Day 4
“Maria, I think I’m fine with this. We don’t have to throw everything out.” Nat said.
“Those things will only remind you of him.” Maria countered. “It’s a precaution.”
“Fine. We will do this your way.” Nat gave up arguing with her friend.
They searched around the apartment and trying to find anything that belonged to Steve. They started with the bedroom and bathroom first. Maria was in the bathroom while Nat was in the closet.
Nat sighed when she saw a huge amount of clothes in there. There was his shirts that she stole it from time through time because it was unbelievably comfortable and Steve loved it when she wore something of his. Nat shuddered at the thought and a flash of memories filled her head.
He was turned on by everything hers but his possessiveness had a thing when his girl wapping by something of his.
“Shit…” Nat groaned. “Shit…” She still thought about them. Stop it right now, Romanoff!
Nat ended up throwing everything in the basket. His shirts, t-shirts, shorts, boxer, and sweats will be burn to hell after this.
After she was done with the closet, Nat stepped outside with a basketful of clothes. His clothes that turned out were one of the two things that could sooth her back to sleep. Nat shook her head before setting out to find the remaining of Steve's belongings. Her eyes roamed around the room until something caught her eyes.
The fucking sketch that he gave her hanging on the wall of her bedroom. The very first one that he drew her while they were waiting for the laundry. A slow and peaceful day that he helped her cleaned up the apartment. It was a beautiful memory until he ruined it.
Natasha quickly took it down from the wall and threw it into the trash bin. It fell down with a loud noise of glass shattering. Another memory of them was gone.
Wait! No! What have she done?
Nat quickly ran to the bin and tried to pull out the drawing from the shattered glass, only to cut herself with it. Blood drew from her hand as she tried to retrieve the sketch.
It was a good memory, pure and innocent and it had nothing to do with the disgusting memories that he wanted to use her for sex. They were friends.
"What the hell are you doing, Nat?" Maria asked and came to Nat only to see blood soaked Nat's hand. "You're cutting yourself? ARE YOU MAD?"
"No! I just trying to retrieve the sketch before it's too late." Natasha explained.
"What sketch?"
"This one." Nat revealed the drawing that she held close to her heart.
Maria's eyes scanned the piece of art and she knew right away that it was from Steve but she didn't saw the artist's signature that would confirm that it belonged to Steve. It was a beautiful sketch that captured Natasha in the most natural and loving way. It had to come from someone who could make her relaxed around them.
"Why are you trying save it?"
"It was a beautiful memory. An innocent one that I shouldn't throw away."
"You know what I will advise you."
"I know...but I have to keep this one."
Maria held Nat in her arms. "Okay, sweetheart, I will tend to those cuts."
Maria got up and went inside the bathroom to get the first aid kit before tending to Natasha's hand. After bandaged Nat up, the two continued to put everything belonged to Steve in a box so they could throw it away.
"I think you better leave it to me to get rid of it." Maria suggested once they finished.
"Okay...but can you just lock it up somewhere without actually get rid off it." Nat countered. "Don't tell me you're still thinking about actually return them to him?" The brunette narrowed her eyes. "You should at least feeling like burn all those stuff up."
"I don't see a point of burning perfectly good things."
"So you can get over him soon, god damn it!"
"Fine!"
Maria cleaned out the bathroom but she insisted that Nat should make a final sweep so there was nothing left. Natasha found his cologne and was tempting to discard it but she kept it hidden from Maria. She always loved the scent of his cologne. It was soothing, and smelling of security. She loved to hug him tightly, burying her face in his chest and inhaling him.
God...it would take a long time for her to get over this man.
He did a number on her even such a short time.
"Hey, ready to burn everything."
"Yeah, let's go."
They went to the rooftops with a basket full of Steve's clothes. Maria sat up a metal trash can, pouring the clothes in before soaked with gasoline.
"Are you ready?" Maria asked, handing Nat a box of matches.
"I was born ready."
The fact was that she wasn't ready at all but Maria insisted it was a good idea and the first step to recovery. It wasn't brought her any harm.
She lit the match and threw it in, pretending to be brave. She couldn't let Steve weakened her again.
"Shit!" Nat shouted and quickly went for the fire extinguisher.
"What the hell are you doing?"
"I can't, Maria! I'm sorry."
Nat put out the fire and left Maria confused of what her friend was doing. Once the fire were off, Nat pushed the trash down so the contents spilled out and searched for the remaining shirt. She could only saved three of them but it was better than nothing. Nat held those shirts close as if she was protecting it from Maria.
"I'm sorry, Maria. I will get back on track but not now...I have to hold on to all of this and I will go my own pace. Just....not now."
"Shh--sh" Maria flopped down next to Nat and held her. "It's okay.”
She wasn’t ready to get over him. Not when he was all over like this. In a short amount of time, he turned out to be the biggest part of her life and she didn’t want to let of just yet.
Maybe he would come back to her.
Maria took Nat downstairs. They had a lot to talk about this. All Maria wanted to do was to help Nat get over Steve as soon as possible but this was hard. Really hard if Natasha wasn’t willing to let go of him.
Nat suck back on the couch, crying. “I can’t do this now.”
“You have to let me help you, Nat. I will handle all of his stuff so you don’t have anything that might trigger your memories.”
“Not now—I can’t”
Nat didn’t listen anymore as she was crying her heart out. Maria let her before she gathered the boxes that they put most of his things inside. She will find some place safe and will keep it there for a while until Natasha was ready to let go of it.
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“Good morning, Miss Carter” Jemma greeted the woman who just walk in.
“Hello, Jemma.” Sharon greeted back. “Is Steve here?”
“Yes, he’s up stairs.”
“Thank you.”
Sharon slowly walked up to Steve’s studio and found he fiancé was working on the new painting.
“Good morning, honey,” Sharon greeted. “I brought you breakfast and today, we have an appointment together.”
“Morning…” Steve replied as he sat down the brush and turned his attention to her. “I don’t know that we have an appointment today. Jemma didn’t say anything.”
“Well….” Sharon looked up from her phone only to see how terrible Steve was. “Oh my god! Steven! You look terrible.”
“I know…”
“What the hell happened to you? Good god, I only got 10 days to get you back to your handsome stage.”
“Then probably we should call off the wedding.” That came out as a joke with a little bit of sarcasm.
Sharon chuckled and stepped closer to Steve. “No, dummy, we can’t call of anything now.”
“I know…”
“Well, you should go take a shower and shave. I will wait here.”
Sharon led Steve into the bathroom. Steve had a thought about Natasha again. That she definitely jumped into the shower with him and there were 80% chance of a steamy shower sex.
"Wanna join me?" He asked, even he knew the answer to it.
"Nah, let's make it quick, Steven. The appointment is in one hour."
"Okay."
Steve couldn't hide the disappointment in his voice and Sharon stepped closer to pull him into a hug before kissing him. "In a different circumstance, I will definitely join you, Steve."
"I highly doubt that."
"I promise." She smiled and kissed him again.
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"What's with the appointment I didn't know about?" Steve asked when they sat in her Jaguar. She was driving as always.
"Finalize your tuxedo." She said. "Then we will have a dancing class."
"Why?"
"Because we have to nail it. It's our wedding for christ's sake. Tony and Pepper even hired a couch from Dancing with the stars!"
"Can we just slow dance?"
"No!"
Steve sighed. All this stupid showmanship and extravaganza were exhausted him in every way. He just wanted to live in peace but his fiancee always came with a news that brought this wedding to another level. He was tired and all he wanted right now was the end of this wedding.
He hoped that his mother would be here and also Bucky too. It would make it slightly better because his mother would put up a fight with Marshal Carter and Bucky would knock some sense into him. Well, it Bucky was here the wedding would never happen in the first place.
Clint tried to warn him about the incompatibility but he didn't listen to the guy. Bruce subtilely asked him from time through time if he really want to go through with this wedding. It was clear for him now and he could only blame himself for not listening to them.
God! Why was he so blind? Why?!!!!
"Are you listening to me, Steve?"
"Hmm?" He turned to face Sharon. "Come again"
"God, it likes you are not you. Not the one before you went to Vegas." She said. "What happened there anyway that made my Steve completely changed like this."
Natasha happened and he loved her. "Nothing." He lied. "Nothing happened. I have a wedding jitters."
"It's gonna be okay, honey. Dad, already handle everything."
That was the thing he afraid. Her father was all in. He invited probably everyone that he knew. Steve loathed the idea so much. He hated being in the crowd he didn't know and that he had to pretend to be someone else in his own wedding.
They arrived at the tailor where they met up with the rest of the guy and their respective partners. All of them knew that something was wrong with Steve but they didn't have it enough to say it. Steve forced a smile in front of them and he tried to look happy for the sake of Sharon.
The tailor came to collect Steve for the finalization. His friends told him that he was looking ravishing in that suits but Steve knew they just said it so Steve would feel a little better. He looked terrible for a guy who will get married in a week.
The groomsmen all looked great and they were very excited about the wedding except for Clint. Clint held grudges with Steve since he left Natasha for Sharon, not to mention that he had sex with Natasha one last time and broke her heart all the more for it.
"I look nice!" Tony exclaimed.
"You will look nicer when you wear your own wedding suit." Pepper countered and it made Tony gaped. "Just saying"
"I say we will marry next year, Pep!" Tony said. "I don't want steal Sharon and Steve's spotlight by our more awesome wedding."
"Oh please!" Sharon shushed.
"Is that how you ask me to marry you?" Pepper asked, demanding an answer.
Bruce muttered. "Way to blow it, buddy."
"Well..." Tony stammered. "You can say yes right now..."
"Real smooth, Stark." Clint snorted. "You can do better than that."
"Okay, honey. I will re-propose you soon after we're done with Steve's wedding and of course, more thoughtful than this."
"You should."
After the boys finalized their tuxedo, they went out to have lunch together. Thor asked that whether they can join the ladies on their final fitting day too. Sharon said she wanted it to be a surprise for the boys and that Steve couldn't see the wedding dress until Sharon came to the altar anyway.
The lunch went on. Pepper, Sharon, and Jane were discussing about the specific wine that will serve at the wedding. Sharon's father also secured a huge amount of Dom Perigon from a very specific year.
Well, if Steve could choose, the whole wedding will serve with only Lagavulin and Glenmorangie.
Sharon had an errand as an excuse to keep at her side for the rest of the day and forced her fiancé to come home with her since he stayed at the studio for two days in a row now. Sharon also realized that something was wrong with Steve but she was in a denying stage, firmly believing that their relationship was still tight and strong as ever.
But he wasn't himself since he came back. She assumed that it was just a phrase and Steve will get over it soon. He might just miss the last days of being a bachelor.
As promised to him earlier today, she joined him in the bathtub where she positioned herself between his legs and leaned back against his chest. Steve stiffened up at first but relaxed and wrapping his arms around her, kissing her shoulders and neck.
“I miss you.” She murmured as his hands began to roam all over her body, cleaning her. “3 weeks apart was too much.”
“Really?”
“Yes, I miss my fiancé.”
“Then we should quickly finish this and moved to bed. What do you think, bae?”
Sharon turned around and began to help him cleaning up too. She kissed his lips, wrapping her arms around his neck, pulling him close and deepening the kiss. Steve didn't kiss back at first because her lips felt so strange, not the familiar feeling he used to. It wasn't Natasha's lips.
When he realized he was thinking about the certain red head, Steve pulled Sharon closer an d focused on her so he could stop thinking about Natasha. He had to flush the memories out of him. It was the only way he could survive without her.
Steve dried them up and carried Sharon to their soon-to-be marital bed.
He kissed her until Sharon was panting against his lips. It wasn't the same kiss he always kissed her. Steve didn't left time for Sharon to get her thought together and closed his mount on her nipple, sucking and licking until she arched her back and gripped tight to his hair. He continued his assault by trailing his lips down to her folds. Before Sharon could protest, Steve's mouth were ay her core and licking at her clit with great fervor, reducing her into a whimpering mess.
Sharon never let him do her like this, never let him have a complete control. Her mind was on overdrive and she couldn't think straight anymore. This was the first time she experienced Steve, the sex god and it was a fool of her not letting him do her like this from the start.
She came hard by his mouth and before she knew, he already slid his hard length inside of her, making her arch at the intense pleasure. Steve drove into her the way he never did before, seeking all the pleasure and release inside her body but it never been as good as Natasha. Nothing could compare to her heavenly body. Sharon was no match but at this time, he needed to flush Natasha out of his mind.
Sharon moaned quietly. She was never one of the vocal kind of girl. She never been as loud as Natasha or as vulgar as Natasha. Never as hot and tight as the red head who haunted his mind.
Steve almost reached his climax and he felt her walls started to convulse. He drove into her faster and harder. Her legs wrapped and tightened around his hips. Her quiet whimpers occasionally escaped her lips.
"Steve....yes...harder, bae. Fuck!" A smokey sexy voice filled his ears and he knew it wasn't Sharon. It was Natasha and the voice was inside his head.
Steve suddenly stopped as he heard the voice and his eyes snapped open and he saw his blonde fiancee under him, moaning quietly, staring up at him pleadingly. Steve abruptly pulled out off her and jumped off their bed. His heart raced when all he heard was the voice of Natasha when she was climaxing.
"Steve..." Sharon called him, looking at him horrifyingly.
"I'm sorry....I can't...I just—I’m sorry."
He pulled his pants up and stepped out of the room, leaving Sharon lying there, confusing of what was just happened and she couldn't believe that Steve left her like this.
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What the hell happened to him? Steve thought, shaking his head furiously as he walked down the hall and down to the living room, trying very hard to flush the picture of the red head out of his mind.
She haunted him in the worse way. He was in bed with his fiancee but all he could think of was another woman. The woman who he sured that she was the love of his life and she impacted him in every way.
How could he possibly forget when she was everywhere around him like this?
Steve sat down on the couch, trying to calm himself down, slowing his heartbeat and breathe. He buried his face in his hands, still a little panicking over what just happened. He should to something to make himself occupied and put his mind somewhere else.
Then he saw the boxes sat at the corner of the living room. The boxes that were from the time where he stayed at Las Vegas. He grabbed the cutter from his office to open the box. He slowly unpacked each box. Nothing really matted. It was his art equipments, papers, books, and other random things.
The last box was taken him by surprise when he opened it to find a teddy bear on top of everything else. It was the teddy bear that he and Natasha won from the mini golf night despite the fact that they totally sucked at it. It was a consolation prize anyway.
He held the bear up and saw the heart with the words ‘Thank you for being friend.’ His heart sunk to the floor and shattered into million pieces all over again. It was their symbol of friendship and how much Natasha had trust him. He hurt her. He broke her trust and this will be something that will stick with him forever.
It brought back a lot of good memories though. She always kept it on her bed or sometimes she loved cuddled with it. It still smelled like her, the intoxicating scent could calm him but also stirred a fire storm in him too.
God! He missed her so much.
Steve held the teddy bear in his arms all the time that he arranged everything back in place. He went back to the bedroom only to find his fiancee already asleep. He gently slid in and instead of holding Sharon, he held the teddy and inhaled the scent of Natasha that still lingering on it and slowly drifted back to sleep.
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Day 5
Sharon woke up and found a soothing light of the new day shone through the white curtain of their bedroom. Then she became fully awake when she heard Steve mumbling something in his sleep. He always talked in his sleep. She learned about this a long time ago and it was suck. He tended to have nightmares and a restless sleep will result in a sleep talking.
She tried to calm him but her touch couldn't sooth him. It never ever been. He was now mumbling about his mother and his childhood best friend, James.
God! When will he get over with this nightmare? She rolled her eyes as she slipped off bed. She hated it every time that he had it. She had to wake up in the middle of the night with him and sometime it was really exhausting.
She knew she should support him but the accident happened for a very long time now. He was a grown-up that he should handle it better than this. He was a mess even he visited the therapist occasionally to keep his mind in check. She also appreciated that he was trying for her and he didn’t bother with his problem.
To be honest, she had like six things juggling in her hands every day and she didn’t want to add her fiancé’s problem to the list.
It was exhausting sometime.
Sharon was about to head to the bathroom when Steve murmured something she never heard before. "Natasha..."
She stopped dead in her track because that was a name she never heard before. That was new and she couldn't remember who that was. Probably someone else from his past. She will ask his friends about this. She needed to know more about this random woman he sleep talking about.
She was thinking about this while she was taking a shower. It bothered her to no end that he sleep talking about this woman. It always was just his mother and his friend. When she came out, Steve was still sleeping, holding on tightly to the teddy bear. He seemed to finally have a peaceful sleep after all so she wouldn't bother him.
Sharon dressed up and cooked breakfast for Steve too before she left home for work. She had a lot of shit to deal with today. Video conference and numerous meeting that needed to end before lunch because she will have go to the country club that will hold the wedding.
God! This was stressful.
After the first half of the day had passes, Tony and Pepper were waiting for her at the lobby of the Carters Building. Tony's limo took them to the Rivera Country Club where the whole area was reserved exclusively for the wedding.
Staffs, florist, and workers were everywhere, trying to put together the biggest wedding ever held at this place. Pepper went to talk to the florists while Sharon and Tony dealt with the caters and seating charts.
“Is there something happened back in Vegas?” Sharon suddenly asked out of nowhere.
“No. Why do you ask?”
“Steve is acting weird since he came back. Did he meet someone?”
“Plenty. I mean you give us the permission so I hired a lot of strippers, threw him parties.” Tony explained.
“I know…But is there someone called Natasha?”
“Yeah, why?”
“Steve was sleep taking last night and her name came out of it.” Sharon replied.
"Hmm? That's weird. They are friends."
Tony suddenly aware of how close Steve and Natasha was when he thought about it throughly again but he didn't see anything suspicion about them. Probably he was too drunk to notice or Steve did a very good job in concealing it.
Anyway, he will ask Steve again and at least gave his friend a heads up.
“And he called me ‘bae’. He never called me that before. He called everyone that, right? I mean… what does it even mean? ‘Bae’….sound stupid.”
He faintly remember that he once heard Steve called someone that but Tony couldn't pin point who that was. Sharon said something about talking with the country club manager then she left him to sort our the rest of the seating chart. Tony took this opportunity to call his friend.
"Rogers" the usual call sign when Steve was occupied by something.
"Dude, I have something to tell you."
"Can it wait? I'm in the middle of something."
"Sharon heard you sleep talking about Natasha and she asked me if you ever called someone 'bae'."
A stunned two second pause before Steve replied in a firm tone. "Go on."
"I thought I would give you some heads up incase you wanna come up with some excuse."
"There is no need for excuses."
"BTW, what happens between you and Natasha?"
"None of your business."
"Is everything alright between you two?"
"I don't wanna talk about it." He replied. "But if you really wanna know it, she means nothing to me."
Steve hung up immediately and all Tony could do was cursing under his breath. Sharon walked back to him one hour later but she still couldn't let go of the sleep talking things
Tony took it upon himself to protect Steve's interest. "Maybe it was nothing you know. Anything could happen in the dream."
"Yeah."
"And you say yourself, he will never cheat on you."
"I would believe that to but this Steve....this post-Vegas Steve, I think he wasn't the same man."
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Natasha felt like crap when she woke up. Maria had to put her to sleep last night because she was too drunk to walk back to her room. She was pretty sure that she puked somewhere inside this apartment and she will make sure to clean the apartment today and possibly find the rest of his belongings.
God! She was a mess. This was the new low for her. Alexi couldn’t even compare to what Steve done to her.
She had to fake to be strong and happy for Maria's sake. She was a big trouble for her friend this past few days. She had to stop being this weak ass Natasha.
Nat took a deep breath before getting her ass of her bed. She found a pool of puke on the floor in front of her bedroom and took a mental note to do a big clean up. She found a sandwich that Maria made for her. She quickly ate it and got her ass back at work.
Nat cleaned up her apartment which it took the whole morning. She still didn't have a heart to clean up her bed room. Too much sweet memories that she was trying to keep. She didn't want it to mix up with the bad memories so she kept it in there, locked away while the rest of her apartment was clean and ready for the new things to come.
Maria texted her that she will stop by in the evening. Then Nat began to sweep her apartment, trying to find everything. She started with her bedroom and the first thing she found was enough to make her eyes burns and tears started to fall unstoppably.
It was the scrapbook.
Nat flopped down on the floor with the book in her hands, another proof that she wasn’t going anywhere. She still had Steve and didn’t let go of him. Shit! She hated herself for being like this. Now, she was debating whether she should open it or not. It would break her heart all the more if she opened it and found all the good memories of them in there. It would kill her, she knew but some part in her still wanted to look at it.
Before for she knew what she was doing, her hand already flipped the scrapbook opened. Oh, all the sweet memories, why did she do this to herself? Even if she knew it would hurt but her body was asking for more pain. Her mind knew that it was going to end badly but her body couldn’t stop. It operated on auto-pilot right now.
The first one was from the night they went to Penn and Teller. The first night they decide that they would 'YOLOing' together. The night that he said he wanted to get to now her better. They agreed that they would be friend.
They should stick with being just friend. She shouldn't let this get out of hand in the first place.
She should have say no to him the moment he proposed this. She should shot him down so all of this wouldn't happen.
It was all her fault to fall for his charming and likable personality. His bright smile and his blue eyes.
She was so stupid. She should have see through it from the start that he only wanted her for sex.
Natasha slowly flipped through the scrapbook and took her time to reminisce everything. She was smiling at the same time she was crying. The memories were so sweet and filled with all the happiness in the world. Just them together conquered everything in this town. Steve was clearly happy to be with her and he was himself. She gave him the safe space so he could be who he really was.
Turned out it wasn't enough because she wasn't the rich and successful woman. She was merely an ordinary woman who had two jobs and tried to make enough living for each days.
A few drop of tears falling on the book and Nat didn't even bother to wipe it away. She held on to the book. These were such treasured memories that it was really hard to let go. All the good memories they shared, she loved every minute she spend with him. The evident was pretty damning because they were smiling, laughing, having nothing but happiness. From the neon sign museum to mini golf, Steve’s war cries and Natasha taking out someone in the blink of an eye, the mafia museum to the aquarium, not to mention the way they spent their time in bed and how they had an evident of it too.
She had promised him that she will give this scrapbook to him when he left Vegas but apparently, things went south and he shattered her heart into millions pieces. Should she send it back to him to fulfill her promise? Would he still want it?
Then she reached the part where they officially became lovers, sneaking around trying to keep their relationship a secret. She really did give him everything, every way that he wanted her. All the crazy, kinky sex that they had was just so good that she could remember every tiny little detail. How could she forget when she still feel like he was touching her and being inside her every god damn time?
Why was she tortured herself this way? All of the emotion inside came bursting out and she broke down just from all of the things that kept replaying in her mind. Every kiss, every touch, every sweet words they shared.
She cried her heart out and she didn't care that she might ruin the last page of the scrapbook when she buried her face in it. She was so pathetic. She swore to herself that she wouldn’t fall for anyone again after Alexi. That she would be strong and independent. That she would never let herself be that vulnerable again.
When she finally regained control of her emotions, Natasha ended up mentally yelling at herself for how could she has broken down just like that, for someone she barely knew.
Nat wiped away the last bit of her tears before making up her mind that she will send the scrapbook to him. It would hurt her less than keeping it. It would probably hurt him to, if he really had any feeling for her as he claimed. She couldn't be the only one who felt like dying. She will make him feel it too.
Nat put the sketchbook in the box labeled 'send back'. Then she moved on to other part of her apartment, she found a little thing of his every now and then. It didn't trigger much of the memories and pain. She was fine until she reached her closet and found the drawer, the one that she forgot its existence.
It was the toys drawer and that was a manor trigger that had Nat succumbed to another wave of pain and tears. She slammed the door shut as the sight of the blue vibrator and the pink remote control one. She locked it away and threw the key into some closet that she probably never found it again.
Her heart quickened as the remembrance of how they bad such a good time with all those toys, when they were feeling a little kinkier than they thought and went a little BDSM. His touch and his dominance tone made her shiver unintentionally at the thought.
Fuck you, Steve Rogers. She cursed in her mind, hand clutching at her chest as if she wanted her heart to stop beating at this fast pace. Then she suddenly felt the thing she had been long forgotten that she had it on her the whole time. She never took it off and now it gave her the burning feeling in her chest.
The necklace she gave him at his bachelor, the one that he left at her door.
Nat quickly took it off as if it burn and dropped them on the floor. Shit! Things just kept coming back to haunt her. What should she do with this one? Should she send it back along with the rest.
This was the hardest decision to make yet. It was one of the most intimate thing. Steve always wore it with him and never took it off since he put it on.
But as a revenge, Natasha thought it would be better if she sent it back along with the scrapbook. She will trick him into thinking that she was already over him. If he had any slightest feeling for her, he would feel something.
Nat threw it in the bow along with the scrapbook. She had to do this. It was the only way that she will get over him. She had to hurt him back. It would end uglier but she had to do something.
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Maria unlocked the door by the key that Nat gave to her. It was one of three spare keys to the apartment. When she stepped inside the living room, she found the place was a total mess. Everything was everywhere but she could notice that there was no sign of breaking and entering.
The next thing she noticed was a box on the coffee table, containing a scrapbook and a discard jewel. Maria smiled knowing that, finally, Natasha decided to get rid of something belonged to Steve.
Maria found Nat was sleeping on the carpet next to the fire place. She must have been really tired so Maria will let her sleep for a little while. She guessed it was her turn to clean up the place.
This place was a mess and Maria knew that Nat wouldn't clean up the place unless she felt like it.
She changed the sheets for Nat. Maria saw that her friend was sleeping in this one for many weeks now and it became rather unhygienic. She threw all of the bedding in the basket and carried it down to the laundry room.
Natasha woke up a moment later. She felt cold, probably too cold that it woke her up. Nothing could keep her from cold better than Steve's embrace. He was a walking heater and his warmth radiated safety and it help her fall asleep peacefully.
Now that he was gone, she couldn't find anything that could replace him. Nothing could come close to Steve. She felt something weird and tingling as if some part of her was taken away. She got up and found Maria's purse on the kitchen counter.
Nat hated this feeling that she felt right now. The feeling that something bad was about to happen. It reminded her off the two times she blushed it off, completely ignoring her instinct. The time when Alexi left her and then Steve.
She went inside her bedroom only to find that most of the bedding was gone and Nat had a mild panic attack. No...no....NO! It was the sheets that smelled like Steve and all the sex they had. It was one of those little things that help her sleep.
"No...." Nat ran like hell to the laundry room. She almost tackled Maria away from the laundry basket. "No!" She yelled at her friend and gathered every thing in her arms.
"Nat, what the hell?" Maria asked.
"Don't touch any of the bedding ."
"But it's dirty and needs to be clean."
"I will clean it myself. Just not now."
Maria narrowed her eyes. "Don't tell me because it related to Steve."
Nat didn't meet her eyes and Maria knew the answer to it. Nat held on to the bedding tighter and began to run away so Maria didn't take it from her. Maria followed her back to her bedroom.
"Nat, this isn't healthy."
"I need this, Maria."
"You will not get over him until you let go of everything related to him."
Nat put the bedding back in its place as Maria watched her worriedly. After she finished it, Natasha bundled up in her bed under her sheets, inhaling the remaining scent of Steve. Tears pooled in her eyes and she pulled the blanket over her head to hide from Maria.
It will take time. Nat thought. She will finally get over him.
┅┅┅┅┅┅┅༻❁༺┅┅┅┅┅┅┅
Sharon came home late because Pepper and Tony invited her parents for a dinner too so the men would discuss the business while the women discussed about the wedding and gossiping. It was an overall a nice dinner but Sharon wanted her fiancé to be here with her too. Even he will be extremely comfortable but he will always be there for her if she asked him.
She drove home to find that Steve was already here but probably upstairs and waiting for her. She might surprise him with a little sexy action to spice up their love life.
Sharon peeled off her clothes until all she left was her lacy bra and panties but when she reached her bedroom. She found Steve sleeping on their bed. He looked the most peaceful as he ever be since she knew him and shared bed with him.
She sighed. The surprise was ruined because her man already asleep and she didn't want to wake him up. Sharon stepped closer and found Steve held on to the teddy bear for dear life. His face buried to its belly and his arms locked around it tightly, afraid of letting it go.
Sharon observed her fiancé closely. She saw Steve's hand occasionally rubbed at his chest unconsciously as if something was missing from him. Then her eyes moved to the teddy bear, it had a heart with words 'Thank you for being friend' on it. She frowned. Who gave him this and why did he clung to it as if his life depend on it?
Sharon shook her head and tried put a side her doubt but she failed. Steve should be holding her like that instead of a stupid bear. She supposed to be the one who made him feel safe and secure.
Get yourself together, Carter! Sharon scolded herself before she moved into the bathroom.
Steve loved her and he will marry her. Soon he will be all hers and there was no need to doubt him.