Upon remembering it was Friday, Bellamy jerked awake in her bed to see it was morning. The next thing she noticed was Bucky, who jumped as she sat upright at the sight of him. She let out a breath and shook her head.

"Sorry…" He apologized, and she noted he had his baseball cap on. "Good morning. I'm, uh, leaving." The alarm must have been more than obvious on her face. "Just for a bit, I have to do some…things first. I'll be back at 5, though. For our night out." She only stared at him, taking in all the information.

"Where are you…can't you just, tell me?" She asked, rubbing the sleep from her eyes.

"It's a surprise." He said, and when she felt herself glowering, he smiled faintly. "Five o'clock, I promise." With that, he left, without any more information. When she looked out the window overlooking the street below, she noticed Mr. McGrath immediately, waiting on a bench. He stood and greeted Bucky with a hug when he walked out of the apartment building, and they set off together.

What the hell, she thought to herself, and it was the only thought that kept her occupied until the smell of coffee hit her nose. Bucky had made coffee, and she stared at it blankly, wondering how he knew how to work the machine before she realized he must have just watched her more than enough times. There was a note on the counter beside it.

For as long as you pretend to like it.

She snorted to herself after she read it, before she poured a cup and tried her hardest not to grimace after she took a drink, but she still did. Her lips were torn between wanting to scowl and smirk at the same time.

"Alright, Barnes, whatever." She grumbled under her breath, but kept the note.

Wasting the day until five was hard. Being alone in her apartment suddenly felt strange despite it being the norm before Bucky came along. However, as the clock crept closer, she suddenly found herself wishing she had more time again as she inspected her closet.

What exactly was she supposed to wear, she didn't even know where they would be going or what they would be doing. He had only said night out…something he wanted to do. What could that possibly be? She tried to imagine a pastime he'd find interesting, but couldn't name one.

Night out…night out…

Bellamy tentatively allowed her mind to wander into the unlikely scenario that Bucky had actually meant…a date. A date? No. She shoved the dresses she had hanging to the side harshly. He would have just said it was a date, if that were the case. No…this most certainly definitely was not the case at all. But she just couldn't convince herself completely of that, and she realized maybe there was a part of her that was hoping it was true.

"I hate surprises." She grumbled to herself, trying to blame her flustered feelings on something else as she shuffled through her closet a second time. It was almost embarrassing that she was so indecisive and she almost forced herself to nonchalantly pull an everyday outfit to stop the scenarios she was envisioning, but she stopped herself with a sigh and kept digging. Her annoyed motions paused as she noticed a dress, and after hesitating, she allowed herself to inspect it.

Despite it being her favorite color, it was the only green thing she owned. It was crisp and clean, and came to a stopping point right below the knee. It also gave the illusion of being a short-sleeved button down peplum top with a frame-hugging—but not tight by any mean—pencil skirt. There was something more to it however, the modest sweetheart neckline, padded sleeves, and the bow on the front all made her realize it was not only retro-inspired, but something that looked right out of the 1940's.

The longer she stared at it, the harder it was to find a reason to resist at least trying it on, which turned out to be a mistake. For some reason, she didn't want to take it off.

Only when she was in the middle of curling her hair did she realize somewhere along the way she began to treat this night out as a date. The butterflies in her chest made it impossible for her to run from that belief. Staring into the mirror felt odd, maybe it was the face full of makeup. She appeared to be the same unassuming woman she once had been only a few months back, but her eyes had never looked this bright. She never wore red lipstick out.

Without anything else to do as the clock ticked, and feeling vain staring in the mirror, she walked to her living room and began to pace. Her heart was noticeably pounding and she couldn't remember to save her life if Bucky had ever actually called it a night out. Just as she was beginning to start back to her room to change after second-guessing herself for too long, there were two strong knocks. It was exactly five o'clock.

Bellamy swore her hand was shaking as she slowly began to unlock the door, and decided she could get over her momentary embarrassment with a quick apology and ask for a minute to change into something much more sensible. With that plan locked in her mind, she swung the door open.

"I'm sorry, I—…" Her words died in her throat when she actually laid eyes on him. It was Bucky, but it almost wasn't. This man had clean and soft looking hair that nearly touched the shoulders of his classic black suit and tie combo, and in one hand he held a bouquet of ruby red roses. When her eyes climbed back up to his, he appeared to be just as stunned.

"What?" He asked in a dreamlike state.

"...Huh?" She asked back, her mouth unable to fully close. Their eyes did the same darting dance, the pair of them drifting back and forth in a conflict of interest between their eyes and their bodies.

"You were saying…something?" They just continued to stare at each other. Every former worry in her mind was completely gone now, but then, she couldn't exactly think straight. She began to shake her head slowly side to side, and began to smile, a small slow growing one.

"You look…very…" the smile now danced on her lips. "Very handsome." He blinked several times before averting his eyes to the ground and seemed to notice then the bouquet of flowers in his hand. Staring at them, he offered them towards her silently. "Oh." She said as she took them, still in some kind of state of shock even though she'd already seen them. "I don't believe…this is…" she looked up from the flowers back to Bucky and noticed him growing quickly concerned.

"Does this…did I do something wrong?" He asked, quickly, hands raised as if he were ready to fix something physically.

"No, no, not at all. This is just…" She smiled at him genuinely. "Really sweet and unexpected. Thank you, give me a sec." He waited patiently at the door while she placed the flowers in a vase with water before she rejoined him and locked up the apartment. "So, can I ask now where we're going?"

"It's still a surprise."

Outside, she began to retrieve her keys, but Bucky stopped her.

"Are we walking somewhere?"

"No. We're taking a taxi." She blinked at him and watched him almost dumbfounded as he hailed a cab confidently and held the door open for her expectantly. With a pursed but relaxed smile, she got in.

"Bucky," she began as he got in beside her.

"70 West 45th Street off 6th Ave, to the Butter restaurant, please." He instructed and her eyes widened; it was Food Network's own executive chef Alex Guarnaschellis' pricey restaurant in Midtown Manhattan. Truthfully, she'd never imagine stepping foot inside and only had once, on an assignment with Phil Coulson.

"Wait, Bucky," she protested. "That's…quite an exclusive restaurant. You need reservations, sometimes they—"

"Bellamy," he interrupted her calmly and seemed to be stifling a smile. "You really don't seem to have a whole lotta faith in me." She stopped immediately as she stared at him.

"What is happening right now?" He smiled now in full on amusement at her bewilderment. She had so many questions, obvious ones such as where he'd gone today for so long and where he'd gotten the suit, but also ones she couldn't ever bring herself to ask, like about the roses or what that look in his eyes had meant when she'd opened the door.

"You're one of those people who just have to have all the answers, aren't you? What happened to being spontaneous?" She pursed her lips together again. "I promise you don't have to worry about one single thing tonight, alright?" She nodded reluctantly. "So no more questions."

"Can I ask just one?" She spoke up after a moment and he stared back so she took it as a yes. "Why did you want to do this? With me…?" His jaw clenched as he thought.

"I can't really explain it."

"Can you try?"

"Can I have until the end of the night?" For some reason it made her smile, but she still nodded, satisfied for the time being.

Inside the restaurant, somehow they were only amongst the people dressed nicely; there were even ritzier crowds lingering about. Bucky gave the front desk the name under the reservation, Bennie Taylor. At their table, he pulled out her chair for her.

Sitting together, they looked at the menu in silence. It was hard not to focus on the prices, it hurt to even acknowledge them. Bucky cleared his throat beside her.

"Expensive, right?"

"Over-priced," he agreed with a short chuckle, but he looked away from the menu to her with a small smile. "You can order anything you want." She frowned a bit, but went back to narrowing her options down to the cheapest meals.

When asked if they were interested in a bottle of champagne or a glass of red wine, Bucky had sent her somewhat of a teasing glance, but she had refused politely.

"It's not one of those night, huh?" He teased her more after.

"Hm, no, tonight isn't the best for drunken confessions." She replied back, but she smiled wryly at him. "In case you couldn't tell, I'm more of a lightweight and hardly a drinker."

Once they had ordered fancy plates of chicken and salmon respectively, they were surrounded in an even more blatant bubble of silence.

"You're going to have to be the one to ask the questions," She told him, trying to keep a serious face as she crossed her leg. "Of course, since I'm not allowed." He rolled his eyes, but smiled back.

"I would guess you've been here before?" She almost wanted to say no, to just lie.

"Yes. For work. Of course. So, in a way, I suppose I actually haven't on account that I didn't exactly enjoy myself, no matter how important I felt." She sighed a bit. Bucky had a bit of a frown on his features.

"Well, maybe we should have ordered the wine. Changed that." He tried. She stared back at him; it seemed wrong to be having such a heart-opening experience in a place that just seemed so fit to throw back a cocktail and laugh glamorously with shallow company. But neither of them lived a lie anymore, they were trying to live a new truth.

"It's all changed already." She swallowed before she added, "Since the moment I met you." He frowned more, trying to speak, but she shook her head. "No, please. Let me finish…it's not a bad thing at all. Far from it. It's all very…odd, I can't understand it. But, Bucky Barnes, you're making me realize I never even began my life, and…you never got to live yours and maybe…there's a reason that it's turning out this way."

He stared at her for a long while, before he stared at his glass of water, bit his lip, and fixed his gaze on her. His mouth opened and she could tell that he wanted to say something that he couldn't allow himself to share.

"…Maybe so." He said instead, and she smiled in understanding, reassuring; she had to accept however slow he needed to go. She didn't regret or try to retract her statement, because it was the truth.

"So you never got dressed up to take a lucky girl out on a fancy dinner date?" She asked, lightening her tone.

"No," he replied as he took a drink. "I was saving that for a special girl." When he looked back at her with a half-smile she wasn't exactly prepared, nor was she prepared for the swarm of butterflies in her chest trying to break their way out.

As they ate, Bellamy couldn't help but notice how Bucky only used one hand. His left hand, his metal hand, the one closest to her, was tucked away under the table out of sight. But she made no comment about it.

Now, conversation flowed naturally and it was hard to believe there had ever been a point earlier in the evening when they weren't talking. Evidently, there was more to learn about one another. She told him how her brother was the one who took her out when she turned 21, how he was an attention-loving man's man on the opposite spectrum of attention-loving men like Stark. He told her of his loving mother and the puppet-shows he would perform for his sisters whenever they got sick, and sometimes he'd tease Steve with them too when he inevitably got sick. The more they shared, the more she realized how rich a person's life could be, filled every second with moments that could be considered memorable, or even unmemorable depending on the person. But she looked at Bucky, and decided she wanted to know it all and wondered if he felt the same.

It would have been more than easy to joke about how much of a natural charmer he must have been in his day; she could see glimpses of a man who undoubtedly broke many girls' hearts unknowingly. It would have been easier to tease him about his clumsy pieces of conversation, but she never did. He was charismatic and assured one moment, and then awkward and unsure the next, but the more time that passed, the more his eyes shined and the more he talked comfortably.

Even though they were both thinking it, about how maybe they didn't exactly belong in a place like this, it was lovely and she realized it wouldn't have been the same with anyone else. With anyone else, it would have been another obligation.

"Can I get you two anything else?" The swanky middle-aged waiter asked them as they were finishing up.

"No, thank you." Bucky told him, and frowned when he noticed him hesitating. Bellamy wondered if perhaps he hadn't understood what Bucky had said, but then she followed his gaze to the table where Bucky's metal hand was resting beside his drink. Immediately, he removed it from sight and placed it on his leg.

"That'll be all." Bellamy prompted firmly, smiling with cold politeness up at the waiter. "Thank you." He blinked, drawing his gaze away before he halfway nodded and hurried away. The disruption transferred to tension between the two, as Bucky stared down at the table, the life seemingly sucked out of him.

"Bucky?" She asked hesitantly, her voice feeble. He said nothing.

Subtly, lightly, she reached over underneath the table and found his hand. It twitched underneath her touch, but he didn't pull his hand away, and gingerly, she laced her fingers through his. "You shouldn't be ashamed of this." She insisted. He finally glanced up at her, though not entirely.

"It all feels a little dumb, now." He admitted, his voice low. "Talking about my past, when I was normal. I'm never going to get that back. I'm the farthest thing from normal."

"You're absolutely right, you know." She replied calmly and he looked up, something like sorrowful acceptance in his eyes. She gripped his hand tighter. "You're pretty incredible." The sorrow faded to surprise and she smiled assuredly in hopes that he would smile back. He did.

"You know, I'm supposed to be the one complimenting you."

"Well, my mom always said compliments are free and an honest one you really mean can make all the difference…I think it would be shameful on my part to let you think you're nothing short of a wonderful person." He could only duck his head again, but at least this time, his eyes were shining again.

The check came, and it was like looking at the menu prices all over again, but a test result version, and she took it warily while pulling open her purse. Bucky's hand on hers now made her pause.

"And what do you think you're doing?" He asked coolly. She blinked at him and watched him proceed to pull out cash from his pocket. "Didn't I tell you you didn't have a single thing to worry about tonight?" She had no idea what to say, and he seemed to realize that as he developed a half-smile. "I know you said you always pay for yourself but…allow me for once." She couldn't ignore the questions anymore.

"How?" She merely asked. Bucky smiled as he counted out the right amount.

"I didn't rob a bank or anything. I worked out a few things with John. Fixed some loose floorboards, broken pipes. He was pretty generous. He helped out with this too," He said, as he wiggled his tie. She waited until he looked at her.

"It looks very good on you." It was almost like his breath got caught in his throat, and all of his actions paused now to look at her.

"I've been trying all night to work up enough courage to tell you…just how beautiful you look." Now she understood the feeling. "And I mean that." It was just like the day in the coffee shop when all the people faded away and left her alone with him, and the overwhelming bliss bubbling in her chest.

"And it makes all the difference."

"Thank you for dinner, for everything really, Bucky. Tonight was great," she told him as he hailed another cab. He smiled to himself as one stopped before them.

"And it's only just begun." She frowned as he leaned inside the taxi and gave a location, before he gestured for her to get in. "After you, miss."

"Where are we going?" She asked before she realized her mistake and they shared a smile. "You know, I'm usually not one for surprises…"

"I have a feeling you'll love this one." He glanced at her nervously. "I hope, anyways."

In the taxi for a second time, there was less nervous energy, but still tension between them.

"It's all changed since I met you too." He said suddenly beside her, drawing her attention. He chuckled at himself. "There's a lot of things I've wanted to tell you all night, actually."

"You don't have to right now. There's still night for a long while." Bellamy stared out the window. "You can tell me when you're ready, Bucky."

It was odd being the one who didn't quite know what to expect. Bellamy didn't realize how brave Bucky had been over the last few months to go with her so willingly to places he'd never been, and how much trust that had to entail. It had been a long time since she had felt such a ball of nerves in her stomach. Truthfully, she never really experienced any frivolous schoolgirl rushes of emotion growing up and yet, here they were, seemingly amplified from postponement.

But all of this was nothing compared to when the cab stopped right outside of the Circle in the Square Theatre.

At first she could only gaze out the window with stunned awe and an open mouth, her hands pressing against the window as she tried to get a closer look, not quite believing this was their destination. In question, she turned to Bucky, who was waiting expectantly and nervously with raised eyebrows. She looked back to the theatre and back to him.

"This?" Was all she could ask.

"You've always wanted to see a Broadway show…right?" The breath she'd been holding in her chest popped out in an astonished chuckle as it clicked, and she could feel her eyes watering. Bucky had opened the door and waited for her outside, so she tried to contain her emotion, but couldn't. She stood frozen in front of him.

"I can't…how did you…how…?" The expression on her face was one she couldn't guess; there were too many emotions she could feel inside her, and Bucky was watching her closely with wide concerned eyes.

"This was always the plan. Dinner was just a way to pay you back for everything you've done for me. You deserve to go to nice places. It still isn't enough, but you should do things you enjoy. It's how you find yourself."

"I don't know what to say." She said, shaking her head. Bucky smiled, a nervous shaky one.

"You'll do me the pleasure?" He proposed, pulling two tickets from his pocket. "We're seeing 'Lady Day at Emerson's Bar and Grill.' It's about Billie Holiday." She stared at the tickets, before she threw her arms around his neck in a brief hug. He obliged in the impromptu hug, placing his arms around her waist and chuckling.

"The pleasure is absolutely entirely mine." She grinned up at him and accepted one of the tickets.

Bellamy should have known this was all at the hands of Mr. and Mrs. McGrath; they were the only two she'd ever confided in about Broadway shows. They were well-off, affluent and frugal. Bucky fixed a few odds and ends and was payed handsomely. As for the tickets, Mr. McGrath had a wide network of friends more than willing to do a favor.

They both had reasons to enjoy the show. Bellamy would have enjoyed seeing just about anything, but as it turned out Billie Holiday was just about the best thing they could've watched. Bucky was familiar with her already, and Bellamy was hooked from the first song. The jazz siren's story was one of dark intrigue, but the songs, the songs were lovely, unforgettable, just as the night.

It ended too soon it seemed and they were the last ones out of the theatre. Walking out together side by side, she felt dazed. This emotion was heightened by the brisk air that awaited them.

"Well?" Bucky asked as they waited for a cab. She crossed her arms but grinned up at him.

"It was everything I ever hoped, gosh. I still don't know what to say. She had such a mystique, don't you agree? What a talent, and really that theatre was just intimate enough for the entire production." Bellamy was wondering why Bucky was frowning at her until he began to shrug out of his jacket.

"Here," he told her as he moved behind her with the coat raised and helped her into it. It was big and cozy, and it made her feel warmer than any of her own coats ever could. "Better?"

"Thank you, Bucky," she smiled. "For everything."

Once they were walking back to her apartment, it was really sinking in, the night she just had. And she remembered his words, about the importance of just enjoying herself. Bucky was looking straight ahead beside her, and she wondered what he was thinking. Her heart sped up as she reached out and looped her arm through his. Her sudden act caused a slight disruption in his pace, but they walked on together, and he smiled down at her. Now, she wondered what thoughts sprouted in his head accompanying that smile. She didn't let go until they got to her door.

"Would you like to come inside?" She joked, making him chuckle as he followed in behind her. Despite being inside, she kept his coat on. Bucky went to sit on the love-seat with a grunt, and began undoing the tie and rolling the sleeves of his shirt up to his elbows. Her eye caught the record player in the corner and she thoughtfully went to inspect her box of records.

It was almost too easy to find what she was hoping for. Soon enough, Billie Holiday filled the room and she threw him an excited grin over her shoulder. He smiled back.

"Lucky us, huh?" She asked as she made her way back towards him. Just as she was about to sit beside him, he stood to his feet and extended his hand towards her.

"May I?" He asked, his voice soft with a look of seriousness on his face. "I think you've been without a dance for long enough." It was hard to swallow.

"I, uh…don't know how." Bellamy tried not to panic as she timidly placed her left hand in his much bigger right. Their fingers intertwined and locked together.

"And you were a dancer?" Bucky teased with a raised eyebrow, and she laughed, but it faltered. His other hand slid to the small of her back, securing her and guiding her closer towards him. "Don't worry, you've got me for a partner. I can show you. There's nothing to it."

It was a rare upbeat Billie Holiday song, one from the show, "What a Little Moonlight Can Do." Bucky was fighting a grin as he stepped back and forward in time with the music, leading her with him. It was quick, but fluid, and picking up pace—there was no way she could ever do this on her own. It was just about the most effortless thing she'd seen him do.

"See, what'd I tell ya?" He said, making her look up from her feet to him. She pursed her lips, but it was hard not to smile.

"Well, maybe—ah!" He stepped farther away from her and let go of her back to twirl her one way, and then another. It was swing, she realized as he twirled her again, they were swing dancing. This time as she twirled and came back around his way, he pulled her with more force, and she gasped and threw her arm around his shoulder as he picked her up with one arm and swung her. Before she knew it she was on her own feet again, their hands clasped and his hand on the small of her back. She laughed in exhilaration.

"See?" He joined in on her laughter, she hadn't stopped yet.

"A little warning would have been nice!" She said, but she couldn't stop beaming and it was almost starting to hurt her cheeks. He seemed to notice as their dancing slowed to a pace she could keep up with.

"I've never seen you smile like this." He said, following his words with a small chuckle that almost sounded full of wonder. Her smile remained steady.

"Well, I've never been swept off my feet."

"If I knew that was all it took I would've done it a long time ago."

The song had changed now to a song that sound much more like Holiday's distinctive style. It was another one of the songs they'd heard at the show, "When a Woman Loves a Man," one of the ones that stuck out to her then and now even more so.

Maybe he's not much, just another man

Doing what he can

But what does she care

When a woman loves a man

They had drifted closer, his cheek sometimes brushing against hers with certain steps. Slow dancing was easier in terms of steps, but it was also harder on her heart, harder to ignore just how wild it was going in stark contrast to their smooth and easy steps.

Her chin found its way to his shoulder, and she could feel his breath near her ear.

"Bellamy," he whispered after a moment. "If you want to stop, we can." He was giving her a way out, he never seemed to trust his actions. She rolled her eyes, a small smile on her lips that he couldn't see.

"That's the last thing I'd like to do." She told him.

"Me too." He confessed. Beneath her hand, his back was supple. "Do you remember how you told me I deserved to be happy? I think about that a lot and that's why I wanted to do this tonight with you. You've spent all your time helping me, I just want to try and…"

"Repay me? Bucky, you know there's nothing to repay. I would have been just as happy at a burger joint. There's not some tally of debt I'm keeping track of. Really, helping you has helped me."

"It isn't just…trying to repay you. It's just, it's kinda the same; making you happy makes me happy." Even if she had words to express just how much her heart was fluttering, there was no way she could speak. "But you did have a nice night? You weren't just…pretending?" It took her a moment.

"Not once. I had the best night."

"Me too. Really, the only thing I can think of that could even rival it was Coney Island, back when Steve and I went." It was another memory remembered, one he could add to a hopefully growing list in his notebook.

"That sound like a lot of fun." She told him idly, already growing used to the way his embrace felt, yawning lightly, though as she thought more and more, she realized there was a question she was dying to have answered. "Bucky…I don't really know how to ask this but…was tonight a…date?" He pulled back, and she did the same, suddenly wide awake and dreadfully nervous.

"I thought the flowers were obvious." She let out a relieved breath and rested her chin on his shoulder again, now able to smile more in the comfort away from his stare.

"I think I didn't want to get my hopes up. But when I put this on...I realized I was treating it like it was one. I just had to know for sure." His hand wrapped around her hip was suddenly the only thing she could notice.

"When you opened the door earlier tonight…" Bucky's murmur was by her ear, husky and low. "I thought I was back in my time. You look just like a girl I could've known."

"Well we're supposed to live in the now, right?"

"Right."

"And I am a girl you know now, right?" He didn't answer. Instead, he twirled her again, careful and slow this time, before he brought her closer and dipped her towards the ground, his hand supporting her back and holding her there. For the first time she really noticed how blue his eyes were, how well they complimented his face.

"Right." He whispered, and she could feel his breath on her face.

"Now you're just showing off." She murmured. He cracked a smile and brought her upright once more.

"I was told I was quite the dancer."

"It shows," she told him glowingly. It was nice to see him almost proud at something that came naturally to him. Without thinking, she leaned forward and kissed his cheek. "Did anyone ever tell you you were also pretty incredible?" He swallowed searching her eyes.

"Once. At a fancy restaurant. I was terrified the entire night and she apparently wasn't even sure it was a date the entire time." They chuckled together, but he quickly grew serious again. "She was the most gorgeous girl every place we went to, and I'd love to take her out again sometime." Now, her heart just about stopped all together.

"R-Really?" She stuttered.

"Really."

"…I would love to." She smiled at him, feeling as if her heartbeat had finally pounded for far too long and could finally start to rest, before it drained her completely. "I'll have to check my schedule, but…" Bucky snorted, his eyes shutting in relief. When they opened, he rolled them.

"Has anyone ever mentioned you have the worst sense of humor?"

"I usually avoid making any attempts at it. Usually." They continued to dance together in a slow moving orbit and she was slipping back into that tranquil state of a special kind of tired. It felt like she'd really accomplished something, her day had been meaningful, and sleep promised to be fulfilling.

They'd ended up on the couch halfway through the record, her still in her dress and his coat. He'd excused himself to the restroom and somehow in that short amount of time she had fallen asleep right there on the sofa. She didn't even realize it when she woke up disorientated sometime after midnight to silence, curled up with a blanket draped over her, her heels on the ground. Bucky was still there, looked cramped, but asleep, sitting upright at her feet. And then it hit her.

He was asleep.

She didn't dare move and instead let her eyes shut after she watched his chest rise and fall a few times, drifting back to sleep herself at the sound of his steady breathing.

A/N: This was a slightly longer chapter, so as always, thank you for reading and please feel free to let me know any thoughts or opinions!