They learn to live together.

Steve knows to be quiet when he goes for his morning run because Natasha's a light sleeper and will attack anything that moves before around ten in the morning. On the other hand, Natasha knows that Steve's runs a tight ship and hates it when he finds her hair in the shower drain and will complain about it for the rest of the day. Steve knows that sometimes Natasha will get nightmares and likes to be held… even if she won't admit it once she wakes up alone in the morning. But they learn each other's quirks and their flaws and it helps them become better partners.

Fury, through unknown means, had gotten him a job at a nearby school… as a history teacher. She knows that he loves it because he always comes home with tired eyes, an over-the-shoulder bag filled to the brim with papers to grade, and a huge smile on his face. Over dinner, as always, he tells her about the antics some of the kids try to pull in class. He also tells her of the other teachers; some stories make her smile and others, like the new female teacher, Karly.

Natasha, although hesitant, applies for a job at the school with her identification and a fear that she'll be rejected because of who she is. Surprisingly enough, she is told that she'll be starting the next week as the stand-in PE teacher. The redhead suspects Steve has something to do with her job acceptance, but she doesn't confront him.

Now, they wake up together, go for a run, have breakfast together, and go to school. They share a brief hug before going their separate ways. Him toward the classrooms, her toward the gymnasium. Turning to say a final goodbye, she finds that Karly has already attached herself to his arm, gripping it tightly with her claw-like nails. A growl bubbles up within the Russian, her icy heart clenching with an unknown feeling. Shaking it off, she heads toward her designated area.

---

"Hey, Nat, come sit with us." Steve waves her over during their shared lunch period. Unfortunately, they also share it with Karly… who is, again, hanging off his arm. Steve, who doesn't seem to notice this simple fact, but it still makes the ex-SHIELD agent bristle at the thought of this child clinging onto her solider. Wait… her solider? Sure, they've kissed a few times… and maybe she's been having some intense dreams lately that he stars in… but he isn't hers and she isn't his.

"Um," Natasha bites her lip, trying to ignore Steve's puppy dog pout when he realizes she's thinking of sitting somewhere else in the room or going back to her office. "I've got tons of health papers to grade and a class in forty-five minutes."

Steve stands up, ignoring the way Karly whines at him, almost hissing at him to sit down. "I'll come with you." He smiles at her… that smile that makes her knees just a bit weaker and her heart flutter like a bird in a cage. "Just let me grab my stuff." He pulled his brown bomber off of the back of his chair and slung it over his shoulder. Karly whined again, but he ignored her and that made the spy smile.

He grabs her hand and pulls her from the staff dining room, a huge grin on his face.

---

The next day, when Steve and Natasha enter the lobby, Karly is waiting for the blond ex-solder with a "seductive" smile on her face.

So, the redhead turns on her heels and pulls Steve's lips to her. Her mouth is rough against his, but he just lets out a small grunt before pulling her to him and kissing her harder. She pulls back with a small smirk when she hears the brunette behind her shriek in anger before her high heels go clicking as she storms off.

"I told you…" Natasha rasps, her breathing rough against his lips, "public displays of affection make people uncomfortable."

"Yeah," Steve smiles down at her, the glasses on his nose askew from her forceful kiss. "That's not exactly the word I would use."

Her laughter follows him throughout the day and, when he gets home, he pulls her into many more kisses that make her laugh and smile more. Natasha's jealousy fades over time as they slowly begin to form a stronger, more intimate, connection.

Now, when she sees Karly in the hallway, she smiles and waves at the brunette, making the diamond ring glisten on her finger. The other woman only growls in response.

Notes