Chapter 1:

Hawkeye and Natasha were sitting in one of the new Avengers coalition jets on their way back from a particularly sticky mission in Paris. It had been a year since Hydra's infiltration of shield had been revealed. Rogers and Falcon had gone off on their mission to save Rogers' good friend James Buchanan Barnes and Natasha had not seen him since they visited Fury's grave in D.C. Steve was still trying to figure out how to communicate over Facebook, and was doing so now with Natasha. She was trying to explain how to use the instant messaging feature to him by instant messaging him; needless to say, this was not going very well. However, Natasha was giggling and smiling all the same.

"Is that a smile?" commented Hawkeye with a smile on his face. Natasha's smile turned into a smirk as she turned toward him.

"Maybe, why, what's it to you?"

"I dunno, I just feel like I haven't seen you smile in a while. I know Fury's been keeping us pretty busy lately but even so, you and I used to have fun on our missions. Ever since D.C. there's been something very different about you."

"Different how?"

"What happened between you and Rogers?" Natasha took a defensive stance.

"What makes you think something happened between us?"

"I dunno, Natasha. What are you doing right now? Heck, what're you always doing when we're not working?"

"What're you talking about?"

"Right now, Natasha what're you doing?"

"That's none of your business!"

"It sure as hell is! Natasha, you're practically a sister to me, we've gone through some pretty bad stuff together and we've gotten each other through it, so why after all that, would you bother keeping a secret from me? That's not how this works and you know it."

"It's not really a secret, I mean you seem to have figured it out already."

"Rogers? Really?"

"Hey, don't judge me okay? Need I remind you of Jenna?"

"Okay, okay, you got me, just why now Natasha? Why him? I thought you said love is for children. Don't you remember Michael?"

"How could I forget!"

"Alright I'm sorry, that was a low blow, but you have to be reasonable about this. You should know better then anyone that people in our line of work don't get to live happily ever after."
"Who says that's what I want?"

"So what? You're just gonna use him till you're done with him. Rodgers is won't take that."

"No, I'm not going to use him, we work together. He and I are friends, I'm just, trying to help him out that's all."

"You know Fury's concerned too…"

"Great, now Fury knows? Does anyone I work with not know?"

"I don't think Rodgers knows or at least he hasn't let on yet… Just be careful Natasha, I don't want you getting hurt. It took me months to put you back together after Michael, I don't want to have to do that again."

"Okay can you be done scolding me now?"

"I wasn't scolding but okay, yeah, we can be done."

Natasha looked back down at her computer screen. She'd been talking to Barton for about ten minutes and she hadn't realized that Steve had replied to her Facebook message successfully.

Steve Rogers: Natasha? Hello? Is this working?

Steve Rogers: I think this is working. I can see myself typing on the screen.

Steve Rogers: Natasha? You there? I must've lost the signal. Asldfkeisfasf oops. Sorry. Stupid computer.

Natasha giggled and started typing:

Natasha Romanoff: Hey Cap, yeah, it's working.

Steve Rogers: Good, I'm glad. How are you? How was Paris?

Natasha Romanoff: Not bad, nothing Barton and I couldn't handle, what about you? How's Russia? Was Bascov helpful to you?

Steve Rogers: Extremely helpful, after we roughed him up a bit. And he roughed us up a bit.

Natasha Romanoff: Oh, I'm sorry, I thought I was explicit when I told him I was calling in my favor but he might not have gotten the hint. He never liked me very much.

Steve Rogers: No worries, we now have the information we need and Bucky's getting close to being fully back to health.

Natasha Romanoff: I'm glad to hear that.

Natasha is typing….

Natasha Romanoff:

Steve is typing…

Steve Rogers: When do you get back to D.C.?

Natasha Romanoff: Should be back in a few hours. Why?

Steve Rogers: Are you doing anything tonight?

Natasha Romanoff: Yeah, I've got a hot date, guy from accounting just won't take no for an answer.

Steve Rogers: Oh osnfdfesfdf. Oops. Sorry I was typing too fast. Guess, have fun?

Natasha Romanoff: Relax Steve, I was kidding!

Steve Rogers: Oh right, you were kidding… My bad…

Natasha Romanoff: Why?

Steve Rogers: No reason, just, would you wanna get dinner with me? There's this great Italian place down the street…..

Natasha Romanoff: Steve, I want to see you tonight but I can't do dinner…

Natasha Romanoff: How about we get a drink. I have something I need to tell you.

Steve Rogers: Sure. Just give me a time and place.

Natasha typed a time and place and held her breath. She would need liquid courage to do what she needed to do tonight. Barton looked over at her with a concerned look on his face.

"You okay Romanoff?" Natasha sighed….

"Yeah"…., "I just really don't want to do this….Steve is one of the good ones. I always thought…If I ever met a guy like that again maybe, I don't know. Just Steve…..he needs someone he can grow old with. Someone who gets him. Not me, I'm way too complicated, I come with way too much emotional baggage. It's better this way right?"

"Yeah Romanoff," replies Barton. "It's better this way."