Authors Note: And the story continues…
"I don't get it."
"Well clearly it represents the internal turmoil of the inner soul, I mean the colors used and the short rapid strokes on a plain white background to simulate serenity it's genius!"
"It's just three lines on a white background! How do you even interpret that!"
"I guess you lack the gift." Said Steve in a mysterious voice while making weird movements with his hands.
"What gift, I could have painted that." Muttered Natasha crossing her arms with a huff
"Ah, but you didn't!" Exclaimed Steve directing her to another piece which was another white background with black text."
"If it was so easy, then why didn't you do it?"
"I'm burning it." Said Natasha bluntly glaring at the piece.
"Whoa, relax. How about we leave here and go see some of the sights?" Said Steve putting a gentle hand over Natasha who quickly turned around to look up at him.
"That's more like it." She said with a grin as she leaned forward and touched her lips against his sinking into his everlasting embrace.
"I don't think I'll ever get tired of this."
"It's beautiful isn't it? All these lights with thousands of people enraptured in their own little universes." Muttered Natasha who was curled up in a blanket and leaning against Steve.
"Yeah, it's something isn't it." Muttered Steve who still seemed a little dazed
Natasha looked over at Steve expecting him to have said more but instead found that dopy dazed expression causing an evil grin to emerge inside her.
"Okay, I know it's your second kiss since 1945 but are you going to get like this each time we kiss?" Teased Natasha with a smirk as she relished in the myriad of emotions going across Steve's face
"Okay first off it wasn't my second kiss since 1945, and I'm not dazed!" Protested Steve who seemed very flustered.
"You don't have to lie to me, I won't judge." Said Natasha sweetly with big green eyes trapping Steve completely. Suddenly before he knew what was happening she swooped up and stole another kiss. "How about now?"
"A little bit," muttered Steve absentmindedly nodding his head. "But you're still wrong." Said Steve cautiously fearing the death glare that would soon ensue.
"So you do take advantage of that glorious body and charm," teased Natasha as she wrapped her arms around his neck to stare at him again. "And it's alright, I'm not angry but promise me you'll always be honest with me."
"It wasn't like that and I'm not Tony, not that he has this or anything. But I'm always honest." Said Steve with a smile as he leaned forward gently placing a gentle kiss on her lips.
"I could get used to this," whispered Natasha with a feral grin jumping on top of Steve rapidly increasing the number of kisses to Steve's record.
"So what are we?" asked Steve curiously who had his hand intertwined with Natasha's as they walked around the Piazza della Signoria.
"Whatever you want us to be, Rogers." Said Natasha playfully as she turned around and locked both hands with his.
"Friends?" Unlacing their hands she twirled behind him and wrapped her hands across his broad shoulders and whispered "Lovers."
"Or anything in between!" She said as she began to walk away from him with a grin.
Two steps was all it took and he was in front of her wrapping both her hands with his and bringing them up to his lips he stared at her and asked "What do you want us to be?"
"Together."
"I wouldn't have it any other way." Said Steve with a grin as Natasha turned around and began pulling him towards the fashion district.
"Don't you think you should wear something besides slacks and a white t-shirt everywhere?" Asked Natasha pulling Steve along the various shops, which surrounded them from both sides.
"I don't see anything wrong with them it's comfortable and efficient," retorted Steve who got a little defensive.
"There's nothing wrong with them, you look great in them but you could so much more. It doesn't always have to be going from simple to tights," said Natasha who stopped to look at Steve with a soft expression.
With a slight groan Steve relented to her obvious hinting and finally asked, "So what do you have in mind?"
In a flash there was a big grin, a kiss on the cheek, and suddenly Steve found himself being propelled into various stores and fitting rooms as bags after bags began to loop around his arms.
In the end Steve found himself thanking the super soldier serum for giving him the strength to hold the amount of bags along with a newfound respect for women who do this all the time. Natasha also had a bunch in her hands as she was basically skipping back to the hotel with Steve in tow.
"Isn't this somewhat excessive?" Asked Steve who couldn't help but look over the mass of bags that now covered the floor.
"How so? Between getting various outfits being ruined on missions, lost weight, and other things I think we both deserve a new wardrobe." Said Natasha as if it was the simplest answer in the world.
"Well, you aren't wrong." Muttered Steve who looked over the various shirts that Natasha had bought him and couldn't help but smile over how she managed to pick pieces that fit his personality as well as his body.
"You do like them don't you?" Came a soft tentative voice
Steve looked over and saw Natasha staring at him with that same insecure look that would soar or crash based on his next sentence and once again Steve knew the answer.
"I love it, I never had clothes that were so comfortable like these. They just didn't make it like this back in my time." Said Steve holding up a shirt to show Natasha who walked over and felt the fabric.
"I always loved dressing up as a little girl." Muttered Natasha who was now lost in another time as she spoke. "Mamma always told me to look beautiful, be strong, and men would fall before my knees."
"Well I could only think of one time you'd have me at my knees willingly." Said Steve absentmindedly without realizing the full meaning of what he said.
"Well, why don't you put this shirt on while I go change and you can take me out to dinner?" Said Natasha with a grin as she brushed her hand across his chest and sauntering back into the bathroom with various bags in her hands.
"Steve?"
"Yes?"
"Where are we going? Somewhere fancy or something local?"
"It's your call."
A small gasp escaped from her mouth as she stood in bathroom staring at her naked flesh in the mirror.
"Her call."
She couldn't recall the last time it was her turn to decide something, it was always do this or be that but this time it was her choice. Slowly she began to realize that ever since she met Steve everything had been her choice. It was her choice to talk to him in the first place, her choice to take the leap towards the tower, and her choice to follow him when everything she knew began to collapse.
"She liked this feeling."
Hearing the click of the bathroom door opening, Steve turned around and was surprised to find Natasha in a pair of sweats and ironically a Captain America T-shirt.
"I like you shirt." Quipped Steve with a grin
"Coulson got it for everyone during an employee potluck we had." Said Natasha flatly
"Sooo do you want it autographed." Said Steve who now had a marker in his hand.
"Don't ruin my shirt!" Exclaimed Natasha defensively stepping back and trying to shield the shirt by hugging herself.
"Alright Relax, I was just joking." Laughed Steve who put the marker back on the table and stood up. "So do you where it often?"
"No, I just didn't have anything else that was comfortable to wear around." Retorted Natasha defensively.
"I see." Said Steve with a knowing grin. "So where to?"
"Well, I was thinking we've been out all day so how about we put on a movie and order some room service?
"Sounds like a plan." Said Steve with his usual cheesy grin and heading towards the phone to place an order.
After about twenty minutes the food had arrived and two were seated together on the giant sofa each holding a giant bowl of pasta while some wine and pizza sat idly by the table.
As the two ate Steve couldn't help but chuckle as he watched Natasha devouring the giant bowl of pasta.
Looking for a moment she caught Steve staring and with a mouth full of Pasta she tried to give an accusing glare at him only to have him burst out laughing.
"What!?" Exclaimed Natasha defensively.
"Nothing, you just look. Cute." Said Steve as he paused for a moment at the end to try and find the right word to describe her.
"Don't judge me." Grumbled Natasha as she turned away from him and continued eating her pasta without looking at him.
With a small sigh Steve put his Pasta down and crawled over to where she was sitting while gently wrapping his hands around her waist and pulling her towards him.
"Now why would I be judging you?"
"Well, most guys find this unappealing." Said Natasha self consciously
"Who? Its just food." Said Steve who seemed lost on this foreign concept.
"So you don't mind?" Asked Natasha
"What's there to mind? My mother always told me that food was one of the best ways to bring people together and offer comfort."
"Here, that bowl seems a little heavy," said Steve softly as he took the bowl from her surprisingly tight grip and spun the noodles around the fork. He then continued by taking the forkful of pasta and placing it his mouth with a grin causing Natasha to flare up.
"ROGERS!"
"What? I just wanted to taste it." Said Steve laughing as he did the same thing except offering it to Natasha this time who was still glaring at him but placed her mouth over the fork consuming the pasta.
After the two finished their pasta Natasha was curled up next to Steve as the browsed through the movie selections.
"So what do you want to Rogers?"
"The last film I saw was in black and white featuring me and a dorky Adolph Hitler so anything should be better than that."
"Oh, I've seen that one before! I think that was one of your finest moments of cheesiness." Exclaimed Natasha with a grin.
"How about this one." She said to her self softly as she selected the movie as it began playing.
"What movie is this?"
"You'll see."
And so the movie played and two sat in silence for a while before Steve turned over to find Natasha sound asleep. With a sigh Steve gently scooped her up and carried her towards the bed. And once again before he could place her down and get away he found himself caught by the wrist and dragged on to the bed with her. And once again she latched onto him while he had to lie in the awkward position of not exactly laying down but not exactly sitting. But of course he didn't mind, as he would do whatever it takes for her to be happy and comfortable. He found himself lost in thought staring at her and absentmindedly stroking her back before a sly grin crept across his grin.
"It's definitely not you're first time wearing this shirt."
Authors Note: Sorry for the long delay but I've just been busy with life and I've never been that good at writing a story after they get together so I hope I did this part justice. Let me know what you guys think and I'll try to update more frequently as ideas come along.