Two Left Feet (Steve/Pepper)

[Steve Rogers]

Steve must've been staring at the office door in the pent house for a minute and a half now. He'd staked out a day for when Tony wasn't around, avoiding the chance for mockery. Finally taking a breath, Steve decided to take the leap and ask for help from an unlikely source.

There were a few women who stayed at Avengers Tower now, originally it had been two, but the number had moved to four. Steve was acquainted with Janet van Dyne, and becoming good friends with Carol Danvers, but he certainly wasn't close enough to ask either of them for help, not with something like this. This required a close friend's hand.

Pepper Potts had done an awful lot to make sure Steve was comfortable here at the tower and in the 21st Century in general. He'd affectionately nicknamed her Miss Pepper and spoke to her for a bit any time they happened across each other and had a minute. Tony Stark's former assistant, current girlfriend and business partner was probably one of the nicest people he'd met since waking up from his sleep.

There was no way she wouldn't help him, right?

Steve sighed one more time before knocking on her office door, "Um, Miss Pepper? Do you have a minute? I um, need some help."

[Virginia Potts]

* * *

Pepper had one pen perched behind her ear; another balanced between her fingers as it hovered over the company chequebook. She’d finagled the purchase of a piece of art she’d fallen in love with last fall, and the curator was expected in an hour.

Her desktop blinked with stacked windows: budgets and proposals and policy reviews, that she had to find time for today. She knew better than to ask Tony to read through them, because she (a) couldn’t guarantee he would, and even if he did, she (b) couldn’t guarantee he’d ever make a meeting about them.

Not that she minded. She had her job – CEO and partner – and he had his. Iron Man. And most of the time, when she wasn’t busy being deathly afraid for his safety, she was proud of him for what he did.

The knock on her door wasn’t Tony’s. Neither was it her secretary’s, and for a moment confusion settled over her. She was sure she hadn’t forgotten a meeting; Jarvis scheduled everything immaculately, even plans that only existed in verbal form, and today’s schedule was perfectly clear for the next hour. When Steve piped up from the other side of the door, the confusion smoothed from her face, replaced by a puzzled smile.

“Come in.”

She dropped the pen in her hand, wondering what he could possibly need her help with.

* * *

[Steve Rogers]

Steve swallowed hard again as Pepper invited him into her office. He was feeling that nervousness bubble up as he pulled the handle and opened the door. Looking grateful for her allowing him in Steve nodded to her as he entered the room.

"Thanks for seeing me. I, um, was getting ready for the gala and I had to ask you something, because I really don't know who else to go to." Steve was doing this for a reason. He needed to learn how to dance before he and Natasha went to the gala. She was so graceful, no doubt she could dance. Steve wanted to learn so he could at least appear to know what he was doing for one date. That was all he really wanted to do, impress Natasha in a social situation just one time.

He rubbed the back of his head and said, "I don't know how to dance. And, my date does, really well actually. I don't want to appear totally clueless." Steve paused a moment again before making his request, "Would, would you teach me how to?"

Suddenly, Cap was blushing profusely, "Um, if you're not too busy, that is. I just, could use your help."