just a breeze past some angst this time out, I promise. lots of teasing and timely quips.

enjoy!

"You sure you don't want to add in some obstacle courses too? Go back to your army roots?" Natasha teased as she flicked through the last of their planned training sessions for the next month.

Steve shot her a look and waited for her to look up to see it. She did after just a second and then grinned widely, apparently not put off by him being unimpressed. Not that he was surprised, she'd never been all that deferential to his feelings when it came to teasing. Though he knew she did it in good fun and wouldn't ever cross the line.

"I'm sure Tony would let us buy some rope to set up—"

"Alright, that's enough," he interrupted with a slightly exasperated look and a tilt of his head. "These team sessions are fine. I think they'll hit on everyone's areas to improve and give them a chance to highlight their skills too so they don't get dejected."

"So thoughtful," Nat tutted with teasing in her tone, but he heard the approval there too. He wondered if she'd ever been trained by someone who'd given a damn about her well-being. He supposed that chances were slim to none during her time in the Red Room. Maybe at SHIELD though. "We'll take turns running the one-on-one combat training sessions," she continued more seriously.

He nodded in agreement. "I think Rhodey and Sam have a pretty good grasp on individual workouts in terms of cardio and strength training, but Wanda may need some guidance."

"Between the two of us, we'll have it covered. Besides, I suspect Sam will probably offer to train with her too. And realistically he's probably the best of all of us to tackle that. Wanda's already a little intimidated by both of us."

"Yeah, you're probably right," he agreed with a thoughtful nod. His expression shifted slightly in discomfort though; he wasn't a fan of having his teammates feel uncomfortable around him because of his strength.

"She'll come around," Nat soothed, having easily sussed out the cause of his worry. "Once she remembers she can take all of us out with a flick of her wrist, she'll be fine," she continued, smirking at the end of her statement to drive home the playful intent of her words.

Steve offered a small smile. "I'm sure you helping her learn to control her magic will help. As she gets better at that, it'll probably ease some of her anxiety about her more traditional fitness."

His expression shifted then as he realized that while Nat was an expert in fighting techniques and had proven to be adept at helping Wanda with her control, these really weren't necessarily her real areas of expertise. She was, after all, a spy.

"What is it?" Nat asked as she tilted her head.

"Nothin'," he replied with a dismissive shake of his head.

Nat rolled her eyes. "You're not as subtle as you think you are, Rogers. I can see the question rolling around your brain. What is it?"

He sighed. She was too damn perceptive sometimes. "This world...it's different than what you used to do for SHIELD. It's less espionage, more fighting."

"You trying to tell me I can't fight?" she teased with an arched brow.

"I would never. Not after you so elegantly put me in my place over and over again when you started training me."

"So what's your point?" she countered with a smile.

"I just wondered…" he trailed off, uncertain how to explain his train of thought.

She let him sit with an awkward silence as he fumbled for how to finish his thought before she decided to put him out of his misery. "If I'm comfortable in this world of truth rather than lies?"

He winced at her words. It surprised him — and he realized immediately it shouldn't have — that she'd honed in on his real question. "Well, when you say it like that it sounds awful."

She was quiet for a beat, her expression thoughtful. "I was a spy because that's what the Red Room trained me to be. I was an agent because that's what SHIELD needed me to be. My life has always necessitated a certain level of anonymity and operating in that grey area people like to avoid."

"And now?" he prompted with a raise of his eyebrows and a bob of his head.

"Now most of my secrets are laid bare to the world. Espionage becomes difficult when the world knows your face and a whole lot about you."

"You could have stayed off the grid. You did after SHIELD fell. Why'd you come back?"

She levelled him with a hard stare, though her expression was neutral and he wondered if his question had offended her. "I know I'm just a spy and not a super soldier like you, but I thought my talents might be useful in retrieving an object that caused quite a bit of chaos in New York and had the potential for causing more catastrophic events. I figured an extra pair of somewhat capable hands would be welcomed."

"I didn't mean to imply you weren't— Of course we need you, I just—" he stumbled over his words clumsily as he rushed to reassure her of her value to the team. He certainly hadn't meant to imply she wasn't worthy of a spot as a leader of the Avengers.

"You what?" she replied with that same slightly infuriating neutral expression.

"Stop it," he chided when he spotted her smirk beginning to spread.

Her smirk only grew wider. "Can't help it. You walk right into these things."

"Nat," he admonished with a sigh. He really should be better at reading her by now. How he managed to keep falling for these things...

"Look," she said, her tone still light as she shifted back onto the more serious topic, "I know I'm just a regular human being. I don't have super strength or impressive tech, or lineage from the gods, but I know I contribute to the team. My ego is not so fragile that it's threatened by comments contrary to that. But to answer your question directly, I came back because I lost the place I had with SHIELD and needed to land somewhere. I'd much rather that be here with you all than freelancing questionable jobs with little to no impact."

He held her gaze for a beat before he responded. "Well, I'm glad you're back. No one I'd rather have at my side."

She rolled her eyes. "Lay it on a little thicker, Rogers."

"Just telling it like it is, Romanoff. You think I could handle hand-to-hand combat training by myself? Or helping Wanda with her control?"

"You don't give yourself enough credit."

"You don't give yourself enough credit, Nat."

"How did this become about my ego? I told you, I don't need—"

"I don't care. I'm telling you, I'm glad you're here, and the team is better off for it."

"Are we done now? Or do I have to reaffirm that you belong here too?" she quipped, her tone a mix of snarky and amused. "Because the uplifting speech thing is yours, not mine."

"You know what, Romanoff?" he warned.

"I mean, I know I couldn't do a Steve Rogers speech, but I'm sure I could come up with something…"

"Fine, forget I said anything."

"No, you already said it. Can't take it back now."

"So, I've got some ideas for other collaborative drills we can incorporate after this month," he replied, stubbornly trying to get them back on topic.

"I'm sure I could come up with a little something that's at least mildly motivational," she continued, evidently choosing to ignore his efforts at changing the subject.

"We could get Wanda involved with her powers a little. She could use the confidence boost, I think," he continued stubbornly.

"A man out of time, but who-"

"Okay, that's enough," he said while reaching over to flick her on the arm.

She looked down in faux shock at his actions before looking up and arching an eyebrow in a silent question...or a warning. He tilted his head in a challenge that he almost immediately regretted because getting into a war with Natasha Romanoff was not wise. He'd heard the stories from Clint about prank wars she'd been involved in at SHIELD.

"Whoa, are mom and dad fighting?"

They both looked up and found Sam at the door, a bemused expression on his face.

"You need something?" Nat drawled, kicking her feet up on the desk as she shot Sam a look that Steve couldn't quite describe, but somehow fit between a look of warning and amusement. For his part, Steve shot her a look of disapproval before reaching forward to tap on her boots and gesture for her to remove them from his desk.

"Uh, yeah, I mean no, not really," Sam said, eyes glued to Steve's action and then watching for Nat's reaction. She held Steve's gaze for a moment before acquiescing and sliding her feet off the desk. "Rhodey and I were gonna watch a movie. Wanted to know if you two wanted to join us."

"What're you watching?" Nat asked.

"Dunno yet."

She shrugged. "I'm in, so long as it's not boring."

"I look like I watch boring movies to you, Romanoff?"

Steve smiled at Sam's quip. He was starting to relax a bit around Nat, who admittedly did keep her walls up around most people. By Steve's estimation, it wouldn't be long until the two of them were teasing him in tandem.

"Well, your Netflix watch history is questionable at best."

Sam blinked. "What? Why are you looking at my Netflix watch history?"

"What better way to get to know a person?" she quipped with one of her trademark smirks.

"Nah, you didn't actually. No way," he said while shaking his head.

Steve eyed Nat, knowing there was a strong possibility she had gotten into his Netflix account, but there was also a strong possibility she was bluffing. She had, after all, once told him she only acted like she knew everything.

Sam cracked, apparently admitting his doubt was incorrectly placed. "Boundaries, woman. Boundaries!"

"Be happy it wasn't your full browser history I looked at," she quipped with another amused look toward Sam, whose eyebrows shot up immediately at the suggestion.

"I'm in," Steve said, getting them back on track. "We ordering something in for dinner?"

"Yeah, some barbeque place Rhodey swears by. I have doubts though. No way there's good barbeque this far north. I haven't found any in DC, that's for sure. "

"If he's talking about Nana L's, it's legit. Rivals some of the best ribs and brisket I've had from North Carolina and Louisiana," Nat replied.

"You've been to Louisiana?" Sam said in surprise.

"Been all over the US. Did a few ops for SHIELD a few years back in and around New Orleans. Haven't been for quite a while though."

"If we're ever out that way for Avengers stuff, I'll arrange some food from my family. Believe me, the Wilsons can cook."

"I'm holding you to that," Nat said with a grin. "Know anyone who can make a good beignet?"

Steve's eyes lit up, recognizing the word and seizing a way back into the conversation. "Donuts?"

"Beignets," Sam and Nat corrected him in unison.

"Sorry," he said, holding up his hands in apology. "Didn't know there was a difference."

"Oh, c'mon now," Sam exclaimed. "Natasha, we have to go to New Orleans now."

She grinned. "I actually do have some contacts there that might prove useful in tracking down more of that Chitauri weaponry that somehow escaped New York."

"Oh, now we're talkin'," Sam said while nodding enthusiastically.

"I send you in here to check with them for dinner and you disappear. What gives?" Rhodey asked as he appeared in the doorway.

"His fault," Sam accused, pointing at Steve, "he didn't know what a beignet was."

"You've never had a beignet? Man's coming up on a century and he's never had a beignet. That's no way to live, Steve," Rhodey said seriously with a shake of his head. "Now let's go. Vision doesn't eat, and Maximoff said she isn't hungry, so it's just us. We gotta get that order in before they sell out. I'm gonna head out. Text me the orders, yeah?"

"Nah, no way. I gotta see this place. I'm coming with," Sam protested.

"Fine, but text me your orders, okay?" Rhodey said, shooting a glance at Natasha, who nodded.

"Here," Natasha said, tossing a clipped wad of bills — Steve wasn't entirely sure where she'd had that on her — to Rhodey, "my treat. Tip Nana well, okay? And say hi from me."

"Thanks, boss," Sam quipped and Rhodey shot him an unimpressed look.

"Copy that," Rhodey said with a nod before shoving Sam lightly to get him moving. "Text me," he reminded as they made their way down the hall to the elevator.

"So, you and Rhodey get along well," Steve said before frowning as he realized her feet had made their way up onto the desk again. How had he not noticed her doing that?

"We've known each other awhile."

"Right, you met him while undercover with Tony, right?" She nodded. "You being undercover wasn't a problem for him after he found out?"

"I hacked back into his suit and stopped his suit from killing his best friend. Don't think he could really object at that point," she replied dryly with a shrug.

"I suppose not," he agreed. "You know...Sam's a good guy."

She arched an eyebrow. "You trying to set me up with a co-worker, Rogers?"

"What? No. I just mean he's a good guy. You don't need to be so…"

"Bitchy?" she supplied.

He tilted his head and frowned in disappointment at her choice of words. "Closed off."

"I don't know him that well. I know he's a good guy, but I don't know him." She paused then, and Steve sensed she might say more if he stayed quiet, so he didn't press. "It just takes longer for me to open up to people."

He nodded understandingly. "I'm not pressuring, just saying he's a good guy."

"Yeah," she said dryly, "you mentioned that. Quit meddling, old man."

"Alright, alright. So, what should I be ordering?"

"Well, ribs, for sure. Probably some brisket too. Actually, probably best to just order a little of everything."

"Everything?"

"Well, if you haven't had good barbeque, you have to sample a bit of everything."

He chuckled. "Fair point."

"Besides, have I steered you wrong before food-wise?"

"No, I suppose you haven't," he admitted.

She grinned. "See! Trust me, Cap, you're gonna love it."

this one was originally much more angsty (yeah, no one's surprised by this, I know LOL), but I decided to lean more into the light-hearted side of things.
as always, any/all comments are appreciated.

more to come...