Making Up Lost Time
By: InitialA
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
"This is one of the greatest movies of all time," Natasha told him as she popped the DVD in. "Bill Murray, Harold Raymis, Dan Aykryod, Ernie Hudson, Annie Potts, Rick Moranis… it's some of the greatest comedic minds of the 20th century rolled into one movie. You're going to love it."
She sat next to him; he put his arm around her and she cozied into his embrace. As the librarian ran screaming out of the stacks, Steve blinked for a moment before saying, "Oh, this is that song that was everywhere last Halloween."
"There aren't many 'Halloween' songs for anyone over the age of twelve, so they tend to pull whatever they can," Natasha said.
"Stark tried to teach me the dance to Thriller."
"I remember," Natasha chuckled. "You're not very coordinated."
"Hey, I am. Just… not with Michael Jackson's choreography."
She held her finger up to her lips. "Shh. Plot's starting."
Not five minutes later, Steve was looking increasingly more puzzled. "Why is he even studying in this field if he's mocking the others for it?"
"He's in it for the easy money and no boundaries for what qualifies as research or theoretical study. They're in it for love."
"Oh."
By the time they hit fifteen minutes, Steve had removed his arm from around Natasha and was leaning on his elbows, peering at the television as if being closer to it would make him understand more. "But why would they give no notice to their removal? Or that the department was under scrutiny to begin with? And why on Earth would someone have two mortgages on their house, let alone three? And why don't they tell each other their plans to scam a cheaper deal on the firehouse?"
Natasha shoved him gently. "Stop dissecting it and watch!"
She chuckled when he jumped at the alternate dimension in Dana's refrigerator, and even when he complained about how much of a womanizer Venkman was. "He's nothing compared to most of the men I've worked for, and against."
"It's disrespectful and unprofessional. And how the hell do they have three video game machines when they're so broke?!"
Around the half hour mark it seemed that Steve was finally willing to just go with it, only the occasional utterance under his breath leaving any clues that he wasn't entirely on board with everything. She paused it for a moment while the guys were chasing down Slimer. "Okay, first of all, your entire life is stranger than what's going on here. Second of all, it's New York. Anything can and has happened in that city, and will continue to do so until someone builds a better city. Thirdly, have you ever heard of suspension of disbelief? You can't go around questioning everything a movie does or you're never going to enjoy it!"
He huffed. "It just seems so ridiculous."
"Says the man who was born with a list of medical disabilities as long as my arm, who was injected with a mostly untested serum that not only fixed those disabilities but also enhanced every other aspect of his physical and mental being to the peak of humanity, and who spent 70 years in a hypothermic coma only to be revived and continue living to fight aliens?" She raised her eyebrow at him.
Steve chuckled, and shook his head. "Point taken."
"Right. So just stop thinking so much and watch the damn movie."
"Yes ma'am."
She hit play again, and he sat back, putting his arm around her again. She smiled when he actually chuckled at a few one-liners; she rolled her eyes when he nudged her during Ray's sex dream. He smirked. She shoved him. He nudged her with his hips again. She sighed in exasperation. "I am not blowing you during Ghostbusters, Rogers."
"Aw, why not?" He grinned, resting his forehead against hers.
"Because there's a quiz after," she teased, their noses brushing against each other. "I like my students attentive."
"And what if I pass?"
She hummed lightly, and he chuckled. "You drive a hard bargain."
It was worth it when he jumped in shock when Dana was kidnapped by Zuul. "Fuckin' hell!"
"I'm telling Stark you swore."
"Don't, he's got a betting pool going."
"I know, and he'll owe me five g's for this."
"Hold out until he ups it to ten. Now I know where you get your moves from," he commented as Dana/Zuul threw Venkman on the bed.
"Oh please, they picked that up from me."
Steve fell silent as he finally got invested as the plot picked up towards the climax. Natasha, having seen the movie approximately thirteen hundred times, enjoyed it as ever but found her attention wandering. She picked at her nail beds, fidgeting to keep her hands busy, until a thought occurred to her. She flexed her hands and idly rested one on Steve's leg. She leaned her head against him, lightly tapping her fingers on his leg. He was absorbed in the movie. She nuzzled him, sliding her hand up his leg slowly; her fingers brushed over the bulge in his pants. He glanced down at her, one eyebrow raised as if to ask "Seriously? Now?"
She smiled innocently. His eyes went back to the television. She left her hand resting on his inseam for the moment and watched as Ray denied his status as a god. Then she moved in for the kill. She shifted her body upwards, kissing Steve on the cheek softly, and leaving a trail of kisses along his jawline, her hand smoothing his shirt down his chest; she bit at his ear lightly, then kissed her way down his neck. She drew her tongue up along his steadily increasing pulse point, and then nipped at his jaw. He breathed out slowly, forcefully, through his nose, his eyes still trained on the movie. "You've got three seconds to change your mind on that quiz," he said quietly, steadily.
Her lips went to his ear. "Three… two… one…"
He was fast, pinning her to the couch underneath him. She let out a breathless laugh and he grinned. Their lips met in urgency, but melted into lazy kisses. There was no rush, no need to throw off clothes; they had all the time in the world to neck like teenagers in a fit of lust. She caught his lip in her teeth and sucked on it for a moment before letting it go, grazing her teeth against his skin. His tongue slid over hers; their noses mashed together, in the way. Natasha pulled back for a moment to catch her breath; Steve slid down, resting his forehead against her collarbone. She ran her fingers through his hair, spiking it up. He planted kisses along her chest, moving up to her neck. His tongue flicked at the spot where her neck and shoulder met; she sucked in a breath. She felt him grin against her neck as he left open-mouthed kisses along it, coming up to her jawline and then meeting her mouth again with his. His arms slid underneath her, pulling her tight before he shifted, rolling them to their sides; he rested against the back of the couch, her back was cool with the open air. "Don't want to squish you," he murmured against her lips before kissing her again.
"Wasn't complaining," she replied, hooking a leg around him to entwine them further.
It wasn't the first time she noticed how small he made her feel; a distant part of her mind—her analytical mind that never fully turned off—took note at how he engulfed her, held her close and made her feel safe and sheltered. She sighed with content against him, leaving their lips locked for a long moment before pulling away. He followed her automatically, his eyes still closed, lips parted. She moved to meet him again; their teeth clacked together, and they parted with a laugh. "Ow," Steve noted.
She smiled, and curled into his embrace. "Oh… we missed the rest…" Steve said, a little sadly.
Natasha nodded without looking up; she recognized the credits music. Steve shifted, moving his arm under her to a more comfortable position. "So… about that quiz…"
"It's pass-fail, sorry, and you would definitely fail," she said.
"It's not my fault I missed the end!" He retorted.
She laughed. "Weren't you ever a teenager? It's a good date if you don't know how a movie ends."
They both knew about how each had spent their teenage years; Steve only shook his head, chuckling. "We'll have to watch it again sometime."
"Only if you promise to turn off your brain. I can't introduce you to Ghostbusters II if you can't accept the premise of the first one."
"Alright, alright…"