I DO NOT own the Avengers or Marvel!

The annual SHIELD ball, Natasha hated it. She had gone once six years ago, but had avoided since. However, this year it was mandatory for her to be there with her teammates. Apparently, Bobbi was apart of the team much to the Widow's dismay. Fury had hired stylists to make sure she was actually wore a dress. And to top it all off, she was shaking a room with Bobbi and Pepper. Natasha had completely tuned out Bobbi's lecture on makeup as three women pulled at her hair and covered the scars.

"Done," one of them smiled.

Natasha stood and walked over to the full body mirror pushing past the gaping women in the room. On her body was a purple floor-length dress that revealed a lot more skin that she was comfortable with. It was low cut and there were two strips of fabric that wrapped around her body and connected to the waist of her dress. Her long hair was hanging down her back, but held out of her eyed by two waterfall braids on either side of her head.

"You look amazing, Natasha," Pepper gasped.

"I look like an easy target," Natasha replied blankly.

She grabbed her gun off the table and strapped it to her thigh. Eventually, the room emptied out and it was just her staring at herself in the mirror. She was impressed with the work they had accomplished. Somehow the stylists had managed to cover the bags under her eyes that she had earned over the recent months. The scars on her neck, face, shoulders and hips seemed to have disappeared. The lines and cuts from the stitches had been concealed by a mixture of makeup that Natasha figured cost as much as she made in a month.

But, something in her mind told her that she wasn't good enough. Bobbi was better, Clint had made that very clear. She was pretty, smart and normal. Natasha had voiced to everyone –but Clint –that she was a liability, but she was good for him. The blonde was stable and he needed something stable. Clint had never told her, but she figured he was tearing himself apart after everything that had happened.

There was a knock on the door and she could hear her teammates calling her name. Natasha shouted an 'I'm coming' and pushed the fears that slipped through the heavily guarded façade and smoothed out her dress. Quickly, Natasha pulled open the door and walked into the hallway earning the eyes of her entire team. She stuck her hand out in Steve's direction. He dug into his coat pocket and put the sheathed dagger in her palm. Natasha pulled up the hem of her dress and strapped it to her shoes. Then, she stuck her hand out toward Tony and he handed her three tiny bottles filled with a questionable green liquid. They all turned away as she shoved the poisons into her bra.

"Are you done arming yourself?" Thor smiled.

"Oh, don't worry, I have an extra clip duct taped under my dress," Natasha said fixing her dress.

"What do you think is going to happen?" Bruce asked.

"I don't know, that's the point," Natasha said shoving her hand toward the doctor.

"Now what?" Bobbi whined smoothing out her red dress.

"Lipstick," Natasha replied taking the tube from Bruce and smearing it on her lips. "Let's get this show on the road."

She shoved the lipstick into her bra and latched onto Steve's arm.

"Sorry, sweetheart," Tony started. "Fury's orders said that Merida over there is your escort."

Natasha rolled her eyes and stomped over to Clint.

"I don't have a disease, Nat," Clint said.

"Neither do I, but that doesn't mean anything to you," Natasha muttered.

"What?" Clint asked.

"Nothing," Natasha said with mock-cheer,

Steve pushed open the door and Natasha could've sworn Bobbi shot her a glare. Natasha stuck her tongue out at her as they walked into the ballroom. Thor was partnered with Jane Foster much to the Demigod's pleasure. Bruce was with Darcy and Natasha could've sworn something was brewing there. Pepper was with Tony –obviously –and the Widow noticed the diamond on the blonde's finger glinting in the light. A fuming Bobbi had been paired with Steve who wore a blank expression as his 'partner' continued to glare.

Natasha could hear music and laughter from the hallway making her dread it even more. After the eyes in the room had pulled away from the group, the jittery red-head made a beeline for the bar. This was going to be a long night.

Clint saw Natasha from across the room and felt jealously coursing through his veins. She was standing extremely close to Steve and was laughing loudly. Their foreheads were pressed together and both were smiling widely. The Hawk was getting dragged around the dance floor by his 'loving' girlfriend. Despite the 'talk' the partners had a few weeks prior, they were seemingly growing further and further apart.

"What's wrong, baby," Bobbi asked sweetly.

"Nothing," Clint lied.

"Let's go sit down," Bobbi suggested grabbing onto her boyfriend's hand and leading him toward their table.

Natasha limped toward the bar and plopped onto a stool next to a half-drunken Tony Stark who slid her a shot glass smirking. She knocked it back easily and wiped her mouth on the back of her hand.

"You okay, Princess," Tony asked.

"Totally," she lied.

Tony shot her a 'bullshit' look and she shrugged knocking back another shot.

"Where's Lover boy?"

"Steve is in the bathroom."

"Not Steve."

"Then, who were you referring to?"

"Katniss."

"Why would I know where Clint is?"

Tony smirked taking a sip of his drink.

"I don't love him," Natasha yelled.

"Who said anything about love/" Tony asked.

"Love is for children."

"So you keep saying."

"Love is a game that I don't have time to play. It's a liability and it makes you so stupid things."

Tony shook his head chuckling.

"What?" Natasha demanded.

"Nothing," Tony smiled.

Natasha turned and skimmed through the crowd of hr co-workers. They all still hated hr no matter what she did in New York. Her eyes landed on hr old partner. At first, she caught the glint of his stormy gray eyes. He was sitting at the table with Pepper and Bobbi smiling fakely.

"Wanna dance, Stark," Natasha smiled.

"I don't dance, Romanoff."

"I am heavily armed do not argue with me."

Tony sighed and set his empty glass down. Chuckling, he grabbed Natasha's outstretched hand and followed her to the floor. . Natasha rested on hand on Tony's neck and the other one in his hand. Her teammate's hand rested on her waist and he smiled at her.

"So, about that ring," Natasha said.

"You already noticed?" Tony asked incredulously.

"I'm an assassin, of course I already noticed."

"I don't know why I even try to keep secrets from you and Clint."

"We are paid to notice the small things."

"Can I cut in," Clint asked tapping Natasha on the shoulder.

"Go ahead," Tony said turning to walk away.

"Wait," Natasha said pulling off her shoes.

"What?" Tony asked looking at her.

Natasha stuffed her heels in Tony's pocket and smiled.

"Okay, you can go."

Tony walked away muttering something under his breath and Natasha figured it would've made Steve blush. Just as Natasha was turning to face Clint the Tango came on and she had to smile. The two moved across the floor bodies pressed together. Natasha caught a glimpse of Bobbi's venomous glare from across the room, but couldn't have cared less.

"You know the last time I tangoed," Natasha started. "It was with a guy twice my age that I killed while he was sleeping. He wasn't that goof on the dance floor or in bed."

Somehow, Natasha's mind started to reel and she was there, again. With Clint in her old room on the Helicarrier both lacking clothes and in a compromising position.

His hot breath was traveling across her body as he placed teasing kisses all over her pale skin. Clint's lips hovered over every scar and kissed them gently. Then, it was Natasha's turn. Carefully, they rolled over and she was on top of him. She dropped a chaste kiss on his raw lips. Natasha moved her lips to his jaw and sucked on the skin behind his ear eliciting a throaty moan. Seductively, she planted kisses down his chest and over his sculpted abdomen.

"Natasha," he groaned.

She smirked as she pulled herself up to her partners face and kissed him as he flipped them.

The song ending drew Natasha out of memory lane and she pulled away from her partner blushing. She looked at him for a second and he could see her green eyes searching for something, anything, not even she was sure what for. Natasha stumbled into a step away from him and full out sprinted out of the room muttering some excuse in slurred Russian.

"Natasha," he called. But, it was useless, she was already gone.

This is my peace offering for forgetting to update in over a week. Please, review or PM me.