Romanogers One-shots ❤

Another Saturday Night

“Are you seriously using Internet Explorer?”

Steve looked away from the article he was reading off his laptop screen and over his shoulder, nearly colliding with Natasha’s face. After a sharp intake of breath, he realized that focusing on his breathing was not the way to calm himself down; she was too close and she smelled like coffee and something sweet. Strawberries? He inhaled again and definitely did not try to bury his nose in her hair. Strawberries and vanilla. That was really nice.

“Do you wanna borrow my shampoo?”

“Huh?” His eyes shot open and he realized he had stretched his neck to the point that his lips were almost brushing the rim of her ear. He jerked backward. “Sorry.”

“No, it’s good to know.” She vaulted over the back of the couch and landed beside him with a small bounce. “I won’t use it before a mission if it’s that noticeable.”

“Well, I didn’t notice it until you were on top of me.”

“Because we’re on base and you’re relaxed. You let your guard down.”

He glanced around the empty lounge. “There’s nobody here and the only people who have access to this area are my friends.”

“And Stark. And Fury. And…”

“People I trust not to kill me,” he clarified, “but point taken.”

“So, what are you doing in on Saturday night? Is nine o’clock past curfew for senior citizens?”

“I’m…” He realized there was no need to defend the fact that he was catching up on the latest Dodgers’ news from the MLB winter meetings. “Wait, you can’t mock me. You’re here too.”

“Yeah, but only because Fury has me on stand-by for a potential mission. I think he made it up to keep me in after I broke that dudebro’s jaw at that club in the city last weekend, but it would have been so much worse if Wanda had expressed her opinion of him. I could just see the red glow starting on her fingertips when he made the grab for her ass. He should really be thanking me for saving him from being blown to pieces.”

“The..dudebro?”

“What? It’s a thing.”

“Okay.” He decided not to ask for a definition and turned his attention back to his laptop. He was hoping to see the Dodgers get some new relievers or re-sign the guys on the roster. Same with the infield. And maybe a new starting pitcher to shore up the rotation. And…

“Give me that.”

“Why?” He held onto the computer as she tried to pull it away. “Go get your own! I…I’m reading important stuff.”

“Don’t be so difficult. I just want to put Chrome or something on it and you can get back to being boring.”

An image of a gleaming silver laptop popped into his head. “It doesn’t need decoration. It’s not like yours is chrome plated. You’re just messing with me.”

“Google Chrome.”

“I already have Google.”

“Just give me your laptop and stop pretending you know what you’re doing.”

He gave in to her demands with the caveat, “Don’t do anything extreme. I just use the thing for email and news and typing up reports.”

“Trust me. Remember, I didn’t kill you when I came into the room and saw you all alone and vulnerable.”

Half an hour later, he had gotten caught up in a basketball game on TV and she still had his laptop. When the horn sounded halftime, he decided enough was enough. “Can I have that back now?”