i'm with you, every step of the way

Chapter 5

"Yeah, sure. I mean, we'd like to have you on board." She answered him and smiled. At that moment, she knew it was worth whatever risk because the smile Maria gave her was so bright and happy.

Pepper pouted. "I didn't know you guys would bring dates, I should have brought one too." At this, Bucky's ears turned red and Natasha coughed. Pepper shot them a look and laughed. "Chill, guys, I know you're not each other's date. Everyone just has a partner."

Natasha hooked her arm with Pepper's. "Aw, don't worry Peps, I'm here. Bucky can be the loner," she said jokingly and sticking her tongue out at him, in which he reciprocated.

They got to their table and everyone talked all throughout dinner. They actually enjoyed Sam's company, he's a very nice guy to hangout with. He wasn't awkward at all; he answered all their questions about him, and didn't mind all the jokes and teasings. He apparently is different from the rest of the guys. Once they all finished eating, they walked back to school and arrived just in time as they were letting people in the gym.

It was absolutely loud inside. There's music blasting from speakers that are probably bigger than Natasha and it sounds like it's getting louder by the second, with each beat. The host, their student body president, is screaming something on the microphone. Natasha can't quite make it out but she heard the words "congratulations" and "won" and knows he's talking about the football game. She turned around and found Maria, Sam, and Pepper already in the middle of the dance floor. However, she and Bucky decided to walk around first instead of delving into dancing right away.

"You want some drinks?" Bucky had to shout for her to hear him, and she nodded, so they both walked towards where the snacks and drinks are and got some punch. After a while of exploring the place (the gym was so different, it didn't even look like a gym anymore), they got back to the dance floor and started to dance. Natasha was awkward about it at first, but she didn't care anymore and decided to lose herself to dancing, just like she's always done.

Bucky stared at her in awe, eyes never leaving her. Although she is dancing randomly to a random beat and song, she was still so graceful. Her moves are so fluid and precise that it looks like everything in her is attuned to dancing. From the corner of his eye, he spots Steve also eyeing Natasha and their gazes meet. He held onto Steve's stare until Steve turned around and walked away.

" Shit, Bucky caught me," was the thought running in Steve's mind as he moves away from the dance floor to cool off. It's been a while since he has seen Natasha dance, but he still is mesmerized by it. It just pisses him off that it's Bucky that's there with her not him. He feels like it should be him because he was the one who would always support Natasha and her dancing. But for now, he can only watch from afar.

"Ha, Rogers. Did you see Romanoff? Little Red must think she's some kind of dancing queen or something. Someone should record that or something," Stark said, approaching him, with his little posse right behind him. There were also some cheerleaders with the guys and Steve rolled his eyes at them.

"Leave her alone Stark, I already told you to." He said, his voice clear with warning.

"Why do you care so much? It's not like you're the guy she's dancing with," Tony snapped, glaring at Steve and bumped into his shoulder as he walked away.

After dancing for a while, Natasha slowed down and told Bucky she's going to get some drinks. He nodded and she went, Bucky stayed there just dancing by himself and some of their classmates. As Natasha approached the drinks table, a bunch of cheerleaders were standing there. She was going to back away, but it's not worth it because they already saw her and she was really thirsty.

"Oh look who apparently still has the face to show up to school events," their team captain, Sharon Carter, said out loud, her voice taunting and fakingly sweet. She approached Natasha as she was getting her drink, just like a predator would to its prey. Natasha didn't have the energy to argue so she just continued to reach for the cup and get some punch. The faster she gets out of there, the better.

"Aw, Natasha doesn't want to talk! I thought we were friends, " Sharon continued, watching as Natasha gets some punch. She looks at her other cheerleader friends behind her and smirked. Then, it what seemed like a split second, Sharon "reached" for a cup on Natasha's side, but it was really just to knock Natasha's cup out of her hands, its contents spilling on her chest and dress. "At least it's not paint," Sharon all but sneered at her. The girls laughed and quickly walked out, leaving Natasha covered in punch.

Natasha was shocked, that she wasn't sure as to what her initial reaction was. She looked around to see if anyone noticed, and it looks like only a few and they probably think she's just a klutz who spilled a drink on herself. Her eyes were watery but she decided to stay calm. She looked for napkins and was going to wipe herself down when Bucky approached her.

"Natasha, my gosh, what happened to you? Are you okay?" He asked worriedly.

"Yeah, I uh, just spilled some punch on me. Silly me," she chuckled faintly and Bucky nodded. But one look at him and Natasha knows he didn't fully buy it, but he just doesn't want to press. He handed her more napkins and threw away the ones she used, waiting by her side as she continue to dry her dress.

From afar, Steve saw what happened to Natasha. He didn't see who did it, but he knows it's done deliberately. He wanted to run to her, to make sure she's okay and to reassure her that everything will be alright. But he knows he can't. She has Bucky now, and not him, and she will most likely not even acknowledge him. So Steve just did what he does best: stop this from happening again using his own little ways.

He walked all over to find Stark and the other boys. "Tony, we need to talk." He called out, pointing a finger at him.

"Then talk, Rogers. You know we don't keep secrets from the team." he responded nonchalantly, barely looking up from his phone.

"Didn't I make it clear to leave Natasha alone? Do you just really have to antagonize her and make every minute of her life miserable? What did she ever do to you?" Steve angrily let out, his chest pounding with anger.

Tony merely raised an eyebrow at him. "What did I do again?" he asked, and Steve blinked, Tony actually does look confused.

"Have some girls throw drinks at her?" Steve answered, more of a question than a statement.

"Wow Rogers, I'm hurt. You really think I'd stoop that low? Look, man, I may be an asshole but I do still respect you. You said to leave her alone, so I did. I made jokes, yes, but I haven't done anything to her in person, or have someone do it for me, this last few weeks. I also don't want to get in Barnes' way, they look pretty close," he said, this time looking at Steve. The other guys nodded in approval too, as if to vouch for Tony.

"I'm sorry, Tony. I shouldn't have blamed you right away." Steve said, and smiled at him before wandering back to the dance floor, looking for a clue as to who did that to Natasha.

By the time Natasha finished wiping off all the liquid off her, she felt so sticky and cold. She shivered and Bucky noticed this, so he took his jacket off and put it around her. She smiled gratefully at him.

"Do you want to come home? I could call my parents to pick us up," Bucky offered.

"Yes, but can we dance one last time? I haven't danced in so long, I missed it. And look, it's a slow song too!" Natasha said, trying to sound as joyful and pulled Bucky in to dance.

Once the song started, she circled her arms behind Bucky's neck and leaned her head to his chest. Bucky automatically wrapped his arms around her waist and they started dancing slowly like this.

"Hey Buck, thanks for always being here," Natasha whispered, and Bucky hummed, which Natasha felt from the way his chest vibrated. She can't help but to let a few tears escape, and she knows Bucky can tell by the way he's rubbing small circles on her back.

Steve found them like this, and he felt his heart hurt. But, he thinks, if Natasha is happy, then that's all he could ever hope for. He just thought, maybe even wished, that the guy Natasha would be happy with is him.