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“I think you look great.”
She knows that voice. Natasha turns around to see Bruce standing there, looking a bit like he walked into a minefield- extremely cautious and a bit scared.
It’s one thing to see Rhodey after the amount of time that has passed, but hearing Bruce’s voice and seeing him in the flesh is another surprise entirely. He looks a little different, with his unruly, slightly silver hair, and his loose fitting clothes. She, on the other hand, probably looks like a complete stranger with her short, blonde hair and new suit.
“Yeah, I’m back,” he says, shifting his weight to the other foot.
Seeing him doesn’t give her that zing of attraction that it used to- she’s pleased to see that he’s doing well, but their time apart destroyed any idea of a relationship between them. Still, she uses her softest voice to show him there are no hard feelings.
“Hi, Bruce.”
The small smile on her face doesn’t go unnoticed by him.
“Hi, Nat,” he replies back, his voice also soft. His eyes are trained on her face, and the familiarity in them is concerning. The way he’s looking at her…
“This is awkward,” Sam comments from somewhere behind her. He’s right. It is weird that Bruce is still calling her “Nat,” especially in front of other people. When they were entertaining the idea of trying something, he would only call her that when they were alone. Although the feelings are gone on her end, she gets the distinct impression that Bruce may not feel the same way.
Luckily, she’s saved from making any response by the debriefing that Steve and Rhodey gives them. There’s a lot to do in a short amount of time, especially now that they know Thanos is coming for Vision. Shuri, T’Challa, and Bruce start looking at equipment to extract the stone from Vision, which leaves the rest of them with some down time. Sam escorts Vision and Wanda down to medical to get stitched up, leaving Steve and Natasha to themselves. When Steve suggests they go check out what weapons they have in stock, she agrees to accompany him.
Their ride in the elevator is quiet, both of them caught up in their own thoughts. Natasha is thinking about what’s coming when Steve speaks.
“How are you feeling?” he asks, his gaze settling in on her.
To be honest, she doesn’t want to think about Thanos, the Infinity Stones, Wanda, Vision…any of it. The odds stacked against them are high. They always have been, in the other scenarios they’ve overcome, but this time, she’s not sure what the outcome will be.
They move out of the elevator, which gives her a moment to collect her thoughts. Unsure of what to say for once, she returns Steve’s stare, her eyes meeting his. He must see something in them, because the comment he makes next is spot on.
“That bad, huh?”
He momentarily pauses their discussion as they walk towards some of the higher-power weapons.
“I figured seeing Bruce was a shock. I know things were left up in the air after he disappeared. Do you want to talk about it?”
Wait.
Why is he talking about Bruce?
It’s then she realizes they are not at all on the same page. Didn’t he see that she didn’t pay any attention Bruce after their weird greeting? Does he think she still has feelings for him?
“Steve,” she starts, stopping to make sure she has his attention, “no. I don’t want to talk about it.”
Steve’s eyebrows lift up, conveying his disbelief.
“Ok…”
It’s silent for a few seconds before Steve speaks again.
“Nat, really. I think it would help you to get all of that off your chest. It had to be hard to see him again. What-
“Steve,” she says again, cutting him off, “stop. I’m fine.”
Here, he’s thinking she doesn’t want to talk because her feelings are overwhelming when in all actuality, she doesn’t want to talk because there is nothing to talk about.
She realized after Bruce left that she wouldn’t be able to take him back if he ever came back. He left her once- who was to say he wouldn’t do it again? Between that and their lack of things in common, she was able to move on quicker than she anticipated.
Steve, though, still isn’t convinced.
“But Nat-
Whatever he’s going to say next is cut off by the hand she puts over his mouth. She can tell she surprised him by the way his eyes widen.
“Steve, I need to make sure you understand. I am fully over him.”
She says the last part slowly to punctuate the meaning of her words. It frustrates her that he doesn’t understand how things have changed. If she’s being honest, though, it frustrates her even more that he can’t see just how much she’s grown to like him over the past few months. There were glimpses of it before, but now she’s sure.
She gets distracted by the soft feel of his beard against her fingertips. Her hand starts to grow warm from his breathing as he exhales, but she has one more question for him before she’s willing to remove it.
“Shake your head yes or no- do you understand what I’m saying now?”
Slowly, Steve nods his head yes. Satisfied with his response, Natasha lets her hand fall from his mouth.
She thinks he’s going to resume their conversation, but he stays quiet. The silence and tension grows between them, and for some reason, she keeps thinking about the fact that Steve doesn’t know how she feels about him. There have been times she swears that he’s flirted with her. And not in a friendly way, either. Maybe it’s because they are about to go fight for their lives, but she feels a strong sense of urgency. She has to say something before it’s too late.
“Steve,” she whispers.
“Now’s not the best time to tell you this, but…screw it,” she mumbles before stepping into his personal space and pulling his mouth down to hers.
Steve’s mouth is immobile for so long that she fears the worst- he’s not interested in her like she thought he was. Knowing a lost cause when she sees one, Natasha removes her lips from his and quickly turns to leave the armory. She can’t stand the thought of an awkward talk with Steve, nor can she bear the idea of pretending it never happened.
Just as she’s taking a step away, Steve grabs her arm and tugs.
“Wait,” he says, his voice oddly gruff. He uses his other hand to turn her so she’s facing him again. He locks his eyes on hers for a few moments, looking like he wants to say something, though she’s not sure what. She doesn’t have to wait long to find out.
“I don’t want you going anywhere. You caught me off guard, is all.”
Before she can blink, he’s cradling her cheeks with his palms and kissing her like he means it. The kiss itself is desperate and intoxicating, a faint reminder that they have little time left, so it’s smart to make the best of it.
All of the doubt from before is replaced with a shot of lust. It’s evident that he wants her just as badly as she wants him.
Trying to get even closer, Natasha stands on tiptoe and links her arms around Steve’s trim waist. In response, Steve tilts her head to a better angle and strokes her bottom lip with his tongue. She opens her mouth and their tongues meet and tangle.
They continue like this for who knows how long, so caught up in one another that time is irrelevant.
It’s a loud buzzing sound that snaps them out of their embrace.
“Agent Rogers and Agent Romanoff, please report to the lab.”
The statement is repeated over the intercom before going silent.
Steve rests his forehead on hers and inhales and exhales deeply. He begrudgingly lets her go, his hands smoothing down her neck and shoulders on their journey downward. Lacing his fingers with hers, he leads them over to the elevator. He presses the call button, summoning it for them.
Steve turns to face her again and immediately looks at her mouth. She can tell exactly what he’s thinking because she’s thinking the same thing.
“I should have done that months ago,” she says quietly.
Steve’s eyes soften and his brow furrows in concern. They could have had so much time together had either of them taken the risk sooner.
Taking advantage of the extra time they have now, Natasha kisses Steve once more before the doors open, and the fight for Earth’s survival is their number one priority.