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One.
The first time it happened, it took her completely by surprise.
They were hanging out at the new Avengers Tower at Tony’s urging. Actually, it was more like Pepper’s insistence… but Tony immediately went along with it because he just loved any excuse to throw a party, no matter how big or small it was. Natasha hadn’t really wanted to go to this little shindig that Stark had insisted on but she had heard Clint was going to be there and well, she was still worried about how he was coping after he’d broken free of Loki’s mind control, so she went to keep an eye on him. The Battle of New York ended a little over a month ago but the Avengers hadn’t stopped to take a vacation. Nope. Loki had done so much damage to the city that they’d all went above and beyond to help out any way they could. Weeks went by, and in between all that time, Pepper had seen how worn out they were all getting and insisted that they all take a weekend off… something that Natasha had come to appreciate. She had to admit, this hangout had been a good idea.
And so, here she was… relaxing on a lounge chair by the side of the pool, her sunglasses resting on her face and the sun shining brightly down upon them and with Pepper lying in a chair right next to her. Stark had installed a swimming pool on the deck of the building for God’s sake… the man had no idea what subtle meant but she supposed growing up with all the money at your disposal made for lavish feats. The Avengers Tower was ridiculously and needlessly filled to the brim with stuff but she couldn’t deny how nice this all felt.
They were all still getting used to one another, but fighting against Loki had all bonded them in a way that only a battle could do and they were slowly but surely becoming a formidable team. From her vantage point, she could see Clint hanging out by the bar and talking quietly with Bruce. Thor was still away on Asgard dealing with Loki and last she’d heard; Loki was being punished for his invasion of Earth.
“Aww, no Cap come on! What are you wearing?! I know you’re an old man, but this is supposed to be a party!”
Tony’s hollering brought everyone’s attention to him and Steve, who had just arrived to their little gathering wearing a two-piece stripped swimsuit from the 1940s and looking very much out of place. To his credit, Tony didn’t laugh (which Natasha had mostly expected him to do… even she was having trouble keeping her giggles to herself) but instead was staring at the Captain with horror. It was a full on body suit that had red and white stripes… he looked like something out of a Where’s Waldo picture book and all that was missing was the straw hat. Steve had turned bright red and was blushing furiously but still held his ground. “What?” Steve asked. “This is a swimsuit.”
“Oh no,” Tony shook his head emphatically. “No, no, no, no. That is not a swimsuit. That is a monstrosity. Where did you even find that horror?”
“Jarvis helped me,” Steve replied. “Is this not what people wear as swimsuits these days?”
“No. Definitely not,” Tony waved his arms around in protest, the drink he’d had in his hand splashed over the glass and spilled, though he took no notice. He marched right up to Steve and began pushing him back inside, and Steve resisting the whole way. “No, it’s not Cap. I am going to fix this immediately. We are going to burn that thing you call a swimsuit…”
Minutes later, everyone could hear Steve’s protests as Tony was dragging him back out. “Tony, how can this be a swimsuit? I’m practically naked! There’s way too much exposure!”
“Cap, think of this as your first lesson in the twenty-first century. I cannot in good conscience let you go around looking so stupid… now come on, let’s go swimming!”
With surprising strength, Tony managed to pull Steve out the doors and push him into the pool, but unluckily for him, Steve reacted on instinct and grabbing his arm and sending the both of them into the water. Both of them emerged and began splashing at one another, laughter and good cheer resuming to their party.
Time seemed to slow down when Steve hoisted himself out of the pool and Natasha got an eyeful of Steve’s sculpted chest. She sat a little straighter, the sounds around her muted and all she could do was stare at the perfection that was in front of her. He was half naked, and wet… and… he was so damn wet. The thought echoed in her mind over and over. Desire instantly shot through her and pooled at her core and she silently thanked Tony for getting Steve out of his ridiculous swimsuit and into a pair of blue swim shorts because damn, Steve was incredibly sexy.
Her eyes followed the trail of water… the droplets dripping down from his hair to his neck, down one of his pecs and to his abs… across his stomach before disappearing into the waistband of his shorts. She licked her lips, suddenly aware of just how fast her heart was racing. This was a new feeling for her. Never had she wanted to ravage someone so completely before.
“Hmm… he does make a pretty picture, doesn’t he?”
Natasha turned to see Pepper grinning at her, a knowing glint in her eyes, and she was suddenly thankful that she had her sunglasses on. She attempted nonchalance. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
Pepper smirked, and Natasha could feel her face heating up.
“Sure you don’t.”
She didn’t bother responding.
Two.
The second time it happened, she and Steve were holed out at one of Shield’s safe houses, hiding out from the terrorist group that they were supposed to take down.
One of the thugs had gotten the surprise drop on her, and in a moment of heroics when he’d jump in front of her, Steve had been shot with a bullet that had been meant for her. Natasha gritted her teeth, her jaw clenching and she tried to keep calm as she steered Steve towards the bathroom and sat him down on the toilet while she went in search of the first aid kit. The side of Steve’s uniform was bloody and she helped him peel it off, letting it bunch up and hang halfway around his waist. At first glance, Steve’s wound looked pretty serious and she tried not to let her apprehension show. But as she cleaned away the blood, she breathed a sigh of relief when she realized that the bullet had only grazed his side. Thanks to the serum, the wound had already begun healing.
Steve looked up at her as she cleaned away the blood, his blue eyes roving over her and she could feel her face begin to heat up. She was Black Widow though, and therefore she kept her face passive and expression neutral as she focused on the task at hand. Now that she knew he was no worse for wear, she was suddenly aware that Steve was half naked in front of her. She could see the contours of the muscles, the well defined dips and valleys rippling as he tried not to move while she was tending to his wound. She swallowed the saliva that had formed in her mouth while she’d been admiring his arms and felt her desire for him flare up once again.
Stop it Natasha.
You can control yourself. You are Black Widow. You make men fall under your spell and then you leave them on their knees staring after you.
You are not going to jump Steve’s bones here.
You're not. No matter how tempted you are.
You do not give into your lust.
Ugh.
Why does he have to look so perfect?
She shouldn’t want her teammate, her partner at a time like this, but goddamn she couldn’t help but think dirty thoughts as her eyes roamed over his heaving chest, washboard abs, and firm torso. Steve was covered in sweat and grime from head to toe, but looking at him up close and personal, Natasha involuntarily licked her lips and swallowed and let out a breath, trying to calm herself. She was never usually like this… never filled with such excitement for a man, let alone someone she worked closely with. She’d been around plenty of half naked men and hadn’t ever batted an eyelash.
But there was just something about Steve that got to her…
“You think they’re still out there?” Steve asked.
Thoughts broken, Natasha tampered down her fervor and returned to business as usual. Right, the mission. “Maybe? We gave as good as we got, and then some. They’re probably licking their wounds.”
Steve stood up and pulled his uniform back up, muscles flexing with almost no effort on his part as he did so. Natasha’s eyes zoned in right to where one of his biceps bulged and she wanted to bite down on it and have her way with him.
She let out a sigh.
This is going to be one long mission…
Three.
They cross paths as she was heading towards the women’s locker rooms and he’s coming out of the men’s. He’s freshly showered, a towel around his shoulders as he goes about drying off his hair as he’s walking towards her. He smiles when he sees her. “Hey,” he greets her.
He’s also topless and oblivious to the various looks that women (and a few men) around them were giving him.
Natasha really couldn’t blame them.
Why the fuck is he walking around in jeans and no t-shirt?
It’s like he knows what this does to me! Ugh.
The familiar flare of desire filled her again, and by now Natasha was used to it and almost expected to feel it every time she was near Steve. She wanted to slam her head against the wall in frustration. Damn him in all his glorified perfection! The super serum really was super in the best of ways.
“Why aren’t you wearing a shirt?” she asks.
Steve shrugs sheepishly, the towel settling around his shoulders. Natasha tried not to focus on the drops of water that were sliding down his chest, and kept her eyes on his. She wanted to lick the water off, and everywhere else for that matter. “I forgot my workout bag in the training room.”
Natasha laughed, feeling her heart flip over in her chest at seeing him smile at her. “Better go grab it before the cleaning staff makes off with it.”
“See you later,” he gives a slight wave and walks off.
Natasha couldn’t help it. She turns and watches him saunter off, admiring his form from behind. She wants to lick him there too.
Dear lord, even his jeans hugs his ass in the most delicious of ways.
Fuck my life.
Four.
She was bored.
There were some parts to her job that truly sucked, and video surveillance was one of them. She understood why it was necessary to keep an eye on shield personnel of course, but she didn’t understand why she needed to be the one for this duty today. She was currently alone, stuck in a small room with a giant computer screen in front of her. She scanned the multiple images in front of her, letting out a sigh as she did so.
A movement caught her attention out of the corner of her eye and she turned her head slightly, zoning in on the image.
It was Steve, and he was currently alone in the workout room. She sat up straighter, pulling the keyboard closer to her and tapping a few keys to bring the image to a full screen. Steve was currently in the middle of doing push ups and he’d discarded his shirt somewhere along the way. He finished his set, moved to another area of the gym, and began to do chin ups.
She could very clearly see the shine of sweat covering him, his face screwed up with concentration as he pulled himself up… then down. Up. Down. Up. Down. It was incredibly erotic, and she could feel herself heating up just by watching him. She licked her lips. Wishing she had some popcorn, Natasha leaned back in her seat and placed her feet up on the desk, and proceeded to watch shirtless Steve workout for the rest of the afternoon.
Video surveillance duty wasn’t so bad after all.
There were perks.
Five.
They’re in the guest room at Sam’s apartment, calming down from the adrenaline at having just escaped from Hydra’s attack at the bunker in New Jersey. Natasha’s shaken to her core at learning that everything she had ever worked for, everything she’d ever accomplished for Shield… had been a lie.
“You okay?”
Steve’s voice cut into her thoughts and she turned to him. Steve was standing in the doorway of the bathroom, looking at her with the most concern she’d ever seen anyone direct at her, other than Clint. She kept twisting at her hair, trying to keep her hands from shaking and avoided his gaze. “Yeah,” she nodded, trying to keep her voice even and steady.
He didn’t believe her though, she could tell. He threw aside the towel he’d been using and came and sat down in front of her. “What’s going on?”
There was something about the way he looked at her that made Natasha want to tell him the truth. “When I first joined shield, I thought I was going straight… but, I guess I just traded in the KBG for Hydra…” her voice cracked just a tiny bit, and she swallowed the lump that had formed in her throat. “I thought I knew whose lies I was telling but I guess I can’t tell the difference anymore.”
He gave her a small smile. “There’s a chance you might be in the wrong business.”
The words that she’d spoken to him earlier in the day were now thrown back in her face, and she felt her heart thump wildly in her chest. She looked at Steve, who was sitting there was such a kind expression on his face, and it suddenly struck her just how much he had come to mean to her. She was aware of her growing feelings… and it was definitely more than just physical now. Her eyes drifted over him, taking in the way he looked at her… the way he looked in his tank top. He wasn’t half naked per se, but he might as well have been. His shirt was so sweat soaked, she could see the outlines of his body and his nipples… the edges and lines that made up the definition of his abs…
She tore her eyes away from his body and looked up at him again, feeling the heavy tension in the air. This man had saved her life. Had saved it even though he didn’t know if he could trust her. “I owe you…”
He shook his head. “It’s okay.”
“If it was the other way around and it was down to me to save your life, and you be honest with me,” her heart was pounding and she was almost afraid of his answer. “Would you trust me to do it?”
It was the longest silence Natasha had ever felt as she waited for him to respond. In reality, it only took half a second before he smiled and Natasha felt a weight being lifted from her shoulders.
“I would now,” he nudged her slightly, and that gesture comforted her greatly. “And I’m always honest.”
His words touched her, and tears sprang to her eyes. He meant what he said, she could tell he wasn't lying.
Not many people can distinguish the exact moments in time when their lives change. For some, it happens over time… little things here and there that contribute to a bigger moment, like overloading a scale until it finally tips over one way or another. Natasha was not one of these people. She could count the number of times in her life, the exact moment it changes, on one hand.
It always seems to happen in an instant, the defining moments that helped shape her… where she knows that life will never be the same again. The Red Room. Clint. Shield. The Avengers. The moments where she was passed the point of no return and couldn’t turn around, even if she wanted to. And in this moment, right here, right now?
She fell deeply in love with Steve Rogers.
Plus One.
In hindsight, she really should’ve known it was inevitable.
Her hands trailed over his broad shoulders, loving the fact that she could finally (finally!) touch him the way she’s always wanted to. Her fingers ran over his firm abdomen and outlined his abs, and she couldn’t resist licking them as her lips peppered kisses all over his front. Beneath her, Steve groaned as she got lower and lower.
“Nat,” he moaned, and she loved the way her name sounded coming from his lips, all needy and filled with want. “God, I love you. I love you so much.”
Her heart flipped over in her chest and she stopped what she was doing, pausing to look up at him. He used the opportunity to flip her over, and suddenly she was beneath him looking up. He was looking down at her with so much love and she could feel the happiness bubbling up from all over. “I love you too,” she told him. Steve grinned, leaning down to kiss her deeply. They pulled apart and she smirked at him. “Now get to it, soldier.”
And he did.
All night long.