The first week at college was amazing! I even went to a campus event called Survivor Night, where I went through a zombie-infested trail! How cool is that?

Anyway, here's another chapter. I think you all are going to love it!

Chapter Thirty-Nine

"Hold still." My aunt scolded as she pulled at my unruly hair. I tried to hold back a yelp as she continued to tug at the knot.

So far, the whole day had consisted of her dragging me to a beauty parlor and turning any part of me that was a tomboy into a girl. In short, I was undergoing complete metamorphosis. There wasn't an area on my body that hadn't been plucked, waxed or groomed. Well, except for my hair. Aunt Nat had insisted on doing the hair herself, saying she was a "marvel" at these things. I believed her. There was never a moment when her hair didn't look perfect.

"Ouch!" I screeched as she yanked out another knot. My hand were latched onto the chair in the bathroom, trying not to jerk upwards when she continuously subjected me to momentary pain.

"Quit being fussy." She replied wearily. "You're acting like your three-year-old cousin, for pity's sake."

"I can see why Natalia's so fussy after you do her hair. It's like you're going to pull my scalp off!"

"But it gets the knots out, doesn't it?"

Somehow, the thought of having the skin on my head ripped off for the sake of looking good didn't humor me in the slightest.

"So I was thinking about wearing my capris and my black shirt."

I was immediately reprimanded.

"Absolutely not. No niece of mine is wearing black on her first date."

Honestly, anything I said or did that revolved around this whole dating thing was wrong. She had nearly died when I mentioned what shoes I wanted to wear. Had a really been this much of a boy my whole life?

"Then what would you recommend?"

I might as well use Mrs. I-Know-Everything-About-Dating to my advantage and get as much advice as possible. But if Steve had liked me through my tomboy-ness, he surely wouldn't be too surprised if I was less than girly-girly, right?

"I was thinking that pink shirt that you have hanging in your closet. You know, the one you never wear."

And there was a good reason for that, thank you very much. There was a perfect explanation that I hadn't worn it for the last four years since she had gotten it for me: I hated pink. It was possibly the ugliest color on the planet, and I would not be caught dead in it. By the way Aunt Nat was looking at me, however, I knew I'd better do it.

Ten minutes later, I emerged from my room wearing white shorts, my pink top (I still thought it was hideous even after four years shoved in the back of my closet), and some white sandals. My hair was primed to perfection and the makeup flawlessly applied; I was anything but myself. I hoped Steve was faring better.

Steve

I had had every intention of simply picking Hannah up from her floor and taking off on my Harley. Instead, I was stuck on Nat and Clint's floor, sitting on the same couch as Clint-which was feeling quite suffocating. He was diligently polishing his arrows, giving each one a deadly sparkle. I noticed a particular twinkle in his eye as he set each one back in its slot in his special quiver.

"What are you traveling in tonight?" It was about the millionth question he had asked me since I'd been here. He never looked me in the eye as he did it, only picking up another arrow and making in gleam in the lamplight. The questions had run from my intentions with her to what I liked most about her. It was a full scale interrogation, disguised as concerned conversation. What did he think I was going to say? That I was going to take advantage of her? I was Captain America, for crying out loud!

I bit back any sarcastic remark that threatened to roll off my tongue and answered flatly, "My Harley."

It was like he'd never seen her on my bike before, his face revealing utter dismay.

Oh good grief. Now you want to throw a fit?

"No Harleys. They're too dangerous."

It's not like you had a problem-well, not too much-when I drove her to school on it.

The urge to jump off this floor and into the street below was looking more and more tempting every second. However, I refrained.

I shrugged.

"Alright, I'll take one of Stark's."

"Oh, no you don't." He immediately disagreed. "You're not taking my niece in those death traps Stark calls a vehicle."

"My cars are not death traps, thank you very much."

My night just got worse. An entourage of Avengers, plus Pepper and the Barton twins (it was Tony and Pepper's turn to babysit them), shuffled in from the elevator behind Stark.

I clasped my hand over my face in exasperation. I wanted to cry out to God, "Why, God? Why tonight? Why me? Could tonight possibly get any worse?" My last question was immediately answered.

"Picture time!" Tony yelled and I looked up, only to be barraged with flashing lights.

"Tony!" Pepper scolded, snatching the camera and tucking it away for safekeeping.

"How you holding up, Cap?" I was glad at least Bruce cared about how I was feeling.

"Oh, I'm great." I tried to keep the sarcasm as low as possible, lest Clint get the idea that I was in any way frustrated with his fatherly antics.

Little Barney ran up to me and leaned his little body against my leg. "Auntie Hannie's getting all pretty." The toddler grinned ear to ear. I could only imagine what Nat had done to her the past few hours. The last text she sent me was that she had gone through the ultimate torture: the beauty salon.

"We just saw her." Pepper explained.

"Not me." Tony grumbled, folding his arms.

"Girls don't like to be seen when they're in the middle of getting ready." Tony rolled his eyes at his girlfriend's comment.

"She looks beautiful." Pepper told me. "You won't be disappointed."

"I never was." She gave me a thoughtful smile. She was my only comfort right now in the midst of the group that surrounded me.

"Where are you two going tonight?" Thor asked curiously. Of course, I had to tell Clint and Nat where we'd being going, but the rest of the group had been left in the dark. I almost felt bad that I had shoved them out of this dating business. They were my team, my family. I'd have to take a mental note to have them more involved, especially since the last few weeks I had become the grouchy hermit that one would expect from a ninety year-old man.

"Just dinner and a movie." I replied casually.

"Perfect. You can wrap your arm around her, she can lean her head over and..."

"Shut it!" Pepper clenched his arm tightly and Tony shrank back. If anyone even mentioned the word 'kiss,' Clint was going to have a meltdown. And Tony knew it.

"Anyways, we'll lend you the perfectly safe-for Clint's sake-blue Audi SQ5 in the garage."

Pepper handed me the keys. She probably knew that Hannah and I on a date on my Harley was not going to fly with an already hard-pressed, worrisome uncle. And for that I was overwhelmingly grateful.

"Thanks." She gave me a subtle wink.

It wasn't too long after that that the elevator doors opened to reveal Nat and another lady. It took a brief second for me to realize who that second person was. Hannah.

My jaw would have dropped if it hadn't been clenched so tightly for the last half-hour. She was beautiful. Stunning. She wasn't the girl tomboy she had been the last four years. She was...a woman.

"You look beautiful." Pepper lightly touched her hair, in awe at the job Nat had done. Not a hair was out of place, not a brush of makeup out of line.

Hannah blushed under all the makeup and murmured a small 'thank you.' She had to be nervous with all of us in the room, staring at her like she was some caged animal in a zoo. She awkwardly shifted in her sandals, the silence stifling.

"Lady Hannah, you look, as the Midgardians say, gorgeous!" Thor bolstered out, a big grin on his face.

"Thank you, Thor." She held back a laugh at the Asgardian's boisterousness.

"Well, I think we'd better go." I quickly made it to her side, swooping my arm around her and was so close to pressing the button to leave.

"Not so fast." Nat grabbed my arm and swung us back to face the group. "I want pictures."

"Aunt Nat..." Hannah groaned.

"You only get to go on your first date once."

I swear we both nearly died of embarrassment. She really had to bring that up? Of all things?

"This is your first date?" Bruce's expression matched that of the others: complete shock.

"Maybe." I grumbled. I don't think I had ever officially been on a date with Peggy. And it didn't help to be seventy years rusty in the dating world.

After a blinding array of camera flashes, we practically dived for the elevator.

"Thank God that's over." Hannah said, trying hard not to rub her eyes from the camera flashes and ruin her makeup.

"I second that." She gingerly pressed against me as the elevator jerked downwards, using me as a lean-to. She linked her arm around mine, head resting on my shoulder.

"You're beautiful." Her blue eyes shifted to look up at mine, the two orbs unchanged by the makeover. I loved her eyes. They were so innocent and full of life. And then she smiled at me. I was hooked. We could have skipped the entire dinner and movie and I would have enjoyed every minute with her. If I could just see her smile.

"Are we taking the Harley tonight?"

I dangled the set of keys in front of her.

"Stark gave us a ride for the night."

Hannah

After four years, you'd think that Steve and I would have run out of things to talk about. I knew his favorite food, his favorite genre of music-but I don't think I'd ever come to know the side of Steve I found in him that night. There was a fondness in him that I'd not noticed before, a gentle fondness that was reciprocated in my attraction towards him. Even the slightest touch or the softest murmuring was special.

It had started to rain before we walked into the little cafe-nothing fancy, but nice for a first date-and he'd quickly thrown off his jacket and hovered it over me as he opened the door.

"I don't want to ruin the job your aunt did." He explained as I walked past him into the safety of the black and white tiled cafe.

All the little things suddenly took a different meaning from the daily norm. Something as simple as opening the door was something more now. And his touch as he held my hand at the table, waiting for the waitress to saunter over, something overwhelmed my heart; warm and gentle, like the sun in the springtime.

As we settled into our seats after placing our order, we shifted into casual conversation. It was almost like the conversations we had when we were just friends...almost.

"I can't believe he did that to you." Steve had just told me about what my uncle had done to him before we left for our date. I was almost ready to strangle my uncle.

"It's alright. He's being your dad, remember?" I sighed. I was happy he was taking my uncle's fatherly role well, but it was an annoyance nonetheless.

"A big pain-in-the-butt dad." He chuckled.

"And a good one."

At that moment, our waitress pulled up, two hot, steaming plates in her hands.

Anyone else remember that pink shirt? Give you a hint; it's when Hannah first moved in with Clint and Natasha. Hope you all liked this new chapter!