Chapter Thirty Six

Auf wiedersehen
Auf wiedersehen
We'll meet again, sweetheart
This lovely day has flown away
The time has come to part
We'll kiss again, like this again
Don't let the teardrops start
With love that's true, I'll wait for you
Auf wiedersehen, sweetheart

Auf Wiedersehe'n Sweetheart by Vera Lynn

"Emily will be running late," Carter said after checking his phone. "Apparently she's just gotten home and is getting ready now."

"Should we wait for her?" Steve asked, straightening his tie.

After Emily's presentation, Carter and Steve had gone to have a few drinks before turning in for the night. Steve hadn't been surprised when Emily and her friends had walked in. What had surprised him was how hard she was trying to look happy. He'd wanted to walk over to her and tell her how beautiful she looked in the blue dress she was wearing (and he found it somewhat funny that her shoes were red and jewelry white), but Carter had stopped him. And, to be fair, her friends did seem to be trying to cheer her up. It had taken a while, but Emily had finally given a genuine smile and started to have fun.

"No. She said that she'll meet us there," Carter clapped Steve's shoulder as they walked down the hall together. "Besides, this will give me the time to teach you things that Emily cannot." Steve quirked his eyebrows, unsure if that was a good thing or not.

After all, Carter thought, he did have a new mission to complete.

OOO

"Ah, Agent Falsworth," Dr. Thompson said as he handed over a few dollars for his coffee.

"Dr. Thompson," Carter nodded, wishing he'd been slower in picking his lunch.

"I hear that you've not been medically cleared yet." Carter clenched his teeth and jerked a nod. "Well, if you would be willing to assist me in a project, I would greatly appreciate it."

"Look, Doc, I-"

"It involves you friends, Dr. Harthron and Captain Rogers." That made Carter pause.

"Go on," he finally said.

"Those two seem to obstinately refuse what is right in front of their very eyes. I'm looking for assistance in making them see that."

OOO

Going out for drinks, again, was not something Emily had wanted to do upon getting back home, she thought as she tossed her keys onto the counter. Em kicked off her shoes and ran to her bedroom, leaving the suitcase was left in the doorway. She stripped off her shirt and was in the process of wiggling out of her jeans when she saw the box sitting on her bed. "Carter," she growled, seeing his writing on the note he'd placed to the top.

Wear this tonight. You'll look ravishing.

Her annoyance disappeared, however, when she opened the box. Sitting in the tissue paper was a 1950's light blue halter swing dress. She'd been looking at one online for a long time but could never justify the expense. Her fingers stroked the silken material, and smiled. She had the perfect things to complete the outfit.

OOO

"So what you need to realize," Carter said as he and Steve sat at the table he'd reserved, "is that most of the women in here are lonely. They didn't get all dolled up to come and sit by themselves or with their girlfriends." Steve blushed and wished that Emily would arrive soon. He was really not interested in having this lesson.

"I'm not looking for-" Carter cut him off with a wave of his hand.

"They came out for the chance of finding that one guy who will make all of their effort worth it. But they won't approach you, they want you to approach them."

"Things haven't changed that much then," Steve sighed, cringing internally. He hadn't shared his revelation with Carter, which had probably pushed him into doing this.

"A few of the bold ones will," he winked. "So you have to decide if you want the shy or the bold woman."

"How about neither?" Steve asked hopefully. "I'm not interested in dating anybody." He shifted in his chair, trying not to think about the fact that Peggy's grandson was attempting to set him up. It was bad enough when Bucky did it, but now this?

"Oh, bollocks. You can't stay hidden away in S.H.I.E.L.D.'s basement for the rest of your life. And besides, it's a date, not a marriage proposal. Here, watch." A blonde woman sashayed up to them and sat in the seat to Carter's right.

"Hi," she grinned. "I'm Anna, your hostess tonight."

"Hello Anna," Carter grinned, placing his arm over the back of the booth so it was above her shoulders. "My name is Carter, and this is my friend Steve. How are you this evening?"

"Great. Can I get you guys anything to start with?"

"Beer to begin with," Carter said, taking one of the menus from her hand and handing it to Steve before returning his gaze to Anna. "What's your recommendation?"

"Well, we've got…" she rambled off, listing their small beer option, "but we're mostly a champagne bar. We've got an awesome vintage selection."

"Vintage? Would you say you're a fan of vintage?" Carter asked, throwing a wink at Steve who blushed.

"Depends on what it is," Anna flirted.

"Hum… we were discussing champagne, right? Now, let's say you have two bottles, exact same brand but one's been sitting from 1987 and the other been chilled since 1919." Steve's ears turned red as he recognized the fake date on his driver's license and his actual birth year. "Which would you chose?"

"Oh, the 1919," Anna batted her eyes.

"The 1919," Carter smirked and slapped the table, giving Steve a significant look.

"Unfortunately, our oldest champagne only dates back to 1966," Anna continued.

"Damn," the agent laughed. "Well, I think I'll start with an Innis and Gunn. Steve?"

"Erm…" he looked at the menu again, not recognizing any of the beers. "A Palm Amber Ale."

"Would you like anything to eat?"

"Not at the moment," Carter replied. Anna nodded and smiled again.

"I'll be back with your beers." Steve sighed as Carter winked at her and, once she was gone, leaned towards him.

"Loosen up, man. It's flirting, not strategic warfare!"

"I'll take the strategic warfare," Steve groaned. Carter rolled his eyes and looked around the bar.

"Eleven o'clock. That girl is just begging you to go and chat her up." Steve shot a glance in the direction and saw a girl sitting on a barstool, taking a sip of her drink. When she saw Steve looking at her, she smiled and waved. If it were possible to blush and deeper, Steve did, and quickly turned away.

"I'm not interested, Carter. Can we just go?"

"No, Emily's not even arrived yet. Besides, you need to get out." Anna chose that moment to slide back into the seat beside Carter and set their beers in front of them. "Anna, darling, I was just telling to my friend here that he needs to get out more. A good looking guy like him shouldn't be cooped up at home all the time." The blonde grinned.

"I agree. This city doesn't have that many good looking guys, and here I am, lucky enough to have two sit in my section." For something to do, Steve took a sip of his beer and was pleasantly surprised by how good it was. He blocked out whatever Carter was saying and looked at his watch, wondering when Emily would finally get there and reel in their friend.

OOO

After applying mascara, Emily stepped back from the mirror and admired her handiwork. She had to admit to herself, she cleaned up pretty well, and the Internet tips on the 1940's make up were fantastic! (She wasn't bold enough to go with the 50's looks). Her hair had taken longer than expected, but it was well worth the effort, in her opinion. She'd even managed to find one of her old flower clips at the bottom of a box. And now for the pièce de résistance…

Emily turned and admired the way the dress hugged her. Part of her wished that she had a petticoat to go with it, just to give it the extra volume, but she pushed the thought away. The sweetheart neckline showed just enough cleavage to be sexy yet demure, and the hem reached mid-shin Grinning, she stepped into her 2 inch black heels and bent to fasten the straps. Em pawed through her jewelry box and retrieved her grandmother's pearl necklace, which fell to just above her collarbone. From her clutch, she retrieved her red lip tint, and once that was applied, hurried downstairs to flag a taxi.

OOO

"Now, our friend here," Carter clapped a hand on Steve's shoulder, now on his third beer and feeling quite bold, "is quite lonely." Steve nearly spat out his beer. "It's been a while since he's had a beautiful woman on his arm."

"Aw, poor baby," Anna cooed. "I'm sure you'll be able to find someone by the time you leave here tonight."

"Have you anyone in mind?" Carter prodded.

"Carter," Steve said sharply, "leave the woman alone."

"Don't worry about it, hon," Anna leaned forward against the table, making sure that her breasts, which were already near spilling out of her tight shirt, were shown in all their glory. "I'm having a good time." When Carter tugged on her sleeve and whispered something in her ear, Steve knew he was in trouble.

OOO

"Thanks," Emily said, handing over a few bills to the taxi driver. "Have a good night!"

"You too, ma'am," he said as she slid out of the back seat. As soon as she shut the door, he pulled away from the curb. Emily took a deep breath and smoothed down her dress, examining the club's façade. A sign above the dark metal door announced that she'd arrived at La Maison du Champagne. Through the glass, she spotted a yellow piano and chandeliers, as well as quite a well-dressed crowd. She sent a silent thanks to Carter again, as she'd planned on wearing a pencil skirt before getting the dress.

With another breath, Emily pulled open the door and looked around for Steve and Carter. She couldn't help but smile when she heard Fred Astaire's 'I Won't Dance' playing over the dull roar of the patrons. It coupled nicely with the upscale décor. For some reason, butterflies were dancing in her stomach, which was ridiculous, of course. It had only been a few days since she'd seen them.

And then finally, she spotted them at a table towards the back. Carter lifted a hand to wave her over, and Emily smiled and wove through the crowd.

OOO

"I'm off at one," Anna said, sliding her phone number towards Steve.

"Thank you," he gulped as she stood up and left the table. Steve resisted the urge to groan and put his head on the table as Carter laughed and clapped him on the back. This was definitely not something that he wanted to do. But it had been too hard to turn back once the woman had basically planned their first date, especially given that Carter had egged it on.

"There ya go, Stevie Boy! Your first date of this decade! You should be thanking me for setting that up," the Brit grinned and took a swig of his beer.

"I didn't want a date," Steve sighed. "I just wanted to have drinks with you and Emily tonight."

Carter shook his head and sighed, "You can't stand her up now. Besides, it'll do you good to be around more people than just Emily and me. Speak of the devil, there she is."

Steve turned around and had to keep his mouth from falling open. He stood up quickly as Emily arrived at their table, looking like she's stepped right out of one of his dance hall memories. "Hi," she said, smiling shyly.

OOO

"Welcome home," Carter said, standing up and hugging her tightly when Steve didn't say anything. "You look ravishing."

"Thanks," she said, but whispered in his ear, "Break into my apartment one more time, and I will kill you." Carter laughed and sat back down.

"You look…" Steve's voice trailed off, and Emily's smile faded a bit, and she began to debate whether the Victory curls were pushing it.

"It's too much, right? I mean, I didn't know what this dress code was and-"

"Amazing," Steve said finally. He smiled when it was she, rather than he, that blushed.

"Thank you. You too. Is that a new suit?" He looked down at his pressed white shirt and blue tie and nodded. Emily smiled again and adjusted the knot of his tie so that it was centered before sitting down and sliding towards Carter.

"I don't get a compliment?" he asked teasingly, causing Emily to roll her eyes.

"You look handsome as always, Agent Falsworth."

"Why thank you. Now, would you like to have a something while we finish our beers?"

"Isn't that the point of having drinks?" Emily raised an eyebrow, trying not to blush under Steve's continued gaze. Those damn butterflies were back in her stomach. A week away from him, and Emily felt like a teenager in front of her crush. It didn't help that something in Steve's gaze was…different.

"I merely meant before we have champagne," Carter corrected. "We are celebrating your return from Denver, are we not?" Emily sighed and plucked the menu out of Carter's hand as he began suggesting wines that she might enjoy. Once she'd made her selection, she motioned for him to move so she could make her way to the bar. "Absolutely not!" he declared. "I'm at your service tonight. Well, me and Anna," he wiggled his eyebrow at Steve. Emily looked between the two men, obviously missing something, but shook her head.

"Fine. I'm not going to have wine, I'm going to have Royal Fleur, please," Carter picked up her hand and kissed it before disappearing to the bar. "Has he been driving you crazy?" she asked Steve, folding her hands in her lap.

"What?" he asked, clearing his throat, "No, not really. It's been an interesting few days. How…how was Denver?" Emily flushed and shook her head.

"Interesting," she sighed. "My presentation went well but…" she trailed off, as thoughts of Dave came to mind. Em shook her head again and motioned to his beer. "Can I try it?"

"Yeah," he nudged the glass towards her and watched as she took a quick sip. That sad look had crossed her face for a split second before she'd asked for the beer.

"Mmm, that's good," she licked her lips and set the glass back in front of him. He noticed the red lipstick on the rim but didn't move to wipe it off. Then Carter appeared with Emily's drink.

"I propose a toast," the Brit said, raising his beer. "To successful endeavors, friendships, and budding romances." Emily furrowed her eyebrows at the last remark but raised her glass. "And to a night of drinking on the Falsworth tab!"

OOO

Emily pressed hand to her chest and wiped away the tears that had sprung to her eyes, gasping for breath as Carter regaled them with a story about a mission gone wrong. "So there I was," he continued, "down to my skivvies, hanging off a balcony while my target's husband demanded to know why she was so out of breath in bed." Steve blushed bright red as Emily clapped her hand to her mouth, aware that she had crossed the threshold to champagne giggles.

"What did she say?" she asked.

"'I was having a dream about running'." She bit her lip and shook her head, trying to regain some composure. Carter winked and refilled her champagne flute, setting the second empty bottle on the edge of the table, where a passing wait staff member promptly removed it. "Ok, last time you were naked in public," he pressed Emily.

"I went swimming in a fountain after going to a club. Honestly, it started out innocent enough," she assured them before taking a sip of champagne. She saw Steve raise an eyebrow and smile. "What? You try dancing in four-inch heels for hours and see how your feet like it. Was it my fault that my friend suggested swimming? Besides, I only took my shirt off. And kept my bra on," she added quickly, seeing Carter's expression.

"I'll take your word for it," Carter laughed when Steve shook his head. Then, without warning, the agent grabbed her hand. "Come on, Sweetheart. They're playing our song."

"I don't know how to dance to this," she said quickly, hearing the quick strains of Billy Haley & the Comet's cover of "Rip It Up". He shook his head and pulled her slightly so that she was at the edge of the booth.

"Tuesday night Swing Dance class." Emily's mouth fell open and she let him pull her to her feet.

"Again, how long were you watching me?" Emily asked. Carter only smiled and grabbed hold of her other hand.

"Try to keep up," he teased before quickly spinning her. Em couldn't help but laugh as he pulled her close, placing is hand on her back, and then they were spinning, kicking their feet in time with the music. When he let go of one of her hands, she spun and threw up her arm, grinning as she twisted her hips and knees and jumped slightly with the beat. He tugged on her arm and spun her back, and off they went again.

Steve watched the two, smiling to himself and the familiarity of the situation: him holding down the table while his friend danced with the pretty dame. Only this time it was Carter instead of Bucky. He grinned when he saw Emily laughing, and wasn't surprised to see the others vacating the floor, trying to escape their exuberant dancing.

"Ready?" Carter asked.

"No," Emily laughed as he spun her away.

"Jump," he ordered before tugging her back so that she spun quickly. Emily recognized the move and, before she could stop herself by thinking, jumped, bringing her knees to her chest. Carter caught her and held her for a moment before setting her back on the ground. Emily sank low and he yanked her back towards him before they continued to spin.

When the song ended, Steve wasn't the only one that started clapping. He watched as Emily blushed bright red and tried to escape to the table, but Carter pulled her close and whispered something in her ear before kissing her temple. She rolled her eyes and slapped his chest. The pair split up, with Carter heading to the bar and Emily trying to make her way back to the table. A few people stopped her to chat, but she quickly shook them off. "Wow," Steve grinned. Emily grinned back and collapsed into the booth before she took a long sip from her glass of champagne before fanning herself. "That was great!"

"Thanks," Emily laughed. "I haven't done that in forever."

"Didn't look that way from here," he said. Em blushed deeper and lifted her glass to her cheek, trying to cool down. "Where'd you learn to do that?"

"The Dance 'til it Burns studio," Carter said, placing a glass in front of Emily and sliding into the seat next to her. Emily gawped at him for a moment before laughing.

"Wow, you really aren't a great spy, are you?" Carter raised an eyebrow as he took a long drink from his glass.

"Am I wrong?" he asked.

"Yes," she grinned victoriously. "I learned that from my Grandpère Charlie."

"Really?" Steve said, leaning across the table. His knee brushed hers under the table, and he felt her foot slide over to nudge his.

"Oh yeah. I saw him and Grandmère dancing at a wedding when I was a kid and cut in. 'Course I was only about five then, so I wasn't that great. When he died, my aunts and uncles made sure I knew how. And when I got to college and grad school, I used to go to Lindy Hops all the time. The question is, where did you learn how to dance," she turned to Carter.

"My mother," he said simply, giving them both a look that let them know he didn't want to discuss it. He looked like he wanted to pull her up to dance again when Danny and the Junior's "At the Hop" started to play but she waved him off.

"Wow, that was amazing," their hostess said as she popped up by their table. Emily noticed how Steve immediately stiffened and sat up straight. Carter began to chat her up as Emily people watched, her eyes finally drifting to Steve, who looked incredibly uncomfortable.

"Oh, I love this one!" Emily said suddenly. Steve looked at her and cocked his head before smiling. "You know it?"

"I heard it in England." Of course, Vera Lynn's "Auf Weidersehn, Sweetheart" had been popular back then.

"Perfect," she smiled before scooting closer to him. "Come on, Soldier, I want to dance."

"I-I don't dance," he said, shooting a look at her.

"It's a slow one," she replied, gently nudging his arm. "Come on, before the song is over!" Curiously, Emily caught him looking at the hostess before standing up and offering Emily his hand. She smiled and took it before he led her to the floor.

Steve smiled as he held her hand in his left and placed his right hand on her waist; Em placed her other hand on his arm. He knew that, compared to everyone else, he was a horrible dancer, never having gotten much practice. But Emily smiled up at him as they started to slowly move in time with the music. "See, not all that difficult," she said.

"My heart's racing a mile a minute," he admitted, leaning in close to whisper it in her ear. Emily's breath hitched and her hand tightened on his arm.

"It's supposed to be fun," she teased. He gave her a nervous smile, which made her laugh. "This can't be any worse than running headlong into a firefight."

"It actually is," he smirked. Emily shook her head and stepped close enough to lay her head on his shoulder; the movement caused Steve's hand to move to the small of her back, and he took a deep breath, trying to calm his racing heart.

"Relax," she said quietly. She closed her eyes and let him lead. She could feel his breathing begin to slow and she smiled and looked up to meet Steve's gaze. Em smiled as he gripped her hand tighter and felt his thumb begin to stroke her back. When he rested his cheek on her head, she sighed, letting herself relax against him. She started to hum along to the song, and was surprised when he did too.

Steve looked down at the woman in his arms and his breath caught in his throat. He could smell Emily's shampoo, and feel her hot breath on his neck. Steve could almost picture them at the USO, dancing one last dance before he was shipped out again.

When the song ended, they were both reluctant to let go. It was Emily who, with eyes closed, forced herself to take a step back. "Thanks."

"It was my pleasure," Steve replied, reaching up to run a thumb across her jaw line. Em smiled before running her teeth over her bottom lip and shaking her head.

"Come on, let's get back to the table before Carter drinks the rest of the champagne.

OOO

"It was really nice of you to bring your sister tonight," the blonde said, leaning against the table.

"Sister?" Steve asked. "Emily? She's not my sister."

"Oh," the blonde giggled. "My bad. I just assumed-" Emily, who had been chatting with Carter, felt her cheeks burn at the insinuation.

"Well you know what assumed did," Emily spat. It was Anna's turn to flush as Emily motioned for Carter to move. "I need to use the restroom." One glance at Steve told her that he was confused with the entire situation, but Carter's eyes were twinkling with suppressed laughter.

She tried not to tense her shoulders as she dodged through the crowd, ignoring the few men that tried to talk to her. When Em finally reached the bathroom, she locked herself in a stall and stared at the ceiling, trying not to let the angry tears fall and ruin her mascara. It was stupid to get this upset, she scolded herself while tearing off a square of toilet paper and pressed it to her eyes.

Em knew that she wasn't the most attractive woman, by far. But honestly, to insinuate that she was too ugly to be anything but a sister to Carter or Steve? That they would only be with her because of familial obligation? After taking several calming breaths she walked back to her table and reached across Carter to her glass and downed the remaining contents.

"I'm really tired," she said, setting down her glass. Steve and Carter both looked at her with concern etched on their faces. "I'm going to head home."

"You just got here," Steve protested as Emily grabbed her clutch from the table.

"It's been a long few days," she sighed. The blonde's eyes narrowed slightly when Steve reached for her hand, but Em pulled away. "I'll see you later."

"Want me to drive you home?" Carter asked. Emily chuckled darkly and shook her head.

"Make sure you get driven home."

"Yes, ma'am," he slurred. Emily was about to walk around him when he grabbed her arm and pulled her flush against his body.

"What are you-" Carter's lips crashed into Emily's. She stiffened in his grip, fighting the urge to slap him out of instinct. There was absolutely no denying it: Carter was a god at kissing.

"I think I'm ready to go home too," he said loudly before leaning into whisper in her ear, "What a bitch." Catching on, Emily grinned and pecked his cheek. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see that Steve had frozen.

"Your place or mine?" she purred, stroking the scruff on his cheek. Behind her, she could see the blonde's mouth fall open.

"Yours," he replied before pecking her lips again. "Just let me pay the tab." Emily squealed when he pinched her ass before swaggering to the bar. That, she decided was taking it a step too far.

"Wow," the blonde said, turning away from Steve and focusing her attention on Emily. "You and him?" Emily bristled at her tone and forced herself not to throw the rest of her champagne at the woman's face. Instead, she shrugged nonchalantly.

Steve picked up his glass and knocked back the rest of the champagne. When Emily met his gaze, she was confused by what she saw in his eyes. The blonde, seeing what was passing between them, quickly thrust out her chest and leaned closer to Steve. "I'm really looking forward to our date." Emily felt her face go pale.

"What? Oh," Steve said, looking away from Emily. "Uh..."

"Ready?" Carter asked as he rejoined them. He wrapped an arm around Emily's waist and pulled her close to him. "Steve, I'll need my keys." Emily shook her head.

"We'll take a taxi."

"It's okay," Steve said. "I can drive you guys."

"But you're having such a good time," Carter wiggled an eyebrow and shot significant looks at the blonde woman, who giggled again.

"You don't mind, do you?" Steve asked her.

"Well…"

"It's settled then!" Carter slapped the table, causing the champagne bottle to jump. "We'll meet you outside Steve. Now, come along my little vixen," he purred at Emily who struggled not to roll her eyes. She was very aware of two sets of eyes on them as they walked out of the bar. Carter started laughing the moment the door swung shut.

"Thanks," Emily stepped out of his grasp and crossed her arms over her chest.

"God, did you see her face?" he managed to say. She rolled her eyes, her ego still hurting from the remarks. It only took another minute for Steve to walk out, sans blonde, thankfully. He looked between Emily and Carter, who had begun laughing again, and rubbed the back of his neck.

"I'll go get the car."

"Ok," Emily sighed, rubbing her arms against the chill. Steve saw this and shrugged out of his jacket.

"Here," he said, trying to drape it over her shoulders. Emily shook her head.

"No, I'm fine. Besides, we wouldn't want your date to see." Steve flushed at her tone before shaking his head.

"I don't care. It's a jacket," he said before putting it on her. Emily huffed.

"You're both bloody idiots," Carter stated. Steve and Emily turned to face their friend who was now sitting on the sidewalk.

"Go get the car," Emily smirked. "I'll stay with him."

"You sure?" Steve asked. When she nodded, he took off at a jogging pace.

"Carter," Emily tutted, crouching down in front of him and pulling Steve's jacket closer to her body. His scent, a mix of Old Spice, soap, and sweat filled her nose, "What were you thinking?"

"That we could have another go at that kiss," he teased.

"I don't think so. And no pinching my ass ever again."

"You've got such a shapely one though," he grinned. Emily rolled her eyes.

"What's the story with the blonde?"

"I thought that our boy needed a bit of a nudge to see what was right in front of his eyes," Carter slurred. "So I played Wing Man and set him up with someone that would make him see it." Emily hung her head and covered her face with her hands.

"You couldn't have chosen someone more…" Emily hunted for right word.

"You?" Carter supplied, making her blush. "That wouldn't make him realize how much easier it would be with you."

"Conservative. I mean, her boobs were half out of her shirt!" He raised an eyebrow and pointed to her chest. Emily looked down and adjusted the sweetheart neckline. "Nowhere near as bad as hers. And I don't want to be the easy choice!" He was just about to say something when Steve pulled up in the BMW. Emily's thighs screamed with the effort it took to stand up straight, but she managed it as Steve pulled up to the curb and jumped out. "Come on, Carter," she sighed, holding out a hand.

"Fine, fine," the Brit sighed. He nearly pulled her off her feet, but they were standing when Steve managed to reach them.

OOO

"Bloody door," Carter groaned as he tried to unlock Emily's apartment. When he finally managed it, he stumbled in and held it open for Steve, who was carrying a nearly unconscious Emily. Without a word to the other man, Steve headed for her bedroom, stepping over discarded clothes and setting her on the bed. Emily groaned, her hands in loose fists by her face.

"Are you okay?" Steve asked while working on taking off her shoes. Emily shook her head. "Are you going to be sick?"

"No," she sighed, moving her hands to cover her eyes. Steve chuckled and, after depositing her shoes on the floor, sat beside her and tried to move her hands.

"Emily, what's wrong?" When she shook her head again, he sighed and leaned over her to kiss the tip of her nose, his hands on either side of her. "Emily…" she peaked out from under her hands, and he could see that she was close to crying. "Sweetheart, what is it?"

"I am so tired of men kissing me when I don't want them to," she said, covering her eyes again.

"Carter didn't mean anything by-"

"I know he didn't," Emily said, her lips curving into a pout. It took Steve's brain a moment to realize what she was saying.

"What happened in Denver?" Emily groaned and rolled to press her face into the pillows. "Did your former fling try something?" Steve pressed. "Honey, look at me." After a moment, Emily turned and snuck a glance at him before nodding and pressing her eyes shut again. Steve's hands clenched into fists but he forced himself to breathe evenly. "Did he do anything…untoward?"

"Oh god, no," Emily said quickly, turning onto her back. "He tried, but I didn't let him," she blushed. When his jaw clenched, she wrapped her hands around his arms and squeezed slightly. "Steve, you're the only one I want to do anything with."

Steve was torn between wanting to strangle Emily's ex, and wanting to kiss her like crazy. So instead, he just sat there, feeling the warmth of her hands on his arms, and watching her eyes sweep across his face.

"And I feel like such a dirty hypocrite for not wanting you to go on a date with that bimbo Carter set you up with, because I went out with Josh. And if you want to play the field, you're more than welcome to. I mean, you need to figure out if I'm whom you actually want to be with. You should explore your options and-"

Emily stopped talking when Steve pressed a finger to her lips. "Emily Rose Harthorn," he chuckled. "You may be the smartest dame I've ever met, but you can be so thick sometimes. You are the only woman that I'm stuck on, and the only one that I want to spend time with." He moved his hand to cup her cheek, his thumb sweeping across her cheekbone. "I told Anna that I couldn't see her, because I already have a girl who caught my eye. And she's the only one that I want to go on dates with."

"I…Steve…" Emily grasped for something to say but her mind failed her. So instead, she grabbed hold of his tie and pulled him down towards her. But just before kissing him, she paused, her eyes shifting from his to her fingers curled around his tie. "Promise me you aren't with me because you can't be with Peggy. And that I'm not the easy choice because I'm the first woman you met when you woke up."

Steve frowned and tilted her chin up so that he could meet her eyes. "I won't lie, I loved Peggy," Emily tried to squirm away from him but he kept her pinned beneath him, "but I know that my feelings for you are a lot stronger. And what about getting to this point has been easy, Sweetheart?" Emily stopped struggling when he said, "I-I love you, Emily."

"I…you love me?"

"Yes," Steve grinned. "I love you, Emily Rose." When she pulled on his tie again, Steve didn't hesitate to lean down and kiss his girl, who was finally his girl.

Author's Note: Ok, really didn't expect the chapter to take this turn. It was going to be pushed off for a while. Also, if the tone feels a bit different, that's because a majority of it was written a LONG time ago, back when this was going to be the chapter where Steve realized he had more than friendly feelings for Em.

As always, thanks to blown-transistor for her help in reviewing this. And a major thank you to all of you! I didn't expect to hit 600+ reviews on the last chapter, but you guys are awesome =D

If you want to get some idea of Emily and Carter's dance, look up the Bill Haley & His Comets 'Rip It Up' from 'Don't Knock the Rock' on YouTube. Anyone remember when Steve and Emily went on their date to Wicked, and she said she didn't have a hobby, but mentally said that she did and it was too embarrassing to say on a first time out? Yeah, swing dancing was it.