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Scott was having a good day. He spent the morning sparring with Natasha and only got his ass handed to him seven out of eight times. Then Steve wanted to practice combos with his shield and Scott’s size manipulation, which meant a whole lot of shrinking and growing quickly while getting flung across the gym. Exhausting, sure, but fun nonetheless.
Afterwards they walked the grounds together, just talking, and it was great! The conversation was flowing. Steve was laughing.
And then Scott’s mouth betrayed him. Again.
“You’re really cute when you laugh.”
Steve blinked over at him, slowing down.
Uh-oh.
“Not that you’re not cute any other time. It’s just –” He gestured anxiously, but Steve only gave him a smirk.
“You think I’m cute?”
“Uh…” For a quick second Scott considered activating his suit and running away, maybe joining the witness protection program or something, because this was not a conversation he wanted to have. Not now, not ever, really. For one thing, he’d thought for sure that he’d been pathetically obvious. More importantly, they were friends now, proper friends, and he didn’t want to mess that up on account of some schoolboy crush.
But he didn’t want to lie either. He couldn’t. Surely, lying to Captain America, of all people, was some form of treason.
“W-well, I mean, c’mon, man, you know you’re hot.”
“I don’t, actually.” Steve chuckled as Scott’s face scrunched up in confusion. “Don’t get me wrong. I see how people react to me.” He shrugged ever so slightly, his half-smile faltering. “I guess part of me still feels like that scrawny kid no one gave a second glance.”
“I’m sure some did,” Scott replied before he could stop himself.
“How can you be so sure?”
“It’s just… if you were anything like you are now, I think you’d be pretty hard to ignore.”
Steve pursed his lips and glanced toward his feet. “I’m gonna take that as a compliment,” he said dryly.
And Scott looked back at him. He thought about how lucky he felt to know him, how wonderful he was, how no one shined, burned as bright. He wished he could tell Steve how much he meant to him, but he somehow kept the tidal wave of adoration back. He swallowed. “It is.”
Then Steve’s demeanor shifted, his eyes soft as he held Scott’s gaze. He opened his mouth to speak and Scott’s text alarm went off. Maggie needed him to pick up Cassie.
“Shit. I have to go, but… maybe we can talk later?”
Steve gave him a tight nod.
Damn it. Just when he thought he made progress. He turned to make his way to his apartment until a voice stopped him in his tracks.
“I’m gonna hold you to that, Lang.”
When he looked back at Steve, the captain’s smirk had returned, but his eyes were warm. Scott’s heart fluttered. “I hope so.”