valuedstrength | missing scenes

Leverage and speed are on her side though he's much bigger and stronger - which tends to be her whole schtick really, but it's challenging. He isn't as strong as even the strongest men she's faced, maybe more like three put together. She can keep her hold, but not forever, and she's already anticipating hitting the mat. Nat makes sure she's at least facing the other way so when he does toss her off, she'll hit her back and not her front, and on the way down she manages to slam her elbow hard into his ribcage.

That elbow bites more than the other two hits. His hand goes over it as he takes a second to breathe it out. God knows he's had worse hits just by existing in a broken body, but still that doesn't lessen the sting. Steve smiles at her, stepping forward to hold out his free hand to give Natasha a lift up. "That was amazing."

Sometimes, she gets so caught up in these things she forgets it isn't life or death. That hand being offered to him is met with a raised eyebrow even as she takes it, briefly considering flipping him, but if he considers this match over then she supposes she can let it go this once. Natasha pulls herself up with his strength, breast heaving laboriously as she finally plants her feet on the ground, coming up much closer to him than she calculated.

"Any time you want a rematch... come find me." Nat winks just to really seal in the cheese. He needs to stop smiling like that or she won't be able to hold hers back.

He's got that pleased puppy smile even as she stands close to him. That wink only seals the fact that Steve likes her because wow is she something. "Deal. I think you might be the best fighter I've ever faced." It's not empty praise coming from him even if HYDRA wasn't exactly producing master fighters. Steve realizes that he'd be an idiot to just leave this at a vague line exchange.

He decides to push his luck. "Think we can plan it? I could learn a lot more from you. If you're not busy." Big if but, he has to try.

"Thanks?" She could make a joke about him being inexperienced here, but something holds her tongue. Maybe it's just how disgustingly earnest he is, though it's probably more to do with how fond she is of him already. Natasha can't help it, she laughs at his follow-up, rushing to explain so he doesn't think she's laughing at the idea of doing this again. "You want to plan me kicking your ass again?" She's definitely not opposed.

Steve chuckles with her. He holds up both hands briefly. "If you don't mind." He's having fun. There hasn't been an absence of that in the moment he isn't completely overwhelmed. That doesn't make Steve treasure it any less. "I like to learn new things. Besides, how else am I going to keep up with two knights in shining armor?" Take pity on him. :( He's a total imposter like all 20-somethings!!!!

Her lips twitch at that description of Tony and Rhodey, and though she usually holds things like this close to the vest, she decides to admit something.

"That's kind of why I'm here. To see if you fellas have an empty slot on the team." So maybe Steve could put in a good word for her, wink wink nudge nudge.

His brow furrows together at the answer. Steve is actually surprised she didn't make the team before him. Natasha clearly has what it takes and then some. What really kicks him is this: "You usually break into Tony's house when you want to ask him something?" He has to know.

"Well..." God, she's weird, isn't she? It's times like these she realizes no matter how much training she's had fitting in with society, when left to her own devices she'll never quite be normal. Then again, weren't Tony and Steve freaks in their own way? She'd thought, in a flash of genius, that she could belong easier with them than SHIELD. Maybe that was foolish. "I thought it might impress him."

The admission catches even her off guard, but something about Steve makes her honest. She looks into his eyes again, heart beating fast as she realizes she hasn't put any distance between them in the past few seconds.

"You impressed me for what it's worth." Steve meets her eyes. That starry-eyed appreciation for what she can do has faded enough for him to take a step back. His heart picks up, but he is determined to power through it. "I think if he saw what you did a minute ago, he'd have to be an idiot not to want you with us." He tacks on playfully, "Maybe stop hacking JARVIS? He is on the team too. Usually a bad idea to tick off the guy who takes care of comms and research in my experience." Not that he was the guy. He sure watched others fall into that trap. Don't be like them, Nat!!

O-oh. For some reason. she wasn't expecting such a straightforward compliment though she feels she really should have. Her judgment really is clouded, and her cheeks heat up in a way she hopes isn't overly apparent. His follow-up has her laughing, thankfully.

"You even defend the honor of artificial intelligence. So noble." Natasha has a hard time keeping a straight face even after the laughter has subsided, lips twitching as her gaze finally relaxes some. She could see herself confiding in Steve, and that's a scary thought, not just because they literally just met either.

He doesn't quite see it because it is contagious. Steve visibly reddens at her joke. He doesn't know when he got so flustered. Something about her is just... bright. It makes him a little unsteady. "He's a good guy. Great company." Steve chuckles softly. "And you could be too if you're still interested in coming on. I think we could make a good team." He wonders if it's too soon to say that. He doesn't know her. The words escape him regardless.

Nat smiles, not sure which she finds more endearing: his assessment of JARVIS or of them as teammates. She sobers soon after, folding her arms across her chest as if to remind herself to keep some distance.

"Yeah, well, it's not up to you, right? And Stark doesn't really have any reason to be kind to me." It never occurs to her that this is a team in a real sense of the word: that they all get equal say in what happens. At SHIELD and every place before that in her life, she followed orders. She thought she was going straight by signing up with them, but now she isn't so sure. "I'm kind of the reason Fury didn't let him on the Avengers." If Steve even knows about any of that.

He looks confused both by the shift and the assumption. Steve takes a look around as something hits him. He is basically crashing on a rich man's couch. That does skew the power dynamics a little. Steve is fairly confident that a favor really is a favor with Tony. This isn't Stark's way of making him do what he wants unless what he wants is a guy to fight crime and hang out with his AI all day.

"Oh... it's not like that." He shakes his head. "I still get an equal vote on the team even while I'm on his couch." He shrugs bashfully. Obviously he isn't on the literal couch. She knows what he means!! Probably. This is his first time really hearing about the Avengers so he's not sure if that's big or not. "If he's still holding a grudge, we'll know when we talk to him about it."

Vote? She looks confused by the idea even while slowly nodding her understanding. So if she's got one vote in the pocket, she has a 50/50 shot of getting into their little club. Is that really why she came here? She's starting to doubt herself.

"Can I..." Nat trails off, about to ask him for something when she realizes she can just get it herself. She spins on her heel and goes to step back into her boots, pulling them up before inclining her head back towards the kitchen. "I'm getting some water."

It's said before Steve thinks she's just taking off, more consideration that she would otherwise give most anyone. She makes her way back down the hall and starts chugging a bottle, her mind working over the possibilities. Can she really leave SHIELD? Does she want to?

He's left staring after her. It takes a considerable amount of restraint not to follow after Natasha like a lost puppy. "Maybe that was too much." Steve murmurs mostly to himself. He feels like he scared her off. Once again he has to fight off that impulse to chase after Natasha.

Steve can only do what he would have done if she never showed up: drop to plank position and do some one-armed push ups for a while. Totally an-extra way to pass the time while someone else has a crisis.

She almost just bails once she finishes her water bottle. She probably should, quit while she's ahead, at least for the night. But something inspires her to grab another water and head back down the hall on silent feet. Nat stops when she sees the position he's in, leaning back against the door jamb to watch him shamelessly. She's glad she didn't leave yet now, waiting for him to quit before offering the bottle she brought.

It only takes a couple more minutes to finish his set. Steve hops back to his feet gracefully.
That cool demeanor is gone once he realizes Natasha is there. Blue eyes widen with a shock. He always hears people coming. This really is a first.

"Sorry about that." Steve quickly apologizes before crossing over to take the water. "Thanks." He goes to chug some, making some effort not to look at her. It's hard to keep his gaze off her when he's so curious about what could be going through Nat's mind right now.

Natasha lifts an eyebrow, folding her arms as he takes the water and watching him openly all over again.

"I'm not," she admits, lips twitching as he struggles not to make eye contact. "And you're welcome. You looked... thirsty."

As with everything else she says, there's an edge of suggestion there if he chooses to pick up on it. She'll be just as happy with her quip if he doesn't engage, which is what she fully expects at this point.

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