Steve found himself blushing again at her sweet words, and wondering yet again if this was considered flirting. She'd already said she wasn't interested in a relationship though, so he was beginning to suspect that, like Bucky, sweet flattery and gentle teasing was how Marie spoke to opposite sex. If that was the case, he could handle that better than actual, purposeful flirting, which always left him feeling awkward and flat-footed. This was simple and easy banter, and he was going to treat it that way, until he was given a definitive indication that it was something different.
Then he found himself blushing for an entirely different reason as she started talking about sleeping around and use 'em and lose 'em and-- wow, did women really talk about things like that? He wasn't sure why he was still surprised by the things people did and said in this new age, and it wasn't like gals hadn't slept around back in his day, but he'd found that the biggest differences weren't in what people did, but how open they were about discussing it, now. Maybe that's why so many people seemed to be under the misconception that everyone was a prude in his day. Sex happened, and it was even spoken about, but back then it had been in bars and private rooms, never in casual polite conversation, and certainly not with the opposite sex.
And then she mentioned her husband, and Steve's embarrassment was forgotten. He thought of Peggy, and their one kiss, and what he'd lost to the ice, and couldn't even imagine how much harder it would have been to have years with her, marry her, and then losing her.
Thinking of Peggy, Steve nodded and murmured "Just gotta wait to find the right partner." He took a quick gulp of his punch, steeling himself for what he was about to say. She'd shared something personal, intimate, and it was only fair that he do the same. And he found he wanted to share with her, but that didn't make it any easier to actually say. "My girl, well...she... I was away for too long, and after a while, she moved on. I wanted her to, I'm glad she did, but I still miss her, what we could've had. I know Natasha means well, trying to set me up, but I'm-- I just don't think I'm ready to move on, yet. For everyone else, time's moved on, and for me it's--well, it feels like it was just yesterday, even though I know it wasn't."
She'd shared about her husband passing away, and in return he made it sound like he'd been dating a girl, got shipped overseas and his gal hadn't waited for him. Great. Steve grimaced, and took another sip of punch. He'd been doing so well for a while, too, and now he sounded like an idiot again.
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Then he found himself blushing for an entirely different reason as she started talking about sleeping around and use 'em and lose 'em and-- wow, did women really talk about things like that? He wasn't sure why he was still surprised by the things people did and said in this new age, and it wasn't like gals hadn't slept around back in his day, but he'd found that the biggest differences weren't in what people did, but how open they were about discussing it, now. Maybe that's why so many people seemed to be under the misconception that everyone was a prude in his day. Sex happened, and it was even spoken about, but back then it had been in bars and private rooms, never in casual polite conversation, and certainly not with the opposite sex.
And then she mentioned her husband, and Steve's embarrassment was forgotten. He thought of Peggy, and their one kiss, and what he'd lost to the ice, and couldn't even imagine how much harder it would have been to have years with her, marry her, and then losing her.
Thinking of Peggy, Steve nodded and murmured "Just gotta wait to find the right partner." He took a quick gulp of his punch, steeling himself for what he was about to say. She'd shared something personal, intimate, and it was only fair that he do the same. And he found he wanted to share with her, but that didn't make it any easier to actually say. "My girl, well...she... I was away for too long, and after a while, she moved on. I wanted her to, I'm glad she did, but I still miss her, what we could've had. I know Natasha means well, trying to set me up, but I'm-- I just don't think I'm ready to move on, yet. For everyone else, time's moved on, and for me it's--well, it feels like it was just yesterday, even though I know it wasn't."
She'd shared about her husband passing away, and in return he made it sound like he'd been dating a girl, got shipped overseas and his gal hadn't waited for him. Great. Steve grimaced, and took another sip of punch. He'd been doing so well for a while, too, and now he sounded like an idiot again.