xrcmanova:

“Steve Rogers did you buy yourself a
car because Barton, Stark and I are all
disasters?”

She shrugged, winced, and then lifted
her shoulder in a half shrug.

"Would that make you feel better about
the pseudo-midlife crisis you seem to
be going through? Alright. Ha. Ha. Ha.”

"It might’ve been a factor I played in my
head when I considered the car in the first
place. But, it wasn’t the only reason, I’ve
been listening to a lot of music, stuff Sam has
been lending me. It’s easier to do that in a car.”

The Captain noticed her wince and looked at her
with a disapproving expression, "Really, Natasha?
Keep your arm down, alright?”

He offered a smirk after, “Can I help you into the
passenger seat?”

xrcmanova:

“An American and a Russian teaming up
to fight evil. There’s a Cold War joke in there,
I know it.”

She let out a small laugh of her own, looking
around the parking lot curiously.

"Do you actually own a car?”

“Well, I traded in the motorcycle.”

Steve motioned toward the modest
sedan, clearly proud of his choice.

“Bought American too.”

xrcmanova:

“I was actually gonna go with something more
to the effect that you’d make a good stepping
stool and you’re a good influence on my moral
compass, but I like your idea better.” She offered
a triumphant grin to a passing nurse to let her
know that she was escaping from the hospital,
and then snorted at Steve’s next comment.

Saying that Steve wasn’t a terrible liar was like
saying that Robin Williams was still funny.

"Did you actually have a choice in what color
they made your suit though? And your still a
shitty liar—” Natasha reached up, patting him
on the shoulder. “But don’t worry, your secret
thing for redheads is safe with me.”

"Stepping stool, huh? Well, I dunno about that but I
can definitely do the moral compass things, on a
good day.” Steve watched her little smirk at the
nurse, of course Natasha would brag to the poor
nurse just trying to do her job. As unpredictable as
she was on the field, off the clock, Natasha was like
this all the time.

He chuckled a bit, looking up to Natasha as she
assured keeping his type to herself. Well, his type
was a bit more specific than just redhead, but that
was besides the point.

"See? We’re already sharing secrets.”

xrcmanova:

“Specially for me. Having a super soldier for
a super secret ‘bestie’ probably has serious
advantages that I haven’t thought about. All
we have to do is work on your lying capabilities,
and then you’ll be perfect.”

She tipped her head back and laughed at the
quip. “I hope you like crocheted beanies, home
made doilies and canasta as well, because that’s
what you’d be looking at.”

"It’s my job to know people. And you’re just predictable.”
There was a knowing look on her face as she
leaned over, gently bumping Steve’s arm with her
good shoulder. “It’s red, isn’t it? You don’t have to
say yes, but even if you don’t say anything you
kinda give the answer away.”

“You never know when you’ll find that jar of
jam that just won’t open. I have my uses.” He
can’t help himself, laughing about dating an
elderly woman was terrible, he had friends
in nursing homes. Still, better to laugh than to
try and come up with some mock offense.

She bumped into him and gave him the same
line from the last awkward question she’d asked.
Steve knew he was caught, he made no qualms
about it either, better to put it out there. Maybe
her never-ending quest to put some poor woman
in his bed would end. With his lack of finesse, it
was for the better.

"Possibly. How ‘bout that? My suit is mostly blue,
so hey, maybe I’m not as bad a liar as you make
me out to be.”

xrcmanova:

“Yeah, because you were here and I figured
that getting you to drive me home would be
better than me scaling the side of the building
one handed and then catching the bus.”

She grinned teasingly, taking the jacket and sliding
the left arm very gingerly up to her shoulder and
then hooking her right arm into the other sleeve with
only a wrinkling of her nose as the movement jostled
her shoulder. And then she turned, gave Steve a
suspicious look.

"So the Star Spangled Man cooks. You know,
Sharon probably wouldn’t mind a good meal. Or
there’s Carly from R&D, she’s real nice.”

"Well, I’m going to drive you, just not to your
place. So, you got half of what you wanted. Not
bad if you ask me.”

Steve resisted the urge to baby Natasha and help her
put the jacket on. He knew she’d just as soon give him
a swift kick somewhere unpleasant than allow him to
coddle. Instead, he decided to address the redhead’s
need to give him romantic advice.

“I thought we were over this, setting me up with Agents
who were babysitting me, or R&D girls who take samples
of my blood on a weekly basis. Besides, blondes aren’t
my type, Natasha.”

A tiny little glint of wickedness flashed across the Captain’s
features as he began to walk toward the door.

xrcmanova:

“This, coming from Captain America? Hypocrisy at
it’s finest, I’ll say.”

She’d liked Spongebob because she didn’t have to
think too hard to understand it, and, at the time, her
English had been good but not amazing. Scooby Doo
had been nice too, but Spongebob was hours of
mindless entertainment without the need for a comprehensive
plotline, and she had still been entertained by the
voices and the animations when all of the dialogue
had gone straight over her head.

Natasha nods to the doctor in lieu of a verbal thanks,
and slides slowly off the counter, careful not to jar
her busted shoulder too much. And then she gives
Steve a look, because…really?

"Seriously?”

Oh if looks could kill. Steve would’ve died twice.
The Captain was completely serious though, he
couldn’t in good conscious let his friend wander
around with a messed up soldier and reckless
attitude.

“Seriously.”

It was one night, anyway, what would the harm
be? Steve was sure that she’d give him what he
wanted. Taking a moment to think of how he’d
make his point, Steve cleared his throat.

"Look at how gingerly you’re treating your arm.
If I let you go on your own, you’ll be back here
getting a sling fitted. C'mon Natasha when’s the
last time you let someone fix you a plate of
something good?

xrcmanova:

She wasn’t sure what she’d been expecting,
but Rogers showing up, for whatever reason,
isn’t one of those things. Still, she gives him a
practically trademarked ‘Natasha Romanoff’ smile,
with the corners of her mouth just barely tipping
upwards, and her eyes lighting up at the terrible
joke.

“Spongebob Squarepants was  one of my favorite
shows when I first joined SHIELD,” she admits,
turning her eyes down to the doctor at Steve’s proposition.

She gives the poor doctor a blank gaze, one that
promises a whole lot if she doesn’t get her way,
and the doctor merely looks up at her for a moment
before his eyes go wide and his head jerks in a brief
nod.

Natasha nods in  return, triumphantly, and looks
back to Steve. “I’m good. Grab my jacket?”

“Hell of a name, Spongebob Squarepants.”

Steve missed the good old cartoons, Mickey Mouse
and Popeye. Those were cartoons. Everything he’d
seen since thawing was just so, noisy and too odd
for him. Refocusing, Cap’s mind returns to the room
as Natasha’s finished threatening the poor physician
with a look.

Flashing an apologetic gaze to the man only trying to
do his job, Steve goes to take Natasha’s jackets off the
rack for her.

                     “On one condition.”

He knows how dangerous it is to trick the Black Widow.
It’s worth the risk, maybe.

“You let me keep an eye on you till I’m satisfied you
won’t do anything, y'know, you-like.”

xrcmanova

She’s sitting stock-still, her face pale, but stoic,
as the doctor presses butterfly bandages across
the back of her left shoulder. She doesn’t like doctors,
never has and never will, and normally this would be
the kind of thing that Natasha would try to patch up
herself, but she’s out of bandages and she can’t walk
through a drugstore covered in blood.

Her gaze casts up briefly as the swing of the door
echoes in hollow ears. “You coming to bust me outta
here?”

When he hears she’s in the hospital, of course
he’s there. After being in the foxhole with the
spy, he’d jump out of a plane for her. Steve has
a look of amusement on his face when she asks
if he’ll get her out.

“I brought bandages with the little Japanese cat
that wears a bow. Thought you’d appreciate them
more than the sponge in pants.”

Obviously he’s amused by his own jokes, even
if his references aren’t on point. The Captain
waits a moment before making a bargain.

“If you’re good to go, I’ll get you out.”