#natasha1

Steve wasn’t exactly a fan of being stuck inside because of the weather. He’d been picking up what jobs he could, venturing out into the snow and cold to deliver supplies, trying to keep things going smoothly. But there actually wasn’t as much to do as there usually was so Steve was a little...adrift. He tried to throw himself into the Christmas spirit, giving the people close to him little gifts he thought they’d appreciate, and actually using the sketchbook Bucky had given him. He should’ve relished the break but Steve wasn’t sure he knew how to take a break anymore. The fact that the Hydra bunker hadn’t been discovered under one of the fortresses was still nagging at him and he still felt guilty about it. They were lucky that hadn’t been more of a disaster. Still. It was hard not to spend every waking moment delving further underground just to make sure there were no more terrible secrets lying in wait for them.  Maybe it was because of that nagging feeling that Steve found himself sort of wandering restlessly. He directed himself towards the kitchen to get...something, or maybe just to have an actual destination. He passed Natasha on his way by and slowed. Compared to him she looked....better. Less tense, happier. He’d noticed that the last little while and had some guesses as to why. He smiled at her. “Hey. Doesn’t look like this whole being stuck inside thing is driving you as crazy as it is me.” It was genuine if a little wry. To most people, he wouldn’t have even brought up his own state of discomfort but Nat wasn’t most people. She would’ve known even if he hadn’t mentioned it so there wasn’t much point in trying to hide it.