'I gotta say Romanoff, my parties are not that boring. And frankly it is kind of insulting to see you up here hogging all the booze.'
'It's one bottle Stark. Quit the dramatics.'
Tony chuckled to himself and sat down next to Natasha. He couldn't help but admire the view from the top of the tower and almost forgot that it was new years eve and he was supposed to goad Cap into a drinking contest (that he would lose) and try to keep Thor from starting very lively reenactments of the battles he'd won and foes he'd defeated.
But something about Natasha's demeanor that night made him stay where he was and wait for the explanation he knew was about to come. She wasn't as fond of parties but it was not like her to sit alone with a bottle of vodka and stare at the city's rooftops.
Especially when she could kick birdbrain's ass at pool instead.
'So, what made you sneak away before midnight Cinderella?', he began.
She was silent for so long that he didn't expect her to answer. After all they weren't close and she rarely answered any questions he asked.
'Just upholding tradition.', She replied and waited a few seconds before starting again.
'Back at the Red Room there weren't many people I knew around. The number of people in my program dropped every year. We all knew who'd make it through and who wouldn't.
But we were like sisters. Well, sisters who could be asked to betray or kill each other at any time .', she added
'I'm sorry', said tony softly.
Pretending as if she didn't hear him, she continued
'It was as if they were trying to rub in the fact that we had to be ruthless at all times. Trust no one. Least of all the people you're told to.
'So every new years eve we got together, stole a bottle of vodka from the kitchen and toasted to the ones we lost at midnight. Towards the end it was just me and one other person. The only one I truly thought of as a sister. '
'What happened to her', asked Tony. But he knew before she even opened her mouth to say.
' I killed her. It was the only way I had out of that hellhole. And I took it.' She ended sadly.
Tony started to say something but was interrupted by the countdown starting from below them.
So he wordlessly took the bottle from her and cracked it open, and offered it to her.
She took it silently, raised it and polished off a good amount in one gulp.
She then got up from where she was sitting and before she left said 'C'mon Tony. We got a party to get to and damage to do.'
He looked at the skyline one last time, and got up and followed her.