Requested by Oppresso, Steve meets a younger Natasha in the KGB.

Just as a little background for it to make sense, in this one-shot, Steve somehow survived the crash and is now working for Shield. They send him on a mission to Russia to shut down the KGB. 

Also, italicized words means that whoever is saying it is speaking Russian. 

Steve didn't like jets. Not anymore. 

After crashing into the ocean and nearly dying, he had hoped he would have a while to recover, maybe to spend with Peggy, or even to just enjoy that the war was over. 

But of course that didn't happen. 

Three weeks after being sent home from the hospital, Steve was asked to go on a mission to Russia and shut down an organization that was supposedly responsible for thousands of deaths. 

He agreed of course, he'd go anywhere he was asked...but he wasn't excited about it. 

"When do you think you'll be back?" Peggy asked as he said goodbye to her at the new Shield headquarters. 

Steve shrugged, readjusting his bag on his shoulder, "I'm not sure. They said to be prepared to be gone for a month." 

Peggy frowned, "I'll miss you."

Steve forced a smile, things had been weird between them lately and Steve wasn't sure their relationship was ever going to go anywhere. The spark they had when he first met her had faded into nothing but love for a friend.

"Yeah....I'll miss you too," He lied, not wanting to hurt her feelings. 

He boarded the jet and took a deep breath as it took off, wishing more then anything to be back on the ground already. 

Several hours later, his wish came true and they landed in Russia. His first task there was to be debriefed on what exactly his mission would be.

Another Shield worker who had introduced himself as Sergeant Jones was quick to give Steve a file while walking him towards the car that would take him to his hotel for the next few weeks. 

"You'll be operating undercover more then we thought. We have very little information about the organization right now so you'll need to somehow infiltrate them."

Steve frowned, "How am I supposed to do that?"

Sergeant Jones handed him a file, "We've gotten you a job working at a bar reported to be a hot spot for their members. Make friends, get them to trust you, and watch for any suspicious activity." 

Steve sighed and took the file, looking at who he was going to have to pretend to be for the next few weeks, surprised to find his own name in the file. 

"Why don't I have a different identity?" Steve asked. 

"People here know Captain America, but outside of America no news or magazine has said your actual name." 

Steve nodded, glad that there was at least one thing he wouldn't have to lie about.

He got a little bit more information before going back to his hotel and quickly going to sleep. If his gut was right, this was going to be a long few weeks. 

-----------------------------------------

A week into his undercover position, Steve still felt like he wasn't getting anywhere. He had made friends with a few people at the bar who seemed to be regulars, but none of them trusted him yet and they didn't display any suspicious behavior. 

It was also a challenge because while Steve knew a little bit of Russian, he certainly wasn't fluent, and the people at the bar seemed to be even less trusting of him once they figured out he was American. 

He was working there again that Saturday night when he found himself suddenly distracted by the most beautiful woman he had ever seen coming up to the bar and taking a seat in front of him with an inviting smirk.

Steve smiled at her, trying to hide his blush, "Evening miss, can I get you a drink?" 

The woman tilted her head and raised her eyebrow, drawing attention to the way her stunning green eyes sparkled in the bar's dim lighting, "Sure...just a vodka."

Grabbing a glass, Steve quickly began to make her drink.

"You're American," She said as he fixed her drink, more as a statement then a question. 

Steve nodded, sliding her drink to her, "Yes ma'am, I was born in New York. I actually just moved here." 

"New York is awfully far from Moscow...what brings you here?" She asked, taking a sip from her glass.

Steve shrugged, "I guess I just needed a change of scenery. I met a friend during the war whose helped me get an apartment so it just worked out." 

The woman nodded with an amused smile, "So you needed a change of scenery and decided to move five-thousand miles?"

"Exactly," Steve said with a grin before offering his hand to her, "I'm Steve by the way." 

She smiled, brushing her red hair back and shaking his hand, "Natasha." 

Steve blushed as her hand touched his. He could have sworn that there was a literal spark between the two...but maybe he was just in shock that this beautiful woman was actually talking to him, "What brings you to a bar alone on a Saturday night Natasha?" 

Natasha shrugged, "Ran out of vodka at home and this bar is the closest one to my house." 

Steve laughed quietly, "Makes sense." 

They talked for a minute longer and Steve couldn't seem to take his attention away from Natasha. She was captivating in every way. Her soothing voice, her eyes, and even the way sarcasm dripped from her tongue as though it was her native language. 

"Hey Steve!" Someone called out in a thick Russian accent and Steve quickly turned around, seeing one of the men he had befriended waving at him from the other side of the bar. 

Steve turned to Natasha briefly, "Excuse me a moment."

He walked over to the man and held out his hand, smiling, "Hey, hows it going Victor?"

Victor grabbed Steve's hand and twisted it backwards, making Steve jump back in surprise as he quickly hit the burly man's hand off him, "Whoa, what's the problem?"

Victor frowned and swung a punch at Steve, who barely avoided getting hit.

Steve pushed him away and furrowed his eyebrows, "Victor calm down." 

"You think you can come from America and act like you own this damn place?" Victor growled. 

Steve frowned, not understanding what had happened. He was about to have to dodge another punch when a small hand caught Victor's punch and pushed him back. 

"You trying to get yourself kicked out of another bar Victor? Pretty soon you're gonna run out of places to drink," Natasha said bitterly. 

Steve watched in awe as she gestured towards the door. 

"I suggest you go home before you stir up any trouble."  She said, not looking like someone Steve would have wanted to mess with. 

Victor frowned and glared at her, "You sleeping with Americans too now?" 

Natasha's eyes narrowed and Steve could've sworn she was grasping a knife under her sleeve, "If you don't leave on your own then I'll do it for you."

Victor stared her down for a moment longer before downing the rest of his drink and storming out of the bar. 

Natasha sighed and returned to her seat at the bar, drinking the rest of her vodka and slamming the glass down on the bar top. 

"Another one?" Steve asked, approaching her from behind the counter. 

Natasha nodded, "Please." 

Steve slid her new drink back to her and leaned on the counter, "You know, that was pretty impressive."

Natasha rolled her eyes but there was a hint of a smirk on her lips, "Yeah well, Victor's an asshole, and he probably would have beat your ass if I didn't step in." 

Steve would've argued but truthfully, she was probably right, even with his super serum, Steve wasn't sure he could have taken on a man with that much body mass, "I guess I owe you a thank you then." 

Natasha shrugged and sipped from her drink. 

Steve smiled, "How about this, your drinks the rest of the night are on me." 

Natasha raised an eyebrow, "That's a risky move Steve. You have no idea how much liquor I can handle." 

Steve shrugged with a smile, he couldn't pull away from Natasha, even if he knew that his mission required him to make friends with people he thought would be in the organization. Not beautiful women who he didn't stand a chance with. 

She finished what was left in her glass and held it out to him with a grin, "Fill me up."

Steve nearly choked on the air with her choice of words but quickly regained composure so that he could refill her drink. 

"How long did you say you've been here?" Natasha asked, her finger running along the edge of her glass. 

"I moved in last week but it's my first week working," Steve said, finding himself wishing that he could tell her the truth. She seemed to be able to fight pretty well, maybe if he told her the truth she could help him and come work for shield.

She nodded, "How do you like it so far?" 

Steve shrugged, "It's nice. I haven't been able to explore much with all the unpacking but I like what I've seen." 

Natasha bit her lip and Steve found it hard to read what she was thinking. It looked as though she was battling herself...it didn't last long however because soon her unreadable smirk was plastered back on her lips and she shrugged, "I could show you around if you'd like. I know the city pretty well."

Steve had to make an effort not to beam like a teenage boy. He really shouldn't. He needed to focus on the mission. But honestly he didn't think he had the willpower to say no. 

"That'd be great. When are you free?" Steve asked, convincing himself that maybe if he got to know her, she could help. After all, she was a local and probably could get information from these men a lot easier then she could.

Natasha shrugged, "You working tomorrow?"

Steve nodded, "Yes but not until seven."

"Alright how about I meet you here at noon? I can show you my favorite lunch place and then walk around the city."

Steve nodded eagerly, trying and failing to hide his excitement, "Great!"

Natasha smiled at his enthusiasm and he blushed, realizing how much of a loser he sounded like. 

She finished her fourth drink of the night and Steve continued buying her refills. Surprisingly, she didn't even seem to be phased by the strong alcohol at all even after three or so more drinks.

"You know, when you said you could hold your liquor, I didn't realize that meant you weren't phased by alcohol, have I been filling your glass with water on accident?" Steve said with a laugh. 

Natasha shrugged, "I warned you."

Steve chuckled, "Should I be worried for your health?"

Natasha grinned, "Not until I've had ten or so more of these."

"Good to know," Steve laughed and they continued making light conversation. 

Steve knew what he was doing was stupid. He wasn't in Russia because he moved there for a change of scenery. He was in Russia for a mission...a mission to end a large group of assassins who had killed hundreds of people.

Talking with Natasha all night instead of working on gathering intel wasn't like him...it was unprofessional. 

But yet he couldn't seem to bring himself to stop. 

Every word she said had him captivated and he wasn't sure if it was her beauty, her wit, or the way the words rolled off her tongue in that sultry yet soft voice of hers. 

Probably all of the above.

Either way, he couldn't help himself. 

For the first time since meeting Peggy, there was a spark. 

It wasn't until she left the bar that night with a wink as she told him not to be late the next day that he realized just how screwed he was. He had only known her for three hours and yet, if she asked him to, he'd give up the mission and run for the hills with her.

-------------------------------------------------------------

Steve couldn't help but be nervous for his tour with Natasha. He knew it wasn't a date. He had known her for less then a day and she was merely trying to be nice by showing around the city she thought he had just moved to. Plus, had already had a girlfriend back at home.

He had felt guilty about that the moment he got into his pocket and wondered if Peggy would meet anyone while he was away. Secretly, he hoped she would. Then maybe their relationship could end without any hurt feelings and they could go back to just being friends. 

He had also felt guilty about not making any progress on his mission that night and had gone out around one to see if he could catch any suspicious activity. 

All he had seen was a possible drug deal go down in an alley and then a fight between two drunken men that ended when they both passed out. Nothing related to the KGB. 

When he got back that morning, he took a quick nap and then spent the rest of his free time doing more research of the area around him. 

He decided that every night he would go out and patrol the area while doing a quick examination of the buildings Shield had marked as suspicious. 

He did more research up until it was time for him to get ready. He bundled up in a sweater and warm coat considering it was cold in Russia despite being March and then started walking to the bar, wondering if he should bring something for Natasha as a thank you. 

He opted to not do so in fear of her misinterpreting a gift and decided instead that he would just pay for her lunch. 

When he got to the bar, he sat down at a bench outside right before twelve and smiled when he saw her walking towards him. 

"Hey," Steve said, standing up with an eager smile. 

Natasha smirked, "Hi. You ready to go? I'm starving."

Steve nodded, "Me too, I hope that place you were talking about isn't far from here."

"Don't worry. It's just a few blocks."

Steve walked besides her and nodded, starting a light conversation as they walked.

When they got to the local cafe Natasha had said was the best in the city, Steve couldn't help but be even more attracted to her as she spoke Russian to the host.

"Table for two please,"  She said, and Steve was proud of himself for understanding what she had said. 

They were seated and handed menus that were mainly in Russian. Natasha looked up with a slightly guilty look on her face, "Sorry, I didn't even think about the fact that it's a local restaurant. Most of the places around here have translations. Do you need me to help you find something?" 

Steve shook his head, "That's alright. I actually know some Russian. Just not enough to hold a conversation while speaking it. I already see a few things I know."

Natasha looked surprised, "You know Russian?" 

Steve shrugged, "I actually started trying to learn a while ago. I was in the army during the war and one of the guys in my squad was from here. He struggled with English and didn't have many friends so I tried to learn some of his native language so we could have conversations he would enjoy. I guess it worked out now that I'm living here." 

Natasha smiled, "Is that the same guy who got you a job here?"

Steve frowned, "No, Dmitry was killed during the war. I didn't meet Erik until my second tour. He's the one who got me the job here."

Natasha nodded and paused for a moment before grinning, "What can you say in Russian?" 

Steve furrowed his eyebrows, trying to think of something to say. One thing kept coming to his mind but he knew it was too fast. You're beautiful, he wanted to say, just so that he could see if it would have any effect on her at all. Instead he opted to try and go back and forth with her for a minute, "What do you want me to say?" 

Natasha smirked, "Anything. I'm just testing you." 

"Alright then...how's your day?" 

Natasha laughed and rolled her eyes slightly, "Don't tell me you're one of those people who only knows like three phrases." 

Steve laughed and shook his head, "No of course not...I know a little more then that. I was just trying to start a basic conversation." 

Natasha smiled, "I worked this morning and then came to meet you." 

"Where do you work?" Steve asked, taking a moment to translate what she had said and come up with a response.

Natasha seemed to notice him struggling so she switched back to English, "I work at a dance studio, and I'm impressed with your Russian. I don't think I've ever met an American who could say more then a few phrases."

Steve smiled, feeling proud of himself, "Thank you. Hopefully it gets better the longer I live here."

She assured him that it would and they continued talking during the entire meal. 

After eating, Natasha walked with him to the Red Square, which she told him was something everyone should see if not for the beautiful architecture, then for the people watching. 

She showed him St. Basil's Cathedral, The Kremlin, Dormition Cathedral, The Notable Kremlin Towers, and finished her short tour by walking alongside him down the Moskva River.

It was nearly six and the sun was starting to set over the river. Steve glanced over Natasha and was once again blown away by her beauty. 

Her cheeks and nose were a slight pink due to them walking outside in the cold all day and from laughing most of the day. She seemed to have a permanent smirk glued onto her lips and he wondered if he had anything to do with that. Her hair looked like a fire in the wind and he was tempted to reach out and brush a stray piece from her porcelain skin. Best of all, her emerald eyes sparkled in the sunlight, mixing gold and green into a sea of emotions. Steve swore that he could have looked into their depths for the rest of his life. 

"So what do you think of the city?" Natasha asked as they walked.

Steve smiled, "It's beautiful. I've never seen architecture like that in my lifetime."

Natasha nodded, "You moved here at a good time of the year too. Summer  is when all the tourist come and winter is just fucking cold." 

"I'm sure. It's March and its cold."

Natasha scoffed, "Please, this is warm. We don't normally get above thirty until June. You're lucky."

Steve looked down at Natasha and nodded. He definitely was, "Thank you again for showing me around." 

Natasha nodded, "Of course. I don't get to see the city as much as I used to so it was nice to get out, plus, you aren't terrible company."

Steve grinned, "Is that your way of complimenting me?" 

Natasha shrugged with a smirk, "No, that's my way of saying you aren't awful."

Steve laughed quietly, "Well thank you. You're not awful either." 

Natasha grinned at him and in that moment, he had to restrain himself from closing the distance between them, she was intoxicating and he was sure he was already addicted to her.

"What?" She asked, probably noticing that she couldn't stop staring.

Steve shook his head, letting his thoughts slip out before he could think about whether or not it was a good idea, "You're beautiful." 

Natasha's eyes softened and she studied him for a moment, almost as if she couldn't tell if he was lying or not. Eventually, she broke eye contact and looked at her watch, "It's almost seven...we should probably get you back to the bar." 

Steve nodded, feeling slightly defeated and worried that he had crossed a line. 

His worries dissipated slightly when they got to the bar however, when she had stood on her tip toes to press a brief kiss to his cheek before telling him goodnight and that she would see him soon. 

Later that night when he was getting ready for bed, he had found her phone number in his pocket and for the rest of the night he hadn't been able to stop smiling. 

---------------------------------------------

Another few weeks passed and although Steve still couldn't take his mind off Natasha, he had at least managed to make significant progress on his mission. 

He had discovered through a very, very, drunk and vengeful man at the bar that a man named Ivan was running the organization and that they had several bases inside of various buildings. 

Steve had finally been able to pinpoint the one that Ivan seemed to be running and he staged a late night attack with his team for the next night. 

He was glad to finally be able to do something about the mission that could work but at the same time he wasn't sure he was ready to leave Russia. 

He missed Brooklyn. It was his home, but he had become extremely close with Natasha in the past few weeks.

She was at the bar almost every night for at least one or two drinks and he had found time to talk with her every night. 

He no longer doubted his feelings for her and honestly, he was pretty sure he was in love. Which made him feel like a total asshole considering he had Peggy waiting for him back at home. God, he really should have just broken up with her when he left. 

The night before his attack was planned, Natasha showed up at the bar later then normal and looking exhausted. Her eyes were cloudy and her skin was paler then normal, however, she didn't fail to plaster her signature smirk on her face when she saw him notice her. 

"Hey," She said, sitting in the bar-stool right across from him. It was a Tuesday night so the bar was practically empty. 

Steve smiled, "Hey, your usual?" 

Natasha nodded and Steve quickly fixed her drink, passing it over to her and shivering at the goosebumps he got when their fingertips brushed. 

It had been three weeks since he first met Natasha and he was still captivated by her beauty and personality. There was still a spark. 

That was something he could never say about he and Peggy. 

Natasha downed the drink and looked around the bar, aside from two other men down at the corner of the bar who were being served by a female bartender, she was the only one there.

"You wanna dance?" She asked.

Steve blushed, "I'd love to Natasha, but I actually don't know how to dance."

Natasha smiled, "That's alright, I can teach you."

Steve smiled, "Alright, hold on one second."

He disappeared into the back for a second and came back out with a smile, "We've got 30 minutes."

Natasha smiled and took his hand in hers, making Steve blush even more. 

They reached the small dimly lit dance floor and Natasha moved his hand to the small of her back and holding their intertwined hands up slightly as they began to sway to the slow music.

Steve was still unsure of himself and nearly stepped on her feet every few steps but she as patient, "Focus on me Steve. Don't watch your feet or you'll stumble."

Steve tried to follow her instructions but really couldn't look away from her feet. He didn't want to step on them. 

Natasha eventually reached up to grab his chin, gently pulling it so that he was looking into her eyes, "Just look at me," She whispered, and Steve was too captivated to even think about the dancing. 

He just got lost in her eyes, wondering if tonight would be the last time he saw them. He hoped not, but he couldn't be sure. 

Dancing with her that night, Steve was sure of one thing. 

He was in love with Natasha Romanoff. 

They danced silently until his break was over. 

They had been inches apart and Steve had wanted to kiss her more then anything. 

"Can I get you another drink?" Steve asked after returning to the bar. 

Natasha shook her head and Steve thought that he saw a tear form in her eye but she blinked and it was gone, "No, I think I have to go. It's getting late and I have work tomorrow." 

Steve frowned, she was acting strange. Had he done something wrong?

Steve quickly came out from behind the bar and grabbed her wrist as she started to walk away, "Natasha wait, what's wrong. Did I do something?" 

Natasha shook her head, closing her eyes for a moment, "No, I'm just tired. That's all." 

Steve had a hard time believing her, "You sure?" 

Natasha nodded, "Yeah, I'll be fine once I get some sleep. I'll see you around alright?" 

Steve nodded slowly, why did he have a bad feeling this was a goodbye? "Alright." 

Natasha smiled softly and leaned up to press a kiss to Steve's cheek, "Goodnight Steve." 

Steve watched her walk out of the bar and frowned, had she been tearing up?

He sighed and didn't stop thinking about her for the rest of the night.

-------------------------------------

It was finally time to take the KGB down. 

Steve's location had turned out to be correct and he and a squad of Shields best men were now crouching outside the base and waiting for him to tell them the plan. 

He was waiting to see if anyone would go in or out of the base, hoping that if someone came out, he could get some information before going in blind. 

They waited an hour, and finally, some poor guard had come outside and walked right by Steve and his team, not even standing a chance as Steve grabbed him and covered his mouth. 

He questioned the man and got some information on the numbers inside the building, which was lower then he anticipated, and then left him tied up outside the building. 

Steve's plan was simple. Half his team would go through the back, and the other through the front, while he went through the roof and looked for Ivan. He seemed to be the brains behind this operation and if he could take him out, the mission would be much easier. 

He gave his men the signal and while they caused a distraction and took out as many of these so called killers, he dropped down from a vent and into a hallway that seemed to be pretty deep into the base. 

Steve heard voices coming from down the hall so he quickly hid behind a wall and waited for them to walk by so he could attack. 

He raised his shield and was about to slam it into both of them at the same time when he heard an all too familiar voice. 

Natasha?? 

Steve's heart pounded in his chest and he watched as two people walked by him, one male with short brown hair and one female with bright red hair that could only belong to one person. 

Steve threw his shield at her companion and she turned around in shock, aiming a gun at him as the man fell to the ground. 

Why did she have a gun? Why was she here? And why was she wearing a tight black catsuit with weapons holstered to it?

Her eyes met his and her facial features softened as she lowered her gun.

He wanted to say something to her but before he got the chance, she was walking towards him quickly and shoving him into an empty room. 

"What are you doing here?" She asked, her voice low and concerned. 

Steve's eyes widened, "What am I doing here?? What are you doing here? This is KGB's headquarters." 

Natasha stared at him silently. 

Steve frowned, was she one of them? 

"What are you doing here Natasha?" He asked again, his voice quiet.

Natasha shook  her head, "You won't understand."

"Try me." Steve insisted. Any answer was better then not knowing. 

Natasha looked afraid, Steve had never seen her look scared, "I work here Steve. But it's not what you think."

"You work here? Natasha these people kill for sport," He growled, his voice raising. 

She covered his mouth and frowned, "Be quiet or they'll find us and kill us both."

He tried to calm down, she deserved a chance to explain. 

"I know damn well that they kill. I know because I'm their personal weapon. I was brought up in a program made to train girls to be killers Steve. People who could carry out the job without any issues and who would feel no remorse. People like me. It was called the red room and the only way to survive was to do exactly what they told you to do. So I did. They made me a weapon. I'm a personal hit-man for Ivan and if I disobey him. He'll do awful things."

Steve's eyes were glossy as he watched Natasha speak. How was he supposed to sit here and listen to the woman he loved tell him she was a trained killer?

"Why are you telling me this?" He asked, looking up with a hint of bitterness and sadness in his eyes. 

Natasha shook her head, "Because when he told me my next target was you, I couldn't do it."

Steve frowned, noticing now that she had a terrible looking bruise on her cheek that looked recent, "What does that have to do with why you are in an empty room with me?"

Natasha sighed, "Damn it Steve, because I'm going to help you finish your mission but first I need you to know how I feel in case that crazy son of a bitch kills me."

Steve's eyes widened but before he could ask what she meant, her lips were on his and she was pressing him against the wall and kissing him with everything she had. 

He quickly responded to her kiss and wrapped his arms around her, tugging her as close as possible and kissing her until he remembered the mission. 

"Nat...I love you,"  He whispered. 

Natasha breathed in deeply and pressed her forehead against his, "I love you too. Now let's go. I know where Ivan is." 

Steve followed her without question. Maybe it was stupid considering he had just discovered that she had lied about so many things, but he trusted her blindly, and if she said she was going to help him, he believed her. 

She led him down several hallways and whenever they came across people, she helped him take them out and he found himself amazed at her fighting skill. 

He thought she could probably kill him with her pinky if she wanted too. 

Natasha stopped in front of a door and leaned up to whisper to Steve, "I'm going to go in there and distract him, then you come in and take him out. Okay?" 

Steve nodded, "Okay."

Natasha opened the door and on the other side of it, Steve could hear the two having a conversation. 

After a few moments, Steve swung the door open and quickly threw his shield at the man Natasha was talking to, snapping his neck and killing him. 

Steve looked over to Natasha and his face paled, "Natasha?" 

There was a knife sticking out from her chest and she was laying on the ground in her own pool of blood. 

"Natasha oh my god," He whispered, running over to her and lifting her up, "You're gonna be alright Natasha, lets go find help." 

Natasha coughed up blood and shook her head, "Is he dead?" 

Steve nodded, "Yeah, he is. My team will handle the rest of the base."

Natasha's eyes were fluttering shut as she whispered, "Good."

"Don't close your eyes Nat. Look at me Natasha. Let me see your gorgeous eyes. You can't leave me yet."

Natasha was so pale Steve wondered if he would be able to see through her soon, she coughed again and sighed, "I'm sorry it has to end before it began Steve. I really do love you." 

Steve called his teams through the coms and told them he had taken down Ivan before sprinting to his quin-jet. 

"Captain Rogers, who is that?" One of them asked. 

Steve scrambled for a med kit and shook his head, "She's the one responsible for us being able to pull this off. She saved my life so stop asking questions and get us to Shield now!" 

The man nodded and quickly did as Steve said.

Steve got out a bandage and looked at the knife. He knew he needed to take it out but he also knew she was going to start loosing more blood once he did. 

"Hang in there Natasha."  He whispered, glad that no one else on the plane could speak Russian. 

He removed the knife and put pressure on the wound as soon as he could, making sure that she was breathing all the way back to Shield headquarters 

When they finally arrived, he ran her to medical, ignoring the questions from everyone. 

He didn't leave her side until he knew that she would be alright. Then he went to answer questions. 

"Who is she?" He heard Peggy say from behind him once he had finished telling his superiors what had happened and convincing them to offer Natasha a job. 

Steve cleared his throat awkwardly, "Her name is Natasha. She helped me with the mission."

Peggy nodded, "Is there something I should know Steve? You look like you have something you wanna say."

Steve sighed, Peggy was always so perceptive, "I fell in love with her Peg. I didn't mean for it to happen. It just did. I'm sorry."

"It's okay Steve. I'm glad you found that with someone. Even if it isn't me. To be honest, I don't think we were going to work out even if you didn't meet her."

Steve sighed in relief, "Me neither. So there's no hurt feelings?" 

Peggy shook her head, "No. But you should go. Your girl might wake up soon and I imagine she'll be pretty confused." 

Steve nodded and went back to Natasha's room, sitting besides her bed and holding her hand. 

She woke up a while later, her eyes landing on Steve instantly, "Steve?" 

He sat up quickly, "Natasha!"

"Water?" She asked, her throat dry and rough.

Steve nodded and got her some, "Here, better?" 

Natasha nodded and looked around the room, "Where am I Steve?"

He gulped, "New York at Shield's headquarters. It was the only place I knew to take you."

"When are they going to arrest me?" She asked, looking at the wall behind him.

Steve frowned, "What? Natasha they aren't going to arrest you. I told them what happened and convinced them that you deserve a job. So if you want to stay here and work alongside me, the spot is yours." 

Natasha's eyes widened in surprise, "Are you serious?" 

"Yes. I couldn't go on without you know Natasha. I know we haven't known each other long and a lot of what you do know is only partially true, I love you. And I want to at least give us a shot."

Natasha smiled, "I'd love that."

Steve beamed and they continued talking through the night until she was released from the hospital and he brought her back to his apartment in Brooklyn. 

That first night they spent together, she made sure to show him just how thankful she was for him while he made sure she was properly welcomed to the States. 

After all, he was Captain America, how could he not make her first night in the United States as good as it could be?

Hey guys. This was ridiculously long so that's why it took me two days to write. It's also currently 4:30 while I'm writing this so if there's a grammar issue or something please don't come for me lol. 

Like I said, this was hella long (6000 words) and I probably could have made it a whole book so please let me know if you enjoyed it!

Like always, please vote and comment if you did!