Dimidium - Marvel Studios [7]

forty-nine.

November 2021

Steve, Natasha and I all sat around a table, our fingers lazily flipping through the laminated menu as we read them slowly. The small brunch place had opened back up not too long ago, and Nat and I had often come here. It was busy, a few people scattered at different tables as they spoke quietly over glasses of orange juice and plates of eggs and pancakes. I set down my menu, picking up my glass of water as I took a sip, looking over at Nat who was staring back at me blankly.

She raised her eyebrows at me quickly, making me continue to stare at her as she widened her eyes quickly. I mouthed a simple what at her as she nodded her head towards Steve subtly, clearly trying to tell me something as I scrunched my eyebrows. "What?" I finally asked her after a few more eyebrow raised, Nat letting out a sigh as she placed her menu on the table, pointing her finger in between Steve and I, both of us staring at Natasha and waiting for an explanation.

"This is a date isn't it?" Nat asked me as I raised an eyebrow at her, not responding straight away. I looked over at Steve who was staring back at me and I could tell he was trying to hold back a small laugh. "If it was a date you wouldn't be here" I told Nat as she leaned towards me, making me stare at her as I moved in slightly. "When you said brunch I thought you meant the pair of us" she said to me, not lowering her voice as Steve let out a small scoff, Nat turning towards him with her eyebrows raised. "Wow, should I just leave?" Steve asked as Natasha looked over at him briefly before she turned back to me, her eyebrows raised.

"He wanted to come, should I have said no?" I asked her as she thought about it for a minute, running her hand through her red roots. "Yes" she replied blankly as I looked over at Steve, who had his her ems scrunched. "Are you sure you don't want me to leave?" Steve asked as we both turned to look at Natasha, who was looking at the menu flat down on the table, shaking her head slowly. "I'm just saying if you had let me known that I was third wheeling I would have said no to brunch" she said, not making eye contact with me but I could tell she was talking to me.

"You're not third wheeling because this isn't a date" I told her, Natasha rolling her eyes as she leaned back in her chair, raising her eyebrows as she stared at me. "Can we not hang out like we used to?" I asked her, making her sigh as she shrugged her shoulders, Steve looking at me with a nod of his head at my question. "If we had brunch at your house it would be hanging out" Natasha stared, pointing her finger into the wooden table as I waited for her to finish. "This however, is a date" she said as I let out a sigh, propping my elbows on the table as I put my hands over my face.

"No, this is three friends who haven't seen each other in a few weeks hanging out" I told her, looking back over at Nat as she nodded her head at me, shrugging her shoulders once again. "Okay, sure whatever" Natasha said as she looked over at Steve quickly, who just shot her a smile causing her to roll her eyes at him. "What are you going to get?" Steve asked me, clearing his throat as he tried to cut through the tension. "I don't know yet" I replied as Natasha picked up her menu again, staring at it with her lips pursed. "I'm thinking waffles" she said as I nodded my head slowly, my eyes immediately drifting to the waffle section of the menu.

"How's everything back up at HQ?" Steve asked, looking over at Natasha as I let out a loud sigh, rolling my eyes. "Cough up" Natasha said as she extended her hand to me, making me roll my eyes as I pulled out a $10 bill from my back pocket of my jeans, slapping it into her hand. "I hate you" I said, looking over at Steve who just looked between the pair of us, confused on what just happened. "You really couldn't wait ten minutes before asking about HQ?" I asked Steve as Natasha laughed, pushing the bill into the pocket of her leather jacket, a smile of triumph on her face.

"I was rooting for you" I said to Steve as Natasha smirked at me, sticking her tongue out as I rolled my eyes once again. "What just happened?" Steve asked as Natasha looked over at him, pointing her finger over at me. "Alyona here bet me $10 that you wouldn't ask how HQ was doing in the first ten minutes of sitting down" Natasha explained to him as I shook my head, narrowing my eyes at Steve as he looked back over at me. "You made a bet?" Steve asked as I nodded my head, the waiter who sat us down coming over to the table with a small notebook in his hand. "Yeah, and you let me down" I said to Steve before looking up at the waiter, a kind smile on his face as he looked over us. "What can I get you?" he asked as I set my menu down on the table with a smile on my face.

"I'll have the waffles"

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A/N: sorry I have been gone for the past few days I have been looking at your suggestions for some chapters you want to see so expect to see some of them some times soon!
thanks to @Reader_Official for having the idea of Natasha third wheeling on a date it seemed like a really funny idea for me to write so here it is
please do not forget to vote and comment and i will see you soon