The bar was dark when a damp Steve arrived mere minutes before 8 o'clock which made it harder to scan the room for his date. His stomach tightened when at first he could see his fellow detective anywhere in the long bar. He felt awkward walking up and down the room peeping into the booths and tables so came very close to leaving when he felt someone tap his rain-soaked shoulder.

A tall man with long dark hair was giving him his most charming smile when he introduced himself. Steve was uncomfortable at first as he didn't always trust random people who approached him in bars. He had experienced some negative situations in the past where people couldn't get the hint that he really did not want to talk with them and they didn't take it well when he expressed that explicitly.

"Stood up?" The guy asked, taking a couple steps back to lean against the bar and sip his drink.

"Uh, it's partly my fault because I decided he-" Steve began to explain when suddenly he heard the familiar clicking sound of handcuffs and his arms were being shoved behind his back, "What on earth?!"

"Sir, I am placing you under arrest!" Tony barked, having just appeared behind his colleague and Steve's eyes rolled instinctively. He then directed his comment towards the guy Steve was talking to, "I'm sorry, sir, but this many is a highly dangerous criminal. We're been hunting him down for months."

Steve, not fighting, stated dully, "Tony, this is an abuse of your power. If Captain Fury finds out about this you'll be in serious trouble."

"Please," Tony scoffed as he led Steve towards the exit. Patrons were watching fascinated at the opportunity to catch a glimpse of a dangerous criminal, "Everyone knows Nick loves me." Every knew that Nick certainly did not love Tony. He could barely go a day without cursing the rule breaking, meeting ditching, know-it-all detective, "Besides, I just couldn't wait any longer to see you in a pair of handcuffs." He purred flirtatiously not realising that Rogers took the responsibility of policing with a touch more importance than he did.

Once they stepped out the bar and into the pouring rain Steve snapped, "How could you do that?! Not only did you humiliate me in front of the whole bar but you abused your power as a police detective!"

Tony's humorous persona dropped as he realised that Steve really was upset by what had transpired inside. He whipped the handcuffs off and hurriedly put them away.

"I'm sorry, I didn't think-" Tony started but as soon as the phrase 'didn't think' slipped out Steve was furious.

"Didn't think?! You didn't think?! That's your problem, Stark! You never think through the consequences of you actions!" His face was flushing red with passion and he went to snap some more but stopped himself, "I can't… I just can't deal with this."

Without another word, Tony was left standing outside the bar on his own as Steve rushed away. The other man's name died on his lips as he realised calling after him would be useless. The remaining detective peered around the dark streets and sighed to himself mournfully. He had never been in a single relationship where he didn't somehow screw it up. He'd lost all hope of being with Steve so he could only pray that the man didn't tell Fury about what had happened. Steve didn't seem like the type of man to seek revenge but then he was a fan of sticking strictly to the rule book.

He didn't know whether he was pleased they didn't have work tomorrow or wished they were forced together to allow him to apologise.

Natasha was a night owl and Steve had to thank God for that fact as he ran through the rain and looked up at her apartment window, lit by a soft yellow glow. Once at the entrance he buzzed her and she answered immediately,

"Mr Jenkins, I swear if you've forgotten your key again I will be driven to murder and, yes, I can make it look like an accident." She spoke without waiting for him to speak.

He rolled his eyes at another colleague abusing the detective-ness, "Nat, can I come up?"

She clearly could read the upset in his voice as she had already buzzed the door open before saying, "Come up, Steve."

She was waiting by the door by the time he had managed to climb the several floors to her apartment. Natasha had predicted the state of the man and held out a towel for him to dry himself upon entry. He loved her friends but also she wasn't willing to allow her couch to get messed up. Her flaming red hair was tied up in a messy bun to keep it from her face as she prepared for bed.

She led him over to the living room and encouraged him to sit down while never taking her eyes from his clearly distressed face. He continued to dry the droplets of water from his blond hair.

"What happened?" It wasn't very often Steve turned up on her doorstep a mess; it had only occurred once in the whole time she had known the man. Her detective skills led her to believe that Stark had somehow messed up again since he always seemed to be doing that.

"Tony pretended to arrest me in front of a room full of people." Steve mumbled out as he tried to dry off his shirt even though it was unsalvageable. She frowned in confusion, "It was an abuse of power and humiliating."

"Why did he arrest you?" She desperately needed some clarification.

"We agreed to meet somewhere for drinks and he was-" He started.

"Whoa, whoa! You two went on a date?!" Eyes growing wide, she demanded information, "And you didn't tell me?!"

"It happened so quickly, I didn't get a change. It all went wrong anyway." He sighed.

"You've really fallen for him." She commented, softly knowing that this was information that Steve had probably been subconsciously denying for weeks.

"Did you not hear what I just said?" Steve ran his fingers through his hair and flopped back against the couch wearily.

"Yeah but I can also see how upset you are that your date went wrong. You can't expect me to believe that you don't care about this!" Nat lectured in between sips of soothing tea, "You like him and if I were you I wouldn't ruin it by clinging onto his mistakes. Stark has never been in a relationship that isn't just sex so he doesn't know how to act either."

"You really shouldn't make excuses for him." He murmured but Natasha could tell he was already considering her point of view. He rubbed his fingertips across his lips as he thought.

"You can stay here." She offered.

Shaking his head and handing back the towel, he said, "I think I need to head home and think some more about this."

Minutes later he was out on the street heading to the subway under a flimsy umbrella Natasha had lent him.