Tears blurred her vision as she slammed her bedroom door. Natasha slid down the door, her back resting against it, hugging her knees.
How could she have been so stupid? Of course he didn't like the broken, red-head, scarred, Russian killing machine. Of course he like the perfect, blonde girl.
All those smiles, late night talks, fleeting touches and looks were acts of friendship- not flirting. Obviously he didn't love her!
Her shoulders shook with sobs, he wasn't and would never be hers, just like she wasn't and would veces be his. Sharon was his and Steve was hers. Maybe it was for the best, she wasn't good girlfriend material; she couldn't commit.
"Go away." Nat hissed when she felt someone trying to open the door.
"Natasha please." It was Clint. Moving away from the door, she wiped her eyes and opened it.
"Hey Tasha. Why'd you run away?" He asked gently. She ignored him and ran up to hug him. "You ok? Tasha talk to me." The assassin broke apart and Natasha walked pĂșber to the couch.
"I love him and now he's dating Sharon! I thought there was something there!" Natasha cried onto her friends shoulder.
"Tash, Steve looked so upset and hurt when you ran off."
"Really?" Natasha felt her hopes rise, Clint smiled and nodded.
"Of course." Natasha smiled brightly. "Oh by the way, Firy wants you in the briefing room. He has a mission for you." Clint told her.
"Ok I'll make myself look like I haven't been crying over America's golden boy and then I'll be down." She laughed slightly and wiped away her tears.
Clint nodded and left her room.
"Are you fucking kidding me?!" Natasha screamed, her calm demeanour leaving her, "Please Fury, anybody but him." She wasn't going to spend a month in PARIS with STEVE.
"Romanoff, I understand how you feel about him but you are the best suited to the mission, and you're still partners." Fury told the fuming assassin.
Natasha was about to object again when someone knocked on the door.
"Come in Captain Rogers." Fury called and Steve walked in. He smiled sadly at her before sitting in the chair next to her.
"I have already informed Captain Rogers on the nature of your mission. Your flight leaves at 1:00pm tomorrow. In order to blend in, you will be flying commercial. Hope you're ready." Fury said and handed Natasha the file. "You are dismissed." The pair nodded and left the room.
"Meet me in the hangar at 9:00am sharp." Natasha said sharply.
"Nat." He began gently.
"9:00am sharp Rogers." She cut him off. Steve nodded and walked back to his floor.
"Sharon?" He called, running a hand over his face.
"Yeah?" She replied from the kitchen. Since they'd started dating Sharon had basically moved into his floor- spending most of her day there, although Steve drew the line at her staying the night.
Steve explained that she had to go on a mission to Paris with Natasha for a month. He was surprised when Sharon didn't object, just smirked slightly when she mentioned Natasha's name.
Sharon left his floor before telling him to be careful. Fury had told him that Natasha had a safe-house in Paris and her weapons and his shield had been shipped there all ready.
He packed some clothes, his suit and a med kit- who knew what injuries they could sustain whilst fighting France's biggest drug gang. Sighing, he flopped onto his bed and fell asleep.
They were seated on the plane and had planned everything out. The first week they would try and get into the gang, the second week Natasha- as much as Steve that fact the woman he loved was doing this- would slip into her Natalie Rushman personna and try to seduce the gang leader. The third week they would slowly begin to cut off their supply, the fourth week they would lead the police to the heart of the gang, hopefully arresting the leader. Steve went over the plan in his head so they could be prepared for any and all possibilities.
He was brought out of his thoughts when he felt Natasha rest her head on his shoulder. He smiled at her and wished he'd asked her out before Sharon called him. He knew there was no way in hell a woman like Natasha would ever feel something for a guy like him.
He knew it was a dick move but now at least Natasha had stopped suggesting women for him to go out with. He turned his attention back to the file on his lap. Natasha started mumbling incoherently in her sleep and Steve smiled. She wrapped her arms around his and Steve stiffened but continued to work.
Seven and a half hours later, Steve was shaking Natasha awake. Her eyes widened and she let go of his arm as she jumped away from him.
"I'm sorry." She mumbled before speeding off the plane. She didn't speak to him until they got to the safe house.
"Nat, are you ok?" Steve asked when they had unpacked and were packing food.
"Yeah, I'm fine. I'm sorry for sleeping in your shoulder." She paused and smiled shyly at him, "and huggin your arm."
"No, no. It's fine I didn't mind." Steve smiled sweetly and laughed.
Natasha melted inside. She desperately wanted to grab him and kiss the shit out of him. "Good, your shoulder is a good pillow." She laughed to cover her blush. She handed him the spaghetti and shivered when their fingers brushed, wishing Steve felt the same.
"Nat!" Steve shouted and ran forward to catch her falling body.
"Hey soldier." She said hoarsely. Steve tore the sleeve from his shirt and pressed it against her wound on her hip. "Nat, stay with me." He said and lifted her up bridal style and carried her off to the safe house.
"Steve help me." She said and began to unzip her suit. She whimpered with her movements and tears sprung from her eyes.
"Hey, hey ssh ssh." He went red as he began to underdress her. He fought and won the urge to stare at her but instead he focused his attention on her hip. He started to clean it with tears trying to betray how worried he was, she'd lost so much blood.
Her face was pale and her vision blurry but she knew something was wrong. "Hey soldier. Calm down, I'm fine. I've been shot before." She whispered and put her hands on his to try and stop his from shaking.
"Natasha, I could've lost you." He whispered, voice wavering as he finished stitching her bullet wound up.
"Ha! You can't get rid of my that easily!" She joked, her breathing shaky. She expected a laugh or at least a smirk but instead the man she loved most in the world started to cry.
She pulled herself into a sitting position and cupped his face. She told him to sit next to her and he did. She wiped away his tears and cupped his face again and asked, "Are you ok?"
"I could've lost you. If I had I never would've told you I love you. I never would've." He stopped suddenly and scrambled off the bed.
"Shouldn't you be saying that to Sharon, not me?" She quipped, a smirk on her face when inside she was melting, Steve felt the same. He loved her! What should she do? Say it back or stay silent?
"No, ignore what I just said."
Natasha began to tear up. "No, please don't take it back. Please stay with me." She cried out when he turned his back on her and left the room. "I love you too." She whispered before lying down to sleep.
Steve felt awful as soon as he shit the door to Nat's room. He walked down the hall to his room, changed and fell back into his bed. He grabbed his phone and dialed his girlfriends number.
"Hey babe."
"Hey Sharon. Look I know you're gonna be so bad at me for this but we're over. I'm sorry but I love someone else. I'm sorry." He whispered into the phone, careful of the sleeping Natasha down the hall.
"It's Romanoff, isn't it?" Sharon didn't sound mad, mostly curious.
"How did you know?"
"Because it's obvious! I knew you never liked me, I knew you loved Natasha. I mean come on Steve. Friends?" She asked over the phone and Steve could hear the smirk in her tone.
"Yes, ok. I fucked up though."
"Oh God Steve. What did you do?"
"I told her I loved her." He heard Sharon sigh into the phone.
"And?"
"And I told her to ignore what I said."
Sharon groaned, "You are so clueless. She loves you too. I know it. Tell her how you feel again and apologise. I'll see you in a couple of weeks, hopefully together with Romanoff. Good luck." Sharon said and hung up.
Steve awoke when he felt the bed dip and he heard sniffling. He shot up and looked around for his shield until he realised who it was. "Shouldn't you be resting?" He asked and moved over on the bed for to lie down.
"Did you mean it?" She turned to face him, thankfully she wasn't resting on her injuried hip.
"Yes." He turned to face her after he felt her tap his back.
"Good, because then I wouldn't be able to do this." She whispered and moved her face closer to his. She pressed her lips on his. His lips moved in sync until they broke apart.
"I love you too." She whispered with a smile plastered on her face when he went redder than a tomato. "Earth to Steve?" She chuckled and kissed a over his face.
She only stopped when he replied, "I love you."
Natasha smiled brightly. He pulled her onto his chest, careful of her hip. She buried her head in his neck and he felt her smile against him. "I love you."
