CHAPTER 3
Natasha introduced herself politely to James and kept a few words. Strangled by the way she looked at Steve, she was more introverted than usual. Was this what Rumlow had said? If so, she should be the one to get angry, not him. Why did he look at her like he was planning a crime? Natasha thought she might feel threatened by the new one. But Steve had never cared about competition and was not a risk to their friendship. Why was there so much reproach in his face? She did not know or care, she said irritably. She hadn't liked to confirm that Steve did not hold her looking in high esteem, but she had no intention of letting it notice.
A few days later, Natasha was as she always was. James had won everyone with his charm, becoming one more. Although she noticed that she didn't treat her like everyone else, she did not care. It was the first time that anyone did not think she was Steve's girlfriend. It was just that. But what brought her crazy was the behavior of Steve. In the last few days he had not spent more than an hour with them. He would always sit down and after any talk he would just get up and leave without the slightest explanation. Besides that he was never in his house when she went to see him. Or so his stepmother said. And worst of all, he had become more involved than sensibly allowed with Sharon. It was clear that something was wrong. And she would find out when they were alone. In those moments they were surrounded by people and it was not the right place.
Steve looked at the group, irritated. Again Natasha was sitting next to James. They chatted again excitedly. To smile as if they were alone. He couldn't bear to see them. He had to get out of there. So he got up and without saying a word went cursing under his breath.
Natasha had been watching him and barely heard what James was telling her, so she smiled at him not to get angry. When Steve left, she apologized and followed.
"Steve!" She called after him. Steve stopped when he heard her and looked at her tenderly as she came up to him and hugged him by the waist. "Shall we have some coffee? Since you've been dating, you don't want to know anything about anyone." Natasha protested, dragging him along.
"That's not true!" Steve denied and plant himself in the ground if they were carrying him against his will. But he was happy to have her back so close. Caring about him. Just him "Sharon is not my girlfriend. I don't have any girlfriend." He said effusively.
"Well, then you've been avoiding me," Natasha said angrily. "Every time I came to see you, you were not there. And with the boys, so there was only one option left: Sharon. If you have not been with any girl these days why haven't you been around?
Because he could not bear to see her with that vulture hovering around waiting for her to fall into his claws, Steve wanted to shout at her. But he did not say that, but tried to dissimulate talking about how busy he was with the new semester. They walked and talked as they used to. And Steve regained self-confidence. Natasha was still his Tasha. Not that he wanted anything more from her than her friendship, but he did not like to think he could lose her. And he had to admit that he did not like sharing her either. He was a jealous friend, but only a friend.
"And you?" Steve asked, avoiding his gaze. "How have you been these days?" He didn't wanted to know, he thought. Why had he asked? Now she would tell him about James's love and did not want to hear it!
"Well," replied Natasha, reluctantly, "as always!"
Steve knew she was very reserved. In so many years she had never spoken of any feelings or attractions to any boy. But he couldn't help but smile with pure happiness at not seeing her excited and jumping for joy for this guy, as they all have done. She probably was interested. Surely she would be dying for him to herself. But all that didn't matter, because if she didn't say it wasn't real. As long as she did not admit that she felt something for another ... for someone, he rectified himself, he would not consider that feeling existed.
"And what do you think about James?" Why on earth would he asked her that? Steve didn't want to know, didn't want to! But he waited impatiently for the answer.
"Bucky? Well, it's ... ahm." She stopped to look at him and smile. "It reminds me of you."
"Me?" Steve growled angrily. There was nothing that could have offended him more.
"A born leader, who wins everyone with his charm, that makes the girls sigh with a smile and sweeping and completely ... " Natasha paused to sneer her tongue "arrogant. Just like an exact clone of you."
"Do you also sigh for his smiles?" Steve asked, full of fear.
"I do not sigh for yours, why would I do it for him?" replied Natasha
The answer should have hurt him in his self-esteem, but he was relieved. Natasha was still one of the boys. There was no danger of her becoming a fragile, infatuated little girl. She was still the girl who made him escape at night to teach her how to fight. With the same tail and huge eyes that would always be attentive to anything but the sensibility of other women.
"I think he may be interested in you." said Steve expressionlessly. He did not care anymore. She was not interested, so it did not matter that she knew. "He said he wanted me to introduce you, that you looked very pretty."
"Oh!" And that's when he told her she was ugly, Natasha thought." That would explain why he always mysteriously ends up sitting next to me even though we don't sit down at once." She explained, smiling. How strange that she hadn't noticed. But she had never had to think about men like that when she was with her friends. It had not been the case that a man was interested in her, with such pints. And she had to admit that the boy was handsome. But she had already made up her mind, she would not be involved again with another man, when she hadn't yet got rid of the last. But this was not the job. She could not get in trouble here. No, nothing was better not to think about men until she graduated and her life recomposed itself a little.
"Well, that seems to look like me, too," Steve teased. "Does he want to replace me?" He mocks her.
"The two of you are playboys but you don't resemble anything, in the way of being. You are spontaneous, chatty and loving. And he is more reserved, intellectual and charismatic."
"Hey!" Steve frowned. "He has taken the best adjectives."
"Well, you're more of a clown. Although ... " Natasha broke off remembering the image of the young man and biting her lip she continued "he has a better ass."
Steve did not like that remark. Not only the fact that she admired more the butt of another than his own, but that she had fixed herself on that part of the body. He did not like it when sometimes, very seldom, she showed signs of being a woman. That was what irritated him, men did not praise the backs of other men. And she was like a friend to him. He was not jealous, or even less worried that she might be attracted to James. He simply did not like to hear it, he asserted himself rudely. But ... what would she think of his ass? He cursed himself by the uncontrolled thoughts and returned to the conversation trying to joke.
"I have everything else better!"
Natasha bit her tongue so as not to say "Get naked and check it out." Steve was used to being shameless, direct and ill-bred but never with her, not like that. He would think that it is a hint or some stupidity of a cockerel, and Steve already had a high self-esteem and she wasn´t going to make it higher.
"If you say it!" Natasha said almost in a whisper, looking at the sky. "I suppose it's a matter of taste. You guys are physically opposed. One blond, with blue eyes and manly features. And the other ... " She smirked. She knew she shouldn't do it but she knew that would annoy her arrogant friend. "Brunnette, with beautiful eyes..." she sighed "strong ..." she bit her lip as if the image on her head caused her feverish. "and that baby face so cute."
No, he definitely did not like to hear it when she spoke like a woman. He did not like her to speak of such a loving way of a guy, for whom she supposedly did not feel anything. He did not like her sighing like a hollow. And what he certainly did not like was the way she bit her lip and smiled in such a lustful way that he himself felt like an apprentice willing to let himself be taught. "Oh come on! Just kidding! I'm not a little girl who sighs for any boy for a simple smile." I'd have to give him more than that, Natasha thought, though she doesn't doubt that James could give it to her.
Steve wore a smile and continued to endure the taunts of Natasha. But it was not the idea that she was one more girl who was dazzled by a model to use, which made him fall in shock. It was not the idea that she could be drawn to James by what took his breath away. What made all his nerve endings awake was her suggestive smile and the glint of mischief in her eyes. He could not look at her face without imagining her biting her lip again. He was twisted and perverse, he reproached himself. He could not see his best friend like that. His little sister.
Steve had given Bucky a chance and they had been doing things together for weeks. Fortunately for Steve, Natasha was almost gone. He did not like the idea of his best friend barely showing signs of life, but he still liked it less how he had behaved as a result of James's approach to her. But that was not what he dreamed of every night. Every damn night he dreamed over and over again with that rapturous smile. How could she never have smiled to him like that? And why was he looking at that now? He should not be thinking about those things. She was his friend, he loved her and he had no attraction for her. And if he felt it, which was not the case, it was immediately told, there were millions of women who turn him on much more than she did.
James had noticed that Steve was somewhat distant at first and felt that he could feel threatened, because of this he decided not to ask questions and just wait. Now it seemed he had waited long enough and had enough confidence to ask.
"Hey, why did you disappear so much a few weeks ago?" James worried. "I understand that you always spent time with the boys. Everyone was very worried."
"I had things to do. We all disappear from time to time." Steve said.
He could not tell him it was his fault. And now it sounded absurd to say that he was jealous. He could misunderstand. He felt nothing for Natasha in the sexual sense. He was jealous as a friend. He feared to lose her. That he would take his place. Or worse, she changed her way of being and became helpless romantic and seeing life pink. He could not stand to see his Tasha like that.
James did not understand Steve's successful turnaround, to change the conversation and helped him, unwittingly, to change the thread of the conversation.
"It's Natasha's turn now. Do you know what's wrong?" Bucky asked casually.
"Work. I don't know what or why, but she told me she was having hard time at work. I do not know any more!" replied Steve, expressionless.
"It seems weird. They all say that you are the best friends, inseparable, and I have never seen you two together. It's curious." James said.
The incessant interest of James for Natasha began to irritate Steve. He had convinced himself that she did not feel anything for him, but now he knew what he thought of her. He knew he liked her when he first saw her, but they never talked about it again. And if he insisted on her it could be dangerous. She could give in. And if she didn't do it, it was his duty as a friend, Steve told himself, to take the persistent men off her.
"Do you like Nat?" Steve asked spontaneously, with unfathomable expression. James was surprised by this accusation, which was how he had taken it and was simply sincere.
"I think she has the face of an angel. But I am more of girls with devil's body. You understand me." James said, smiling. "She's a good girl. She is one of those who fall in love with her innocence, but not with someone like me. I go the bad and hot girls!" he explained, drawing the figure of a voluptuous woman with his hands.
Relief mingled with irritation in the bowels of Steve. It was great to know that he was not interested and did not care that he said she was not the kind of girl he was looking at, since Steve looked exactly at the same type of lush women. But he did not like to know that he could be the target of men in love who falls in love with her innocence? Natasha? Not at all! No such thing could be said about the girl who explained to him where the children came from, when she was only five years old. And with terms that would scandalize the greatest of the beggars.
"Natasha is not a naive little girl. Although ... " Steve broke off to burst out laughing, " she may be in this aspect. She is very intelligent and strong but not feminine. It's not that she does not know the theory, " he said, bursting with more laughter," she doesn't have any practice."
"Natasha is too proud to admit that there is something she doesn't know. That's why she avoids those issues." said James, encouraging his friend's argument.
They continued to drink a few beers and shortly after they left to finish the afternoon together. James had to pick up some papers from the office and Steve returned home. But they both stayed on the spot when they saw a brunette walking distractedly towards them. Steve recognized her at the moment and just as it passed besides them, he stopped her.
"Hello!" said Steve, smiling at her, and went on quickly, noting that she was going to continue her way, not paying any attention to him. "I am Steve, Natasha's friend. You're friends, right?
"Oh! The famous Steve" answered Wanda, grinding them with a smile. "Yes, we are friends. My name is Wanda."
"I'm Steve. Although I already said it." He reproached himself for his stubborn nervousness. "He's Bucky a friend."
"James?" she asked, looking up and down.
"Yes," he answered, smiling. "Did Natasha told you about me?"
Steve didn't like the situation. Wanda's beauty disappeared from his priorities the moment he realized that Natasha had told her about James. He did not know what annoyed him more if Natasha was interested in James, that she had lied to him, or that she had more confidence with that girl, than to tell her such things. Would she go to him to talk about men? Would there be many more than he would have heard of? And why the hell didn't she told him? He wondered irritably once more.
"Natasha tells me about all her friends," Wanda explained, trying to disguise her nervousness quite successfully.
"Oh, wow! I was excited." James teased, smiling.
"Oh." Like everyone! Wanda told herself. "I have to go. There's a lot of work and if I don't appear soon Natasha would kill me." She hastened to escape.
"Wait!" Steve commanded, taking her by the arms. "Do you work together?"
"Ahm! ... I ..." Wanda swallow loudly.
"Steve!" cried James "You're scaring her!"
"I'm sorry!" Steve apologized softly.
"It doesn't matter," said Wanda, running from the place. "I have to go!" she shouted from the corner.
Steve seemed very suspicious of the girl's behavior. But he had no reason to worry. If it was strange that both could work together. Natasha was supposed to work babysitting children. And it was clear that this girl would not approach a child unless he was in charge of carrying the bags of her shopping. But there was nothing macabre about it. Even if they were hiding something, it could not be very important. But why did his friend hide things from him? Why did she trust that girl and not him? Asked Steve himself again. That Wanda was beginning to feel bad enough.
"Pretty girl," James said, pulling him out of his thoughts. "Too nervous."
"She hides something!" said Steve.
"It's clear," James said. "Shall we follow her?" he asked without caring.
"Yes," replied Steve with a casual gesture. They looked at each other, smiled, and ran after her.
Soon they passed the road that Wanda had traveled. They saw her enter the service area of a local, and were perplexed to see where it was. "The ritual" What did she do there? She had said something about Natasha. Steve thought immediately that they were going to meet, but it was impossible that this was the place of they encounter. All this was beginning to be the strangest thing, and he would discover the motive.
Author's note
Hey! i hope you guys like it! thank you everyone who's reading!
i don´t own anything, marvel does!