𝐋𝐚𝐬 𝐕𝐞𝐠𝐚𝐬 ❺

Chapter 28

Steve headed back to his hotel and found himself drinking away at the bar that night. He was hoping that alcohol would help dull the pain in his heart. Half bottle of his favorite whiskey was gone and he was still pretty sober.

He couldn’t feel worse than this. Natasha apparently moved on so quickly that she probably didn’t waste anytime grieving over them. But he had this one coming. The way he hurt her was unforgivable.

He should be a bigger person and let her be happy for the rest of her life. The guy seemed nice and he made her smile. Steve knew he had lost that privileges because he left her.

People in the bar slowly left until it was only Steve sitting alone with the bartender who tried to convince Steve to go back to his room and stop drinking. Steve didn’t listen and ended up almost empty one Glamorangie bottle.

That was when he heard someone calling his name. “Steve.”

Steve whipped his head to the direction of that voice and he saw Natasha standing right next to him. At first, he thought that it was just another hallucination so he blinked repeatedly, hoping that he finally drank enough that he saw her vision. But then he realized, she wasn’t disappear. Natasha was still standing in front of him, waiting patiently and unexpectedly for him to say something.

After several minutes, Steve “How do you know I’m here?”

“Because it’s the last place I search for you. Trust me, it’s really hard to find you.”

After Nat left her apartment, she searched the city for him, thinking of every possible place that Steve could be there, including places that they went together, places they used to hang out and having fun, her strip club, and her lounge. It was really hard to find him in this big city and Natasha almost gave up. Every time she saw someone that looked like Steve and her heart nearly jumped out of her chest.

Then this place came up, Tony Stark’s hotel where they shared so many memories together. The front desk staff, who remembered her, told her that he was here. He looked so lonely and beaten the first moment she saw him.

Finally, Steve reached his trembling hand out. From the look on his face, he still didn’t believe that she was here. When his hand landed on her arm, Nat felt the heat rushing through her body in the way that only Steve could do this to her. Warm spread through her and Nat knew she was longing for this.

“I’m here, Steve.” She whispered.

He didn’t say anything but pulled her into his arms and hugged her tightly. His head buried at the junction between her neck and shoulder, inhaling her scent, letting it overwhelming him. His mind finally believed that she was back, in his arms. He murmured something against her skin that Natasha couldn’t catch but she hugged him back, patting her hands on his back.

They stood there for like forever, savoring the feeling of having each other back in their arms. But suddenly, Steve pulled away from her with sadness in her eyes before he looked away. Natasha cupped his face and forced him to look her in the eyes.

They looked at the each other for the longest time before Steve said. "I get it Nat, I was only a job, wasn't I?”

“No, Steve…”
“You don’t have to explain anything. I deserve it after what I did to you and how much I hurt you? I’m sorry but I’m happy for you that you move on.”

“Steve, listen to me.” She used her strong and serious voice to silence him. He stopped talking and focused on her. "No, you are not just a client to me and you know that."

"I know and I'm sorry for leaving you like that. I'm terribly sorry and I won't ask you to forgive me. I don't deserve it."

"I was...I just trying to forget you. It hurt so bad when you left and I can't get over you after everything that we shared. It was too hard and I was lonely."