The Guide To Moving On

Chapter 39 - First Date

Nat's POV

*Knock Knock*

 "Come in!" I yelled from my bedroom. I heard footsteps throughout the apartment and Pepper appeared at my door. 

"I hear you and Steve are going on a date tonight!" She greeted, making her way over to my closet. 

"What are you wearing? If you don't say this black dress, I'm going to get mad." She said and I giggled, that was exactly the dress that I was planning on wearing. 

She chucked the dress at me and then started going through my shoe rack, pulling out a pair of shiny black stilettos, again throwing them at me. 

I grabbed the dress and slipped it on, and went over to my vanity to start doing my hair. Pepper came up behind me and grabbed a curler, getting to work immediately. 

"So, do you know where he is taking you?" Pepper asked and I shook my head, slightly, as to avoid jerking my hair out of her hands. 

"He said he is going to keep it a surprise." I answered and she nodded, placing several pins in my locks. 

"Well, I am sure that it is going to be great. It will be better than mine and Tony's first date anyway, his idea of a 'romantic' date is far different to mine." She admitted chuckling.

I smiled at the memory, I was undercover and Pepper came back one night covered head to toe in what looked like black oil and she was distraught. It took us 20 minutes to get it out of her hair and needless to say, her white dress that she had been wearing for the date never saw the light of day again. 

I'm fairly sure that Steve won't take me to front row seats at a Formula-1 race track thank goodness. But it still leaves me to wonder what he has in store, he is really a wildcard when it comes to things like this. 

"You know, I have a pair of earrings that would go amazingly with your outfit... let me go and grab them real quick." She said, rushing out of the room. 

By the time she had come back, I had applied a light coat of makeup and had put on my shoes. She handed them to me and I put them in, gasping at my reflection in the mirror. 

The green diamond earrings matched perfectly with my outfit and brought out the colour in my eyes. 

"You look stunning Natasha, Steve is going to have a heart attack!" Pepper swooned and I smiled softly, I did look amazing if I do say so myself. 

There was a knock at the door and Pepper stood, rushing out of the door and briefly greeting Steve at the doorway. I watched as he walked into the room and gasped as I walked out into the main area properly. 

"You look beautiful Nat." He breathed as he walked close to me and kissed me, his arms wrapping around my neck. I smiled into the kiss, enjoying the feeling of his warm lips on mine. 

"Let's get going, I want you to see what I have in store for you tonight." He said, wrapping a hand around the small of my back and guiding me out the door. I had butterflies in my chest and a smile on my face that refused to leave, but I knew one thing, this date was going to be amazing because it was with the best man in the world. 

Steve's POV

I have been planning this date for weeks now, considering all of my options. I decided that a sit down dinner or a walk in the park were too plain and boring, nothing like the girl that I was taking on this date. 

So, I decided for something much better, I just hope that Nat likes it as much as I hope she does. I had been driving for about 10 minutes now, repeatedly ignoring or dodging the constant questions that Nat was throwing at me, trying to get any information out of me. 

But I knew her better than that, I was not going to slip up so close to the actual surprise, not a chance. I finally pulled up the car a little way away from our destination, but not to far considering Nat was wearing heels. 

We got out of the car and I wrapped my hands around her, guiding her toward the place. She squealed and squawked as we made our way down the hill, not enjoying the fact that she couldn't see what was happening. 

Finally I stopped and took my hands off of Nat's eyes. She gasped at the sight and smiled, I guess that is a good sign?

"Steve, this is beautiful!" She cried and I smiled at her. I had planned us a picnic date next to the lake. It was a quite spot and I had set out blankets, food and candles for the evening. I had a little help from Tony and Pepper, well, mostly Pepper so that I could make this date as special as possible for Nat. 

"Shall we eat?" I asked her and she nodded eagerly, sitting down on the mat and picking up some plates, handing me one. We both ate and laughed, the date had gone without a hitch. But I had one more surprise up my sleeve, the one that I was most nervous about. 

I got up and turned on a speaker, walking back over to her cheekily. 

"Care to dance my lady?" I asked her in a mock chivalrous voice causing her to smirk. 

"Why of course soldier!" She replied and I helped her to her feet, guiding her over to a clear patch of grass. 

"I have to warn you though, I am not a very good dancer." I admitted sorrowfully, I hadn't danced with anyone since 1941, and never with a woman that I was actually in love with. 

"Don't worry, you'll pick it up quickly." She replied, wrapping her hands around mine and swaying along to the music. 

She was right, I feel like I picked it up pretty quickly, I hadn't even stepped on her toes in the last two songs. The next song to come on was a really slow song and so Nat placed her hands around my neck and leaned on my shoulder, my hands finding their way to her waist. 

"I hope you have enjoyed tonight, I know that you don't like fancy so I thought you would like something more special instead." I whispered into her ear as we swayed. 

"You know me too well Steve. And I think that it is perfect." She whispered back, burying her head further into my shoulder. I kissed her temple and smiled softly, super happy with the fact that I had nailed our first date, something that I thought wouldn't be possible when I am dating the most amazing, beautiful assassin and hero on earth.