AN: So I'm not going to spoil it if you haven't seen it, but I went to see Spiderman and it's so good! But anyway, here's another chapter and this one's fourth of July themed, even though I'm English and means nothing to me. So I'm just guessing with this one and projecting what I wish my life was like onto other characters. Enjoy!
Natasha couldn't cook. It was one of the only things Natasha really couldn't do. To say she was hopeless wouldn't even be an understatement. And her baking was even worse, which is why when Steve Rogers came home, his first thought was that she'd been replaced by a robot. Which wo be fair, in his line of work, wouldn't be completely ridiculous. Natasha was fairly clean, however the kitchen was covered in flour, the island coated in batter and there was a slight burning smell coming from the open.
"Natasha?" he tentatively came into the kitchen, seeing her humming along to some music, icing a cake.
"Hey" she smiled up at him, setting down her spatula and offering him the cake
"What is this?" he viewed the offending item with suspicion
"It's a birthday cake" she said, like it was obvious,
"Did you make this?" The kitchen was a pretty big tip off, but he had to check. Natasha didn't cook. Ever.
"It's crap, I know. You don't have to eat it" she looked deflated as he sat down at the counter.
"I love it Nat. Thank you" he kissed her gently. He dipped his finger into the frosting, licking it off quickly
"How is it?" she asked quickly, hands wringing together in nervousness.
"It's ummm…well, it's really good" he lied. It was one of the worst things he'd ever tasted, but she put so much effort into it that he didn't want to hurt her. He struggled to swallow, but managed to force it down his throat
"It's really bad isn't it?"
"No, it's delicious" he lied again, trying to sound convincing
"It can't be that bad" she said, licking the remaining frosting off his finger. She grimaced, her face contorting as she tried to swallow.
"Oh god. That's awful" she spit out the cake into a tissue, desperately drinking some water
"It's not great" he grimaced, looking over to her.
"I can't believe you ate that to save my feelings" she smiled slightly, though it was hard to tell through her wiping her mouth on a paper towel
"I'd be a pretty bad boyfriend if I didn't at least try" he chuckled
"Thank you" Natasha said genuinely, and seriously. It was the little things like that which really made her appreciate Steve.
"No problem"
"Come on, I have it on pretty good authority that there's a rocking party going on right now" she told him, sitting on his lap
"Oh god" he groaned, burying his face in her shoulder
"Oh relax, it's just friends. Pepper helped organise it" she rolled her eyes fondly at him
"Please don't tell me it's a pool party" he begged
"Sorry Cap. But it's your 100th birthday, you should feel lucky that Tony didn't insist on a giant event the entirety of New York was invited to"
"Alright, I'll go. If you let me do one thing"
"Oh yeah?" she raised her eyebrows, smirking at him. She leaned in close to him, wrapping her arms around his neck
"Yeah, let me throw this cake out"
"Fine. You gonna get changed?" she asked
"I would, but you're kinda sitting on me" he laughed, gesturing to her.
"Now that is a predicament" she grinned, kissing him gently
"Am I going to have to forcibly remove you?" he said, raising his eyebrow at her as she diverted her attention to his neck, kissing softly at the skin
"I'd like to see you try"
"Oh really?"
"Nope" she hopped off him, causing him to frown
"C'mon Nat. It's my birthday"
"Sorry soldier, it'll have to wait until later"
"We can be late to my own birthday party" he tried to convince her
"Anticipation is half the fun Steven. I have to get changed, I'll see you up there?" she asked, already leaving the apartment
"I hate you" he muttered
"No you don't"
He walked out onto the rooftop, smiling as he noticed how relaxed it was. Clint and Sam were barbequing enough meat to last a year, Tony, Thor, Rhodey and Vision wear chatting at the bar, Jane, Darcy, Pepper and Wanda were relaxing in the hot tub and Natasha was talking to Bruce, their feet dangling in the pool. He sat down next to them, enjoying the cool water on his feet.
"Hey"
"Happy Birthday man" Bruce said, reaching behind Natasha to pat him on the back
"Thanks. I guess I'm officially an old man now"
"Oh shit. Tony's trying to get Thor to arm wrestle" Bruce got up, leaving the couple alone
"You're wearing a bikini" he noticed. He remembered their conversation from a few years ago, 'bye bye bikini's' and all that
"Ah, it's high waisted Rogers" as if to prove it, she pushed down the fabric slightly to show him the scare before pulling it back up
"What about all your other scars?"
"I can go change if you'd like" she joked, pushing herself off the edge of the pool slightly as if she was getting up
"Nope, I think you look beautiful. But I did think you probably wouldn't think so" he was blunt, because he knew her, and he knew how she thought, despite her best efforts
"I just…I don't think I care anymore. Look around, I have all these friends who couldn't care less about what I look like. And I have you"
"Oh really?"
"Yeah, you really make me feel special Rogers"
"Okay, you can stop being nice now. It's weirding me out"
"It's your birthday, thought I'd cut you some slack old man"
"That's better" he laughed, splashing some water at her
"FOOD! Come and get it before Thor gets here first!" Clint yelled. Steve hauled himself off the edge of the pool, offering a hand up to Natasha.
"Why thank you"
"Anything for you my darling"
"So, what's new with you?" Sam asked once they had eaten. The sun was beginning to set, casting an orange glow over the city.
"Not much really" Steve replied, tossing him a new beer.
"Good, because I've been chatting to this girl and I think you'd really get along"
"Sam, stop. I have a girlfriend"
"What? You didn't think to tell me? Who is it?" Sam asked rapid fire questions
"It's Natasha" Sam whipped around, looking at Natasha, who despite sitting across the roof in a different conversation, still smirked at him.
"Seriously? Natasha Romanoff? The Black Widow?" Sam asked in disbelief
"The very same" he laughed
"Your girlfriend?"
"Yup"
"How? Like no offense man, but she is way out of your league"
"Trust me, I know" Steve laughed, smiling over at her
"Why am I always the last to know anything?" Sam almost yelled, drawing the groups attention to them.
"Not true, you know about Rhodey's new girlfriend" Clint butted in
"You have a girlfriend?" Sam turned to Rhodey, directly asking him. He simply shrugged in response.
"Right, anyone else have a secret relationship I ought to know about?" Sam asked, clearly frustrated
"It's not a secret" Rhodey commented
"Does someone else have a secret relationship?" Bruce asked
"Nope" Steve replied quickly, causing Natasha to glare at him.
"Wait, does Capsicle have a girlfriend?" Tony almost mocked, though he was serious in his question
"I don't have a girlfriend" Steve tried to argue
"Oh really?"
"We're keeping things casual" he said, causing Natasha to snort, spluttering on her beer.
"Something funny?"
"Just the thought of Steve being in a casual relationship" Steve glared at her, causing her to smirk back at him.
"Come on, I reckon the old man has moves"
"Show us your moves Cap"
"Alright. Which of you wants the Captain America charm?" Steve joked, getting up
"Lay it on me Cap. Just know I'm married" Clint joked, throwing out his arms.
"Not for long"
"I see we've already started then"
"Oh, we've barely begun Clinton"
"Natasha's taught you well"
"Forget about her, it's just you and me right now"
"Oh really?"
"You and me, all alone. God, the things I would do to you"
"He's still got it" Clint joked, taking a swig of beer as Steve walked away
"Never lost it"
"Please, I doubt you ever had it" Natasha laughed
"You don't give me nearly enough credit Natasha"
"You're forgetting I was the one in charge of your training. I taught you everything you know Soldier"
"Stop flirting you two. The man has a girlfriend"
"She's not my…I give up"
"Aha!"
"Arghhhhh" Tony screamed, jumping into Thor's arms as fireworks went off in the distance.
"You're pathetic" Wanda muttered
"It just caught me by surprise. Anyway, those are lame fireworks"
"Here we go"
"This year, I've designed my own set of fireworks that I think may just break New York"
"Figuratively or literally"
"Hopefully a bit of both"
"Tony" Pepper warned
"Figuratively, definitely figuratively" Tony corrected, though winked at them when Pepper's back was turned.
"Alright everyone, call your secret girlfriends, find a spot and get ready for the greatest show in the galaxy" Tony bigged up
"Definitely exaggerating"
"Definitely not"
Natasha had found them an isolated spot out of sight of the others, setting up a blanket and snuggling into Steve's side as they waited for Tony's ultra mega awesome fireworks.
"So how bad are these going to be?"
"I don't know. He's either gonna blow up New York or make a fireworks display that will never be forgotten"
"I'll cheers to that" Steve laughed, clinking his glass with hers. Fireworks started shooting out from the other side of the roof
"Happy Birthday"
"Happy fourth of July"
"I'm Russian. I don't celebrate today"
"Well then, happy 'day that it's acceptable to get really drunk' day"
"Much better" she kissed him gently, tucking her head into the crook of his neck and looking back up at the sky.
"They're beautiful"
"Yeah, they really are"
"I love you Nat"
"I know" she didn't say it back, but he was fine with that. He knew how she felt about him, he didn't need her to say it, despite the fact he wished she would. He pressed a kiss into her hair, wrapping his arm around her.
"Come on Soldier. It's about time I gave you your birthday present" she dropped her tone, whispering in his ear seductively.
"You didn't have to get me anything" he didn't seem to pick up on her tone, so instead she stood up, offering him her hand
"Who said it's for you?" she teased as she took his hand and led him off the roof, swaying her hips ever so slightly.
"You are naughty Agent Romanoff"
"Then punish me Captain"
AN: I didn't really check this so if there are any spelling mistakes or sentences that don't make sense, please let me know. If you have any ideas that you desperately, or not so desperately want incorporated into this story, please let me know and I'll try to write them in. I hope you enjoyed, please follow, favourite and review. Constructive criticism is always welcome and appreciated.