Steve felt like he was the only one who realized the sudden change in Natasha's behavior. Fury thought it would be a good idea if him and Nat lived in their own compartments in S.h.i.e.l.d's new headquarters, so if Fury needed them on a mission they'd be there right away and they also had to help the "New" Avengers, get used to being a team.
In the middle of the night, Steve can hear crying coming from Natasha's room.
He would go to her room and ask her if she was okay and she would say she was even though Steve knew she wasn't.
Steve didn't want to go any further with Natasha, so he just left her to herself, everytine they went on a mission together or running an errand for Fury, Natasha would hide her emotions.
One night, once again, Steve heard Natasha crying. He couldn't bare to hear another night of her crying, he didn't want to see her sad or in pain, so he knocked at her door. "Natasha, can i come in?" He asked her.
"Sure, you can come in." She replies.
Steve could tell she was holding back a sob, he heard it in her voice. *Steve gently opens the door and sits in a chair that's on the side of Natasha's bed*
"What's wrong?" Steve asks her. *Natasha looks up at him* "i told you Steve, nothings wrong." She replies.
"Natasha, you can tell me the truth." Steve tells her.
"Why are you worried? It's not like it's your problem." Natasha asks him.
"It is my problem, you're my partner and my friend.
I don't like seeing you in pain." He replies. "I'm not in pain." She says.
"Really? You've been crying for the last two days and your eyes are red and you look like you haven't gotten any sleep in days." Steve tells her. "How would you know? I wear makeup." She says.
"It doesn't matter how much makeup you put on Nat, i can tell you're hurting. No matter how much makeup you cover your face with the makeup will never be able to cover up the pain you feel." Steve says.
"That's deep Rogers, I guess i should just tell you. The reason why i'm like this is because I'm worried." She says. "Worried about Bruce, I know what we had was brief but i can't escape the thought of him getting hurt and knowing that it's my fault." Natasha says. "It's not your fault Nat, you didn't know he would do that." Steve says. "It is, Steve.
I thought being a killer made me a monster but that's not the only thing, i push people away Steve.
I try to keep up my Black Widow persona and try not to have any emotions.
Only true monsters, show no emotion." Natasha says. "No, your wrong Nat. You're not a monster, if I had to call you anything I would call you beautiful women who is devoted to her job and is trying to seek redemption by doing what she thinks are good things to make up for the bad things she's done.
Nat, you're not the only one. Everyone, at some point push people away and try not show any emotion, it doesn't make them a monster. If anything it makes them human, the only reason why people do these things is because they think it's for the best.
" Steve says. Natasha hugs Steve, causing him to blush.
He realizes that he's wearing just a white tank top and his boxers which makes him blush even more. "I don't know what I'd without, Rogers." Natasha says.
Steve can tell she's tired when she falls asleep on him. Steve puts Natasha into her bed and walks quickly but quietly out the door.