Chapter 18- Sparring Session

*Natasha's Point of View*

His blue eyes sparkled as he approached me, my heart quickened. My eyes were drawn to his chest, covered by a thin piece of white material, a white tank top. He looked almost surprised to see me, I don't blame him. I can guarantee he knows my past, he knows what I'm like and he probably had an idea that I may have ran, given my first interaction with him. It wasn't even an interaction! It was our eyes locking and me running for my apartment! If you can call that running. I fell down the stairs, he made me weak! I don't really know what to feel about that yet.

"Oh, your early! Hi! Sorry I'm a bit late. Bucky and Sam came over and it's a pain to get them out of the apartment once their settled!" He laughed, he stood directly in front of me. My eyes were level with his muscular shoulders... Shit I'm staring! Reply! Now!"Hi, it's fine! I'm early anyways. I got Clint and Wanda to give me a lift." I smiled, holy crap I'm smiling with someone I have only spoke to a few times!"Do you wanna head in?" He suggested, indicating to the glass door I've been standing beside for 20 minutes. I nod, still smiling. Stop Smiling!

He went straight to the bench and took off his trainers, as I did. We sat next to each other in silence, untying shoe laces. The smell of aftershave wandered up to my nose, that is some powerful aftershave. It smells... really nice! Clint's aftershave smells like a skunk in a dump. Not good. Steve's smells really good... stop smelling him Natasha!

Eventually, both of us had taken off our shoes and socks and had made our way over to the mats. He desperately searches for a conversation starter that can break the ice. "So, I've seen you fight aliens. I wanna know how good you are with humans." Steve's body structure changes somehow. His shoulders rise to his head and his knees bend, his back arched. It's so obvious he's preparing to attack. "I heard your a soldier. I suppose you've never done spy work?" I mock him, his eyebrows furrow so I take the chance to attack.

He's clearly a better fighter on his feet so I decipher that his legs are the best place to aim. I charged at his legs, his expression changes as he notices my attack but he's too slow to block it. "Your a spy?!" He moans as he face-plants the mat. I stand over him, walking around him to mock him."I thought that was obvious?" I raise my eyebrows. Steve's hand reaches out and stops me in my path, inevitably sending me tumbling to the ground. He laughs as I face-plant the mat, next to him. "Not as obvious as you think." His fists act as stabilizers, pushing him up so he sits on his feet, on his knees. "I'm surprised. You obviously haven't read it well then? Or your just shit at reading." I laugh, rolling over on to my back and I sit up, beside him. "Language. And what have I read?" He furrows his eyebrows, it's cute. "Your kidding? My file! Everyone's read my file!" I laugh harder, tightening my ponytail. "I'm not everybody." He chuckles, dimples appear and I can not stop smiling. He brings himself back to his feet and holds out a hand for me. I furrow my eyebrows, still grinning. How has he not read my file? Everyone has! He has to have read my file! Do I take the hand? Do I take his help? I've never had this issue before, you don't take the hand because they'll use it as a way to overpower you. So, why is it different now? I chose to do what I always do and kick the hand away, turning myself to get to my usual height.

"There is no way you haven't read my file." I say, smugly, my hands attached to my hips. "Well, there is." He laughs. "Okay then..." I charge at him again but this time it stays at hand to hand combat. Blocking punches and giving them. Neither of us get punched, at all. "Where... did... I... grow up?" I squeeze, between punches. "I... don't... know." He said back, seeming unphased by the amount of punches I have thrown. "You've gotta know... that one!" I slide a punch into his ribs and he clenched them, grunting. "I'm telling you, I... don't!" I face-plant the mat once again. His foot slid under me, causing me to fall. "You are Mr Righteous, aren't you?" I cough, laughing through it which didn't help my situation. How has he not read my file?"I refuse to read anyone's file. If they want to tell me about their past they say it in person. I'm some old guy to you," okay, just because he is in his 90's, doesn't mean that he looks bad. "I want you to tell me when your ready, when you feel like you can trust me. I'll wait." He. Just. Said. He. Would. Wait. For. Me. Holy Fuck. He almost gave me a heartache! He wants to wait with me? Does he like me? Is Clint right? But most men like me, I never expected Captain America to like me. He won't when he finds out about my past.

"Now. Where were we?" He laughed.

We sparred for at least an hour, talking about how we fight, our fighting styles mostly. We spoke about lots of things, Clint, Bucky, Wanda, Sam, Tony, our relationships with them, how he is adjusting to everyday life etc. This is the first sparring session with a... would I call him a friend? Is it a friendship? Is it more? I want more but I can't have more. A crush is the best word, a petty crush, one that I'm hoping will go away. Anyway, this is the first sparring session with, let's call him a friend, that I've had the opportunity to talk about my relationships with the other Avengers and how we both are similar. He takes my breath away! Literally speaking! This is also the first session where I'm going to walk away with a bruise! Our fighting styles are quite similar.

We had knocked eachother down quite a lot, I didn't keep count. I didn't really care. It was quite even.

"Come on! Stop daydreaming!" I shouted, kicking him in the back of leg, sending him toppling over on to the ground. He snapped out of his daze and pulled me down with him, I spun in the air until my back hit the mat. "I have quick reflexes." He smiled, smugly.

I began to pull myself up but I was stopped when Steve sat on top of me and grabbed my arms. He was smiling but his smile was fading. His Ocean blue eyes searched my green ones. I got lost in those eyes, again. My heart quickened and so did my breathing. It's a repeat. It's a repeat. It's a repeat of what happened when I first saw him! His eyes! That's weird feeling! The butterflies and being frozen still like a statue, unable to break eye contact. I have to break I contact. I can't do this again, Clint will kill me.

"I... I've gotta go." I push myself as Steve stops and furrows his eyebrows, he looks worried, almost like a lost puppy, he gets up and helps me up. I've got to go before I stay. I can't get too close to something I can't have. I can't. "Nat, are you okay?" "Yeah, Yeah, Yeah I'm fine. I just forgot..." I NEED AN EXCUSE "I have to meet Clint at 6." Saved it. I rush over to my shoes and pick them up, unable to stop and put them on. "I-" "I'll see you on the mission." I interrupt him, heading straight for the door. "See you then." He says quietly, still standing on the mat. I swing open the door and head for the stairs.

I ran for ages, tears free-falling down my cheeks. I saw a sign that said 26th Floor and I stopped running. I pushed the door open and ran down the hallway. I heard the voice of none other than Tony Stark walk this way. He is just going to go tell Fury if he sees me in floods of tears! I'm going to have to go to counselling! I can't do that again. A tall brown door that said Supplies was to the left of me. Without a second to spare, I opened the door and ran inside, shutting it behind me. The room was empty, nothing but a few old filing Cabinets and a few old SHIELD uniforms in the corner. One of the filing Cabinets was pulled forward so I hid behind it.

I cried. I cried and cried. I let myself go. This Supply room was to become my safe place, my hiding place. When feelings get too much, I can come here. I can cry in here and no one would know as there are zero cameras in the supply rooms, there aren't cameras in the hallways either, thankfully.

I am safe in here. It's not the best place to hide but it stops me from having to face Fury because I had a mental breakdown.

I come in here when my mask is damaged and feelings begin to show.

I'll leave the room when I can build the mask back up.

End of Sparring session