A/N: This is a prequel of sorts to my story Eventually. You don't have to have read it in order to understand this. Promise!

Disclaimer: I still don't own Captain America, Black Widow, the Avengers… You get the idea. I don't own anything.

The thing about the helicarrier was that it was huge. But, despite the insane number of people on it at any given time, there was always somewhere to go to get away from them. One day, that place just happened to be the aviation room.

Natasha stood at the floor-to-ceiling window, watching the ground flash below. She was thinking. Not about anything specific, just thinking. At least, that's what she told herself. Really, her thoughts were centered on just one person.

"I thought I might find you here," Steve greeted her, taking a few cautious steps into the room.

Natasha didn't turn, as that one person had just walked in on her. "What do you want?"

Steve shrugged. "Bored?" he offered.

Natasha turned away from the window and crossed her arms. "Am I supposed to dance for you, or something?" she inquired, raising an eyebrow.

"No," Steve said hurriedly, only half sure she was joking, "That's not what I meant."

Natasha sighed inwardly. The man was oblivious. "Of course it's not," she said. "I'm sure you've got more tact than that."

"Right," Steve agreed, nodding, before realizing what he'd said. "No–I didn't–"

Natasha grinned. "You're an imbecile," she informed him, her tone light.

"I seem to get that a lot," Steve said thoughtfully, moving farther into the room.

"Do you?" Natasha teased, "I wonder why. 'What's an iPhone?' " she mimicked him, " 'How do I send an email?' 'What's the internet?' "

Steve laughed. "You try missing nearly a century of life–see how you do when you get back," he retorted. "I dare you."

Natasha's smile widened. "You know I'd never back down from a dare," she said, "But I've got a feeling that those circumstances would be a little bit difficult to recreate."

"Yeah," Steve replied, nodding, "I guess so. Just a little."

Natasha opened her mouth in an exaggerated gape. "What that sarcasm from the Ice Man?" she asked in mock-awe.

Steve paused, tipping his head to the side while considering. "I think so," he said slowly, seemingly unsure of his answer.

Natasha suddenly couldn't contain her laughter, Steve's comment having been too much for her.

"What?" Steve demanded, "What did I do?"

"Nothing," Natasha assured him, calming herself, "Just… you–you're so clueless sometimes."

"I went to college," Steve asserted, "I'm not completely clueless."

Natasha stared at him, deciding whether or not he was being serious. When she finally realized he wasn't, they both fell into renewed fits of giggles.

By the time that they wandered out of the aviation room, they were still giggling like children.

"Grow up!" Tony muttered as they passed he and Bruce in the hall.

"I'm over a hundred!" Steve yelled at his back.

"Think they'll figure it out?" Bruce wondered aloud, casting a quick glance at Steve and Natasha over his shoulder.

"Figure what out?" Tony asked, fiddling with whatever gizmo or gadget he happened to be holding at the moment.

Bruce shook his head. Tony was worse than Steve when it came to these things. "They're crazy for each other," he answered plainly. The duh was implied.

"That! Right." Tony nodded. For a genius, he could be incredibly dense. "Sure. Someday. Why not?"

"Well if you can score with Pepper…" Bruce trailed off, letting the ending hang in the air, as they turned a corner.

"She's mine," Tony replied, wagging the piece of metal in his hands accusingly, "Mine. As in, 'not yours.' "

"Point taken," Bruce conceded, holding his hands midway in the air. "But for all our sakes, I hope they figure it out."

Tony pushed the door to their lab opened. "They're smart," he said. "They will."

Bruce followed him in, pulling the door shut behind him. "Sooner or later," he added.

Tony decided quickly. "Sooner."