𝗠𝗮𝘆𝗯𝗲 𝗜 𝗡𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗧𝗼 𝗦𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗠𝗲 (𝘙𝘰𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘰𝘨𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘈𝘜) ❶

Chapter 42

"Hey, girl." Clint burst through the door to Natasha's bedroom.

He heard a quiet groan from the bed where Natasha was laying, pulling the covers over her head.

"Go away."

Instead of listening to her, Clint plopped down next to her and pulled the blanket away. Nat groaned pitifully but slowly opened her eyes to see Clint with breakfast in his hand.

"I'm not hungry."

"Come on, it's 10 AM and you have to eat something."

Nat sighed and slowly sat up, "Fine, dad." She said sarcastically.

"One more thing" He told "I found this yesterday in the hallway in front of your room."

Clint handed her a snowflake necklace and Nat's eyes widened. It was Steve's necklace. She had never seen him without it even after their break up. It was her symbol, his way of showing the world that he belonged to her. Suddenly it hit her like a tons of bricks. He had worn a symbol of ownership all this time. A symbol of HER ownership! She had been so stupid! She was more than a bet, and he had shown it to the world! And now he had taken it off. Natasha's stomach cramped at the thought.

Had she pushed him too far? Had she forced him to give up on her? Had he finally moved on with his life? Oh God. Oh God! Oh God! What had she done?!

"What is it? You look like you've seen a ghost."

"This belongs to Steve. I have one too. He bought us matching charms ." She showed Clint the charm bracelet on her left wrist.

"You guys were more serious than I thought." Clint said.

"I need to talk to him." Nat said and got up from her bed.

She searched for the spare key to Steve's room. When she opened the door, she found no one there. She headed to Steve's bedroom to find an empty room. There was only a box filled with her belongings, with a note in Steve's messy handwriting saying 'Romanoff'.

He hadn't even use her first name.

Nat slipped the necklace around her head, where it lay against her now hysterically thumping heart. She would hold it for him until she put it back on him herself. Damn you, Steve Rogers. Now that she was finally ready to talk to him, he had magically disappeared. Well she thought to herself she wouldn't give up. It was time she got her man back.

"Lady Natasha." Thor's voice sounded from behind her.

"What are you doing here, Nat?" Jane asked.

"I came to find Steve."

"He's gone. He didn't tell us where he was going and he turned off his cell." Thor replied.

"Dammit, I need to talk to him NOW." Natasha said angrily, her red hair a flame around her; giving off the appearance of a warrior.

"Why isn't that you suddenly you decide to talk to him after you have been ignoring him for so many weeks?" Thor asked.

"He left this…" Nat showed them Steve's necklace. "He left this in front of my room yesterday and I need to know why."

Thor and Jane looked at one another before Jane nodded.

"Before you talk to him, you should listen to us first, my lady." Thor said and gestured Natasha to sit down on Steve's bed. "You should know what Steve did for you."

"Okay, let's hear it then"

"Yes, your relationship all started because of the bet. But being with you slowly changed him back into his true self. His perception of the world changed because of you, my lady. He wants to be a better person but he wanted to go back to who he really was before he became the campus stud."

"Steve did everything to keep you away from Runlow's goons." Jane told. "He did everything for you. He even asked Sam, Luke, Thor and Danny to look out for you."

"That's why I see them at every corner I turn!"

"Yes, Steve did asked us the favor to keep you safe. He declared war against half his football team for YOU."

"He was willing to do anything just to keep you away from them." Thor said.

"But that doesn't explain why he left me after he slept with me, Thor."

"I guess you need to find that out from him, Lady Natasha" Thor replied. "It's totally up to you to believe what we say or what Steve says."

"You should ask him why, Natasha." Jane agreed. "Listen to what he has to say to you, and then decide. That is the only way either one of you will ever be happy."

Listen to what your heart tells you.

She closed her eyes and the only thing she can hear is his voice begging her to come home.

He really loved her. He needed her back and she needed him back as well.

"We need to find him."

___________________

Steve locked himself in his bedroom for three days. Sarah knew her son needed some time to adjust. She put food next to him but he barely ate any of it. She always found him seated next to the window, staring aimlessly outside.

On the fourth day, she had had enough of this and asked him directly.

"Steve, did you and Natasha fight?"

Steve sighed, "I screwed up, mom."

"How?"

"I slept with her and I left." Steve replied "I freaked out when I woke up and I left her without saying anything."

"I told you not to hurt her. I really like her, you know?"

"Yeah, I know, mom. I thought I found the right one but my defense mechanism kicked and I ran away."

"I know that you had a terrible break up with Peggy. But that doesn't mean that you and Natasha will have the same fate.

"I know but I couldn't control it. When I woke up, there were a million thought ran through my mind, and I panicked."

"There must be something more than that, Steve."

"I made a stupid mistake, mom. I made a bet with my team that I could sleep with her, and that after I was done my team could have. Even though I called off the bet, it still came back to bite me back in the ass."

"I see. I assume Natasha discovered the bet and now she believes you lied to her from the beginning."

"Yes, and now she hates me and doesn't want me in her life anymore."

He said as tears silently fell down his face.

"Mom, I'm sorry. Your only son will never fall in love with anyone again" He said, trying really hard to hold back a sob. "I'm better off alone, mom. After all, I'm not capable of doing the right thing. I just end up hurting people."

"Okay, sweetheart. It's never too late. You still have a chance to get her back. You just need to be able to open up and let her in. Do not be afraid to love someone because the fear of getting hurt. We all need to take a risk if that certain someone is worth fighting for." Sarah said "Is Natasha really worth fighting for?"

"Yes, she is."

"Then get your head back in the game and work out a way of getting her back! I want grandchildren, dammit!"

Steve allowed himself to smile a little. His mom really wanted Natasha to be her daughter in law.

"Of course, mom. I will try." Steve replied.

Sarah kissed her son on his forehead before getting up from her seat. "I will leave you to do some thinking."

Steve thought a lot about what his mom said. He had done some pretty horrible things to other people and he didn't deserve her. She did the right thing by kicking him out of her life…. but why had she sung that song the other night? It meant something, didn't it? It had to. This woman was important to him. This was his woman, and he needed to get his woman back!