Author's Note: I couldn't decide on a title, so this one has two!

(Italics are either emphasized or speaking in Sokovian)

25) Trying Not to Laugh (Midnight Rose)

Pietro and Wanda Maximoff slipped into the big main gathering/party room while I was using it as a movie theater, watching Bourne Legacy. There was this really annoying nagging sensation in the back of my mind that Jeremy Renner looked like someone I'd seen before.

The Wonder Twins were having a conversation. I started grinning without turning away from the TV. "… We really ought to talk to Steve, Bruce, and Tony about—hey Pietro, there's your girlfriend," Wanda joked. She'd started off with English and then went to Sokovian assuming I couldn't understand her. I snickered but didn't say anything.

"Shut up Wanda, she's not my girlfriend. I haven't talked to her since we met," Pietro retorted.

I'd learned Sokovian a long time ago. My father was a SHIELD agent, my grandfather was one of the first SHIELD agents, and my uncle was a SHIELD agent that doted on me. I learned all sorts of languages growing up from them. Sokovian was one of them given my uncle was a deep-cover agent there when I was a kid—had been until SHIELD was compromised. He was back home now and hadn't been in harm's way when Ultron attacked Sokovia.

"Well you've told me before that you think she's pretty."

"That doesn't make her my girlfriend!"

"No, but it should. Go make her your girlfriend." In the reflection of the TV I saw the brunette nod in my direction.

I bit my lower lip and did my best not to laugh.

Pietro came over to me and sat on the couch next to me. "Hi. My sister thinks I should ask you out and I think you're beautiful and I really like you," he said, spouting Sokovian. "So would you like to join me for dinner tonight?" I raised my eyebrows and feigned innocence.

"What?" I asked.

"Would you care to join me for dinner tonight?" he repeated, in English.

My mouth dropped open in happy surprise. "I'd love to!" I exclaimed.

He gave me a kiss on both cheeks. "I'll pick you up at five-thirty then!"

"Sounds great!" It was ten in the morning and I was still in my pajamas—I had plenty of time. "What do I need to wear?" I asked.

"Something nice, I think." In a flash he was gone—back to Wanda. "There. I asked her out."

"Congratulations, brother. I'm proud of you," Wanda remarked. It was so hard for me trying not to laugh. "You've asked a pretty girl out on a date—for the first time since secondary school!" I had to bite my lip so hard to keep from laughing that I made it bleed. Pietro didn't strike me as a shy doesn't-ask-girls-out kind of guy. Quite the contrary actually. He'd flirted with me, Jane, Maria, and Pepper all at some point before—causing the male Avengers to get a little bit overprotective of their women around him for several weeks until he focused solely on me. That bit was obnoxious but I let him do it for the sake of the rest of the team. The one time I was present when Thor almost threw him out the window on the top floor was particularly hilarious.

"What am I supposed to do? What makes a good date?" Pietro asked Wanda as they started walking out.

"Well, maybe you could…" Her voice receded as their footsteps faded.

I raised my eyebrows, stopped the movie, powered everything down, and took the elevator to the floor that my room was on. Once inside, I stared at my closet, trying to figure out what I should wear. I had a couple nice things, but most of my really nice stuff was back at home—halfway across the country.

I licked the blood off my lips from where I'd been biting it and selected one of my favorite outfits that was nicer than the sweats and T-shirts I generally tended to wear. It was a black dress with white polka dots made from thread. It looked like a tiny checkerboard and from a distance was eye-burning and gray. Coupled with a pair of black heels with white leather straps and a bright red, gaudy necklace, it was quite nice. I'd worn it to my high school graduation a couple years ago. It would have to do.

Of course, since I was indecisive, it had taken me an hour to pick.

At five thirty, Pietro came to my door, knocking loudly. "Are you ready, printessa?" he called through the door.

I opened the door, showing off my outfit, makeup, and hair (which Wanda and Natasha had helped me with). "What do you think?" I asked. His jaw dropped and he looked me up and down several times, eyes finally resting on my face.

"Beautiful," he said emphatically in Sokovian.

I blushed up to the roots of my hair, still pretending I didn't understand him. "That bad huh?" I joked.

"What?! No! I said you look beautiful!" he exclaimed.

I blushed deeper. "Thank you."

"Now, printessa, may I escort you to dinner?" He held out his arm for me. I took his elbow and skipped out of my room, closing the door behind me. Oh man. This was going to be great.

He took me to the main gathering room—where Ultron first attacked and I'd been watching a movie earlier. It had been completely redecorated to look like an empty restaurant. There was a table set for two with lit, scented candles on it. I could smell the perfume from the doorway to the elevator. "How did you know what my favorite candles were?" I asked carefully.

"My sister told me," he replied nonchalantly. "Midnight Rose, if I remember correctly."

I grinned. "You do."

The moment we sat down, Tony swept over to us dramatically in a suit and bowtie. "May I get the lovely couple a drink and the menu?" he asked in a British accent. Tears swarmed to my eyes from trying not to laugh.

"You may," Pietro told him while the billionaire winked mischievously at me.

Turns out the entire team was our wait-staff for the evening. Clint brought out the drinks, Natasha and Wanda the appetizers, Thor and Steve the entrees, and Bruce the dessert. I hadn't laughed so hard in ages. I had a fantastic time and a great date.

Finally, as we were finishing our desserts, I leaned forward. "I have a confession to make, Pietro," I told him.

His eyes widened. "What? You're married?"

I laughed heartily. "No. Don't jump to conclusions so quickly." I put my tongue between my teeth in a cheeky grin and felt my throat flex, getting ready to speak. "I actually know Sokovian," I informed him—in Sokovian.

"So you knew everything I was saying?!" he demanded.

"Yeah."

"Oh Midnight Rose, you are full of surprises."

End Note: English Words Stealing from French 101 states that "blonde" is feminine and "blond" is masculine. The same goes for "brunette" and "brunet". I figured I'd get that out of the way now since both will appear in upcoming chapters.

Love y'all! Thanks for reading!

~Cass