|I can't imagine a world where you and I aren't meant to be|

Steve had fallen into a peaceful slumber on her couch, he barely made it to the middle of the movie before his eyes began to drop. Natasha couldn't help but admire him, admired the way his broad chest moved up and down as he breathed, admired the way his blond hair fell in front of his eyes. He was something out of a book.

She couldn't help herself as she moved closer, her hand ghosting his skin. He was in a simple t-shirt and jeans now, his arms exposed, and she could help but lean into him a little bit. He was careful to make sure that he stayed asleep. Taking in his sent, Natasha smiled to herself. The temptation to wake him up and kiss him roughly loomed over her like a devil on her shoulder.

She contained herself. Instead, she walked away from the breathtaking blond and to her linen closet. She pulled out a fresh blanket and a pillow before returning to her prince. Gently, she laid him down so that he would hurt his neck, and covered him with the blanket. He was out like a light.

Instead of staying here where the temptations lay all around her, Natasha decided to go back to her laptop and update the world on the infuriating sight that was Gail Richards. When she opened Instagram she saw the posts on Brock Rumlow, the man she killed in a moment of rage.

"Local police missing, last seen in upstate New York," Of course, he was an officer. Natasha decided to post one of the stupid selfies Gail had taken a week ago, and post it to her page with some generic caption. Because let's be honest, when influencers go on "social media cleanse" they are never really off social media.

Logging out of the profile she once again looked over at the blonde on her couch. His sweater hanging off the corner of her couch as it had come with the couch, this felt right. Him asleep after a long day, Natasha taking care of business, it all just felt too right. Finally, the stars have aligned correctly.

She made sure he was completely logged out of her laptop before walking by the couch and leaning down to the top of his head. "Goodnight my love," She whispered before kissing the head of the man she loved. "Don't worry, soon this will be our reality, that is a promise I make to you,"

| A week later |

With it having been nearly two weeks since Gail had gone "missing" and Natasha knew her timetable of getting her away from Steve, out of their lives was withering away. But She still need her! She needed to know what it was about Gail Richards that made Steve Rogers, keep coming back.

"Explain it again, "Natasha said, the back of her head now pounding in agitation.

"I have already explained it to you a million times!" Gail replied just as annoyed with Natasha as Natasha was with her.

"Explain it better because it makes no sense to me that he would come crawling back to you after finding you making out with someone else!"

"I wasn't making out with someone else, it was for work!"

"Stop pretending like you have a job, you don't." Natasha hissed. "You have not worked for a single thing in your entire life. You are the prime example of daddy's money. You aren't like Steve and I. Steve and I have worked for what we have, unlike you, you are useless."

"Exactly! I am useless, is that what you want to hear?" Gail asked, desperate to get somewhere with Natasha.

"If you are gonna act like this is a sorta game to you, it would appear that I have no other need for you," Natasha said. Leaning over Natasha reached for the knife she kept in her bag. Gail's eyes widened.

"No wait stop please, I know something!" She finally let out, her voice was high, and you could tell that she was scared. Scared of dying, or scared of Natasha in general, that was unclear. But Natasha knew that whatever was to be said from this woman should be taken with a grain of salt. But if she wants to play a game, she's got to listen.

"This better be something important, or I swear you won't get the luxury of having a fast death, I will make you regret even looking my way, looking a steve."

"I swear it is,"

"Go on then," Natasha said sitting back and placing the sharp knife on her lap, staring straight into Gail's soul.

"Steve is crazy," Natasha narrowed her eyes. "He gets jealous and protective." She was trying to make it sound nicer than it really was, that much Natasha could see. "Listen, that night that he first found me making out with that dude, I didn't notice him right away. I thought I heard someone but I racked it up to being my imagination."

"Get to the point,"

"Okay, I am sorry. This was roughly a week before we even started dating. But I remembered those blue eyes anywhere. I remember opening my eyes to remove the man's coat and catching someone staring right at me. Watched me closely as the man trailed his kisses along my neck. I never realized it till now, but the man had a tattoo, on his arm! It was of a shield, and then a week later, I officially meet Steve at a coffee house in uptown New York of all places!"

"What are you trying to say here?" Natasha questioned. "Are you accusing Steve of being a pervert?"

"I am saying that he's possessive, that if he wants something he gets it. I never realized till now, how crazy he gets when I even look at another man. But then we go out and he allows me to dance with men he picks out, only to scare them away. Natasha," Gail took a deep breath. "In hopes that you don't kill, please listen to me when I say this, Steve Rogers is not the man that you thought he was."

|~|

"Natasha!" Maria banged on her best friend's door. "Come on dude open up," Maria grew tired of waiting and opened the door using her spare key. "Hey loser I am taking your food," she called out, not knowing if Natasha was even home. Maria made her way to her best friend's kitchen, pulling open her fridge. Smiling to herself she saw the leftover pizza from last night and went to grab a slice.

Turning around she noticed that Natasha's computer was open. Well if she had to wait for Natasha to come home, at the very least she could watch some Netflix. Sitting down, the brunette turn the computer back on and waited for the screen to come back to life.

Frowning, she noticed a file was left open. She frowned deeper looking at the title of it, "the evil queen," Thinking it had something to do with the library, Maria opened it further, and nearly choked on her pizza when she saw what she had just opened.

Lighting up the computer was now a live video, an Instagram account, and access to someone's phone. "What the hell is this?" Maria asked herself. She couldn't help but look around to make sure she was still alone before widening the live video feed.

"Steve Rogers is not the man that you thought he was." Maria couldn't help but feel the way her heart dropped at the sight in front of her. Her best friend was sitting in front of a woman, tied up and looking very sick.

"You lie," Natasha spoke back to the woman. "You are a cruel fucking liar. How dare you say these things!"

"I am telling the truth!" Maria couldn't hear the rest of the conversation. This had to be some sort of prank. Why the hell was that woman tied up? What did Steve Rogers have to do with this? what- before Maria could make another coherent thought a cloth was pulled over her mouth. Her eyes began to feel heavy in weight.

"I am sorry, I really didn't want to hurt you," Someone spoke. "But you leave me no choice, I will not have anyone mess up my happy ending. Not even you."

"Won't get away," Maria muttered as the person lowered her to the ground, she was feeling groggy and very confused.

"Trust me, when I say this Maria," The red hair finally came into Maria's view. "I already have." Natasha's cold hand began to stroke Maria's check. "I am sorry, for what it's worth I truly did think of you as a friend. But I have to do what the hero has to do, did you really think me so foolish to leave a live stream up?" Natasha asked. "Go to sleep Maria, we will chat in a more formal setting." Before Maria could even muster another word her eyes closed one last time. "That's a good girl."