Nat looked herself up and down in the mirror once more before she left. She wore a champagne colored dress that glittered in the light. Her beige heels showed her beautifully painted white toes. She kept her makeup light with only a deep red painted on her full lips. Nat's red tresses cascaded over her shoulders, framing her face. She smiled slightly at the thought of Steve seeing her in the clad tight dress. It showed just enough skin to entice any man, but not enough to be called a tramp.

"You're leaving for that art thing?" Bruce asked walking through her bedroom door.

"Yea. You sure you don't want to come?" She asked again making sure he knew he had a choice.

"I already said no. You know i don't like stuff like that." He said waving her off.

Nat bit her lip to stop herself from saying something smart. It was going on 8:30 and Steve's event started at 7. She hadn't intended on being late but she had Bruce-things to deal with. Nat grabbed her clutch and walked pass the horrid waste of space.

"Aye aye, don't forget to give me my goodbye kiss." He said tugging at the hem of her dress to stop her from walking. Nat forced herself not to roll her eyes and appeased him with a quick peck on the lips.

"Good girl" ugh she hated that phrase. Apparently, he picked it up during the two weeks they split because it's always good girl this and good girl that.

"I'll see you later." Nat said walking to the main door.

"Don't wake me when you come in. I know how you get with all these art shows."

"No problem." She shut the door without a glance back. Finally, she was out and her nerves were back to being on edge. As she rode down the elevator, her fingers tapped restlessly on her thigh to self soothe. It was a habit that she really tried to break it but sometimes her anxiety got the best of her. She prayed Steve wouldn't mind her coming. She knew she was a jerk for not answering his calls or texts but she just hoped he'd at least let her enjoy the event without kicking her out.

___________________________________________________________________________

Steve talked to the guests and patrons who came out to support him for his big night. This was two years in the making and he finally did it. He had a total of 30 pieces in the collection. He was extremely proud of the turn out. There were at least 250 people in the small upper Brooklyn gallery. A small line formed outside of people who were eagerly waiting to get a viewing of the latest work by him. Though he wasn't Van Gough, he had made a name for himself in the underground art scene and with the many connections he had, word spread quickly about his talent. Steve was currently in the middle of a conversation when he caught a glimpse of red. His eyes moved around the room as the older gentleman talked to him.

"You really are quite talented. I'm glad to see you worked on your craft since I last saw you." The short balding man said.

"Yea well I'm passionate about it. Thanks for coming out. I appreciate it." He said on autopilot.

"You're welcome. Now if you'll excuse me, I see some pork stuffers calling my name." The man tapped Steves shoulder before running after the waiter.

Steve chuckled and saw the red once again. He whipped his head and his eyes were met with the beautiful redhead. His gaze followed her body from head to toe. Her curves showed perfectly through the gold ensemble. She was absolutely breathtaking, his breath hitched as his eyes followed her around the room. Slowly, he walked with her from piece to piece. His eyes trailing until she stopped at his final artwork. It was the one part of his collection that he was able to finish with in a days work and for an artist that's saying something. He could see her look at the art and cock her head to the side to understand it better. A few bystanders saw the beauty of it and did a double take between her and the portrait. She took two steps forward and Nat couldn't believe her eyes. Was it her? Was she the woman from the artwork? Is that how he really viewed her? That beautiful and put together? She stood there for two minutes before she felt his presence beside her.

"I...I don't mean to think too highly of myself but...is that..is that me?" Nat asked looking over at him with furrowed eyebrows.

"Yea. This was my last piece. It completed my collection." His eyes staring back her intensely.

"It's beautiful." She said softly looking back at the art, still unable to process that he could capture her in such a pure form. The painting looked more like her than she did. From the red undertones to the small freckles that trailed the side of her right eye, it was all there.

"Thank you. I uh I didn't think you'd show."

"I gave you my word and you have excellent work. I'm happy for you." Her eyes back on his.

"I'm glad you came." His tone sounding more intimate than intended. "Look Nat, do you think we could talk later. Maybe after this?"

Nat hesitated not sure if she was fully ready to have the talk with him. "I...uh..I... Yea, yea that's fine." She finally spit out, feeling embarrassed at her stumbling over a simple response.

"Good. We can go get a pizza or something."

Before she could respond, Pepper and Tony came up to them.

"Hey Steve! Great turn out!" Tony said giving Steve a huge hug.

"Natasha, I didn't know you'd be here."  Pepper said, going Nat one too.

"Yea well, Steve invited me." She replied as they released.

"Oh really? when did you guys get so close?" Tony said pointing his finger between the two.

"We're neighbors so you know we tend to run across each other now and then." Nat gave a small chuckle.

"So you guys are friends now?" Pepper jumped in.

Nat didn't know how to answer considering how she's been acting. Did Steve still consider her a friend?

"Yea we are." Steve answered sensing her trepidation and soothing the worry that began to grow.

"Sounds good. Did Bruce come tonight?" Tony asked.

"Um no, he's not much of an art fan." The question changed the mood almost instantly, Nat could feel the heat radiating off of Steve. It made her even more nervous for their talk. She let her fingers thump the hem of her dress while she spoke slowly, calming her down.

"Yea sounds like him. Too much of a nerd." Tony laughed not caring that no one joined in.

"Well we're gonna keep looking around. Great work Steve. Really, it's amazing." Pepper said.

"Thank you, Pepper. Enjoy"

The two walked out of sight before Pepper spoke.

"Tony, did you not catch that?" She asked nudging him.

"Catch what?" he replied nonchalantly as he sipped the champagne he snagged from the waiter walking by.

"Natasha being Steve's neighbor."

"Okay...and?"

"God, Tony how can you be so dense and smart? Didn't you tell me that you and Steve went to eat out and his neighbor was going through all this drama?" Pepper asked hoping to get Tony to connect the dots.

Tony's eyes widened and his mouth gapes. "No way Pep. There's no way, it's Nat."

"Tony think! Who else could it be?"

"I don't know Pep. I don't know all his neighbors."

"I'm telling you that she's the one. Ask Steve later ok?"

"Alright but I'm sure of it."

"Me too. Now come on let's keep looking. We'll talk about it later."

The two continued looking at the art while Steve focused on his other guest and Nat studied more pieces. Eventually the night came to a close and it was time for the few guest left to leave.

Pepper headed to the car but Tony hung back to speak with Steve.

"Thanks for coming, I appreciate it man."

"It's no problem. I love your work, but um..i gotta ask..is..is Nat the neighbor you—you know?" Steve sighed and they both glanced at her as she sipped her third champagne for the night.

"Yea She is...I didn't expect you to find out."

"I won't say anything, I'm just surprised. What did you end up doing?"

"Well they had broke up, but i guess they got back together. It's not bad like before, i don't really hear any fights so maybe it's gotten better. I'm going to talk to her tonight."

"Alright. Let me know if you need anything."

"I will. Thank you."

They hugged each other goodbye and Steve walked out the remaining guest, now it was just him and Nat.

"You ready?" He asked. It was almost midnight now.

"Yea" she spoke softly and walked before him out the door.

It was silent and all you could hear were their feet hitting the concrete and the occasional car driving by. Steve glanced over at her and could tell she was nervous.

"Natasha I—" "I'm sorry." They said at the same time. A lopsided grin appearing on both their faces.

"Look, I'm sorry Steve. I've been treating you badly and you don't deserve it." Her expression serious once again.

"Then why have you? I'm pretty sure I know who the cause is."

"Steve I know it seems ridiculous to be with him but it's the best I can do right now. Things are just complicated at the moment."

"How Nat?" Steves face scrunched in disbelief. "You were away from him and then all of a sudden you take him back?"

Nat stayed quiet not knowing how to respond, soon they were walking up the pizza spot and ordering two slices of Pepperoni. They didn't stay, instead opting to walk.

The food was good. The cheese practically melting in their mouths. Nat wiped her mouth and threw away her garbage a few minutes after Steve.

"Nat.." Steve says gently

"Steve you wouldn't understand really" She said softly.

"I think you've learned that I'm pretty understanding."

Nat looked up at him while he held her gaze. She looked away and huffed.

"Bruce came by a few days ago."

"I know that I saw..."

"Yea well i wasn't expecting him and i told him to go but he just barged his way in like he always does and....Steve..he" Nat took a deep breath and stopped walking, grabbing his arm "..he's blackmailing me!"

"What do you mean?" He stopped with the tug of his arm. "What is he blackmailing you with?"

Nat diverted her eyes and started walking again. She hated the idea of Bruce having those images. She hated that she trusted him so much in the beginning. "He has...videos of me from when we were together. Racy ones. The kind that would completely... ruin my image..my foundation, if they ever got out..I didn't even know he had them, until he came back."  Her voice cracks with each word. She doesn't want to break down but she already feels the tears coming. How could she be so stupid? How could she have trusted him so much. "I don't want to be with him Steve." She looked up at him. "I really don't, but i don't know what to do. He's gonna put them out if I leave"

"Nat, why didn't you tell me? You know I'm a lawyer. I can help you."

She shook her head. "You've already helped me so much and i didn't want to add to the stuff you already have going on and i didn't even know if you'd want to help me...I've been so rude, ignoring you and dodging you..And you've seen me with Bruce so i thought you wouldn't want to be bothered anyway."

"Nat" he says softly. "I'm not mad at you. At first, i was upset that you were back with him, more so disappointed but i will always help you, especially in a situation like this. You can come to me."

She nodded. "Thanks...so you'll help me?" Her voice slightly hopeful.

"Yea we'll go to my office tomorrow and get all the information against him and see what other charges we can bring. If I'm taking him down, I'm taking him down for a long time."

Nat smiled at his determination. It made her feel...safe. She knew he'd have her back now. Soon they were walking up the building steps.

"Can you do me one last favor?" She asked biting her lip nervously.

"Yea?" His eyes laced with skepticism

"Can you come up 5 minutes after me? Bruce is there and i don't want him to know it was your show i was at. He should be sleep but on the off chance that he's not, i just wanna avoid problems."

"He's here?" He asked shocked. "You don't need to go to your apartment at all. You need to stop seeing him altogether as soon as possible. You can stay with me tonight." He gently grabbed her hand and led her to the elevators. They were way too nice and tired to walk the steps tonight. Nat held his hand and stayed close to him in the elevator. Her nerves were off the rails. If Bruce could see her now, she was sure she'd be laid out. Steve seemed to sense her anxiety and gave her hand a reassuring squeeze. "I got you. Don't worry."

They walked out the elevator and they both glanced at her door as they walked to his. So far so good. In seconds, they were crossing the threshold to the apartment. Nat felt immediate relief like a teenager who had successfully snuck back in the house after curfew.

"I'll grab you some pajamas." Nat nodded her head and made herself comfortable like she had many times before. Man, she really missed his apartment. Moments later, Steve came in holding a set of old man pajamas. Classic blue button down top with blue plaid bottoms.

"Thank you..for everything." She took them from him, slightly grazing his hands.

"It's not a problem Nat. It's what friends do." He gave her a big smile before leaving to his bedroom to change.

She went to the hall bathroom and stripped out of her clothes, leaving herself topless with only her thong. She looked at the oversized pjs and hoped they'd fit. The shirt came mid thigh and the sleeves hung over her fingers. She resembled a child who was playing dress up in her parents clothes. She tried the pants but the drawstring wasn't enough to tighten around her waist and fell straight to the ground. Nat looked in the mirror and figured the shirt was enough to sleep in. Hopefully he wouldn't mind. She gathered her dress from the floor and the pants. She exited the bathroom and saw Steve sitting on the couch.

"Hey, the pants were too big. I um.. i figured i could just wear the shirt if you don't mind." She stood behind the couch with her arms hugging the clothes at her waist.

Steve turned around at the sound of her voice and his eyes almost fell out of their sockets. He quickly masked his thoughts and just said it was fine. And man oh man it was fine. She looked gorgeous in his clothes. Her hair down her back while the top left shoulder exposed from the overly big shirt. Her face was make-up free and her doe eyes beautiful and soft.

"Sorry i didn't have anything smaller." He stood up from the couch and told Nat to follow him. "You can sleep here."

"Steve I can't. This is your house, I'll take the couch, it's fine."

"Nat, that's not how i was raised. The lady always takes the bed."

"Fine, but if you get uncomfortable we switch. Ok?" She said raising her eyebrow.

"Yes Nat." He chuckled.

"Before you go to bed you need to text Bruce and let him know it's over."

Nat looked hesitant but grabbed her phone and sent a quick text saying. It's over between us. Leave my apartment and don't come back. Her hands trembled as she sent the text. It was done and hopefully this would be the last time she needed to break up with him.

"It's done." She threw her phone on the nightstand and sat on the bed with a sigh.

"This is just the beginning Nat. It'll be a little rocky but I'm here for you. Tomorrow morning we're going to the office and I'll get him served."

"Ok then what?"

"We'll discuss it in the morning. Just rest tonight." Steve gave her a small smile and left her alone in his bedroom.

She fell back on the bed and stared up at the ceiling. The king sized bed embraced her and she slept peacefully.

.............................................................................................................

The next morning, Nat woke up to the smell of bacon and eggs. She heard a mumbled voice through the door and got up to see. She smiled at the sight of Steve in his boxers and tank top. He took the last egg out of the pan before walking over to her kissing her forehead. She froze at the act but he didn't seem to notice, he was too engrossed in his conversation on the phone. She decided not to pay it much mind but reveled in the small gesture. He continued talking on the phone and hung up soon after.

"Good morning" her smile growing as he set a plate of food in front of her.

"Morning, how'd you sleep?" Steve sat next to her at the counter.

"Great, Thank you. How was the couch?" She teased nudging him.

"Wonderful, slept like a baby." He chose not to tell her that his back was killing him.

Nat was gonna speak but her thoughts were interrupted by her phone going off. She hadn't checked it this morning like she normally did. She excused herself, quickly locating her phone which was on the floor near the nightstand. She must've knocked it off last night. It stopped ringing but Nat unlocked her phone and saw 42 missed calls from Bruce and 1 text from Maria. Natasha's heart sunk. Her breathing started getting hitched and she felt herself beginning to hyperventilate. Her phone slipped out of her hands while she fanned herself hoping to calm down.

"Nat?"  Steve called from the kitchen.

A sob escaped her lips. Would Bruce know where she was? Is she really safe with Steve? Maybe this was a mistake. He knew where she lived, where she worked, where she danced. Steve came in the room and saw her freaking out.

"Nat, what's going on?" He rushed in front of her grabbing her upper arms. "Look at me Nat. Look at me." He spoke gently.

She shook her head frantically, not able to get her words out. He pulled her into his arms and held her tight. She released all the pain and fear she felt. Her face buried in his chest while he wrapped his arms securely around her. "I got you.. i got you. No matter what it is. It's gonna be ok."

Nat calmed down a little and pulled herself away. "He called me 42 times Steve. He's gonna get worse when he gets served. I can't...I'm scared." She held onto his shirt, looking down at the small space between them.

Steve cupped her face bringing it up to meet his eyes. "You don't have to be scared with me here. I will not let him lay a finger on you ever, ok? You don't need to worry about that."

Nat nodded and let her hands brush over his shirt. "Sorry i messed up your shirt."

"I could care less about it. I care about you. As long as you're ok."

Nat smiled and felt herself blushing. This man was too good to be true.

"So I just got off the phone with Tony. I wanted to see if Bruce was at work, so you could get changed into some of your clothes.Then we can go to the office. Do you want me to go with you next door?"

"Yea that would be nice. Thank you"

Steve went to his room and threw on some sweats and slid on his slides. Nat was just running next door so she put on a clean pair of Steve's socks. She grabbed her dress and clutch and they hurried next door hoping no one would see Nat half dressed.

"I won't take long, I'm just gonna change and then we can go."

"Nat it's alright. Take your time. I don't mind. Let me know if you need my help." They entered her apartment and both took a sharp gasp. It was destroyed, clearly Bruce wanted to leave a reminder of the havoc  he could cause.

"Oh my god. He destroyed everything."

Nat stepped deeper into her apartment before Steve put his hand in front of her waist to stop her. "Watch your step, there's glass on the floor."

Nat looked down seeing the scattered pieces of glass from her picture frames and kitchen cups.

"Steve" She didn't know what else to say. Her apartment was destroyed. Her couch cushions were ripped open exposing the inside stuffing, her decorations were thrown on the floor. Nat moved towards her bedroom but Steve moved in front of her.

"Let me check it out first. Just to make sure he didn't leave work early or something."

Nat nodded and let him lead her. She carefully watched her feet and slid on some slides that were by the front of her bedroom door. Her bedroom seemed to be worse than her living room. Majority of her clothes had bleach thrown on them and more of her belongings were destroyed. Nat silently cried as she looked at her stuff strewn all over. A small photo caught her eye and Nat kneeled down to grab it from the corner of the bed.

It was splattered with droplets of bleach. It was small 4x6 photo of her and her parents back in Russia. The only one she had..it was damaged now. Her fingers trembled as the picture hung loosely in her fingers. Steve's hand slowly covered hers as he knelt next to her pulling her in.

"I'm so sorry Nat. I'm so sorry."

"He destroyed everything. This is the only picture I have of them and he messed it up." Her voice soft and broken.

"I know but we're going to stop him. We're not gonna let him get away with this." Nat looked up at him with puppy eyes and didn't say anything. She stood up and looked through her closet for something to wear that was salvageable. She put it in a small bag along with a pair or underwear and a bra. She couldn't take a shower here with it being such a mess. She'd have to fix this later. They went back to Steve's apartment and he brought Nat some towels and washcloths.

"You need anything else?" He asked as he handed her the items. She shook her head and went into the bathroom to clean up.

Steve wasted no time and called his office.

"Hey Wanda. I need you to get the legal documents drawn up for an Affidavit and get a warrant sent out for Bruce Banner."

"Ok. I'll get that sent to your email in about 10 minutes."

"Thanks Wanda. I won't be in the office today, unless it's an important matter."

"Is everything alright?"

"Yea, fine. Just need to handle this case I picked up. Thanks."

Steve hung up and went into his room. He heard the shower going from his bathroom and he tried to hurry so he wouldn't make Nat uncomfortable. Unfortunately, he didn't. Nat emerged with the yellow towel wrapped around her body dripping wet. Her once straight hair, now curly and damp.

"Sorry, i left my clothes in here." She said startled at his presence.

"It's fine. I'm actually about to shower. You can stay in here and get dressed. I won't come out."

"Thanks." She watched as he walked past her into the bathroom trying not to look at her exposed skin. It took all his restraint not to touch her.

He shut the door and Nat dried herself with the towel, occasionally looking over her shoulder to make sure he wouldn't come out. The shower started and she calmed down, lotioning herself and throwing on a pair of sweats and a tee. It was one of the only few clothes that weren't doused with bleach. She looked herself over in the mirror but couldn't bring herself to smile. She felt like her life was crashing down and she couldn't help but think it was only going to get worse. She left his room so when he got out the shower, he could get dressed in peace. Not too long after, he emerged from the bedroom dressed in jeans and a simple shirt.

"Hey, i just got the paperwork, so we don't need to worry about coming into the office. We just have to get it signed and sent to my assistant."

Nat got up and made her way over to Steve's laptop on his dining room table. He pulled up his email and began explaining each page to her. 15 minutes later, he was sending the paperwork back to Wanda to get Bruce served.

"So what now?" Her arms crossed over her chest and eyes looking sadly at Steve.

"Well now we wait. Bruce will get served and then his lawyer will most likely sit down, try to reach a deal or take it straight to court."

Nat nodded but didn't say more, instead gazing out the window near the table. Steve didn't know what to do. Bruce truly damaged everything she had. He knew she was scared but there was only so much he could do.

"Hey, about we watch a movie and take your mind off things, mmm" he asked nudging her softly with a playful smile.

"Ok" Nat moved to the couch, pulling the covers that Steve had over her legs while she stretched her legs out. She leaned across the side of the couch while Steve put in a dvd. Soon the soft sound of Christmas music played and Sundays at Tiffany's began. She gave him a small smile because he knew it was the one movie that could put her in higher spirits. Steve sat on the end of Nat's feet and placed his hand on her ankle above the covers. 15 minutes in and Nat was feeling better, she pulled her feet back and crawled over to Steve's side of the couch. He didn't say anything as she nestled her head under his outstretched arm. They watched the movie and enjoyed each other's company. Steve looked down and noticed the redhead was deep in sleep. He slid off the couch to answer his phone that had just gone off.

"Hey.... yea....can you handle it without me?....alright...yea I'll be in...bye". Steve hung up and stole a glance to Nat before changing into a button up shirt and slacks. He grabbed his stuff and gently woke Nat.

" Nat...Nat..." He knelt down so he was level with her face.

"Mmmm" she moaned rolling over.

"Nat i have to go"

Her eyes opening slowly, looking around confused.

"What? Where?"

"I have to go into the office but I'll be back as soon as I can. I'm going to leave my spare key in case you need to leave."

Nat sat up and rubbed her eyes. "Will you be gone long?"

"Shouldn't be too long but I'm not sure. I'll make sure I'm back by 5 though. You'll be ok?"

"yea yea I'll be ok."

"Alright see you in a bit."

Steve left and Nat found herself feeling lonely. She figured she'd text Maria back since she hadn't.

9:34 am Hey Nat, I guess you're not coming in today. Let me know if you're ok.

12:48 pm Hey Ria, I'm sorry for not calling. It's been a hectic night and morning. I'm ok but i won't be coming at all today and maybe not tomorrow.

She put her phone down and thought about what she could do to kill some time. She opened the window to let some air in. The weather was nice and she needed to keep her spirits up. Nat watered the few plants Steve had, cracked his window and enjoyed the breeze coming in. After sitting for 20 minutes, she figured now was as good as any to fix her apartment. She wasn't planning on spending another night especially since Bruce was out of her apartment and he still didn't have his key back. The last thing Steve needed was her hoarding his home.

Nat put on her sneakers and grabbed the spare key Steve left her. She left and walked into her the hell-storm that was her apartment. She didn't really know what to tackle first so she began with sweeping up the glass and broken mugs. It was a simple task but it made her feel like she was making progress already. It still looked like a pigsty and that's when it hit her. Pictures! She needed to take them in case she needed them from her case. Moving from room to room, Natasha took photos pf everything worth taking photos of. She was never that great at taking pictures of the damage he caused on her but she damn sure knew that she needed to get all the evidence possible now! Once she was done, she put her hand on her hip and picked out the next project. Her pillows! She loved them, they were the perfect accent for her couch. Nat took the huge black bags from her kitchen and started filling it with the now destroyed pillows and stuffing from the cushions. The next task, was the broken decorations, the messed up clothes, and lastly her bedroom. Nat moved swiftly through each project, trying not to dwell on some off her favorite things that were now messed up. She was exhausted to say the least. Nat laid back on her bed taking a much needed rest.  She moaned as her back hit the queen sized mattress. Her eyes teetered on the edge before finally closing and welcoming her into a sleep-full embrace. Boom boom boom! The loud sound of banging woke Nat. Dazed and disoriented, she shot up from her bed. Scrambling to get her feet on the ground, she quickly ran out of her bedroom to see her front door vibrating from the violent assault on it. Nat panicked racing to her phone. She could make out the words being screamed at her from the other side.

"IMMA FUCKING KILL YOU. YOU THINK YOU GONNA GET AWAY WITH THIS SHIT NATASHA. I WILL DESTROY YOU, YOU DUMB LITTLE BITCH. OPEN THE DOOR. OPEN THE GODDAMN DOOR NOW. NATASHA!" The banging didn't stop and Nat was scared out of her mind. She stood frozen in her half cleaned living room. What the hell is she supposed to do? Her mind told her to run but her body wasn't listening. As the door continued to be broken down, Nat's senses finally kicked and she dialed Steve's number.

"NAT OPEN THE DOOR NOW! THIS IS YOUR LAST WARNING!"

Nat held the phone to her ear while it rang. She prayed Steve would answer. Maybe she should just open the door and try to talk to Bruce. Calm him down a little bit. It'll be worse when he actually does get his hands on her. Finally, Steve's voice came through.

"Hey Nat? Whats going on?"

"I'm sorry, I didn't know what to do." Her voice panicking.

"Whats all that in the background? Are you ok?" He said in a concerned tone.

"Bruce he's here! He's banging on my door. Steve I don't know what to do. Please help me."

"Nat, I need you to listen to—."

"What if he gets in. What if he kills me?" She continued to talk cutting off his words.

"NAT!" He raised his voice immediately quieting her. "Do you have access to your fire escape?"

"Uh Yea. I believe so." She said already making her way over to it and further away from Bruce's irate behavior.

"Ok, I want you to go through your fire escape and climb over to my apartment window. It'll put you through my living room. I don't lock it so you shouldn't have any problem getting in. Tell me when you're inside." Nat climbed through the window taking one more look at her door.

She hurried out, closing her window behind her and found Steves apartment window. It was only a few feet from hers and it was still cracked from earlier.  She opened it wider and slid in carefully to avoid the stuff he had under his window.

"Im in." She could still hear Bruces banging but suddenly she heard another voice.

"Shut the hell up! Some of us are trying to rest." A woman's voice spoke. There were only 5 apartments on their floor so it must've been Gamora, the older woman who had been there for almost 10 years.

"MIND YOUR BUSINESS." Bruce yelled back.

"If you don't leave right now. I'm calling the police."

As she listened she locked the window and double checked the front door.

"Nat you ok?" Steve asked. 

"Yea, I'm fine. What..what time are you coming home?" Nat asked sounding more domestic than she intended. Steve listened from the other end and couldn't stop himself from feeling more possessive of her.

"I'll be there in 30. Just stay where you are. I'll call the police. Ok?"

"Alright' Nat hung up and sat waiting. It was quiet for a few minutes until the banging began again but this time on Steve's door.

"OPEN THE DOOR! YOU THINK YOU CAN TAKE MY GIRL AND NOT DEAL WITH ME! JUST WAIT TIL YOU FIND OUT WHAT A WHORE SHE IS! YOU BETTER LEAVE HER ALONE. BE A MAN AND OPEN THE DOOR. YOU SCARED? HUH? YOU'RE A FUCKING PUNK."

Nat coward near the wall as Bruce yelled for what felt like 15 more minutes. Soon enough, he left for good and moments later, there was a strong knock at the door. Nat feared it was him and didn't get it but once she heard "Police. We're here for a welfare check." She hopped on her feet and darted for the door. She was met with two officers. Barnes and Rumlow.

"Hi, we're here for a welfare check." Officer Barnes repeated once Nat opened the door.

"Hi" She said as she stepped aside to let them in.

"Is everything alright ma'am?" He asked stepping in with his partner. He was a scruffy looking guy with shoulder length hair and dark brown eyes, but he was kind regardless of how mean he may have looked.

"My..my ex just left. He came banging on my door and told he'd kill me" Nat said softly. She didn't realize how bad it sounded until she actually had to say it.

"Do you know what caused him to act so violently?" Barnes asked as they settled on the couch.

"I just served him with papers. I'm suing him and they issued a warrant for his arrest."

"What are you suing him for?" Officer Rumlow asked speaking up for the first time. His tone rough and uncharismatic.

"Assault and Battery and..." Her voice dropping softly "Revenge porn" She looked down at her hands while she spoke. She felt humiliated. How the hell did she get here?

"Well did he get in your apartment?"

She shook her head. "No, he didn't, but he had destroyed it earlier or late last night. It was a complete mess. My furniture and everything is messed up." She spoke looking between Barnes and Rumlow.

"Your place looks fine." Rumlow said looking around.

"This is not my place. This is my neighbors. I left my apartment through the fire escape and he told me I could come here. Then my ex, Bruce, started banging on this door and screaming things."

"What kinds of things?" Barnes asked while he wrote the information down on his notepad.

"He said you can't steal my girl and not deal with me. He started saying I was a whore and Steve was a punk."

"Are you seeing this neighbor?"

"No, I'm not but he's been helping me deal with Bruce. He's been abusive in the past and Steve's been there for me."

"So you guys have no romantic interest then? Bruce made it all up in his head?" Rumlow asked. He didn't seem to believe the words that coming from her mouth.

"NO! We don't. He's a friend and I don't see how that's relevant." Nat was getting irritated at the insinuation.

"Look,I'm just saying a lot of the times boyfriends get upset at their girlfriends having close male friends especially ones that feel so comfortable going in this male "friend's" apartment easily. I'm not surprised he was a little upset."

"First of all, he's not my boyfriend he's an ex, meaning he has no right to tell me who to see. Secondly, I slipped in so easily because my LUNACTIC EX WAS AFTER ME TRYING TO FUCKING KILL ME!" Nat boiled over and yelled at the dick of an officer.

"You need to watch you how you talk to me! I'm an officer of the law and I have no problem brining you in!" Rumlow said standing up trying to intimidate her.

"BRING ME IN FOR WHAT?"

"For anything I want!"

"Look, we're not arresting anybody. We just want to get your end of the situation. We'll talk to a few of your neighbors and get their take on it as well." He spoke calmly and gestured to Rumlow to stand down. Rumlow did and Nat felt done. She didn't want to deal with him at all.

"Well if its all the same to you, I'd rather just talk to you." She said crossing her arms.

"Yes that's just fine." Barnes replied ignoring Rumlows grunt of disapproval.

"Alright, we'll begin again. What time did he come by?"

"Around 9:30."

"And tell me from the top what happened? What were you doing and so forth." Barnes asked

"Well I was cleaning up the mess he made. He was at my house yesterday night and I ended things with him through text. I didn't come home and when I finally did, my house was destroyed. My clothes were bleached and my furniture destroyed. I had spent the night here because like I said Steve was helping me with the abuse. He told me not to go home, so that's why I was here. He knew it would get bad it I saw him in person." Nat took a deep breath and continued. "Anyways, after the break-up Steve set up a lawsuit and arranged a warrant for Bruce because he was blackmailing me with old explicit photos or videos. The papers were served to Bruce today and I'm assuming thats what made him come over today. His banging woke me up from my nap and I immediately called Steve. I didn't answer Bruce back and when Steve and I talked, he told me to go to the fire escape and come into his apartment that way."

"And it was Steve that called the police?"

"Yes."

"And after that?"

"After that, I heard a neighbor threatening to call the police and he stopped but after about 10 minutes he was back to banging but this time on this door."

"Do you think he knew you were here?"

"No! He didn't even address me. It was like he thought he was talking to Steve only."

"Ok. Then what?"

"Then after not getting a response, he left and you guys came."

While Nat and officer Barnes spoke, Steve was on his way home.

Steve rushed out of his office the moment he got the call from Nat. He couldn't think fast enough. He immediately waved his hand for the nearest taxi, hoping one of them would stop for him. He quickly gave the driver his address and was dialing the police.

"Hello, 911. What is your emergency?"

"Yes, my girlf-neighbor is at home and her ex is beating down the door. I need the cops to go over and check on her please. I sent her to my apartment, next door to hers."

"Ok sir and what's your name?"

"Steve Rogers. Hers is Natasha Romanoff."

"Ok and does this man have a violent past?"

"Yes, he physically abused her."

"Alright Steve. I'm going to send a team out. What's the address?"

Steve gave her the address and soon was off the phone. He knew it would be about 25 minutes before he got home with New York traffic. He tried to keep his head leveled and think about what to do when he got to his apartment. He felt protective of her, like he needed to be there to rip off Bruce's head. The thought of him getting to her was enough to make him tell the driver to speed it up. He had to get there, NOW! It worked because Steve was soon skipping steps to get to his apartment. His adrenaline was racing as he hit his floor and blew through the door. He heard voices through this apartment door and swung his door open.

"Nat?" He called out to her. She was sitting curled up on the couch with speaking with two officers.The minute she heard him call her name, her head shot in his direction and she ran to him. He opened his arms sweeping her off her feet. She tightly wrapped hers around his neck and held him like her life depended on it. He could tell she was crying and that broke him more. He should've been there to protect her. Steve didn't let her go, he just held her until they didn't have the energy to anymore. Nat was the first to pullback. "Thank you Steve. Thank you." She said looking into his eyes.

"Are you ok?" He glanced over her body quickly.

"Yea, he couldn't get in. I..I got lucky."

"I'm so glad you're ok Nat." He said pulling her into another hug, softer this time. He just needed to feel her and make sure she really was ok.

"I'm glad you came. I was so scared." Her voice muffled and crestfallen.

"I shouldn't have left. I'm sorry for that."

"Its ok. You couldn't have known." Steve pulled back and looked down. "You sure you're ok?"

"Yea I am. I just was giving my statement." Steve looked over at the two officers who were now standing.

"You must be Steve. I'm Officer Barnes and this is Officer Rumlow." He held out his hand to shake.

"Nice to meet you." Steve replied giving his hand a firm shake. "Did you get everything you need?"

"Yea, we will try our best to piece together what happened. Make sure the story is valid." Rumlow said.

"What do you mean valid? It's quite clear what happened."

"Look like I told Ms. Romanoff here. Just because a guy gets a little upset and starts knocking on your door trying to get attention doesn't warrant an arrest. I need to make sure I have all the facts before bringing some poor guy in because his girlfriend is a little untrustworthy."

"I don't know what horse you rode in on, but you need to watch how you speak about her. She is not some bimbo off the street who is looking to stir up trouble. The prick is an asshole who has assault and battery charges, destruction of property and about three other charges stacked against him. Do your job properly or you'll be the one who's  in handcuffs." Steve was pissed. He didn't typically run into many officers that were assholes but this guy had a stick up his ass. Nat didn't deserve the treatment especially after all she'd been through.

"Who the hell do you think you are?" Rumlow sneered.

"I'm a lawyer, who works for the state of New York. I know the law and know my rights just like I know your job, which i might add is now done, so leave my apartment and call us when you have something useful." Nat stood by while she watched Steve get this man together. It made her feel protected in a way that Bruce nor any other man has made her feel.

Neither officer spoke, but Barnes did give Nat a small smile and slipped her his card as they walked out. Steve shut the door and double checked if she was alright mentally.

"I'm fine really but i was hoping if it's not a problem or anything, if I could stay?" She asked hesitantly. "Just tonight. I don't really wanna be home alone. I don't know if he'll come back...."

"Of course, that's not even a question Nat."

"Thank you. I just don't want to over stay my welcome."

"You could never overstay. I love having you here." He said sincerely. He truly meant it. Nat had grown so close to him, infiltrated his life in the best way possible and he loved having her with him.

"Thats good to know." Nat yawned and he knew she must've been exhausted.

"Come on. I'll give you a shirt and shorts to wear. I already put the pajamas in the dirty hamper."

"I can go home and grab something of mine that isn't messed up." She offered though she really didn't want to.

"No, I don't want you over there at all. At least not until Bruce is caught. I have something."

Nat followed Steve into his bedroom and he gave her a large shirt to wear but of course the shorts were too big so she opted to do without them.

"If you need anything else. Ill be out here."

"Ok. Thank you Steve, for everything. You've been amazing and I honestly don't know what I'd do without you."

"You're welcome. Goodnight Nat."

"Night Steve." He closed the door and took off his shirt and pants. He turned off the lights and glanced at his dark room. He laid back on the sofa and closed his eyes. It had been a long day and he wanted to rest.

The sound of his bedroom door creaking open caused him to sit up. "Everything ok Nat?" He asked as his eyes adjusted to the light that came from his bedroom entrance.

She stood in his doorway which the light filling out the empty space behind her. Nat spoke hesitantly, "do you...do you think you could sleep with me?" She looked down and kept talking. "Not in a sexual way, just to...hold me...I don't want to be alone..."

"Yea. I don't mind at all." He said trying to assure her that it was a respectable request.

"Thank you." She quickly turned on her heels and climbed back in bed under the covers. Steve got up from the couch and entered his bedroom glancing at her already in bed. He went to his dresser to grab shorts and a tee but Nat stopped him.

"You don't have to." Steve furrowed his eyebrows. "To put on clothes. I don't want to make you uncomfortable if that's how you sleep. I don't mind."

"Are you sure?" He asked putting his shirt down.

She nodded. "Yea It's fine."

"Ok." He closed his drawer and hit the light. Nat felt the bed dip as he slipped in beside her. She turned on her side so her back was to his chest. Steve settled in before snaking his arm around her waist and pulling her in.

"This ok?" He asked, his breath on the tip of her hair.

"Yea. Thank you." Nat snuggled deeper into him and she could feel his chiseled chest flex as he held onto her. Their body heat keeping them warm and intimate. It had been a long time since either one of them had held another person, even more-so someone they really cared about. Nat let out a sigh, releasing all the tension in her body, she wanted to let go and be in the moment. To enjoy the feeling of another persons arms around her. She rested her arm on top of Steve's interlacing their fingers. Their relationship had took a step that neither of them had realized. Steve felt comforted by having Nat in his arms. It was one of the  things he missed about being in a relationship, just having someone to hold. Nat fell asleep fairly quickly but Steve stayed awake admiring her in the moon light. The blue rays casting a beautiful hue on her skin. She was by far one of his favorite muses. With the whirring sound of the fan spinning and Nat's steady heartbeat, Steve found himself falling asleep an hour or two later.