I hate you, don't I? - Stucky

Important discussions

Steve didn't panic about it and knocked on Nat's door as soon as he reached it. She opened it and looked up at him as he opened and closed his mouth without any sounds coming out. His eyebrows scrunched and his eyes looked pleading. Without a word she stepped aside and let him in.

He walked past her and lingered in the middle of the room, slightly pacing and tapping his thumbs together.

"Sit on the bed", she said calmly.

He was happy for the instruction and perched on the edge.

"Are you ready to talk now?"

He nodded but didn't say anything, so Nat waited a moment before speaking again.

"What happened between you and Bucky?"

Even though he was certain she already knew, it still shocked him when she said it. But maybe it was just due to the fact he had to tell her.

"I kissed him", Steve blurted out before dropping his head into his hands with a groan.

And Nat, as the good friend she was, hid her smile and kept a calm demeanour for his sake.

"On the mission?"

He nodded again.

"So what's worrying you? Is he mad at you or something?"

"Well that's what I'm confused about!" He raised his voice, seemingly finding the courage to speak from his pressuring thoughts. "I didn't even know I liked him I thought I hated him yet I did it anyway and then it was really weird for a while. But then just now he came into the changing rooms and he kissed me!"

Even Nat couldn't help the small eyebrow raise from shock. She really wasn't expecting that.

"I don't know what's going on", Steve groaned.

She let the information sink in for a moment before asking a simple question.

"Do you like him?"

But the answer wasn't so simple.

"I don't know. I'm starting to think I'm definitely physically attracted to him but I don't know much about him as a person", he paused for a moment before adding, "but I think I've got the wrong idea about him so far".

Nat used all her strength to hold in the 'I told you so' and thought about the best next move.

"You both need to be on the same page. I think you need to talk to him and find out what he thinks about all this".

"But how does that make sense, Nat? We've hated each other for over a month. Why have things changed now?"

She brought him in for a hug and sighed.

"You both saw each other as people you weren't. I suppose no one can hide who they really are and you're beginning to realise you had the wrong impressions".

"I can't see people the way you do", he mumbled. "But I bet you could hide who you really are".

"Maybe for a while", she laughed, "but eventually a real part of me would show through. Now you need to go and talk to him, help lessen some of that anxiety".

He didn't reply yet and instead asked something else.

"Did you make that story up about the guy at the museum in the hopes this would happen?"

"Yea", Nat breathed out. "But I didn't think it would work this well".

He waited for a while longer before taking a deep breath and standing up. His brain wanted him to just abort this now and go back to his room but his body kept moving towards the door. Looks like this was going to happen.