Authors Note: Just a short one shot of Steve and Natasha. Basically follows the winter soldier storyline until the end so if you haven't watched it you probably shouldn't read it. It's basically the movie with a bit more insight. Hope you guys like it.
"On my count."
"Three,"
"Two,"
"One,"
He was locked in and there was nothing that could distract him from his target. As he approached the window he swung his shield taking out the man by the control console.
"One down."
Of course there was no time to celebrate as a leg was flying towards him, which he quickly parried.
"Out we go."
Block, parry, block, parry, and retaliate. Three backflips and there he stood, the target.
"More than a shield?"
"Let's See."
One hit, and through the door.
"Well, this is awkward."
Red. A little smile and a mischievous glint
"Sigh."
"Where were you? Rumlow needed your help."
"You boys had it handled."
"That's not the point, you strayed from the mission."
"That was your mission, this is mine." She said with a nonchalant grin as she continued typing on the computer.
"He looks so agitated!"
A shuffle of feet, a click, and instinctively she dove towards him as he bought the shield down in between them. It was safe they would be all right.
"Alright that one's on me." She groaned as she grunted from the slight burns and soreness of the explosion.
"You're damn right it is." He said coldly as he got up and headed out the door.
With a sigh she laid her head back on the burnt wall. She liked agitating him but she hated it when he got mad. It was business, she had her mission and he had his. She understood that but the disappointment in his eyes still saddened her even if she knew they were more towards Fury than her in particular.
The door opened again and before she knew it or could protest she found herself scooped up bridal style and taken out towards the deck.
"I can handle myself Rogers." She said, annoyance ringing in her velvet voice.
"Well, you take too long." Grunted Steve
"Whatever." She said as she tried to contain the hidden smile she had.
"He's not really mad."
Natasha sighed as she picked herself up from the bathroom floor. Fury was gone and she was going to have to accept that. She'll find him. She'll find whoever paid him. And she will kill them. It was that simple. George Orwell had a theory about revenge where he states that revenge is only for those who did not have the power they held now. This wasn't revenge. This was for the protection of others. And if she was there she would have done all she could to stop him. She wasn't weak; she hadn't been weak since she was a child.
As she strode down the hall she passed a vending machine and decided that she could use a snack. That's when she saw it. The blue flash drive engraved with the shield emblem. Two dollars later and it was in her hand along with two packs of hubba bubba gum. She knew he would be back for it so she sat down on a chair across the hall and waited.
Sure enough in a couple minutes he came in with his poor attempt at remaining subtle. As if nobody would notice his hulking frame and gigantic arms. She almost burst out laughing at the fact that Steve thought a hat would disguise Captain America. With a smile she saw his horrified expression as he stared into the vending machine. She got behind him and blew a bubble with her gum. Before she knew it was gently lifted up and pushed into nearby room onto the wall.
"How does he just? Why do I let him?"
"Cause you love it."
"Shut up."
"Where is it?"
"Safe." She said with a smirk as she watched his frustrated expression.
"Where did you get?"
"Fury gave it to you, didn't he?" she said as she quickly pieced the situation together.
"What did he tell you?"
"Nothing."
"Stop lying!"
"I'm not." She said kind of hurt at the fact that he never realized that she did everything she could to be honest with him. Ever since they met when he got off the helicopter. She didn't need to warn him. She didn't need to debrief him. But she did and she did her best to answer any questions he had when she would normally just ignore everyone else.
"I just act like I know everything." She added in softly, as she noticed the frustration pushing in Steve's blue eyes.
"I know who killed Fury." She said quickly changing the subject and noticing his eyes harden and seem more distracted.
"Thank goodness."
"Where did Captain America learn to steal a car?" said the mocking velvet voice of the fiery goddess seated next to him.
Flashes, gunfire, the screams of German men and American soldiers as explosions after explosions went off all around, almost all hearing lost.
"Rogers! The Green and Red Wire!"
"Nazi Germany, it's just something that had to be done during the war." He said coolly.
"Oh," she said awkwardly as silence swept in and the hum of the engine was the only thing that could be heard. But that was short lived.
"Hey can I ask you a question? You don't have to answer it but if you don't it kind of seems like you answered it."
"What is it?" He sighed.
"Was that your first kiss since 1945." Said the amused velvety voice
Steve froze a little as it took all his power from not slamming the brakes in shock.
"No it wasn't." he said coolly.
"I'm 95 not dead."
"Well, that made no sense." Groaned Steve in his head
Natasha pouted a little as she quickly began running through various scenarios and memories of when Steve could have kissed someone else when it hit her and a smug grind spread across her face. He was lying.
They talked idly for a while but soon the conversation got deep.
"Well what do you want me to be?"
"A friend." Said Steve with a slight pause
"Why did he hesitate?"
"You might be looking in the wrong department." She said secretly hoping that Steve would somehow catch on to the double meaning behind those words.
"Are those shoulders even real? How does that shirt not suffocate him?" She thought as she tried to distract herself from the fact that she almost died.
He came out and she looked away.
"What's wrong?"
What was she supposed to say? That she still couldn't believe she was still alive? That everything she's worked to build as to atone for her sins was all a lie? That she couldn't understand anything that she was thinking or feeling as if everything that she suppressed and ignored before suddenly came charging through her mind forcing her towards the brink of insanity. And he touched her. It was a gentle concerning light touch but it made everything blank. It was quiet again.
"Natasha what's wrong?"
"It's just that everything I worked for was all a lie, and I don't even know whose lies I'm telling anymore."
He knew it was more than that but she would tell him if she wanted to. It wasn't his place to force her to anything, nor would he want to.
"Steve, answer me honestly."
"Is there another way to do it?"
"If it was down for me to save your life would your trust me to do it?" She said staring directly into him as green met blue.
There she was completely exposed with her eyes wide and doe like desperate for approval, hanging off the balance of the next few words that would come out of his mouth. The answer was simple.
"I would now."
He was nervous. He didn't know he said it like that. He would have trusted her back in New York. He saw what type of person she was. They approached situations in such a similar manner. Tony, Hulk, Thor, and Clint were brash and would charge in looking to destroy or protect. Natasha and Steve would prepare and always assess the situation coming up with 50 different plans and backup ones in a matter of minutes. They both enjoyed keeping to themselves and speaking little while their teammates were more bold, loud, and easygoing. She wasn't under his command, she didn't have to listen or follow his orders. But during that battle when they were on the bridge she did it anyways. She gave him her trust all without fully even knowing him. That was the moment where he realized that he could trust Natasha.
"Natasha, Natasha, Natasha."
"Don't go."
She froze, as the summer winds and swaying of the grass whistled softly.
"I'm gonna… Go over… Somewhere." Said Sam Awkwardly as he jetted out of whatever was about to happen.
"Why?"
"I need you."
"I need you more."
"You have the strength of a god, and you have Sam to back you up. You'll be fine." She said turning around with a small smile to see Steve looking down at the ground.
"There's only one god ma'am. And it's not the same."
"You don't need someone like me in your life. Especially now, there's nothing left to hide." She said softly as she hugged herself in the summer winds turning away from Steve, as she couldn't bear to look at him.
"How do you know what I need? I don't know what you need, and I'm not telling you what you need nor will I ever. But I'm telling you what I need Natasha. I need you. You're the best partner anyone could ask for and you care about protecting those who can't protect themselves. I may have a shield but you are one. You do what it takes even if the whole world is against you because you know what the truth is. You're willing to take the pain and negativity in hopes of protecting and nurturing a greater good. You had a dark past; you've done terrible things. Who hasn't? What matters is who we are in the present and nothing more. I don't know much about the present still; nothing in this world makes sense, except one thing. You. Natasha."
She was trembling. In one long speech he managed to say everything she secretly yearned to hear. She made sense. She made sense to him. Steve Rogers.
"God, you're so cheesy." She said as her voice broke and tears slowly streamed down her face. Two seconds a step later and a gentle hand was on her.
"Natasha? Are you alright?" said Steve with a concerned voice.
"Did you mean it? What you just said." She asked stupidly as she still couldn't believe what Steve just said.
"Every word, and more." Said Steve proudly never showing any hint of regrets or fear.
"Well, I guess I could stay." She said trying to sound nonchalant about it as she turned and wrapped her arms around the hulking figure.
"Good." Said Steve with a relieved smile as he held her placing a small kiss on her forehead.
Authors Note: Still not sure if I'm going to keep it a one shot but we'll see.