Disclaimer: I don't own Avengers or any of its characters.
Title: Age Before Beauty
Rating: T
Characters [in this chapter]: Steve Rogers, Bruce Banner, Thor Odinson and Clint Barton with mentions of Tony Stark and Natasha Romanov
Summary: Steve was younger than he had claimed and now they had to deal with the consequences of a sixteen-year-old soldier on and off the battlefield.
Warnings [for this chapter]: Underage triggers,
Author's Notes: The world always needs more Protective!Bruce. And it's remains in my headcanon that the Avengers are fiercely protective over Steve's chastity. Wishing everyone a safe and happy 2013!

Things went on as if they had never changed. The Avengers had their full trust and support of Steve remaining the leader. After all, if the presumed twenty-three year old Steve was able to bring them all together and keep them together, who were they to question and doubt his abilities any differently than having the sixteen-year-old Steve lead them?

Steve Rogers was still Captain America. That much did not change.

Still, changes were to be expected, though not entirely what they had anticipated. Instead, the changes were subtle and astonishing even to them.

It started when Clint, Bruce, Thor and Steve went out for dinner. Thankfully, it was easy for them to blend in with the common mass, compared to Tony who would have gladly soaked up the attention. Dinner was quiet and Bruce and Steve decided to leave once Thor and Clint started to have a drinking contest. Steve had gone to pay and Bruce was coming back from the washroom when he saw two girls hanging close to Steve.

" You must be new around here," one of them said and judging by how she's swaying and her speech was slurred, she must have been drunk.

" New guy has pretty eyes," her friend giggled. She was eyeing Steve carefully (and the way her eyes roamed all over Steve's body made Bruce immediately go on guard). " And he's built solid!"

For his part, Steve nervously smiled at them. " Thank you, ma'am. But I need to get going ... "

The first girl latched herself onto his arm. " Aww, baby. The night's just getting started."

" Why don't we buy mister American Hunk a drink?"

" No, it's all right." Steve was making feeble attempts to push the girl off his arm. His awkward smile remained frozen in place. " I don't drink."

" What a buzz kill," one girl whined.

" No Sex on the Beach to convince you otherwise?" the other playfully teased, making Steve's cheeks reddened since he had no idea she was talking about cocktails. But Bruce knew why she'd chosen that particular cocktail and the very thought of it made him clench his fists.

" It's – it's fine." Steve again tried to loosen the one girl's grip. " I – I have to go."

" They always play hard to get." The girl hanging on his arm pressed her entire body up against his arm. As Steve began to stammer, her friend slid next to him, purposely adjusting her shirt to reveal more cleavage and skin. " We'll make it worth your while."

That was the final straw. The Other Guy roared his disapproval and Bruce was already headed towards them to confront them when two wads of paper smacked the two girls firmly behind their heads.

They whirled around furiously. " What the hell?" one of them snapped. And the second they forgot about Steve, Bruce stepped in, quickly grabbing Steve's arm and pulling him out of the restaurant before the girls realized he was gone.

Outside, Steve breathed in relief. " Thank you."

The Other Guy was passive once more. " You should have pushed them off," Bruce sternly said. " Their actions were uncalled for."

He sheepishly smiled. " I never thought girls would be the one to ask the guys out," he sighed wistfully. Then again, Steve had a legendary apprehension when it came to girls, though he was slowly warming up more with Natasha.

Bruce clapped a hand to his shoulder. " Well, you know what to do next time." And Steve smiled gratefully at him.

" We ruining a moment here?"

They both nearly jumped. Only to see a cheery Clint and Thor, both with a bottle of beer in hand. " Weren't you two staying behind?" Steve asked suspiciously.

" We were, but a cat fight broke out between some girls," Clint shrugged nonchalantly. " The bartender kicked them out and we wanted to continue our contest somewhere in peace."

Steve would have asked more, but Thor interrupted, eagerly talking about a new shooting mechanism that Clint had taught him at the bar and began to enthusiastically show Steve how to make one so they could have a glorious battle later in the Tower.

Bruce fell slightly back to talk with Clint. " So it was you," he murmured.

Clint grinned. " I needed a new shooting buddy."