𝐒𝐄𝐑𝐈𝐄𝐒 𝐎𝐅 𝐎𝐍𝐄-𝐒𝐇𝐎𝐓𝐒 - 𝘳𝘰𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘰𝘨𝘦𝘳𝘴. ✔︎

How I Met Your Mother // AU

"Yikes." Clint said. "Ouch." Tony followed. "I'm sorry to hear that, Steve." Jane, Thor's girlfriend touched my shoulder gently for support. I thank her with a smile and nod.

"Well, I'm pretty sure Blondie will find his true soulmate one day." Tony exclaimed, while grabbing his wife's – Pepper's – waist very closely to his body.

"Thanks guys," I say with a smile. "I really appreciate all the support but, I don't want to talk about her any longer."

The girls were the first ones to say, "Oh no problem. We don't have to if you don't want to." They were all genuinely nice. I wonder how they all fell for these fellow 'idiots' I call my friends.

We had a few drinks and a few laughs. Most of the stories they told were how the two of them met or about their jobs. That made me question my life. I am a 25 year  old college graduate. I have absolutely no idea what to do with my life, except to work for the man who has hated my guts since forever. And I barely have time for a love life, since the other one destroyed it.

And it got me. This New Years, I'm gonna focus on myself. I'm gonna make things better for myself. Everything that will probably haunt me for the rest of my life if I didn't do anything, will be tossed out of the way of my life. I'm gonna change. Steve Rogers, you are gonna be a changed man.

As soon as a slow song had started and all the couples have left for the dance floor, I feel myself heading towards the bar.

No I wasn't gonna drink away my sorrows. Well, maybe I felt a little left out, so what? I was a college graduate who had gotten dumped by the then love of my life, what else did I have to do? Wait for the new millennium to come through?

Plus, it wasn't till a few hours anyway. I had enough time to relax and have a couple of drinks. And maybe even talk and socialize with others, asides from my high school friends, around me.

I gestured for the bartender and he took my order. I thanked him as I turned around to watch the happy couples dancing. They all looked like they were dancing at a school ball or whatever. So young in love. Something I could never experience again. Maybe.

"Here you go, sir." The bartender passed me the beer I ordered. It wasn't strong but it did taste very good. I gulped it all down and asked for another one.

And after spending 15 minutes at the bar, my toiletry needs had needed to be taken care of. So I paid for the drinks I ordered but, the bartender declined my money. He said, 'Mr. Stark has already paid for all of you'. I roll my eyes at the smart-ass, kinder billionaire Tony was.

I sigh and head straight for the bathroom. Luckily for me, there was no line. Just a couple deciding to make-out a little bit outside but that wasn't a bother. It wasn't like they weren't noticeable. Ugh.

I get back from my business and notice that the two oddly couple who were making out beforehand were still there. I fixed my outfit up a little bit, before I was suddenly pushed into a red-headed woman by the couple who had now moved into the disabled bathroom. I shake my thoughts away from the couple and focus on the red-headed woman.

"I am so sorry, Ma'am." I say, trying to avoid eye contact, whilst helping her put her belongings in her purse.

"It's okay. It was just those two idiots who decided to make-out in the middle of the bathrooms." She chuckled.

And without thinking, I introduced myself to this woman I had just met for five seconds.

"Steve Rogers." I stick my hand out to shake hers and she accepts.

Looking up to my blue eyes with her emerald green ones, she shakes it and says, "Natasha Romanoff." And a smile forms on her face, her green eyes lighting up bright.

We both make small conversation, talking about our jobs and lives and whatnot. She apparently works for Stark Industries, hence why she was at this New Years party.

"Stark throws the biggest parties ever." She says in awe.

"It's crazy." I say after. And she chuckles, "Yeah."

We end up talking more. Having drinks together and laughing away together. We hit it off pretty quickly. It was almost as she was there to help me ease my love-life suffering.

They say that many don't move on. They say that you should give second chances. I gave my second chances and they were blown away. But this. This was a new start of a chapter in my life.

It was time to end the first and now it was time to start anew. And Natasha was part of that. And so were you. [Steve references to his children].

And that is also, How I Met Your Mother.

[Yes at a Stark New Years Party, How cheesy]