I owe you

After the battle

Steve's POV

After the avengers had fought Loki in New York, everyone went their own way. Thor went to Asgard, Clint went home to his family, Bruce went on a trip I think. I'm not truly sure of his location, he likes to be by himself. Tony was spending all his time with Pepper and ran his company together. Well, mostly Pepper to be honest. But I stayed here, at the avengers base, to train the new avengers. And I had Natasha to help me.
It's strange how much you get to know someone just by being in a war together. But Natasha isn't the type that opens up easily and talks about things. If you want her friendship, you'll have to fight for it. I respect that.
In the beginning, when I first met her, I thought she was kind of rude and cold. But I've realised its only a facade to keep everyone out. It's smart but doesn't work at all times.
I know and I've seen the good in her. She saved so many people in this battle and she didn't even care about her own life. She's a true hero.
I looked over at the corner of the room. Natasha was talking to Wanda. They've gotten kind of close after Pietro's death.  I really don't know why or how they found each other that quickly. I guess it's because of Clint. He took good care of Wanda and her brother. And since Clint and Natasha are practically one person, the friendship Clint and Wanda created had an impact on Natasha.
My thought were interrupted as Natasha turned her head and caught me staring. I quickly faced the boxing bag in front of me and started to punch it again. But I knew Natasha had seen me. I could see her smirking but she didn't walk to me to my relief. She's always making me nervous. It's annoying.

When I didn't have the energy to keep working out or well to be honest, the courage to stay in the same room as Natasha for too long, I went to my room to take a shower.
Tony had announced a party at his and Peppers place tonight for all the avengers. New and old meat. And of course, a lot of other people as well.
I thought it would be nice. A great chance to meet everyone again and catch up. It's been a while since the battle and I sure missed Tony's stupid comments and Natasha's threats to kill him after he'd make them.

I went to the party a little earlier. I usually don't like to much crowd or being in the centre. And I hate standing in lines so a little early suits me best. When I got to their place, I would say house but it's a freaking building, I was greeted first by Pepper then Tony. I came right before the place got crowded and it would have been hard to see anything at all if I would have been in my normal length. You know, before the super solider serum thing.
"What do you think?" Tony asked. Pepper looked at me with eyes that said 'please choose my side'.
"Well, I think this building is high enough and I actually have to agree with Pepper. I mean, why do you even need more rooms? You have like six empty ones." I said smiling and received a bigger smile from Pepper.
"Thank you." Pepper said and Tony furrowed his eyebrows.
"Or you could just build another tower." Clint said as he walked towards us. Pepper looked at him with disgust.
"That, my friend, is and excellent idea!" Tony said happily as he greeted Clint with a hug. Pepper just shock her head.
"I hope he's a little drunk already and won't remember this tomorrow." She said and I laughed.
I went over to the bar to get a drink. Not that it changed me or anything, but because everyone else had one in their hands.
"A beer please." I said to the bartender as I sat down on a chair.
"It must suck to always be sober." Said a voice that was hard to forget and I was greeted by Natasha. She was sitting on the chair next to me with her usual smirk put perfectly on her perfect face. I smiled.
"Well, yeah." I said and she took a sip of her drink. "Sometimes it can be of use but most of the times, it sucks."
She chuckled a little.
"Well, I'll tell you that my life would be very different if I had always stayed sober." She said. I got my beer from the bartender and took a sip.
"Do you think Tony really missed us or do you think it was an excuse for Pepper to allow him another party?" I asked and Natasha laughed.
"Oh definitely an excuse. He didn't even wish me welcome." She said.
"I don't think he's seen you yet." I said.
"Really? Well he's been looking at me four times now and he still hasn't come over." She said and I was surprised to see Tony's eyes on us when I looked back. She knew he was watching even with her back towards him.
"Well, then he's using the excuse." I said chuckling. I looked at Natasha who was focusing on Clint on the other side of the room. She tried to get his attention. She was wearing a blue dress with open back, black high heels and her red hair was put on one side of her neck. It was curled and fell beautifully down shoulder.
Clint finally saw Natasha and came our way.
"Hey idiot." He said to Natasha.
"Hi asshole." Natasha said and Clint took his arm around her, as a little but not to obvious, hug.
"Cap." He said and nodded to me and smiled. I smiled back.
"Any perverts or hot dudes tonight?" He asked Natasha. "Well except for me and Steve." Clint added.
"No, I think you two are the only perverts in the room actually." Natasha said smirking. Before Clint could comment her joke she opened her mouth again. "I thought of starting a competition. I'll pick a guy and we'll see if he's nice or well, a pervert." Natasha said and Clint agreed enthusiastically.
I just shock my head at their silliness but didn't take my eyes of their little game.
"What about that guy?" Clint said pointing at some dude.
"Oh he's a pervert. He proved that when I stepped my foot inside this room." Natasha said and told Clint to pick again.
"That one." Clint said and pointed.
"Clint, that's Tony and we already know what he is." Natasha said laughing. I joined.
Clint finally managed to pick a brown haired guy and Natasha went over to him. I turned to Clint.
"You guys do this often?" I asked and Clint laughed.
"Don't worry captain, his isn't about her finding someone to sleep with, we just enjoy getting to slap stupid people." He said laughing.
"Well, who doesn't? I've slapped Hitler a few thousand times." I said laughing at my own story which Clint didn't get.
"Look." He said instead and I looked over to Natasha. She was standing talking to the guy and it was only seconds before he whispered something in her ear.
"That's definitely a bad one." Clint said right before the guy touched her ass. Clint's eyebrows furrowed at the sight but a smile was put on his face when Natasha slapped him and turned his wrist so hard that he moaned in pain. She chuckled as he quickly went out of the room to find a restroom to cry in. She walked back to us while guys all over the room looked at her. She smirked as Clint looked at her disappointed.
"You broke the rules." He said and she looked at him confused.
"What are you talking about?" She asked.
"Only slap. You turned his wrist." He said smiling.
"Well, he deserved that one." I said and Natasha looked at me and smiled.
"Thank you. And since Cap is the only witness, I won this round." She said and Clint made a fake grumpy face.
"What happened with bros before hoes?" Clint asked me and I laughed as Natasha punched him so hard in the shoulder that he fell of his chair.
"Clint Barton everyone." Natasha said a little louder so that the people around us heard. "Also know as Hawkeye and the biggest jackass in the room." She said laughing as Clint got to his feet.
He blushed a little but it went over quick. Natasha left us at the bar and went over to talk to Wanda who was wandering lost in the stream of people. I watched her as she walked away.
"I guess I deserved that one." Clint said smiling and ordered a drink.
"You kind of did." I said laughing.
Clint turned to me with a more serious look on his face.
"I pretty much see Natasha as a sister. She's a family member to me. Treat her right." He said and I was confused.
"Yes of course but what do you mean?" I asked. Clint raised his eyebrows and smirked.
"Wait what? You don't know it yourself? It's obvious that you have a big crush on her. Well I don't blame you, everyone else does." He said looking around the room.
I got a little embarrassed and blushed. A crush? What's that? I'm not crushing anything. I didn't understand.
"What do you mean a crush?" I asked. It was the easiest answer to my question. Clint smirked.
"Sorry forgot you were old, it means you like her." He said and walked away from me, leaving me confused.
I tried not to think about it and took another sip of my beer. This is one of those moments when I wish I could get drunk.