The Thin Man Goes Home.

Nicholas 'Nick' Charles: A couple of weeks on this cider and I'll be a new man.

Nora Charles: I sort of like the old one.

Nicholas 'Nick' Charles: Why, darling, that's the nicest thing you've said to me since the time I got my head caught in that cuspidor at the Waldorf.

~000000~

A/N: I was trying to go for something less angst ridden. I was also trying pay a little homage to the late great Shirley Temple.

Hopefully I succeeded in both accounts.

But I doubt it.

Maybe I should stick with angst?

~0000000~

Steve shook his head, and sighed, deep disappointment evident on his face. He stared ahead, his posture ramrod straight as he and Natasha made their way up to Tony's penthouse.

"I can't even look at you right you now," he said.

"Are you kidding me?" Natasha said with a roll of her eyes. "This is what we're going to break up over? Not my dubious moral code? Not the fact that you suffer from a malaise that makes it impossible for you to put the seat down on the toilet?"

"People have broken up for less."

"I highly doubt it," Natasha muttered.

The doors to the elevator dinged before opening, interrupting any further discussion.

Tony took one look at them, and immediately shelved whatever comments he was going to make.

"Trouble in paradise, lovebirds?" he asked instead.

Natasha tsked, and made her way to the bar where she poured herself a generous glass of red wine. "Steve's being a jerk."

"Really?" Tony asked in amusement. "I didn't think it was physically possible for Mr. All-American to be a jerk. I thought that was my exclusive domain."

"It still is," Steve responded. He joined Natasha at the bar, the redhead already had a bottle of beer opened, and ready for him. "I just can't believe you've never seen a Shirley Temple movie. It's practically un-american!"

"Well, I am technically Russian."

"Good God," Tony muttered while he rubbed his forehead in exasperation. "You both are officially the lamest people on earth. And for the record, even I've seen one of her movies, and I hate that black-and-white stuff."

"What black-and-white stuff?" Pepper asked. She had just caught the tail-end of the conversation when she entered the room. Behind her was Thor and Clint.

"Those God-awful black-and-white movies that these two insist on watching all the time," Tony responded. He joined the accused two at the bar where a tumbler of expensive whiskey was waiting for him.

"Those 'God-awful black-and-white movies' are classics," Natasha said while continuing to tend bar. A second glass of wine was put for Pepper, and two more bottles of beers were put out for Thor, and Clint. "So don't knock them."

"Seriously don't knock them," Clint supplied. "I've seen her cut a man for saying Katherine Hepburn was a horrible actress."

"Well, then you obviously deserved it," Steve said.

"Did not!"

"Did too," chorused Natasha and Steve.

"Then you've heard of the passing of the curly-haired one? Shirley Temple?" Thor asked.

The four humans shared a look of surprise before turning to the blond god. "You've hear of Shirley Temple?" Tony asked incredulous. "On Asgard?"

"Of course, her movies are quite popular at home," Thor said, and then paused for a moment. "Her golden locks, and tenacious spirit were a inspiration to us all on Asgard. No matter how bad things got, there was always a song, and dance in her heart. May Valhalla welcome her spirit with open arms, as befitting a woman of her stature."

Thor's statement was met with a stunned silence that lasted nearly a full minute.

"She's in Valhalla?" Clint asked. "How the hell did that happen?"

"We made a deal with your God. We get her, and he gets two souls to be named later," Thor said as if it were quite obvious.

"I, uh, didn't realize that was a thing," Steve said slowly. He looked over to Natasha and gave a 'what the hell look', she responded by giving him a 'this way out of my pay grade' look.

"It doesn't happen very often," Thor said unaware of the discomfort around him.

"Well, damn. Now I really feel horrible for never seeing any of her movies."

"I forgive you Tasha," Steve said solemnly, and placed a hand on her shoulder.

Natasha's response was very mature: she blew a raspberry at him.

"When we get home, we can watch her movies," Steve continued, ignoring her response. "I'm sure they'll be on Netflix."

"You can use Netflix? Since when?" Tony asked. "And why do you still dress like an old man? And when did you two move in together? And why haven't you had sex with each other?"

"Why wait that long?" Pepper asked, ignoring her boyfriend, as did everyone else. "We haven't seen you in almost two weeks. We can order take-out, and watch her movies together."

Natasha, and Steve traded a look, and after a few moments, they nodded their heads in agreement.

"Sure why not," Steve said. "But before I forget, here."

He pulled out the keys to the borrowed car from his pant pocket, and tried to hand them over to Tony. But was waved off by the brunet.

"Keep it."

"I can buy my own car, I don't need charity."

"Then don't call it charity, call it an intervention."

"Tony . . ." Pepper warned.

"What? Look at him, he has horrible fashion sense, he watches movies that are older than God, and he thinks Frank Sinatra is modern music. If I left him to own devices, he'd probably buy something out of the 1930's."

"Frank Sinatra was an amazing singer, God rest his soul." Natasha said before turning to Steve. "Are you really considering buy a car from the 30's?"

"Well . . . I always wanted a 1938 Bugatti type 57sc. It's art deco inspired, and a real beaut."

Natasha nodded her head in appreciation, she wasn't surprised that an artist like Steve would go for a car like that.

Tony shook his head in disbelief. "Little Red, Little Red, you're suppose to be teaching him modern day living, not encouraging his anachronisms."

"You're the only one here with a problem with his anachronisms. I personally like them, and since I'm the one dating him, all you're arguments are officially null and void."

"And this conversation is also null and void," Pepper said.

She grabbed the billionaire by his ear, and pulled him to the entertainment room. She was quickly followed by Thor who began enthusiastically recalling his favorite Shirley Temple movies. They in turn were followed by a very unenthusiastic Clint, who all but dragged his feet grumbling about the stupidity of old movies.

This left Steve and Natasha alone.

The blond male leant down, and captured the Russian's lips with his own. When he pulled back, he was smiling shyly as if surprised at his own audacity.

"Not that I'm complaining, but what was that for?" A small smile was curling the tips of her lips upward.

"You're beautiful? I felt like it? Because I always wanted a dame who would stick up for me?"

"Really? You do know that one of these days Tony's going to figure out you're not the hopeless mutt you pretend to be." She stopped, and looked up at him. There was nothing but affection in her eyes, (perhaps love?) and a warm feeling spread through out his body. His heart felt as if it were expanding, and growing. "And do you often go around kissing beautiful women just because you feel like it?"

"Only you Tasha. Only you."

He leant down, and kissed her again. Natasha deepened it before pulling back with a laugh. She tugged him along.

"C'mon loverboy. They're going to start to wonder what happened to us."

He followed her (he'd follow her anywhere) to the entertainment-room where the others were not so patiently waiting for them. After three Shirley Temple movies, they moved on to the 'Fast and Furious' series.

Natasha, and Steve barely lasted a single movie before falling asleep on the couch. (Thor lasted two.)

"Unbelievable. They can stay conscious during the most boring movies ever created, but they can't last through one of the greatest movie franchises known to man," Tony said. He waved his hand in front of Steve's face. "Anybody got a Sharpie?"

"Don't even think it, Tony," Pepper admonished. Natasha's only reaction to the conversation was to snuggle closer to Steve.

"Wow, our little Nattie is a cuddler," Tony said. "Who knew?"

"She never cuddled with me when we dated," Clint said with an exaggerated pout.

"Poor, poor baby bird," Tony said in mock sympathy. "C'mon, you and Thor can sleep in one of the guest rooms."

The billionaire brunet went over to the blond god, and nudged him. "Hey big guy, time to wake up and go to bed."

After several minutes, the three men and Pepper made their way to their sleeping quarters. It was decided in the interest of self-preservation that they would leave Natasha, and Steve to sleep where they were. The strawberry-blonde placed a blanket over their laps, turned out the light, and then tip-toed out.