Getting to Know You

The Call

"Oh shit. Yes. Fuck. Yes."

They were now in his room, and again, naked, in bed, his eyes widened as he watched her squirm and writhed to the edge of her sanity, crumpling the sheets of his bed in her fingers. He gasped as he came not long after, grunting, panting hard. She kissed the top of his sweaty chest, him lingering for a moment longer inside her and enjoying the balmy embrace of their afterglow before he finally rolled breathlessly to her side.

She was about to say something when his phone rang. She said nothing but gave a frown when he rose up and sat on the side of his bed, his feet falling to the floor. He picked it up.

"Hello?" He answered, not able to hide his breathless gasps.

"Oh, hi, Steve. How are you?" The lady on the other end answered. His body tensed immidiately. Good thing Natasha couldn't see his face right now− otherwise she would've been able to sense his fear right away. When Steve didn't answer her question, she continued, "are you alright there? You sound exhausted."

"Yeah, uh−" He frowned. "Just went for a run... cardio exercise."

"O...kay." She said, chuckling. "Just wanna check in on ya. You haven't called me since your accident. I wasn't allowed to visit your ward."

"I'm okay. I'm okay." Steve rubbed the sweat off his forehead, brushing his messy blonde tufts with his fingers. He should be feeling something. He likes her. He asked her out. He's been seeing her. She's a nice lady. And she's pretty too. And most important part of all, she likes him back.

But she's not Natasha. A voice inside his head whispered. Absentmindedly, he turned his head to Natasha, who was now sitting on his bed, looking at him with a curious expression. She noticed his restlessness easily. She dragged her body closer to him on the bed, squeezing his shoulder, her lips thinning into a kind smile.

"I'm sorry I haven't called you. I've been...busy." He looked to her green eyes as he said to the phone. What is this? What is this feeling? Why is he feeling wrong? Why does he feel like he wants to shut off his phone and kiss this redhead in front of him already? No. No he doesn.t'This is only the potion effect. There's no hope with Natasha, she doesn't want him. That's why she's been trying to set him up with other women. They're friends. They're partners. They wouldn't be naked in the same bed if it wasn't because of this potion.

"It's okay. Well, I'm glad you're alright." Sharon replied, Steve could tell she's smiling when she answered that.

"Listen, I−" He stopped for a moment, doubting if he really wanted to say it. Natasha, being an expert at reading people, mouthed an "it's okay", with a serious look. But there was something beneath her eyes, something left unsaid.

"I miss you." He lied.

"I miss you too, Steve." Then there were noises of book pages turned, and after that he heard her say, "I heard that this restaurant downtown is really good. Do you wanna go there? I know how much you love dining at hipster restaurants."

Steve faked a chuckle. "Yeah, yeah. I do like them a lot."

"So...should we go tonight?"

He got lost. He felt lost. He didn't want to say yes. He wanted to stay in bed with her, with Natasha, instead of doing anything else tonight.

"I− don't know. Say, uh, I'll call you back when I'm sure?"

"Yeah. Just let me know, alright?"

"Bye."

"Bye."

He hung up first and put his phone carefully back to the nightstand. His eyes not away from Natasha for a second. When she was about to say something he quickly cut her off with;

"NO."

"But, Steve−"

"I can't, Natasha. I can't go see her tonight."

"I don't want you doing this because of me."

"Why?"

She scoffed. "WHY? Because you're not fucking attracted to me, that's why!"

"Even if I go, the potion will just take control again and the next thing I know I'll be speeding my Harley to go back here to be with you again."

"But you don't know that."

He turned away. "You don't get to say what's best for me."

"Steve−" She drew herself even closer, lips making a horizontal line across the top of his back. She sat behind him and wrapped her arms around his torso, palms to his chest, chin to his shoulder. "Remember that this isn't real. This attraction between us... it's the potion. Before this you were seeing this gorgeous, wonderful woman of your dreams. Someone you could probably spend the rest of your life with. So go. Go on that date, and if you end up coming back here anyway... then you know where to find me."

He sighed. Natasha reached for his phone and handed it back to him.

He reluctantly took it in his hand and called Sharon back.