Author note: Sorry if there's any mistake, english is not my first language. This is my first fic so please be niceee !! Really hope you like it.
SAM WILSON
Sam probably was the first to notice, when S.H.I.E.L.D fell and they both showed up at his door looking for a place to hide. He politely offered his room for them to have some rest, but he couldn't help to eavesdrop just a little.
They were close, he could tell just by listening to them. Or at least they had GROWN close.
He had heard stories in the army about Steve Rogers, the noble Captain America, who fought for what was right even when it required the greatest sacrifice. Sam saw on Steve the personification of justice and freedom, so he trusted him fully and doubtlessly. On the other hand there was Natasha Romanoff, who he knew nothing about until later, when she blowed up her own covers, revealling herself to the world as the Black Widow, the Red Death, the extremely lethal russian spy. Even when she didn't seem the kind of person anybody would rely on, if Cap trusted her, so did Sam.
At first it was impossible for him to know how this two could come together as partners. They were too different for it to possibly work. And yet there they sat, on Sam's bed, Captain America telling the Black Widow that he trusted her with his life.
Then he saw it. The look on Natasha's face when Steve told her so. It was like if she was opening her eyes and actually seeing him for the first time, a heartwarming gaze that made Sam think that it was probably also the first time someone got to crack the walls that Nat had built upon herself for so many years.
Then Sam realised that maybe he had judged her wrong. The way she was shielding the civilians from the winter soldier on the bridge, putting herself as a target... it was something a deathly assasin would never consider doing. So, at that exact moment, he understood why Steve trusted her with something so precious as his life.
Maybe Natasha Romanoff was nothing like Steve Rogers, but she was a hero as well.
When everything was over with the hydra cover-up, and they were standing in the graveyard... he saw it again. Nat kissed Steve's cheek. Not in the flirty way he saw when she came pick him up when they first met, but in a dearing way to say thank you for everything. The significance of the gesture caught Sam cold, and probably Steve too. After that, it was surprising that Steve didn't go after her when she left. But Sam knew that it was too soon, and they would need time to figure things out by themselves. Anyway, he would keep an eye on them very closely, cause deep down he knew this had been the first one of many adventures together.
BRUCE BANNER
I've seen her flirt, up close. Steve's words kept playing in his head, over and over again, and Bruce had to admit that they made him uneasy. Sure, he was aware that Fury had paired them up for a while, and that between the danger and all the missions they had become pretty close friends, if not best friends. However, he never expected that it had involved flirting.
Until that moment he had never paid much attention to the relationship between Steve and Natasha, he never saw a reason to. And then it hit him. They were almost BEST FRIENDS, and yet they had been acting so uncaring of each other that it was suspicious. Like if they were trying to keep the distance on purpose. He wondered if it had something to do with him getting closer to Nat, maybe it hurted Steve to see his best friend turning her attention to someone else. At least that's what he thought until they arrived to the Barton farm.
Steve doesn't like that kind of talk. You know what, Romanoff? That was it. That tiny interaction showed Bruce everything he needed to know. The true nature of Steve and Nat's relationship. The more he thought about it the clearer it was. The light-hearted comments, the playfulness they shared, the grins, even the private jokes. Damn, it hurted Bruce. Because he realised no matter how close he had become to her, they would never reach the level of comfort Steve and Natasha had around each other.
But appart from the heartache he was experiencing, he could also appreciate how beautiful it was their bond. Mainly because it was the first time he had seen Steve genuinely smile since the whole Ultron problem started. Nat was the reason he smiled, and it was just beautiful.
Later, when they were in the battlefield, against the ultron robots, he saw it again. How deep their connection was. He felt ridiculous, paying attention to those minor details in middle of a battle. But he couldn't help it. They were so in sync as they fought... it must have required a lot of time, but they mirrored each other's movements, bringing up combined attacks, and even he would let her use his shield whenever she needed it. It amazed Bruce how much they had come to rely on each other, learned to have each other's backs.
Then things got complicated, when Ultron turned Sokovia into a deathly meteorite and the Avengers had to consider some difficult choices. Bruce saw Nat going to find Steve and give him the updates on the civilian situation, so he followed her closely, without her noticing.
I didn't say we should leave. Where else am I going to get a view like this? That was the defining moment. How Steve would look at her when she was looking away, and Natasha doing exactly the same just a second later. Then, silence. They would just enjoy each other's presence as they let the idea of dying sink in.
Seeing them there, standing next to each other literally on the edge of the world, ready to fight anything as long as they were together.... made Bruce realise it was the way it was meant to be. So as much as it broke his heart, he didn't wan't to get in their way. He wouldn't be the one to break that bond.
At the end, when he left on that ship, he was aware that it was going to hurt Nat, but it wouldn't break her heart, because it already belonged to someone else. Even if she didn't know that yet.
CLINT BARTON
Everybody at S.H.I.E.L.D knew Hawkeye was one of the best agents they had. He would always succesfully accomplish his mission, no matter how difficult the circumstances. So when he decided to change his mind and bring Natasha Romanoff (who was supposed to be his target to put down) in, everybody knew better than to doubt his gut. Little did he know that he had just spared the life of who would come to be his best friend.
They had done everything together since that moment. They became friends, partners, allies, family. She even was aunty Nat for his children. Clint knew that he and the rest of the Bartons were the closest thing Nat had to a family, so they tried to make her feel at home with them as much as they could.
She became the perfect agent as well. Agent Romanoff, the Black Widow. Her name sounded a lot inside S.H.I.E.L.D, determined, focused, cold... that was supposed to be a necessary trait for any agent. But Clint couldn't help but feel sad about it. He knew about her dark past, the red in her ledger that she wanted to wipe out, but most importantly, he knew none of it had been her fault. THAT was the reason he brought her in, to give her a chance to LIVE her own life without strings on her. To feel that she could belong somewhere she could rely on, and fight for something she believed in. However, Clint knew how hard and nerve-wrecking the life of an agent was, and that it would drive him mad if it wasn't for Laura and the kids who were his support. But Nat didn't have that, even if he tried his hard to make her feel part of his family, deep down she knew it would never be her own.
It made Clint sad to see his best friend believe that her past made her unworthy of things like love and happiness in her life. Because that was exactly what Clint wished for her. He knew part of the job was to keep your walls up and not getting attached, but he wished someone could get inside Nat's walls like he had done, so she wouldn't need to be alone anymore.
She belived the shame was on her for everything the Red room had distroyed in her life. She felt like a monster, and Clint couldn't help her. But somehow Steve could.
When he heard Fury had paired them up, he honestly though it would be something interesting to watch. She kept Clint updated on every mission they completed, and along the way he could notice a change in her attitude. It was subtle, almost unnoticeable, but still there. Then, she told him about the "I would now" and everything became clear. She was thrilled that the righteous Captain America, the Golden boy, had put his trust in her, the 'worthless' russian assassin. Clint was delighted. He had made more progress with Nat than Clint had until then. Maybe Steve would be the one to finally get Nat to see herself as the hero she is. Just maybe, he would be the one to get to her heart.
As the time passed Clint observed how the two of them became closer, and even though he was happy about it, he would give Nat the jealous best friend talk just to tease her.
He must admit though that when Laura asked him about the 'apparent' relationship between Nat and doctor Banner he was completely shocked. How could he not notice a thing? To be completely honest he didn't like the idea of them together. Nat needed someone who helped her fight her demons, while Banner...he had many demons to fight on his own. Anyways Clint would support her unconditionally as long as he made her happy.
When the whole Ultron problem ended, he went to check on Nat before heading home. She told him she was going to train the new Avengers recruits, alongside with Steve. That made Clint very happy. He had heard Steve said he wasn't the one who wants a family anymore, and Clint knew Nat couldn't have one...so he couldn't shake the thought that this would be the closest thing both of them would have to one. Maybe that would give them a hint...
WANDA MAXIMOFF
Wanda didn't have the best start with the Avengers, and later it had cost her when she became part of them. She had invaded their minds with the intention of tearing them apart from the inside, and yet they took her in. For that, she couldn't be more grateful.
It had been hard to addapt though, dealing with the loss of her brother, moving to the Avengers compound, starting the training sessions... It was a great change, a lot of pressure. But she knew she was with good people. Steve and Natasha had taken the parenting role on the new team, and they made her feel at home. All of them. The team had even started to call them mom and dad dehind their backs as an inside joke. But late at night, when Wanda woke up from a nightmare screaming and losing control of her powers only to find Steve and Natasha runing immediately to her side to calm her down, it made her wonder how much of it was still only a joke. Nat would sometimes sing a russian lullaby to help her fall asleep again (which she made Wanda promise not to tell anyone), Steve would go bring her some tea and stay by her side until she had calmed, and the others were just as wonderful with her. She had found a new family.
And it made her feel terribly guilty for what she had done to them. Mostly Natasha. She had broke her.
Wanda knew she wasn't the only one suffering meltdowns. Ever since she had messed with their memories, Natasha had been suffering panic attacks every now and then. Most of them where at night, when she woke up sweaty and alarmed, instinctively going for the gun she kept under her pillow. Other times it happened in plain daylight. Wanda had done that to her, it was her fault she was going through all that pain again.
The Scarlet Witch didn't fully understand her powers yet, and sometimes it surprised her how far she could go. When she played with the Avenger's minds, she saw everything there was to see. She had a brief connection with them where she could acces to all their memories and experience how they have felt when they happpened. Wanda never expected to connect with them so deeply, but she did. By being inside their heads she could now completely understand how they though, how the felt, who they were. She had seen Nat's past, the darkness, the pain, the guilt, the hell she had been through...and she took that memories and feeling out to the surface again.
There was one specific time, when they were having a rough day returning from a mission that had gone wrong...Wanda was walking to the kitchen for a glass of water, and in the training room she witnessed a scene that left her speechless. Nat was having a meltdown, sitting on the floor with her back to the wall, while Steve had sat down beside her and with one arm around her shoulders pulled her to an embrance. It was heartbreaking and heartwarming at the same time. After all, Wanda was glad Nat didn't have to deal with it alone.
Walking back to her room she couldn't get the scene out of her mind. The more she thought about it, the more Steve and Natasha's relationship amazed her. It may seem inconcievable that the Black Widow would let someone see a softspot in her, but Steve had. He had somehow reached that level of trust and intimacy with her.
She started to recall all the memories she'd seen in both their minds and analyze them, it gave her a better understanding of their bond.
First there was Steve. He came from a war context, where there was easy to recognize who the enemy was, while the civilians where the innocents who needed to be protected at all cost. He represented the (sometimes blind and naive) purest faith in humanity. On the other side there was Natasha, who grew up surrounded by the worst face mankind could show, and to survive she had to toughen herself up and always expect the worst in people. They were too far opposites and only together they could find balance. Nat was there to remind Steve that some people didn't need to be safed but to be stopped, and that you can't helped someone who doesn't want to be helped. Steve was there to remind Nat that there were people that had her back, and by trusting someone she didn't have to keep her guard up all the time. But there was something else. Natasha had helped Steve find a strenght in him he didn't know he had, while Steve had helped Natasha heal the wounds of her past. It was like if they had found in one another the missing piece that completed them.
And then another time, she almosts walks into them having a serious talk. So naturally her curiosity won and Wanda stayed to eavesdrop.
"The red Room took everything from me. My innocence, my childhood, my soul. I've done terrible things Steve and now those memories are haunting me. And I know I deserve it." Wanda couldn't believe it. Until that moment she had never heard Nat actually talking about her past. She would just let Steve hug her for comfort and support but even he knew better than to ask her to talk.
"You were a victim then. Those things you've done, the mistakes you've made...they don't make you a monster, they make you human. I know who you are, you are an Avenger, a heroine."
"It's easy to say coming from America's Golden boy"
"Believe it or not I have a dark side too. But it's the things I didn't do that keep me up at night. The ones I couldn't save. A date I never arrived to."
"What's that?" Natasha asked curious.
"I was supposed to go dancing with someone, she was going to teach me. But there was a hard call to make, and I chose to save the world."
"You can't carry the weight of the world on your shoulders."
"Well that's something we have in common then" They both smiled and for a couple seconds they remained in silence, just enjoying each other's company.
"I could teach you how to dance anytime, I'm a former ballerina you know"
"I'd like that" His smile turned more nostalgic as he looked at her. "Thanks Nat, for everything" They hugged and it was like everything else just disappeared, leaving them alone in the world, sharing that moment.
Steve and Natasha had the kind of connection you only find once in a lifetime. Wanda could see it. She was pretty sure Sam could too. The real question was when were they going to see that as well.
TONY STARK
Tony really should have seen it coming. Natasha's betrayal, turning to Cap's side. It was obvious. He might be self-centered but he was definitely not blind, he had seen the hints. He just chose to ignore them.
Of course he had noticed how from the moment they first became partners, they would do every assigment together. It amazed Tony the level of fondness and familiarity they had adquired of each other's thoughts and actions, one he had never seen before in another pair. Thanks to that link, they had managed to shared the leadership of the new Avengers team so succesfully.
Tony knew it wasn't only comradeship, it was so much more. How serious their relationship was but playful at the same time, easy-going and yet respectful. Steve and Natasha had come to be each other's family. And enybody would have known that family don't ever turn agianst one another.
When they were discussing the option of signing the Sokovia Accords Tony and Steve were the first ones to make their opinions clear. As the rest of the team spoke their minds (many of them agreeing with Tony, picking his side)
Steve kept a blank face and stared at the floor. And then Natasha spoke. It was the exact moment she set her position against Steve that he slowly raised him head with a shocked expression and such a hurted look in his eyes. It just passed unnoticed by everyone but Tony. He caught that look and knew exactly what it meant. Steve had taken for granted that Nat would be on his side, because it was inconcievable for him the idea of not having his partner standing by him.
After the battle in the airport Tony was able to recover the video footage from the security cameras in the airport. He already knew Natasha had let them go but anyaways he wanted to see it with his own eyes. He had never expected to see what he did though. The look on Steve's face when he thought he would have to fight Nat. He just stopped right in his path unable to even lift his shield, not even when she pointed her widow bites at him. And then she just let them go. For the first time in all the time he had known her, Tony saw Nat make a choice with her heart. For a second there she wasn't the Black Widow but just Natasha Romanoff. It was just then when hewhen realised how much Steve truly meant to her, how much he had changed her. They were each other's one true weakness, because there wasn't a chance that there would ever be Steve against Natasha.
By the time the truth finally came to the light and Zemo was apprehended, the team was already torn apart. Probably Tony was the one to feel it the most. The Avengers were his family, and with Pepper gone too he had never felt more left behind. However, as the initial anger faded away, he started to worry about Steve. After all, he was in a similar situation. With Peggy gone and now being considered a war criminal he was having a hard time. At the end Tony still considered him his friend, so he was glad that at least he had Nat. He was sure they wouldn't be apart for that long. After all, they were family.
SHARON CARTER
Sharon has always been proud of being the great Margaret Carter's niece. However, it was hard to make a name for yourself when your aunt was the star agent of the SSR, founder of S.H.I.E.L.D... and former Captain America's love interest. She couldn't deny she fancied Steve, and it kept her hopes up to think that maybe the reason why nothing happened between him and Peggy was that he was going after the wrong Carter.
But as much as she tried to feel confident about her chance with Steve she knew there was someone else in the way. Natasha Romanoff.
At first, when they became partners back at DC it had been easy for Sharon to notice the moment when their relationship went from strictly professional to a close friendship. But it wasn't until Peggy's funeral when Sharon could have a glimpse of how intimate they had really gotten.
Even when they were in separated sides of an inside conflict, Natasha went there for Steve when he needed it the most. I didn't want you to be alone. Steve couldn't fight back tears any longer and Natasha holded him as he cried. Never had Sharon seen the Black Widow, in all the time she'd known her, openly display affection like that. Not even with Hawkeye. It wasn't teasing flirts like she was so used to, but a sincere heart-warming touch that only two people with a very strong connection could share.
It was then when she understood Steve and Natasha weren't just partners, friends or teammates. Not anymore. There was something deeper there. Sharon was not oblivious, she knew what it was. That's why when she kissed Steve it felt... wrong. It had indeed been pleasant, but still wrong. Even if he didn't realised it, Sharon could see that his heart was already taken.
Who could have imagined that at the end it would be her, The Black Widow, far successor of Dottie Underwood. But Sharon understood how it happened. That click. As a fellow agent, she had spent some time working with Natasha and managed to learn a few things about her. The most important one was that behind all the deathly spy facade, she tried very hard to prove that there was more in her than that. That she wasn't just the living weapon that the Red Room created. That she could do good. Sharon could see that Steve gave Nat the chance to find what she'd been looking for this whole time: redemption.
Natasha needed Steve...more than Sharon did. The same way uncle Daniel had needed aunt Peggy back in those days. That's how fate works, and Sharon was okay with it. Steve Rogers and the Carters had a curse... but after all, taking care of Captain America would always be the family business.
BUCKY BARNES ( Based in the movies where he doesn't remember Nat )
Bucky felt extremely guilty about how the recent events had turned out. From the attack to the UN, to the Avengers fighting each other...everything was somehow related to him.
He was ready to accept any punishment the government wanted to give him, even if it was death sentence, but he knew Steve was too stubborn to ever let that happen. Steve Rogers was a loyal friend, and he deserved better. As they fought their way trough the airport Bucky felt like he was crushing the life Steve had built for himself in this new century. And that was what Bucky regreted the most.
But when they had almost reached the plane to escape, she stepped in their way. Bucky was shocked as he saw Steve completely incapable of moving forward to attack, like he had done without hesitation with the other Avengers. She was special to Steve. And when she let them go he realised Steve was special to her as well.
It was weird, Bucky had just seen Steve kissed a blonde girl, but he had a feeling that with this redhead there was a story much more interesting. Then, he discovered that blonde was Peggy's niece and the redhead was Natasha Romanoff, the famous Black Widow.
After fighting Tony everything happened in a blurr. They broke the other Avengers out of prison and less than a day later, they were all hiding in Wakanda thanks to now king T'Challa.
Bucky decided to go into a cyosleep until they found a way to erase the damage to his brain. So nobody could use him as a weapon ever again. On the other hand, he thought it would mean less trouble to Steve...he had already done enough for him.
He couldn't sleep knowing that he would be frozen next morning, so be went for a walk around T'Challa's home. He heard Steve talking to someone when he got to the lab, so he got closer to listen better. He was with Natasha.
"How did Tony react?" Steve was asking.
"He was more hurted than mad, even if I haven't always been completely truthful to him he didn't see it coming"
"And Ross? Did he do something to you?"
"Well I helped two extremely dangerous fugitives escape so I can't blame him fot not being very friendly towards me" She smiled to Steve but he remained serious.
"Thanks Nat"
"I owed you" She tried to shake off her credit
"No you didn't" There were a few seconds of silence in which Natasha had a confused look. "I once told you I trusted you to save my life, and you kept that promise" Natasha's confused look turned into a longing gaze and a slight smile, which Steve returned this time.
It was a beautiful scene to witness. Bucky was so amazed and happy to see that Steve had a connection that deep with someone. He knew how much Steve needed to be reminded sometimes that he wasn't only Captain America, but Steve Rogers as well, and that he deserved to have a life of his own as mucb as anyone else.
"By the way, I talked to Sam" Natasha said with a playful smirk. Steve was the one confused now.
"About?"
"He told me about your kiss with Sharon" Steve blushed deeply and suddenly Natasha's smirk disappeared turning to a dead serious look. "I just want to know one thing"
"What..?"
"Was it your best kiss since 1945?"
"Oh my god" Natasha laughed. "I'm not answering that"
"At least grandpa frisbee still got it with the girls"
"You know what Romanoff?" They both laughed for a while, teasing each other talking like everything was okay.
Bucky could feel how warm and comfortable their relationship was, and he was amazed by how she could make Steve smile after all what had happened recently. She certainly was special. She wasn't Peggy Carter, but that was good. Even though Bucky always supported Steve's choices, he knew even back in 1945 that Peggy Carter was not the one meant to be with him.
Steve had always been invisible to women, and due to his determination to get into the army he had never paid that much attention to them as well. Peggy was the first woman he was ever interested in, and who returned those feelings nevertheless. If they had been together, Bucky knew Steve would have idolized her as perfection and develop a some kind of blind ddvotion to her. And that was unhealthy. On the other hand, Natasha was far from flawlessand Steve knew it. He learned to accept and respect this side of her and they now shared a beautiful bond in which they considered the other as an equal, no matter how different they might be
So he went back to bed to wait for what was ahead.
The next morning when everything was ready in the lab, Steve requested a moment alone with Bucky.
"Are you sure you wanna do this Buck?"
"You know is the right play" Deep down Steve knew he wouldn't change his mind.
"You are my best friend Bucky, I thought I had lost you back in 1945 and now I'm supposed to say goodbye again." He could see how much Steve was struggling right now.
"That's the thing Stevie, you think you need me but you don't. What you really need is to stop holding on to the past and let yourself build a future. Peggy is gone, Howard is gone, I'm not the same Bucky Barnes i was back then and I won't be here forever. You have found a family in the Avengers. That's what you should hold on to "
"I don't know if I'm the kind of guy who wants a family anymore"
"Don't be so sure about it. The way I see it, you've already found love again." That caught Steve off-guard.
"You mean Sharon? I think it's too soon to know if..." Bucky interrupted him
"I'm not talking about her" He smirked making Steve very confused.
"Then who are you referring to?" Dear God. Was he really that Clueless?
"You'll have to figure it out yourself. But I'll tell you what I know...You love her. I would say you have for a long time now. Maybe you don't know it just yet, but anyone paying attention could see."
Steve was having a really hard time trying to figure out what the hell his best friend was talking about, but Bucky knew he would eventually realise it. Bucky had the feeling his best friend wouldn't realise he was falling in love until it was already too late. But when he did it would be just beautiful.
"Goodbye my friend" And after saying so he peacefully closed his eyes, knowing he was letting Steve in good hands.