Locked, Loaded, Loved ✔️ COMPLETE | UNDER EDITS

Chapter 7--Steve | EDITED

I calmed Natasha down enough that she swore to me she could drive home safely. Then Tony and I got back into his car and followed as Nat sped down the road.

"What were you thinking?" I asked Tony. This was all my fault. If I hadn't been all flirty, Nat wouldn't have had to deal with punishment from Tony for something that I did. I was the one who deserved to be punished, not Natasha.

But at the same time, had I not pulled Nat behind that tree, her cover would've been blown and this would've all been for nought.

"Nat said we won't discuss until we reach the compound and we're not yet at the compound," Tony replied, keeping his gaze on the road.

I rolled my eyes. "Now you decide to follow the rules."

"You mean like the two of you have?" Tony glanced at me from the passenger seat. "It doesn't take a genius—no, make that a genius-billionaire-philanthropist-playboy—to figure out that that's not the first time you've kissed her like that.

Heat flushed my cheeks.

"There was once in DC," I mumbled. That's all he was getting right now until I could talk to Natasha. Until we could figure out how to explain things.

When we arrived at the compound, Natasha was pacing inside the open common area. Her gaze caught mine the second we walked through the doors, but her face was unreadable.

"Cooled down yet?" Tony asked which immediately led Natasha into a fury. She dragged Tony away from me for what I assumed was a very heated discussion, by the sounds coming from the other room.

"Hey, man. What's going on?" Sam asked, joining me. He opened the refrigerator and took out the lemonade. "Natasha seemed pretty upset when she got home."

"Tony is assigning me to Nat's current case," I said.

Sam raised his eyebrows. "Oh? How so?"

"He wants me to be her date during something called a fake-out." That's how Tony had vaguely explained it to me in the car. "Apparently, Fury agrees with my involvement."

"I thought Natasha worked solo."

"She does." I scratched my head. "I think this is also more punishment on my behalf."

"Punishment for what?"

"For, um, kissing Natasha."

If Sam's eyebrows raised any higher, I swore they would shoot off his forehead.

"I thought you guys were being careful about that," Sam said. "That doesn't sound like being careful."

I shot him a look. "Do you remember when you and I met in DC? You didn't ask any questions at the time but after I told you about that kiss with Natasha."

"On the elevators, right?"

I nodded. "Yeah. She kissed me to stop our tail from catching us. That's what today was about. I mean, technically I did go seek her out at work, but the kissing part...that was just like DC. She just..."

"Happens to be really good at kissing?" Sam suggested.

"That's an understatement." I smirked. "Tony saw—we're hoping her boss didn't see—but with Tony seeing, it at least puts us under scrutiny."

"Maybe, maybe not." Sam crossed his arms over his chest. "You never know, man. Maybe he didn't actually see anything. Maybe he's bluffing. Or maybe he thinks you and Nat make a great team."

I watched as Natasha came back toward us without Tony. She glanced briefly at me, mumbling something about working out before dinner, and left to go change. I opened my mouth to respond, but she pushed past without a word.