DISCLAIMER: ALL CHARACTERS BELONG TO MARVEL CINEMATIC UNIVERSE.
The rating of this story has CHANGED from T to M now, due to sexual content. Please bare this warning in mind if you decide to continue reading.
~0~0~0~0~0~
Why was it, even when Natasha's arm was linked through his arm, women still felt they were entitled to drool over Steve? He was quite clearly taken, a fact that Natasha reminded them with her signature glare. As soon as the women spotted her staring them down, they quickly diverted their gaze and pretended to look busy. Some hurried away with their tails between their legs. The brave few returned her stare, but couldn't keep eye contact with her longer than three seconds before they too backed down.
Steve chuckled deeply, his mouth brushing over her ear as he whispered, "Getting a little territorial, Nat?"
She didn't even have to glance up at him to see that amused grin on his face. She could practically hear it in his voice, but it didn't irritate her one bit. "I told you, I don't like sharing." She grumbled.
"They can look all they want. I only have eyes for you." Steve assured her, and she knew he hadn't just said that just because she needed a little bit of extra reassurance after last night.
Telling him exactly what was wrong this morning had lifted a giant weight from her heart. After Steve had kissed her senseless and worshipped her body after their conversation, she had retreated to her floor to get ready for their day out in the city. This did involve pulling out her trusty wig, which was a deep chocolate brown colour that went past her shoulders but she'd styled it into a braided bun. She didn't mind wearing the wig, it was comfortable enough, but she wished they didn't have to lie low.
Her nagging thoughts disappeared when a particular store showed up ahead, specialising in men's clothes. She pulled Steve inside, knowing how much he hated shopping, but his wardrobe did need a bit of a change. She had often teased that Steve's fashion sense was still stuck in the 1940's.
The shop assistant hadn't made a comment as Natasha followed Steve into the large fitting rooms with several items of clothing flung over her arm. Actually, for one, the shop assistant hadn't been ogling at Steve. Instead, her cheeks had redenned when she looked at Natasha, and perhaps that was why she didn't tell her to wait outside.
Steve disappeared inside a booth, raising an eyebrow when Natasha had tried to slip inside with him.
"You're no fun today." Natasha teased quietly, but she knew that Steve was respectful in all aspects, and he certainly didn't want them to engage in any activities that could get them kicked out. Clearly, she'd have to try to get him out of such habits further into the relationship.
She seated herself in the middle of the open space in the centre of the booths, on a comfortable, plump couch with rolled arms. Steve asked out seconds later, sporting a new pair of jeans.
"Give us a spin, handsome." Natasha instructed, and as he turned slowly, she shamelessly admired the way the jeans showed off his ass. "We're definitely purchasing them."
Steve rolled his eyes, but she heard his chuckle as he headed back behind the curtain. The next three times he appeared, he was wearing different jumpers, but had kept on the jeans clearly for her benefit. His actual pair of jeans were flattering enough, but this pair just hugged his body in the perfect way. She didn't think she could deal with him wearing them in public though. Women didn't need an excuse to stare at him.
After several different try-ons, Steve and Natasha left the store with a few bags between them. Steve had insisted that he really didn't need that many new clothes, but because Natasha hadn't been able to decide which ones she had preferred the most, Steve had handed over his card without a second thought.
They settled down at a pretty little cafe for some lunch, and after taking a sip of her hot chocolate, Natasha couldn't help but smile.
Steve caught her watching him and asked gently, "What's going on in that pretty head of yours?"
She blinked, not realising that she had actually been staring. "It's just...I guess I can't really blame people for staring at you."
A blush appeared on his cheeks. Humble was definitely added to his list of best qualities. She still found it so endearing how Steve didn't think of himself as anything special. "The same could be said about you, Nat." He said, and then added, "But, that doesn't mean I like men hitting on you."
Smiling, she placed her cup down. "How very alpha male of you." She commented. She didn't mind his protectiveness, because she was just as possessive of him. "This is our first outside date."
He smirked at her term. "I'm sorry it took me so long to ask you."
"You know very well that I enjoy our evenings and nights together." Natasha took a bite out of her brownie. "But, this just feels normal, you know? We're just Steve and Natasha here. No Avengers, no SHIELD, no missions. Just us."
"Yeah, it's nice." He agreed, in a tone that implied that he could get used to it very easily. Reaching across the table, he covered her hand with his, his thumb gliding over her skin. "Really nice, actually. You make me so incredibly happy, Natasha."
Her entire body heated at his words, her heart feeling ready to burst from her chest. Perhaps, over time, she'd get more used just how well he treated her. But, a large part of her liked the fact he still got her flustered, still made her stomach flutter with his sweet words and endearing comments. "Thank you, for everything you do for me. I've never had this before, with anyone." That was the complete truth.
"That makes two of us." He said.
A thought flickered in her mind, and she instantly felt guilty for it. But, she couldn't help it. In the early days of their relationship, she couldn't help but compare herself to Peggy. She'd heard enough about the woman, from Steve and Fury, to know that Peggy Carter was phenomenal. More than that; she didn't have a past as shameful and dark as Natasha's. More often than not, Natasha had wondered if Steve still harboured feelings for the brunette founder of SHIELD.
However, as time grew on, she started to let herself see that what she and Steve shared was completely different from him and Peggy. He had told her herself, once, that he and Peggy had never had the time to really try anything. But, he had loved her. You never forget your first love.
Don't ruin the moment, she reminded herself, and she smiled up at Steve, who returned her look with a beautiful smile of her own.
Sat in that little cafe with him, Natasha couldn't work out how she had gotten so lucky.
~0~0~0~0~0~
It took all of about thirty seconds of them entering Steve's floor before he was kissing her and easing the brunette wig off her head. He gently placed it on the arm of the couch behind him before cupping her face, nibbling her lower lip slightly.
"Not a fan?" She teased light-heartedly, her eyes flicking to the discarded wig.
He rubbed his nose against hers affectionately. "What can I say? You looked lovely, but I have a thing for a certain red-head. I was starting to miss these fiery locks of yours."
She beamed at his words, and he returned to kissing her. Natasha made no complaint as he picked her up and carried her to the bedroom, where he eased her down gently on the bed. Their lips didn't part for a very long time as their tongues explored each other's mouths.
"I'm going to run a bath." He said, pecking her lips one last time before darting into the bathroom. When he returned, Natasha was sitting at the end of the bed, looking at him expectantly. "Care to join me, Miss Romanoff?"
A flicker of surprise crossed those green eyes at her. This was something new for them. Yes, they had seen each other naked plenty of times before by now, but sharing a bath seemed so intimate.
But, she got up and walked over to him. "Sounds perfect,"
They slipped out of their clothes, and Steve noticed the yellow lace that covered her body once she had taken off her jeans and jumper. He groaned in pleasure at the sight, and Natasha smiled coyly, unclasping her bra and letting it drop off her arms. He knew that the little shake of her hips as she eased the delicate material of her panties down her legs was purposeful.
Steve's arms were around her naked body instantly, pulling it flush against his. Knowing that she could feel him against her, could feel just how ready he was, he tried his hardest to not grind against her. Natasha's hands raked through his hair, but she turned and stepped over the side of the bath, sitting down amongst the bubbles.
She looked up at him with a raised eyebrow. "Not that I'm complaining about this delicious view in front of me, but are you planning on joining me before the water gets cold, soldier?"
"You little minx," He chuckled, but he joined her, lowering himself down into the hot water and instantly pulling her between his legs so that her back pressed against his chest.
Natasha automatically leaned back, resting her head against his shoulders, and she let out a relaxed sigh. "Why haven't we done this before?" She asked, after a few moments of comfortable silence passed them.
"I have no idea." Steve said, peppering a few kisses along her shoulder and up her neck before he leaned into the side of the bath and let the water and aroma of the vanilla bath oils surround him. "We're definitely doing this more often."
"Definitely," She agreed, and it was the most peaceful he had heard her for a long while.
However, their sacred peace was interrupted when Steve's phone started to ring. With a groan of annoyance, Steve sat up and stretched an arm out, reaching for his jeans. He grabbed his phone from the pocket and read the text from Sam quickly.
"Why is Banner visiting?" He asked her in confusion. They hadn't heard anything from the doctor since New York. He'd taken himself off the map, probably wanting to lie low after his rampage on the city.
Natasha looked over her shoulder slightly, her eyes darting from the phone to Steve's face. "No idea," She said. "Tony didn't mention him last night. Perhaps, he was feeling a little lonely?"
Steve shrugged, placing the phone down. "We'll go say our hellos later." He decided. Greeting their teammate was definitely not a good enough reason to make him want to leave this bath, or the privacy of his floor, for a little while longer yet.
Clearly, Natasha had no intention on leaving either, because she tilted her head back to whisper into his ear, "You never got to keep your promise of having your fun with me, you know."
"Well, that's because you organised a team-bonding film night." Steve reminded her, but he chuckled. "Don't worry. I fully intend on living up to my word tonight."
"Ooh, I'm very intrigued to know what you have planned." Natasha said, and she squirmed against him slightly.
God, this woman. It took all of Steve's self control and patience to not pick her up, and impale her on him right there and then. He was certainly ready for that,, his length pulsed against her backside demandingly. "I think you'll enjoy it." He said, his hands sneaking around her body to massage her breasts, kneading and tweaking at her nipples slightly.
Natasha hissed, her hands bracing on the sides of the bath. But, Steve's hands moved, rubbing circles over her entire body before he grabbed the soap and repeated the action, cleaning every inch of her body. With her bottom lip trapped under her teeth, Natasha tried not to whimper under his hands, but it proved to be a very hard task.
After he washed the soapy bubbles off her, Natasha moved up onto her knees and turned around so she could face him, kneeling on the hard bottom of the bath. She took the soap bar in her hand and returned the favour, making sure to take her time just as he had done, her hands perhaps paying a bit more attention to a certain part of his body that had him moaning her name breathlessly.
Once they were both clean, Steve's hands were running over her ass and grabbing the back of her thighs, pulling her forward so that her legs wrapped over his waist. He lifted them both out of the bath effortlessly, a reminder of the serum that pumped through his body, but also of those wonderful muscles of his that drove her insane every time she saw them flex.
When Steve dropped her on the bed, her body was still dripping. Neither of them cared, especially when Steve's equally wet body crawled over hers, pressing her down in all the right places.
Slowly, his lips took their time showering her body with tiny, sucking kisses. They started at her mouth, and then down her jawline, following the column of her neck and paying extra attention to her pulse point. Natasha was practically rendered to a writhing mess by the time he reached her breasts. Still, he didn't rush himself, even as she whimpered. His tongue traced over each pert nipple, before his mouth enclosed around it, causing her back to arch and her nails to rake down his back.
Once satisfied with his work, Steve continued down the valley between her breasts, in a straight line down her stomach and past her bellybutton. But, even when she raised her hips up expectantly, he ghosted over where he knew she was burning for him.
"Patience, Nat." He whispered against her skin, nibbling the softness of her inner thigh.
She let out a low moan. "You know very well that patience is not a virtue of mine." She managed to gasp out, her hands flying to her sides and fisting into the white sheets below her.
Still, her impatient growl only seemed to make him go slower. He kissed over her thighs, down her knee, right down to her toes.
As he kissed his way up her thighs, nibbling and sucking as he went, Natasha's back arched as he finally put his mouth exactly where she craved him most. She threw her head back as Steve once again showed her just how much he enjoyed bringing her pleasure.
~0~0~0~0~0~
As the waves of another powerful orgasm started to subside, Natasha fought to regain oxygen in her lungs as Steve pulled out of her and practically collapsed at her side. Even his enhanced stamina had been tested that evening.
"How many rounds was that?" She asked cheekily, unable to resist. "I lost count."
He made a noise that was like a growl of approval, but she knew that for the time being, he too needed a break before they continued. "God, you're amazing."
"You've told me that a few times, tonight." She reminded him, giving him a playful look.
Grinning, he turned so he was lying on his side, his hand moving to rest on her flat stomach, just underneath her breasts. "Would you like me to just use some different adverbs? 'Incredibly sexy' is a good one."
Before she could answer with a few adverbs she had for him, his phone went off yet again. Giving her an apologetic look, Steve checked, just in case it was something of importance. He snorted, and then showed her the screen.
Come and save me from the nerds upstairs, I beg of you, Sam had written, obviously referring to Stark and Banner.
"We should probably go and help him out." Natasha said. Steve didn't do a good job of hiding his disappointment, so she reached up and brought his mouth down to hers, kissing him sweetly. "Don't worry, the night is still young, and I'm not finished with you yet, Rogers."
He chuckled against her lips. "You drive me insane, Nat." Then, he sighed. "Alright, let's go before Sam's head explodes with all that tech talk."
They got dressed and headed up to the top floor together, where the sight before them almost had Natasha giggling. She managed to keep a straight face as she regarded Sam, sprawled out on the couch with his hand over his face whilst Banner and Stark paused in their conversation.
It was good to see Bruce again though, but after Natasha gave the doctor a smile in greeting - Banner wasn't a big fan of hugs, and neither was she, so it worked without any awkwardness - she couldn't help but ask, "What brings you to the tower, Bruce?"
Bruce looked over at Stark in surprise. "You haven't told them?"
Instantly, all eyes were on Tony. Steve straightened. "Told us what?" Even Sam seemed intrigued, sitting up straight and watching with intent.
Tony rolled his eyes dramatically. "I was going to tell them, once I had something to tell." He said, but he then declared, "Banner and I are working together to track down Loki's scepter."
As always, Natasha kept her expression steady so she didn't show just how surprised she was by this statement. Loki's scepter was powerful, very powerful, as proved with what had happened in New York. It had brainwashed Clint, turning him against all of them. "What do you mean, track down the scepter?" She demanded.
She had been there when the scepter had been passed on...oh. Realisation hit her like a ton of bricks, and she exchanged a glance with Steve, who was on the same page as her. The scepter had been given to Sitwell and Rumlow after the events of New York. Now they knew that the two of them had been Hydra agents, it was obvious now that the scepter had been passed onto the enemy.
With something that powerful in such dangerous hands, Natasha felt ready to throw up.
"So far, we've been able to trace it back to a man named Wolfgang con Strucker, but the location of the scepter is still unclear." Bruce explained to them, clearly feeling guilty that they had been kept in the dark about this.
Steve turned to Tony, who still sat casually on the couch. "So, all these times you've gone off to check on building developments at the facility, you've been chasing after the scepter?"
"I can multi-task, you know." Tony huffed, folding his arms over his chest as he leaned back into the cushions. "I was going to tell yuo guys."
"Eventually," Natasha said, making it clear that she wasn't impressed by them hiding this from them all. "We could have helped."
"With all of us sniffing around for it, Hydra would have gotten suspicious. I promise, you would have known the second we got a legitimate location." Tony told her, wanting to soothe out any flames before an argument arose.
Natasha snorted, but she didn't say anything else. There was nothing else to say.
"Does Thor know?" Steve checked.
"Making contact with an Asgardian is difficult." Tony said. "But, no, he doesn't. He's doing his own search, I'm sure. He wants to hunt down the scepter just as badly as we do. Coulson is looking into it-"
Natasha's head snapped up, just as Steve repeated, "Coulson?"
"Oh, right." Tony scratched his hair awkwardly. "So, Coulson's actually alive. Fury saved his life, but didn't tell us, as it was all this big secret thing with complications and setbacks. Anyways, Agent Coulson is leading his own team, and once they get a better picture, they'll send us a message. Bruce and I couldn't exactly go out onto the field ourselves."
"If you had involved us, you could have." Natasha pointed out. She probably would have been more surprised about Coulson, if Nick Fury himself hadn't staged his own death almost months ago. It seemed to be a popular theme within SHIELD. Still, her head hurt a little as she tried to process this news.
Beside her, she could practically feel the tension in Steve's body. Coulson had idolised him, and Fury had used that to convince Steve to fight against Loki and the Chitauri, making him feel slightly guilty about Coulson's death. Steve had fought to avenge the fallen agent, and finding out it had all been a lie was definitely eating up at him now.
She wished she could reach for his hand and squeeze it comfortingly, but she couldn't. Not yet, not here with all of them around, watching.
They'd talk about it later.
Steve then sighed. "Will you promise to keep us informed?" This time.
Bruce nodded instantly. "Of course," He sounded truly sorry for keeping this away from them. Tony only dipped his head once, without any remorse.
"Well then," Sam said, speaking up for the first time, seeing as he had little knowledge on the scepter and the whole ordeal with Coulson. "I'm going to grab a beer. Anyone want one?"
"Please," Steve said at the same moment as Tony and Natasha both answered, "Definitely,"
~0~0~0~0~0~
That night, as Natasha joined her boyfriend under the covers and curled up at his side, she couldn't help but say, "Why do I have a feeling that Banner being here is only the start?"
Steve's hand, which had taken up it's usual role of stroking her back calmly, slowed ever so slightly. "I'm sure it'll all work out." He said, although he didn't sound convinced of this theory. "We'll find the sceptre, get it back, and then all this mess will be finally dealt with. At the moment, it's just been swept under the carpet."
She made a thoughtful noise. "What will happen after all that, though?"
"What would you like to happen, Nat?" His voice was the softest of whispers in her ear.
Relaxing into him, she opened her heart once more. "A big part of me wants nothing more than for you and I to explore the world, together." She told him, and she could feel the smile that grew on his face as he kissed her temple. "Clint and I...we have a safe house, that we could use for a little while, before we look at other countries. There wouldn't be any rush. We could spend months in one place, before going to the next."
"You and Clint have a house together?" The sentence sounded so strange when someone else brought it up. For Natasha, it had felt normal that she and Clint had bought a property where they could retire to whenever they needed to lie though. She hadn't used it in years, and Clint had the farmhouse, but they had kept it, just in case.
"It's always good to have a back up plan." She said, in way of explanation.
Steve was quiet for a moment, clearly mulling over this little snip of information, before brushing it to the side. "I like the sound of that, the exploring the world together part. There's so much that I haven't seen yet."
She felt sorry for him for that. Sorry that ever since the serum had entered his body, he had become Captain America, SHIELD's number one favourite bragging toy. "Do you think you would have seen it, if you hadn't crashed into the ice?" She wasn't entirely sure why she had asked such a question, but it was out in the open before she could even think of how it would effect him, to be reminded.
But, Steve's hand continued to stroke her back. In fact, he pulled a little bit closer to him before answering, "I'm not sure what I would have done, after the war." He said.
Not wanting him to have to think through the past again, because that would certainly make him think about his currently missing best friend, Natasha steered the conversation away slightly. "If you could pick any country in the entire world that you'd like to see the most, what would it be?"
"I...I'm not too sure." He admitted, sounding a little embarrassed. "I never really thought about it, really. About a life without the shield."
Natasha let his choice of words wash over her, giving them enough time to sink in. Steve's life, for a very long time, had been tied to Captain America. Perhaps, it shouldn't have come as too much as a surprise to her that he still was unsure how to imagine life without that shield and wearing that suit. She could understand that, more than most people.
Yet, she didn't respond, knowing that a question was coming her way. "Were would you suggest going first?"
Although she knew it was unrealistic of them to plan such a thing, seeing as the two of them were tied to SHIELD in more ways than just signing on a doted line. There was no way that either of them would be able to sit by and let something happen to the world, not when they could do something to help protect it.
Still, she entertained the idea of the two of them having a normal life, seeing the wonderful sights that the world had to offer, of living lives of people who were blind to the dangers that faced the planet constantly.
"I prefer warmer climates." She decided, her finger tracing invisible patterns onto his bare chest. "There's just something about having the sun on your skin that makes you feel free. I really don't enjoy the cold."
"Really?" Steve did nothing to mask the surprise in his tone, and she knew that he was confused because she had been born in Russia.
"The winters were terrible. I can remember thinking that, as a child, the winter seemed to stretch so unbearably long, and the summer wasn't much of an improvement. That's why I appreciate warmer countries a lot more. Not a single speck of snow. Somewhere like the Caribbean. I've never actually been there, but I'd like to, one day." Not on a job, she finished to herself. "The water is crystal clear, and the beaches are out of this world, or so I've been told."
Steve's lips brushed against her temple once again. "One day, you'll see it with your own eyes." He promised her.
One thing she had always admired about Steve Rogers was his optimism. Did it sometimes have her rolling her eyes, or wanting to slam her head against a brick wall when he couldn't always see the reality of a situation? Yes. But, did it fill her with warmth, every time his goodness shone through in the things he said and the way he acted? Yes. Definitely.
"How do you do it, Steve?" She whispered, her eyes focused on her moving finger as it continued to glide over his chest, over the carved lines of his abs.
"Do what, sweetheart?"
Once again, the nickname left her feeling tingly all over. "Remain so positive, when you've seen the harshness of this world with your own eyes?" She'd known strong men, both physically and mentally, who had been left shaken and scared from the war. She had watched officers and other agents run in the opposite direction of danger, because even their training couldn't prepare them for what awaited.
Yet, Steve had never once shied away from danger, and that was nothing to do with the serum that pumped through his veins. The serum may have altered his body, yes, but his courage and selflessness had been his from the very beginning. Even after their hardest of missions, especially when New York when the end of the world seemed as if it was right around the corner, Steve had walked away and left everything behind on the battlefield.
She had heard him in his sleep one night, mumbling about ice. Her heart had beat so furiously in her chest as she listened, but all he kept repeating over and over again was 'No. Stop. The ice. Stop.', and he'd squirmed slightly, but that was it. He hadn't woken up in a sweaty, panting mess like she had done after her nightmare. Instead, the next morning, he had woken up, kissed her and then went to make them breakfast as if nothing had happened.
And perhaps, part of the reason why she hadn't brought it up, was because part of her was scared that he was reliving that moment where his airplane crashed into the ice because he missed his past.
Steve's voice brought her away from her thoughts, and reminded her that she had in fact asked him a question. His hand continued it's gentle stroking up and down her spine, comforting her in a way that no one else would ever be able to. "I think it's because I've seen that harshness, that I've decided to look at the glass as always being half full."
Mistaking her silence, he quickly said, "I guess that didn't really make much sense, huh?"
"No." She said, tilting her head up to look at him, taking in his soft blue eyes as he watched her. She could tell he was trying to make sense of what she just said, so she explained, "It's just...I've never been that sort of person, you know? I've always been looking for the next threat, the next mission. Constantly moving and changing identities changed me. I never found somewhere that I could settle, that I could just breathe for a moment. So, I guess what you just said wouldn't make sense to me, because it's never been something I've been capable of."
His gaze softened, but not in sympathy like anyone else would have done. "How do you feel about all that now?" There wasn't anything expectant in his tone, anything to make her feel pushed to give him an answer that would appease him. He just wanted her to be truthful, and that alone was enough to make her relax against him.
"I feel happy, happier than I can remember ever feeling." She told him, her hand stopping it's movement and lying flat against his stomach. "That's because of you. I want to be a better person, and you give me the strength to do so."
Gently, Steve picked up her hand and pressed the palm of it against his mouth in the sweetest of kisses. "You already are a good person, Natasha." He told her firmly. "I don't think you realise just how remarkable you are." His lips touched her thumb. "And generous. And funny. And brave." With each word, he kissed another finger. "You inspire me, every single day."
Cheeks flushing at such a compliment, Natasha felt as if she had misheard him. "I do?"
"You know, when we faced those Chitauri, I was scared." He admitted. "I was supposed to be Captain America, the leader. I was supposed to have all the answers. I'm the star spangled man with a plan." A chuckle sounded from his chest as Natasha rolled her eyes in amusement. "But, facing those...those things, it was completely out of my comfort zone. I felt overwhelmed. It was so much to take in, after the ice. Yet, when I looked across at you, you were nothing but steeled determination, and that gave me the kick I needed to face what was happening. You never so much as flinched, especially when you jumped off my shield like you did." His arm wrapped around her waist as he moved to hover above her. "Which, may I add, was probably one of the hottest things I've ever seen."
She raised an eyebrow at this revelation, that he had been attracted to her even then. It felt like a lifetime ago. "Well, it looks like soon enough, we might get a chance to repeat that particular move." She said, and then mentally slapped herself. "See, there I go, Miss Glass Half Empty."
Affectionately, Steve smiled down at her before lowering his head to kiss her cheek. "You are realistic. Seeing things in black and white is not always a bad thing. Sometimes, it's the best way to see things. There's nothing wrong with how you view the world, Natasha." He kissed her other cheek, making her own smile widen. "There's everything wrong with how you view yourself, though."
His words blind-sided her, taking her by so much surprise that she was momentarily speechless.
Taking advantage of her temporary silence, Steve continued, his lips brushing against the corner of her mouth, as soft as a kiss from a feather. "You are fearless, but you are not without compassion. You are selfless, and you're never afraid to speak your opinion on matters that some people would just roll over about. I've always admired that about you, and the more that I get to know you - the real you - I find more and more reasons to be inspired."
With her heart beating so fast in her chest, Natasha was impressed with herself when she was finally able to find the ability to speak. "I don't deserve you."
"You're wrong." His lips touched hers gently. "We deserve each other, Nat. We deserve this. A chance to be happy." His mouth trailed down to her jawline, kissing along it until he reached her earlobe. Nibbling on it gently, he whispered, "And, one day, we'll go to the Caribbean, and you can show me just how terrible you look in a bikini."
Her back arched from the ministrations of his mouth, but a laugh sounded from her at his statement. She remembered that moment between them at the hospital, when she had shown him his scar. He hadn't flinched away from her at the sight of it. Nor had he flinched away when she had told him about her past. Instead, he had spent every day for the last couple of months giving her countless reasons to smile, and to laugh until her stomach hurt. He had kissed her senseless, and worshipped her body with gentle caresses and sweet words.
He'd healed her heart, and every little piece of it now belonged to him.
But, she just wasn't brave enough to tell him that, just yet. Her hand cupped his face when he looked down at her next, her fingers toying with his sandy coloured curls at the top of his neck. Wishing more than anything she had the guts to say such thoughts out loud, she brought his lips down to hers and kissed him with everything that she had.
~0~0~0~0~0~
Little bit of Romanogers fluff at the end, just because I don't want this story to be just about sex. I want to show how they open up to one another mentally and emotionally, as well as physically.
Of course, with the arrival of Banner and the news of the search of the sceptre, this does mean that we're about to head into the events of Age of Ultron :)
- E x