"Maybe I just wanted your personal opinion. And I wasn't aware that was a 'card' I got to play," he said, giving her a sidways smile. There was something...sliding into place, he thought. Steve looked at Natasha and things felt good. He'd always trusted her, even when she did things he didn't exactly approve of. Even when she did things that pissed him off. He'd be angry, but he still trusted her judgement. Trusted her skills. Trusted her with his life, when it came to that. There were only a few people on his mental list that got such distinctions.
But there was more to it than that. He felt comfortable with her, that was definitely part of it. He was also, it couldn't be denied, simply a man, who looked at her and knew there were few women on the planet who could hold a candle to her. And it wasn't just about looks. It was the whole package, dented as it might be in one or two corners.
"We should do this more often," he said, as casually as he could. He felt..odd...and he couldn't put his finger on what it was exactly, but it definitely hadn't been there before. Or maybe it had but it was bigger now. Harder to ignore. He looked at her and smiled. "Standing da...invitation."