AN: Fair warning, I'm trying to show a softer side to Natasha, the side that she keeps buried deep under all her kick-ass skills and serious demeanor. So she's probably going to seem out of character. I was writing this when I should have been doing homework and I think it's the longest I've written yet.

Chapter Six: Feelings

~After discussing what they had seen in the kitchen, Clint and Natasha decide that they need to help move things along a bit~

Natasha and Clint wait in the hallway outside the kitchen for Steve and Anna to finish breakfast. As soon as the two best friends walk out of the kitchen they find themselves blocked from going elsewhere by the two master assassins.

"Hey guys, something going on?" Anna asks suspiciously.

"Director Fury believes that the Captain needs to spend some time with other members of the team." Natasha states in her 'business' tone, her face and eyes serious.

"I'm assuming this means that I'm going to spend the day with you while Clint and Steve have some 'male bonding' time, during which Clint will likely attempt to teach poor Steve how to flirt with women." Anna responds in a resigned tone before looking up at Steve's awkward expression.

"Have you showed him the Xbox yet?" Clint questions causing Steve to furrow his brows in confusion.

"Have fun boys." Natasha encourages before grabbing Anna's arm and dragging her upstairs. Once they reach Anna's room the redhead assassin rushes inside and quickly kicks the door shut.

"What is going on Tasha? Fury told Steve he would let him do things on his own time." The redhead narrows her eyes at Anna before dragging her over to the bed so that they can sit down.

"Clint and I saw you two in the kitchen last night."

"So? We were just talking Tasha."

"Really because it seemed like you couldn't get enough of each other. You can't wait forever for him to make the first move. I think you should tell him."

"And how do I go about that Tasha? Just go up to him and say 'hey Steve I know you've been on ice for almost seventy years and you have a lot of things that you need to sort out but I think you should know that I'm madly in love with you and have been pretty much all my life!' I can't really do that now can I? How do you tell your best friend who has been frozen in the Arctic for almost seventy years, who fought in a war with your brother and saw him die while blaming himself, who is probably still in love with someone else, that the entire time he was gone you kept dreaming that someday he would come back and see that you're in love with him. How do you tell him that the reason that you've barely been out with any guys is because you know that none of them could ever compare to him? I can't do that to him, he needs time to adjust to everything that's changed while he was gone, not something else to think about." Anna rants as tears fall from her eyes. Her friend sighs before wrapping an arm around her shoulders and pulling her into a hug.

"You don't see it do you? The way that his eyes light up when he sees you, the way that he will do anything to make you smile and laugh. He would do anything for you." Natasha informs her with a small, knowing smile.

"He's my best friend. He just likes knowing that I'm happy." Anna denies, too afraid to get her hopes up only to have them crushed later. Natasha huffs in annoyance and proceeds to spend the next two hours trying to convince Anna of Steve's feelings for her.

~Meanwhile what Steve and Clint were doing~

"So, what's going on between you and Anna?" Clint asks as he leans against the wall.

"What do you mean?"

"We saw you two in the kitchen last night, looked like you were having a good time." Steve shrugs.

"We're friends we were talking about what it was like growing up and fun memories of her brother."

Clint shakes his head and scoffs before pushing himself off of the wall and nodding toward the stairs.

"Follow me, I wanna show you something."

Steve raises an eyebrow but obediently follows Clint up the stairs to Clint's room. After entering the room Clint checks the hallway before closing the door and walking to the desk. He opens a laptop and turns it out, fiddling with it for a minute before stepping away from the desk.

"Sit." He commands with a nod toward the desk chair.

Steve sits and realizes that the screen is displaying the girls talking in Anna's room. He looks over his shoulder at the archer before glancing back at the screen and moving to stand.

"I don't think we should spy on the girls."

"Just sit down and pay attention." Clint replies before reaching over and turning up the volume.

"…on ice for almost seventy years and you have a lot of things that you need to sort out but I think you should know that I'm madly in love with you and have been pretty much all my life!' I can't really do that now can I? How do you tell your best friend who has been frozen in the Arctic for almost seventy years, who fought in a war with your brother and saw him die while blaming himself, who is probably still in love with someone else, that the entire time he was gone you kept dreaming that someday he would come back and see that you're in love with him. How do you tell him that the reason that you've barely been out with any guys is because you know that none of them could ever compare to him? I can't do that to him, he needs time to adjust to everything that's changed while he was gone, not something else to think about." Anna's voice comes through the speakers, sounding broken and Steve notices that she is crying.

Steve's eyes go wide as he watches Anna confess her love for him to her friend. He feels his heart beat racing as he hears the two women talk about her love for him and how he acts when she's around. When it reaches the point that Natasha is trying to convince Anna that he has feelings for her, Clint reaches out and closes the program before closing the laptop.

"As cheesy as it sounds, your whole face lights up when you see her." Steve's face turns a bit red at this and he quickly stands up.

"I need to go think, you can tag along if you want." Steve states somewhat calmly, everyone knew by now that his way of thinking was to beat on a punching bag. Clint simply nods and follows Steve out of his room and down to the gym that Anna had set up for him.

"Are you okay man?" Clint questions, hoping that the plan didn't backfire.

"I'll be alright, I just need some time. I need to talk to Anna later." Steve assures his friend as they enter the gym.

Steve goes to his usual punching bag and puts on his hand wraps before punching away. Clint observes him for a moment, contemplating whether or not he should voice his thoughts about the obvious feelings between Anna and Steve.

"Do you know what you're going to do? I mean, I may not have known Anna for as long as you have, but she's a good friend and a great girl. I just don't want to see her get hurt."

"I don't know. I mean don't get me wrong here, I care about her and I always have, but now I'm starting to realize just how much and I want to keep her safe. I don't want her to get hurt and I don't know if I can be what she needs me to be. I'm just starting to get used to everything and I just don't want to mess things up with her. And then when she told me about Stark I started realizing that there are other guys out there that can see how beautiful she is and what a great dame- I mean woman that she is and I started thinking that I need to do something, because I want to take a chance with her, but I don't know if I can give her everything that she needs right now. I probably sound like a sap now don't I?" Steve rambles.

Clint starts to shake his head in response to Steve's question, but can't contain himself and busts out laughing. Steve joins in soon after.

"Just a bit." Clint replies once he can control his laughter.

Steve smiles and nods, "I can't help the way I feel."

"I'm sure it will work out."

The two man look up when they hear the door open and close and see a nervous Anna and a serious Natasha. As soon as Steve sees Anna he smiles and starts removing his hand wraps.

"We'll just leave you two to talk then." Natasha says before grabbing Clint's arm and leading him away.

Anna slowly walks over to Steve just as he finishes removing the hand wraps and sets them aside. He notices how red her eyes are and gently cups her face in his hands.

"You okay Angel? You look like you've been crying again."

"I'll be fine, I just had to get some things off my chest and Natasha could tell. I'm okay now though." Anna whispers. Steve nods before leaning closer.

"I want to try something, just relax okay?" Steve says softly and when she nods in approval he leans even closer and she tenses up a bit.

"Relax, don't be scared."

Anna takes a deep breath before closing her eyes and relaxing. Steve leans in to close the gap between their lips, his nose gently bumping hers before his lips meet hers in a cautious closed mouth kiss. At first the two remain still, but after a moment Anna puts more into the kiss, pressing her lips more forcefully against his. Steve responds shyly at first but soon grows more confident as their lips move together in sync. Letting his instincts take over he moves one hand from her face to her hip and pulls her closer causing her to gasp and press herself closer. After a few moments both begin to realize that they should probably pull away but neither wants to lose the spark that they are feeling. Knowing that they need to breathe sometime soon Steve slowly pulls away, which seems to leave Anna dissatisfied judging by the fact that she simply reaches up and buries her fingers in his hair before yanking him back, causing him to chuckle softly into the kiss.

When they finally manage to pull away she is breathing somewhat heavily and her eyes are half closed. Steve is slightly less breathless and more shocked at what he had just done, but more importantly at how she had responded. Anna quickly looks up at him before letting her eyes drift closed and resting her head on his chest.

AN: Thought it was about time I had Steve and Anna kiss. Hope you like because I've never had a first kiss and had to ask for a friend's advice on what to do for…most of the chapter actually. So yeah, thanks to Melody because without her approval you would not be getting this chapter. Review if you want, I'm not sure about the next update due to school, but never fear, I shall not abandon this story.