Requested by LiiliexLA after Clint rescues Nat from the red room, she has to adapt to working at shield. Steve helps.

Natasha had only been officially working at Shield for a few days now. She felt out of place. Like a wolf in a field full of dogs. 

People regarded her with caution, as though they expected her to pull on a knife on them and start slashing at any moment. 

Though she supposed she couldn't blame them. 

A few months ago she had been at the top of Shield's wanted list and now she was working alongside the very people who had been sent to kill her. 

Trust wasn't something she expected though she secretly craved for someone to fully trust that she wasn't going to kill them in their sleep. 

On the few missions she had been sent along on, she was told the bare minimum. She'd never know who they were targeting, or why, just what her role in the mission would be. 

Even Clint, who had saved her life and initially promised her a better life, seemed to remain on guard around her. 

She had once had a knife to his throat though, so again, she couldn't blame him. 

Fury could see her potential as an agent but seemed to be watching her every move carefully as though to make sure she wasn't just trying to gain information and report back to the Red Room. 

It wasn't until Steve Rogers came back from a long mission that she finally met someone who didn't question her reasons for betraying the Red Room. 

"Agent Romanoff, meet Captain Rogers. He's going to be your leading commander on missions and he'll be there during your training as well," Fury said after calling her into his office one morning. 

Natasha stuck her hand out, not really expecting him to take it. 

When he did, she had to remind herself not to look surprised. 

"Nice to meet you Agent Romanoff," He said, smiling in a way that looked so genuine that she wondered if he knew who she was. 

"You too," She said, knowing it was the proper way to respond. 

Fury handed him a file and Steve began looking through it, "Cap, this is the file for tonight's mission. I'm sending you, Barton, and Romanoff. Briefing is in twenty." 

Steve nodded. 

"You're both dismissed," Fury said.

Natasha turned to walk away and was surprised when Steve followed closely behind. 

"You wanna take a look at this?" He offered, extending the file. 

Natasha raised an eyebrow, "Isn't that sensitive information?" 

Steve nodded, "Yeah but I figured you'd like to know what the mission is before we ask you to charge into battle with us." 

Natasha cautiously accepted the file, looking through it and trying her best to not doubt Steve's motives for handing her the file, was it some kind of trap? A way to get her fired?

When she had seen all the information in the file, she handed it back to Steve, "Thanks," She said quietly.

"No problem. I'll see you in the briefing."

Natasha nodded and walked to the kitchen to get herself a coffee, knowing it would probably be a long night. 

She ignored the glares she received as she walked. 

Once she had her coffee, she returned to the briefing room and sat in the back, knowing that Fury would probably excuse her halfway through the meeting.

They talked through the strategy for the mission and like Natasha had expected, he had asked her to step out about 15 minutes into the briefing. 

Steve had frowned but didn't say anything as Natasha silently left the room. 

She stood outside the door while she waited for her team and thought about the mission. 

From the file she knew they were taking down a terrorist group known for some massive bombings in South America. Tonight they were trying to simply capture one of the men high up in the chain so that they could question him for more information. 

Natasha's role in this was to seduce the man and then lead him into a room where Steve would be waiting to knock him out. Apparently, they didn't trust Natasha to be alone with the man. 

Clint was even posing as the bartender to make sure she couldn't reveal their plans to him. 

She was slightly annoyed by the constant doubt of her loyalty but she continuously reminded herself that she had been working against these people for nearly 20 years. 

She was excited that she'd finally be able to do something active during a mission. Normally they had her standing guard or monitoring communication systems. 

Now she got to do what she was best at and hopefully that would help further prove her loyalty. 

When Steve and Clint finally emerged from the room, they all walked to the quinjet, each with a bag for their clothes and weapons. 

Steve and Clint changed on the jet first followed by Natasha, who had been given a long, revealing black dress. It had a slit going from her upper thigh down and a deep V-neck that left little to imagination. 

She adjusted her hair and applied the makeup they provided before concealing her two weapons. 

A gun strapped to her thigh and a knife tucked into her bra so that she could grab it at any moment. 

By the time she was ready they were landing the quinjet. 

"Testing channel 3," Steve said through her comm system. 

She stepped out of the bathroom and pressed a button on her comm to radio back, "Channel 3 secure." 

"Ready?" Steve asked her. 

Natasha nodded, still confused by the kindness he treated her with. 

Clint handed her a vile, "If you slip this into his drink, he'll get drunk faster and may be easier to convince to go up to the room with you." 

Natasha took it and tucked in into the same strap holding her gun, though she didn't think she'd need it. 

With that they each dispersed, Clint going straight to the bar so that he could begin his cover as a bartender while Steve and Natasha waited until he saw the target. 

"It's happy hour," He said through the comms. 

Natasha stood up and straightened her dress. 

"Be careful out there," Steve said, and although such a statement would normally make her tense with suspicion or doubt, the way he said it had sounded so genuine. Like he really didn't want her to get hurt at the expense of a mission. Something she had grown used to during her time with the Red Room. 

She just nodded and stepped out of the van they had been staked out in. It was about a mile walk to the bar so that they wouldn't be spotted by any unwanted guards but she covered the walk quite quickly. 

"I see him," Natasha said after a few moments in the bar, taking a sip from her drink as she whispered into the comms.

"Go ahead and move in Romanoff," Steve said. 

She set down her drink and walked towards the bar the target was sitting at. She sat down besides the man and angled her body so that most of her leg was peeking from underneath the fabric. 

"Give me whatever red wine you've got," She told Clint, still not looking over at the man. 

It wasn't until Clint had set the drink down that the man spoke to her. 

"What's a pretty gal like you doing all alone at a bar like this?" He asked, leaning in slightly. 

Natasha plastered on her best fake smile, "Looking for a good time. Any idea where I can find one?" 

The man's ugly grin only grew, "Darling you're looking at one." 

"That so?" She asked, raising an eyebrow as she took a small sip from her glass. 

"Oh yeah. I can prove it too. You come on up to my room and you'll see what a real good time is." 

Natasha grinned, "I betcha my rooms closer." 

The man grinned again and ran his hand up her thigh, his sour breath filling her senses, "I've gotta warn you though, if you spend the night with me you'll be ruined for any other man." 

Natasha highly doubted that but she played along, "Prove it." 

The man squeezed her thigh and pulled her out of the seat, "Which way?" 

Natasha directed him to the elevator, "Floor 3, room 307." 

He placed his hand on her ass and squeezed it as he pushed her through the crowd.

"Incoming Cap," Clint said through the comms. 

Once they were inside the elevator, the man pushed Natasha against the wall and began kissing her. It was needy and forceful, nearly making Natasha handcuff him right there just so he would get his dirty paws off her. 

He continued kissing her until Natasha unlocked her hotel room door, then he pushed her back into the room and tried to kiss her again, only for Steve's fist to connect with his jaw before he got the chance. 

"Nice work Agent Romanoff," Steve said, putting handcuffs on the man. 

She nodded, "Thanks." 

"Target secured Barton. Meet at extraction in 20," Steve said to Clint. 

"Copy that." 

They brought the man back to Shield and Fury had them each debrief the mission before they were dismissed for the night. 

Natasha felt a certain sense of satisfaction knowing that she had completed a mission again. Only now it came with the knowledge that she was saving lives, not ending them.

That was the thought that helped her fall asleep that night, even if it was only for a short period of time. 

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

Shield's common room was huge. 

In the morning, it was filled with agents eating breakfast and drinking coffee. 

Natasha typically sat by the window by herself to drink her coffee. She knew her coworkers didn't like her and wasn't going to go out of her way to try and make friends when she really couldn't care less. 

"Hey, this seat taken?" She heard Steve ask, drawing her attention away from the window. 

Natasha shook her head, "No." 

"Mind if I sit?" He asked. 

She shook her head again, "Be my guest." 

He did so and held out a file. Natasha raised an eyebrow, "What's this?" 

"My file." 

Natasha's brows furrowed, "Why are you giving it to be?" 

Steve shrugged, "Well I figured since Fury made all of us read yours, you should be able to see who you're working with." 

Natasha opened the file and skimmed through Steve's past, "Does Fury know you're showing me this?" 

Steve shook his head, "No. I didn't ask." 

Natasha chuckled dryly, "Because you knew the answer would be no." 

Steve looked down and frowned slightly, as though he felt guilty, "I don't agree with what he's doing. What anyone is doing." 

"You must not have paid much attention to my file," Natasha said with a quiet scoff. 

"I read it twice actually. And the way I see it you're going to find a way to get the information either way if you really wanted it." 

Natasha shrugged, that much was true, but it still didn't make any sense as to why he would willingly give her that information. 

He smiled softly, "Plus, I trust you." 

Natasha frowned, "Why?" 

"You haven't given me a reason not to," Steve said simply. 

Natasha disagreed. Her entire past with the Red Room was reason enough for anyone to not trust her, "I think the entirety of Shield disagrees with you." 

"They don't trust anyone around here. Especially Fury." 

Natasha nodded, wondering if Steve was simply trying to flirt with her...that was most men's reasoning for being kind to her. 

Yet Steve's words didn't feel fabricated or forced as though he was simply trying to tell her what she wanted to hear. It felt sincere and despite her typical cautiousness, she trusted him and his motives. 

"So why do you?" 

"Trust?" Steve asked.

"Why do you trust me?" She asked, narrowing her eyes at him slightly. 

Steve shrugged and stood up, "Call it a hunch. I'll see you in training." 

Natasha nodded, "Yeah." 

He walked away with a parting smile and Natasha couldn't help but find herself thinking about him far more then she'd have liked to over the next couple of days. 

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

Months passed and Natasha had grown closer to Steve then she wanted to be. 

He was easy to talk to and trusted her despite everything. He was giving her what she desperately wanted...a chance to start over. 

Steve knew her past and everything that she had done and yet he didn't seem to have any judgement towards her for it. 

It was strange to everyone else. Captain America, the picture of innocence and purity was growing closer everyday to the Black Widow, someone who had murdered hundreds and could probably kill a man with her pinky if she wanted. 

Aside from Steve, Clint had been the only person to begin trusting her more. Fury's respect for her had seemed to grow so she counted that as a good thing. 

He had began partnering her and Steve up on missions where it was just the two of them and found that they were incredibly successful. 

They had spent some time together outside of work too. Steve ate breakfast with her every morning and occasional they would go on a run together just to get out of the compound. 

"Hey Romanoff you up for a run?" Steve asked one morning. 

"Always, but Fury just called us to the quinjets for a mission so doesn't look like I'll have the pleasure of outrunning you today," Natasha said with a small smirk. 

Steve chuckled, "That sounds like a challenge." 

Natasha shrugged, "Maybe." 

"You're on once this mission is over," Steve said with an amused smile as he grabbed his shield. 

The two prepared for their mission and were brought to a gala in London, where they were posing as a couple to infiltrate a terrorist group selling weapons. 

Everything was going fine until one of the bartenders recognized Steve and asked for a picture. 

The terrorist had opened gunfire on he and Natasha and they had to jump into action quickly. 

Natasha dived behind the bar and pulled her gun out, taking out the men attacking them with precision as Steve pulled his shield out and threw it at the men. 

Natasha heard a gunshot and heard a gunshot go off right before she watched Steve collapse to his knees. 

Emerging from behind the bar, Natasha took down the remaining men and bent down to Steve, "Hang in there Rogers." 

"I'm alright," Steve promised, standing up again and holding a hand to his ribs. 

Natasha helped him stand and held a finger to her com, "Captain Rogers has been shot, we need extraction." 

"There's a bad storm here, we can't give extraction for another few hours. Can you make it to the London safe house?" 

Natasha looked over at Steve, who nodded, "Yes." 

"Extraction will be there in 4 hours." 

"Understood," Natasha said before helping Steve out the backdoor as quickly as she could. 

The last thing they needed was to encounter more people shooting at them. 

Natasha led them through alleys and eventually they made it the safe house. 

"Is there a med kit here?" Natasha asked, helping Steve sit down on the couch. 

Steve nodded, "Should be one in the closet." 

Natasha grabbed it quickly and came back to Steve, "Alright let me see." 

"You know how to remove a bullet?" Steve asked, taking his shirt off so that she could better see the wound.

"They taught us a lot of things in the Red Room. Removing a bullet happened to be one of them. Now lay down and relax." 

Steve did as she said, watching Natasha the entire time she tended to his wound. 

"This is going to hurt," She warned. 

Steve nodded and she carefully used tweezers to remove the bullet lodged in his side. 

He gasped when she removed it and she frowned, "Sorry." 

"Don't be. Does it need stitches?" Steve asked. 

Natasha shook her head, "I don't think so. With your serum it should heal within the next few hours." 

He started to sit up but Natasha stopped him,  "I'm not done yet. Just let me put something on it to stop the bleeding." 

He sat back and waited for her to finish, when she did, he sat up slowly and smiled at her, "Thank you." 

"I'm just doing my job," Natasha countered.

Steve shook his head, "That wasn't a fatal wound. You didn't have to do that, and I know for a fact not all of our coworkers would have." 

"You'd do the same for me," Natasha said, although she wasn't completely sure that it was true. 

Steve nodded, "I would." 

Natasha and forces a small laugh, "I still don't understand why." 

"Why I'd help you?" 

Natasha nodded, "Why you've been helping me. You're the only person I've met since I've been who that doesn't seem to think I'm secretly still working for the KGB." 

Steve raised an eyebrow with a small smile, "Well are you?" 

Natasha frowned, "No." 

Steve smiled wider, "Then I guess I made the right choice." 

Natasha sighed, "What choice?" 

"The choice to trust you. I knew when I read your file that there was a possibility that you were still reporting back to the KGB but I also knew that you might have been genuine in trying to get a fresh start. It was never my place to assume one or the other so I took a leap of faith. I'd say it was a pretty good one. You haven't betrayed my trust yet and I get the feeling you won't."

Natasha's eyes softened. How could someone who had seen so much war and destruction have so much faith in a person like her.

"I'm starting to hate your overwhelming optimism Rogers," She teased, locking her eyes on the ground. 

Steve frowned slightly and reached out, grabbing her hand, "Natasha, do you trust me?" 

She hesitated, she wanted to trust him more then anything, but the walls she'd built up since she were a child were hard to break through. 

Still, if anything, he was certainly at least halfway through those walls. 

"Yes," She whispered. 

He smiled softly, "Then trust me when I say that you aren't a bad person. I don't care about the shit in your file. The past doesn't matter. You didn't have to come to Shield with Barton. You could have given up and accepted defeat. Dying would of been a hell of a lot easier then joining the enemies. But you did, because you want to do good." 

Natasha looked away from him, "You can't say that Steve. You hardly know me." 

"I know that you work harder then anyone at Shield. And I've seen you put yourself in harms way for someone else more then I can count." 

Natasha scoffed, "Says the man who crashed a plane into the ocean to save a city." 

Steve laughed softly, "You'd have done the same thing." 

Natasha finally looked up to meet his eyes and nearly broke down at the way he looked at her. He believed every word he was saying and more.

She couldn't look away from his eyes for a moment, and when she did, she looked down to his lips, still pulled into a soft smile. 

He looked at her and she couldn't help but bring one of her hands up to gently caress his jaw. He really was the perfect specimen. 

"Natasha?" He whispered, leaning closer to her as she did the same. 

She shook her head, their lips only an inch apart, "You trust me right?" 

Steve nodded, "Yes." 

Natasha smiled softly and closed the distance between them, kissing him in a way that she'd never kissed anyone before. 

This wasn't a kiss forced on her by a trainer in the Red Room or target. It wasn't the means to end a mission. 

It was because she wanted to kiss Steve. 

And now that she was doing it, she really really didn't want to stop.

So she didn't. 

At least, not until extraction arrived. 

Hey guys! Idk what's wrong with me but I can't stop writing insanely long chapters. This one is over 3000 words and it had no reason to be. But I hope y'all enjoyed it! If you did please comment and vote :)