A/N: A bit late update but I've been super busy recently. This chapter has a slow pace and focuses on Steve and Nat enjoying each other's company... a lot.

DISCLAIMER: I own nothing. All rights to Marvel Cinematic Universe, etc.

Chapter 15

YOU'VE BECOME A PART OF ME

"The best thing to hold onto in life is each other." - Audrey Hepburn

1

If someone was to find this one specific apartment in Brooklyn and look through the window on the fourth floor, they'd see a beautiful redhead woman thrashing violently in her sleep. They'd see how she was hyperventilating and how she woke up with a painful groan.

Natasha Romanoff lay for a moment in bed with eyes wide open. Her forehead was covered in a thin layer of sweat, her laboured breath seemed to have been unnaturally loud, matching the pounding of the blood in her ears. The redhead straightened up and put her feet on the carpet. She cupped her face, rubbing her temples.

The nightmare she had just had seeped quickly through her fingers, like water sinking into the soil. A couple of heartbeats later she couldn't remember any major detail of it though the feeling of dread didn't leave her. Craving any sort of comfort, Natasha searched the bed to her left but it was empty, missing the heat she grew so accustomed to.

Steve was gone.

Without him around, the spy's dreams tended to be full of images she'd like to forget. Blood on her hands. Faceless figures pointing fingers. People yelling, children crying. And to make it even worse an overwhelming feeling of loss. She had to go through this every time she spent the night without the blue-eyed soldier beside.

When Natasha told Steve about it, he suggested seeing a therapist but those few sessions she attended didn't bring any relief. The soldier pointed out she shouldn't have quit so quickly because the effect wouldn't be instantaneous but she knew better. There was only one remedy for whatever monsters were scratching the wall on the other side.

Then again, where was he?

As if on cue the door cracked open and a tall man stuck his head into the room.

"Nat, why aren't you sleeping? Did I wake you up?" His voice was concerned.

Natasha wanted to answer but her throat was sore to a point she let out a quiet whimper. The soldier sat on the edge of the bed, putting the glass of water on his nightstand. He turned towards her, sensing the unspoken panic in the air.

"Is it what I think it is?"

The redhead slowly nodded and though it was very dark, she knew Steve saw the movement. Enhanced sight and all that.

The soldier extended his arms, pulling her into a cosy embrace. "Come here."

Natasha rested her head on his chest, listening to the rhythm of the heart four times faster than that of a regular person's. Its steady beating silenced the bad thoughts trying to invade her mind.

One of Steve's hands rested on her lower back with the other being on her thigh. He buried his face in her locks, whispering comforting words into her ear.

Some were sweet little nothings, some - awkward attempts at making jokes. But among those, and many others, she heard what made her fall for him in the first place. And it worked damn well.

The spy sighed contently, feeling his heat burning all of the trouble away. Her tensed muscles gave away, her overly stimulated senses slowed down as the old-fashioned soldier made her forget the reason why she feared the dark. Faintest of whispers broke the silence of the night.

"I love you, Steve."

Natasha felt him smiling against her hair.

2

Clint Barton was sitting in his favourite rocking chair on the porch of his farmhouse in Iowa. It was a rather chilly evening but he had a blanket over his knees and a mug of hot tea in his hand.

Besides this was his solution when too many thoughts swirled inside his head. At the moment a fair portion of those were concentrated around his best friend.

First thing first: Hawkeye knew it all along, his codename didn't exist without a reason. The spy and the soldier had a thing for each other pretty much since the fall of HYDRA and their investigation of Project Insight. Sam, Cap's best friend, had also seen that but kept quiet since Steve didn't like to discuss the subject too much. However Clint and Nat, they talked a lot, the phone call from yesterday being no exception.

The archer has never heard the redhead to sound so happy. She was teeming with joy, telling him of all the stuff Steve did and how special it made her feel. Clint smiled, listening to these confessions.

He had already experienced it a long time ago: a loving wife and kids running around. Meanwhile Natasha tried hard to make something out of her mess of a personal life. Now that she had Steve, the spy was finally catching up. Then the realization hit him like a train.

Had anything else happened to the soldier, anything, and he'd die… Natasha would not be able to take it. Not since Cap was almost killed in Venice despite being one of the most skilled fighters with years of field experience. And where did that leave the spy? Probably the lowest spot in her life.

"You okay, darling?"

Clint looked up to see Laura standing in the doorway with a blanket flung over her shoulder. She was a head shorter than him with wavy dark hair and a warm smile. Her sheer presence made him feel a bit better.

"More or less."

An unspoken question still lingered in her eyes. The archer sighed deeply.

"It's Natasha. I'm really worried about her."

Laura furrowed her brows. "What's wrong? I thought she was doing fine especially since she started dating Steve?"

"It's a bit more complicated than that, honey." Barton replied putting the empty mug on the wooden planks of the porch.

Laura watched him closely for a moment before she sat on her husband's lap and gave him a lengthy kiss.

"Wow. I should probably pretend to be sad more often."

"Don't push it, Birdbrain." Laura tried to sound menacing but winked at the same time so the effect was ruined.

The archer laughed quietly as he put the blanket over her back and shoulders.

"So… what's wrong with your super-secret spy friend?" Laura asked, caressing her husband's cheek. "Of course if that's not classified. Like 99% of your work."

"It's not, no matter how much she wanted it to be." Clint said, running his hand through Laura's hair. "She loves him, I know it. And Steve loves her."

"What seems to be the problem then?"

"Well, they've grown close over the years, much closer than meets the eye. I've been there when Cap woke up and took down half of the agency before Fury talked some sense into him. Natasha was there too."

Laura kept silent letting him talk.

"In the span of a few years, especially since the D.C., I noticed there was something else in her voice when she spoke of Steve. Then the mission in Africa came and, well, we all thought Cap got killed." Clint closed his eyes for a moment. "There was another assignment after that and Steve landed in hospital for a month."

"A month?" Laura was taken aback. "That must've been awful for her."

"Oh, you've got no idea. I wish I could forget those moments. Never in my life have I seen her like that, Laura." Barton admitted. "She was a total wreck. In some sense she still is."

"So you fear she won't be able to go on if anything happens to him?"

Clint sighed heavily and nodded. "I just hope she'll be alright when I get back to New York."

Laura nodded and they sat in silence admiring the night sky. Then they almost fell off the rocking chair when Lila's voice came from behind them.

"Mom, Dad, what were you talking about?"

"My God, Lila!" Laura gasped while Clint grabbed his chest with a theatrical gesture.

"You little devil! You could've given your father a heart attack!"

Lila smirked.

"How much have you heard?"

"Not much." The girl responded looking anywhere but them. "What's up with aunt Natasha and Steve?"

Clint and Laura glanced at each other.

"I guess it's no use if we make up some crappy excuse now?" The archer asked his wife but Lila shook her head.

"Nope. It's too late now."

"She's a bit too quick-witted for her age." Clint pointed out. "It's your fault."

"Me? No way. I'm perfect." Laura puffed a strand of hair off her forehead. "And so does our daughter."

The archer chuckled, then leaned over to Lila with a conspiratorial smile.

"She's right. But don't tell her that."

His daughter only grinned in response.

3

Tony Stark has always been known for his eccentric and unconventional behaviour but if one met him there was no denying simple facts - the billionaire had a knack for parties. And by that he meant loads of people, hectolitres of whisky and a fine selection of songs by Queen. It wasn't long before Tony established a tradition of organising Friday night parties, particularly when the team had completed a difficult assignment.

Such events used to revolve around his persona, allowing Stark to flirt with all the women he could lay his eyes on but since striking a serious relationship with Pepper, he toned down to a point everyone was pleasantly surprised. The parties became more of a casual meetings with good food and drinks and even people like Bruce Banner, a perfect example of anti-partying, would drop by to have fun.

A few days after Steve and Natasha's date (or the best day of her life as she'd call it now) Tony invited everyone to properly celebrate the return of the soldier to the land of the living.

"Man, I'm glad you're okay. I don't know anyone who went through so much shit and would still have the guts to lead us." Stark told him when all the other Avengers visited Steve in hospital. It was nice to hear such words from someone who'd normally turn most situations into a joke.

And so Friday evening came. Steve and Natasha spent time in the spy's apartment.

"I think we gotta go, Nat. " The soldier remarked, having glanced at his watch. The party was starting in thirty minutes.

"Do we really need to?" The spy whined, switching the TV off. "I… had plans."

"Involving what?"

She winked at him. "You."

"Oh." He blushed all the way down to his neck. The redhead smirked at this. "I still think it's completely unnecessary but Tony throws this party to kinda… honour me. As much as I love the idea of staying here all night, I should be there, Nat."

Natasha sighed exaggeratedly and stood up. "Fine. But I'll get what I want, Rogers. Sooner or later, mark my words."

The soldier placed a kiss on her forehead. "I'm sure you will."

Natasha would never admit it, but these innocent shows of affection were the ones that worked best on her damaged heart.

She'd melt every time he did something as simple as a casual kiss on her forehead or those three words spoken before sleep. She couldn't get enough of it.

"Well, then, I'd better get dressed."

"Please, don't outshine Pepper again."

"Like I ever did that." The redhead scoffed but her lips went up. "Just you wait, Rogers, just you wait..."

When she walked out of the bedroom she hoped to impress the soldier with her outfit but his response was more than priceless.

"Nat- what?" He stuttered trying to pick the jaw he must've dropped on the floor.

The woman he loved might as well have been an angel cause no human being had rights to look that good.

Natasha wore a shiny silver sequin tank top, jean shorts and a pair of thick black heels. She kept her hair straight and loose, except for two tiny strands braided on either side of her face. Combined with a light makeup and lip gloss, she effectively erased every thought from Steve's head.

"Do you always stutter when you see a beautiful woman?" She asked in amusement.

"I only stutter in your presence."

Natasha walked up to the soldier and gave him a sensual kiss. "Good save, Rogers."

"About those plans… I might have changed my mind." Steve asked, still on cloud nine. The spy would love nothing more than to do that but she just couldn't help herself to tease him a bit more.

"You said we're going over to Tony's place and may I remind you, Captain, good soldiers follow orders. Plus Stark would never stop whining if we didn't show up." The redhead told him. "But afterwards… well that's a whole other story."

"But-"

"No buts. You don't want me to take off my outfit just yet, do you?"

He shook his head, failing miserably at keeping his eyes on her own. If it was someone else Natasha would've probably slapped them in the face but Steve was, well, Steve. Adorably innocent even if he tried not to be. Besides she fully intended to show him a trick or two, oh she did.

"Off you go then. You can't crash the party in sweatpants, right?"

4

"Nice one, Cap!" Sam Wilson whistled as the soldier pocketed another billiard ball in the same move.

Steve smiled under his breath because it reminded him of a similar situation which happened many years ago. He went out on a double date Bucky set him up for or rather a double disaster as he called it at the time. The soldier remembered how his best friend tried to make him feel better afterwards, so they went to their favourite bar. Turned out that Steve was quite talented when it came to pool and he defeated Bucky several times in a row.

"I've had some practice back in the day."

Sam grinned. "I thought pool wasn't even invented at the time."

The soldier rolled his eyes but wasn't mad. He got used to hearing jokes about his age and frankly he couldn't blame his friends for it. After all, he was an elderly fellow, one small detail being that in a body of twenty-six year old.

Steve pointed at the table. "Then show me how the Wilsons do it. Just make sure to be better than at running."

Sam just laughed in response and focused on the game. Meanwhile Steve's eyes drifted towards Natasha who seemed to be deeply involved in a conversation with Bruce. She didn't look at the soldier but her lips tugged in a faintest of smiles sending out a silent signal. Yup, vigilant as always.

"-eve? Helloooo?" The question came from a distance. "Your turn."

"On it."

The soldier leaned over the pool table and measured the angles. If he wanted to win there and now he had to pocket three solids and top them with the final, black one. He exhaled and struck the cue ball.

"I went easy on you, alright? If only I put my mind to it, I'd win." Sam told him five minutes later when the soldier finished the game with a particularly smooth maneuver.

"So, you're suggesting a rematch?"

"Sure. But first-"

"But first, let's get drunk!" Tony interrupted them with a wide grin on his face and a bottle of rum in his hand. "Mr Bird, that's the best idea you've had this evening. Oh, wait. Capsicle's not gonna like it."

"It's Falcon, dammit." Sam muttered under his breath as Steve's brows furrowed.

"And why is that?" The soldier asked, wondering what it was about. He wasn't a puritan who perceived drinking at parties as a sin or something.

"Word is, you can't get drunk."

Steve took a sip of his non-alcoholic beverage. Well, Tony heard it correctly.

He remembered sitting in the ruined bar after Bucky's fall, trying to drown his sorrows at the bottom of the bottle. If it wasn't for Peggy in that moment of weakness he'd probably try to get drunk for another week or so.

"Yeah, Erskine might've mentioned it could be the side effect of the serum."

"Is that so?" Tony asked mischievously. "How about we prove it?"

Steve shrugged his shoulders. "It's no big deal but if you really want to then fine."

"Excellent! Legolas, you wanna join us?"

"Hell, yes." Barton raised his cup.

"And you, Point Break?" Tony turned towards the god of thunder who cringed upon hearing his nickname.

"I'll show you how the Asgardians do it."

The billionaire's gaze then fixed on Bruce and Natasha.

"Don't even try to ask me." Banner said, returning to his book. How he was getting anything out of it with all the loud music playing in the background has always been a mystery to Steve.

"Maybe another time, Tony." Natasha rejected the offer as well.

Pepper Pots looked disapprovingly at her boyfriend. "So, you're proposing a drinking contest? Fully aware that one of the participants is a super-soldier and the other literally a god?"

"Never want to shrink from an honest challenge, Miss Potts." Tony winked at her winking, rubbing his hands enthusiastically. "Shall we get started?"

"I have a bad feeling about this…" Pepper and Bruce muttered simultaneously.

"Wait! I'm gonna make some popcorn." Natasha ran for the microwave.

Mere thirty minutes later Tony and Clint were inebriated, or rather completely and utterly wasted as Pepper put it. Both on the floor, snoring loudly, while Thor and Steve seemed unfazed by the amount of alcohol they drank. There were five bottles of whiskey lying between the two of them yet they were still pretty much sober.

"I still can't believe he actually did this." Pepper shook her head, gathering the empty bottles and throwing them into the bin. The rest of the cleaning would go to Tony. He had a few sins to atone for.

"Well he won't be doing it anytime soon." Natasha smirked, sipping her cola. "The hangover will be a good reminder."

"I'm sorry, Steve. He didn't mean anything bad." Pepper apologised but the soldier only shrugged.

"It's nothing, don't worry. Tony's a good man, he just has his… ways of doing certain things."

Bruce chuckled without raising his eyes. "That's putting it mildly, Cap."

"Well, he wasn't much of an opponent. But I can't say the same for you." Thor leaned back in his chair. "One day we should repeat this, but with Asgardian ale. That's bound to give you a headache, you have my word."

The soldier smiled in response and shook hands with Thor. In fact he didn't mind that he couldn't get drunk; it was one of the side effects of the super-soldier serum he wasn't bothered with. Alcohol turned even the most respectable men into scoundrels and Steve saw that more than once while growing up in Brooklyn. He wasn't missing any of that.

The soldier stood up and went over to the sofa, where Natasha was munching on the last bits of popcorn.

"Hope you didn't mind the whole drinking stuff. I did it to shut Tony's mouth."

Natasha shook her head. "Not at all. It was fun to watch. Besides, you're already sober."

"Pretty much, yes."

"But I guess, you've forgotten about something." She said, faking sudden interest in her snack bowl.

"Oh, yeah?" Steve leaned in. Her lips were warm and salty. "Was that it?"

"Mhm."

Pepper and Sam smiled widely at the sight. "You're soooo cute together, guys!"

Natasha knew that Steve was blushing without even looking at him.

"Thanks, Pepper. Do you need help with this mess?" The spy pointed towards the unmoving bodies of Tony and Clint.

"Nah, JARVIS will take care of them. J?"

"Of course, Miss Potts."

A pair of Iron Man suits marched into the living room and took the unfortunate contestants out, so that they could sleep the alcohol away.

"Game over." Steve concluded, throwing a piece of popcorn into Natasha's mouth.

The spy put the bowl aside and stood up. "I guess, we'll be going then."

Pepper nodded, giving Natasha a knowing smile. They said their goodbyes, Steve shook hands with his friends and hugged Pepper, once again reassuring her he wasn't mad at Tony. He then joined the redhead in the elevator and went down to the garage to get his bike.

The city was calm and empty and the ride home a bit too short for Steve's taste. Where else could he enjoy the cold wind blowing in his face not to mention an intoxicating proximity of the woman he madly loved? Well he couldn't have known what was coming.

When they got back to his apartment, Steve closed the door and turned around to ask Natasha if she would like to watch a movie but wasn't allowed to finish.

Something pinned him to the wall, the sudden movement forcing a breath out of his lungs. The redhead didn't let him draw another one, kissing him senselessly.

When they parted, both panting like crazy, Natasha got on the tips of her toes so that she could whisper into the soldier's ear.

"I'm going to have a bath now." Her lips lingered an inch away from his skin, her warm breath making the hair on his neck bristle. "And you're going to join me."

Steve coloured from head to toe but tried his best to sound unaffected. "Were those the plans you told me about earlier?"

A mischievous expression crept onto her face. "Perhaps."

With that she patted Steve on the cheek and disappeared in the bathroom, leaving him dumbfounded in the hallway. He heart felt as if it was going to burst out of his chest, the adrenaline surging through his blood and intensifying everything he felt.

How could she sound so seductive without even trying? How the hell did she hold him hostage by that sarcastic half-smile?

They were dating for a short period of time but known each other for years and this was yet another example how the spy had always been the one calling the shots.

Once more Natasha Romanoff made him exhilarated and beyond nervous at the same time, not to mention... other stuff. Steve rubbed his face, exhaling deeply.

For all that teasing he had to get her back and knew just the way to do it.

5

When Natasha closed the bathroom door behind her, she immediately turned the water on, making it almost boiling hot.

She'd never have a cold bath, not since the Red Room. It reminded her how she'd curl into a ball every night, trying to fall asleep under the thinnest of blankets or none in most cases... how the wind howled through the walls reminding her there was nowhere to run… how Tanya, her only friend back then, died of pneumonia because the temperature in their bedroom would drop almost to zero…

The spy shook her head. It was a past that would never return. She had a home now, a makeshift family and a man who loved her unconditionally. It was so much more than she could've asked. Natasha pushed the unpleasant thoughts away, not letting them get to her.

The steam quickly rose up, fogging the mirror, making the air warm and moist. As she was waiting for the water to fill, the redhead stripped off her shorts and shiny tank top, chucking them in the corner.

She let her hair loose and stretched with a satisfied sigh. There was nothing better than having a hot bath and a handsome soldier around.

Gentle knocking interrupted her rather inappropriate plans of having her way with Steve.

"May I?"

Natasha quickly put on a bathrobe and sat on the rim of the tub, crossing her legs. "Yeah, come on in."

A delicious aroma of chocolate filled the air as he entered the room. He still had his party outfit on and Natasha would lie if she said he didn't look good in black jeans and tight white t-shirt. And here she thought she was the only one who had a distracting effect on the other.

"Did you bring what I think you did?"

"Yup." Steve handed her a steaming mug of liquid joy which she accepted with a quiet thank you.

"You know-" Natasha took a sip of the chocolate and licked her lips, deliberately making it slow and exaggerated. As expected, Steve's eyes were following her every move. "I'm seriously considering moving into your apartment right now. How'd you know I like to put marshmallows inside?"

A faint smirk lingered in the corner of his mouth. "Last time you visited me, I had a large pack in my kitchen cupboard but when I checked it the next day, they all disappeared in strange circumstances."

If it wasn't so hot in the bathroom, Steve would say the spy blushed. At the same time he knew well that Black Widow never blushed if she didn't want to.

"Well…" The redhead gave him the most innocent and gorgeous smile on the planet. "Got any suspects, Captain?"

He closed the distance between them and his proximity had absolutely nothing to do with the sudden dizziness she felt.

"Just one."

Natasha had a witty retort at the tip of her tongue but when the soldier pulled her closer she forgot about it instantly.

When the hell did he learn to kiss like that? It was slow, subtle and endearing, causing a familiar warmth inside of her belly.

She didn't even remember how her bathrobe came off and how she found herself in the hot water.

Natasha's eyes remained closed, savouring the moment. She was no stranger to flirting and intimacy but with Steve everything was ten times stronger and she just could not resist it. A few heartbeats later she opened her eyes only to see Steve, sitting on the edge of the bathtub. A huge smile was plastered to his face, the one you'd expect having won a particularly difficult competition.

When he spoke though his tone was nonchalant as if they were talking about the weather. "You mentioned something about moving into my apartment…"

Damn you, Rogers.

"You live closer to the HQ so the commuting would be much easier…" Natasha replied without a blink. Why wasn't he blushing anymore?!

Steve's smile grew wider. "And?"

"Living together reduces costs."

"You sure that's all?"

I'll wipe out that smirk off your face, Rogers and I'm gonna do it now!

"Well, if you'd come closer I just might tell you." Natasha said as calmly as possible, playing with a wet strand of her hair. A sinister plan had already hatched in her head and now she was waiting for her prey to fall for it.

When the soldier leaned over, Natasha grabbed him by his shirt and pulled into the tub, splashing the water all around.

Steve brushed away the wet hair blocking his sight. A stunning one if he was to be honest. "Why'd you do it, Nat?"

"No reason."

The redhead took a bar of soap and began to lather her shoulders as if it was the most natural thing in the world when you have another person lying on top of you.

"Then maybe I should help you with that." Steve said, snatching the soap. He then rubbed his hands together to produce more foam and began to wash her skin, inch by inch, starting from her neck.

At that moment Natasha abandoned the last of her attempts to tease him because the soldier was just way too good at it.

His rough hands were surprisingly delicate and it wasn't long before she was shivering with excitement. "Steve, I-"

"Not now, Nat, not now…"

The spy heard him whispering before he kissed her jaw and her pulse point. When he bit her gently, Natasha's body arched upwards, pressing against his giant frame.

The redhead felt his arm snaking its way underneath her while the other one cupped her breast. Natasha moaned quietly when he pinched her nipple at the same time drawing circles on her back. She wanted to touch him, badly.

"Take them off…" The redhead managed to gasp between hasty breaths. Her voice was husky and almost unintelligible but Steve complied without hesitation. Wet clothes landed on the floor, except for his dog tags, just the way she liked it.

"Where were we…?"

"Right here-" The redhead stopped mid-sentence when she felt the soldier going for it, full blast.

He was gentle but decisive. The pace gradually quickened, faster and faster, until Natasha's world became a blur in which she lost herself. They were two sparks in the void, merging into a flame that nobody could extinguish. She wanted to say something but her words transformed into an incoherent string of syllables.

Instead she just let herself feel and left it all to Steve and boy did he take the job seriously. With each wave of pleasure surging through her body, Natasha couldn't help but moan loudly which only seemed to fuel the soldier's need to do better. And while the initial ride was amazing, Steve suddenly hit the sweet spot and that was enough for her. The redhead lost it completely, screaming his name.

Somewhere during the whole act they changed positions so that he could now rest his head against the tub while the spy could nuzzle against his neck, lying on top of him. Her skin was warm and soft, her wet hair resembled a stream of liquid fire.

"Who the hell taught you that?" She asked weakly, shivering from the unforgettable experience. Who would've guessed he'd be an expert at this kind of stuff? Certainly not her.

"Well-" Steve tucked a strand of wet hair behind Natasha's ear. "You did, Nat."

A/N: Thoughts, suggestions, reflections?

I'd love to hear what you specifically like or dislike about this story so far. Reviews are, without a doubt, my best motivators. / WS