James Bucky Barnes and Wanda Maximoff were easily one of the most popular and well liked couples at their high school in Brooklyn. He was the starting quarterback for the football team and she was the girl who landed the lead in all the school plays. On paper no one could understand what they saw in each other being from such different worlds, but they didn't care, what they had worked. Even their two best friends Steve Rogers and Natasha Romanoff didn't question it, and defended them on more than one occasion. Bucky and Wanda were at every party, every school dance, any event and they were there. Even though he'd never admit it, Steve was jealous of his best friend. Bucky had a way with women that the blonde knew he would never understand. He once had every girl in the school chasing after him, and before getting together with Wanda, practically dated every girl, all except one. Bucky stayed away from Natasha specifically because he knew Steve had been crushing on her since the third grade.

"It's our senior year, Steve. Don't you think it's time you do something about your feelings for Natasha?"

"She's just a friend Bucky. Besides, she'd never see me the way I want her too. She's beautiful, intelligent, and she'd never go for a guy like me."

"What makes you think that?"

"Because she has him."

Steve pointed towards where Natasha and her current boyfriend were standing. They were talking, laughing and just enjoying each other's company. Natasha was top of the class and the guy she was dating, Matt Murdock; was expected to be one of the success stories of their school. He had an I.Q. that was off the charts and every one in their class knew that he was going straight to law school after graduation. He and Natasha as well as Bucky and Wanda were the top two couples in the homecoming court, but Matt had also been keeping a secret from Natasha, two weeks ago he had also begun dating Elektra Natchios. All the other students ignored it, but not Steve. Natasha was his closest friend other than Bucky, but he didn't want to hurt her and kept his mouth shut. But it was the night of the homecoming dance that everything went downhill.

"And now we'd like to announce your Homecoming King and Queen…"

Principal Coulson paused to give the announcement an over the top dramatic tension, prompting some of the students to roll their eyes while others booed him. And after the impromptu drum roll, he spoke again.

"…Your homecoming King and Queen are James Barnes and Wanda Maximoff!"

There were cheers all around the gymnasium for Bucky and Wanda while Natasha stood on the stage clapping for her friends. But Matt was incensed that he had lost and stormed through the crowd and out of the building. Natasha could only offer a look of apology towards her friends before following him. But neither of them knew they were being followed, Elektra was chasing after them both. When the two women went through the door they passed Steve who had stepped outside for some fresh air.

"Come on Matt, so we lost, it's not the end of the world. I'm happy for Bucky and Wanda."

"Well of course you are! You've known them both longer than I have. But that's not the point! I should have won! But no, Bucky gets everything handed to him because he's the star quarterback!"

"Don't you think you're blowing this way out of proportion? You're still going to law school, no one in there thinks any less of you because we didn't win."

"Of course they do! Sports are all that matter to them! But you're right about one thing, we didn't lose because of me, we lost because of you!"

"Excuse me?"

"You didn't want to win bad enough. I needed this Natasha, you didn't!"

"Matt…,"

"NO! You've been holding me back since junior year! I should've dumped you sooner."

"You're dumping me because we lost to Bucky and Wanda? How much of a chauvinist can you be?"

While Natasha stared at Matt in shock, tears beginning to form in her eyes, she got the second shock of the night when Elektra walked up, and wrapped her now ex-boyfriend in a comforting embrace. The tears of sorrow that were beginning to fall instantly turned to tears of anger. The redhead was furious, and only whispered out a quiet question.

"How long?"

"Two weeks, Natasha. You were just too blind to see that I was replacing you."

The words came from Elektra but the fury in Natasha's emerald green eyes exploded and she slapped Murdock across the face as hard as she could. He had lied to her, cheated on her, and blamed her for all of his misfortune. The slap was the least of what she wanted to do, but she turned and ran back towards the building, slamming into Steve without seeing him.

"Watch where you're going you idiot!"

Steve had still been outside and witnessed everything first hand. He had already turned to avoid eavesdropping any further and that's when Natasha ran into him, and fell to the ground after the collision. Her scream was one of pure rage causing him to take a step back for fear of angering her further. But when she looked up, anger turned to immediate regret when she saw who was standing in front of her.

"Steve…Steve I'm so…"

Natasha was on the verge of breaking into tears again, and he didn't want to see her cry, he cared too much for her, so he held out a hand and helped her up. Quickly taking his outstretched hand, she stood up and collapsed against his chest. Not knowing what else to do, he wrapped his arms around her so she could let her emotions overflow.

"Natasha, it's okay. I'm not hurt."

"Did you…did you hear all of that...,"

The question came out through broken sobs and for a moment Steve was unsure of what to say. He kept quiet and simply rubbed her back to try and soothe her. But the question wasn't going to go away and he has always been honest, so he spoke when her breathing started to calm.

"I heard it all Nat. I'm sorry…"

"You don't have to apologize, it wasn't your fault. It was my fault for not seeing it sooner."

"You deserve better than him Natasha. You can do so much better than him."

"Thank you, Steve. You're such a good friend."

"Anything you need, I'm here for you. I always will be. What can I do?"

"Just hold me."

There were so many thoughts running through Steve's head at that moment. He and Natasha were sharing something so intimate in the simple embrace that he could barely control his feelings. He wanted to tell her that he loved her, to confess all his feelings, but she had just been dumped and he knew it wasn't the right time, so he settled for a simple:

"As you wish."

After that night, Natasha felt differently around Steve, she was beginning to realize that he was more than just a friend but he strangely kept his distance from her. She wasn't sure if she had done something wrong, or maybe he just saw her as a friend. In that same month Matt started coming back around trying to convince her he had made a mistake and as Elektra had gone back home to Greece, he also tried to convince the redhead that he wanted to try again. Natasha wasn't having any of it and slapped him across the face when he began to beg her for a second chance. Steve had seen Murdock trying and still kept his distance despite Bucky and Wanda telling him how much of an idiot he was being. When Halloween rolled in, Coulson had announced a costume ball. After Homecoming Steve had stayed away from all the school events and was going to skip this one as well, until he let Bucky convince him.

"Come on Stevie, it's a costume ball. You can wear a mask and no one will know who you are."

"Everyone will know who I am Bucky. Homecoming was a disaster for me. Did you see how many times I got bullied because I was the only guy there without a date?"

"I…I guess I didn't. I'm sorry buddy. I was just…"

"Don't worry about it. You couldn't have known."

"Exactly, and that's why this time will be different. Come on, you can come with Wanda and me to pick out a costume. And I'm not taking no for an answer."

Steve knew he wasn't going to get out of this, even if he tried, Bucky would drag him to the costume shop kicking and screaming. So he agreed and while Bucky and Wanda decided on being Han Solo and Princess Leia, he took a few more hours to search, and finally came up with a Dread Pirate Roberts costume. Of course Bucky had to tease him, quoting every line from the movie, and even one he knew would embarrass his best friend.

"Maybe you'll find your Princess Buttercup."

Wanda slapped Bucky until the teasing finally stopped. But they were both glad to see Steve actually enjoying himself. The night of the dance they had agreed to pick him up and get dinner before going to the school. When they arrived at the gym the whole place was decorated for Halloween. Realistic bats were hanging from the ceiling, there were mannequins dressed up as zombies, vampires and mummies. Even the lighting was changed to glow with orange and black light. Principal Coulson had gone all out for this because in his words: "Halloween was always my favorite holiday as a kid." He was even there, dressed in a Captain America costume.

"You know Bucky, you were right. I shouldn't have missed this one."

"Wait a minute…did Steve Rogers just say I was right?"

"Don't make me say it again."

"Wouldn't dream of it, but I can tell Wanda I was right for once. So go mingle, have some fun. I have to go find my Princess so we can dance."

Bucky took off looking for Wanda and ultimately found her talking to Natasha. If he was surprised at the dress she was wearing, he didn't show it. It was a simple yet elegant red dress and he instantly knew it had come from the same costume shop he and Wanda had taken Steve too.

"I should have known you and Wanda would take a couples theme Barnes. But you had to choose Han and Leia, didn't you? Can you be any more predictable?"

"What, Star Wars is one of our favorite movies. But being predictable, you dressed as Buttercup from the Princess Bride."

"Touché…, it's my favorite movie."

"So, how's life post…,"

At that moment, Matt walked up, and Bucky immediately stopped speaking. Steve had told him about the fight and breakup he has witnessed, and it was a surprise to see Murdock dressed as Prince Humperdinck. He and Wanda both thought it was done in poor taste, in addition to being a feeble attempt to win Natasha back.

"Natasha, I know you said no to us taking another chance. But please hear me out, at least one more time."

"You can say anything you want Matt, but my answer will still be no."

"Come on, I apologized profusely, and look at me, I'm dressed in a goofy costume with black tights. I'm here embarrassing myself to show you how sorry I am."

"You didn't need to dress like that to embarrass yourself for me. You just being who you are is an embarrassment in itself."

"Nat…"

"You don't get to call me that…ever! Only my real friends get to use that nickname, certainly not jerks who cheat on me!"

Murdock dropped to his knees when Natasha raised an open hand, preparing to slap him again. He was still going to try and win her back and in an act of submission wrapped his arms around her legs and began to beg.

"Please Natasha, I never meant to hurt you. Please give me one more chance. I'm sorry!"

"You know something, you're right. You are sorry."

Natasha tried to extricate herself from Murdock's grip but he just held on tighter. She continued to pull back and in the process pulled him along with her while he was still on his knees. Bucky had wanted to pull Murdock away from the first moment he pulled this stunt, but Natasha was no damsel in distress. It wasn't until the situation escalated and Bucky could see the pain in his friend's eyes that he stepped in, grabbing Matt's arm and forcibly broke the grip.

"If Nat didn't make it clear enough Murdock, maybe I can. Stay away from her."

Matt made a move to punch Bucky but stopped at the sight of the fury in the quarterback's eyes. Bucky was a good three inches taller and a good fifty pounds heavier in muscle mass alone. This was over and they both knew it. It didn't take Natasha long to get away and across the dance floor where she came to someone standing alone. He was dressed all in black with a mask covering the upper portion of his face.

"Hey, you wanna dance?"

Steve was dumbfounded when he caught sight of Natasha crossing the floor to where he was standing. He almost turned and ran away for fear of her recognizing him, but then he remembered his mask. She looked stunning in the red dress and he was speechless when she asked him to dance. She didn't even wait for a response and grabbed his hand, forcefully pulling him to the dance floor. The song that started playing was Monster Mash, and he didn't know what to do except move with her when she took the lead.

"You've never danced before, have you?"

Steve still couldn't find his voice so he just shook his head no. He couldn't believe he was dancing with Natasha Romanoff, the girl he was hopelessly in love with and had accepted that they were only ever going to be friends. Across the room, Bucky and Wanda were watching them, huge smiles plastered on their faces because they could tell Natasha had no idea she was dancing with Steve. And they also saw Murdock fuming in anger because Natasha had spurned him in front of their entire class. She spent the rest of the night dancing with her man in black, never leaving his side. But as the night was drawing to a close, in between dances Bucky and Wanda had walked over to say goodnight, the former giving Steve a brotherly clap on the shoulder while Wanda hugged Natasha. As they walked away, they could tell she still hadn't figured out who her mysterious dance partner was. She had danced all night with him, but eventually moved to step outside when Matt again approached her.

"No, Matt."

A few moments later, Natasha was sitting outside by herself as the night had started to cool off. She was still alone when Steve also stepped outside. He could tell she was chilly from the way she had her arms wrapped around her body. He wasn't sure how she would react, but he draped his coat around her shoulders nonetheless. Pulling the coat closer, it made her feel warmer and the scent was one she was familiar with but couldn't place at first. When she looked over she saw the man in black that she had been dancing with.

"Thank you."

"For what?"

Steve spoke with an attempt at a British accent, hoping to keep Natasha guessing. He knew he failed miserably, but if she recognized his voice, she didn't show it. Instead she turned her attention to him fully and continued speaking.

"For letting me use your coat, for dancing with me all night and not trying to make a move on me. You kept my ex at bay, and I don't doubt he was furious at watching me dance with another man."

"You're welcome, and I should be the one thanking you, for asking me to dance."

"You're welcome, you did look kind of lonely, but…"

"But what?"

"I appreciate everything you've done tonight. I must admit I wish I knew who you are, but while we were dancing, I couldn't help but think about someone else. I didn't see him here tonight, and I wish he had been here."

"Who is he?"

"His name is Steve. He's been my best friend since the third grade…but lately, I've been feeling like he's more. I just think…,"

"That he sees you only as a friend."

"Yeah…I'm sorry, here I am dumping all of this on you, and…,"

"Let me ask you something."

"Sure."

"Have you asked this Steve how he feels about you? Have you told him how you feel about him?"

"No…I went through a really bad breakup with Murdock. He had been cheating on me, and Steve was the only one there for me when that happened. But I also feel like he's been avoiding me, like he doesn't want to ruin our friendship."

"Well, if Steve was here right now, what would you say to him?"

"I don't think…,"

"Come on…pretend I'm Steve. Tell me how you feel."

"Okay…Steve, we've known each other for a long time. You've always been my friend, but I've been developing strong feelings for you. I don't know how you feel about me, but I want too. I want to know if you feel about me like I feel about you. I know that these next words I'm going to say are going to change things between us, but I can't hold it in anymore. What I'm trying to say is…, I've been falling in love with you a little bit each day over the years. I love you, Steve."

Steve could only sit there in silence. Natasha had just confessed that she was feeling everything he had been feeling for years, he had just been too afraid to say the words. But she had her eyes locked directly on his and his stoic demeanor was melting. He still wasn't sure if she had recognized him, but her piercing gaze had him wanting to rip the mask off. After what seemed like an eternity, Natasha spoke again, with a gleam in her eyes and a smirk on her face.

"So, is the Dread Pirate Rogers going to tell me how he feels about me?"

"Actually it's the Dread Pirate Rob…"

Steve paused when he realized she had used his actual last name. He felt like an idiot for thinking Natasha hadn't recognized him. But he could tell she wasn't angry, she still had a smile on her face and was now just waiting for him to make his move.

"As you wish."

He slowly reached up and removed the mask, embarrassment evident on his face. Normally, he'd be on the verge of an asthma attack, but not this time, he was breathing calmly and smiling along with Natasha. He took a few moments to compose himself because he was a nervous wreck, but the words had to come out.

"I love you Natasha. I have since the third grade. I've thought about all the times I could have told you…,but I guess I never thought you'd go for a guy like me."

This wasn't the confession Natasha had expected to hear, but she could understand how he felt. She had watched over the years as girl after girl turned him down, and she couldn't help but think that they didn't know what they were missing out on. But in that moment, none of that mattered anymore as she reached forward, grabbing him by the front of his shirt and locking her lips on his in a passionate kiss. They only broke for air when they heard the sound of clapping and saw the flash of a camera from the corner of their eyes. When they turned to see who was watching them, they saw Bucky and Wanda, dopey grins and continuing to snap pictures.

"It's about time, you two!"