He can't even do it. He can't answer 'the twenty seven inches' because those are not words he can get out of his mouth.
"You know the answer," is the phrase he settles on, before adding: "And I've been a bachelor for a few decades now." Despite his fresh new memories on Sharon Carter. Plus, Steve doesn't even know what the two of them were supposed to be. But after he woke up here, all of that seemed to stop mattering.
He recognizes the defensive stance when she takes it. He was deliberately trying not to take that stance right now. His arms are to his sides, his body communicating open not closed. But her answer makes Steve glance away, eyebrows tightened with a little more betrayal than confusion.
"Yesterday?" he repeats. He'd just started welcoming new Specials yesterday and Technical Services was already messing with him. But it wasn't something he needed to concern Natasha with, not yet.
"I imagine you were able to protect her, and teach her a thing or two?" Of course, out of all the days to miss the names of the Troubleshooters assigned to missions, today was the day he'd done it. But even if Natasha had been fighting killer droids, he wasn't really concerned. If Steve had to guess, the equivalent of killer droids were probably what teenage Natasha took down as everyday practice.
"Yeah. Over three months now." And he has a lot to tell her. Especially since he just did this with Tony two days ago.
"There's something I want to show you." Vague words for any eavesdropping ears, or feeds. "Come on."
Steve grabs his papers from the table and looks Natasha in the eye until she gives some indication that she'll come with him. Then, they're headed to the elevators.
no subject
"You know the answer," is the phrase he settles on, before adding: "And I've been a bachelor for a few decades now." Despite his fresh new memories on Sharon Carter. Plus, Steve doesn't even know what the two of them were supposed to be. But after he woke up here, all of that seemed to stop mattering.
He recognizes the defensive stance when she takes it. He was deliberately trying not to take that stance right now. His arms are to his sides, his body communicating open not closed. But her answer makes Steve glance away, eyebrows tightened with a little more betrayal than confusion.
"Yesterday?" he repeats. He'd just started welcoming new Specials yesterday and Technical Services was already messing with him. But it wasn't something he needed to concern Natasha with, not yet.
"I imagine you were able to protect her, and teach her a thing or two?" Of course, out of all the days to miss the names of the Troubleshooters assigned to missions, today was the day he'd done it. But even if Natasha had been fighting killer droids, he wasn't really concerned. If Steve had to guess, the equivalent of killer droids were probably what teenage Natasha took down as everyday practice.
"Yeah. Over three months now." And he has a lot to tell her. Especially since he just did this with Tony two days ago.
"There's something I want to show you." Vague words for any eavesdropping ears, or feeds. "Come on."
Steve grabs his papers from the table and looks Natasha in the eye until she gives some indication that she'll come with him. Then, they're headed to the elevators.