You know what Steve's shirt is made of? Boyfriend material

Chapter 14

She met May and Hill for drinks after a long day of paper work. This was the one side of her job that she couldn't stand. She had to write reports and check the reports of others. She spent the whole day in her office and was in desperate need of a drink. She hadn't been going for drinks after work with Melinda and Maria for some time now. She was actually looking forward to it. Steve wasn't in town and she wanted to use the time to work on herself. She wanted to be more normal for him. Going for drinks with co-workers was something normal women did, right? After she slept in Steve's arm and never felt so much at peace before, she couldn't quiet the voice in her anymore that yelled at her to get together with Steve. A better person would let him go so he could find someone worthy of his affection but she was too selfish for that. She wanted him, she wanted the full dating experience with him. She thought telling him about Liho would push him away but he just hold her and let her sleep. She was working on building up her courage to ask him out, she still wasn't sure if he felt the same way. What if he was just nice to her because it was in his nature and not because he had romantic feelings for her? She was thinking about asking May and Hill about their dating experience but she wasn't sure if that was a good idea- they never talked about stuff like that before. She didn't plan on giving out Steve's name but she knew that May would connect the dots and she couldn't have that. So she dropped the idea and talked with them about missions and politics.

Steve sent her a text that he was in London to celebrate the American-British friendship and that he found a book store that he would love to show her someday. He knew how much she loved books and her heart fluttered by the fact that he thought about her. That meant he was into her right? God, she felt like a goddamn teenager having her first crush. She knew how to read people but she couldn't tell if Steve's attraction to her was more than just physical. She loved him and she wanted him to love her back, no matter how wrong that was.

She didn't know how it happened or when but she caught the flu. She didn't think she was ever sick before not that she could remember. She had a water-down version of Steve's serum running through her veins that gave her a high pain tolerance and made her faster and more agil than the average person but she still wasn't anywhere near Steve's level of enhancement. Yet she was sure that she couldn't catch something as dumb as a fucking flu. She never called in sick for work but she had to, her fever was way too high for her to be driving somewhere.

She didn't want to call Sitwell and Coulson wasn't her handler anymore. So she dialed Hill's number.

"Hill?" She picked up after the second ring.

"Romanoff here. I can't come to work for a few days." She coughed out.

"I thought you couldn't get sick."

"Apparently I can." She just wanted to sleep for a week.

"Do you need anything? Do you have a doctor?" Maybe her fever was causing her hallucinations but Hill actually sounded worried.

"I just need sleep."

"Okay, get well soon."

Natasha hang up and pulled the blankets over her head again. A few hours later the annoying ringing woke her up. She answered without checking who called.

"What?" She groaned into her phone. She was feeling way too hot and kicked her blanket off but she was too weak and she was still covered.

"It's me, Steve."

Wasn't he still in London? Why was he calling, she wanted to sleep!

"I just got back and Hill told me you were sick. I thought you just wanted a day off but you don't sound so good."

"No shit, Sherlock." She creaked out and he chuckled.

"Do you need anything? I can get you medicine from the infirmary. Do you have a fever?"

"I..." She didn't want anyone to fuss over her. No, that wasn't true. She wanted Steve to fuss over her. "Yes, I have a fever."

"Okay, I'll get you something for it. I can be at your place in an hour." She could hear hesitation in his voice. Why? Right, he didn't have her adress. No one did.

"Natasha, I know you're very private but could you tell me where you live?"

She was weighing her options. If she couldn't trust Steve, she couldn't trust anyone and she should trust him. If she wanted Steve to be her boyfriend one day, he should know where she lived. She coughed her adress out and Steve promised to be there soon.

She wanted to go back to sleep but she remembered that she had to hide the drawings and gifts Cooper and Lila made for her. Clint's family wasn't her secret to share. She got out of bed and every muscle in her body hurt. God, having the flu sucked! She collected everything and hid it in her safe. The innocent drawings were a strong contrast to the guns and money she hid there. She didn't have the strength to walk back to her bed and just plopped down on the couch. No one besides Clint was ever in this apartment and if she wasn't so sick she would have probably been excited that Steve would come over. God, the guy she was in love with was coming over and she looked like a mess. Her hair was tangled and her face was red and sweaty. She wore a huge SHIELD sweater, some old sweatpants and some fuzzy socks Laura taught her how to knit. The girls in the romcoms she watched always looked cute when their dream guy dropped by. She didn't look desirable at all.

She brushed her hair with her fingers and put it as a messy bun on her head. The bath was to far away (why did she buy such a big apartment) for her weak legs and so she washed her face in the kitchen sink. She found a chapstick in one of her purses in the hallway and applied it to her lips. The doorbell rang. Did it honestly take her a fucking hour for hiding the drawings and making her look as decent as currently possible? She hated being sick!

She stumbled to the door and Steve smiled brightly at her. Ugh, why did he have to look so good in his jeans and leather jacket? He was caring two shopping bags, what was going on?

"Hey, Nat." He walked into her apartment when she moved to the side to let him in.

"Hi" Good, her throat hurt so much. She was trained to withstand torture but this flu gave her the rest. Thank god she already had a will and everything she owned would go to the Bartons.

"I got you medicine from SHIELD and went to the supermarket. I got everything I could think of that you could need." He gave her his stupid dopey smile again.

"Thanks." She said hoarsly and walked back to the couch. She pointed in the direction of the kitchen. "Just leave the bags in the kitchen and I'll deal with it later."

Steve looked like she just said something dumb. "I'm not going anywhere. I bought everything I need to make you my ma's chicken soup. It helped me countless times and I'm sure it will make you feel better."

He wanted to stay? He shouldn't but she wanted him to stay. "Okay, thank you."

"It's not like I can catch what you have." He winked and walked to her kitchen. He came back a few minutes later and gave her pills and some syrup.

"You have to take the pills every three hours and the syrup every five." He explained and she nodded. He touched her forehead with his hand. "Oh, Nat you're burning up." His hand was warm but against her hot skin it still felt cool and she couldn't stop the moan that left her mouth. Steve blushed and she almost wanted to giggle but she wasn't the type for that.

"Um, I'll go make the soup." He got up and disappeared into her kitchen. She could hear him opening cupboards and drawers but she soon fell asleep.

Steve woke her up with the pills and a glass of water in his hands. She took it and thanked him. He didn't leave her after he made the soup but stayed with her. She hid her grin behind the glass.

"Do you want some soup?" He took the glass from her when she was finished and placed it on her coffee table next to a bottle of water. She didn't put that there, he did.

"Yes, please." She wasn't really hungry but she knew she needed to eat. And Steve made her soup! Jesus, he was turning her into a fifteen year old girl.

"Okay." He got up and came back with a spoon, bowl and bread. She couldn't smell good because of her stuffed nose but what what she could smell, smelled delicious. She sat up on the couch and placed a pillow on her lap. Steve placed the bowl there and gave her the spoon.

"Thank you, Steve. That's very sweet of you." She smiled and tasted it. "Mm, it's really good! Don't you wanna eat some?"

"Can you even taste anything with your flu?" He laughed and sat down on her armchair. "Nah, I'm good."

It took some time until she finished her soup and Steve stayed by her side the whole time and told her about his trip to London. "That reminds me, I have something for you." He got up and walked to the kitchen and came back with something wrapped in fancy paper. "Here" He took her empty bowl and gave her the gift.

"You didn't have to bring me anything, Steve!"

"I know but when I saw it, I had to get it for you."

She got curious and unwrapped her gift. It was a book. Her breath got caught, Steve got her a first edition of Murder on the Orient Express. She opened it and it was even signed by Agatha Christie. That couldn't have been cheap.

"Steve, I can't accept this!"

"Of course you can." He smiled sheepishly and her heart was hammering against her rip cage. She hoped he couldn't hear it with his enhanced hearing.

"Thank you so much." She smiled back and started to have problems to keep her eyes open. Steve took the book out of her hands and pulled a blanket over her.

"Get some sleep, doll."

"Okay." She mumbled and then she was gone.

She vaguely remembered that Steve woke her up for her syrup and then later for her pills. This time she woke up because she needed to pee. She wasn't on the couch anymore but was in her bed. She didn't remember going to bed. The blinds were half closed and she could see that it was dark outside. She looked at the clock, it was 1:04 am. Did she say goodbye to Steve and thanked him again before he left?

She felt a bit better and went to the bathroom. She was washing her hands when she heard a knock on the bathroom door. She went to get her gun hidden under the sink but left it there when she heard Steve's voice. "You okay, Nat? Do you need anything?"

He was still here? She opened the door and Steve greeted her with a smile. He touched her forehead again. "You feel less hot but let's check to be sure." He suddenly pressed a therometer gently into her ear and checked her temperature. She didn't own one, he must have bought one for her. God, he was so perfect.

He checked the display and looked satisfied. "Your temperature is sinking." He took her hands and led her back to the bed. "Can I get you anything?"

She shook her head and crawled back under the blankets. "Thank you for staying here."

"You don't have to thank me. There's no place I'd rather be." He kissed her forehead and left her bedroom. She never got a forehead kiss before, it was very nice.

Steve came back later to give her her medicine and kissed her forehead again before he left the room. She could really get used to this. Having someone taking care of her. Having Steve taking care of her.

She woke up around 8 the next morning and she felt like her fever was gone. She was still weak and sore but she felt like the worse was over. She walked out of her bedroom and heard her front door close. Did Steve just leave? Without saying goodbye? She was sad but he already did more than enough for her. She walked to the living room from which she could see the hallway and Steve was still here. He placed her keys back into her bowl on the dresser and had a shopping bag shouldered.

"Morning." He greeted her with a smile when he saw her. "I borrowed your keys. I hope that was okay. You didn't have much for breakfast. I got you oatmeal. It's easier to eat when you got a sore throat."

He spent the day looking over her and then got her more food. She was overflowing with her love for him. "Thank you, Steve."

"Sit down, I'll make you breakfast. How are you feeling?" He pulled a Vogue and a few other magazines out of his bag. "I didn't know if you read these but I thought I should get you something light to read."

She already had the newest issue of Vogue but he didn't need to know that. "Thanks. You're so sweet to me." Steve blushed and left her alone with her magazines.

She was just reading an article about microblading your eyebrows when Steve came back into the living room with a tablet with a bowl, orange juice and flowers on it. He placed the tablet on her lap and then went back to get his own breakfast. The oatmeal was really good, he put nuts, fruits and cinnamon in it.

They ate in silence and she couldn't help but lick her spoon. "A girl could get used to all this pampering." She teased and he blushed.

"Well, maybe I want you to get used to it." He said back and now it was her turn to blush. Was he flirting with her?

"I have to get back to SHIELD soon."Steve informed her and it made her sad. She gotten so used to his presence in her apartment.

"I wanted to ask you something." Steve played with his spoon and seemed nervous.

"Shoot."

"Um, Sam has this thing next week in New York. It's this event for Veterans with dinner and cocktails and everything. And he asked me if I wanted to come. And I hoped you would come as well."

She wanted to go but not as his friend. If he turned her down, she could blame it on her flu and play his rejection down. Apparently she was silent for too long because Steve told her that she should just forget it.

"I'll go with you." She said and his whole face lit up. "But under one condition."

"Shoot."

"I want to go as your date." There she said it. She prepared herself for his rejection because she still couldn't believe he might feel the same.

He beamed at that and she was hopeful. "I would love that. I didn't have the guts to ask you officially out." He admitted and now she smiled at him.

"So it's a date, Rogers."

"Yeah, it is."

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