Because of Sam's interruption, I ended up completely out of sorts. After Sam threw that comment into the air, everyone in the kitchen, who had been staring at him before, started to stare at me, as if they were trying to figure something out. Their penetrating, curious stares made me extremely uncomfortable, as if I were hiding something. My face started to heat up and I felt my hands getting sweaty. I didn't know where to look, desperately trying to avoid eye contact, but it was impossible to ignore the sudden and intense attention that was now all on me.

(Calm down, Peter.)

I thought to myself as I let out a short sigh in an attempt to calm down so I could get back to the subject.

"As I was saying, after I was punched, I almost fainted, but fortunately I didn't lose consciousness. However, that brief moment I had to pull myself together turned out to be crucial, because the very moment I had turned around, he had already disappeared from my view - and that's a good thing. Since that day, we've never seen each other again."

As soon as I said those words to put a stop to the subject, something caught my attention: the look on their faces.

While everyone was staring at me, somewhat impressed by what I had done, two people caught my attention. It turned out that these people's expressions, rather than being elated by what I had just told them, were more concerned.

Since I didn't know, let alone have any idea, why there were such worried expressions on Natasha and Steve's faces. I decided to just leave it alone and not worry about it anymore.

***

After the heavy atmosphere that had settled in the air because of what Peter had said, no one was willing to say a single word until Sam, who could hardly ever read the atmosphere very well, noticed the heavy atmosphere this time and decided to keep quiet. However, among them, only one person hadn't kept quiet and had the courage to speak up and say something, and that was Wanda's brother, Pietro.

"Man, you were really lucky."

Pietro commented, looking at Peter, a little impressed by his feat. Not only did he not die, but he also managed to come out of the fight with an assassin alive.

"Tell me about it! Even though I've done it a few times, I can never get used to it, especially when I get beaten up."

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I responded to his comment while letting out a long sigh as I remembered the beating I had taken from the Winter Soldier that day.

As soon as I said those words, the tense atmosphere that had been hanging in the air for a few minutes slowly began to dissolve. Some people even giggled at my misfortune, which was a relief as it helped to break the ice. However, before I could say anything else, I was abruptly interrupted by Steve's voice.

"Natt, I think I've forgotten something in the kitchen. Could you give me a hand?"

Steve asked, glancing at Natasha, hoping that she would catch what he meant between the lines.

As soon as Steve caught her eye, I watched her face carefully for a few minutes. I noticed a few beads of sweat slowly trickling down his face, indicating a slight anxiety. It was as if he was trying to hide something from us, his eyes shied away from direct contact and his hands trembled imperceptibly. The whole scene aroused my curiosity intensely, leaving me intrigued as to what he might be hiding.

In response to what her friend had said, Natasha decided to join in and follow the flow of the conversation.

"Sure, let's see. I also think you've forgotten something on the stove."

As soon as Natasha said those words, both she and Steve got up from their seats and headed for the kitchen.

(Didn't anyone else find that conversation between the two of them strange? Really? Am I the only one who sees that there's more to it?)

I thought to myself as I glanced at the two of them walking towards the kitchen.

"What are they going to argue about?"

I asked myself, still a little curious and a little worried about the captain's rapid and unexpected change of mood. He had seemed so calm and controlled a moment before, and now he was visibly agitated. What could have caused this sudden transformation? I wondered what thoughts or feelings might be going through his mind at that moment.

"It's probably nothing that serious; otherwise, they'll tell us something - I think."

I decided to put it aside for the moment. It wasn't the right time to worry about it. I felt I needed to focus on other things and solve this problem later. After all, sometimes the best solution is to take a step back and wait for the right time to act.

***

Meanwhile, in the kitchen, Steve was visibly shaken, pacing back and forth. His hands were shaking slightly and he could barely concentrate. The sound of the clock on the wall seemed to increase his anxiety with every passing second. He stopped for a moment, took a deep breath and tried to calm his thoughts, but worry still dominated his mind.

Natasha, trying to calm her friend down, put her hand on his shoulder.

"Calm down, Steve. If you carry on like this, you're going to make a hole in the floor."

Natasha commented, managing to get her friend's attention, who stopped and began to stare at her.

After hearing what Natasha had said, Steve answered her with a slightly altered tone of voice, indicating his sheer displeasure at what he had just discovered.

"How can you ask me to stay calm, Natasha? I just found out that my friend almost killed a child."

"I know, Steve. I listened, but you also can't forget that all this happened at a time when he was being controlled, so he didn't know what he was doing either."

Said Natasha, trying to minimize the mood of her friend, who went back to pacing, once again worried about the situation.