Day 11
Sharon couldn’t sleep well last night after what she and Pepper discussed. She had been thinking about it a lot and she realized that she never supported Steve. She supported him when the relationship began because she wanted to win him and his heart. It wasn’t her nature.
But then he demanded too much and she began to slowly fade from him. She told him to go to the therapist when all he needed was her to hold onto at night and soothed him.
All he asked for was a little of her time but she made a mistake and fucked it up. Now he had changed and probably wanted someone else to hold onto.
She had to fix this. They didn’t have much time before the wedding day. She didn’t want things between them to fall apart and she didn’t know when she will find a man like him again.
The most important thing was she had to save the wedding. She already invited like a thousand of people, from senates, to congressmen, to celebrities, and socialites. All the famous people and she didn’t want to suffer from the humiliation of the wedding fall apart.
Sharon decided to make a peace offering as a breakfast as she visited him at his gallery. Pepper texted her that Steve left tony’s house earlier this morning because he had something to handle.
“Good morning, Miss Carter, why are you here so early?” Jemma Simmons asked.
“Where’s Steve?”
“Upstairs, ma’am.”
Sharon gave a quick nod before going upstairs to find her fiancé working on a large size of an artwork that covered half of the wall with floor. He had all the outline worked out and she could see that it was a woman he was about to paint, someone familiar but Sharon was sure that it wasn't her. She saw this woman somewhere but she couldn't remember.
But the point was, the woman on his mind that inspired this work wasn't her.
"Who is she?"
"Someone in my dream." He replied without looking at her.
"Someone you want me to be?"
"Yes"
It was crude and cruel but Steve didn't care at that moment. He made up his mind and nothing Sharon did or said would change it.
"I'm sorry, Steve." She said. "Can you at least look at me?"
Steve turned but his eyes was blank and cold enough to freeze blood inside her. "I want to apologize. It was wrong of me to do that to you."
"Yeah."
"I was wrong and I'm sorry. I am admitting it and I want you to at least give a second chance to save us. Let me make it up to you."
"Do you think it's a bit too late for that?"
"No, it is not. We can make it, Steve. Just give me a chance."
"Fine."
Sharon broke out a wide smile and went to hug him. "Thank you. I will pick you up at 5 and I will make dinner."
"Okay."
She kissed him and noticed that Steve froze up before he kissed her back but the kiss wasn't intimate or passionate like she used to remember. This one was calculated, forced, and hesitant.
"I will leave now." She whispered after she pulled away. "See you tonight." Steve just nodded. Sharon headed for the door before she turned to him. "Why do you hold on to that bear more than me? Just curious."
What answer that she was expecting to hear from him anyway? Steve thought. But it would be better if he just lied to her to make things easier.
"It's cuddly. You're too many bones." He cracked a joke. "But mainly it helps me with my nightmare."
Sharon's eyes were sad when she heard that. She was supposed to help him but she took him for granted with the thought that he would overcome it by himself. She was so wrong and it created a distance that she had to work her ass off to reduce that gap.
But in Steve's mind he really meant that. He couldn't help but compare Sharon to Natasha. How Natasha definitely feel better when she was in his arms, when he held her soft and warm body close to his own.
"I'm sorry, Steve." She said and she really meant it.
"Don't worry about it." He replied. "Don't you have something to attend to?"
"Yeah, I will go now. See you."
┅┅┅┅┅┅┅༻❁༺┅┅┅┅┅┅┅
Natasha woke up, feeling completely like shit that it was so regular for her now. She started to get used to it. To her surprise, she recovered from it faster than before. It took her less time to get out of bed and stood steadier on two feet as if her mind finally let herself to move on.
The worst had passed and hoped that it will not come back to her again.
Nat smiled for the first time in many day. She headed to bathroom and took shower. She called Clint and Maria up and invited them to her place. From their voice, they must have thought that she had another break down again.
When they stepped inside her apartment, the first thing they noticed was the aromatic smell coming from the kitchen but they never expect the person who cooking. It was Natasha with a bright smile on her face.
"Hey, guys!" She greeted. It was as if Natasha was back to her own self.
"Morning, baby girl." Clint greeted back while Maria was still dumbfounded by her friend. "You don't look like shit anymore."
"That's what I'm hoping for.”
“It’s a cause for celebration!” Clint announced.
“About that…I take the liberty to cook you guys breakfast.”
“Nice!”
They sat at the kitchen islands and ate the delicious meal. The couple praised Nat and couldn’t help but feel a bit relief that their friend was right back on her track. They talked about things but Clint and Maria still took a caution when they brought up a topic in hope that they wouldn’t trigger bad memories for Natasha.
The couple did pretty great in avoiding that. Natasha smiled more than they could remember after Steve left. They were discussing about where they should go for today but Clint got an emergency call from his club, saying that they needed him back for an emergency situation.
“Go…don’t worry. I’m good now.” Maria said. “Nat is definitely better now.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yeah, just go back and fix whatever that need your attention.”
“If something come up, call me alright.” Clint looked deep into her eyes before he kissed her.
“Yeah, just go already.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Clint headed back to Maria’s place to pack his bag while Maria stayed with Natasha who was talking with someone on the phone over at the corner of her dance studio. Maria watched her friend closely and found Natasha laughed and smiled at whatever that person said to her.
Well, if her best friend was happy, she was happy too.
“So…Steve, will you come over for dinner?” She asked.
“Of course, but can you cook anything rather than Russian?” The guy asked. “I would love to stay the night too.”
“Of course, I will cook something else for you.”
“Thank you, beautiful.”
“See you tonight.”
Nat hung up and turned to see Maria smiled at her. “Have a date tonight?”
“Yeah…”
“Is that guy really good for you?”
“I hope so.”
“Good for you, Nat. I only want you to be happy.”
“Thank you, Maria.”
┅┅┅┅┅┅┅༻❁༺┅┅┅┅┅┅┅
Sharon came to pick Steve up at five like she told him this morning. Jemma and Skye greeted her as usual. Phil and Melinda were talking to one of his clients who stated that he needed to see Steve new collection as he heard a rumor that Steve already gave his latest art to the Neon Light museum in Vegas. The client wanted his hand on it and he willing to pay anything that Steve asked. He said that he saw it and it was too beautiful to be keep in an artist private collection.
“Who’s that red head anyway?” He asked Phil.
“I don’t know, sir, but Steve told me that she was his muse.” Phil explained. “He said he met someone in Vegas and she was the source of his inspiration.”
Sharon didn’t know why the first person who came to her mind was that woman she met on her first night in Vegas. The woman that Steve always had his graze lingered on her the whole time. The woman who Steve paid attention to more than his own fiancee.
Mild panic strike Sharon. This was the first time that she really afraid of losing him to someone else. To be honest, before Vegas happened, Sharon was confident that Steve would be with her forever and she did nothing to help keep him with her. He had a change of heart and maybe it was a little too late to do something for him.
But she had to try, to save them.
“Honey, are you ready?” She called out when she stepped inside his studio.
“Yeah, a minute!” He shouted from the bathroom.
Sharon sat down and contemplated the room, looking around and for the first time, she actually admired the work of her fiancé. He indeed had a very great talent. Every line and coloring were perfectly execute. The only one thing that bugged her was the woman who inspired him wasn't her. The majority of his works was the red head woman.
"See what you like?" A voice startled her.
Sharon turned to see her fiancé standing at the doorframe, looking gorgeous in that fit white shirt and jeans but for some reason he had a dangerous aura coming out of every inch of his skin the way she never seen before.
It was sexy in way that Sharon never experience before and it was a fool of her to think that this man would never attract any other woman. She could only hope that it wasn't too late for her to keep his heart with her.
God, she missed all of this for so many years since they were together.
"Why is she has red hair?" Sharon asked.
"Because it isn't you."
"It's just someone from my dream."
"And you rather have her than me?"
"Yes."
It wasn't a lie and Sharon knew the faith of their relationship right then. It could go either way, first, he will go through with this wedding but his heart will never belong to her. Second scenario, he will end all of this and left her.
Either would make Sharon's heart broken but she had it coming. She put this upon herself.
Steve stepped out of the studio without waiting for Sharon to say anything. She quickly followed him down. Before the left, Steve told Jemma and Skye to go home early because there was nothing much to do anyway.
On the way home was a completely silent between the two of them. Sharon had plan in her mind that might actually mend what was broken between them. Steve helped her prepare the ingredients but he never uttered a word with her.
Sharon felt bad because he never ever been like this. He was always warm, face filled with smile, and she actually felt love radiated from every fiber of his skin, from every hug and kisses. Now, it was cold and distant in a way she couldn’t reach out to him anymore.
After a completely awkward dinner and Steve had four glasses of wine, Sharon stepped up her courage and took this chance, one last chance to save their relationship.
She kissed him with everything she got and it was good enough for her that he kissed her back. She led him back to their bedroom before pushed him onto their bed and straddled his waist, kissing him passionately. Her hands quickly removed their clothes.
Steve closed his eyes and let his hands settled on her waist, trying to conjure someone else in his mind rather then the woman who was on top of him. It probably the only way that he would enjoying this.
"I have a surprise for you, honey." Sharon whispered in his ear.
His eyes snapped open and saw naked Sharon get out of bed to get something by the closet. His eyes followed her, calculating of what her next move would be and the same time comparing his fiancee to Natasha.
Sharon came back with an elastic stick in her hand. Steve's eyes widened because he never thought that Sharon would have something like this stashed in her closet. She straddled him again and presented him with it. Steve took it in his hand. This was the one toy that he never had a chance to use with Natasha.
"What do you think?" She asked.
But her answer met with Steve flipped her onto her back and he was between her legs on top of her and her legs around his hips.
"I think I know how to use it." He said in his sexy seductive voice that send shiver down her spine and setting her body on fire.
Sharon bit her lips in anticipation as Steve trailed his lips down her body, murmuring something she couldn't catch but everything he did making he feel treasured but it was probably too late to recognize it.
Her hands went to his hair when his mouth was on her folds, back arching as his tongue slipping inside her. “Steve…” She moaned and breathed hard, pulling at his hair to encourage him to keep going. His hand on her thighs held her in place so she couldn’t do anything except from bowing her back, moaning and letting him pleasure her.
He was completely dominated. It was the first time Sharon let him take the lead and it felt relishing. Maybe a little too late but it’s better than never. Steve pleased her with his skillful mouth before he caught her by surprise, pressing the magic wand on her clit and set the vibration to the maximum.
“Steve—ah!!” She screamed, tugging his hair a little harder.
Steve smiled but continued his rhythm until she let out a loud cry and came in his mouth.
After that, sex went by a blur and Sharon rarely remembered anything when she was busy coming so hard. She couldn’t even remember how many time she came but Steve only came once. She didn’t know where he get those stamina but he was eager than usual. She only lied bonelessly before he flipped her onto her stomach, getting her on her hands and knees.
Sharon felt his erection against her inner thighs as he pressing loving kisses on her back, trying to make her relax. She couldn’t find anything in her to stop him. She needed some rest and this was all too much, she was afraid of this overwhelming feeling. The primal urge inside him that fueled her hidden desire.
"Let it go." His breath was hot as he whispered near her ear. ”Let me take control."
“No...meeting." She tried to protest. “I—can’t”
"You have to trust me. Let it go.” He insisted and bit her earlobe playfully.
Sharon shivered and surrendered to him. Steve kissed her shoulder before slowly sliding his hard length inside her. Her mouth hanging open, she was breathing so hard when Steve sliding his hands over her breast, playing with her nipple, pulling on her swollen nipples. His lips kept sucking on her neck. The big head of his cock slipping inside her, sliding inside her, spreading her open, dragging over and over on her g-spot. Moans of pleasure escaped her lips as he grabbed her hair with one hand and thrust roughly in and out, becoming more aggressive with each stroke.
When she clenched her pussy and squeezed her g-spot against his cock, bouncing herself with tiny motions as her thrust back and forth into her over and over. Steve moaned a loud as he knew he was so close. He closed his eyes and picturing that it was Natasha receiving the relentless pounding of his cock, imagining it was her coming undone underneath him.
“God, I’m going to come.” He moaned and incased his pace. His hand grabbed the magic wand and pressed it onto her sensitive bud, earning a scream from Sharon. “Fuck…Natasha…”
Suddenly, Sharon stopped and Steve realized the name that slipped out of his mouth. The mere thought of the woman he wanted to be with could make him forget who he actually with. Steve pulled out of her and all the arousal was gone in a matter of second. Sharon turned around and looked at him with an angry look in her eyes, demanding the answer from him.
“Who’s Natasha, Steve?” She asked.
There was no answer from the man as he got out of bed and put on his pants. Sharon quickly got up too and wrapped the bath robe around her body, crossing her arms as she watched her fiancé trying to dodge out of this situation.
“Who is she?!” Sharon yelled. “Are you thinking about other woman when we have sex?!”
“Yes.” There was no point of lying anymore. It was clear for him now that who he really wanted to be with. He figured that out for a while but couldn’t find the way to escape this wedding until now. He now had a gut to leave everything behind and he will take that chance right now. “She’s the woman I want to be with. Not you.”
Sharon slapped him hard on the face, making his face turn. Steve saw that coming and he deserved it but at the moment, he didn’t care anymore. He just wanted to end this so he could go back to where he belong.
“Who is she? Don't tell me that you’re thinking of some whore?”
“She’s not a whore!” He yelled back. His blood boiled when he heard Sharon insulted Natasha with that words. “She’s a great woman who understand me more than you ever were!”
“You’re cheating on me with someone from Vegas, right? Because you’re not the same man before you leaving for that goddamn city!”
“People can change, Sharon, and it’s too late for you too change when I gave you so many chances. It’s too late now. I love someone else.” He shot back. “And I’m not cheating when you gave me a permission to do whatever I want.” Steve sighed. “Waiting for you to change is so exhausted and it wears me out. I patiently wait but nothing has change. It was too late now.”
“I gave you a permission to enjoy your life! Not to fall in love with some slut who spread her legs for money like that red head bitch!”
“SHUT UP AND NEVER EVER TALK ABOUT NATASHA THAT WAY AGAIN!” Steve bellowed.
Sharon stepped back in fear because she never saw him snapped before. Angry radiated from every inch of his skin. There was no love left anymore. Her heart was broken even she saw this coming. It was too late for her to save them now.
Before Sharon could say anything, Steve pulled the ring off his finger and threw in on the bed, “I’m done. We’re over.”
“I understand that it was just a fling, Steve.” Sharon said. “I understand crush and other ragging hormone teenager feeling but you’re a grown up and have responsible. You’re engaged to me! We love each other that is why we decided to get marry!”
“That was before I fall in love with someone else! That was before I valued myself enough and believe in myself enough that I can be love even all the bad things I’ve done or how fuck up my life is.”
“I love you too! Does that mean anything?”
“You never say you love me. You just said it for the first time right now. You never care about my problems, Sharon. All you care is yourself and everything else that isn’t me.” He hit the point home and he knew that she knew that too. “It’s too late to salvage us now. It’s over.”
He knew he was a dick to call it off but for once, he wanted to something for himself, for his own happiness.
Steve waited to hear her say something smart but there wasn’t any word came out of her mouth. He walked toward the door. Sharon sunk down on their bed and cried, feeling her heart breaking for the first time. Before he left, Steve turned around one last time and said, "I love you, you know” His voice was quiet. “Until I realized that you never loved me the same way that I did. I never realized it until I see the truth.”
He stepped outside of their bedroom. “Goodbye, Sharon.”
┅┅┅┅┅┅┅༻❁༺┅┅┅┅┅┅┅
Steve left the house before he heading back to his gallery to get his duffle bag. He had everything prepared if he wanted to leave town in any moment. He also left notes for Phil and Jemma.
One last thing that Steve grabbed before he left was the painting that he intended to give it to Natasha. The original ‘Girl in the million light’ that was paint the night he went to the Neon Museum with Natasha.
He set his heart now, that he will win her back, no matter what cost him.
Steve grabbed everything and headed for the garage where he kept the one car he never drive, a gift from Tony, Lamborghini Aventador that Steve kept it away because he was so afraid of anything that could go faster than 100 MPH. After the accident, he refrained himself from fast car or driving fast or racing.
But this was a good reason to drive in this beast again. Because he needed to reach Vegas as fast as he could. He was dying to see Natasha now.
Even he was to kiss her feet and begged her to take him back, he was willing to do it. Just so she could forgive him and gave him another chance.
That was enough.
┅┅┅┅┅┅┅༻❁༺┅┅┅┅┅┅┅
Day 12
It was half past midnight. Steve left LA Two hours ago and he almost reached Vegas. The Aventador took him charging through the road with very light traffic. Soon he saw the city shinning with million of lights.
All that replay through his mind in that moment was Natasha and the words he would say to her. Would she listen to him? Would she still love him? Some part of Steve was really nervous. He really needed to have her back in his arms or else he would lose him mind.
The more he got closer to Vegas, the more he was thinking about everything. Mostly his memories with Natasha was keeping him occupied. Every cherished history that they shared made him smile and it warmed his heart that he was so close to have all of that back in his life.
Finally he arrived at her apartment building. It was 1:23 AM and there was only one security guard sitting at the visitor counter. Steve took the painting with him as he stepped inside. The guard recognized him and let him walked right through the elevator.
Steve tapping at the art frame impatiently as the elevator traveled up. He couldn’t wait any longer to have her in his arms again, if she wanted him back of course. When Steve reached her door, he searched for the key under her doormat and it was there just the way she told him the first time. The sweet memories came back and it made him smile. The way he scolded her because it was too dangerous to leave key like that.
But now he thanked god that she didn’t take his advice.
Steve quietly opened the door and the first thing he found was a trail of clothes had been discarded on the floor leading to her bedroom. Steve recalled the first time he found her like this and it ended up with she was too tired to gather it up from the floor. But one thing that made it different from the last time, there was also male clothes.
What the hell? Steve thought but his curiosity peaked so he continued to walk to her room even his gut already told him what he will find. He didn’t care and he need to see it for himself.
“Arhh—yes”
Steve stopped dead in his track at the sound of her quiet moan. The sound the still sending shiver down his spine and went straight to his groin. He knew he should stop but he couldn’t stop his body as it stopped in from of her room. The door was slightly opened and he peeked in, only to get his heart broken and find the picture he wished he hadn’t see.
It was Natasha naked, straddling on the blond guy’s lap who also sitting um, turning his back to the door while she was facing him. Her petite body was bouncing up and down while the guy suckling and nibbling at her neck, making her moan. Steve couldn’t move and his eyes fixed at the two on bed.
Natasha’s eyes fluttered open, finding Steve looking at her. Before her mind could process what just happened, Steve ran away and she heard something dropped on the floor.
“Wait…stop—Steve!!” She called after him as she got off the man.
The guy was confused and watched as Natasha pulled the robe over her body and ran out of the room. She found no one in her apartment and it made she think that she saw a ghost of him because she missed him so much.
She walked back to her room, to the fake Steve who was still naked on bed, waiting for her. She claimed back on bed with him, shrugging the ghost that she saw away and kissed the man.
“Is everything alright?” He asked.
“Yeah, I thought I see someone in my apartment.”
“Okay.”
“Let’s pick up where we left off.”
He smiled. “I totally up for that.”
┅┅┅┅┅┅┅༻❁༺┅┅┅┅┅┅┅
Steve drove back to Tony’s hotel. The night-shift manager immediately took him to Tony’s penthouse where Steve almost had a heart attack. Memories flooded him because almost every inch of this place reminded him of Natasha.
How they sneak around and trying to hide their relationship. The way they made love in swimming pool and Jacuzzi under the full moon. Not to mention the first time they were doing it on the hallway before ended up in his bed.
“God…” He muttered.
He moved very slowly with hesitation of going any further into the penthouse because he knew how many memories that it will stir up. The memories that he couldn’t relive it again because she was already moved on so fast.
Many it was what he deserve after what he did to her and how much of a dick he was for leaving Sharon too. He was the one to blame, not both women. He was the one who make a huge mess of everything.
He fucked everything up especially the ones that he loved.
His shoulders bowed, wrapping arms around himself as he thought back to everything. How many people he had lost by his own mistake. His mom, Bucky, Sharon, and now…Natasha, the only person he thought that could salvage what was left of him.
Tears clouded his eyes and Steve quickly wiped it away before it fell from his eyes.
Steve dropped his bag and turned toward the elevator. He repeatedly hit the call button like he couldn’t stand being in this penthouse a moment longer. Once he reached the main floor, he walked right into the deserted bar. Well, it was 3 AM in the morning anyway.
“Glenmorangie neat and make it double.” He ordered as he sat down at the bar.
“Rough night?” The bartender asked as he poured the amber liquid for Steve.
“Yeah.”
Steve quickly drained the whole thing down his throat and ordered for more. He needed alcohol to dull the pain inside. It was too overwhelming. He knew this pain was just the start and he didn’t want to think of what to come later.
Losing the love of his life because he made a very stupid decision to choose someone else over her.
How fuck up he was to be honest?
Steve spent the night drinking away, blaming himself over and over again for losing Natasha. He deserved it after what he did to Natasha and Sharon. He will not forgive himself and he was sure that he probably never fall in love ever again.
Because if it wasn’t Natasha, he couldn’t imagine a life with someone else.
“Sir, I think you have too much of it.” The bartender spoke up after Steve ordered his 10 glass.
“No, it’s not enough.”
“It’s rough, huh? Did she just dump you?”
“In a way, yes. I fucked up.” Steve stared at the bottom of the glass. “She’s someone important but it’s too late now. I fucked up.”
┅┅┅┅┅┅┅༻❁༺┅┅┅┅┅┅┅
Day 13
Natasha woke up from a dream. Last night, she dreamed about Steve. It was to vivid and real as if he was really here with her. Of course, her heart beat swelled and beating fast. Every fiber of her being still wanted him more than anything.
And her mind probably conjuring up the hallucination of him.
Natasha slowly opened her eyes, only to find that it wasn’t the Steve that she wanted but the dummy of him. She was on top of the guy she picked and thought that he was Steve but it wasn’t Steve. Her mind must have played her last night.
She felt like her heart was re-shattered. She still wanted what she couldn’t have.
Nat slowly and quietly pushed Steve 2.0 away from her and got off her bed. She found the white shirt that she kept and wore it, hoping it would help her feeling better. She wanted to feel like it was really Steve who held her and made her feel safe.
But it was just a stupid dream that she would never had. It was a childish belief that there was really a happily ever after.
"Hey, why are you up so early?" The guy on her bed murmured, rubbing his eyes.
Nat gave him a small smile to cover up the sadness that grew inside her. "I don't know...I just..." She stammered. "Do you want breakfast?"
"Yes, please."
He got up and put on his clothes. Nat looked at him and admired the beautiful muscles of his upper body until her eyes settled on his small member that was contrast with every part of his body.
She will definitely miss Steve's cock be cause she was sure that nothing would fill her so completely again. Or touched her so gently but also roughly sometime. She never found anyone so perfect for her again.
Nat shook her mind of the guy that caused her pain. Steve was nothing but a bad new to her and she should keep that fact in mind all the time. She had a new guy now and she should focus on him, not the man she couldn’t have.
They cooked breakfast and had a nice meal together. Natasha was still struggling to get Steve off her mind and when the guy told her that he will spend the day with her because he had a day off, she quickly agreed to that.
As she waited for him to take shower after breakfast, Natasha noticed something in her living room. Something that wasn’t there before. It was a painting but Natasha wasn’t sure what painting it was. She flipped it over and it made her heart skip a beat.
It was her painting. The ‘Girl in the Million Light’, the one that he supposed to give her as he promise. How the hell it was here anyway?
Shit! Last night wasn’t a hallucination. This painting was belonged to Steve and he was here last night.
SHIT SHIT SHIT!
Now Steve saw her with other guy and he probably thought that she moved on when he decided to come back to her.
Stop it, Romanoff! This isn’t your fault. Nat scolded herself. He left you and he hurt you, letting you rot in hell while he was back in LA with his beautiful fiancee. He probably came back here for one reason, another fuck with you!
If he was here, she didn’t really want to believe it at all. She couldn’t deny that some part of her want that and that he was back for her. Nat knew it was just her heart making foolish situations out of heartbreak.
She will not let him do this to her again.
“Hey, ready to go, beautiful?” Steve 2.0 asked.
“Yeah.”
When she was about to left the building, the doorman finally confirmed her suspicion when he told her that Steve showed up last night, looking awful. Nat asked him to described Steve to her because she really wanted to make sure that it was really him.
“He’s Steve. Your Steve!” The doorman told her. “He left in a hurry last night. I didn’t get a chance to catch up with him. If you see him again, told him I say hi.”
“I will.”
Nat left the building with her heart dropping to the ground. All the effort she was trying to heal herself was just gone. It re-shattered again. Steve probably didn’t want her back after seeing her with the guy.
Natasha quickly shook the thought away and focused on the moment. She was with her new guy now even he was only half the man Steve was.
He took her on a stroll along the Stripe so they would have a slow day just to enjoying each other. Nat couldn't help but thought back to Steve and all the thing they did together. It was almost two weeks from when he left her so the wound was still fresh and it still hurt like hell.
As they were watching the dancing fountain in front of the Bellagio, Nat noticed a guy across the street. He had blond hair and looked a lot like Steve that made her heart quicken. She intentionally looked at him and there he was. The deepest blue eyes that she familiar with stared back, making Natasha quickly turned away and linked her arms with the man next to her, leaning up to kiss him.
She didn't know what she was doing but she only want Steve to get hurt. She wanted him to feel the pain he put her through.
┅┅┅┅┅┅┅༻❁༺┅┅┅┅┅┅┅
Steve rooted to the spot when he saw Natasha across the street. Pain stabbed through every inch of his body like the sharpest knife as he watched the woman he love kissed another man.
He couldn’t take his eyes off her even how much it hurt him. The image seared into his soul, letting him know that she wasn’t his anymore. He let her slip out of his grasp because of his own stupidity.
Natasha seemed to be happy with the guy. She laughed and smiled the same way she did when he was still with her.
He knew now, how it feel, the pain that he caused her.
Someone bumped into Steve and woke him up from his reverie. He shook his head and tore his eyes away from her, turning around and walked away into the crowd the same time as Natasha turned to look at him, watching him walk away.
She didn’t miss the pain in his eyes and it left her feel bad afterward when she saw how miserable he was. Nat discarded that thought right away by reminding herself of how badly he hurt her.
Move on, Natasha. You have to move on . Nat scolded herself. You can't live with uncertainty anymore.
So she put her mind away from Steve and focused on the man in front of her, enjoying the rest of the day together but she didn't lie to herself that she wasn't seeing Steve everywhere she goes. Every place reminded him of her.
They ended the day with a lovely dinner at his favorite restaurant and parted away after that.
"I have an early morning." He said. "But I will see you tomorrow after work, okay?"
"Yeah, see you then." She replied.
He kissed her but there was no tingling sensation coursed through her body the way Steve Rogers did to her every time he kissed her. Nat took a cab home and found herself in her empty apartment.
Natasha sunk down on the couch and let the serenity of the silence ease her mind. She needed to think this straight. She needed to be alone and quiet and rethink of every decision she would take.
One part of her wanted to string him along. Letting Steve suffer a little more so he could know the pain she had been through. In that process, she also string the other guy along too. It wasn't fair for either of them. It was kind of a bitch for her too but she needed this, needed to feel want and precious that she could make two men waiting for her.
Steve had destroyed that self confident in her when he left.
But the pain in his eyes made her think twice of what she decided. Steve came back to her and that should be all that matters. He came back with every intention to reconcile with her. From the brief looked on his face this afternoon, Nat could see how miserable he was. He was pale and unhappy, not his usual healthy and happy self anymore, clearly on the path of self destruction since he left Vegas.
He was as miserable as she was by the separation.
Maybe she should be a bigger person so everyone could be happy. He wanted to come back to her and she will let him. The stringing along would only cause heartbreak. All she wanted was Steve.
She wanted him no matter what and she wouldn’t let anything come between them anymore.
Natasha got up from her seat, grabbing her things and headed out, setting off to find the man she wanted be with the most.