Even If You Can't Hear My Voice, I'll Be Right Beside You

Once Bucky arrived back at Ari's apartment, he changed out of his clothes and into the sweat pants that he had slept in the night before. Coming into the living room he sat down on the couch and flicked through the channels on the TV, until he found something remotely interesting that he could watch until he felt tired enough to head to bed. He would steal glances over at Ari every few seconds, he didn't even realise it was something he was doing. He was enjoying watching her work on a design and although he wanted to take a look at what she was drawing, he didn't dare move from the couch in case she didn't want anyone to see until she was finished.

"What are you designing?" He felt that was the safest way to ask what she was drawing, even if he still wanted to sneak a peek at the piece of paper. But at the same time he didn't speak too loud as he didn't want to disturb her, if she was too focused on working then she didn't even need to answer him. He understood completely as when he was on a mission, he focused in on his target and people talking to him or noises around him didn't seem to bother him at all. In fact he usually zoned everything out, so nothing entered his ears for him to listen to. "I'd really like to see it when you're finished with it," He told her honestly as it was true, as far as he knew he couldn't draw or design a single thing. He thought he remembered trying a few times, but he couldn't be too sure about that right now.

"I think Steve Rogers drew, he always carried around a journal." Bucky spoke which reminded him to write down the memory he got back earlier in the evening, before they danced together. Reaching over he took the pen and the journal into his hands, he flipped to a new page and wrote down his memory with the date in the top right hand corner just so he knew when the memory came back to him.

---

Grace was curled up in bed with her book open before Steve started to speak, looking at him she nodded her head lightly. "That's fine, you don't always need to stay here with me." She assured him as he was still free to go live his life, he was just there with her because he had been so badly injured that it made sense for him to stay with someone until he was feeling much better. She wasn't going to keep him with her at all times, she didn't even know if she was going to be around tomorrow either. She wasn't sure where her job in SHIELD stood right now, no one had been in contact with her and Steve didn't seem to know either. If she didn't hear anything soon, then she would need to find another job. She wasn't looking forward to applying for hospital jobs again, but she still needed money to pay her rent and bills. So if things came to that, then she would take any job that was offered to her.

"That sounds great to me," She smiled at him as it would give her plenty of time to get ready, she didn't even know what dress she was going to wear for their date or how she was going to do her hair or makeup. Although she might not wear too much makeup, like she did tonight because Steve seemed like the type of guy who preferred their dates to be more on the natural side than being all made up. But that didn't mean she wouldn't put a lot off effort and time into making sure she looked beautiful for him, this was their first date after all and she wanted their night to be perfect.

She might even try to head over to her office as she'd need her belongings if she wasn't going to be working there anymore, she hadn't been in her office for a few days and she just knew her Chrysanthemums would be dead in their vase as she hadn't been there to take care of them. Rolling over onto her side, she moved closer to Steve and rested her head on his firm bicep as she continued to read her book.

As she worked, the tip of her tongue lightly stuck out in the corner of his lips, her brows knitted in deepest of concentrations. Finally, she rubber her eye and looked up at Bucky as he asked, before glancing down at the rough sketch. Already her hands were grey from the pencil and the rubbering mess was everywhere. She'd have to vacuum tomorrow. "Just a small engine, for stealth." All the small ones tended to have a rather obvious noise to them, but maybe - just maybe, if Ari tried this one thing… She looked down at the messy sketch. "Maybe tomorrow, it's a mess for now." she laughed unsurely, would she even finish it then?

She watched him write some more things in his journal and smiled softly. "I think he did. I think there was a small doodle of his on display at the museum. We'll go tomorrow, if you sleep now." She grinned, a motherly side coming out. "Go on, it's late. I'll sleep soon too." It was tempting to say I'll join you, but that felt rather relationship-like, and she didn't want to burden that on to him. Instead she offered him a smile, and turned back to her sketch. She didn't want him staying up just because she was up - but also she liked to work in peace. When designs came, it didn't matter who was around, she'd ignore everything and everyone until it was done. And hot chocolate was always a good creativity booster.

Picking up the pencil, she brushed off some stray rubber rubbish and continued to draw, knowing full well that she'd draw like so well into the night and - as usual - fall asleep either on the couch or right over the drowning. It didn't bother her, it always happened, and she'd awake with little recollection and look at the sketch that had miraculously drawn itself. Sometimes it was good, sometimes it was rubbish. Now wouldn't be any different.

---

Steve looked at her and smiled softly, "Okay." He gave her cheek a small kiss and as she rested her head on his bicep, he continued to read his book, smiling all the more at her gesture. He vaguely remembered some flowers in her office now, and made a quick mental note in his mind to sneak into her office or something to check them out. Had to be when she wouldn't be there, of course, but knowing her break times was like knowing the back of his hand - he already knew them - this would be no problem. Besides there was always Natasha. As for that restaurant, he knew a few places, and those would be no problem to find and book. That was surely the easiest part.

Half an hour into his book, he began to feel little more drowsy. Setting the book aside, he whispered a goodnight to Grace and lay down, closing his eyes, content with her warmth. The light was low enough for him to drift off, and it didn't bother him not one bit. Besides, he had slept in worse conditions - too bright, too loud. Now it was just perfect, save the softness of the bed. Whatever happened next, he did not know, and he fell well far into sleep.

In the next morning, he awoke with a quick start. What day? What time? He found he was looking right at the ceiling, and gathered his bearings. He had to get up and grab some breakfast and go to the office to-
Steve frowned. No, not now. He was on injured leave (Steve thought that was funny), and he had a pleasant day today with a lovely date towards the end of it. With a smile, Steve got up and stretched, having a small yawn and looking out the window. What a lovely bright day. He looked around the room.

Bucky lightly nodded his head as Ari spoke to him, now he was interested in this small engine that she was hovering over as she drew and corrected a few times. He was glad that they could head over to the museum tomorrow, he wanted to find out as much as he possibly could about who he used to be and the things that he once did. "I will head off to bed, I'll see you in the morning." He stood up from the couch and quickly glanced into the cage where both hamsters were fast asleep themselves, walking into her room he climbed under the covers of her bed and rested his head on the pillow. Closing his eyes it wasn't long before sleep overtook his body, falling into a deep sleep he had a few dreams during the night but none that he would remember when he woke up.

It was just after two in the morning when he woke up, he was still the only one in the bed. Getting up he firstly had to use the toilet before he checked on where Ari could be, her body was against the table. The piece of paper still in front of her and the pencil had dropped from her fingers, she was fast asleep with half her body on the table and the other half sitting on the chair. The position didn't look comfortable at all, so he quietly moved over to her and gently lifted her body into his arms bridal style. He didn't want to wake her up but he also didn't want her sleeping out there, a mumble of some words left her mouth but her eyes remained shut as her head rested on his shoulder. Bucky found it to be the most adorable thing he has even seen.

Carrying her into the bedroom, he carefully tucked her under the sheets before laying down beside her. He noticed as she rolled onto her side, some locks of her raven hair fell over her face. Reaching out he lightly moved the hair back off her beautiful face, she was still sleeping soundly and she looked incredibly innocent. If you didn't know her then you would be shocked to know the sort of people she had once worked for, people that Bucky hoped would never find her again. He didn't want her working for such evil people again, she deserved so much better than that and her talent needed to be seen and used for good.

---

Grace continued to read her book for a few minutes longer until she yawned, sticking her book mark between the two pages she shut her book and left it on her bedside table. Laying down she closed her eyes and waited for sleep, it wasn't long before she was sleeping. However sometime during the night she had rolled over, moving herself closer to Steve as his body was toasty warm. She didn't even know that she had draped her arm over his waist and had buried her face into his back as he was facing away from her, once she was comfortable snuggling up to Steve she fell into a deeper sleep and even had a dream about what her future could be like with him once everything calmed down further and there weren't any threats that he had to deal with as Captain America.

However it didn't seem all that long before she felt movement beside her, the warmth was taken away and there was an annoying light shining on her face. She mumbled something that was incoherent as she snuggled into the warm place that the body used to be, she was still half asleep but somewhere in her mind she knew it was morning and that Steve had woken up. "You don't have to wake up so early," She murmured to him as this is what he was probably used to, she was even used to getting up early for work but today neither of them had to worry about that. They didn't have to get into the office, they didn't have to work or worry about a thing.

Slowly Grace opened her eyes so she could look over to where Steve was standing, the sun light hit his handsome face and made his hair look even more golden. How could someone be so good looking? Sometimes it hurt because he was so attractive, he could easily have any girl he wanted. He could find a nice Greek goddess or a Brazilian babe, instead he was stuck with going on a date with her tonight.

Ari had no recollection of her nightly shenanigans, only that she had fallen asleep over the drawing. So when she woke up for a change in bed but her hands still covered in grey from the pencil lead, she gently rubbed her eyes and stared at the ceiling. My, oh my. What time was it? A glance at the clock told her it was still too early but sleep had fallen off. How did she get into bed? Only if... She looked to the side where Bucky lay in his sleep, and smiled softly piecing the two and two together. What a sweetheart. She resisted the urge to give him a kiss, forcing herself up before that happened.

Sitting on the side of the bed, she stretched. While he was still sleeping, she could do some exercises. She tip toed out of the room and changed into some yoga outfit, fed her hamsters and set about turning on the TV and her handy trusty yoga activities, keeping the volume low as to not wake Barnes up.

And so she spent the first half hour of her day stretching and doing awkward poses. She was in the middle of a backward bridge when she heard steps and glanced to see the bedroom door open. She didn't bother trying to get up. There was no saving grace here.

---

Steve looked over his shoulder with a smile when he heard Grace mumble. "Habit," he chuckled. In reality the more correct truth would be 'Sun's up, Steves up'. There was no other way.

He pulled up his shirt a little and in the bright sunlight seeping through the curtains, he examined his healing wound. Already it was getting much better and logically and practically right now he could already go home and go about his life as normal, he was no longer injured to the extent that he needed a helper. Serum healed fast. Usually he was very happy about that. But now that meant he couldn't stay around in Grace's apartment as long. On a good excuse that is. It made him sad.

Steve lowered his singlet and the chiseled abs were hidden from sight. "Stay in bed," he said to Grace, "I'll make breakfast this time." He wanted to thank her in a way and share her chores. Besides, he could cook a pretty great omelette if he could say so himself and he wanted Grace's opinion. Someone other than any of the Avengers who usually just scoffed the food down without care. Unless if was Tony. Tony was just picky!

With that in mind, and hoping to please Grace, Steve padded off to the kitchen.

Bucky woke with a startle in the morning, a loud bang sounded from outside somewhere. An old model car backfired in the street below the apartment although Bucky didn’t know what made the noise, all he knew was his heart raced as his body leaped from the bed as he scanned the area surrounding him. Panic formed when he was the only one who had been sleeping in the bed, when he remembered he had carried Ari to bed last night. So his feet carried him across the room until he was opening the door, he stopped in his tracks when he found her.

Ari wasn’t tied up nor did she have a gun pointed to her head, in fact it was nothing even remotely like that. She was in the lounge room, doing a strange looking pose for a reason that he didn’t know nor did he understand. “Are you alright? There was a loud noise outside and you weren’t in the bed where I tucked you in,” He continued to look at her, a frown knotted his brows together as confusion washed over his face as he watched her.

“What are you doing that for?” He asked as he took a few steps closer to her, to make sure she wasn’t going to hurt herself or get herself stuck in that position. Was this a new hobby that people enjoyed doing these days? He couldn’t imagine it would be very fun to do and he certainly wasn’t going to be trying anything like that, slowly his body relaxed as he knew Ari wasn’t hurt or in any danger. He could feel his heart easing back into the normal rate as the panic vanished from his body, but because he had rushed out of bed so quickly he didn’t have any time to make sure he looked alright before seeing Ari.

---

Grace smiled as she watched Steve lift his singlet to check on his healing wounds, from the bed she could see how well his wounds had healed already. Bandages wouldn’t be needed now, although she wasn’t ready to admit that to herself just yet. If his wounds didn’t need bandages then it meant he was right to go back to his own apartment, he wouldn’t need to have someone there to take care of him and Grace still wanted him to be around. She had always prided herself on being an independent woman, but she felt extremely safe when Steve was around especially during the night when he was there. She knew this time wouldn’t be far off, but she hadn’t been expecting the serum to heal him this quickly.

Closing her eyes again she just wanted to lay there in bed and enjoy it while it lasted, “Please don’t burn down my apartment.” She teased once he said he would cook them breakfast, she listened to his exit her room while her body stayed exactly where it was. She could have gotten used to this, the last man who ever cooked anything for her had been Luka. She also enjoyed having him stay at her apartment with her as she felt the same security, but he ended up leaving as well and now she didn’t know where he was. She did have a fair idea of where he could be, she still had the phone number for his parents.

Eventually Grace pulled herself out of her bed, her fingers brushing through her hair and she pulled the strands up into a messy ponytail. Her bare feet padded out of her room, she sat at the dining table and watched Steve stand over the stove. “You’ll be able to go back home soon, you don’t need my help anymore.” Her voice was quiet, she didn’t want to tell him anything but as a doctor she had to. It just wouldn’t feel the same without him around all the time.

Ari blinked at the upside down vision of Bucky, also confused in her own way. What had happened? She opened her mouth a little, then realised the situation and laughed softly, not at him but at the whole silly ordeal. "A car," She explained, lowering herself to the floor and lying down, rolling over to her side. "That loud noise was an old car backfiring. I'm alright." She shook her head softly, still beaming, added, "Bucky, you're so cute. And your pant leg is pulled up." She gestured to the pant leg that was halfway up his shin.

Grabbing the remote, she paused the video and sat up, fixing her singlet. "Yoga, I'm dong yoga. It stretches and relaxes the muscles and mind." Giving a small wave at the screen as if that would explain it. "Part of my morning exercises. You can join me? Or there's a punching bag I can bring out. Or a park with some workout equipment if you want to visit that, or a gym." The gym they'd have to pay for of course, and it was usually filled with people (mostly young mothers trying to work off those post-pregnancy bodies at this time of the day). Easier to just not have a kid, in Ari's logic.

"Thank you for taking me to bed," She said after a moment, offering him a grateful smile. "I fell asleep at the table again, yeah? It's common." No wonder her back hurt from being in that hunched position while she slept. Nights after those she felt the need to do yoga the most.

---

"I won't, I promise!" Steve called as he left, grinning from ear to ear. If that were to happen, she'd just have to move in with him! Though it'd be a big hassle, since all her furniture would be damaged and that was no good! She worked hard for all this, and he found pride in that. Working hard was always admirable.

He drowned in his thoughts while he cooked, but the cooking was done without much thought to it - all by hand and instinct. When the smell and sight was right, he'd proceed to the next step. And so he cooked the omelette, piled it onto plates, and presented Grace's portion to her with a little green parsley branch on top more so for decoration. He never actually liked it by itself, it was a weird taste.

"Yeah… I know," he agreed, sitting down beside her and looking at the omelette. His voice was quiet and his reluctance to leave was clearly visible. "It's quiet at home. Feels lively here." He tried, testing waters. Did she like him here? So far the answer to that was yes, though he certainly did not want to overstay his welcome. "Tony texted me this morning - the Avengers group is being passed on to someone else - the UN possibly, we're having a meeting about it later in the week…" he wasn't sure about it. In fact, he was very uneasy, but the meeting was far away and he didn't need to think about it - just get it off his chest. So instead he smiled and looked over at Grace, "How's the omelette? Be honest, I want to improve."

This was yet another thing that confused the heck out of him, surely a car shouldn’t be making such a noise like that one had. But he decided it was best to let it go and move on, glancing down he finally noticed that one side of his pant leg had risen while he had been sleeping. He quickly pushed the fabric back down to his ankle, at least Ari found his state to be somewhat cute which stopped him from feeling embarrassed. Although he wasn’t entirely sure if he had even been embarrassed, he couldn’t remember a time where he has felt that emotion clearly in his mind.

“I think I’d rather leave it for you to do,” He mentioned as he wanted to try new things, but what Ari was doing, yoga, wasn’t really something he did want to try. “I can get the punching bag,” He told her and listened to her as she told him where to find the punching bag, he walked off to the spare room and looked around before he stepped over to the closet. Pulling the doors open he found the punching bag back in the corner, he carefully took it out as he didn’t want to cause a mess and have everything else in the closet fall out onto the floor.

It was a punching bag with its own stand which was very handy, he wouldn’t need to find somewhere to hang it up. Carrying it out into the living room, he placed it far away from anything else as he didn’t want to hit Ari’s belongings or break something. “You didn’t look that comfortable, I thought you’d sleep better in the bed.” Bucky shrugged his shoulders lightly as it had seemed to be the best thing to do at the time, he wasn’t just going to leave her sleeping bent over a table. He stood a bit away from the bag and moved into position, his fists started to connect with the firm bag while the TV begun to play again as Ari went back to her torturous poses.

---

Grace couldn’t help but smile when Steve handed over a plate to her, he had even garnished her omelette with a piece of parsley. “I’m going to miss having you here all the time,” It would take her some time to get used to being alone in her apartment again, she was tempted to just ask Steve to stay there with her but she didn’t feel right asking him that. He had his own apartment that he was renting, she didn’t want him wasting his money if he wasn’t going to be living in his own place. And they weren’t even officially dating yet, it would come across as strange or clingy if she asked him to stay.

She took a bite of the omelette as she listened to him, this meeting didn’t sound to be a very positive one but she didn’t want to say anything. It wasn’t her place, she wasn’t a part of the Avengers so her opinion would be pointless. “I’m sure the meeting will be fine,” She stayed positive for his sake, it was clear that he was a little nervous about the meeting but it wasn’t until the end of the week. “It’s really good, a bit too much pepper and you can put in more fillings. But it’s really good,” She told him with a smile on her face, this was something Luka never did for her. He never cooked for her, if he wanted to give her a meal then he either ordered take away or they went out to eat.

It was so nice having someone actually cook her breakfast for once, but she stopped herself from thinking she could get used to it. “I still want to take a look at your wounds before you leave today,” She told him as she just wanted to be certain that his body was healing and that he could take care of himself, she also just wanted to see him shirtless one last time.

Ari explained where the punching bag was and returned to her yoga. Some minutes in, she stopped it and started doing a small workout, some push ups and some sit ups. She got to 30 before lying down with a grunt. Now to get up… She stared at the ceiling and closed her eyes. Her hamsters fussed in their cage, eager for a second breakfast.

She looked over at Bucky, watching him punch the bag and letting herself admire the strength in those arms for a moment. In particular she liked watching the metal arm and how it worked so smoothly and fluidly, soundlessly. A perfect machine. She briefly wondered if it was heat resistant, and where his senses ended. Surely he'd feel pressure, but to what extent?

Ari waited for Bucky to finish his workout, and sat up, looking to him. "Can you do me a tiny favour please?" She asked, shyly, batting her eyelashes but unaware of it. This request would seem strange to him, perhaps, but she missed doing it with Luka and her back needed it most now. She stood. "You just gotta, let me get onto your back backwards, and then you bend over and I stretch my back." Ari covered her cheeks to hide her blush, and looked away, meekly adding, "That's so weird of me to ask. You don't have to…"

---

Steve felt a little warm feeling fill him. She would miss him. That was… sweet. He looked over at her, looking both surprised and grateful that she said such a nice thing. He didn't know what to say, and for a moment he just looked at his plate then with a smile, finally came up with a reply to not ruin the mood, hopefully. "No you won't, I'll be back soon. You have a whole Disney collection from the past 70 years that I haven't seen." He grinned, taking a bite of the omelette.

Listening to her suggestion, he made a mental note of that also. Less pepper and needs more fillings. He would certainly try and experiment with that at home and then present to her the omelette one more time - or many more times. He nodded, and once they were all cleaned up, he let her examine his wounds for the green light to go. It was, but he did enjoy her hands on his skin again.

Packing his bag and he was gone, out of her apartment picked up by Sam to be driven home. There he dumped his stuff and with Clint went to buy a suit. That took a good few hours. He managed to - just in time - sneak into Grace's office while she was out and peek at the flowers in her vase. Still in a rush, he went to buy those flowers and some pretty roses and other types to go with them and arranged them into a lovely bouquet. By 5pm he was showered and smelling wonderful and dressed, and at 5:29 standing outside her door.

He looked at the watch on his wrist and waited for the minute to tick over, clutching the flowers but gently as to not squish them. And at 5:30pm on the dot he knocked, trying to suppress his excitement for he felt like a young fool on a date with a girl. He even borrowed a lovely stylish car, of course not too expensive since he liked being humble, but still it was a pretty nice one.

(Sorry this is so short, I'm writing it on my phone and I never know how long replies are!)

Bucky continued punching the bag in front of him as it was something familiar to him, something that took his mind off of anything that was bothering him. He had lost track of time, but eventually he came back to his senses and noticed that Ari had finished her work out, hoping she hadn't been waiting too long for him to actually finish. Using the back of his hand, he wiped away the sweat beads that had formed on his brow as he turned to face her. He was about to say that he better go take a shower, he didn't want to be a smelly mess around her but she beat him to it.

"It's not weird at all," He assured her as he stepped over to where she was, kneeling down he had her show him exactly what position he needed to be in. Bending over he rested on his forearms but tucked his head between his shoulders, he stayed in that very position as he felt Ari's body lay over his back. It was a strange feeling for him as this was very new to him, but if it helped her then he wouldn't say a word.

He grinned when he heard a pleasure filled sigh leave Ari's lips, apparently this felt nice for her. "Is this helping?" He asked quietly as he didn't want to disturb her.

---

Grace did her final check of Steve's wounds, her hands lingering on his bare skin. Afterwards he packed up his bag and like that he was gone, it hadn't been long since he had left when her phone rang. It was SHIELD telling her that she still had her job and would restart in the next few days, once she hung up she decided to pamper herself before her date with Steve. So she applied a hair mask and a face mask, while they worked their magic she picked out what she was going to wear that night.

She had a black dress that she had been dying to wear, it wasn't skin tight but it still hugged all her curves perfectly. The hem hit just above her knees and had small capped sleeves, it was a v-neck which showed off a small amount of cleavage. She'd pair the dress with nude heels and a clutch bag, she made herself lunch and then soaked in a hot bath until it was time to get ready. She curled her hair and only applied a small amount of makeup, smiling she heard the knock at her door.

"Wow... You look very handsome," And he did, he looked amazing in the suit he was wearing, leaning forward she kissed his lips softly before he ordered her the bunch of flowers. "My favourite, how did you find out?" Smiling as grabbed a vase and poured water inside, before setting the flowers on. "I love them, their beautiful" She thanked him.

[It's no problem!! I apologise for my crap explanation of the exercise in my previous post; I noticed I said 'get onto his back' where it really should have been just standing back to back ]

Ari watched him come closer, reached her arms and interlaced them with his before they proceeded with the activity. She felt her spine stretch out and felt some pops in the joints of her spine. She gave a soft groan and sigh of pleasure, closing her eyes and tilting her hips from side to side a little to get the maximum of the stretch. "Mm," she replied, "It is." She opened her eyes and made a little squirm for him to set her down, untangled herself and stepped to the side, flashing him a grateful smile.

"Thank you," she said, and thought about how weird it probably was for him. People back then didn't do that sort of thing either right? It was probably considered inappropriate for a non-couple duo to do. She faltered in her smile briefly and turned away, busying herself with setting the lounge right and neat again. "You can shower now, I'll make something to eat." She fluffed up the pillows and attended to the hamsters for their second breakfast before going on to make something for her and Bucky to eat. Ari whipped up a few pancakes and served them just in time for Bucky to come out of the shower. She had already snacked, and disappeared into the shower to get ready for the day.

---

Steve looked up when he heard the door click and did a nervous shuffle on his feet. The door opened to reveal Grace and just as always, she was beautiful, even more so possibly for she radiated with joy and the way her face lit up to see him made his heart stumble out of joy. He gave her the kiss and handed her the flowers, taking a breath and looking her up and down. "You too," he said with a smile, then amended, "I mean, you look beautiful." A lady can't be handsome, get a grip Steve, he thought to himself.

He stepped into the apartment and watched her put the flowers into a vase. "I had a sneak peak into your office - saw them last time I had come," he admitted. Steve waited for her to lock up and lead her down to the car, and held the door open for her as usual. It was all clean and shiny and smelled lovely inside.

The drive was quick even though it took half an hour and the night air was quite chilly, but Steve knew the restaurant was inside, so it would be all warm and cosy, and they had some heaters around so Grace wouldn't be chilly in her dress. As always, he had a napkin and a jacket that he could give her if anything. They arrived to the restaurant and it was one of those really nice ones you see married couples go to, because Steve really wanted a dance floor and this one had one such thing.

(Oh my god! I’m sorry! No! I just assumed it was the way I wrote, I’m sorry! Let’s just forget about what I wrote.)

“It’s fine,” Bucky honestly didn’t have many feelings for what they just did, he hadn’t done it before but it also hadn’t made him feel awkward or uncomfortable. He was just helping her stretch out her back, it was as simple as that and if she ever needed to do the stretch again then he would be more than happy to help her. He gave a slight nod before making his way into the bathroom, where he showered and washed his hair which was turning a little too greasy for his liking.

He towel dried his hair and brushed through with only his fingers before he was finished, stepping out he smelt that Ari had cooked breakfast and there was a plate of warm pancakes on the table waiting for him. He thanked her for the breakfast as he sat down and dug into the fluffy pancakes, only after he poured a generous amount of maple syrup onto them first.

It was an overly sweet breakfast but it hit the spot for Bucky, while Ari showered he washed all the dishes in the sink so it wouldn’t be something she’d have to do. He waited for Ari to finish getting herself ready so he decided to check on the two little fur balls, looking into the cage it was JoJo who rushed over to the side and just stared at him.

He didn’t want to bother Ari so he unlocked the cage door and very carefully scooped JoJo up into his hand before locking the cage door again, he sat back on the couch and held JoJo in his hand. It wasn’t long before JoJo decided to go exploring, she moved along his human arm and walked over his stomach before she found a warm spot partly in the hood of Bucky’s hoodie and in the crook of his neck.

---

Grace waited for Steve to open her door once they arrived at the restaurant, one she hadn’t been to before because she thought it was way too fancy for someone like her. “Steve, you didn’t have to bring me to such a nice place.” She didn’t want him thinking that he had to bring her to a place like this, although this restaurant wasn’t over the top fancy like other ones in the city. It was still fancy enough to have a dress code and waiters who lay the napkin across your lap before you had the chance to do it yourself. Which Grace always felt weird about, she could use her napkin herself. But she saw the look in Steve’s eyes, he wanted to bring her here and they weren’t about to leave now.

So she just reached for his hand and entwined their fingers, as they walked over to the front door of the restaurant before stepping inside. The warmth was the first thing Grace noticed as the night was already getting a little chilly, most tables were taken by other couples who were enjoying their time together. Small tea light candles lit up the tables and soft chatter bounced off the walls, Steve had even reserved a table for them and the hostess gladly guided them over to their table which was beside a floor to ceiling window. The window looked out over a garden that was behind the building and it was stunning, fairy lights followed the fence around the garden and it was obvious the garden grew the fruit and vegetables that the chef’s cooked with.

The hostess asked if they would like a drink, Grace ordered a glass of water for them both before she got herself a glass of red wine. She didn’t drink alcohol all that much but tonight was special, so she let herself get a treat of only one glass of wine. Once Steve ordered himself a drink they had the time to look at the menu, “Everything sounds so nice.” It would be hard to pick what she wanted to eat, but there were a few dishes that sounded extra nice to her.

[It's alright! ]

When Ari stepped out of the shower all dressed and ready, and saw Bucky sitting down on the couching and looking at something in his hand and following its movements as it - appearing to be JoJo - crawled up into his hood, Ari felt her heart melt a little. How sweet! And to think he was an assassin. If HYDRA saw this, they'd lose their minds. She suddenly felt overly defensive about it, but continued to enjoy watching the two interact. The sweet moment was interrupted by ringing, and Ari started, pulling away from the wall and looking around before patting her pockets to pull out her phone. She answered it and with a few smiles and affirmatives, seemed to agree to something with the other person. Once the call ended, she jotted down the date and time and place on a little notepad and pinned it onto the fridge. "I just got an interview," She said to Bucky with a big smile, "I'll get a job again, soon, hopefully. Fingers crossed!"

She picked up her keys and waved to him, "Let's go?" Once he was ready, they headed out and since the museum was quite close and there was also usually troubles with finding a parking spot, Ari decided they should just take the bus there, since at this hour nobody really cared about faces and it was just elderly people moving about to get to some odd place.

Ten minutes and two stations later, they hopped out and Ari looked up at the large sign of the museum. She took a small breath and glanced over at Bucky, letting him decide when he was ready to go in. "Let me know if you don't feel too good," She said, hoping he wouldn't lose his bearings and react violently. This was quite dangerous, hopefully it would go okay.

---

Steve heard her words but they did not bother him. He only smiled to her with a glint in his eye. He didn't say anything. There was nothing to say, it was clear as day that he wanted to bring her here and nothing would stop him.

Steve would have liked to pull out a chair for Grace, but the waitress beat them to it, and he had to sit down on a chair pulled out for him too - he was still unaccustomed to this but growing ever so slowly familiar. The drink of water was fine with him, though on second thoughts he ordered a fruit punch for taste and variety to his meal. He took the menu offered and looked through it, glancing up when Grace voiced his own thoughts.

"Pick whatever you wish, pay no mind to the price," he smiled, moving the flowers and shakers in the middle of the table out of the way so that they could see each other better. Though he left the candle. It gave a little romantic mood and he liked that. It also lit her face up in wonderful colours and made her seem so much more cute.

"There's lobsters, or steak, even…" he looked at the menu, trailing off in amazement and some sort of awe and disbelief, "Grilled pear and kidneys of a bovine? What?" He shook his head with a chuckle. "I don't know about you, but I'm not that adventurous tonight." He grinned, and finally finding something he thought would be okay but wasn't everyday food. Always nice to have a little risk. But not so far as kidneys! "Grilled pear…" he said thoughtfully, "How does that even taste?"

Bucky knew that Ari was there, watching the moment that he seemed to be sharing with JoJo. He had been an assassin for years, he knew when someone else was in the room or even close to where he was but he didn't say a thing. If she wanted to watch then she could, however he heard movement when a ringing sounded from behind him where Ari was standing. He didn't listen to what she was saying as he found that to be rude, so he very carefully placed JoJo back into the cage and locked the door so either could escape while he and Ari were out.

"That's great, where about's?" He asked once she had ended the call and told him that she had an interview, hopefully the interview would turn into a job and she wouldn't have to worry about money as much as Bucky knew she secretly was. "No fingers need to be crossed, you'll be amazing." He was certain of that fact, everything about Ari was amazing so if she didn't get this job then the people who gave her the interview are stupid and just missed the best person that could have been working for them.

Nodding his head he stood up from the couch and followed Ari out of her apartment, he followed her as the exited the building and she guided him over to where a few people were waiting. A long vehicle arrived not long after and he again followed Ari onto the strange vehicle, he asked her quietly about what the vehicle was because he had never been on something like this before. Or if he had, it certainly didn't look like this one did.

He stayed close to Ari as they moved around and it was a short journey to the museum, Bucky stood outside just staring at the large building for a few seconds as he prepared himself. "I will, but I'm ready now." He told Ari and they walked into the building together, it was a lot to take in as his eyes moved around the first room they stepped into and it didn't even have anything to do with him. But it was still so interesting for him to see what happened before he was born and what happened when he was frozen, "There's a lot in here." He glanced over to Ari hoping that she didn't mind if he took his time, he wanted to see everything that he could.

---

Grace smiled when Steve came across the pear and kidney dish, she was never someone who wanted to try organs or just strange meals. So she certainly wasn't going to order a meal like that now, "I've never had kidneys before but grilled pear is really nice. More sweetness is brought out from the grill, I'll have to make you some." She smiled as she glanced at Steve from over the menu that she held in her hands, she found it adorable that he moved the flowers from the center of the table. She never did understand why flowers were put there, don't people want to see the person sitting opposite them?

It was only a few minutes after that that their waitress returned with their drinks, "I'll have the creamy chicken and pumpkin pasta, please." Grace answered when the waitress asked what they wanted to order, all of the dishes sounded delicious but she was a big fan of pasta. Closing her menu she handed it back to the waitress once Steve had also ordered his meal, once they were alone again Grace reached her hand across the table and wrapped her fingers around his.

"Thank you for bringing me out tonight," She looked into the eyes that were filled with kindness and loyalty, "While you were out today. I got a call from work, they asked if I still wanted my job so I'll be starting again in a few days." Grace told him, although she didn't mention SHIELD as anyone could have been listening in on what the two of them were saying. After what happened, she knew that she couldn't trust everyone and that she shouldn't get too comfortable where her guard was down.

"I honestly thought it would take them longer to rebuild, but I guess not which is good for me. I do miss my office," She chuckled softly as it felt like something silly to say, but her office was her personal space in which she could help people.

A cafe. That's all Ari told him, for that was all she knew. It was near the centre of the city, so not too far, and easily accessible from anywhere really. A good place. A nice little cafe in which she could work until she found a better job. Something to pay the bills with.

His question about the vehicle amused her but she didn't fail to answer him, smiling lightly, and keeping her voice low. "A bus. They look much different to what you had back in your day, I'd presume." She got him on, paid and off they went. Luckily few people paid any attention to them, and even more luckily the bus for mostly empty.

Getting into the building of the museum was far easier than Ari had imagined. Walking in at the same time with Bucky, the alarm that beeped she blamed on the large buckle of her belt, flashed the guards a charming smile and they were let through without any more problems.

Standing by Bucky as he looked over the displays and pictures, she kept her distance to give him the space he needed and some personal time. She also took some time to read about the wars and the people presented, for she hadn't come here often, and it had been a while since she last touched her history. "There is. Six rooms, I think. And an extra has a small movie about those times, some videos. You may want to see it?" She offered, letting him decide. She was in no rush, and everyone was slow walking around, so they didn't stand out at all. Bucky had all the time - until closure that is.

---

"Is it?" Steve looked up as she explained the grilled pear, and the more he thought, the more he felt his mouth water. "Please do, I'm interested in trying it." He set the menu down, having decided he wanted a bit of Italian on his plate tonight, since he hadn't had anything of sorts lately. "Gnocchi with pesto and cheese and steamed sea bream fillet, please," he said once the waitress came to take his order. As she walked away, he raised is brows and looked at Grace with a grin, "Are we having an Italian sort of night? What a coincidence." He laughed softly, raising the glass of water to his lips and taking a small sip.

Setting the water down, he focused on intertwining their fingers, feeling pleased she was enjoying this place. "You are most welcome." He turned his attention from her hand, over which he had run his thumb, and looked into her eyes seeing the kindness and joyful spark at the mention of her getting her work back. "That's great news!" He honestly felt relieved. Steve's job was more permanent than perhaps any other person's in the world - with a few exceptions - but with Grace keeping her job at SHIELD meant she was always close by and he could kindly drop by and visit.

"I heard Maria is taking over most of the tasks since…" He trailed off, knowing Grace would get the idea. Since Fury can't stand in anymore, as he was presumed dead for all the world. He didn't, of course, say this out loud. For that was dangerous. "I'm sure she and Phil will do a good job." But no more talk about work. Steve pulled his hand away and picked up a paper napkin, starting to fold it to take his mind off work and of the young boy nervousness he felt. A minute or so later, he folded it into a crane and presented it to Grace, placing a small flower from the vase onto the paper crane's head, and a grin on his own lips.

There was a loud alarm that sounded when Bucky walked through the entrance of the museum and it was a noise that he wasn’t familiar with, it had startled him and he felt his body beginning to tense but then he heard her voice. Ari was explaining something to the guard that was keeping an eye on the people entering and exiting the building, although he was an older man and had a gut on him which Bucky didn’t understand at all. Why would a security guard be so unfit? If anything did happen and he needed to chase someone, he wouldn’t get very far and the person would easily get away.

He listened as Ari told him about the rooms and the movie that was played during the day, “I might be.” He replied simply as he wanted to see how he went before going to watch the film, he was feeling fine right now but he knew how he could become. How he could change in seconds if something set him off, it had been part of the training HYDRA had put him through and he hoped that the Winter Soldier wouldn’t feel the need to rear his head.

Bucky moved slowly which made him blend in with the crowd of innocent people that had taken the trip out to the museum that morning, his eyes scanned over the pictures, articles and items that were all behind thick glass to protect them for years to come. Every now and again he would stop to read an article before moving on and Ari stayed close by him, but she was still giving him plenty of space to deal with this in a way that he wanted and was comfortable with. Once he was finished with that floor, he followed Ari onto the next level which was about him and the friends he had worked with.

He wasn’t ready to go straight over to the section that was about him, instead he found a display that did involve him but he was with a group of five other men including Captain America. Howling Commandos. There was a picture hanging from the wall of him and the other men, below that picture was clothing items that apparently the men had worn during their time working together. He stood in front of the display giving himself enough time to process what he was seeing, the faces of the men were deeply familiar to him.

Somewhere in his memories, the faces and missions they had together were buried deep in his memories and he so desperately wanted to break those memories free. “I worked with them,” He murmured quietly to Ari who was standing beside him, he didn’t want to attract any attention as his face matched the face in the pictures. He was keeping himself calm as pieces of his memories flooded back to him, back the memories were all over the place and didn’t piece together to just make one memory. Although right now Bucky didn’t mind, he was still remembering times from his life that he hadn’t remembered before now.

---

Grace knew that Maria would do a fantastic job in running SHIELD, everyone in SHIELD knew that Maria was the right person for the job if Fury couldn’t. She smiled as she watched Steve make a paper crane from a napkin, everything seemed to come so easy and naturally between them which was like a breath of fresh air.

A small blush coloured her cheeks when Steve presented the paper crane to her after he carefully set a little flower on the head, she took the crane into her hand and held it cautiously as she didn’t want to ruin it. She could just tell he was nervous and although she did feel some nerves, it was their first proper date and she wanted the night to be perfect. But even with the nerves she still felt comfortable being there with Steve, and she hoped that he wasn’t too nervous that he was feeling uncomfortable.

“You don’t need to be nervous, you risk your life to keep people safe and yet a date is making you nervous.” She smiled as she looked at him, he had put his trust in doctors when he allowed them to inject his body with serum that he knew nothing about. A serum that could have easily killed him, and yet here he was nervous on a date and Grace found it to be incredibly cute. She took a sip of the wine that she had ordered before setting the glass back down onto the table.

Ari would occasionally glance about to see if anyone was looking at them, but thankfully nobody was paying any attention. They were, just like everyone, curious visitors eager to learn a bit more or to remember information. Leading Bucky up the stairs to the second level, she slowed, uncertain herself. Would he be alright? What would happen if he lashed out? She didn't have any commands over him, other than one word that knocked him out that she had overheard in his training (though she dared not use it, for she did not think she could pronounce it, nor was she certain of its effects), so there would be no stopping him for her.

But he acted calm, and he acted collected, although she could see the turmoil in his eyes.

Ari glanced up at his words then back at the faces of the men. She wondered what it was like to see people and know you knew them, but remember very little. "They must be very old now. I think," she paused, trying to remember but failing, and amending her thought, "Some are still quite alive. Of course, there's Steve." She said this all slowly, quietly, paced, not wanting to overload him with information, but wanting to let him know that some were still here and he was not quite all alone.

---

Steve chuckled lightly, "It's a different situation. When I go saving others, I know what to do. It's a series of combos and steps that rarely change. With you," he paused and smiled, "You are a series of surprises, I cannot predict you, and I don't want to." He was happy with how she was.

The food arrived just as he finished talking, and he had to draw his hand back to let the waitress set the plates down onto the table. He looked excited at the food before him, picking up the fork and knife and complimenting the chef's cooking for the food looked quite wonderful, before proceeding to eat.

"This is delicious," he said between bites, "A little strong in the pepper, but worth everything. What about yours?" He gestured to her meal, raising his brows, chewing some food and having it all in one cheek, and looking much like a hamster, his eyes bright and alert and his cheeks so tempting to grab.

The little band at the centre of the restaurant (they were not sitting far from it, and had a good view) started to play some jazz, and for a moment Steve felt like he was back in his time. "I know this song," he said, looking over, "I used to watch Bucky charm girls away on the dance floor to it. Quite a lively tune though, don't you think?"

Could some of them really still be alive? Surely Ari would know, but his old friends would be fairly old and probably wouldn’t want anything to do with him now. Not after everything he has done, he didn’t remember much of his old soldier friends but he did know they were all good people and did amazing things.

“Yes, he is still alive. Although I doubt any of them would want to know me now,” He lowered his voice as he glanced to the side where Ari was standing, he was being honest with himself. Even if his friends were alive, they would be old and wouldn’t take kindly to seeing him again as he assumed they all knew who he had become. He didn’t want to upset them by going to visit them if any lived close by, turning back to look at the display he still had to force himself to stay calm.

Seeing the displays and the pictures of the man he used to be and the man he had tried to kill, it was hard. Bucky wanted to learn more about himself, but this was torture to him. Seeing the faces of the men he had obviously been close to and once considered family, brothers in fact was like a stab to his heart. It hurt him but he needed to be there, it felt like the right time and he had the right person standing beside him. He was furious with himself for the lives he has taken, but what he felt for HYDRA was indescribable.

They turned him into the Winter Soldier, they ruined his life just so they could make an assassin. He could feel the anger bubble up inside of him, so to calm his emotions he did the one thing he knew would work. His fingers reached out until he found Ari’s small hand, he took her warm hand into his own and simply held it. “I had been like them… I had been good,” It was the one thing that hurt him the most now, that he had once been so good and had saved people.

---

Grace couldn’t stop the smile and the light blush that tickled her features at Steve’s answer to her question, “That’s true. But this date is just like every other time we spend together, and you seem fine then.” Looking across the table at him, she found it sweet that he was nervous and she could admit that she did feel nerves in her stomach during the day. But once she saw Steve at her door, all the nerves vanished because she always had the best time when she was with him.

Bringing her arm back when the waitress set plates down in front of them, Grace quickly thanked the woman before she dug into her meal which smelt and looked amazing. “It is delicious, now I know why this place is always so full of people.” The food was to die for, the flavours melted on her tongue and the ingredients went perfectly together. “Mine is just perfect, not overly creamy either which I like.” She twirled some pasta around her fork before she reached across the table, letting the pasta fall from the fork onto Steve’s plate so he could try.

Her attention was moved onto the little band by Steve when they began to play a song that he knew, a fond smile graced her lips as she watched his face change. He was put at ease with the song, and the nice memory of his friend brought a new light to his eyes. A light that she hadn’t seen before, but it glowed from within as he thought about his best friend and the times they shared together back when they were younger.

“So Bucky had been a ladies man? What song did you charm the girls with?” She already knew that Steve wasn’t great when it came to the opposite sex, both before and after the serum. And it was strange to look at him now, utterly gorgeous and protective and strong and sweet. But still have him feel nervous on a date and awkward when speaking to women, Grace had sadly gotten so used to men who were cocky for no reason and saw themselves as wonderful men when they really weren’t great at all. Steve was what a man should be, she felt like pinching herself to make sure this wasn’t all just a dream.

Ari frowned softly. She found his words were not true, at the very least in her opinion. Slowly she reached out and lightly touched his arm. "There is one who cares. Still." Steve. She felt Bucky was losing hope, losing everything, and she couldn't give him the world but perhaps Steve could come and make some things right again. She looked back at the photo and then back to Bucky.

She saw the anger in his eyes, and for a moment thought he would lash out - thought the same again. She freaked out and let go of his arm, quickly closing the distance between them and gently tugging him away from the scene to look at her, fixing her gaze to look into his cold distant eyes, and said softly. "You can be good again. You can still fix things. You were not in control." She didn't know how well he'd respond, but she prayed he wouldn't lash out. It was the last thing she wanted, the last thing he needed, and the last thing anyone here wanted.

"If they fall, imagine the many lives you could save then." She hoped to stir his anger and vengeance in another direction if she couldn't get rid of it. Use it to bring down what hurt him. Was it wrong to think so? Ari offered him a small smile, "Let's take a break." This wasn't an offer, nor an order, but she insisted. To take a break and take a few breaths. Come back when all anger was put away. She lightly tugged on his hand towards a balcony.

---

"You make me feel like a silly young boy," Steve admitted with a laugh. It was true. Any other time it was like interacting with any other person, but here, this was a date. It really sunk in. It was still a new concept for him.

Adjusting his plate so that she could put some on, he did the same - put some of his food onto her plate so that she could taste the loveliness of the meat. Taking a bite of the pasta, he nodded, "This is delicious," he spoke, momentarily forgetting he was still chewing and yet somehow managing to speak without spitting anything, his cheeks all chub-like. He realised it, quickly swallowed and covered his mouth with a napkin, wiping it, "I'm so sorry." At the same time, he chuckled, shaking his head. "This food is delicious, I don't even know how to go about it."

Looking back at the band, he nodded, "Oh yeah. He was a ladies man for sure. Had a different girl every evening, never went out with the same one more than three times. I'm amazed there were enough girls." He then shook his head, looking down at his plate. "Me? Oh definitely no song. I was off trying to sign up for the army. Girls?" He gave a small 'pfft' and made a face as if the thought alone had made his younger self look uneasy and uninterested. "Books and army flyers and dates with the doctors."

He finished his food soon enough, and after a good few minutes of sitting down, the band started to play some livelier music, and Steve couldn't help himself. He looked to Grace with an enthusiastic expression, reached over the table to lightly touch her hand and with all the smiles on his face, asked, "May I have this dance?"

Was Ari right? Bucky was hearing the words she was telling him, but would Steve Rogers, one of his failed missions still actually care about him? After all he has done in the world, all the pain he has caused. No one should care about him, he didn't deserve it. What he deserved was to be locked up for the rest of his life, to never leave four walls and to die without seeing sunlight again. It was the least he deserved after all the lives he took, he didn't care if he wasn't in control, he was still a deadly assassin who has done whatever it took to finish off his missions.

He felt Ari tug him, turning his gaze fell onto her. "I will make them fall, even if it's the last thing I do." It was a promise to himself more so then to anyone else, HYDRA hadn't just hurt him. They had taken Ari and used her talent and intelligence, they held power over so many people that it wouldn't happen again. Bucky wouldn't allow them to control anyone else, especially not against their will. Walking through the room, he stepped out onto a balcony and slowly inhaled air into his lungs. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you nervous." He could tell that she didn't know what he was going to do back there, he felt horrible for making her worry.

Worry about him, about herself and all the innocent people who were also having a day out in the city. He closed his eyes, he wasn't sure how long but long enough to calm him down. The bubbling anger was pushed down, he would save that anger until he could take down HYDRA once and for good. "I'm tired of feeling like this, constantly being furious about what they made me do. I want you to know, I'd never hurt you." Turning his eyes focused on Ari, the light breeze picking up a few dark strands of her hair and blew them into her face. Bucky wasn't thinking, he simply reached his hand out and tucked the strands behind her ear.

---

Grace lowered her head at Steve's comment, in as attempt to hide the blood that was rushing to colour her cheeks. She liked knowing that is how she made him feel, and she knew that feeling. Being with Steve made her feel like a school girl that was talking to her crush, she thought once she became an adult all those sort of feelings were done with but apparently she had been wrong. Once Steve placed some of his steak on her plate, she forgot about her pasta as the steak looked really nice. Chewing the piece she felt like she was in heaven, the steak was perfect just like her pasta. "No wonder this place is so popular," She commented as both their meals were delicious.

Smiling she listened to him talk about how Bucky was, she could imagine Steve just sitting in the background watching his friend charm all the girls. "Well obviously one thing hasn't changed from then, you'll still get dates with a doctor." Her smile turned cheeky but it was true, of course the dates would be different. He wouldn't be going to see her because he was sick, he'd be seeing her because he wanted to. It wasn't long before Grace had finished her meal, her stomach was full and she had the best company anyone could have asked for.

Feeling his hand touch hers, she looked at him as he asked her for the dance. No one else was dancing yet, either because they were too shy to be the first couple on the dance floor or because they just wanted to eat. "Only if you think this is a good song to charm me with," He needed a song that could be his, taking his hand she stood up from her chair. "I must warn you though, I haven't gone dancing in a very long time so I'm probably horrible at it." She would hate to step on his feet or just make herself look like a fool, but she allowed him to guide her onto the dance floor anyway.

The moment they stepped out onto the balcony was like the weight of the responsibility for the people's safety around them had fallen off her shoulders and tumbled away into some small hole never to be seen again. She didn't blame Bucky, she knew very well the burden he carried. She would simply learn to live with it, mould to it, help him through.

Ari watched him for a little while on the balcony, then turned her attention to the street below to give him some privacy as he closed his eyes to focus. "It happens," She replied softly with a gentle smile and lightly patted his knee. "You take your time. I understand it's a bit difficult being in there." All those people, and the familiar faces and the memories that were his but weren't at the very same time. Quite overwhelming.

As he brushed aside some strands of her hair, she reached up and took his hand, giving it a small squeeze. "It's not me I'm worried for." She gave him another light warm smile. "They'll get their karma soon enough. But this moment, it's not about them. It's about you. It might not be a part of who you are now, but it's still a part of a past you, something that can help you get back what you can. Make the most of it." She again lightly patted his knee and, after giving him some more time outside, lead him back in once he was ready to continue on the little tour. This time, he'd seen more of himself though, and she offered him her hand, if it helped.

---

Steve laughed when she said her cheeky statement, for it was very true. Still so very true. The books still stayed, and this time the army wanted him, and the doctor with which he frequently met was quite the lovely lady. This lovely lady he guided to the dance floor, smiling as she excused herself in advance for her dancing.

"I'll guide you," he said, bringing her closer, holding one hand up for her to take, placing her other onto his shoulder, and then placing his own free hand just halfway across her back. Not quite all the way around the waist just yet. If she was okay with this, he would make a move later. For now, it was quite normal and very much fine with him. Taking a few slow steps, he guided her back and forth to sway to the rhythm of the music, picking up the pace once he let her get adjusted and used to the steps.

From the corner of his eye, he saw a few couples watch with admiration and a few others join them soon enough. It didn't matter to him if Grace misstepped here or there, if she wasn't sure where to go. With a gentle push and pull of the arm around her waist, he let her know where to move before he even stepped. And it seemed to help quite the lot.

Leaning closer to almost rest his forehead against hers, he smiled down, "You smell lovely." And then after a moment, with a small shy smile added, "Excuse me, that's such a strange thing to say."