The One with Karaoke

"Get dressed."

Steve blinks at her. Glances down at his sweatpants and T-shirt – he'd spent the afternoon at the gym, had only just gotten out of the shower – and then glances back at Natasha. She's still standing there, an eyebrow quirked imperiously, even as her chin is tilted up to speak to him. He's never noticed before how small she is when not in heeled shoes of some kind.

"Where are we going?' he asks with a sigh, letting her into his apartment, and walking into his bedroom. He hears her flicking through some of his books, and shakes his head. Insatiable curiosity – also known as nosiness – is practically in Natasha's DNA. He shakes away memories of Bucky, pulling him out of reveries or funks with a diversion and a double-date. At least Nat hasn't gotten to that stage yet.

"Try the black jeans and the blue button-up," she calls from his living room.

"You still haven't answered my question," he retorts. He obeys her orders anyway, though. He's learning to do that. Less because you disobey Natasha's orders at your peril. More because she tries to hide it, but every time he follows her advice, she looks so damn pleased, unguardedand plain happy that he trusted her. Even with something as minor as clothing.

Bottom line: he can't say 'no' to Natasha's happy-face, alright?

"Karaoke bar," she says, with the tiniest of tremors in her voice, and he's glad that she can't see his face right now.

The first emotion is annoyance. Seriously, Nat? Karaoke?

The first thought is hold on, wait a minute.

That tremor. That hesitation, before she spoke. Both of which had to have been deliberate, letting him know about her nervousness. Oh.

This is something that Natasha loves. It has nothing to do with her Black Widow or any of her other dozen personas. This is something Natasha likes, that she does, just for the hell of it.

And she wants to share it with him.

She trusts him enough to share something totally silly as karaoke with him. (And maybe she also wants to pull him away from brooding about the frustration of cold leads and dead ends.)

He finishes the buttons, flings open his bedroom door, and smiles down at her.

"Lead on."

Written because I need Steve learning how to show Natasha he trusts her, Natasha daring to trust Steve more, and I just have friendship feels about these two, okay?