to worry about burning to death." She took his hand and tugged him forward, to urge him to his feet. "Come on."

He let her lead him, helping her blow out all the candles. "So." Steve said once all the candles were out.

"So." Ororo parroted, sitting on the couch. "I feel like this display is you trying to tell me something."

"You're right." Steve said, sitting across from her. "I just...I don't know how to..." He looked at her. "Ororo, you're the first woman I've ever had a real relationship with and..."

Ororo watched him fidget. It was adorable that this man, who was always so confident and controlled in the field could be so awkward now. "Steve." She said. "If it makes you so nervous, don't try to force it." She smiled as Steve gave her a grateful look. "But not tonight."

"No?" He said, looking at her in confusion as she stood and walked to the door.

"No." She replied. "I'm starving and I came here to eat dinner." She looked over her shoulder. "Unless you lied to me."

"No ma'am." Steve replied, grabbing his jacket and wallet. "I'd never do that."