A year later at his apartment after he'd shed his Captain America uniform, Steve showered and changed into some sweat pants and a t-shirt after a particularly grueling mission with Natasha. He wandered into his kitchen for a snack. His enhanced metabolism was four times faster than the average human. He needed to refuel frequently and the breakfast he'd had hours ago had worn off.

"You really have a great ass," Natasha's voice spun him around.

"Natasha!" Steve resisted the urge to clutch at his chest. If it were possible for him to have a heart attack, this would have been a good time. "Did you pick my lock again?"

"Trade secret." She had also showered, changed and was holding a rather large bag of food from the delicious odors which were wafting his way. She looked cute in tight black leggings, Uggs and a blue t-shirt with an emblem of his shield on it. It pleased him more than it should have to see her in 'his' colors.

"I figured you would be hungry and thought I'd bring you something substantial to eat." She sashayed over to his table and plunked the bag down. "Steak, baked potato, broccoli, salad, and a French silk pie...for two, if you want company."

He was more tired than he'd ever been in his life but the opportunity to spend time with Natasha was always welcome. "I would like that very much Nat." They'd been spending a lot of time together off the clock for the past year, getting to know each other, superficially at least. She had been the friend he'd needed. Once in awhile she surprised him by showing up unannounced. Tonight was one of those nights.

"Sorry about the breaking and entering. I like to surprise people."

"Mission accomplished," Steve said as he moved to retrieve utensils from a drawer.

"You're not mad, are you?" She stopped putting the food out and looked into his baby blue eyes.

"No, not at all. You're always a nice surprise, Natasha. Thank you." He pulled out her chair gallantly.

"Why thank you," Natasha sat and he scooted her in. "I've been meaning to ask, when they defrosted you they just set you loose? No backup, no help?" They hadn't really hit on his time in the ice and re-entry into the world yet. Now, seemed like an opportune time to solve at least one Steve Rogers mystery. The way she put it made it sound harsher than it actually was. "No, Fury offered to get me involved with a lot of projects but I really wanted to take some time to acclimate to this time frame. We've been so busy, I'm not doing such a great job with the acclimation."

"That's because you haven't had a proper guide," she said around a small tomato she popped into her mouth.

"Everyone I knew is literally dead or really, really old." Steve said with a trace of sadness in his voice before spearing a piece of steak.

"I'm sorry, Steve." Natasha stopped eating and laid her hand gently on his arm.

Her touch sent electric tingles up his arm. "It's fine. I just have to get my feet under me, take time to make some friends; I'll be all right." His words said one thing, his tone said another. He sounded lost and a little lonely even after a year in the Avengers.

Natasha picked at her food while he spoke. She continued thinking as they ate. This wasn't right. The man was an honest to god national hero in 1945 and in the present day. During the invasion of New York, Steve's first orders were to protect and evacuate the civilians in the area. In the midst of an alien-fucking-invasion, his first instinct was to ensure the protection of the most vulnerable people around him. He deserved better than he was getting.

"How about I take you around, show you some things which have changed while you've been asleep. I can also go with you if there is anywhere you want to go."

Steve looked bewildered. Natasha had never been this open or accommodating. "You're offering to be a tour guide?"

"I'm offering as your friend." Natasha said, flatly. There was no teasing in her tone. She reached over and took his hand. "It's not a directive, Steve. You're not a project or a mission or a mark. I like you, you like me. We'll have fun." He looked like he needed some fun in his life.

"What about Barton?" Steve looked into her eyes but still couldn't read her after all this time. He couldn't interpret her relationship.

"Clint and I are best friends. That's all we've ever been. Besides, I'm a big girl and don't need permission as to who I want to hang out with. I thought you'd figured that out by now." Her sultry tone sent a thrill down his spine.

Steve wiped his mouth with his napkin, "Everything is just so different, especially the people. I don't know the current niceties of starting a friendship, how to meet people, dating morals..." He blushed a little at that. "I know I am old fashioned, even for my time. I was raised to be a gentleman and I just can't shake that. I've tried to do what's right my whole life even when it got me beat up...before the serum."

Natasha waited patiently as he spoke. It was the most he'd ever disclosed about his pre-serum days and she didn't want to interrupt him. She stayed attentive and kept her hand in his as he finished eating. "Anyway, I've never really had a chance to do anything everyone else has intrinsically learned along the way." He met her cool green gaze with a weak smile.

"Would you like to?" She asked mildly.

"Learn? Yes, I would very much." Steve said.

"Well, all right then." Natasha smiled as if she'd been waiting forever for him to ask the right question. She pushed back from the table, walked to his chair and plunked herself on his lap. "Lesson one," she said before taking his face in her hands and bestowing a gentle, lingering kiss on his mouth. Steve's mind spun as he wondered where to put his hands. She flicked her tongue across his lips and he opened them in surprise, accepting her ministrations as she softly plundered his mouth. He finally settled on gathering her in his arms and holding her tightly to his chest.

"Mmmmm," she hummed against his mouth and twisted in his arms so that she was straddling him. She pressed her core against his groin and rocked into him, deepening her kiss as he hardened beneath her.

Pleasure, panic, surprise, elation, all flooded through Steve's mind which was currently short circuiting from the stimulation she was providing. This was nothing like Peggy's kiss in the speeding car; nothing like the smooch Lorraine, the blonde clerk had given him. Those were sweet, almost tentative kisses. Natasha's kiss was wild, untamed, dark, deep red compared to the petal pink of the only other two women he'd kissed.

When they came up for air, Steve dimly became aware that one of his hands was knotted in her hair and the other was cupping her ass, pressing her against his erection. He couldn't explain anything away, she was literally pressed up against his cock. Blue eyes met green.

"Natasha..." her name sounded like a prayer falling from his lips.

"Mmmm hmmmm?" She responded, kissing him on the nose.

"I...I.." he stammered and blushed; afraid she'd be offended by his traitorous body which was currently draining the blood from his brain to fill his already tight groin.

She grinned and looked down between them. He hadn't bothered to put on boxers under his sweats so there was nothing holding his length in check except for a tent of soft fleece. "Why Captain Rogers, that is quite a compliment."

Steve looked panicked for a brief second then relaxed, realizing she was not at all offended but sounded rather pleased. "Really?"

"Oh, Yeah," she nodded and squirmed a bit more on his lap.

He caught her hips with both hands to hold her still, "Natasha, wait..."

"Do you want me to go slower? Do you want me to touch you? Do you want me to take my clothes off?" Her grin was sexy and mischievous as she peppered him with questions he wasn't ready to answer.

"Natasha...I can't imagine taking advantage of you." Steve hoped he really didn't sound as stupid as he sounded to himself.

"Cap...Steve, I'm practically riding you now. You are hardly damaging my virtue. You said you wanted to know how to have a relationship. I'm showing you how." Natasha blew hot air gently into his ear and pulled his hand up from her hip to her breast.

Steve groaned as she kept her hand over his and pushed his thumb over her nipple. He caught her mouth in a desperate kiss. He stood up, taking her with him, still wrapped around his waist like a monkey and moved to the couch. With infinite tenderness, he lay her down then stretched out beside her. She shifted and wrapped her leg over his hip, forcing his pelvis closer. He couldn't have hidden his desire if he tried. It was right there, pressing into her lower abdomen.

"I've thought about you from the moment I met you on the helicarrier deck." At his raised eyebrows, she added, "However, we can slow this down if you want to. I don't want to force myself on you."

Steve's mind was trying to process everything. Besides being more turned on than he ever had been in his life, he was flabbergasted that this beautiful exciting femme fatale wanted him. He'd seen plenty of Bucky's antics back in the day with various girls. The women flung themselves at his handsome friend but never at him. He wasn't an idiot. He knew what sex was, knew the basic mechanics but had no idea how to go about putting them into action. Natasha was handling him perfectly; torquing him up but making him feel secure as well. Every place he touched her made her breathless responses sweeter. He couldn't believe that he was making a woman, particularly one known for her specific skill set moan and press against him like she couldn't get enough.

"Force?" He echoed her and looked her straight in the eyes. Reaching up, he tucked an errant curl behind her ear. "Sweetheart, I don't want to take anything from you that I don't deserve yet."

Natasha searched his face and found only tender concern there. His shift from 'Romanoff' to 'Natasha' over the past year and now to 'Sweetheart' made her wonder just how romanticized he was about the whole concept of relationships and sex.

She frowned a little, "Steve, I'm not a virgin."

He reddened slightly, took a breath and decided to tell her his final embarrassing truth. "But I am."

"Wait, you're now in this body and you've never…?"

"I guess I'm a little psychologically and emotionally tied to the way I used to look," he admitted.

She pushed back from him a little and looked at him, "Steve, I've been around you almost daily for over a year. Whatever was in that super soldier serum didn't make you the man you already were. If you were here, back in your pre-serum form? I would still totally take you to bed based on what I know about you as a man."

"Dr. Erskine said it would make good better and bad worse." Steve told her.

"Well, he was right. Whatever you think you were before, you still are. It's just packaged differently is all."

Steve turned all that over in his mind. The thought of a rare beauty like Natasha wanting him under any circumstances was still not sinking in. The thought that she would want to be lying here on Skinny Steve's couch like this...then he realized. He was still Skinny Steve. He still believed that a beautiful woman couldn't possibly want him or now would want him for the wrong reasons. Somehow he didn't think Natasha was that nefarious. She seemed to enjoy him and his company.

"Really? Do you mean that?" Steve's ocean blue eyes bored into hers.

"Every word. What makes you desirable and sexy isn't just the outside, Steve. There are far too few men like you in any century. I'm glad that we became friends, that I am on your team and that you find me attractive." Natasha admitted.

"My god, how could I not?" Steve said as he reached up to stroke her cheek. "You are smart, fearless, loyal and incomparably beautiful."

It was Natasha's turn to blush under his praise. "Why thank you, Cap."

He leaned in to kiss her. Gathering her in his arms and pressing his entire body against hers. He wanted to show her how beautiful she was; how sweet, how utterly desirable. Natasha's hand skated down his chest, his stomach and to the waistband of his sweats. When he felt her searching fingers dip lower, he pulled back a little.

"Wait..." He was panting and fighting not to thrust at her touch.

"I have an idea," she announced, wriggling away from him. He needed a break or this was going to end too soon. "Let's put the food away then give me a couple of minutes and meet me in your bedroom." She bounced up and went into the kitchen. Steve lay there with his arm over his eyes trying to get his breathing and body under control. He peeked out and watched her as she located the cling wrap and swiftly placed everything in the refrigerator. Glancing over at him she could see his eyes watching her. She blew him a kiss and skittered off up the hallway.

As he padded up the hallway after her, he wondered what she had planned as the next shock to his system. When he reached his doorway he found out. Natasha had divested herself of all her clothes and was lying naked on his bed. "Come here, handsome," she purred.