It's been over a year and Bucky is approaching the point of full recovery. He rarely wakes up screaming anymore, and when he does, he doesn't throw furniture or people across the room. He's charming and easy-going most of the time, and he's ready to go out into the world and explore what it has to offer him again

In this case, it's dancing.


"Steve, grab your coat." Bucky announces one afternoon, tossing a newspaper across his friend's lap. The page is folded back to the local event section. One heading is circled in red.

"Swing dance lessons, all levels welcome" Steve reads, raising an eyebrow. "Learn the Jitterbug, West Coast, Charleston and more..."
Bucky is grinning expectantly when he looks up, and it's so familiar that Steve almost forgets to protest the idea of making an utter fool of himself trying to dance. "You know I never learned to do this stuff." he says doubtfully. Bucky pulls him to his feet.

"That's kind of the point of dance lessons, kid." He says patiently, plucking Steve's jacket off a hook and tossing it to him. "How are we ever gonna find you a nice girl if you can't take her out dancing?"

"... I don't think girls dance like this anymore." Steve mutters, but he's pulling his shoes on. Bucky's way too enthusiastic about the idea for him to put up more than a token protest. They're out the door a moment later and it's too late to change his mind.


"Alright, partner up." The instructor tells them. Steve's partner grins enthusiastically up at him.

"You're gonna have a hard time turning under my arm later," she tells him, gauging the height difference between them with a raised hand. "I might have to jump for it."

"I'll duck." He offers with a weak smile.

"Same footwork, with your partner. One and two, and rock step. Start with the music-"

Steve trips over his feet again and again. He feels pink rising in his cheeks. Bucky, next to him, twirls a pretty brunette and leads her through several basic steps. She giggles.

Steve tries bending his knees at the advice of his partner - a short curly-haired girl with thick glasses. It helps, though he still stumps awkwardly through the movements.

Bucky may not have consciously remembered any dance steps when they arrived, but by the end of the lesson, he's sweeping his partner across the floor with expert Lindy Hop, and it's clear his body remembers. Steve might be a little envious of his ease and grace, but he's too happy to see Bucky unselfconsciously enjoying himself for once to really let it bother him.

Besides, Steve has his own little following to contend with. He's tall and good looking and several of the girls find his awkward attempts at leading to be absolutely precious, so he's too busy trying desperately to remember the steps he just learned to worry about what Bucky is up to for most of the evening.
His dance partners all pat him on the arm and tell him he's doing great whenever he tries to apologize for his ineptitude.

Steve tries to escape after a couple of songs, but he's constantly being approached by girls asking him to dance. While he'd much rather slink off and occupy a chair, he can't think of a polite way to refuse, so he barely leaves the floor all night.
He soon finds himself extremely grateful for his enhanced endurance, because he can't even get to the drinking fountain without someone expectantly approaching him anymore.

Several songs in, he has to admit he's actually enjoying himself, even if he's barely keeping the beat.


They go out afterwards with several of the 'regulars', and Steve eats an entire pizza by himself, on top of a few slices of the one the others got to share. He's got a hungry metabolism to feed. Bucky inhales a chocolate milkshake.

The group talks about anything and everything, and while neither of the two super-soldiers really understand all of the references made, they find themselves falling easily into the conversation. There's been no sign of anyone recognizing them, and Steve finds himself more relieved by the lack of celebrity than he'd expected. It's nice to just be people sometimes.

He slips up a half hour later, as they're ordering more milkshakes for the table, and mentions something about his mother "back in '33". He flinches and waits for the gasp of realization, the frenzy and unwanted adulations, but nobody really bats an eye.

At first he thinks nobody heard, but then Tabitha, the girl he first danced with, asks about life in the Great Depression (as history has dubbed it), and that's when he realizes they've known all along.


"I was gonna ask." Kirsten, a tall slim girl with cropped blonde hair, tells him, noticing his expression. "But I figured you guys probably would've mentioned it if you wanted to talk about it."

Toby, her boyfriend, nods and slips an arm around her shoulder as she leans into his side. "I saw the whole thing with SHIELD and stuff on youtube last summer. I get where you're comin' from. ...My uncle was in Afghanistan for a couple'a years, and he doesn't like to talk about it either."

"I know a guy he might want to talk to, actually." Steve says brightly, fishing for a business card in his wallet. Sam's support group always has room for one more.

"Sam's a pro." Bucky agrees, nodding. "Kept my head in one piece when I got back, that's for sure."

"Cap had a therapist?" Tabitha asks around her straw. She's still trying to find a 'hilarious meme', whatever that is, on her phone to show them. Something about artificial limbs.

"Holy shit, you're Captain America?!" Navin - all dark hair, elastic features, and sarcasm- stage whispers loudly, before anyone can answer. He makes a huge show of an exaggerated shocked face for Steve's benefit, daintily bringing a hand up to his mouth like a southern belle out of a movie, then fakes a swoon.

"You're a smart-ass, kid." Bucky tells him. "I like you." Navin holds his hand up for a high-five. Bucky enthusiastically complies.

"Better watch out, Cap." Navin grins, tossing an arm around Bucky's shoulder, "I'mma steal your man if you're not careful."

Steve glances up, business card in hand. "He's not -"

"-I'm just a piece'a meat to you guys, aren't I?" Bucky interrupts with a dramatic sigh, but he's trying too hard to keep a straight face. Steve makes a mental note that his friend's been spending waaay too much time with Tony and it's starting to show.

"If we're divvying up the hot guys, I want in!" Tabitha pipes up, grabbing Bucky's hand, the left one, over the table-top and hooking her other arm through Steve's. Bucky almost twitches at the touch, but only for a moment. He's having too good a time to let old hang-ups stop him now.

Tabitha turns to bat her eyelashes at Steve. "What parts do I get to keep?"

Steve turns bright red, and Bucky absolutely loses it, shaking with laughter into the table-top.

"God, Steve, your face!"

"Sold!" Tabitha declares, and the others dissolve into helpless laughter right along with him.


"So,you're coming back next week, right?" Kirsten asks as they gather their coats and clear the booth.

"Yes" Bucky says immediately.
"I don't know." Steve says at the same time.

"So… maybe?" Kirsten says hopefully, settling her little vinyl purse over her shoulder. Steve's gotten the strong impression that she likes to bring new people into the fold.

He glances at Bucky, who's more relaxed than he's been in months, and looks genuinely happy. Steve knows full well that Bucky won't go without him. There's really not much of a choice to be made with that in mind.

"I mean, we're busy a lot… but we'll try." Steve tells her. Maybe he can hide behind a sketchbook or something next time...

Bucky's face lights up, and he know he's made the right decision.


After all that dark and/or heavy content for the last few chapters, I thought we could all use something lighter. ... Before we plunge back into darkness :D