rightly | open post.

Steve wasn't the least bit worried, but he still could tell there was a hint of concern in her eyes, and in the way she held his hand a little tighter. "You won't, I promise," he lifted her hand up and kissed the back of her fingers, letting go for a moment so he could shrug off his coat. He was down to a pair of high-waist trousers, a white shirt neatly tucked in and a pair of suspenders over his shoulders. Catching the lapel of her coat, he tugged lightly on it. "Want to take that off, too?"

Mary let him take her coat and handed him her hat as well. After he checked their items, she grabbed his hand again as they made their way inside. There was so much activity that Mary didn't know where to look first. The band was playing a rag and all of the couples were holding onto each other in a way that seemed more suggestive than in the dances she was used to. The idea of being held that closely by Steve excited her though. This was a chance to experience something in his world.

"You will show me how to do it?"

Steve would be lying if he said he wasn't a little excited for that, too. He was also relieved to see that she didn't seem bothered by the prospect, and with their coats out of the way, he led the way farther into the party. There were a few tables and chairs along the edges of the large room, a bar serving a few drinks and a band playing on a small stage, but other than that, the area was filled with couples dancing and laughing, moving around in a fast pace.

That was exactly where he took her, turning around and taking a few steps backwards as he lifted their linked hands up, reaching out with the other hand, inviting her to get closer to him. "I will, don't worry. I've got you."

She gave him her other hand as they disappeared into the crowd of bodies. Steve pulled her in close and they began to sway. Mary tried to look at the other couples for some direction on what to do. Admittedly, just being this close to him was exciting. She wrapped one of her arms around his shoulders. "Do you come here often?"

Wrapping his arm tightly around her waist, he pulled her close to him. Much closer than the last time they'd danced, their bodies pressed flush against each other. He looked down at her, as he started to move them around the room, slower than the rest of the couples for now.

"A couple of times. To be with some friends, mostly."

Mary gasped gently when Steve pulled her in close. Her pulse started racing as soon as her body was pressed to his. She moved her face closer to him, lips near his ear so that he could hear what she was saying.

"Other young ladies that you fancied?" Not that she wanted to hear about other women he had wooed, but she was curious about who else he had brought here and who they might run into.

"Not really," he hummed, tipping his head a little so he could catch a glimpse of her face. Hips swaying a bit, he slowly picked up their pace, pulling her along as they started dancing a little quicker to the music.

"I always came alone. I always left alone, too." Just in case she might be wondering about that. "I just had some drinks with friends, is all. Nothing more."

Mary raised her eyebrows at him in surprise. "And a handsome man like you didn't have many ladies wishing to make your acquaintance?" That seemed impossible to her, almost as impossible as the idea that Steve had not entertained any of them.

She kept up with him and the music, rather surprised to find herself catching on quickly. Mary supposed that it helped that there was no real right or wrong way to do the dance. The two of them were simply moving together in time with the music.

"Some," he admitted truthfully, if a little reluctantly. He didn't want her worrying about those things, honestly, but he also wouldn't lie to her about it. "But I never really wanted to have much to do with them after the war."

After he met Mary, more specifically, and after all the things he went through. He just didn't quite feel like getting involved in any dalliances after all that.

She wasn't worried. Mary knew that she was uncommonly beautiful and Steve seemed to have eyes only for her. Truthfully, it made her feel a bit better that he had been with other women - though he had mentioned that the night they reunited.

"I should think you would certainly want to go out with women after the war." After the danger was past and he knew that he would survive? Mary would think he would want to have someone to be with.

He pursed his lips at her remark, shrugging a bit. "Not really. I've never even danced with any of them, let alone... do more."

Like kiss or hold hands or anything more than that. In a lot of ways he was just tired, really, and in others, like he'd told her, sometimes a beautiful and wonderful woman just wasn't enough.

Pulling her weight to his, he lifted her up just barely as he spun them around on the dancefloor. "Is that so strange?"

She held on tightly when he lifted her, smiling delightedly at the movement.

"You told me that you had been intimate with women before though," Mary said. "I suppose you mean before the war? Why not after the war?"

And what was different about her? Because Steve seemed very willing to court her.

"I don't know," he shook his head a little, not wanting to dismiss her questions if she really needed to know so much. "I guess I just wasn't... I don't know. I didn't want involvements that didn't mean something."

It wasn't to say that he didn't care about those women he had been with, because he had; but never on a level much deeper than a passing fancy.

"I wanted something special. That's all."

Mary was quiet for a moment, as the band started a slower song and they shifted their dance in turn.

"Is that what you feel I am? Special?"

Part of her was afraid to hear the answer, even though he was doing with her all of the things that he said he did not want to do with other women.

That was definitely a question that was easier for him to answer, and one he knew the answer to. Without needing to pause and think now, he just nodded, offering promptly enough. "Yes."

They might yet be learning a lot about each other, but of that much Steve was sure. Mary was special. As a person, a woman, on her own and to him as well.

She'd always thought highly of herself, but it still surprised her to hear that, and how quickly he answered it. Mary leaned in and rested her cheek against his as they moved slowly together.

"Steve... How can you be so sure?"

She still felt soiled from her earlier experiences, and like somewhat of a failure after her engagement fell apart, even if she had never been in love with Richard anyway.

There she went with her complicated questions. Well, not complicated necessarily, but tough to figure out how to answer to. Sighing softly, he closed his eyes a moment, humming thoughtfully before he spoke up.

"Let me put it to you this way. Do you think I'm special?" Alright, now he just seriously hoped she wouldn't answer that question with a 'no'.

"I do," she replied. "I have never met another man like you."

He was a gentleman, but he was also fun. He made her laugh. He cared about her for more than her title of her family's money. He was so much different than every man of her social class.

"Well, how can you be so sure that I'm special?"

He was actually curious to see how she would answer that, to be honest. In part because he would like to know what in him she found so unique and appealing.

Mary pulled her head back to look at him, though her face was still close to his.

"You care about me, the person, rather than who my father is or what connections I can give you. And you're kind and gentle with me. You don't give a damn about things from my past, things that many men of my station would find intolerable."

Would marrying such a man be beneath her? Honestly, she could not think that, not when most of the men she had met of the upper class seemed so dull and boring.

"Honestly, I didn't even know who your father was when I went to Downton," Steve admitted. Some of the British upper class slipped past his notice, unless they were more London-based and more participative in war efforts. Now he knew, sure, but he had a feeling he'd have remained ignorant if not for his stay at Downton.

But no, he didn't care. He never cared once who her parents might or might not be, or how much money she might have. Granted, Steve wasn't exactly wealthy, but he lived comfortably enough.

"People judge others for all kinds of stupid reasons, don't you think?" A thought said out loud, he shrugged at her. "I don't think there's anything wrong with your past. Anyone who thinks otherwise is wrong. Not that it's any of their business one way or the other, but still."

"I think they do," she agreed quietly. Mary might not have thought that if Steve hadn't pointed it out. His conviction about her past not mattering meant a lot to her.

Her eyes flickered towards his lips, so close to her own. "Do you still want to kiss me?"

He wasn't just saying it simply because, either. He could very well be trying to ease her into the idea of something casual, but he wasn't. He didn't think this was just something casual, either. At least he didn't want it to be.

"I do," he breathed softly, tipping his head lower and letting his lips all but ghost hers, though without kissing her. He wondered if she'd close that distance herself.

Mary wasn't the type to do casual, so her intentions with him were real, if she could convince herself that it was okay to marry someone who wasn't rich or British.

"You should then," she whispered, her lips barely brushing against his. Just that was enough to send a shiver through her. Unfortunately she wasn't bold enough to make that final first move herself.

Well, worth a shot. He certainly hoped to have the time and the opportunity to get her to ease into it, so maybe one day she would feel comfortable and be bold enough to take that step herself. But for now he was all too glad to be the one to close that distance, tipping his head lower and pressing his lips to hers in a present but for now fairly chaste kiss.

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