Characters: Steve, Natasha, Sam, Tony, mentions of Clint and Bruce
Warnings: Spoilers for CA:TWS, kind of... not really...
When: CA:TWS, when Steve's still in the hospital
For: No one...?
Sam wasn't sure what was going on between his two new friends, but he was about 1000% sure he wasn't ever going to know, and that thinking about it was wasting his time.
What Sam didn't understand was how Steve and Natasha could act like they knew each other more than anyone else in the whole world with lots of talking, but now couldn't find the words to say to each other at all. Steve's laid up in bed, wounds marring his skin, and Natasha is in the chair closest to his bed, because she'd pulled a knife on Sam when he'd tried to sit in it.
Steve's awake - just staring at Natasha like she is a smiling Mona Lisa, an anomaly, but a good one - and Natasha's staring right back at him.
Sam doesn't understand.
He just doesn't.
If he was in bed and a woman was practically leaning over him, worried out of her mind - because Natasha is, Sam's sure of it - he wouldn't hesitate to try to comfort her or something. Natasha probably doesn't want comfort - her world was going the wrong way on its axle like some idiot world - but the point is, no, the key word, is probably.
Sam would never understand how Steve could figure Natasha out. Sure, the two had known each other longer, but still.
Natasha didn't show emotions - never, ever betrayed anything - and yet, Steve knew what she was thinking, knew what she was feeling.
It didn't make sense.
Why, you ask?
The only plausible thing or whatever Sam could think of was that the two were involved - like that way, you know - but there weren't any hints, not a single kiss, not long, lusty looks, nothing.
So, the superheroes - was he one now, too? - were staring at each other and Sam was the victim of awkward-only-to-him silence.
Long story short, Sam shipped them and maybe, just maybe, Steve did, too, but not Natasha.
Sam didn't know Steve as well as other people - cough, cough - but he got the idea that Steve would never call Sharon or any of the other girls on the long list of Natasha-approved-girls. Even if he could fully work an iPhone, or a StarkPhone, or even a flip phone of any brand, really.
They just kept staring at each other.
Sam was going to go prematurely insane.
He could probably clear his throat until he was, like, 80 years old, and they probably wouldn't notice. No, scratch that, they definitely wouldn't notice.
He could probably go find the Winter Soldier, drag him in the room, and sing show tunes with him for hours upon hours.
He could probably piss in Steve's IV bag.
Well, he probably couldn't piss in Steve's IV bag. Natasha would slit his throat, or something as terrible as that and go right back to her and Steve's staring contest. Maybe she wouldn't even have to look at him to kill him.
Sam wasn't Steve - he didn't know Natasha enough to guess anything that could hold real ground.
The phone rang - staring contest was still on. The phone that rang was Steve's, sitting on the little bedside table. Sam cautiously got it, accepted the call and listened.
"Steve!" That was Tony Stark. He was shouting. Shouting might scare Steve, Sam thought. He was in a war. "Holy hell - Steve what the fuck just happened?"
Sam swallowed. He could do this. This was nothing. After all, way Tony Stark scarerier than Nick Fury? No, so he could do this. "Uh, SHIELD just got screwed sideways. And, Steve is in a hospital bed right now, so he can't come to the phone."
"O-kay. Who're you? No, better question - what are you doing answering Steve's phone? Isn't he with the Black Widow?"
"Sam Wilson, friend of Steve's, I'm answering his phone 'cuz he's, uh, occupied right now, and yes, he is. That's who he's occupied with."
"Steve's gettin' some?" Tony Stark sounded ecstatic, like that was the best thing he'd ever heard in his whole life.
"No, they're being stupid and just staring at each other. That ever happen?"
"Nah." Tony might've shrugged, or rolled his eyes. Sam could see him doing that. "So, I actually called for a reason. Hawkeye's stranded, wants to see Widow and Cap, but I guess not. I'll bring Bruce." Sam didn't know who Bruce was, but it sounded like Tony was talking to himself, anyway. "Tell the idiots I called, would you? I've got to go." And Tony hung up.
Sam just stood there a moment. That was a lot to take in.
"Uh, guys?" He called. "That was Tony Stark - he said that Hawkeye was stranded...?" It came out as a question, but both of the heroes snapped to attention, looking right at him.
"What?" Steve asked, his voice gravelly.
"Hawkeye's stranded? And Stark's doing something about it?" Natasha asked coldly.
Sam nodded. "He said he was going to 'bring Bruce', like he was going to pick him up, or something like that. You guys done with your little moment?"
Natasha glared at him for a moment, but Steve rested his hand on her forearm, and she softened. She didn't grace Sam's question with an answer, as she said "I'm going to go after Barton. I'll be back." She paused. "That was from-"
"Terminator," Steve interupted with a laughed that pathetically ended with a cough. "I know."
The two smiled at each other. Natasha left with little more than a nod in Sam's direction. He sighed.
Sam thought he might puke rainbows, but now he and Steve could be alone. Steve could get sleep and he could read a newspaper, or something.
Steve grinned. "She's something, huh?"
"Well," Sam sighed again, "she'd definetly something. Don't give me that look, Cap."
