Steve smiles in amusement as he sips his coffee. He expected that. It's part of the reason why he picked her. He needed a fresh set of eyes who wouldn't put up with his stubbornness. Maybe, just maybe, it felt right. They made a good team. He wanted her at his side.

"That's why you get to share the burden of it with me. If you ever run into trouble, you can just blame it on me." He pops a cookie in his mouth. If Natasha knows anything about him it's that he can't leave it at that. She needs reassurances and he intends to give them.

"I know you can do this." He takes a sip of coffee to wash it down. "You're smart, caring, and charismatic. You're exactly what we need right now." His eyes plead with her to agree. He wants her to see what he sees despite how low she must feel right now.