Widow Sisters and Friends (Restoring Our Broken Hearts)

Setting Up the Captains

"Hardly here is better than not here at all," Natasha pointed out with a shrug, and Steve just wrinkled his nose a little.

He did not bother responding at that moment, keeping up his steady gait, and Natasha just watched him. He finally furrowed his brow, apparently having thought of something to say to her.

"And why are you so determined to get us together anyway? This is more Natasha's thing," Steve asked Yelena, and Yelena smirked in reply to him with an innocent look in her eye that was exceedingly practiced. Natasha knew it was practiced because of the many times that it had been used on her.

"Can't I just want you to have someone to swap spit with?" Yelena questioned, and Natasha could tell that Yelena was honestly just enjoying aggravating him. It was not about the romance at all, and it was one of those typical Yelena schemes to tease and embarrass people.

"Look, I don't need somebody to... do that with, okay? I'm fine," Steve insisted far too grumpily, and Natasha knew that while his heart was still undoubtedly Peggy's, she also could see that he seemed almost sad right now. Which further told her that he must have some manner of feelings that he believed must be unrequited.

"It wouldn't hurt to give her a try. I know she's not what you're used to or exactly what you want, but she's a good woman, and I think you'd like her. Yelena says she has an amazing sense of humor," Natasha mischievously pointed out, referencing Yelena's incident in the elevator when she had been stuck with Darcy and Kate. Yelena narrowed her eyes immediately, terribly unhappy with the fact that Natasha had brought it up again.

"Look, that was a dare, okay?" Yelena defended, pointing at Natasha, and Natasha could not help her huge grin at Yelena's expense. She then redirected her attentions to their main target at the moment.

"Plus, like Yelena, I have seen how you look at her," Natasha pointed out, and he groaned deeply, slowing down the treadmill as he prepared to get off.

"I don't look at her any differently than I do the rest of you," Steve tried to argue, and Natasha just huffed before Yelena suddenly scoffed loudly and voiced her disagreement.

"Please... If you looked at my sister like you look at Carol sometimes, I'd have to murder you," Yelena disputed, preparing to get off of her treadmill as well. Steve just sighed as he got off. Natasha headed off of hers as well, accompanying the other two despite the fact that she had barely started her workout.

Steve wiped his head with a towel nearby, and he slung it over his shoulders before guzzling some water in a bottle he had brought into the gym.

"Look, it won't hurt anything to give her a try, will it?" Natasha questioned breezily. Steve was quiet for a long moment, and Natasha heard Yelena drawing in a breath to speak and add to the ongoing conversation. However, Steve suddenly spoke up, interrupting her.

"Hypothetically... What even makes you think she'll agree to it? If she doesn't, I'll just look stupid and it'll make things weird," Steve pointed out, looking strangely worried and concerned as he looked at Natasha carefully.

It was a genuine question, and she knew that it was not as entirely hypothetical as he was trying to make it out to be. He was truly considering doing it.

Yelena grew quiet, and Natasha knew that she was realizing that this was actually starting to turn into something with more serious meaning behind it. It was beginning to leave the realm of aggravation and head into real possibilities.

"I'm pretty sure she'll agree, Steve. If she doesn't, just be smooth and cover it up with something like me and Yelena pushed you into asking. Make it out like you didn't want to do it in the first place, and it'll be nothing," Natasha explained, and Steve just smiled wryly, letting out a small sigh as he let his chin drop to his chest. He then looked back up at her with a raise of his eyebrow.