A/N: Okay, I got this idea from another story idea I want to do. I usually hit the snooze button, whenever I can, so I thought that the Avengers should have one too! I mean honestly, they fight for NEW YORK, deal with Fury, are a large band of misfits, go on all kinds of weird missions for S.H.I.E.L.D., and they are never (with maybe the exception of Tony) seen sleeping in. So, I did this. And Steve is my favorite out of all the Avengers, so he will be in every one of these chapters, just cause.
Enjoy!
Disclaimer: I do not own the Avengers in any way, shape, or form. Sighs…
Natasha
To say Natasha that is tired is an understatement.
She had been running many of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s errands for the past week or two and it was getting to the point that she barely remembered what day it was. Nat was tired, exhausted even. At the moment, the super spy was just lying down in the bed at the Avengers Tower, waiting for the alarm clock to go off. Sleep had eluded her for so long, due to the last mission that her body just refused to rest.
S.H.I.E.L.D. had her go to some third world country to help the people there with a water system problem that the authorities couldn't handle. However, it was later discovered that the reason behind the water problem had a direct connection to the countries Prime Minister. Said man, had had an affair with a rebel gang leader's wife. So as punishment the group attacked the system by dumping gallons of toxic waste and fertilizer into the clean water tanks outside the capital.
It took Natasha five extra days to find the gang, dispatch them, and then figure out a way to purify the water. S.H.I.E.L.D. figured out the latter, but Natasha was still put in a position where she had to lead almost half of the country into a safe area with clean water!
There was even one incident where she had a two year old clinging to her leather uniform on her hip, and a five year putting a death grip on her hand as they ran for their lives to escape gun fire. If it were possible, she would have left the kids in a general safe spot to go and kill the men trying to turn them into Swiss cheese, but the wailing toddler was not willing to let go of her. So having no other option, Natasha ran for her life with the kids in tow.
Tasha rolled onto her back from her side and winced as the pressure was alleviated from her broken ribs. Those only being one of the few injuries she had suffered. When Natasha came to the tower at some God forsaken hour last night, the entire team was there and waited for her. Truth be told, seeing all of them there sitting in the living room or at the bar, brought a shadow of a smile on the more than dead beat spy's face. Before she had arrived at the place she now called home, S.H.I.E.L.D. had to debrief her and get a rather long and unnecessary report on the mission.
This just pissed off the Russian spy because they knew all along what was going on between the correspondence, land crew, bomb squads, Special Forces, the country's police, undercover agents, and the ever present S.H.I.E.L.D. agents. Midway through the hour and a half interview, Natasha just wanted to tell Fury to stuff it so she could go home. She had already stayed there a week longer than was necessary due to the gangs, so why subject herself to even more torture at the hands of a one eyed trench coat loving Fury!
She blinked up at the ceiling, bandaged hands resting delicately on her stomach. The white ceiling had many ridges in it that made it easy for the assassin to connect the raised bumps like stars. Some of them even resembled the constellations that Natasha remembered seeing in Russia. But that was all she did.
Back against a soft bed, blankets only up to her waist, loaded Walther Arms PK380 Semiautomatic Centerfire Pistol under her pillow, hands on her stomach, body a throbbing bruise, and tired green eyes that just seemed to stare up at the speckled ceiling as if it were a night sky.
Steve is always the first one up in the tower. He was pretty sure it had something to do with his training in the army, but at the same time, Steve never really got a good night's sleep anyway. Too much had changed in the world for that to ever happen and the bonus nightmares he would get from the ice didn't help either. So, on a morning like this, Steve got out of bed-because he never really went to sleep anyway- and got ready for the day.
It was early, and he hoped that Tony had somehow found a way to his room in the middle of the night. Everyone stayed up for the past week waiting for their missing family member to come home. She was due back a week ago, so everyone was antsy when Natasha didn't come up the elevator shaft with a prep in her step and smirking slightly. When that day became two, then four, then seven, everyone was practically in panic mode. There had been more than one instance where Steve had to physically manhandle Clint back to the tower- with the help of Thor!
Everyone was freaking out so much that Fury almost blew his casket and actually had to try to get the Avengers out of Head Quarters.
Once they got home, Clint was pacing back and forth on the living room carpet in his sweats and an old wife beater. Tony was at the bar drinking Lord-knows-what and Pepper keeping him company. Bruce was sitting at the table, poking at a Stark Pad hands a very slight shade of green. And he and Thor were sitting on the couch watching Barton pace and ready to spring up if the man tried to run out of the building. The more they stayed there in their own thoughts, the more the tension built up in the room.
Whatever conversation took place was strained and didn't last long and it was driving the man crazy! If he wanted quite, there were several places in the Tower that were built with sound proof walls. Hulk's playground being one of them! The tension was so think that Tony's repulors could burn through it!
Steve was brought out of his quiet ranting as Clint stopped pacing and made a mad dash for the elevator doors. He and Thor were up in the blink of an eye to try and tackle the eager bird as he stood in front of the elevator like a socially deprived puppy. When the two blondes tried to lay hands on him, all Clint said was, "She's here! She's here! Let me go!"
They immediately relinquished their hold, but never left either side of Clint. Thor looked over at Steve as Clint did something that looked like a pee-pee dance as the floor numbers went up. "Has Lady Natasha decided to make her entrance?" Thor's usually bellowing voice was softer than, well, usual. Steve would have missed his words if it weren't for his serum enhanced hearing.
"Yeah, I hear her coming up the elevator. Now shut up!" Clint spoke to Thor. He wasn't trying to be rude, they all understood that, but it was a little odd see the sniper so antsy. When the elevator doors opened to reveal a tired and bruised Natasha Romanoff in casual clothes, leaning against the elevator wall, and duffel bag over her shoulder, Clint practically pounced on her.
He eased the bag from her shoulder to his and brought the Black Widow into a firm, but soft hug. And to everyone else's surprise she hugged him back. Then Natasha's knees buckled underneath her and if it weren't for the fact that Clint was holding her, she would have fallen to the floor.
Clint stood there holding an exhausted Widow and her duffle in the elevator, he looked over his shoulder and made eye contact with Steve. He instantly knew what was needed and approached the two, trying to walk as quietly as possible to not disturb Natasha. Steve eased the duffel off of Clint's shoulder and started to carry it to Natasha's room with Clint carrying Natasha not far behind. The team followed them and waited outside the door as Clint put her in the bed and Bruce checked her for any threatening injuries. Steve placed the duffel on the dresser for Nat to empty later and went to stand by the Thor and Tony.
Once Bruce deemed that she was alright, he left her side just as Clint pulled over one of the chairs in the room to be beside her bed. Tony, Thor, and Bruce, went their separate ways after hearing that she was alright and had only needed sleep, but Steve remained in the door post. He waited for Clint to get settled in the chair and prop his sock covered feet on the edge of the bed, eyes never leaving Tasha, before closing the door silently behind him.
Yes, last night no one really got sleep. So Steve wasn't really surprised to see the team the way they were when he got to the kitchen. Tony was on the couch playing with one of his Stark Pads. Bruce was drink-what Steve assumed was- tea and reading the newspaper. Thor was raiding the pantry for poptarts, and Clint had his head on the table and looked to be asleep.
He heard all of the shuffling and stumbling to the kitchen earlier that morning, after his shower and workout. So, to actually see them in the various states of exhaustion and boredom brought a smile to his face. They all cared for each other, even if they had different ways of showing it.
Steve fully stepped into the room and looked over everyone curiously. "Does anyone want pancakes?"
Tony's head shot over to him and nodded eagerly. "Oh yeah! Can you put blueberries in mine?"
The corners of Steve's mouth went up in the hint of a smile, and he nodded to Tony. "Thor, Bruce, Clint? You want fruit in yours too?" he asked as he went into the kitchen and started to get all of his ingredients.
Thor stopped rummaging through the pantry and looked at Steve digging through the refrigerator. "Yes, Friend Steve! I will have these so called pancakes!" Thor's bellowing voice made Steve wince as it echoed in the fridge.
Bruce spoke up next, "Sure, can I have apples in mine?" Everyone looked over at the scientist with various levels of disgust and Clint raised his head.
"Really? Apples? That doesn't sound very good."
Bruce shrugged," I like it, and it make the pancakes sweet enough to not need syrup. Unless you want the Other Guy to be hyper?"
Clint's eyes widened, Tony shrunk deeper into the couch, and Steve and Thor exchanged worried glances from across the kitchen. Clint slowly nodded his head, eyes never leaving the smirking Banner. "Okay, carry on! Can I have blue berries, Steve?"
Steve absently nodded his head and proceeded to get the rest of the fruit out of the fridge. His hands stopped when they were between the strawberries and the cherries. Which one did Natasha like again? Steve shrugged and pulled out both packages along with two cartons of eggs. Light chatter filled the room as Steve made breakfast. Every now and then his ears would drift in on the conversation. Now they were talking about why the Hulk liked apple cinnamon pancakes and if there was any other fruits he did and didn't like.
Once the food was done, Steve put each of the different pancakes on separate plates and the eggs in one big bowl. Now was time for the tricky part. Steve placed Thor's Tower of Pisa worth of plain pancakes on his head, balanced perfectly. Then he placed Tony's and Clint's blueberries on one arm, arranged Bruce's apple and his plain on the other, before walking over the table where the rest of the team was now gathered. The room fell silent upon Steve's balancing act, before they all started laughing and help their Captain.
Rogers put his plate down and returned to the kitchen to get Natasha's strawberry pancakes and the huge bowl of eggs. It was when he placed her plate on the table that Steve realized that she hadn't come down yet.
"Hey Clint, where's Natasha?"
Upon hearing his name, Clint looked up mouth full of eggs. "I dink she's sweepin'."
Steve brought his eyebrows together. Why is she still asleep? She normally wakes up when I do? Steve was about to ask Clint if she was alright, but they mentally slapped himself. Because if she wasn't, Clint wouldn't be trying to taste Bruce's pancakes right now. Steve left her spot at the table and headed toward the stairs on the other side of the room. "I'll be right back guys." He called over his shoulder and then proceeded to take the stairs two at a time.
He talked to JARVIS on his way up to her floor. "Hey Jarvis? Natasha didn't set her alarm clock right?"
The AI's voice followed him up the passage. "Yes, Captain. Ms. Romanoff, just hit the snooze button not too long ago. Is there anything I can do to assist you?"
Steve jumped up the last four steps and opened the door to the Widow's floor," No, I got it."
He padded lightly down the sun filled hallway and toward Natasha's door. It was ever so slightly ajar as Cap approached. Clint must have left it open. He thought as Steve nudged it with his hand, thanking God that hinges weren't squeaky. Walking as quietly as he could into the room. Steve's eyes adjusted to the shaded room and found the small lump underneath the crisp white sheets.
Making sure he could see her red night shirt under the blanket, Steve moved around the bed and to her nightstand. The super soldier looked down at the sleeping face of the infamous Black Widow.
Natasha was laying on her back facing the ceiling. Her green eyes closed to the world and moving slightly under her eyelids. Cream colored hands rested comfortably on her abdomen and the soft blankets surrounding her body. Natasha's vibrant red hair fanned out over the pillow framing her pale face and just touching the shoulders of her night shirt. She was beautiful. Steve watched her chest rise and fall softly in the gentle arms of sleep, all coldness gone from her face leaving a youthful glow. He wished he could see this side of her more, but do to her past, Steve doubted it would not be so for a long time. As a matter of fact, he was almost jealous of how peacefully she slept. He would love to fall back on the pillow and just have one peaceful night, but, Steve being Steve, he pushed those thoughts away and went on with his mission.
He removed his gaze from Natasha and instead glared at the unnecessarily advanced alarm clock on her night table. Seriously! Why do they have to be so complicated? Steve remembered the alarm clocks he used to have during the Great Depression and they were far less complicated! Heck, even his 21st century one that Tony showed him how to use had less buttons! This one had sound effects and many other things that he was afraid to touch!
So Steve did what any other confused person would do to something with technology they didn't know how it worked. He unplugged it.
Steve gently placed the cord down on the floor and then tip toed out of the room, closing the door behind him. He took the stairs again, and knew he was getting close to the kitchen when he heard shouting. Steve chuckled and jogged down the last few steps to join the other guys. The back of mind, still dwindling on his teammates sleeping form.