Feel free to comment ;) They make me smile...
Natasha, after days doing a lots of paperwork, she went to SHIELD to turn them in on Fury's office, hoping also that her boss would give her a mission. While walking through the lobby to get in the elevator, the corner of her eye caught a handsome super soldier walking towards an elevator too (what a coincidence, he also had a pack of folders under his arm). Natasha's first thought was to avoid him and give Fury the paperwork later on, but she lift her chin and said to herself, 'Prove him you're strong, that you're not weak and nobody can break you', Natasha walked faster to reach him - he was already pressing the button to call the elevator down. When the elevator got down and opened its doors, the redhead smiled at herself, actually planning a funny thing to prove Steve she was not hurt of his cheating.
She saw him enter the elevator with a young male Agent as she entered the elevator too. Steve widely opening his eyes as Natasha ordered the system
"To Fury's office", she stands straight and leans back to the railing
"Confirmed", the computer said
"Nat ?", Steve breathe out her name and sees her still in surprise
"Yes ?", she turns to see him and raise a brow. The Captain quickly turns to see the young Agent and tells him,
"I'm sorry, kid. Wait to the next ride", he gestures him to exit the elevator. The young man nodded repeatedly as he quickly make his way out. Once the elevator closed the doors Steve quickly says while standing in front of Natasha, "I was not you think it was - she kissed me and I also told her I am married", he sees her - she had her face turned to the view outside
"I don't care, Rogers", Natasha coldly respond. He closes his eyes and sighs deeply
"Natasha..", he said her name
She groaned loudly and turns to see him, "Look, Steve..", she starts, "..It's true, I hate you. You don't have idea how I fucking hate you", the redhead stare at him and he sighs again
"Nat -
"I fucking believed in your words", Natasha bites while holding her stare
Steve nods and states, "They are all true, Natasha. They've always been true", he steps closer but she quickly walks away from him
"Fuck you", she said while putting herself on the corner of the elevator
"They are, Natasha", Steve firmly says as he turns around to walk towards her and reaches out for her cheek
"Don't touch me", Natasha snaps out his hands as she backs up
"Please, Nat. Don't do this", he begs and walks forward, not leaving her a route of escape
"Fuck off, Steven ! I'm damn serious !", she yelled at his face but he didn't care. Steve comes closer at her, invading her space, and making her furious and extremely somehow uncomfortable, so she kicks hard his foot making him wince and she quickly punches his throat, making him cough incontrolable (actually if she wanted him dead, she would've have done it with that move)
Natasha pushed him aside and made her way near the doors, watching him still coughing while grabbing his throat. Once he finished, Steve turned to see her and growled at her
"Argh !", he sees her furiously as she lifts her chin at him
"I fucking told you not to be near me..", Natasha said and pressed a button to exit the elevator and it open the doors - entering a floor that was like floors below Fury's office. She walks out to exit but before she leaves, the redhead warns him, "..Next time I will fucking kill you", Natasha walked away, leaving a furious Steve behind.
Minutes later...
"Here's the last paperwork you told me I'll be doing", the Captain said once he entered Nick's office, "I can't wait to get a "real" mission", he puts the folders on his boss' desk
"Well, Captain. Maybe you'll receive one soon", Fury smiled as Steve chuckles to himself
"Hopefully", the blondie said and then lowers his head. Fury frowns looking at the Captain sadness
"Are you alright ?", Nick asked as he leans back to his chair
Steve turns up his glance to the Director, "Ugh..", that's all his mouth let out
"So that's a no", Fury smirks at him
"I crossed ways with Natasha on my way with you", Steve confessed
"No wonder she had a very 'friendly' face", Nick now understanding Natasha's mood, "Everything okay ?", the Director rise his brows. Rogers sighs and nods
"Yeah - no. Not really", Steve runs his hand through his hair, then to putting it on his hip, "She just wants me to stay away from her.. and that's exactly what I'm gonna do", he stares at the man in front and nods firmly. Nick widen his eye
"What ?", Fury sat straight, "I've thought you were the ones who don't give up so easily", he looks at the Captain and still seeing him surprised by what he just said
Steve took a deep breath and says, "Sometimes you have to let go to see if it was really yours, Fury", he pressed his lips together and lowers his head,
"Hey, Nat !", Clint greeted her when he saw her exit the ladies locker room, "Did Fury already give you a mission ? - I mean, it already had been two months since your "rest" from SHIELD isn't ?", he said while walking next to her down the hall
"Shut it, Barton. I'm not in the mood", Natasha kept walking fast-paced as her eyes were furiously set up. Clint rolled his eyes and says,
"You're always not on the mood", he turns to see her
"Fuck you", she bites without hesitation
"Everything alright ?", Hawkeye asked as he knits his eyebrows. She chuckled and says to her friend,
"Fucking perfect..", Natasha smiles, "..Damn wonderful..", she then let's out a creepy laugh, "..Extremely fucking well..", the redhead - still walking fast - said as she smiled to herself
Barton brow arched and quickly stands in front of her to stop her steps, "Okay okay..stop", he lifts his hands and puts them on her shoulder. Natasha growled and stopped, "What's wrong ?", he asked her and bend down to see her face that she was hiding, "Steve ?", Clint suggests and Natasha quickly growls at that name
"Don't mention me that -
She stops and takes a breath to compose herself, "I don't wanna talk about it", Natasha calmly told her friend. Barton smiled fondly at her and says,
"Alright. As you wish", he puts an arm around her shoulders as he resume the walk. As they walked towards the elevator, Natasha untangled his arm from her and says,
"I saw him on the lobby and we got on the same elevator - he still making stupidly excuses !", she angrily sees at him
"And ?", Clint asked and pressed the button for the elevator. Natasha throws her arms to the air and growls
"He tried to touch my cheek and I told him not to, so I punch him on the throat", she fists her hands as she remembered the scene
Clint widely opens his eyes, "You what !?", he yelled as the elevator arrived, "Fuck !", Barton cursed while entering the elevator and same she does, "Why did you did that ?! Are you crazy ?!", he yelled at her as she rolls her eyes and ordered the computer to "lobby"
"He deserved it - and more", Natasha told Hawkeye. He shook his head and brings a finger at her
"You've had killed him !", Clint yelled again. She rolled her eyes as she crossed her arms
"Relax, Clinton. He survived", Natasha leans into the glass wall while Clint shakes his head in disapproval. After a few seconds Hawkeye sighs and says,
"So..", Clint wondered, "..You're never gonna forgive him ?", he raises his brows
"No", she firmly responded back, "What I'm going to do is, set us an appointment with a lawyer for our divorce", Natasha turns her glance at him
Barton sighs and begs, "Nat, please don't do this. Steve really loves you and -
"He does not, Francis !", She yelled while giving him a death stare. Clint quickly lifts his hands in defense
"Okay, now you're mad. You just called me by my second name", Barton joked and Natasha rolled his eyes at him, looking away. Clint groaned as he throws his head back, "Natasha..", he then sees at his friend, "..Look at me..", Clint said as Natasha had her eyes at the floor. She then turned them to see him, "He'd rather fight with you every single dayof his star-spangled life, than love anyone else that is not you", Barton said convinced in what he said as Natasha gulps and broke eye contact with Clint
"I'm going to a restaurant - I'm starving", she said when the elevator stopped by the lobby and she made her way to the exit.
After turning in his paperwork to Fury, Steve walked furious out of the Headquarters. He was angry with Natasha, their relationship was going from bad to worse, worse to terrible, and terrible to shit. Yep, shit.
He walked to the driveway and got in his motorcycle parked there (he told the security guard on the door he'll won't take long. So the security let him park there. (And because he was Captain America, of course). Steve turned on the engine and drove away towards Central Park - where he always go every morning to jog.
Once he was arrived, Steve parked the motorcycle on the curb as he killed the engine and then to take off his motorcycle helmet from his head, also quickly putting on a white baseball cap and dark glasses (you know why). He got off his motorcycle and settled the helmet under his arm, starting to walk into the park. Steve walked on the path and enjoyed the fresh air and peacefully afternoon in the Park, he really enjoyed it, and now more than ever. Hearing the birds chirping, the children giggles, seeing parents hugging their child, couples having a picnic, seniors feeding the pigeons. Peaceful and enjoyable. Two things he hadn't seen or had in months.
30 minutes later…
As he kept walking around without any rush, the Captain heard laughs and cheers straight ahead from him, so he sets his glance forward and saw a group of kids playing football. Steve smiled at them and decided to sit on a bench located not far away from the joyfully scene. Once he sat down and set down his helmet next to him he sighed and began to watch the kids passing and throwing the ball to each other with a huge smile on their faces, and that makes him realize, ¿when was the last time he smiled that big ?... when ?. He really needs to remember. Was it when he once stole a kiss from Natasha ? That she rolled her eyes at him and he gave her a huge smile ? - yeah, that was his last big smile he can remember. But, thinking about it, that smile was centuries ago.
Steve press his lips together and lowers his head, seeing at his tangled fingers on his lap, when he sensed a presence seating on the other end of the bench he was seat. The blondie looks up and sees an old man - like in his 70's - watching the game between the kids too.
"Good afternoon", the man greeted at the Captain
"Good afternoon, Sir", Steve politely respond back and smiled gently to the man. The old man nodded as he settled his plastic bag next to him. Steve nods too and returns his glance to the football game
"Nice day, isn't ?", the elderly man said
Steve sees the sky, and indeed a nice day, "Yeah..", he sighs and says, "..It is", the Captain then turns to see the game
"That didn't sound like it was", the man chuckled and crossed his arms, eyes still seeing at the children
"No it wasn't", Rogers smiled at himself as the old older man says,
"Problems too, huh ? Don't worry, kid...We all have problems", Steve nods as a matter of fact, "But I just realized others have more problems than ours", the guy turns his head to Steve
"Well, that is true", the blonde man leans on his elbows, resting them on his knees
"Sure it is", the old man agreed
Rogers tangles his fingers while seeing a kid throws the ball high to the sky, "And - we - here.. Have everything. Food. Health. Family. Love", Steve said, but when he said "love", his glance lowered
"Yep..", the man nodded, "We have to thank God for that, son. Other people don't have any of them", he said as Steve smiled sadly at himself. The old man made a small pause and says, "You see that little guy there ?..", he pointed out a kid running behind another kid who had the ball, "..The one with brown shirt and white shorts ?", he told Steve.
The Captain scanned through the children playing as he find the kid the old man was talking about
"Yes", Rogers nodded
"He's my grandson", the man informed
Steve smiled as he sees the kid tackled the other kid with the ball, "You came to see him ?", he asked and turns to see the man next to him
"Of course I did !", the old man shouted happily, "I come to see him every weekend at the same time..", he keeps saying, "..I sit in this bench, far away from him - like his mother told me", the man lowers his eyes a little while Steve's faded slowly. The old man smiles sadly and turns to see the Captain, saying, "Like I said, kid...Not everyone has everything..", the man said and shrugs, "..I don't have family either love"
'That makes two of us on love', Steve said in his mind
"His mother - my daughter - and I got on a fight a few weeks later my wife died. She wanted to keep my wife's jewelry, but I denied to..", the old man sighs as he keeps telling Steve, "..I denied because my wife, as her last will, wanted to donate them to the orphanage she used to visit. My daughter had threatened me to not see her again if I didn't hand her the jewelry - she tried to convince me telling me that she'll keep them as a 'memory' of her mother", the senior chuckled humorously remembering back then
Steve felt sorry for the old man as he seats straight, "And you didn't give them to your daughter", Rogers lifts his eyebrows, "That's why you keep distance between your grandson ?", the Captain asked
"Yep", the old man nods as he returns his glance at his grandson, who was preparing himself to kick the ball. Steve lowered his eyes and then turns to see the children again (especially the old man's grandson)
"I'm sorry for your wife - and about your daughter, too", the blondie said after a few minutes
"Nah, it's alright", the man smiles at the sight of his grandson smiling widely as he tackled a kid that got the ball, "I don't win nothing if I walk around life all sad and depressed - life is about smile, live, give, take everything as a lesson not as a punishment !", he said
"You're right", Steve nodded and crossed his arms. The old man smiled brightly and turns to see the good Captain, noticing an expensively gold ring on Steve's left hand finger
"Are you married, son ?", the old man blurted out, taking him for surprise
Captain America looks down to his left hand and says, "Oh ! Yeah", he nodded while smiling at the ring
"For how long ?", the man asked. Steve set his eye to the ring and smiled brighter
"3 and a half years", he said, still seeing at the ring
The old man chuckles and says, "Believe me, kid. You guys are barely starting", he sees Steve' smile erased as he says,
"And finishing, too", Rogers pressed his lips together and turns to see the old man - who had a confused look, "She wants the divorce", Steve said and the man - now understanding - says,
"Oh, I'm sorry..", he smiled fondly at the Captain
"But like you said, take everything as a lesson, not as a punishment", Steve told while seeing again at his ring
"Look, kid..", the old man starts and Steve turned his eyes attentive to him , "..When my wife was still alive, we sure did have fights, argues and disagreements with each other - but you know what ? That was the beauty of our marriage", he said as he smiled at Steve
Rogers frowned confusingly, "Fighting with your partner ?", he asked. The man smiled again as he shook his head, saying
"Knowing that in life everything is a struggle - even on a marriage..", he continues, "..Knowing that when you struggle or fight on something, the more badly you want it - I mean, that's for you're fighting and struggling isn't ?", the old man lifts his brows and then he asks Steve, "Do you love her ?", the old man smiles at him as the Captain smiled brighter than ever
"Like you don't have idea", Steve said while leaning back to the bench, unfolding his arms and resting them to his side
"Then let her go", the old man casually told
"What ?", Steve frowned as he knew what the old man meant, "I-i can't - I mean, my heart brakes every time I remember about it. I just can't let her go", he said as a matter of fact. He can't let her go.
"Do you ever heard the reference about 'let it go, and if it comes back, that means it was always yours, and if it not returns, it's because it was never yours' ? Sometimes it's better to let go, to let her heal", the man sees directly at his eyes, "I mean, it will hurt seeing her go. But I'm so sure that she's yours and when she comes back to you, it'll be worth everything", the old man said as he smiled. Steve looks away and sees again to the children's game and the old man does too
"Even that she nearly killed me today ?", the Captain chuckled remembering hours ago
The old man widens his eyes and turns to see him, "Did she ?", he asked surprised, "Oh, my..", the man giggled, earning a small smirk from Steve. The old man quits laughing and then straights himself, as he says to Steve, "..Kid.. that means she's hurt. That she's suffering about the divorce - or either she loves you or she really hates you", he said
"At this point, I think she hates me", Steve sighs as he kept his eyes on the kids, "Our relationship was damaging a long time ago and I was not even aware of it - I did nothing to solve it", Rogers lowered his eyes and the old man sighs deeply, feeling sorry for the young fella next to him (technically, the older fella next to him)
"Look, son..", the man said as he continues, "..Let me tell you something..", Steve turns his eyes at the man, "..Relationships don't get easier, everyday's a struggle, every day is a tiny battle. It doesn't get easier with time. In fact, it gets harder..", the old man tilted his head and then smiled to see his grandson, "..The secret is finding someone who's willing to be weak and strong with you at the same time. The secret is finding someone who's willing to work with you and who will push you, challenge you, make it harder for you to leave….the beauty - like I said - is in the struggle", he said while seeing his daughter talking with other parents far away from there. Enough to not be seen. "And what beautiful struggle it is when it's with your soulmate", the old man smirks at the Captain
Steve smiled to the old man, thanking him for his words, when an alert of a text message from his Stark-Phone was heard. The blonde looked to his pocket and then sees at the old man, apologizing,
"I'm sorry. Is my phone", Rogers took his hand to his pocket
"It's alright", the man smiled. Steve nods while taking out his phone and reading the text message
Sam Wilson: hey, bud ! Wanna go for a drink ?! :)
The Captain smirked at the message and then turns to see the elderly man next to him, "It's my friend", he told him
"No problem. Go..", the old man knowing that probably Steve has to leave. The Captain smiled and grabbed his helmet - standing up and waving good-bye to the elderly man, but before he could walk away, the old man says tells him, "..Hey, you never told me your name", He smiled as Steve turns around and gasps
"Oh ! It's Steve", he smiled back and shakes the old man's hand firmly
"Leonard. Leonard Ellis", Leonard broke the salute as Steve nods at him
"Nice to meet you, Sir", Rogers said and says, "Hope you and your daughter solve everything up", Steve puts his helmet under his arm, ready to go back to his motorcycle and go with Sam
"You too - with your wife", Leonard said. Steve nods again and then waves bye one last time at him as he turns to walk away, but before he can walk more far away, he heard (thanks to his enhanced hearing) that Leonard mumbled under his breath, "See you around, Captain America", Steve looked from his shoulder at the old man and smirked, then to return his eyes forward. All this time Leonard knew Steve - the guy next to him, with marriage problems - was Captain America.
Feel free to comment ;) They make me smile...