The snow was making it really hard to see, even for Steve, and he needed to focus really hard on Natasha's figure in the distance. He was just her back up lurking in the shows in case she got made. This was a simple information retrieving mission and sneaking in and out of buildings without anyone noticing was more Natasha's expertise than his. She would steal the data SHIELD needed to find out if this biotech company was in fact selling intel to terrorist groups.

It took Natasha only an hour to get in, get the data, plant bugs and leave. No one had noticed her, she truly was remarkable. She never ceased to amaze him, he was so in awe of her. So in love with her. He wanted her so much.

He hadn't seen her since they'd come back from LA and he really wanted to talk with her about everything, but she had been standoffish with him since they'd met at the airport this morning. She'd only talked with him about their plan at the safe house and he didn't really wanted to talk about their private lives during the job. Steve had no idea if SHIELD was watching their agents while they were on the clock. He wouldn't put it past Fury.

Natasha was already at the rendezvous point down the road from the facility, slight shivering, when he arrived.

"Can we get back to the safe house now? I'm fucking freezing." She was hugging herself, her parka was zipped up until her chin.

Despite popular belief, he didn't care about the cold. He wasn't a fan of it, but he also wasn't traumatized by it.

"Of course." He watched her worriedly. Her lips were starting to turn blue. He wanted to pull her into his arms to warm her, but he knew that she would push him away. One almost kiss didn't give him the right to touch her.

The streets were dark and empty and then turned into barely there paths on their way to the safe house. It was in the middle of nowhere and the falling snow was already covering the tracks of the car. Without GPS Natasha wouldn't be able to find the safe house.

"I'm gonna take a bath if that's okay with you." Natasha announced after parking the garage underneath the carport.

They would have to spend the night here, there was no way that SHIELD could get them out in this weather. The wind and snow were getting stronger and stronger.

"I don't mind, take your bath." He could wait to take a shower. The serum protected him from the cold.

It was only after the water had stop running that Steve realized that Natasha was currently naked down the hall, naked and wet.

He suppressed a groan and willed his body to move away from the hallway. You're still on the clock, Rogers. And you haven't found the guts yet to ask her out. She definitely doesn't want you to join her in the bathtub. Had she used something that made bubbles? Were bubbles covering her body or was she still visible in the water? Were her breasts-

Stop!

He had to get a grip. He couldn't get aroused right now. It was already bad enough that she was the main character in every one of his fantasies, but he couldn't think about her like that right now. He had been attracted to women before, had needed to let off stream after he'd gotten the serum and learned to live with the fact that everything was amplified, but he hadn't been prepared for this. For her. He was aching for her. Everything she did, turned him on. She had woken a side in him that excited and terrified him. The one brief peck in LA had set his body on fire. He was now completely under her spell.

By the time Natasha came out of the bathroom, wearing yoga pants and his sweatshirt- he was now completely convinced that she had stolen it from him in Nova Scotia, he had calmed down and had found something to eat for them. Her sight didn't make him completely lose his mind anymore, but his brain definitely thought mine when he saw her in his sweatshirt.

"I found a frozen lasagna and put it in the oven. I set the timer."

Natasha promised to get their dinner out of the oven when it was ready and he left to take a shower. The table was set when he came back into the small living area and Natasha had turned on the radio.

"It was too quiet." She explained and he nodded. He sometimes couldn't stand the silence as well.

The thought of asking her about LA was constantly on his mind. He wanted to ask her out, take her on a date, get her into his bed, ask her to be his girl. Natasha was different with him, he was sure that she was interested in him. But he also knew that she wasn't exactly the type to get into relationships.

And while he wasn't the virginal prude most people like Tony thought he was, he wanted more from Natasha than sex. Yes, he wanted to find out what made her body sing and reduce her to a sweaty mess that only moaned his name and forget about every other man before him, but he also wanted to know all about her dreams and fears, he wanted to know everything about her and share his life with her. He wanted her to let him love her and to love him in return.

Natasha put her fork down and tilted her head.

"Have you asked out Megan from HR yet? She's volunteering at a soup kitchen and animal shelter."

Why the fuck was she still trying to set him up? She had to know that he only wanted her. He didn't care about other women, didn't even look at them.

"No, I'm not interested."

"Why not?"

"Because she and every other woman you mentioned are not the one I want!"

His voice got louder than he'd wanted and Natasha's eyes widened slightly at his outburst. He didn't want to lash out at her, but he was so fucking tired of her trying to set him up with someone. She had done it pretty much right after he'd started working at SHIELD, and at first he hadn't wanted to meet any of the women because he hadn't been simply in the right head space yet, and then because he'd started to have feelings for Natasha. Was she trying to push him away?

"Okay, I'll stop." Natasha said, picking up her fork to continue eating her dinner.

Of course he would end up falling in love with the most infuriating and confusing woman who'd ever walked this earth. Bucky was probably looking down at him and laughing.

They finished their dinner quietly, only the radio playing in the background. He cleaned up while Natasha transmitted the stolen data to SHIELD. It was still quite cold despite the heat being on, so Steve wanted to get the fire place going. The night and the snow storm would hide the smoke coming from the chimney, and even if it were visible it wouldn't matter. No one knew that this cabin was a safe house for SHIELD agents.

Natasha was standing in the front of the radio, swaying to the music, when he turned around after getting the fire going.

She moved around to face him and smiled softly, almost shyly at him. "Dance with me?"

He'd love to, but he'd never learned how to properly dance. "I don't know how?"

"That's fine. We'll just sway a little to the music."

She held out her hand and he almost stumbled over his feet to get to her, he couldn't miss this chance. Natasha seemed amused by that, and then her grin changed into something he'd never seen on her face before when their hands touched. He could swear that he could feel some kind of spark going through his body. His breath hitched when she wrapped her arms around his neck and stepped into his personal space.

"Put your hands on my waist." She whispered, her eyes soft and kind. "And just move to the music. Like this."

He never wanted to let go of her, it was like his hands were meant to be on her waist. He moved awkwardly to the music, afraid that his lack of dance skills would ruin the moment, until Natasha told him to relax.

She moved closer until their chest were touching, his mind going blank.

"Just move with me."

Elvis Presley's Can't help falling in love with you was playing on the radio and Steve got lost in Natasha's eyes.

Take my hand
Take my whole life, too
For I can't help falling in love with you

Natasha smiled at him like she knew that he was completely agreeing with Elvis. She played with the hair in the back of his neck and he almost purred like a cat.

"Thank you." She whispered.

"For what?"

"I've never done this before. Danced with someone because I wanted to."

His love and devotion for her almost brought him to his knees, he never wanted to protect someone that much before. He rested his forehead against hers.

"You never have to do something again you don't want. Especially not with me, Nat."

"I know." She smiled a little and closed her eyes. "This is really nice."

The song ended and another one started. He didn't immediately recognize it and was confused why Natasha suddenly tensed. She pulled away from him, looking upset, and stormed towards the radio. What was happening?!

So bye-bye, Miss American P-

She turned the radio off and ran to her room, shutting the door behind her. Steve had no idea what had just happened. He was confused and a little hurt that their moment had ended so abruptly, but mostly he was worried about her. That song had triggered something in her, something painful. He wasn't sure if he should check on her, but he made up his mind when he heard a sniffle coming from her room.

He walked to her door and knocked softly.

"Nat?"

No response.

"Nat, sweetheart? Can I come in?"

"Okay."

Natasha was sitting on floor, her back against the bed, and looking at him with teary eyes.

"I'm sorry I made a scene."

"You didn't make a scene." He sat down next to her. "Do you wanna talk about it?"

"Not really." She pulled her knees up against her chest. "That song...just reminds me of a time in my life that had been a lie. A lie I so desperately wanted to believe in. That time fucked me up more than I want to admit. I think...since then I have problems to really trust someone, to let someone in. I let them in, thought they were my family and then...they handed me over straight to the devil."

Steve didn't say anything, giving her the space to say more if she wanted to. He didn't completely understand what she was talking about and he wouldn't ask for more. This was for Natasha to get something off her chest and not him trying to find out more about her.

"We were supposed to steal something from the Americans. Posed as a picture perfect family in Ohio. I knew it wasn't real, but I just ignored it. For the first time I had my own room, even a bicycle. And I had parents who picked me up from school and went to the carnival with u -me. I had a si- I hoped that they would still be my family after the mission ended, but I was an idiot. Of course they didn't want me."

Natasha swiped a tear away and chuckled darkly. "No one wants me. Not even when I was a kid. They just tossed me right back into hell."

"That is not true. I am so sorry that you had to go through that. But people want you in their lives. I want you in my life. You're the best thing in my life."

"Really?" Natasha asked with big eyes, like she just couldn't believe what he'd just said. "You're not just saying that? You really want me?"

"Really. More than you know." He said softly and wrapped his arm around her. "I will never leave you behind, Nat. Never. I swear on my ma's grave."

Natasha's next move surprised him and he almost wanted to pinch himself. She climbed into his lap and buried her face in his neck, her arms tightly wrapped around him. He felt her hot tears dampening his skin and he ran his hands down her back, understanding the way she was a little bit better.

"It's okay, Nat. I'll never leave you."

She let out a sob, breaking his heart. She hugged him even tighter and he pressed a kiss to her temple. He didn't completely understand what had happened to Natasha, just that even as a child people had lied to her and used her. If he was ever going to meet her fake parents, he was going to rip them apart for hurting her.

"I will always be there for you."