Soul Stone
It had been such a long time since Natasha had heard Steve's voice. She couldn't feel his presence. He usually kept the stone in his pocket, but he hadn't touched the stone at all since early morning.
Since it was first day with Peggy in over eighty years, Natasha shouldn't have expected him to carry the stone, but she still missed him. If she looked straight up, she could see the land of the living through the amber lens. It was murky and out of focus, but it was her only reprieve from complete isolation.
She knew her stone was in the guest room at Peggy's house, and it was probably pretty late. Would Steve return to the guest room to sleep or would he be in Peggy's bed tonight? Natasha wasn't sure which answer she preferred. She wanted him to be happy and get a life. She just hadn't planned on having to witness it.
Oh, God, what if Steve moved the stone into Peggy's room. How would she muffle the sounds of the man she loved in the arms of another woman? She needed a plan. Maybe the ear protectors she used for shooting practice would block out the outside world.
Her thoughts were still mulling over possible scenarios when Steve picked up the stone, and he wasn't alone.
1970
Steve held up the soul stone for Peggy and watched as she inspected it. "Be careful not to touch it," he warned. "Most of the stones can't be touched with the naked hand. We used special gloves in the compound. This one is different. Clint said he woke up on Vormir with it in his palm. All of the Avengers were able to touch it without any trouble, but when Drax, an alien who hadn't met Natasha, touched it, his hand was burned."
"I see. It sounds like the stone can only be touched by those who knew her well enough to feel loss. Very interesting. You and your teammates must have cared very deeply for Natasha."
Steve felt his grip tighten around the stone. "Everyone respected Nat. She was easy to love. She had this way about her. When she didn't think you were giving it your all, she'd call you out, and she was protective of all of us. There was no one you could trust more with your secrets or your life. She was strong and fierce and braver than anyone I've ever met.
"The first real threat we faced together was an alien invasion. It was Thanos's first attempt at Earth, but we didn't know it at the time. Nat and I were fighting side by side when she had this crazy, dangerous idea. She needed to be a lot higher off the ground to pull it off. I didn't know how to get her there, but she had a plan. She used my shield as a launch pad to get on one of the Chitari shuttles in the air. I'd never seen anything like it in my life."
Peggy laughed. "Sounds like you fell a little bit in love with her in that moment."
Steve smiled softly. "I think maybe I did, but even if I'd realized it, I would have been too afraid to say a word. I thought she was Clint's girl. Besides, I was still in love with you."
"My feelings for you almost made me miss out on Daniel," Peggy said softly. "I wasn't able to move on until I let you go. When did you let me go?"
"When I got the call you had died," Steve answered honestly. "It wasn't a good time for the team. Nat and I had been leading a new team for a while. We were close. I knew I wanted her, but she still had feelings for someone else and I had my visits with you."
"I must have been a little old, Steve. You shouldn't have used me as an excuse not to live."
"Couldn't help it. Besides, the only one I would have considered moving on with was constantly trying to fix me up with other women. Nat was desperate to get me a life and clueless I wanted it with her.
"She came to your funeral, so I wouldn't be alone. We were on separate sides of a real conflict, but she came to make sure I was okay. In the end, we found ourselves on the run-fugitives with no where to go. Those were the best two years of my life. Being with Nat made everything better."
"But, you still never told her how you felt."
"No, I am the poster boy for waiting too long. If the Ancient One can't help me get her back, I don't know what I'm going to do, Peg. I have to return the stone for the sake of the universe, but I can't give up my last piece of her. I just can't."
"We'll find the Ancient One, Steve. If there's a way to get your love back, we will find it. Don't give up." Peggy looked into the stone and spoke directly to Natasha. "We will save you, Natasha, one way or another, and I expect you to take care of our love."
"Do you really think she loves me, too?" Steve asked.
"I'd stake my life on it. Have faith. I'm going to bed. I hadn't really planned on going alone tonight, but a woman knows when a man's heart belongs to another. Goodnight, Steve."
Steve put the soul stone on the pillow beside him. "Did you hear her, Nat? You're my new mission. I'm not going to give up on you. You saved the universe. You deserve to live. I wish I could save Tony, too. I saw him tonight. He's not even a week old. I held him in my arms. It hurt like hell, but nothing compared to losing you. I want to get a life, but I'm not ready to accept one without you in it. You don't have to feel the same. If you want Bruce, I will step aside, but I have to say it once. I love you, Natasha Romanoff. You are the love of my life."
Soul Stone
Tears ran down Natasha's cheeks unbidden. "Steve, please don't give me hope. Don't you dare give me hope."
Tibet
"We have guests," the Ancient One said to her two associates. "Send the man in alone and stay outside. This is a peculiar visit with potentially universal ramifications. I need no witnesses."
The young me nodded and exited the library. A short time later her guest arrived. He looked broken, but she could sense his power and his worthiness. This was going to be a very enlightening afternoon. He didn't speak as she walked around him, observing his stance, slightly stooped from emotional trauma, and his shield, the familiar symbol etched upon it. "Do you intend to be honest in your dealings with me, Captain Rogers?"
"I do, and I'm always honest," he said.
"Yet, you bring something into my presence that does not rightfully belong to you and should not be in this time." The Ancient One shot out her hand and Steve Rogers left his body, but his presence was not the only one floating in the room. A woman with a long red braid was with him. "Interesting. The stone has a soul, and I sense she is important to you."
"Natasha," Steve said, trying to reach his hand towards her outstretched one.
"Steve," Natasha shouted, "How is this possible?"
"How, indeed?" the Ancient One asked, looking from one astral projection to the other. "How indeed?"
I am so sorry this is so short, but it was the right place to stop. I'll do my best to update soon. At least, you can look forward to a conversation between Steve and Natasha next chapter, right?