The Game That Started it All

Happily Ever After

Steve's POV:

It was around 8pm now and I had just ordered a pizza for Natasha and I. She seemed a little frightened earlier. Concern and worry washed over me but I only hoped she was ok.

I went down to the main doors of Stark Towers and paid for the pizza. As I walked into the elevator and it started to move upwards, I couldn't help think of Natasha.

Was she alright? I had no idea but I got out of the elevator on the level of our living quarters and stopped outside her room.

"Natasha? Can I come in?" I ask while knocking on the door

"Uh yeah hold on a second" She responds

I furrow my eyebrows while I hear her shuffling around in her room. What's going on?

She opened the door and her hair still looked a little damp from the shower she had. There were bags under her eyes and plain expression on her face, it looked like she had been crying.

"Nat are you ok?" I ask, looking down at her

"I need to talk to you" She replies dully and walks into her room. I follow and close the door behind me as she goes to sit on her bed.

"I brought pizza" I smile, taking a seat next to her

"Thanks, I-I'll eat in a second." She smiles weakly as she moves her gaze to the floor

"So what's up?"

"Well I-um.. today you probably noticed I wasn't myself I guess." She starts while trying to hide the pain in her voice

"Yeah, is everything alright?"

"No." She blankly responds

She sighs heavily and continued to explain, "The mission all of us are going on tomorrow, is KGB. We have to go capture these 3 guys from KGB or also known as the Red Room. Two of the 3 men trained and raised me throughout my childhood and onwards. And by that I mean brainwashed, assaulted, tortured and forced me to be the assassin I am today. I never thought I would have to go back to the place that doesn't let me sleep at night, the place that I could never forget. I have scars that will always be with me and the memories will never fade, but tomorrow they are all going to be fresh and I don't know how to comprehend it." She tells me shakily, doing her best not to cry

I sit there stunned by what her past included. Sympathy, sadness and rage rushed through me all at the same time. I would kill those bastards when I saw them, beat them to death if I could. A tear rolls down Natasha's cheek and I wrap her in a hug, whispering comforting things to her, trying to calm her down.

"Shh Natasha it's going to be ok, once we get these people and arrest them they'll get what they have deserved their whole life. They won't hurt you, there's no way in hell i'll let that happen. And if they do i'll kill them and i'm being serious about that ok? You don't have to go with us tomorrow, everyone would understand." I speak softly

"Steve I have to go, I have never once backed down from a mission. I also know the most about these people and would be an important asset to this mission. Since I'm going tomorrow, I don't want the rest of the team knowing about my past except for maybe Wanda, Bucky already knows because he was there for some of it. I don't want to deal with it, but I'll figure out a way to do so. I already asked Clint this but just promise me you won't let them take me again. That I know I won't be able to handle." She cries into my shoulder

"Nat, only you and Bucky know the extent of these people's abilities, but I will sacrifice myself to make sure you don't have to suffer. And if you do get captured, I'll get captured with you." I soothe