One of many stories

Chapter 1

"Natasha?" Steve asked, looking at the red haired woman by his door. "Rogers." She simply answered with a smirk. "What are you doing here? It's pretty late." Steve continued nervously, glancing at his watch. She followed his eyes down to his watch. "Can't I visit a friend?" She said as her eyes met his again. "And you're obviously not sleeping." She said with an eyebrow raised before she slipped through into Steve's apartment. "Oh so now I'm a friend?" Steve said with a slight smile as he dragged his hand through his hair.
Natasha looked up at him with big curious eyes. "Yes. According to you, that's what we are." She said. "Why the question captain? Interesting in something more?" She said with a smirk as she sat down in his couch.
Steve blushed slightly but tried to laugh it away a little as he sat down beside her. "What are you even watching?" Natasha said and frowned. She fixed her eyes on the Tv as Steve watched her. He furrowed his eyebrows a bit before he opened his mouth to speak. "What are you doing here Nat?" He asked again. "I can leave if you want." She said with an expressionless face, matching her voice. "No, no no." He said and she turned her face towards the Tv again. "I just.. Do you have trouble sleeping again?" He asked and saw her eyes widened a bit but her face remained calm. "Nat?" He asked again as she didn't answer. "I'm okay." She said with a steady voice that seemed hard to crack even though Steve knew it wasn't. "Please tell me about this extremely boring movie from your time." She said as she pointed at the screen, showing a black and white story. He looked at her a few more seconds before he started to explain the movie and the characters.
Natasha slowly got into the movie and forgot about her haunting past for a while. It was a good distraction. He was a good distraction. He bubbled on about the characters and their weaknesses and strengths as she just looked at him for a while. Listening but not really hearing. She smiled when he smiled and nodded now and then. It made her feel calm. It made her feel safe.

• • •

They were only half way through the movie as Steve felt a weight on his left shoulder. He glanced down a bit and found Natasha's head laying steady on his shoulder. Her eyes were closed and she breathed quietly. Her face was expressionless since she was sleeping but it wasn't the usual expression she always wore. There was different things hidden behind the usual one.
Pain. Fear. Regret.
This one had a more peaceful tone to it. Steve took a moment, enjoying the view. She was beautiful. Everyone who had ever seen her knew that. But Steve thought it was something more to it. Beautiful can mean so many things. But to Steve, Natasha was beautiful in an entirely different way then to others. She was something special. He stared at her sleeping face for a good while as he was scared she might wake up from his staring. He knew she had trouble sleeping as well, so he was terrified to wake her.
He sat like that for a few minutes, still as a stick. A few minutes became one hour. One hour became more hours and soon, he couldn't keep his eyes open. He slowly fell asleep to the sound of the chatter on Tv and Natasha's even breaths.

• • •

Natasha woke up with a fear growing inside her belly like a bomb. Before she even opened her eyes, her heart raced and she felt fear creep up her spine. But as she quickly opened her eyes, she realised she hadn't dreamt a bad dream. No memories had come back. No pain. It was so common for her. To wake up with a racing heart and sweat dripping down her forehead as tears ran down her cheeks. She was used to her heavily breathing and shaking hands. It was so common that it was the only thing she expected when she woke up. But this was surely an exception.
She slowly took her head of Steve's shoulder that she honestly had found more comfortable than she ever thought it would be.
She glanced at him for a while as she tried to calm down her racing heart. She was surprised she had even woken up. It had been a while since she had gotten a good nights sleep. A very good while. She got almost mad at herself for not taking the opportunity when she could have. But she couldn't lay down on his shoulder again, she was too proud to. And if felt a little odd. Not that it's something weird with sleeping on someone's shoulder. She just thought that it would be weird because it Steve's shoulder. She stopped her own thought and tried to understand herself for a minute. Why would it be weird because it's Steve? Friends can sleep on each other shoulders right? She sleeps on Clint's all the time. She sighed at her stupid fight with herself and decided to leave his apartment. She was just about to stand up as she felt a hand touch her own. She looked down at her hand placed on the couch and saw Steve's on top of it. She quickly looked up at his face. Still sleeping. She sighed as she slowly got back to her comfortable place on Steve's shoulder. Her eyes shut close before she had time to regret her decision.

• • •

She woke up by a buzzing noise and grabbed her phone without opening her eyes. "Natasha Romanoff." She said as clear as she could. "Are you sleeping?" Clint asked through the phone with a surprised tone. "What do you want?" She mumbled as she realised the call wasn't business related. "Just asking if you wanted to grab some lunch in an hour?" He asked.
"Lunch? It's morning." Natasha mumbled back and heard Clint laugh. "Maybe you need to check your watch Nat." Clint said and Natasha opened her eyes and got blinded by the sunlight.
"I'll call you." She said before she hung up. As her eyes had adjusted to the light, she realised she was still in Steve's apartment. She was laying on his couch covered by a blanket. Steve was no where in sight. She was certain she hadn't woken up so Steve must have tucked her in. She found it weird that she hadn't woken up since she's a very light sleeper. One car outside her window would make her wake up in an instant. She sat up slowly and her eyes caught the note left on the table next to the couch. She picked it up and began reading.

Good morning.
I had to attend some meetings and stuff. I didn't want to wake you. Thank you for a pleasant evening! And Nick called you, something about a new mission. Have a good day, Nat.
// Steve

Natasha chuckled a bit at his language. She sure enjoyed the evening but she wouldn't call it pleasant. She smirked a bit as she picked up a notebook and a pen she found nearby. She could just send him a text but he went for old fashioned, so she followed his move.

Rogers.
We really need to work on your grammar. And instead of pleasant, try great. Thanks for the nap!
/Natasha

She put it down next to the others and sneaked out of his apartment with a full schedule of things she had missed to do during her long nap. But luckily, she felt less tired than ever.