Her Bodyguard

5. The Revengers Pt. I

Natasha stood behind the door, hesitant. Yes, she was hesitant. Bold, confident Natasha Romanoff was hesitant. She bit her tongue in annoyance. Why am I hesitating? What do I have to be hesitating about? Sighing, she knocked on the door three times. No answer. She knocked again three times. No answer, again. She bit her lip. 

She opened the door to find a sleeping Steve. His body looked to be in an uncomfortable position, arms pressed right to his side, body directly facing the ceiling. He was snoring lightly, quietly, in a way that Natasha found weirdly... endearing. Who are you to make me feel this way? She approached his sleeping figure with careful steps.

Ever since that sparring session, the two seemed to get along better. They visited the ring multiple times over the past two weeks and both enjoyed it very much. Almost too much, one might say. 

Natasha found it funny that two people as different as them could find something in common. And of all things, to share a passion for martial arts. She laughed to herself, then took out her phone to record the snoring bodyguard. He's not going to like this, at all.

Fourteen seconds. She stopped the voice recorder. Fourteen seconds of audio to hold against Steve. She laughed again, louder this time. Steve stirred awake with a groan.

"Wha-" He rubbed his eyes, then looked up with alarm. "Jesus! Warn a guy."

Natasha rolled her eyes, though not without a smile. "Sleeping on your job, huh? How'd you even get hired?"

"I got hired because I can fight. Remember last time at the ring? I beat you that time," he said, sitting up.

"Please," she said and casually observed her fingernails. "I only let you win because Maria was there and I didn't want her to fire you."

"So you want to keep me?" He asked suggestively. Natasha stayed silent for a moment, not exactly knowing how to answer. Steve's eyes widened as he slowly realized the implications behind his question. Instead of appearing smug about rendering the actress speechless, he seemed just as embarassed, too.

"Oh, I didn't mean it like that..." He laughed nervously, and Natasha laughed nervously along with him.

"It's okay. I know you didn't mean it like that." She cleared her throat. "We have a couple of things to do today, so I need you to get ready quick." She spun on her heel then, and walked briskly out of the room. Her mind was abuzz with conversation.

It was awkward again, wasn't it?

Shut up - it wasn't that bad.

Keep it up and Maria will actually fire him.

The tension was different though. It wasn't like before, where both wanted to say sorry and neither knew how. Rather, it was as if neither knew what to say at all.

Well, that's progress at least... right?

It didn't take long for Steve to join her in the kitchen. He was wearing his usual bodyguard ensemble: full suit and tie, sunglasses in hand. Ruggedly handsome in a James Bond kind of way. She cocked her head. Not bad, but...

"Not today, buddy." She retrieved a different outfit that she had left on her couch the previous night, and handed it to Steve. Baseball cap, grey shirt, light jacket, and a pair of jeans. Casual.

"But..."

"No questions, yet. Get changed," she commanded. He obliged reluctantly. Moments later, he returned looking like a dazed millennial. Natasha smiled. Perfect.

"One last thing." She replaced the sunglasses in his hand with a pair of rectangular glasses. "You'll need this."

"I have twenty-twenty vision," he said bluntly and tried to give the glasses back. Natasha put them back in his hands.