Warning: SPOILERS/Lines of the movie The Losers (2010): Chris Evans as Jensen.
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The Losers
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Avengers Tower. Captain America's floor.
In the days that follow, Natasha tries not to think about Steve, but fails miserably. By all accounts, their last movie date was… unforgettable.
First, she lost control – she had never been this unstable around anyone before. Second, and more shocking, her weakness wasn't used against her. Even Clint, if he had a chance, would have made fun of her, to say the least. Steve, instead, respected her, in a kind of protective way. Finally, the last and most absurd reason was that the always collected spy couldn't stop dreaming about the hot super-soldier… with baby blue eyes… delicious-looking lips… when they shared a milkshake at his favorite Brooklyn malt-shop.
Unable to keep her distance, Natasha arrives at his place, bringing four large Brooklyn style pizzas. "I hope you're hungry," she smirks.
"These are my favorites. Thanks," he greets her, picking the boxes up, before leading her to the kitchen.
Beneath her impassive mask, she sounds nothing but casual. "I owe you for finding my dark chocolates."
He smiles sheepishly, "I have a bottle of Chianti that would be perfect, unless you prefer beer."
"As Pepper says, red wine it is," she stops by the countertop.
Picking up a corkscrew, he teases, "The perks of living a millionaire lifestyle."
Tilting her head a little, she clarifies, "Actually, it's women's wisdom – wine is better than beer for my waistline."
"What are you talking about?" Steve frowns and, for the first time, he allows her to see him checking her out. With a subtle mix of attraction and deference, he praises her, "There's absolutely nothing wrong about you."
His compliment couldn't be more sincere, but somehow, the redhead reacts like any normal woman, who would be constantly worried about her silhouette. "Then, why it is that I'm always spent after our sparring sessions?"
The Captain keeps the team in shape, often teaching fighting techniques, but Natasha trains with Steve daily. Once more, he's nothing but honest. "I'm tougher with you because you're the best. I want you to be always prepared." Their eyes lock for a moment, and she notices a touch of concern in his eyes, as he admits, "To keep you safe."
To keep me safe, she ponders, not exactly about what he said, but what he truly meant. Without realizing it, she gazes intently at him, losing herself in his blinding smile… For a while, all she can think is how attractive he looks with basic blue sweatpants, and how his muscles are bulging out of his gray T-shirt… Damn it. Focus.
Hurriedly, she changes the subject, "Are you up for a movie tonight?"
Following her lead, he accepts it willingly, "You brought me Brooklyn pizza, I'm all… yours."
Said by any other man, this would be a cheesy pickup-line. But the perfect gentleman is never ordinary, and his words have an unexpected effect on Natasha – her heart flutters. Turning around to set the table, she hides her pinkish face, and her thoughts drift away… She remembers when they first met…
The Black Widow had read all the Avengers files, but she knew a lot more about Captain America because of Coulson's incessant babbling about the world's first superhero. When she finally saw Steve Rogers in person, she couldn't help but think that he was the most perfect male specimen ever – mouth-watering. Everyone in the Helicarrier seemed to agree with her, since all the agents were literally ogling at him. Even the imperturbable Maria Hill didn't fail to check his… attributes. The Captain had knocked them out just by walking with that tight uniform. Despite everything, he remained absolutely professional and focused on the job, as if he was unaware of all that attention. However, the redhead learned that, with his enhanced senses, nothing went unnoticed by him – which only made him far more interesting.
But what actually surprised her the most, was that he would always look straight into her eyes, never a millimeter below. No man had failed to check her out before. As far as first impressions go, Steve was the complete opposite of Tony, who openly hit on her, or Clint, who tried to defeat her. Through all her years of training and experience, Natasha could always label any person, especially men – except Steve. He defied definition and, therefore, totally intrigued her.
He never judged or feared her – instead, he treated her with the genuine esteem of a valuable team member, without a hint of prejudice or superiority. In his old fashioned way, he treated her like a woman – but never as a sexual prey or weaker gender, only with courtesy and respect. Like when he protected her with his body and shield during battle, or simply held a door open for her to pass.
Although she found it odd at the beginning, after working together and getting to know him better, she was startled because she ended up… liking it. Not that she would ever admit it out loud, but… he made her feel… special.
"Nat?"
Standing in front of her, Steve pours her a glass of red wine, bringing her back from her daydreams.
"Thanks," Natasha can't help but smile at his handsome figure.
"Love when you smile like this," he says shyly, leaving her even more lost in her own confused feelings. Then, he stands by the table, pulling a chair for her, "Shall we?"
His taste is impeccable – the Italian wine matches perfectly with pizza. After having a good meal, enjoying each other's company, they settle down on his comfortable couch.
"You got me addicted to Russians," he smiles coyly, handing her a candy box.
Rolling her eyes, she pretends to be upset, "I'm too fat already."
"You? Nonsense. You are perfect," he replies, holding her favorite dark chocolate in front of her.
It's not like he has a hidden agenda – not Steve Rogers. Even so, Natasha can't believe the things he's saying to her… so naturally… hitting on her… No. He's charming her. Almost pouting, she takes the candy, but complains, "Look who's talking, mister four-times-faster-metabolism. You can eat whatever you want while I have to fast to get into my suit."
"No way!" his laugh is contagious, "That Black Widow suit slips on and off pretty easily."
Shocked with his playful reply, she gets as red as her hair, and when she opens her mouth, nothing intelligent comes to her mind. After a few seconds that seems like an eternity, she commands, "JARVIS, start The Losers, please?" Wanting to make up for the last movie, and also avoid any revealing situation, she selected a typical guy flick.
"Yes, Agent Romanoff."
Curious, Steve raises his eyebrow. "Losers?"
Granting that her brain is still trying to process everything, she replies calmly, "This is just plain cool action about a black ops team. It's fun, trust me." Anyway, she's already questioning herself, hoping he doesn't find her choice too silly. And that's another uncommon emotion for Natasha – she cares about what he thinks.
The movie starts, and the first character on screen is Jensen. Instantly recognizing the actor, Steve smiles mischievously. Natasha uses all her concentration to not blush, but the soldier spots another familiar face.
"I remember these guys."
The spy knows everything about films, and ignoring the first mention, she answers about the second character, Roque. "The actor's name is Idris Elba. He played Heimdall in Thor's movie."
A little puzzled, Steve looks at her, but the exhilarating action scenes catch his attention – he is a guy after all.
Leaning back with her legs stretched on the couch, she turns slightly sideways to watch him – not the superhero or the man from the past – just Steve. She's so attracted to him that it's exciting and terrifying at the same time.
Yet, it's a total mystery for her why he doesn't look afraid of showing he's interested in her. At the same time, he doesn't miss any opportunity to tease her, repeating the silliest lines. "Hi, what's your name? I have no legs, but I wanna take you on a date."
Laughing pleased, she puts her feet on his lap, and he begins to massage them, quite naturally. His hands are firm, but tender, and he finds the right pressure points to make her relax – it's like magic. While watching the love scene, Natasha can't concentrate on anything other than Steve's touch.
Until, the couple's dialogue gets their attentions. The only woman in the group, Aisha, asks the team leader, "You have no one, do you?"
There is no place for romantic relationships in their dangerous lives, so Clay replies, "Do you?"
Steve caresses Natasha's feet and they look at each other, realizing that they had never felt this comfortable in their lives before, or less lonely. It's undeniable – she finds herself trusting him like she never trusted anyone.
Breaking the moment, Jensen starts to sing 'Don't Stop Believing' and the spy immediately looks back to the screen.
The soldier makes a face and she asks smirking, "What?"
"I didn't imagine that you would like this kind of movie," he squints.
Natasha speaks before thinking, "It's not the movie."
Almost gloating, Steve replies, "I know, it's your guy."
Busted. She tries her best to keep still but she can't find her Black Widow's mask anymore.
It doesn't help that Jensen is like the kid of the group, getting into mischief and cracking jokes at inappropriate times. Laughing, Steve keeps repeating his lines to mock her. "Where you from originally? Do you have any hobbies? I like your dress."
Flushed, the spy kicks the soldier, but he grabs her legs holding her loosely – they have fun, laughing out loud. The whole elevator scene is hilarious until Jensen's jokes get too close to home. "I'm warning you, I am a lethal killing machine. It was a secret government experiment. They did stuff to me. Spooky stuff…"
Still smiling, Steve admits, "Isn't always that funny."
Straightening up instantly, she sits next to him, before moving her hand discreetly – a signal to JARVIS that pauses the movie.
The soldier smiles reassuring, "Don't need to worry, okay?" Since the last time, they've been talking a little more about their past.
"I'm not…" she purses her lips, and admits quite abashed, "I know, it's ridiculous."
But he's longing for her affection, and says kindly, "No, it means you care."
Touched by his contentment, she squeezes his hand softly, asking, "Weren't you afraid?"
As much as he wants to tell her everything, these memories make his heart sink a little. "I guess I only understood the whole procedure when I was already there. I didn't think about the risks before, or the consequences."
His discomfort is unmistakable and, automatically, she nestles beside him. "Did it hurt?"
Back then, Bucky asked the same thing – now, the same bold answer comes through Steve's mouth, "A little."
Suspiciously, Natasha raises her eyebrows and he confesses shyly, "Of course it did." He won't lie, especially to her, although, it's more than that – he trusts her and feels he doesn't need to be the superhero for her. "It was like if my body was ripping from inside," he explains.
He isn't trying to get attention, she knows it, but she gets even closer, as if to show him that he won't feel that pain anymore. "Was it worth it?"
Nodding, he holds her tenderly, "Yes, otherwise I wouldn't be here, right?"
The full the meaning of his sentence is something she can't think about yet. But she kisses his cheek because she felt an irresistible need to kiss him.
He treasures these moments with her, the spontaneous Natasha, and whispers, "Thanks."
After signaling JARVIS to continue the movie, she lays her head on his shoulder, and jokes, "Avengers as Losers!?"
They need their banter back, so Steve follows immediately, "We need to buy Clint a hat," quoting the sniper, Cougar, "Never touch the hat."
"He'd say never touch the bow," Natasha replies, laughing.
Saving the whole team, Aisha fires a rocket launcher from the hip, and Jensen admires, "Now that's a badass chick."
Both Steve and Natasha are experienced with all kinds of weapons, so the spy rolls her eyes, "Not the right way to handle it, but Zoe Saldana looks good."
Looking directly into her eyes, he replies calmly, "There's something really sexy about a woman who can kick the shit out of a man."
It takes a few seconds for her to realize that he was quoting the movie's making of. Mesmerized by his flirting behavior, she says the first thing on her mind, "Poor Jensen, computer nerd, he'll be Tony."
This time, Steve bursts out laughing, "Poor Tony!" and repeats another infamous line, "Liking the angle of the dangle?"
Natasha reacts quickly, punching him lightly on his chest. But then, putting her hand over his heart, she says, "You are the Colonel," repeating what Aisha said about the team leader, "You care what happens to them."
Shaking his head, Steve smiles shyly, and she continues, "You really care about us, the whole team. But I don't think that's a weakness. It's your strength."
Again, his blue eyes dive in her green ones, completely exposed, humble, and he shows her all his fears. "I'm not infallible… you know… I'm only human."
It's increasingly difficult for her to resist him, particularly looking so vulnerable, but she keeps talking, "You boss everyone, even Fury. And, technically, you are a Colonel."
After Steve was thawed, in recognition for his services and sacrifice for his country, he was promoted to Full-bird Colonel, and received sixty-six years of back pay, among other benefits. Embarrassed, he jokes, "Well… Colonel America never sounded good."
They laugh together, until Natasha finds the perfect way to truly tease him back. "Personally, I think Colonel Rogers is rather sexy," she finish the sentence biting her lower lip, and his cheeks turned as red as the Chianti wine they're drinking. She can't stop laughing.
Rubbing the back of his neck, Steve is as ashamed as pleased. They're having a great time together and nothing went unnoticed by him. How easily distracted she was gazing at him, and how her heartbeat jumped every time he praised her. He wasn't playing any games or aiming to seduce her. Always honest, he was trying to show his feelings, as open as possible, but in his sweet, charming way. Once more she is in his arms, but this time she's happy. Knowing what he wants, he won't miss the chance.
"Well, he gets the girl," he replies, nervously – she's too special.
Feeling the unexpected intensity of his words, Natasha gasps for an instant, before warning, "She can kill him."
That's it. He loves to see her on top of her game. Smiling widely, he kisses her hand gently, and confesses, "He really likes her." Wearing his heart on his sleeve, he asks the only question that matters, "Does she like him?"
Surprisingly, the Black Widow is speechless and Natasha Romanoff is astonished. The master seductress finds herself trapped by the irresistible old fashioned sincerity of Steve Rogers.
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Next movie: Puncture (2011)
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Ref: Fanfiction: Paperwork by Kirixchi – Colonel Rogers.
Ref: Chris Evans Comic-Con 2013 interview: "That Black Widow suit slips on and off pretty easily." (1:58 – youtube /watch?v=J3bxQOReOk0)
Ref: The Losers: elevator scene (youtube /watch?v=eqQpRZxapIg), best of Jensen (youtube/watch?v=g4NsB6eDQeM) & Chris Evans (1:29 – youtube/watch?v=agg4riV-LMs)
P.S. This chapter (originally posted in August, 2013) was revised and rewritten in June, 2014, (from 2590 to 2710 words).