Venomous

11. Discoveries and Confessions

(Natasha's POV)

I huffed my way out of the training room, not caring that I was making a scene or that everyone was watching me. I don't know why I got so upset while Parker and I were sparring, but at some point, it seemed like we were no longer training or testing out her skills but actually venting some of our pent-up frustration over our past and taking it out on each other physically. Not that I landed any real punches. Parker did though. I winced and pinched the bridge of my nose, noticing how tender it was. Where had she learned to fight like that? I mean, sure, she had been a shield agent for a while, but....I frowned. How long had she been a shield agent? I crossed the compound to one of the research areas in Tony's lab and pulled up Shield's – well, formerly Shield's – intel files. Brock, Parker.

I had to scroll through about twenty files full of information about her brother, Eddie. I smirked. Poor guy was going to be in a lot of trouble when Parker got ahold of him. As I scrolled through Eddie's files, however, something caught my eye. I knew him as an investigative journalist, and as Parker's brother. Shield seemed to know him for something else – something unsettlingly familiar. I gasped at the pictures I was looking at in his file. It bore a strikingly remarkable resemblance to whatever Parker is. Could she have gotten it from him? I frowned again, making a mental note to dig into Eddie more later. For now, I wanted information on his younger sibling.

Twenty minutes, I pushed my chair away from the desk sighing and rubbing my eyes. I remembered too late that I had been punched in the nose, and my entire face throbbed when I rubbed it absent-mindedly. Parker Brock had been a Shield Agent – and not exactly a low-ranking one, either – for 10 years. Ten. Fucking. Years. She joined the agency right out of college – rather, she was recruited to the agency right out of college by none other than Maria Hill. I understood now how she had beaten me in our fight – she had a natural talent for memorizing and executing martial arts. While some people had an affinity for languages, or art, or music, Parker's was fighting. I couldn't find a single missing martial art on the list of ones she knew and could use at a moment's notice. I took a deep breath trying to process this information. None of it made sense.

I heard the hinges of the glass door protesting and knew that someone had entered the room. I squeezed my eyes together tightly for a moment, pulling myself together. I had no idea what I was feeling right now, but I didn't think I liked it. I looked up as Steve rounded the corner, hanging his head sheepishly. "I thought maybe you could use a friend," he said softly. I chuckled.

"I'm clearly fine, Rogers." Steve laughed now, leaning against the wall near the door, folding his arms across his chest and raising his eyebrows.

"Come on, Natasha. I know you better than that. Spill." I sighed, putting my feet up on the chair and leaning back against the desk.

"It's a long story – and I don't even know if I'm telling it right anymore." Steve frowned, confused. I shrugged. "Really, Rogers. I'm fine." He wasn't buying it. I watched as he pulled up another chair, scooting it towards me loudly on the floor. I rolled my eyes. He could be so annoyingly persistent in taking care of his friends at times. I both hated and loved him for it.

"You have somewhere better to be?" I huffed at him, but couldn't help but smirk.

"Parker and I...were together for a year about five years ago," I began. Steve frowned, looking at me.

"Really? You and Parker?" I frowned. Is this old man seriously going to pull some homophobic shit with me? I scowled.

"Is that a problem?" Steve laughed and held up his hands.

"No, not at all – I just always pictured you as a top." I blinked at him for a minute before breaking out into a fit of uncontrollable laughter, which he joined in on.

"What would you know about it?" I joked back at him. Steve smirked at me.

"More than you think, Romanoff." I raised my eyebrows. We were going to have this conversation sometime in the near future. When our laughter died down to a manageable level, Steve leaned forward, his eyes staring at me intently. "So, what happened?" I sighed.

"That's where it gets a bit...complicated." He chuckled.

"Isn't it always?" I nodded. He had a point.

"I got assigned to California initially to keep an eye on Stark. When things started to go sideways, I was put into his company undercover. And I was undercover when I met Parker, and..." my voice trailed off, and I knew immediately that Steve understood.

"Did she find out?" I shook my head, smiling wistfully.

"She came to find me at Stark's birthday party. I was missing our one-year anniversary that night because Tony thought he was dying and he couldn't keep his shit together." I sighed, looking down at my hands, playing with the skin around my fingernails. "She caught me...too close to comfort to Tony..." Steve sighed and shook his head before resting a hand on my shoulder sympathetically. "And then she was just gone. I never saw her again."

"You didn't reach out?" I bit the inside of my lip.

"I wanted to, every day. But things were getting real, and then Fury called us in, and then Loki..." Steve nodded, getting the gist. "After a while, it was just too late." Steve smirked at me, squeezing my shoulder.

"That's the thing, Natasha. If I've learned anything, it's that it's rarely – if ever – too late." I leaned into his shoulder as he pulled me into a side hug. As he did so, however, I saw him glancing over my shoulder at the computer. I followed his gaze. "So...what were you researching about her?" He asked, puzzled. I took a deep breath.

"I wasn't the only one that had a secret, as it turns out." Steve frowned, turning back to face me, leaning against the desk.

"How so?" I gestured toward the screen.

"Parker has been a shield agent for ten years." Steve's eyes went wide.

"So the whole time you were together..."

"Yep." The P sound popped extra loudly in the otherwise quiet room. Steve shook his head.

"You should talk to her, Natasha – I would say that both of you deserve at least that much." I shrugged.

"And say what? Sorry that I lied to you, but you were lying to me too so I guess it's fine?" Steve crinkled his nose in amusement.

"I might not lead with that."