Steve Rogers x Natasha Romanoff

Part 4

Steve ran out of the lab with very flushed cheeks, his thoughts a complete mess. He had to let it all out, or else he would go insane. He knew he could talk to Wanda about it; after all, she did say that she was willing to listen to him and help as much as she can. But he wasn’t ready. Not yet. He had to figure everything out first. By himself. That’s why he headed to “his spot” - the place where he always found himself whenever he needed some time alone to clear his thoughts, make sense of everything. That place was the gym. In a few swift movements he put the hand wraps and started punching the bag mercilessly.

,,Damn it! How stupid can I get?! Asking TONY STARK for advice?! What the hell was I thinking?“ Steve growled in between the blows.

The punches were getting more and more intense with each passing second, yet Steve barely noticed. All he could think about was “nonsense” Tony was talking about. Suddenly an image flashed through his head. Clint’s arm over Natasha’s shoulder and a slight smirk on her lips. His mind went blank and he blew one last punch which sent the bag flying across the room.

He was breathing heavily, his head hanging low, sweat dripping from his forehead. All of his muscles were still tense, both of his fists clenched tightly, his knuckels white. After a few minutes, when he finally calmed down, he slowly unwraped his hands and dropped down on a bench. He put his head between his hands and closed his eyes, letting his mind drift off..

He remembered it all very clearly, as if it was yesterday. The day he first met the infamous Black Widow. He had to admit that he was extremely intiminated by her from the moment he saw her. He saw confidence, but also great elegance in the way she walked. Her piercing green eyes sent a clear message: she was not someone to mess with, and anyone in their right mind would know better than to do otherwise. And the way her fiery red curls flowed perfectly down past her shoulders just mesmerised him even more.

Then, Steve’s mind wandered off in an other direction.. this time, he remembered their missions, all the things they’ve been through, how they grew close during the whole “Winter Soldier situation”, when they stayed at Sam’s place for a while… He could still see it clearly; the moment she asked him if he would trust her to save his life, anticipation and anxiety evident in her exhausted eyes. She asked him to be honest. And honest he was. After all they’ve been through, how could have she possibly thought that he wouldn’t trust her with his life?

And then, there was the kiss. He knew very well that it was for the sole purpose of distraction, to let them get away unnoticed. But now that he thinks about it, god, how he wishes it meant more.

Flashback

Steve and Natasha were going down the escalator, which was moving way too slow for their liking. They needed to get out of there as soon as possible, since they were being hunted by Rumlow and his team and time was running out. It was just the matter of time when some agent would notice them and then all hell would break loose. Suddenly Natasha noticed Rumlow going up in their direction, looking around for them. She quickly turned around, facing Steve, a look of slight panic on her face.

,,Kiss me” she whispered, hurry and determination in her voice.

,,What?“ was all Steve could say, as her words caught him completely off guard.

,,Public displays of affection make people very uncomfortable” she talked as fast as she could, knowing that their time was almost out.

,,Yes, they do…“ Steve started, unsure of where Natasha was going with this. She realised that if she didn’t take matters into her own hands it would be too late, so she quickly cupped his cheeks and crashed her lips against his.

The moment their lips connected, Steve’s heart skipped a beat. He was completely startled by her actions, the warm feeling of her soft lips against his sending shivers down his spine. Despite the shock, he found himself instinctively putting his hand gently on her waist.

After a few seconds, Natasha slowly pulled away, leaving Steve standing there dumbfounded.

,,You still uncomfortable?” Natasha asked, walking away.

It took him a few moments to recover from his daze and realize that she was talking to him.

,,It’s not exactly the word I would use.“ he said, resisting the urge to touch his lips that were tingling ever so slightly.

End of flashback

Even at the bare memory of that event, Steve’s heart fluttered in his chest, a giddy feeling inside his stomach. He pulled his hand through his hair and let out a shaky sigh.

,,What are you doing to me Nat…” he breathed gently, his voice barely above whisper.