Well... Well. That was...unexpected. Steve held himself perfectly still for a moment, just staring at Marie with slightly wide eyes. He probably looked like a deer in headlights at the moment, but he was too busy processing to really care. It was just a kiss on the cheek, and yet it was much more than he'd been expecting, especially now. Maybe he should raise his expectations for their get-together on the 4th. Their date? Was it going to be a date, now?

Don't get your hopes up too high, a cynical part of him warned. You still don't know if she knows you're really Captain America. And if she does, she might just be looking for a good story to sell the rags.

He was pretty sure that was ridiculous. She was too kind and understanding to do something like that. But even kind people could be curious, and if curiosity about getting together with Captain America was her driving motivation... He'd met girls like that during the war. (He'd gotten friendly fire because of one, too.)

Drawing in a deep breath and holding it for a second, Steve decided he was being an absolute idiot. Regardless of her motivations, he was taken with Marie, and at this point he should just let the chips fall where they may. He gave her another smile, warm and heartfelt, and told her gently, "Definitely not forgetting anything about today." He reached up and pressed his hand to her bicep, giving it a soft squeeze, hoping it conveyed that they were okay, and he meant what he said.

Then he turned and started to walk away. Because if he didn't go now, he wasn't sure he'd be able to.



[Seriously. I was starting to worry they were just gonna keep dancing around each other while everyone watched cleaned up around them.]