𝙱𝚎𝚌𝚊𝚞𝚜𝚎 𝙸'𝚖 𝚒𝚗 𝙲𝚑𝚊𝚛𝚐𝚎

Chapter Seventeen

*6 o'clock the next day*

Your POV

Everyone gathered in the living room of the tower, exited to see if they won. Nobody knew if anyone else had found anything, but you and Steve had a pretty good idea.

Steve sat on the floor with you on the carpet as Tony stood over the coffee table.

"Okay everyone, place the paperclips that you found, if you found any, on the table. Who ever found the most, will get this." Tony held a white envelope that was overly stuffed with cash.

Nat only put one red paperclip on the table, and everyone else looked at each other expectantly. Me and Steve were grinning like idiots, and all attention turned to us.

I turned away from the group, and Steve shielded me as I reached into my bra and got out the three paper lips that we had found. I put them all on the table as everyone looked in disbelief.

"You went in my lab!?" Tony looked at me with a hurt expression.

"Twice, actually." I spoke shyly.

Tony's mouth dropped open. He slouched down as he handed the envelope of cash to me. Me and Steve counted the cash excitedly as Tony handed one hundred dollars to Clint and Natasha each, and handed a thin stack of six one hundred dollar bills to you.

You put the cash into the envelope as you all sat around and talked about the thought process that went into hiding their paperclips. Then the conversation went to you and Steve as they asked you where you put yours, as nobody found it.

"Funny story actually....." I rubbed the back of my neck as all eyes were on me and Steve.

"Buck, do you remember last night when you were in the women's locker room?" Steve backed you up.

"He was WHERE??" Clint shouted from the couch, but was shushed by literally everyone in the group.

"Yeah......our paperclip is in that toilet." I laughed right after I spoke.

Laughs and different words were being exchanged, and through it all, you looked over to Steve, who was already looking right at me. He gave me a fond smile as our eyes met, and he patted my back awkwardly in a sort of congratulations. I laughed at him and pulled him into a hug.

He laughed into my neck as we congratulated each other through the hug. After we pulled away, we still stayed in the floor, everyone still reminiscing about the paperclips.

Turns out that Sam and Bucky work terribly together, and they couldn't make a collective decision to save their asses. Wanda said that the only reason Nat found her paperclip was because she put Pietro on paperclip duty.

It was overall a playful banter between the group, and I watched everyone with a content smile. I couldn't believe that I was now a part of this team. One person that I found my gaze lingering on was the man next to me, Steve.

I admired Steve so much. I mean, I already did before I met him, with all of the stories that I've heard from other field agents that got the opportunity to fight alongside him. But I feel like I cared about him so much more with every day. I'd be lying if I said I don't like him. I liked him a lot, something that I wasn't used to.

I actually wanted his help. I wanted him to help me along, and I wanted him to be with me in my road to recovery, which was strange for me to admit. I never asked for help, ever.
I never ask for help because I want to prove myself, and also because I don't know how to ask.

Growing up, I never really had that hand to hold onto to help guide me along and to help me. So I grew up, with the mindset that I didn't need help. My parents raised me to be independent, and that's exactly what I am. The thing is, maybe I do need someone to lean on every now and then.

Steve would help me with little things everyday, without even realizing it. He always left a coffee mug down on the counter for me when he went out on his run and he checked up on me when he could. Another thing that Steve opened my eyes to was how much one could enjoy another's company. Before, I just wanted to be alone, I'd prefer to be alone on a Saturday night than go out to a club, or just go out in general. I just didn't like people, but now that Steve's around, I want to spend every waking moment with him, and I practically do.

"Hello? Y/n? You there?" I blinked furiously as a hand was waved in front of my face.

"Huh? Yeah I'm here." I spoke expectantly to Steve.

I noticed that a few of the team members had left, probably to go do their own thing. I looked at Steve as he started to speak.

"I know we said that we'd save this money, but......what about we go snd get something to eat? Just you and me." Steve looked at you hopefully through his lashes with a light pink dusting on his cheeks.

"Like.......a date?" I tilted my head at him and his face turned redder than it already was.

"Well, it doesn't have to be a date. I'd like to think that it could be a date, but it can just be a- erm......friend-date?" Steve shrugged as he tried to explain himself, as I just smiled broadly at him.

"Yeah, Steve. I'll go on a date with you. I gotta go change first." I looked down to my pajamas that I still had on from this morning when Steve practically drug me out of bed.

"Oh no, stay here, I'll be right back." Steve then got up and speed walked out of the room, making sure to push your wheelchair away from you, just to make sure that you wouldn't leave your spot.

Once Steve was out of sight and around the corner, he let out a 'YESSS'. I giggled at his enthusiasm as I waited patiently in my spot, my face as red as a tomato.