Political PDA: Scarlett and Sean Clasp Digits in D.C.

Wonderwall, Sunday, May 1, 2011, 1:38pm (PDT)

By Kat Giantis

He looked a wee bit tired; she seemed tickled. On Saturday night in Washington D.C., Sean Penn and Scarlett Johansson put a political seal of approval on their romance by stepping out hand-in-hand following the celebrity-packed White House Correspondents' annual blowout bash.

ScarJo, who styled new, eye-catching red locks for her return as the catsuited Black Widow in the currently shooting "Avengers" movie, held tight to the ornery Oscar winner's digits as they exited an afterparty at the French ambassador's house (be sure to click through the pics at left for more from the evening).

Maybe she was just trying to grab some of his body heat, because gentleman that he (apparently and surprisingly) is, Penn placed his suit coat over Johansson's delicate teal cocktail dress to keep her warm.

The hottie-meets-hothead couple of three-plus months arrived separately to the dinner, during which President Obama tossed a few well-received zingers at guest Donald Trump.

Scarlett, 26, walked the red carpet on the arm of her twin brother, Hunter, while Sean, 50, flew solo. Once inside, however, they didn't try to play down their connection.

In front of a roomful of journalists, the actress got up from her table and made a beeline for Penn, who was seated across the room.

According to the Washington Post, she whispered in his ear and they quickly left the banquet hall.

But the pair weren't turned on by proximity to power and desperate for some alone-time: They simply needed to satisfy their much-documented nicotine cravings with a smoke break.

"They are totally head over heels in love," a source recently gushed to People. "This [relationship] is for real."

The pair were first spied together in January, shortly after Johansson called it quits with husband Ryan Reynolds.

Since then, they've been spotted playing footsy, enjoying a cozy south-of-the-border getaway and romantic dinners.

Scarlett also took Sean as her plus-one to Reese Witherspoon's wedding in late March.

And while cohabiting rumblings have been denied, the head-scratching honeys seemingly couldn't be happier.

"They make each other feel good," says an insider. "They're both kind of unique and a little bit dark, but together they're a good match."

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