Steve was sitting on the roof of Stark Tower with his legs dangling off the side of the building. The moon was high and there was a slight breeze. He could hear the city below him, all the horns and shouts, and he felt a strange sense of comfort in it.
It's been almost a year since he's seen her.
Between rebuilding SHIELD and Steve searching for Bucky with Sam, the year flew by. For most of the year, Steve barely had time for anything and he'd fall into bed, exhausted every night. Yet, every time there was a rare silent moment, all he could think about was Natasha.
So it was no surprise that for the first time in a year he had free time to relax, she was the only thing on his mind. The last time he saw her, her red hair was fading as she walked away. He watched her leave, his fingertips lightly brushing the cheek she kissed. He should've kissed her and asked her to stay.
Really, there was a lot of things he should've done when he had the chance. He should've laughed at her jokes instead of turning away to hide his smile. Or told her why he didn't like any of the women she suggested to him. He should've told her how he felt, then maybe she would've stayed. But he didn't, and she was gone.
Shaking his head to clear his mind, he leaned back and tugged his jacket closer to him and tried to relax, but his mind was still on Natasha. He wanted to know where she was and what she was doing. Was she with anyone or was she alone like him?
Did she miss him?
He looked back up at the moon. Wherever she was, he hoped she was happy. She deserved it.
She was in California. After the year she's had, she could use some sunshine. Besides the occasional phone call from Clint, she's barely had any contact with any one she cared about. She's done this before, disappear for a year or two when she needed to, and she was perfectly fine with it. But she missed everyone, she missed him.
She was sitting on the beach, digging her toes and hands through the sand. All the families had left along with the sun, and the moon had brought teenagers having bonfires. She could faintly hear all their laughs and their music, but she ignored them as she looked up at the sky.
Clint had given her Steve's number, he told her it was for emergencies only, but she knew that Clint gave it to her because he had caught on about Steve. Probably due to the fact that during her monthly call to him, she always asked about Steve. Clint always said he was busy. She wanted to ask if he missed her. She never did. But during their last call, he gave her his number, told her to give him a call. She still hasn't used it.
She was use to being alone, but after seeing his smile everyday, she doesn't know why she liked being alone. The thought of him made her pull out her pre-paid phone. She punched in the number but before she pressed the call button, she stopped.
She didn't want to leave Steve and Sam in the cemetery, she wanted to stay and help them find Barnes. She did turn around once, but they were talking and laughing about something, they didn't need her. So she turned back around and didn't look back.
He didn't need someone like her. Destructive. Manipulative. Violent. He was much better off without her. Tossing her phone into the sand, she leaned back and stretched out even though she was going to have to shake sand out of her hair for the rest of the night. She looked up at the moon again.
She missed him.
In a way they were connected, both sitting under the stars, both wanting nothing more than each other, both completely oblivious to the other missing them. But he was in New York and she was in California. Regardless of the distance, they were still under the same sky.
AN: This was just a short little Drabble for Romanogers Appreciation Month on tumblr. Feedback is greatly appreciated, and thanks for reading!