Sam Wilson waited outside the Pembroke Restaurant for his date to arrive. He'd offered to pick her up, but Tiffany informed him that Kayla was at the White House all day Friday, so it would be easier to just meet him there. Sam adjusted his black tie over his green shirt, wanting to look presentable. If nothing else, Kayla Ellis wanted to talk about his proposal for a grant for the VA. Also he was about to meet Captain America, so it was probably best he not look like a hobo.

A slim woman approached tentatively, wearing a short yellow dress and matching heels. Her brunette hair was pulled back in a sporty ponytail and she held a sparkly clutch, looking just as lost and apprehensive as Sam did.

"Sam Wilson?" She asked quickly, pointing to Sam and he nodded.

"You must be Tiffany, it's a pleasure to meet you." Sam allowed himself a good look at his date as he shook her hand and whistled, "You look beautiful."

"Thank you." Tiffany answered, surprised by how forward and sweet he was. "You look pretty spiffy yourself."

"Spiffy?" Sam asked with a wide grin. "Wow, haven't heard that in a while."

"Well," Tiffany shrugged, "When you spend a lot of time with Captain America, some things wear off on you."

"Speaking of which, are they running a bit late?" Sam asked as he looked at his watch.

Tiffany laughed, "Ohhhh, no. Steve Rogers doesn't do late. They have two minutes. They'll be here."

The roaring sound of a motorcycle caught everyone's attention in front of the restaurant, but Tiffany just pointed in that direction as the bike approached. When it reached the hotel, the bike slid to a stop right in front of the door. Kayla Ellis swiftly pulled off a white helmet and combed through her messy hair with her fingers before waving excitedly to Tiffany and Sam. Steve held the bike steady as she carefully dismounted, aware of the bystanders taking her picture.

Once Kayla was off, she smoothed down the flowing sides of her romper dress and approached Sam and Tiffany while Steve asked where to park his bike. The valet stammered for a moment as they all watched, eventually telling Steve to just leave it out front.

"You guys sure know how to make an entrance." Sam muttered teasingly as Steve approached with a perfect smile that matched his girlfriend's.

The woman scoffed, "Yeah, but we don't know how to follow traffic laws."

Kayla's eyes met Steve's and he snorted, "You could have been ready more then ten minutes before we had to be here. I wasn't about to be late because you had to change outfits twice."

"Told you." Tiffany leaned up to whisper to Sam and he grinned as Kayla turned dramatically from Steve to Sam for introductions.

"Sam, this is Steve, Steve, this is Sam, Sam... you already know Tiffany." Kayla shrugged and her friend rolled her eyes dramatically. "Okay, let's go eat!"

Tiffany motioned with her index finger for Sam to lean down to her level so she could whisper, "I'm sorry in advance, they're a lot. Well, Steve's not, he's actually very quiet, but Kayla is... a little larger than life."

"I gathered that meeting her Wednesday." Sam admitted as they followed Steve and Kayla into the restaurant. He noticed the way Steve held Kayla's hip, keeping her pressed against his side as she talked to the hostess, "He's protective of her."

"Very. Which she needs." Tiffany explained, looking up to meet Sam's curious gaze, "He has fun with her. He really struggled when they first met, but she brings out a brighter side of him. And he makes sure she's okay, mentally and physically. Being Kayla Ellis is hard work."

Kayla turned and grinned at Tiffany and her date, and Sam noticed how her smile was twice as staged as it had been when he met her two days prior. "Our table's ready. They're seating us back by the kitchen, if that's alright?"

"As long as there aren't cameras back there." Tiffany deadpanned and Steve nodded, leaning toward the host. The host looked nervous, but nodded stoically and Steve smiled in response, but they didn't soften when Steve did. They simply paged the manager of the restaurant as another host arrived to take them to their table.

They were seated near the kitchen and the chef arrived to address them and ask if they had any allergies or special requests. Kayla asked about the specials and requested a wine list, then the chef left and she turned her attention to her guests. Kayla sat across from Sam and next to Steve, allowing her to converse with Sam easily. "So, are you a red or a white kinda guy?"

"Before you answer that, did you drive yourself here tonight?" Steve asked seriously, leaning in front of his girlfriend to get his answer first.

"No... I took an Uber." Sam explained slowly, looking from Captain America to the President's daughter, "And to answer your question, I'm a red kind of guy."

Kayla shot Steve a dirty look as he settled back into his seat, draping his arm over Kayla as he gave her a knowing smirk, using his free hand to tell her to continue. "Okay, good to know." Kayla raised her hand and the Sommelier appeared with a wine list that was presented to Kayla and no one else.

Steve laughed to himself as he silently watched Sam's bewildered expression, grinning when Tiffany leaned over to explain, as if Kayla wasn't even there, "It's a big production, just let her do it. She'll order a bottle for everyone at the table, but she'll request the champagne come with dessert. If Steve's in a mood, which you'll never know if he is, because he's Steve Rogers and he's always polite," Tiffany looked up to meet Steve's gaze and he shrugged, so she continued, "then Kayla will order him a scotch, but she'll ask for two up front because he drinks it like water."

Tiffany gestured to Kayla as she began rattling off her drink order to the Sommelier, "I want a bottle of the Quintessa Cabernet Blend, a Bordeaux- the Château Léoville Barton one. Ummm, let's try the Grenache Blend and then bring a bottle of the Dom Pérignon with dessert."

The Sommelier left and Kayla turned to Sam with a practiced smile, skillfully ignoring Steve's quiet laughter at her doing exactly what Tiffany had predicted. "So, let's talk business before wine, then we can have fun."

"A lot of fun." Sam teased, looking to Tiffany, "I'm assuming you took a ride share?"

"I knew what this was." She shrugged, leaning her cheek against her fist as she turned to Sam, "A bottle an hour, and worst case Steve will finish it off. He can't get drunk, so it's basically grape juice."

"Very good, very expensive grape juice." Steve interjected and Tiffany turned to him with a grin. "So Sam, Kayla tells me you work for the VA?"

"I do, sir. I enjoy helping out my fellow veterans. I'm sure you know how hard it is getting out of the fight." Sam said confidently and Steve straightened up, wanting to talk to Sam about his time in the service.

"What unit were you in?"

"58, Pararescue. I did two tours." Sam explained and Steve nodded with understanding. Sam saw how Steve relaxed at his words and decided to ask, "You, uh, don't spend a lot of time with people who get what you've been through, do you?"

Steve opened his mouth to answer, shrugging weakly as he tried to form the right words, "Kayla's been really helpful. When we first met, she was really great to talk to. I don't know what I'd have done without her."

"Not really, no." Kayla blurted, looking over to Steve sadly, "I've done what I could to help him feel at home, but I can't imagine the horrors he's seen. I can't even imagine what it must have been like to go through the ice-"

"Kayla." Steve warned and she ducked her head. Steve rubbed her back as he turned back to Sam, noticing Tiffany drinking her water and staring off against the wall, "I'm okay. But it's really nice to meet someone else with shared life experience."

"Well, I don't know if I'd call it that, I'm no Captain America." Sam chuckled and it was Steve's turn to duck his head bashfully, then smile up at the man as the Sommelier arrived with their first bottle of wine.

Three hours and two and a half bottles of wine later, Kayla and Sam had switched spots and the former had her feet up on Tiffany's lap as the girls giggled quietly.

"So, he's cute right?" Kayla whispered loudly and Tiffany shushed her, swatting her best friend's hand away as she reached for her glass to finish it off.

Tiffany scanned the opposite side of the table, finding a very sober Steve conversing with a mildly tipsy Sam Wilson, "Yeah. I really like him."

"Say- thank you Kaylaaaa." The blonde slurred, grabbing the bottle and drinking straight out of it. Before she could even realize what had happened, Steve reached across the table and took the bottle from her hand, careful to tip it quickly so it wouldn't spill everywhere. She looked at her empty hand and then her boyfriend, finding him already back to his conversation. "Hey!"

"Hey, use a glass, First Daughter." Steve scolded teasingly, pouring himself another glass. He paused and looked to Sam, "Do you want some more? I guarantee her backwash is in it, though."

"No thank you, I'm alright." Sam chuckled, leaning his arm over the back of the chair. He looked over to the women, finding Tiffany staring at him, but she quickly looked back to Kayla with wide eyes. "It must suck being the DD while your girl has all the fun."

Steve shrugged, "Yes and no." He gazed at Kayla lovingly, eyes wandering her blonde waves and her pink cheeks before landing on her painted lips, "I have fun being with her. Kayla has enough fun for the both of us. Plus, I wouldn't trust myself intoxicated."

"Fair." Sam raised his glass in a toast, "Perhaps sometime we could grab a beer somewhere a little... less upscale."

"I wouldn't say no to that." Steve replied, stretching his arm and checking his watch, "It's getting late. Should probably get these trouble makers home."

"Who are you calling trouble?" Tiffany growled seriously, and Sam smirked into his fist to hide his laughter.

Steve looked to Sam and he just shrugged, out of answers, "Kay, you almost ready to go?"

"We haven't even opened the champagne yet!" Kayla whined and Steve produced a wine bag from beside his chair, "You already wrapped it up?"

"I had it wrapped after the first bottle." Steve told her and she stuck her lip out in a pout, "I'm saving it, we can drink it for a special occasion."

Tiffany elbowed Kayla obnoxiously, looking at her with wide eyes to match her beaming grin. Kayla swatted her away and grabbed her water glass to down it, bringing about her wits again as they prepared to leave. Steve raised his hand for the waiter to bring the check, and he pulled out a wad of hundred dollar bills from his wallet.

"Avenging makes good money, huh?" Sam asked, pulling out his own wallet, "Let me pay for our half."

Tiffany's eyes darted to her date, surprise and hope etched across her flushed face. "I mean, I can get my own-"

"No, I'd like to get it." Sam assured her and she gasped lightly, feeling butterflies jump around her wine-filled stomach. Steve handed Sam the bill so he could see how much he owed and he stammered, "You can totally get the bottles though-"

"Yeah, I was planning on it." Steve chuckled, flipping through too many hundred dollar bills to pay for his girlfriend's expensive tastes. "And it makes decent money. They pay my room and board, and I get a stipend every week for food and bills. Most of this?" Steve gestured to the stack of bills he shoved into the black bill folder, "This comes from doing things with her." Steve gestured across to Kayla, who had her face buried against Tiffany's ear.

Sam rocked back and forth in a subtle nod, "Being famous has its perks."

Steve grunted, "I'd rather live off of SHIELD's stipend than be splayed across every magazine in America, but an interview or photo shoot here or there won't kill me." Steve watched as Kayla looked across the table at him with a melancholy smile, "It's not like she wants it either. But the more attention she gets, the more influence she has over people. That's how her charities get attention, and how she gets free stuff and people wanting her opinions. Her and I, we play a public game of good cop, bad cop. I'm the honest and good Captain America, and she's the notorious heart breaker Kayla Ellis. We balance each other out."

"What about when people aren't around?" Sam asked, wondering how deep the relationship ran, because Steve spoke about it like it was just a façade.

Steve just smiled to himself and leaned his arm against the table, "I never imagined, especially waking up in this century, that I'd find a woman who would be so devoted and patient with me. People think she's the handful, but that's just an act for attention, because that's her job. I'm the one who gets called to fly across the globe at a moment's notice. I come home in the middle of night all bloody and bruised, and she's always there to patch me up and make sure I'm okay." Steve took a deep breath, stretching his back as he prepared to stand, "If the American public knew the Kayla I knew..." Steve trailed off, realizing Kayla had perked up at her name. "Well, things would be a lot different."

"Are you driving home?" Kayla asked Sam, awkwardly placing her hand across Tiffany's face. "You've had too much to drink."

"We've had this conversation already." Sam deadpanned, trying not to show how amused he was, "I took an Uber, and I'm not the one who's had too much to drink."

"Well, maybe you can take the Uber with Tiff and make sure she gets home safely, we live in a rough part of town."

"No, we really don't, I live downtown. And I'm fine on my own if you have to get home." Tiffany assured Sam, but her voice lilted at the end, telling him she wanted him to take her home.

Sam reached across the table to take Tiffany's hand, "I'd feel better making sure you got home safe."

"Really?" Tiffany gasped and Kayla elbowed her, giving her a wide eyed look that said 'don't question it'. Tiffany looked back to Sam and stammered, "I'd really appreciate it."

Steve pushed his water across the table to his girlfriend and she took a sip of it, narrowing his eyes at him. Steve pushed himself to his feet, walking around the table to pull Kayla's chair out for her. She swayed a little when she stood and Steve wrapped both of his arms around her and turned to Sam, "Thank you for joining us tonight. It was great to meet you."

"Anytime you wanna grab that beer, hit me up. Or you could stop by the VA. You're always welcome." Sam said as Tiffany swung around the table to stand next to him. Sam slung his arm around her and she grinned, "Well, I better get her home. You two drive safe."

Tiffany held Sam back as Steve nodded and guided Kayla toward the front of the restaurant. "Unless you want to be featured all across the internet, we'll give them a head start." Tiffany advised, watching her best friend be escorted by Captain America as the other restaurant patrons pulled out their cell phones to take pictures.

Steve held open the door for Kayla and she cautiously walked ahead of him, stopping to wait for him before going down the few short steps. His motorcycle was out front where he'd left it hours earlier, and a few camera flashes went off as Steve swung his leg over first, carefully storing Kayla's champagne in a compartment on his bike. Kayla straddled the bike behind him, wrapping her hands around his stomach after securing her helmet, but he used his left hand to grab her hands and secure her himself.

"You ready?"

Kayla knocked on the helmet and Steve laughed, kicking up the stand and driving past the crowd of people to take his girl home.

Steve carried Kayla bridal style up the stairs to their apartment, setting her down only so he could unlock the door. She leaned against the wall and watched him casually, clutching the champagne bottle tightly. "Did you have fun tonight?"

"I did." Steve answered as the door latch clicked and he pushed it open, allowing Kayla to go in first. "Did you?"

"I did." Kayla said, eyes trained on her boyfriend, "I'm glad you and Sam hit it off."

"Yeah, I think him and Tiffany are cute together." Steve took the bottle of champagne and placed in the fridge to keep chilled.

Kayla leaned against the counter, scratching her head as she winced from her wine headache, "But you think he's nice?"

"Why? You want me to date him?" Steve teased and Kayla swatted him before grabbing his arm and pulling him to her. "What?"

"I kinda thought he'd be a good friend for you." Kayla admitted, dancing her fingers over his forearms, "I feel bad that you don't really have anybody."

"I have you." Steve assured Kayla, pressing a kiss to her forehead as he wiggled out of her grip and tugged her toward their bedroom, "I don't need anybody else."

"Everyone needs friends, Steve."

"I have friends. I have you... and Nat, and Tiffany, and Brock and the Strike team I guess." Steve listed and Kayla placed her hands on her hips and lifted her brow.

"Those are your coworkers, and my best friend." Kayla argued and Steve narrowed his eyes, "Don't look at me like that! You can have people in your life aside from me. Nobody's getting replaced..." Kayla reached up to cradle Steve's cheek in her hand, "You know that, right? Nobody will ever replace him."

"I'm happy with how things are. Just you and me." Steve promised. He sat on their bed and stared up at Kayla as he held her hands tightly. "But I do like Sam. I hope things work out between Tiffany and him because I'd like him to stick around."

Kayla kissed Steve, than pulled away to go take out her contacts and get ready for bed. She was happy with her ploy to get her best friend a date and her boyfriend a friend, but now she needed some sleep.

Steve unbuttoned his shirt, chewing through his words carefully, "So, uh, do you have anything going on tomorrow night?"

"I do actually, I have to go to dinner with my parents and the World Security Council." Kayla called from the bathroom and Steve nodded, looking over to his dresser where he knew the ring was hiding.

"What about Sunday?"

"Sunday I'm free after four! I have a Skype meeting with the builders to check on the progress in Namibia, but after that I'm all yours!" Kayla peeked around the doorframe, her hair piled up on top of her head and her eyes shielded by her dark glasses, "What did you have in mind?"

"Well, tonight just got me thinking that we haven't gone anywhere just the two of us in a while, maybe we could do dinner?" Steve pulled down his dress slacks and tossed them in the hamper before pulling back the sheets and crawling in. Kayla doubled back into the bathroom to finish getting ready for bed, leaving Steve to worry about what she was thinking. "Kay?"

He heard the sink running, then the sound of her spitting out her toothpaste, "Dinner sounds good. Want Tiffany to make a reservation?"

"I can do it." Steve called, looking up at the ceiling. "I love you."

"And I love you!" Kayla chirped as she bounded back into the room in a silk nightgown and jumped onto the bed. She giggled as she squirmed under the covers and cuddled up to Steve, resting her head against his bare chest. "I want to spend the rest of my life curled up next to you."

"Good. I'll keep that in mind." Steve joked and snuck his arm under Kayla's shoulders to hold her close. "Sleep well."

"Goodnight." She murmured, nuzzling her nose against Steve's collarbone as he laid awake, thoughts of proposing running rampant through his mind.