Steve wasn't a huge fan of television. He mostly watched it to catch up on all the things he had missed. But there was one thing he watched almost religiously. It was baseball. Since he came out of the ice, it had been one of the few things to remind him of before and he had grown quite fond of this sport.

Also the fact that Clint always watched it since he was retired meant that Steve and Natasha had another reason to visit the Bartons. And like every time there was an important tournament, they dined at the farm and watched the match. Steve and Natasha only left in the morning after spending the night in the guest room Clint had added in the last couple of years.

Natasha was helping Laura in the kitchen. Not because she liked cooking or was any good at it, on the contrary. But she enjoyed the other woman's company. Laura had never been jealous of her husband's friendship with the redhead because she knew it was genuine and purely platonic now. She had never been afraid of Natasha and had rather made a friend out of her than an enemy. They had helped each other out throughout the years, Natasha making sure Clint would always come back home in one piece and Laura sometimes helping Natasha when Clint wasn't there. Just like the few times when the redhead had crashed at the farm, wounded and exhausted, potentially dying. Laura had always patched her up without asking too much questions. That's also something Natasha appreciated: the fact that she could confide in Laura without fearing her secrets might be spilled out.

Still, Laura knew Natasha only grazed the surface every time they spoke, never daring to let anyone in too much. But she was also surprised to see Natasha so at ease with Steve. She smiled more and laughed even, something only Clint and their daughter Lila had managed to do. She seemed happy with Steve; there was no other way of saying it. And it had only been three months since they both acknowledged that they had a thing going on and finally decided to give it a go.

While Steve and Clint sat in the couch and watched the match, Laura was hovering in the kitchen while Natasha casually leaned against the counter, a beer in hand. From her vintage point she had a good view of the couch and the kitchen but also the kids playing in the living room. Nathaniel was almost a year now and Natasha found him cute although she never said it.

"So Clint told me things have been going smoothly between you and Steve lately?" Laura said as she washed the dishes.

Natasha smiled. "Pretty much. He did make one mistake though."

Laura raised one eyebrow in both confusion and curiosity so the redhead elaborated. "We were out on a date and he brought me flowers." Natasha stopped Laura before she could say anything. "I know it's cute and romantic and all and, truthfully, a few years ago I might have punched him for pulling something like this out. But it was nice, I appreciated the gesture."

"But?" Laura knew that when Natasha had that tone, there was always a but. Natasha quickly looked in the direction of the couch and saw the men still watching intently as if hypnotized and cheering from time to time. She took another gulp of beer before turning to Laura and almost whispering.

"He brought me roses."

Laura bit her lips and started preparing the dessert but refused to let Natasha help her when the redhead asked (she might not like cooking, that didn't mean she couldn't lend a hand). "You haven't told him have you?"

Natasha shook her head. "I'm waiting for the right moment. So far, you and Clint are two of the five people who know."

"Who are the others?" Laura didn't really know if Natasha would answer. It often happened that Laura asked something about Natasha's past and the redhead simply didn't say anything as if she hadn't heard. She had gotten used to it through the years, not taking it personally. But this time, Natasha did answer.

"A friend of mine that rarely speaks and whom I trust. And two women from that country."

"Are they…"

Natasha nodded. "Yes, one is the woman that helped me back in the days and the other is her daughter. Although I haven't been there in a while, I don't even know if they are still alive."

Natasha then looked at Steve. That story she was mentioning was one of her darkest secrets, something even Fury had no idea of. She hoped it stayed that way but that secret could explain a lot about her personality and why she acted in a certain way in different situations. She had only told this story to a handful of people, even the other Avengers had no idea and it was better like that. But she wanted to tell Steve. She was just waiting for the right moment.

"I'll tell him someday. When the time is right. He deserves to know if we are to have a future together."

Laura was a little surprised about her friend's honesty and bluntness. True, Natasha had always been honest even if it meant being cruel or rude. Laura just didn't expect the redhead to be so open about her relationship and what might be since Natasha always lived in the moment. Once the dessert was ready, the kids wolfed it down before heading to bed. When the match was over, Clint helped Laura settled the kids, leaving Natasha and Steve alone for a while. As always, they would spend the rest of the evening talking between adults and catching up until midnight when old Clint would need his sleep (Natasha teased him about the fact that he was getting old and had stopped doing that with Steve since he had learned that she had been born in the late twenties).

Once they were alone, Natasha sat on Steve's lap and he pulled her in his embrace, his strong buff arms wrapping themselves naturally around her waist. She rested her head next to his and simply whispered "Thank you for the roses, they were beautiful. But roses make me sad." He looked at her questioningly but didn't say a word. "I'll tell you someday. I promise." He kissed her and smiled contently. Someday was fine by him.