Hold On to the Nights || Romanogers AU

Chapter 8

Natasha focused in front of her, a second and third time she blinked.

"And you?" Shaking her head, the nerves were getting the better of her. It was the man that she met at the cafe not too long ago. She checked the address just to make sure she was in the right place.

"Hi, hello, umm, you live here too? Wow. I mean, I'm looking for Steve uh, Rogers? Do you know him by any chance?" Natasha's shaky voice tried to reveal itself but the man just smiled and turned pink at her words.

"Yeah, that's me. I'm Steve." He returned the smile, looking dashing in Natasha's view.

Her mouth formed in an embarrassed "oh" shape. It was her turn to feel sheepish.

"Oh gosh, I had no idea. Oh, I was told to come by here, Anya, she spoke with your grandmother, Adele, umm, there was—I mean I think there was an interview, possibly?"

Steve stood back, taking in her words. "Oh..."

Natasha cringed; it was just as she thought; a lost cause. She nodded. "The position has been filled, hasn't it?"

Steve scratched the back of his head, "No, are you referring to what my? Oh yeah...wait so, you're...?"

She shyly reached out her hand for him to shake. "Natasha Romanoff, my friend, and co-worker Anya told your mother-in-law, Adele, at the last minute. I apologize for the inconvenience."

Steve took a second to process what was going on. "Well, umm, actually no, I haven't found someone. I'm still in the process of choosing someone right now. You're actually the last one considered."

Natasha watched as he spoke. Almost as if he wasn't expecting her or that his Grandma never mentioned her at all. She had a feeling, Adele seemed to dismiss her that time she came to visit Anya. She had to know the risk she was taking given that possibility.

"I see." She said in a small voice, unsure of what to do next, Steve looked to be thinking of something as he cleared his throat.

"Oh I'm sorry, please come in. Let's get started I guess." She ignored how tired he sounded saying that.

"Thank you. I realize that the timing might be pretty late, but I don't mind if it's more convenient for you, we can reschedule the interview to another time?" Natasha remarked, standing with Steve in the foyer.

He waved off her words with his hand, smiling sheepishly. "No worries. I had a handful of interviews today so forgive me if it sounds like it's been a long day, which it has."

She laughed softly, sharing a smile with him. "I don't mind it."

Steve's nerves caught him but he brushed them aside and gestured to the kitchen leading to the dining room. "Would you like something to drink? Maybe tea? Coffee? Anything? Even some extra Capri Suns I've stuffed in the fridge."

"Oh um, tea is fine, thank you." She said, following behind him to the kitchen table, doing very little as possible.

She never thought she would see him again. She was thinking about that day a lot but tried to block it out with all the recent job-hunting she had to do. She probably thought Steve felt the same way, she didn't think they would run in close circles as they have.

Steve had his back turned as he set up the mugs and poured the hot liquid into the cups, letting them stoop before bringing them over.

Natasha thanked him with a smile and Steve took a deep breath before fixing to say what he wanted to next. He had to remind himself to keep his professionalism and use his office voice the entire time. It was surreal, meeting Natasha the way he had and now meeting her as a potential client, someone that may or not work for him. He never thought they were going to see each other.