Natasha followed Steve through the streets of London, and despite the fact that the sidewalks were overrun with people going about their night, no one had noticed them or stopped them.
"Are you going to tell me where you're taking me?" Natasha laughed as they squeezed through a group of people. Steve was currently leading the way, pulling her behind him by the hand.
"Well that would ruin the surprise, wouldn't it?" He said, looking over his shoulder at her and giving her a boyish smile. Natasha felt her chest squeeze at the sight of it. She'd missed him. It had been so long since they were able to do anything together because of her crazy filming schedule, yet here they were, walking around the streets of London together after their paths happened to cross in that dingy little pub.
Steve took a sharp right, still pulling Natasha behind him. Natasha couldn't help but smile as she noticed that despite having ahold of her hand, he made sure to glance back behind him every so often to make sure that she was still keeping up with him. They walked a bit further before Steve finally veered out of the crowd, standing in front of a large building. "Here we are." He looked over at Natasha who had her eyebrows knitted together in confusion.
"An art museum?" She asked. "Isn't it closed?"
Steve smiled and grabbed his phone out of his pocket. He quickly texted someone before turning back to her and taking her hand again. "It's not when you know one of the curators," he replied. Natasha followed Steve around the back side of the museum to a small door by the loading dock.
"So, who works here?" Natasha leaned back against the railing beside the door and folded her arms across her chest. Admittedly, it was pretty cold, and she should've brought something heavier than her leather jacket, but she also didn't expect to be actually doing anything beyond getting a couple drinks tonight. She shivered almost imperceptibly, but Steve noticed, smiling gently as he stepped over toward her. He wrapped an arm around her and pulled her against him. Natasha smiled into his chest as she wrapped her arms around him inside his heavy brown leather coat, her heart fluttering at the gesture, but grateful for the extra warmth that he provided. She kept her head there for a few moments, taking in mixture of cinnamon and cedar from his cologne and bodywash, she nearly hummed at how pleasant he smelled. Natasha tilted her head up to look at Steve who looked down at her and smiled.
"I would've just given you my coat, but we'll be heading inside soon, so-"
"Steve," Natasha said with a laugh, "this is fine, thank you." Natasha buried her head back into Steve's chest and he laughed a little bit, before resting his head on top of hers.
"I missed you, you know?" Steve whispered as they stood there.
"I missed you too," Natasha replied with a sigh. Natasha pulled back to look at Steve's face, finding herself getting lost in his too blue eyes as she did.
When the door swung open, both Steve and Natasha jumped, the moment they were sharing getting interrupted.
"Hey punk," Bucky called from the door, "I can't believe you've been back in London for two whole days and are just now stopping by to see us."
Steve chuckled and released his hold on Natasha, walking forward to give Bucky a big hug. "Yeah well, I've been a little busy," he ribbed back.
Natasha stood back, smiling as she watched the two boys interact with one another. She knew Bucky pretty well, especially when her and Steve were around each other all the time, but it had been a while since the last time she'd seen him. She didn't even know that he was living in London.
"Who'd you bring with you?" Bucky asked, clapping Steve on the shoulder.
"A familiar face," Steve replied, stepping to the side to reveal Natasha standing behind him.
"Hey stranger," she said with a smile.
"Holy shit. Tash?" He laughed and walked forward, grabbing her in a bear hug. "What are you doing here?"
"Well, I was here to film a movie," she said as she pulled back from the hug before giving Steve a playful smirk, "but then I ran into an old friend at this little pub and somehow let him talk me into quitting the movie and going on an adventure with him."
"I didn't make you call Clint," he teased back. He brought his hand up to his chin, rubbing it in fake thought, "and come to think of it, I think I made it clear that you quitting this particular movie wasn't what I meant when we were talking about it." He folded his arms across his chest, pulling his jacket and his shirt tighter against his arms, as he raised an eyebrow challengingly at her.
"Tell me, Rogers, what's it like to be so full of shit all the time?" She quipped, raising an eyebrow back at him. It would have had its desired effect if it weren't for the shiver that coursed through her body when a small gust of wind blew through.
Bucky laughed, walking over to Steve again to playfully hit his shoulder, "good to see neither one of you has changed a bit. Come on in, it's freezing out here." Bucky walked in the door, disappearing in the darkness of the hallway, while Steve held the door and gestured for Natasha to walk inside first. Natasha fake curtsied at him before sliding past him and into the building. Steve rolled his eyes, but the smile on his face betrayed his fake irritation.
Natasha took a few steps inside before stopping, unable to see any further. She was just about to reach in her purse to grab her phone to use as a light when Steve's hand slid onto the small of her back. "Trust me?" He whispered into her ear, sending shivers down her spine.
She took a breath, collecting herself before answering him, "without a doubt."
She felt Steve smile against the side of her face as he gently put pressure against her back, urging her to move forward. Natasha was glad it was so dark in the hallway, otherwise it would be completely obvious just how red she was. She struggled to focus on where she was going rather than trying to keep her breathing even. "Take a right," Steve said, his voice low. Natasha hesitated for a moment, and Steve gently slid his hand down from her back to her hip, turning her with him before moving his hand back to its spot on her back. Steve smiled when he felt her tense slightly under his touch knowing that she was having the same internal battle he was. It was taking every bit of restraint that he had not to push her up against one of the walls in the hallway and show her just how happy he was to see her. "And a left," he whispered again, going through the same motions as last time so she would feel more comfortable doing so.
"How long is this hallway?" Natasha asked, doing her best not to sound as breathless as she felt.
Steve chuckled, "not much further. Turn right here." As they made the right turn, Natasha saw light coming out from under what she could only assume was a door. She couldn't help the wave of relief that rushed over her, knowing that soon she would be able to walk for herself again, but she also didn't miss the pang of disappointment knowing that Steve wouldn't be this close to her anymore.
As they reached the end of the hallway, Steve put his hand on her shoulder to stop her before walking around her and opening up the door. Natasha squinted and blinked several times, trying to adjust to the change in lighting. She walked through the open door, giving Steve a coy smile as she passed him. Inside, Bucky was sitting on a stool next to a girl with brunette hair, who was standing over a painting. Another girl with blonde hair was standing across the room, using a magnifying glass to inspect a small ceramic pot of some kind.
"It's about time," Bucky called as they walked in, "I was beginning to think that this punk forgot the way here." He got a shit-eating grin on his face before adding, "or rather he didn't want to remember."
"Good to see you haven't changed a bit either, Barnes," Natasha teased, rolling her eyes at him.
Steve shut the door behind him before walking into the room, putting his hand on the small of Natasha's back once more to gently lead her over to where Bucky was sitting. "Natasha, this is Wanda Maximoff. Wanda, Natasha," he said, introducing the brunette woman standing next to Bucky.
"It's so nice to meet you!" Wanda chimed, turning around and hugging Natasha. Natasha was taken aback for a second but returned the hug. "Sorry, I realize you don't know me, but I feel like I already know you with how much these boys talk about you." Natasha raised her eyebrow looking at each of the boys, Bucky just shrugged, but when she looked at Steve, he was blushing.
He cleared his throat before gesturing over to the other woman in the room, "and this is Sharon Carter. Both Wanda and Sharon are curators for the museum."
Sharon looked up from the vase and gave Natasha a friendly wave, "it's nice to meet you, and I second Wanda's statement. I feel like I already know you from how much these guys are talking about you." She paused for a moment, before a larger smile spread across her face, "especially Steve."
"Ha ha, you guys are real funny, you know that?" Steve replied, sarcastically, the blush from his face spreading down to his neck.
Natasha decided not to tease Steve about it, deciding that she would get more information from him later instead. "So how did you all meet?" Natasha asked, grabbing one of the stools on the other side of Wanda.
"Oh, well, I met James first and then after we'd been dating a month or two, he introduced me to Steve," Wanda said, moving closer to Bucky and giving him a small kiss on the forehead.
"And I met Steve a few months after when Wanda and Bucky brought him along one night," Sharon added, walking over from where she was walking to join the others.
"You didn't tell me you had a girlfriend, Barnes." Natasha folded her arms across her chest and looked at him accusingly.
"Well, it's not like you ever answered my calls or texts," Bucky replied. Natasha felt a pang of guilt, she really had done a terrible job at staying in touch with them.
"I'm sorry, I've just been so-"
"busy," Bucky finished, shrugging his shoulders, "we get it Tash."
Steve noticed Natasha get upset. He stepped closer to her and put a hand on her shoulder, "but that's part of why you quit the movie, right? So you'll have more time for stuff like that," he said gently.
Natasha nodded and smiled up at him, "right."
"So, who's working tonight?" Steve asked as he shrugged his jacket off.
"Fury's here late finishing up some stuff in his office, and Coulson's on security." Wanda turned back and looked at her painting. "You should stop by Fury's office if you have a minute, he said that he wanted to talk to you about something if you have time."
"Okay," Steve replied. "I'll stop by as we walk through, if that's okay with you, Nat."
"Yeah, absolutely," she said as she stood up. She quickly her phone out of her purse before turning to face Steve.
"Alright, well we'll see you guys in a bit," Steve called as they walked toward the elevator.
"Remember that sex in a public place is illegal," Bucky yelled after them. Wanda slapped him on the shoulder, earning a muffled "ouch" from Bucky, and Steve flipped him off as the elevator doors closed.
"So," Natasha said, folding her arms and leaning back against the elevator, "you've been talking a lot about me to the girls?"
Steve shoved his hands in his pockets and dropped his head back to look up at the ceiling. "I knew you weren't going to let that go," he murmured. He rolled his neck over to look at her a smile painted firmly across his face. Natasha quirked an eyebrow at him, waiting for him to answer her. "I suppose you're just worth talking about." He shrugged slightly, the blush from earlier creeping back up onto his face.
Natasha pushed herself off the wall, moving to stand in front of him. She flirtatiously placed one of her hands on his chest and brought the other one up to his face, "don't look so worried about it, I'm flattered," she teased.
"Oh, are you?" He replied, stepping forward and backing her into the wall. Natasha's heart sped up as he towered over her, his eyes darkening as he stared down at her. Her eyes flicked down to his lips, which curled up into a smile as he noticed her eyes wander.
The elevator dinged signaling their arrival on the floor. Steve backed away, leaving Natasha standing in the elevator. "You coming?" He teased, looking back over his shoulder at her.
Natasha huffed in quiet frustration before stepping out of the elevator after Steve. "Who's this Fury guy we're going to see?" She asked.
"He's the director of the museum. Do you mind waiting out here while I go talk to him? I promise I'll try to hurry."
"Yeah, no problem. I'll just sit out here and wait for you," Natasha replied with a smile.
"You're the best." He squeezed her hand, giving her a reassuring smile before disappearing down a small hallway toward Fury's office.
Natasha sat back on one of the benches just outside of the hallway that Steve disappeared into. Get it together Romanoff, she thought to herself. You're driving yourself crazy thinking he's feeling the same. Natasha sighed, leaning her head back against the wall. She had just closed her eyes when she felt her phone vibrate in her pocket. Shit.
"Hey Thor," she answered.
"Lady Natasha! Where are you? Are you alright?" Thor shouted into the phone.
"Thor, I'm just fine. I ran into an old friend at the pub and we're out right now. I won't be back until late," she replied. Or hopefully at all, she thought, her mind wandering for a moment.
"Okay Lady Natasha, I will let you enjoy your night. Please let me know if you need anything from me."
"Will do Thor, thank you!" Natasha hung up the phone and shoved it back into her pocket. Just as Natasha hung up, Steve came walking out of the hallway. "Hey, how'd it go? Everything okay?" She asked, standing up to meet him.
"Yeah everything's great," he replied with a wide grin on his face, "come on, there's something I want you to see." He placed his arm on the small of her back and ushered her forward. Natasha looked up at him, confusion coloring her face.
"Are you going to tell me what Fury wanted?" She asked as they walked further into the museum.
"I'm working on it," Steve replied with a laugh.
"Okay?"
"I thought you said you trust me?" Steve teased.
Natasha rolled her eyes, "I do, but that doesn't mean I don't question you sometimes."
"I'd be worried if you didn't." Steve gave her a smile, steering her towards one of the paintings hanging up on the wall. "Here," he said gently.
"A painting?" She asked.
"Look closely and tell me what you notice," he replied.
Natasha squinted slightly and leaned in. In the painting, the scenery was hilly, something that reminded her of her home just outside of Los Angeles, and in the middle was a girl sitting and watching the sunset. She had a tank top on and jean shorts. Her red hair was piled up into a bun on the top of her hair, and there was a small tattoo of a swan on the back of her neck. Natasha gasped, reaching up to her own neck to touch her tattoo.
"Who did you say painted this again?" she said breathlessly.
"I didn't."
Natasha leaned over to look at the name plaque that was nailed to the wall beside it.
Steven Rogers (American, born 1993)
Adoration (2012) Acrylic on Canvas
"You-" Natasha started, whirling around to face Steve. His smile was wide and his eyes were shining. "Steve you did this? It's…wow."
"Do you like it?" He asked, hesitantly.
"I love it. I-is this me?" She asked, turning her attention back to the painting.
"Yeah, from the night before you left to film in Rome," he replied.
"I knew you sketched stuff, but I didn't know that you ever sketched me," she said incredulously, "or that those sketches ever turned into paintings."
Steve shrugged, as he looked down at her. "I had a gorgeous model." Natasha turned around and met his eyes before pushing herself up on her tiptoes and kissing his cheek near the corner of his mouth.
"It's amazing Steve, thank you," she whispered.
Steve hummed and brushed a piece of hair out her face, "come on, let's check out the rest of the museum." He grabbed onto her hand, giving it a small squeeze before leading her along.
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