"You are off the clock kid, lunchtime" Tony said, taking his glasses off and rubbing his eyes.

"Two seconds I just want to finish this one bit". Tony smiled.

"Two seconds means two hours to you" he softly took the electro pen out of her hand and set it down on the desk.

"You can finish it tomorrow" she pouted.

"That look might work on Steve but not on me sweetheart. Go on, get out of here. I think Nat was saying something about cooking chilli for lunch"

"Natasha can cook? Are you sure she's not trying to poison us"

"You know she's a deadly assassin right and will kill you in your sleep if she hears you"

"Well then you better keep your mouth shut" she smiled and waltzed out of the room up to the kitchen.

"Smells good Nat" she said as she walked into the kitchen.

"You want some?" Katarina shook her head, reaching for the half opened soup in the fridge.

"Oh no, me and this soup have a lunch date in my bedroom to catch up on Netflix"

"I thought Bruce said you could move onto something a bit more solid now"

"Has he spoken to my body about that, because I tried to eat a cookie yesterday and I think my body thought i'd injected it with poison" she laughed as she put the bowl in the microwave but wiped the smile off her face when she saw Natasha's unimpressed expression.

"How about you save me some of that Chilli for dinner and i'll give it a go tonight, maybe a cookie wasn't the right thing to start with". She watched as Natasha's shoulders relaxed.

"Sure" The microwave dinged, easing the tension.

"See you later Nat" Katarina exited the room as quickly as she could, holding the burning hot bowl with her jumper sleeve. She stopped outside her room, looking at the slightly ajar door across from her. She hadn't seen Loki since Steve had carried her in there that night. She put the soup down by her door and gently knocked, the door creaking open as her knuckles connected.

"Come in" she heard his silky voice, sending shivers up her spine. She stepped into the room and watched his face light up when he saw who it was.

"Hello Princess, come to visit me at last" he said from the bed, where he was propped up. Fully clothed this time. She hovered in the doorway.

"How are you?" she asked slowly moving towards him.

"Better" he said, she smiled.

"And how are you?" his eyes flicked over her drinking in every angle of her.

"Better". Silence lingered for a moment.

"Thank you, for, for saving me" she managed to stutter out.

"Think nothing of it". She studied him, the corners of her mouth twitching.

"You look different" she mused, perching herself on the edge of his bed, he cocked his head in response as if he expected her to continue the thought process but she didn't.

"Has anyone bought you any entertainment?" she asked looking around the bare room. He shook his head, she scowled; remembering how angry Steve had been at his presence in the compound.

"Do you know what Netflix is?" he shook his head again.

"Have you ever watched any um mortal television". He laughed.

"No, never". She smiled.

"I'll be right back" she told him, jumping up from where she'd been sitting and headed back to her room, stepping over the now cold soup and retrieving a tablet from her bedside table. She re-entered his room and boldly settled herself next to him on the bed.

"You are either going to love this or hate it" she said, opening up the app and showing him all the different genres. To her surprise he thoroughly enjoyed reality TV shows, she settled back in the pillows and closed her eyes as he started another episode of Real Housewives. She only meant to let herself sleep for a few minutes but when she woke up the room was dark and Loki lay next to her, his eyes closed, her head on his shoulder.

"Katarina, you need to come down for dinner," she heard Tony call.

"Shit" she whispered as she slid out of the bed, trying not to wake Loki in the process; quietly she closed the door behind her, picking up the soup bowl from the floor and dashing into her room, tipping its contents down the toilet and flushing it away.

"Hey, Katarina did you hear Tony" Steve was at her door as she came out of the bathroom.

"Yeah sorry, just woke up" she said putting the bowl on her desk.

"You alright?" he asked, in one stride he was next to her, his arm around her waist concern filling his eyes. She nodded.

"Yeah course I am" she eased herself out of his arms.

"So we've got to go on a mission early in the morning so we're having takeaway Friday tonight, you want in?" he said sitting on her bed.

"I promised Natasha, i'd have some chilli tonight"

"Well if you were supposed to have the bowl that was in the fridge with your name on it, Tony already ate that, so I guess you'll have to join us for pizza"

"Woe is me" she forced a smile.

"You'll stay tonight though won't you" she said looking out at him from under her dark lashes.

"I promise, you'll just have to wake up alone i'm afraid" he said, taking her hand as they left for dinner.

"How long will you be gone?"

"Not too long" he kissed her

"Can't leave my girl too long can I" she blushed and followed him down into the lounge.

The lounge was chaos, pizza boxes everywhere, bottles of beer scattered on the new coffee table. The football on the television, Katarina sat in between Steve and Tony forcing herself to stay present. Enjoying the company whilst it lasted, she knew before long the whole place would be quiet just her and her thoughts. And Loki. She smiled to herself. Leaning back on the sofa she felt Steve's arm around her and she nestled in. He kissed her on the top of her head and went back to his conversation with Clint who was passionately waving a bottle of beer around. The clock ticked slowly round and Tony was ordering people to bed before the big mission. Steve followed here upstairs, their hands intertwined.

"4am Steve" Natasha said as she went into her room. He mock saluted her and followed Katarina into the room that had very quickly become both of theirs. He watched from the bathroom door as she took her make up off. He loved watching how much time she took to get herself ready for bed, all the little rituals she went through. Carefully he wrapped his arms around her from behind, laying kisses on her neck. She giggled, playfully batting him away as she rubbed in moisturiser. She twirled round in his arms landing a kiss on his lips. He lifted her into his arms and she wrapped her legs around, deepening the kiss. Steve whisked her off to the bed carefully laying her down. She looked up at him almost angelically, her hair fanning around her on the pillow, lips swollen from the kiss.

"I love you Katarina" he whispered.

"I love you too". Their lips crashing together again as they became a mess of limbs entwined with each other. She fell asleep in his arms that look of euphoria that he loved so much plastered across her face.

"I love you" he whispered again into her hair. Knowing he wouldn't hold her like that for possibly weeks. His alarm went without him getting a wink of sleep and he left her still smiling in her sleep to get ready for the mission.