Chapter Text
Nat let off a deep sigh as she looked out the Compound window.
After another training session, her arms completely exhausted and her mind now running on endorphins that would soon fade away, she still feels unaccomplished. Like she hasn’t done anything worthwhile today.
Steve is still out running errands, Sam decided to treat the twins to some ice cream, Vision’s been performing maintenance, and Rhodey is out of state on political and public duties.
Contrary to what most would think when they see the feared Black Widow kicking ass without raising a brow, Natasha Romanoff is not immune to emotions. Nat enjoys laughing even more than some of the people who live in the compound. She’ll cry when she feels it's necessary, or if something happens to a dog in a movie she’s watching. Heck, sometimes a really bad day at work can make a few tears fall.
And that also means she can get into a funk.
Right now is one of those lucky times.
Nat continued to lean herself up against the support beam next to the glass window, drinking her water and letting the last droplets of sweat cool her forehead with silence.
Her phone pinged on the table, and she pulled up the notification; Steve, asking her to help bring in the groceries.
She sent him a reply, letting him know she was on her way, and slipped on her favorite gray Under Armor soft jacket. She made her way down to the front door, which thankfully wasn’t too far from the main kitchen/dining area.
The sight of her partner, in both avenging work - and most importantly, love, made her lips curl upward slightly. No matter what, at the end of the day, Steve was always there for her to come home to, and vice versa.
Even today though, her mind wasn’t letting her soak up the normal amount of happiness from seeing her boyfriend.
“Sorry I had to call,” Steve said, his signature patriotic smile on his features, “but we’ve got a lot today. Pietro’s Mountain Dew addiction is no joke.”
Nat chuckled, walking over to the truck. “It’s fine, don’t worry about it. Always happy to help.”
Steve popped the trunk on his SUV, and looked over at Nat. “You okay?”
“Mhmm,” Nat said, tucking her hands into her pockets. “Just tired.”
Steve nodded. “I understand, doll. We’ll put these up and then kick back for the rest of the day, okay?”
As much as Nat wanted to, she also wanted to feel like she had done something, and ‘kicking back’ didn’t exactly scratch that itch…
Still, Steve’s suggestion sounded too good to ignore, so she agreed with a smile and nod.
-0-
After the groceries were put up, and two separate showers were done and over with, Nat found herself in Steve’s arms as she let him rub her over.
“I promise, Steve,” said Nat quietly, “I’m fine.”
“Okay,” Steve said.
Nat hated when he did that. Because she knew exactly what it would lead to…
“I’ve… I’ve had a rough day, mentally,” Nat muttered. “Gosh, that sounds dumber out loud than it did-”
“Nat, your mental health is just as important as your physical,” Steve told her gently. “If I didn’t keep my mind sharp, I don’t know where I’d end up. And even doing that, I still have off days. You know that, don’t you?”
Nat chuckled. “I probably should learn… Thanks for not letting me be alone.”
Steve smiled, kissing her hair. “Never. Not when I’m around, doll.”
Nat leaned into his touch, her hoodie long forgotten, and her back only clad by a sports bra gently rubbing the fabric of Steve's shirt. “I love you,” she whispered.
“I love you too,” Steve held onto her.
Nat shifted slightly to get more comfortable, sighing when she found her desired spot.
“I wanna do something,” Nat said. “Something… different.”
“Like what?” Steve asked. “Something productive, but not work related?”
“Yeah,” Nat nodded. “Something… something like that. Yeah. But like, what would there be? This is my job, so… I could join a book club.”
Steve chuckled. “If that’s what you wanna do…”
“Gosh, stop being so supportive,” Nat smiled. “I might just do something and then disappoint you by not sticking with it.”
“You gotta try different things, doll,” Steve said. “There’s places you haven’t been yet where you already belong. You aren’t always going to find a place like that first try, but it’s out there. You just gotta spend some time looking.”
Nat sat in silence for a few seconds.
“I hate you,” Nat muttered. “You’re too sweet. I’m gonna get a sugar rush by being in your presence.”
Steve’s laugh resonated with Nat’s back, and she smiled both at the sensation and the sounds that filled her being. “And I love you too.”
Nat chuckled.
“So… there’s cooking classes,” Steve shrugged, as he reclined onto the bed. Nat joined him, now resting her form on his chest, legs in a tangled weave with his own. “How about that?”
“Mmm… maybe,” Nat thought, looking up. “I don’t know, though. I like you cooking for us. I’d just ruin the chemistry there.”
“You’re saying… you get… you get feelings when I cook?” Steve asked, a bit surprised but also a bit flattered.
Nat hummed. “Not gonna lie, the way your biceps move when you work a spaghetti server is pretty sexy.”
Steve chuckled. “I’ll make sure you get a good view next time, then.”
Now that was something to look forward to, especially considering the once-a-week (and sometimes twice) spaghetti nights the team had.
“What about… dance classes?”
Nat’s brows raised.
But instead of her awful memories of the Red Room’s ballet classes coming back to haunt her - the bruised toes, the blood coming from her shoes every time she took them off, and the final exam from class just to name a few…
That…
Wasn’t actually a bad suggestion.
“Oh,” Steve said.
“What?” Nat asked.
“Oh, I just remembered,” he muttered, putting a hand over his face. “I-I’m sorry, doll. I forgot you don’t exactly have fond memories with dance.”
“Exactly,” Nat said. “And… well, that’s… that seems like… a kinda good reason to try it again.”
Steve paused. He looked over at Nat, who had rolled over to be beside him now. “Really? I didn’t just majorly mess up there?”
Nat smiled. “Nah. I… I have my memories. I’ve learned to live with them since, but… that’s actually not a bad idea. I don’t think I could do ballet again, though. I’m… not ready for that. Don’t know if I ever will be.”
“And you don’t have to be,” Steve said. “That was just a suggestion, Nat. I didn’t want to-”
“I’m gonna do it.”
Steve couldn’t help but smile as he saw Nat’s determination flare up on her features, like a switch had been flipped on after feeling around in a dark room.
“You’re gonna do it?” he smiled.
Nat nodded. “I’m gonna do it. But first… have we even kissed since you got home?”
Steve thought for a second. “No, I… I actually don’t think we have. We’ve been kinda busy with each other in other ways, I guess.”
“Hmm, let’s fix that,” Nat said. “Are you good with that?”
“Don’t think there’s a time I’ve ever not been, doll,” Steve smiled, as Nat climbed on top of his chest, receiving a kiss on her forehead before anything else.