Fine, Steve had to know.

It was a horrible, horrible sense of curiosity that had gotten him into trouble probably more times than he could even count.

But he had to know. Was he worthy?

Fine, the hammer had moved a little bit when he tried to pick it up the first time. Steve had been so surprised he'd let go before it could lift. When he'd seen the look on Thor's face, though, he barely pulled the second time, too afraid to see if it would move. Then he walked, pretend dejectedly, back to his seat.

But he hadn't actually had a chance to see if he could pick the damn thing up.

He'd been just a tad busy after the party, after all, and Thor hung on to the hammer like a security blanket.

One day, Steve accidentally finds Mjolnir sitting in the middle of the expansive, newly repaired, dining room table. Fine, he'd actually watched Thor for a couple hours, seen where he put his hammer down, then made sure Banner ran into him in the hallway so they could talk.

Steve probably wasn't worthy, to be honest here.

He looks around. It's not like he would actually tell Thor he could pick the thing up, or use it except in some sort of emergency battle situation, but he really had to know. It could have been a trick of the light that seemed to make it wiggle the first time, or maybe the table'd wobbled or something.

With a shrug, Steve puts both hands on the grip of the hammer, not bothering to use the little strap thingy. He lifts, and with surprising ease, it hefts quite nicely into his hand.

Steve gapes at his own arm like he's not quite sure it belongs to his body. Well, hell, he hadn't expected it to really work. He moves to put it hurriedly back on the table, but he hears a small chuckle.

He drops the hammer in surprise and slight guilt. It doesn't hit the ground. Natasha is over in a flash and catches it with a single hand.

Steve stares at her.

She stares at Steve.

The two hear Thor laugh somewhere distant, and Natasha looks at the weapon in her calloused hand.

"I don't tell Thor if you wont?"

Natasha says.

"...deal." Steve agrees, and Nat puts it back on the table. The two move to leave without another word, but Steve turns back.

"First, you want to put it on top of Stark's laptop?"

"Yes."