For the first time in five years, Natasha Romanoff set foot on the east coast of the United States.

There was never a reason for her to return here, not after she moved permanently to Los Angeles, California, where she established herself as a renowned artist. Her art gallery drew countless wealthy clients from all around the world, in particular, the occupants of the nearby Beverly Hills. Never in her wildest dreams did she ever imagine that she would garner such fame and fortune by pursuing her number one interest: art. To be precise, she was a master of oil paintings but dabbled occasionally in sculptures, which were both a hit with her wealthy clientele.

Not until her best friend, Pepper Potts, personal assistant to the CEO of Stark Industries, was about to tie the knot with her boss, the infamous playboy Tony Stark. Nothing in the world would make Natasha miss the wedding of the century. She was absolutely delighted when she received the red and gold envelope in her mailbox a month ago sent from New York City. Natasha had a smirk on her face when she tore open the envelope to find the beautifully designed invitation card, which she was certain to be Pepper's creation. It was worth a celebration that Pepper had successfully subdued the man after a six-year whirlwind romance.

The two best friends first met in art class when Pepper, a second year finance major, decided to take module 101 Foundation Painting as an elective. Natasha was in her first year of college when she met Pepper, whom she would grow closer to through her years in college.

Pepper was there for her through the ups and downs. When Natasha got herself so wasted that she collapsed on the college football field after celebrating her perfect GPA, Pepper remained sober and got her safely back to her dormitory. But not before Natasha had thrown up all over Pepper's brand new Ferragamo shoes, which she had no memory of until she discovered them stinky shoes in Pepper's shoe cabinet. That made Natasha swear off alcohol for a year.

But not until she had met…

"Miss Romanoff, we have arrived at your destination."

The sudden voice from the cab driver broke her train of thought. It was for the better. Natasha was cursing herself mentally in Russian. How could she allow herself to almost let that man back into her thoughts? No way, she would not let the image of him back into her mind after five years.

Natasha got off the cab and held onto her suitcase firmly. "Get a grip on yourself, lady."

Pepper had arrange for Natasha to stay in her Upper East Side apartment, which has been vacated for months since Pepper officially moved in with Tony. When Natasha stepped into the apartment, she could not help but smile to herself when she saw how Pepper had prepared the place for her. There were pictures of the two beautiful young ladies displayed in photo frames around the house, bringing back fond memories for Natasha who had suddenly realized that she had not seen her best friend for almost a year. The decoration of the house was simple yet elegant, and filled with mostly white furniture which was Natasha's favorite color. Natasha reached out to touch the bouquet of white lilies that Pepper had arranged in a tall, blue vase as a centerpiece for the apartment. Pepper, still ever so thoughtful and meticulous. Tony was a blessed man.

Natasha picked up the scarlet red envelope addressed to her near the vase.

Dear Natasha,

Welcome back to New York City. I'm SO happy that you could take time out to come for my wedding.

I apologize deeply for not being able to pick you up personally from the airport, but I know you will understand that this wedding planning is driving me CRAZY.

I CANNOT wait to catch up with you over the next three days. Even though it's short, we'll make the best of it. I'll make sure Tony understands that I ABSOLUTELY HAVE TO spend time with my best girlfriend in this world, now that she is here with me.

If you would kindly agree, Tony and I will like to buy you dinner tonight.

Love, Pepper

As if right on cue, her cellphone started ringing. This led to an hour conversation with Pepper over the phone, which was filled with giggles, crazy laughter and a large amount of gossiping about Tony's ridiculous aunt. Pepper gave Natasha the address to the restaurant they were meeting at tonight, but before putting down the phone, Pepper was quick to add, "Wear your second best dress! Save the best one for my wedding!"

Natasha did indeed put on her second best dress that she had in her suitcase. It was an emerald green knee-length dress, which showed off just the right amount of her cleavage without them being on display. It complimented her green eyes just perfectly, and went well with her bright red hair, which she painstakingly curled to perfection. She put on just the right amount of makeup to make her look beautiful, but not steal the spotlight away from her best friend who was the star for the weekend.

Arriving at the location given by Pepper, Natasha was escorted to the table where she was reunited with the bride-to-be.

"NATASHA!" Pepper shrieked in delight, much to the dismay of the other dinner guests, as she wrapped her arms around Natasha and gave her a kiss on each cheek. Pepper was warm like that, unlike Natasha, who was generally more reserved in her physical interactions with people. The two women were quite polar opposites; maybe that was why they could hit it off for so long.

When Natasha could finally breathe normally after Pepper had reluctantly let go, mainly because Natasha started squirming in her arms for air, she was greeted by Tony, who gave her a more subtle welcome by lifting her hand and kissing it. Natasha found him to be quite the gentleman. Yes, he could be arrogant at times, and had a wandering eye on women (though he swears to never cheat on Pepper, which Natasha believes him). But there was something about him that Natasha found endearing, which was the way he looked at Pepper with adoration all the time.

"Natasha, so glad to have you here with us." Tony raised his glass at Natasha, who picked up the wine glass handed to her by a waiter, and exchanged a drink with Tony.

Pepper started rambling on about how good the food here was, but Natasha could no longer pay attention when she met a pair of deep blue eyes belonging to the man who was seated at their table.

She recognized those eyes. They belonged to Steve Rogers.

"Pepper?" Natasha cried out in disbelief. "This… He… Wait, what?"

Pepper placed her arm over Natasha's shoulder. "I'm sorry, Natasha. I didn't want to let you know he was coming, because I was afraid you would reject my invitation."

How foolish of her, Natasha thought. She should have known that she was bound to run into Steve Rogers, since he happened to be the friend of Tony and his best buddy through college. Well, Natasha and Steve may not even have met if not for Tony and Pepper introducing the both of them!

"I thought you were on my side." Natasha said softly, even though she was hurting badly on the inside. "Pepper, you know how much I hate him…"

"Natasha."

She heard him call her name for the first time in five years. It sounded so wrong, yet it was so right. The way he used to call her name, it set off the butterflies in her stomach.

Looking up, she met his blue eyes again, accompanied with a sorrowful, pleading expression on his face. Poor Steve Rogers. He looked so sad, so hopeless, so confused. The same look he had given her when she had left him.

Natasha did not say a word. She took a seat at the table, followed suit by a confused Tony and a worried Pepper as the foursome ate their dinner in silence. It started to get unbearable by the time they completed the second course, and Tony attempted to start a conversation with Natasha about the weather in California. Natasha hated small talk, much more in this situation, but having a conversation that distracted her from the pair of sad blue eyes seated opposite her was god sent.

Pepper joined in, and the three old friends began engaging in conversation about the upcoming wedding, Tony's ridiculous aunt (again) and Tony's new car. Natasha observed from the corner of her eye that Steve kept silent, choosing to stay focused on the piece of steak on his plate. There was nothing captivating about the chunk of red meat, but Steve just stared at it like his life depended on it.

The dinner party ended. Natasha was about to take her leave, after kissing both Tony and Pepper goodbye, when Steve offered to send her home.

"Natasha, we need to talk. Please." He pleaded. It was hard to say no. Not especially after she had seen how down casted this man looked through the dinner. Maybe, just maybe, she will hear him out.

Natasha obliged, as a concerned Pepper followed Tony into his new car, and kept her eyes on her redheaded best friend until the restaurant was out of sight.

"Natasha…"

The way her name rolled off his tongue again made a chill run through her body. They got into his car, and remained silent until he pulled up in front of Pepper's apartment.

"I thought you say we needed to talk. Speak now, or I'm leaving." She hissed mercilessly, as she kept her eyes focused on the dark, deserted road ahead of her. If she were to look at him and allowed herself to drown in his eyes again, her heart will melt again. Oh, those blue eyes…

The blonde hair man next to her in the driver's seat clutched on tightly to the steering wheel. He sneaked a look at the beautiful woman sitting next to him, one whom he has not seen for five long years. In these five years, Steve Rogers has made a name for himself in New York as a renowned artist. He held art shows once a year to showcase his latest creations, which draw a constant crowd of patrons from the high society. And of course, he met the daughters, granddaughters of his potential clients, who were all so eager to get to know him. One handshake offered by them could lead to countless lipstick marks being imprinted on his cheeks and neck. Steve did not like it, but he did not know how to say no. He was weak, always has been. And his weakness was what cost him a future with this redheaded beauty that he could never forget. Looking at his tall, well-built body frame, you could never have imagined that this man was like a pussycat on the inside.

Steve did not do serious relationships. He had a casual sexual relationship with the nurse next door, her name Sharon something, wait was it Carwell? Or Carter? It lasted for a year, but it came to an end when Steve had called her Natasha instead when he climaxed one night after drinking a wee bit too much alcohol. That earned him a tight slap, and the end to this arrangement. Since then, he never wanted to have sex again. Not until he set his eyes on Natasha again, what could have been his Natasha, as she sashayed into the restaurant. He wanted her so badly, and this time it was definitely not because of the alcohol. He did not drink.

"That's it, Steve Rogers. You never changed." Natasha reached out to open the door but Steve held her back by her arm.

"No, please. Natasha, I'm sorry." He truly was. What a relief it was for him to finally be able to say this word to her. He has been thinking about apologizing to her since she left him without a word five years ago, but he could not reach her. Yes, he knew about her doing well in the Los Angeles art scene, and he was proud of her achievements. He tried calling her art gallery a few times, but every time the line connected and he heard her chirpy greeting, he would put down the phone because he knew she would never want to hear form him again.

He could feel her softening in his arm, as he slowly released the grip. Natasha sat back on the chair and sighed deeply.

"It's a little too late, my friend. Five years too late."

Natasha would hate to admit this to him, but five years ago, she was in love with him. Even though what they shared was only a night of romantic passion, which ended in the morning when he had disappeared from the bed. She had woken up to find the sheets by her side cold, devoid of the human warmth that was there just before she fell into a deep slumber with the brightest smile on her face. She was so glad that they had happened; she had been in love with him from first sight when she laid her eyes on him at Tony's apartment during a Christmas party. But Steve was always quiet around her, and it was only until she had a bit too much to drink at Pepper's birthday party that she had the guts to grab this man and kiss him silly in the pool. It did not take long for Steve to react like any horny young man would, and carried her up into his arms where he took her to Tony's spare bedroom and took her virginity. He was a wild beast in bed, unlike his usual, quiet self, but ever so willing to please her and made sure she was comfortable with his pace.

The next day, she dialed his cellphone number. She was greeted by a robotic voice telling her to leave a voicemail. Two days, three days, and then a week had past. She did not hear from him.

She wanted to ask Tony to contact him, but she decided it was best that she kept this matter to herself.

For that week, Natasha had been crying herself to sleep. She told no one of her sorrows, not even Pepper, who was away on vacation in the Bahamas with Tony for her extended birthday celebration.

It was all her fault. She was a wanton woman. She had asked for it, to be used by the man she loved for sex and discarded like a used toy. Of course he was going to bed her, she threw herself onto him for god's sake! He was in no way obligated to see her anymore. They were not even close friends, all they ever did together was hang out in a group with Tony, Pepper, and their other college friends like Clint, Bruce and Darcy. She was the one who had feelings for him, one-sided feelings that he probably did not reciprocate. Or maybe, something happened to him.

Steve finally showed up two weeks later at a gathering in a diner with the gang. Tony and Pepper were all smiles, showing off the radiant tan they got from their trip while the rest of the gang teased them on their sexual escapades in the sand. Natasha caught Steve stealing a few glances at her through dinner, but she kept looking away from him to avoid herself from bursting into tears in front of everyone.

When the group had split up, Natasha could no longer hold her anger and disappointment back. She dragged Steve into a quiet corner on the street, without much protest from the big guy.

"Steve. I… What happened between us?" Natasha choked the words out as tears start to roll down her cheeks. "I know, it's my fault but I just want to know how you feel about it. Maybe I'm thinking too much, and you don't even remember what happened. But for the sake of my sanity, could you at least give me some closure?"

It was her first time after all. Natasha knew that she would have to remember this for the rest of her life. She wanted to at least end it without a doubt in her mind.

"Natasha, I… It was a mistake, my mistake. I should not have taken advantage of you when your judgment was impaired."

Natasha wave her hands up in the air. "Fine, fine. It's a mistake. Don't worry about it; it was my mistake too. I just thought, that as a decent human being, you would at least talk to me when I have been trying to reach you for the past two weeks. Like I have feelings, and I'm young, lost and confused because I just slept with a guy I have a huge crush on. Of course, it's not your problem that I like you. I just, wanted to have you around."

"I… I was busy the past couple of weeks. It was rough. I never meant to hurt you like this. It's just that…" Steve was at a loss for words. So he just remained silent as Natasha turned her back and walk away from him. He tried to call her that night, and the next morning and for the next two months until her cellphone number was no longer in used. He heard from Pepper to leave her alone, so he did. He thought that was the best for her.

The truth was, he wanted her as badly as she did that night during Pepper's birthday party. Seeing her in that hot pink tiny bikini, he had a hard time keeping that damn erection down in his swim trunk. When he had finally gotten the chance to fuck her senseless, the inner beast in him was unleashed. Hell, losing his virginity to this hot girl whom he had been too shy to talk much to the whole time along was the best thing that ever happened to him. Or maybe, it was tied to first place with Bucky.

"Bucky." He unknowingly allowed the name to slip out of his mouth.

"Excuse me?" Natasha called out. She was about to make her way out of the car again when she heard him speak.

"Bucky, he was my best friend." Steve looked over at Natasha, and she could see the tears forming his eyes, clouding their beautiful blue color.

Her heart softened. This was the first time she had seen him cry. Steve Rogers, whom she had hated to the core at some point in her life, was now crying in front of her as she felt her heart melt into a puddle of goo.

Surprising even herself, she reached over and held the big guy in an embrace. Her small figure could hardly contain him in her arms, but she tried, as she stroked him on the back.

"Bucky… Bucky was my best friend. He was all I ever had growing up. I had no parents, and he had no parents. We grew up together eating trash, leftover from diners, when we had no money left. I was small and weak, so Bucky was always there for me. He protected me when the bigger guys beat me up and stole whatever little I had for lunch money. He dropped out of school, got a job when he was fourteen and helped me through school. When I started college, he enlisted in the army and was sent to Afghanistan. He never failed to send me money to pay my tuition fees, and that allowed me to focus on my school work and not worry about having to pay for them…"

Natasha held him tighter, letting him know that it was okay to carry on. It was okay to be vulnerable in her arms, she was here for him.

"Bucky died, I got the phone call that night, the night I left you. I rushed off to his base, where they brought his body back, and I… I had to be there for him on his last journey. After that, I felt so lost and helpless. Bucky, who has been my leader, was gone. I was all alone. And then, I discovered Bucky had an illegitimate child with our friend from middle school. She was scared and lonely as well, I had to help her and the child get settled down. But it was not like I had any money either, so it was tough. I helped her watch the kid when she got a job as a waitress…"

"I'm so sorry, Steve. I really am." Natasha stroked his blonde hair, and placed his head gently on the crook of her neck.

"Natasha, you meant something to me. That night we spent together, when you first kissed me, I was so happy. I had been waiting for that to happen forever, I just never had the guts to tell you I had a crush on you. You are smart, beautiful, and had a bright future ahead of you. I didn't think this weak kid here was ever good enough for you. I made a mistake to let you walk out of my life, and I know I will regret it for the rest of my life."

The tense atmosphere in Steve's car was engulfed in silence, except for the quiet sobs from Steve. He held her tightly in his arms, not wanting to let go and lose her again. The past five years could have been spent happily with her, it was him who had destroyed it all with his bare hands.

Natasha was deep in thought. She was glad to know the truth, that Steve Rogers, the man she was crazy about, felt the same way for her. But it hurt her that she had been absent from him when he needed her the most, when he felt alone. He had been trying to reach out to her the whole time, but she never gave him the chance to explain himself. It was all her fault. She ruined their happiness.

His palm reached out and wiped the tears that now began to fall down her face.

"Natasha, don't cry anymore. Don't ruin this beautiful face."

She stayed still as he pulled her face closer to his and placed a chaste kiss on her lips. When their lips touched, they had both undoubtedly felt a surge of energy through them which drove them crazy. It reminded them of how much they wanted each other badly. It was the case five years ago, and now, they both still had those strong feelings for each other. It was love and lust, but most importantly, it was desperation and longing.

The kiss intensified. No words needed to be say. It did not take long before they ended up back in Pepper's apartment, smashing the vase of lilies on the marble floor as Steve swiped it off the table to pin Natasha down on it. Her dress came off swiftly even before they reached the bedroom. Their naked bodies entwined on the bed as they made love to each other. Sex with Natasha set Steve's heart, body and soul on fire. That was something that Sharon could never do. By the time he climaxed, he was screaming her name at the top of his lungs. Natasha, the only woman he loved and wanted for the past five years.

When Natasha woke up the next morning, she was relieved to see her small frame in his strong arms. Natasha peeked at his serene face, as he continued to sleep soundly. She thought he seemed to be smiling in his sleep. Could it be because of her?

Suddenly she sneezed, and it woke Steve up. He opened his eyes and their gaze met, as bright smiles appeared on their faces.

"Good morning, Natasha. I can't believe this moment took five years to happen."

"Good morning, Steve."

He leaned over and kissed her on the forehead as she felt her cheeks turn warm. She still could not quite believe that this was happening, that she was back in bed with the only man that ever captured her heart. The sex last night had been awesome, well worth the wait after remaining chaste since their first night together. She was glad that he was her first, second and if she dared think further, hopefully her last.

"Natasha, I love you. Can we start all over?" His eager eyes remained on her as he waited for her reply.