Saviors

“Romanoff, you know you can tell me if you need to get out of here. I would understand,” Steve said, grabbing at my knee to keep it from bouncing rapidly against the dirty bar floor. I was about three drinks in and Steve had downed 5 beers, but of course it did nothing for him. He claimed he just liked the taste, I think he drank out of pity for me.

He held his hand there for what felt like just a bit too long and then he blushed, moving it back to his lap under the table and rubbing both palms nervously against his thighs.

His nervous energy calmed me down, as it was unusual for him to seem anything but confident.

Steve was of course trying to comfort me as we both noticed my ex-boyfriend walk into the bar. Really, I think boyfriend is a strong word, I should think it were more of an ex-hookup if anything. It had been around 2 months since Bruce Banner and I had last been with each other, and we wanted to keep things friendly considering our small Avengers family we had built. But, I think next to me, Bruce took the snap the hardest. Maybe that’s not true though, we all took it hard. It was easily the worst day of all of our lives. We lost everything.

Bruce and I tried to reconcile after the big fight in Wakanda, and for a while things seemed alright. But nothing good lasts. He left me in bed a few weeks ago, saying that he couldn’t love me the way that I wanted him to and that he needed to figure things out with the big green guy. He needed to be alone.

I understood. In all honesty, nothing had been right between us since he took off in the quinjet after Sekovia. Over the past months, I had mostly been spending time with Steve. He helped calm my nerves and I felt myself growing more comfortable around him every day.

He was keeping me happy, which is more than I can say for Bruce. With Bruce, everything was a challenge. I felt that I always had to convince him that we would work. He left and came back too many times to count over the past couple of years.

In a night of boredom, Steve decided to take me out to a bar, or a “night on the town” as he called it. I made up every excuse not to go, but he wasn’t having it. Figuring that I would always have more fun with Steve than if I were by myself, I decided to amuse him and tag along.

“No, it’s fine. Things are okay between us from where we last left it. We’re all adults here,” I stated, noticing Steve slightly puff out his chest and readjust himself to look a bit taller. I actually can’t say that I’ve been that sad over Bruce. The topic of him was so stale, and seeing him now made me noticeably nervous, but I was okay.

“Just let me know if you need anything,” He gave me a half-smile, pitiful if anything, and took another sip of his drink.

I watched as Bruce sat down at the bar, grabbing a drink with a man who was already sitting; they seemed to be friends. He looked over to me again, giving me a half-smile. I could feel the pity from around the room. I needed a break.

“I’m going to head to the bathroom real quick,” I mumbled to Steve, sliding out of the booth and making my way towards the bathroom.

Walking into the tiled bathroom, both stalls were occupied by women who were wearing heels too tall to be comfortable. I walked over to the sinks, instead, knowing I didn’t actually need to use the bathroom, and splashed some cold water on my face. I could feel the hairs on the back of my neck stand up and felt the rush over my body, taking a few deep breaths and trying to forget a past lover. Rinsing a few more times, I looked up into the mirror to see an attractive brunette woman eyeing me, waiting for the sink.

“Oh, sorry about that,” I said, moving away from the singular sink and grabbing a few paper towels, drying off my face.

Even in the dim, flickering light of the bathroom, I could tell she was beautiful, but more of a sexual beautiful than anything. She wasn’t wearing much makeup, she didn’t need it. Her striking blue eyes were drawn out by her dark blue, low-cut tank top. Her curled hair flowed down past her shoulders and ended daintily at her nipples. I knew this because they were slightly hard, making small hills on her mountains of breasts. Plus, one was clearly pierced.

“Oh, no worries! You’re totally fine,” She gave me a smile that lasted a little too long, and I saw her eyes trail over my body quickly and bounce back up to mine.

I tossed out the paper towels, but before I could turn towards the door, I was stopped by her high-pitched voice, “Oh, hold on a sec,” She said, grabbing onto my shoulder.

“Yeah?”

“You have a little something on your chin,” She said, staring at my lips as she swiped her tiny finger over my chin, grazing a bit of my lip. She was definitely attractive, but I wasn’t in the mood for anything like that tonight.

“Thanks,” I said with a quick smile, trying to turn toward the door again before her voice stopped me once more.

“Um, I just wanted to ask,” She started, the confidence in her voice not as strong as it was just a few moments ago.

“Yeah?” I said, I could feel the kindness in my voice shifting to annoyance.

“Well, that guy you were sitting with, are you two together?” She twiddled her fingers together nervously.

“Nope, just a friend.” I again moved toward the door, and she took another step closer to me.

“Ugh, bummer,” She whispered, twirling a curl of hair in her hands, “I was gonna offer you two a fun time. But I guess I could ask a friend to join me and your friend...”

“Steve.”

“Yeah, Steve. Maybe my friend Lacy could hang out,” She pondered, grabbing out her phone to text said friend.

“Well, look,” I said, putting my charm back on, “I know for a fact Steve isn’t looking for anything like that right now, so maybe you can look for another guy at the bar, okay?”

There was a sense of authority in my voice that I didn’t realize until about midway through the sentence. I didn’t want to be a cockblock, but 1. Steve isn’t the hook-up kind of guy, and 2. I definitely needed him to be with me tonight. I didn’t want to have to suffer at this bar alone, and I knew that once we got back to the Avengers facility, he would stay up with me and watch a movie if I couldn’t sleep.

So, I might be a bit selfish. But I think it’s perfectly fine from time to time.

“What a bummer. Here,” She said, grabbing a receipt and a pen out of her back pocket. She quickly scribbled what appeared to be a phone number on it, tucked the pen in her back pocket (who just carries a pen in their back pocket?) and turned back toward me.

She grabbed my hand and shoved the paper into it, pushing back a piece of my short, red hair, “In case you change your mind, give me a call.” She gave me a quick wink and headed out the bathroom door.

I waited a minute before heading back out into the bar, hoping that I wouldn’t see her again. I headed back over to the booth I was sitting in with Steve. He looked up from his drink and smiled at me. I couldn’t help but smile back at that dork.

“I thought you disappeared on me,” He said as I sat down across from him.

“You? Never,” I said playfully, “I was just cooling off in the bathroom and a girl came up to me and very non-chalantly offered to have a three way.” I said, downing the rest of my vodka on the rocks.

Steve looked shocked. I loved shocking him like that, and I get it, he isn’t used to casual sex or open sex, or anything like that considering when he was born. But it still cracks me up.

“With who?” He asked, brows furrowed.

“Us you idiot. She even gave me her number too,” I said, tossing the receipt on the table.

I saw the red rising in his cheeks and he grabbed at the receipt in disbelief.

“Well that’s, uh,” He let out an awkward laugh, not finishing his sentence.

I laughed at his obvious embarrassment. But my smile quickly fell when I noticed that same brunette from the bathroom, now accompanied by whom I can only assume is Lacy, talking up Bruce at the bar.

Steve looked at my face, then over to Bruce and the brunette and quickly shot back to me, grabbing at my hand.

“It’s fine, Steve. Like I said, Bruce and I are good.” I was a good liar. I knew that Bruce and I weren’t “good” we were merely fine, if that. But, like I said, I was a good liar, and I had a great friend like Steve to keep me company.

“Let me grab you another drink,” Steve said, heading to the bar.

He tried to hide himself from Bruce, but it’s not to easy to hide yourself when you look like Steve Rogers. Bruce and Steve had an awkward head nod before the brunette leaned more into Bruce, whispering in his ear, most likely proposing the same thing she did to me, to him.

I watch as she grazed her friend’s ass, pulling out her thong and twirling it in her fingers as she continued whispering to Bruce. He bought the girls a round of shots, his friend clearly left in the dust.

I noticed Steve walking back over, with a drink and four shots in his large hands.

“Okay, so I got some shots to help deal with that,” He said, setting them down on the table and sliding back into the booth.

“Steve I’m not going to take four shots are you crazy,” I said, watching him down the rest of his beer. I knew I could handle it, but still, I didn’t need to deal with that headache tomorrow.

“No, you’re taking two, and I’m taking two,” he said. I gave him a puzzled look, both of us knowing the alcohol does nothing for him.

“Why would you put yourself through that,” I asked, grabbing at two of the shots.

“Well, I wouldn’t put you through that by yourself. Plus, drinking with friends is fun. Now, cheers,” He said, raising up a shot in each hand, signaling me to do the same.

I rolled my eyes obviously, causing him to let out a large smile, clinked my two shots with his two, and slid each down. They burned so good.

We both coughed a bit before laughing some more. I could start to feel the heat rising in my cheeks and throat from the alcohol and could feel myself getting drunker.

“How was that?” Steve asked, taking a sip from the drink that he got me before sliding it back over to me.

“Well, there were definitely ups and downs,” I said, fanning my face from the heat.

When I looked away from Steve, my eyes moved back to Bruce. The brunette was now sitting next to him, rubbing his thigh and he was looking down at her breasts. Her friend was clearly an afterthought in this situation.

Again, Steve saw me looking over at Bruce and grabbed both of my hands, pulling me out of the booth.

“C’mon, we need to get you out of this miserable booth,” He lead me over to the dance floor that was only about half full, and started dancing with me.

“What are you doing,” I asked, letting him practically drag my body around like a rag doll.

“We, are going to have fun. We’re going to show Bruce what he’s been missing,” Steve smirked at me, and forced me into dancing.

Normally I would have opposed to dancing in public like this, but I felt drunk enough that I let myself go, having Steve guide me.

Plus, Steve dances traditionally, swinging me around, swaying, twirling, etc. It was actually very sweet.

We couldn’t stop laughing the entire time, until I made eye contact with Bruce again.

He looked furious, making direct eye contact with me, then turning to the brunette and making out with her, sliding his hand onto her side, grazing her breast.

Steve noticed the exchange and quickly and twirled me into his arms, “Looks like Bruce is a bit jealous of all the fun we’re having, huh.” He said with a confident smirk.

“Look,” I said, a slight slur in my voice, turning around and grabbing his chin, “Kiss me. Just to piss him off, that’s all,” I said, making the biggest puppy-dog eyes I could muster up for how drunk I was. I realized this was a ridiculous request, and most definitely an awkward one. Steve looked shocked and confused.

“I don’t know Nat, you’re pretty drunk,” Steve blushed, spinning me out and guiding our dancing again, “I think that’s the shots speaking.”

“I know I’m kind of drunk, but please, let me have this. He’s rubbing it in my face,” I batted my eyes with a smile, and I could see the blush on Steve’s face grow a deeper shade of red as he rolled his eyes, “Just a little one, just friends.” I placed my hand over my heart and pursed out my lips.

“Fine. But you owe me a big, huge favor Romanoff,” He said in an playfully authoritative voice. I could tell he wasn’t that upset by my proposition.

“Deal,” I said as he pulled me in close, turning our dance into a sway. I turned our bodies around so that Bruce was in full view of us, and right when he looked up, Steve leaned in, pressing his soft pink lips onto mine.

Now I know that he’s just my friend, and this was just a favor, but my God. I’ve always thought Steve Rogers was an attractive man, but he was the one who always wanted to be just friends. I had always considered what it would be like if we dated, plus a lot of other far dirtier thoughts. But that was years ago, and we were friends now. He kept me sane after the loss in Wakanda, he made me feel safe. As safe as I could feel after a loss like that.

With thoughts racing through my head, I felt myself craving more of him, and pushed deeper into the kiss, letting my tongue slide slightly into his mouth. He at first seemed surprised, but after a couple seconds leaned into it as well. I gripped onto the back of his neck, and he wrapped me in closer.

After what felt like forever, although only around twenty-thirty seconds, we pulled away.

I couldn’t help but smile and Steve let out a small smile as well, rubbing the back of his neck and looking down at the ground. He then quickly looked over to Bruce who angrily smirked at us, walking out with the brunette and her friend, his palms on their asses as they walked out the main entrance.

I couldn’t help but laugh, and once Steve heard me, he couldn’t help but laugh either.

“Thank you, and I do owe you one Stevie,” I said, using my favorite nickname for him, nudging him with my elbow. I mostly used this name because he absolutely hated it.

“You do,” He said smirking, then twirling me another time.

We only danced for around twenty more minutes before we decided to head home. Besides, the bar was dying and barely anyone was dancing. It was probably around 1 am. Steve called for a taxi, because I knew full well that he didn’t know how to use the Uber app anyways.

“You know, I had a very fun time with you, I didn’t know you could dance so well,” I said, leaning on him as we waited for the taxi. They promised to be here in ten minutes.

“To be honest with you, I didn’t know I could either. You know what, I think we should go out on the town more often Romanoff - we make a good team,” He slid my arm out from his and wrapped his arm around my shoulder. I placed my arm around his waist, knowing that I needed the support in my haze of alcohol. We stood under a street light, watching as people strolled by.

“I do too, Stevie,” I giggled. I could practically hear the eye roll.

We made light conversation the rest of the time we waited until the taxi got there. I remember once I got in, I must have taken a small nap, because next thing I knew we were at the facility in upstate New York and Steve was helping me out of the taxi in my haze. It must have been at least an hour drive.

He walked me inside and I pleaded with him that he should just leave me on the couch. After a good few minutes he agreed and dropped me down on the plush cream couch in one of the various living rooms in the facility.

“Thanks, Steve,” I mumbled, feeling the gentle grasp of a drunken sleep creeping in.

“Hey, at least it wasn’t Stevie this time,” He laughed, pulling a heavy blanket over me.

“Shut up, or it will be next time” My eyes were already closed, but I had to make sure I saw that kind smile one last time before I slept. Of course, my drowsy eyes showed me his smile, the last thing I remember before falling asleep.