"Missions Fury sent us on together," he points out, frustration self-evident. The worst thing about the way things are now is never knowing when he's being manipulated. Stark's kid sent him down that rabbit hole.
Steve isn't a spy. His life is an open book, and to have something like this in common is too great a coincidence to not be intentional. He's tried opening up to Natasha, and she's shut him down. It's not easy being that honest about what he's going through with anyone but Peggy, but he wanted to think...
Looks like they're just not there yet. He hears what she's saying, carefully taking his heart off his sleeve and swallowing down the burst of anger that rises in its place. The point he takes away is that there's information she'll never volunteer, that the bond he sees is not one she does, and whatever he's looking for he should look elsewhere. Honesty and trust between partners, that's the most important thing to Steve.
And they gave him a spy.
He catches the dryness in her last comment, shooting her a sidelong glance. His lips part, realization washing over him. For years now she's been giving him things to catch up on. Movies, music, history, science; he makes lists so he won't forget between missions. He thought the 20th century Russian history was just her way of getting him to show interest in things that happened outside of his own country, but maybe it was the only way she had of telling him about her past.
He chuckles wryly. "Like I told you, I've been busy. Guess now I've got plenty of time to read up here."
no subject
Steve isn't a spy. His life is an open book, and to have something like this in common is too great a coincidence to not be intentional. He's tried opening up to Natasha, and she's shut him down. It's not easy being that honest about what he's going through with anyone but Peggy, but he wanted to think...
Looks like they're just not there yet. He hears what she's saying, carefully taking his heart off his sleeve and swallowing down the burst of anger that rises in its place. The point he takes away is that there's information she'll never volunteer, that the bond he sees is not one she does, and whatever he's looking for he should look elsewhere. Honesty and trust between partners, that's the most important thing to Steve.
And they gave him a spy.
He catches the dryness in her last comment, shooting her a sidelong glance. His lips part, realization washing over him. For years now she's been giving him things to catch up on. Movies, music, history, science; he makes lists so he won't forget between missions. He thought the 20th century Russian history was just her way of getting him to show interest in things that happened outside of his own country, but maybe it was the only way she had of telling him about her past.
He chuckles wryly. "Like I told you, I've been busy. Guess now I've got plenty of time to read up here."