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~

Natasha had forgotten just how uncomfortable the chairs were in the SHIELD meeting room.

She glanced to her right, where her husband was sat casually, watching the clock ticking away on the far wall. He had schooled his features into a natural expression, but Natasha was able to read between the lines better than anyone, she could pick out his little tells as easily as if they were shouting at her. Her husband hadn't been looking forward to this meeting, and was now counting down the minutes until it would be over.

Fidgeting in her chair in an attempt to wake her ass up after being sat for what felt like an eternity, Natasha managed to get Steve to take his attention off that clock so he met her gaze.

It'll be over and done with soon enough, she silently conveyed to him, tilting her head to one side slightly.

He blinked twice. I hope so.

There were no ties linking them to SHIELD any longer, but Natasha knew that the reason her husband was so on edge was because he didn't want there to be any hidden loopholes. They had both agreed to not cut ties with SHIELD completely, but would Fury accept them standing down? Did he have some big plan for the Avengers, even though she and Steve were the only two remaining of the original six? Banner hadn't returned any contact regarding what he planned to do now, and Thor was somewhere up in space, chasing after his own personal mission. And Clint and Tony...

She swallowed, and instead gave her husband a small smile, After this, we're getting food.

The corner of his lip twitched, as if he'd understood her perfectly. They'd always been able to communicate well together, but over the past few years, their souls were entwined, as if they were one.

Nick Fury was never early, and never late. He was always somewhat annoyingly on time. The only time he wasn't, was when he planned some grand, dramatic entrance. But this meeting wasn't something that would demand a dramatic entrance. It was the first step to forming new contracts, new roles within SHIELD for two people who were about to become the former Captain America and Black Widow. Natasha had already decided that to make life less confusing, she would continue to go by Agent Romanoff, while her husband would become Agent Rogers, although she knew most people would still call him Captain out of both habit and respect. For this meeting to go the way Fury would like it to go, it would involve him showing up on time. Natasha hated waiting, even for the Director of SHIELD.

Natasha decided in that moment that she would give him thirty seconds leeway, before she decided on her temper for this meeting.

Then, as always, Nick Fury walked into the conference room the second the hands on the clock struck eleven o'clock.

The Director's watchful gaze surveyed the two people in front of them, as if weighing up the impending conversation. "I believe, first and foremost, a thanks is in order. From me, from everyone that was brought back, from the entire world." He said, and Natasha would be lying is she said she wasn't surprised by this open gratitude from the man who had always kept his cards close to his chest. Nick took his seat opposite them, leaning back in his chair thoughtfully. "I assume you both know what direction you would like your careers to go. You have earned that, and so much more, by the sacrifices you went through, to right when went wrong."

She hadn't come here expecting an argument, and therefore hadn't prepared for one, but she couldn't pretend she wasn't caught off guard by just how willing Nick was to let them stand down from their former roles. Even though they weren't technically leaving SHIELD.

It was Steve who spoke first, his voice sure and steady, "We just want to be able to finally put our marriage above everything else."

Natasha kept her face neutral, even though her hand squeezed his under the table.

Nick dipped his head. "No one in the entire world would say that you don't deserve that, and that it is a mighty shame that you two carried such a burden for so long, even when the governments still wanted to turn against you. I can assure you both, that your names are no longer on their lists. There are no targets on your back, and I can only apologise for how long it took to remedy that."

"Well, being on the run wasn't all that bad." Natasha commented, and tilted her head to the side so she could flash her husband a wink.

Clearly remembering their better times spent in hiding, Steve's smile widened slightly, but when he turned to address Fury once again, he spoke with the authority and confidence which had made him a man worth following. "What's done is done. We only want to focus on our future, and that includes SHIELD."

"Well then," Nick cleared his throat. "I'm glad to hear it. You've both ran past your chosen terms and conditions with Hill, and I've had her write them up into basic draft contracts." He pulled up his briefcase, handing them both a pile of paperwork each. "Take them away with you, read through them a thousand times if you have to," His gaze landed on Natasha as he spoke, as if knowing that was exactly what she would do. Always the professional.

"What are your plans, with the Avengers Initiative?" Natasha found herself asking. It felt like a lifetime ago since Fury had approached her, asking her to recruit Dr Banner for the original team, right before the events of New York. Right before she walked across that helicarrier and first met the man who would capture her heart months later.

"Disband it, for now." Fury admitted. "You all did what you were assigned to do. Protect the world. SHIELD is in need of change, if it stands a chance at surviving. Barnes, Wilson and Maximoff have agreed to remain as agents. Think of them as...agents on hire, if you will. But, all three of them are going back into training. Intense training. I was hoping that you, Natasha, would agree to oversee them once again."

She didn't even have to consider that offer. "Of course, I will."

"The two of you will work as partners, if that is what you wish." Nick went on. "Overseeing training, perhaps a few missions along the way. Your titles and roles will be to your choosing. It is the least the world can do. Wipe the slate clean. Start afresh." His tone softened as he added, "I can't think of two people more deserving of this new beginning."

Natasha looked back to her husband, their gazes locking. Warmth and love shone in those blue eyes of his, and Natasha subtly dipped her head to him. They would take these contracts away, process them, change and alter anything that they wished to, because they certainly had earned this chance of controlling their lives the way they wanted. Their marriage and love had withstood all of the world's challenges, but it was time that they put themselves first.

A new beginning waited for them.

~0~0~0~0~0~

Neither Steve nor Natasha had much idea of what exactly they were looking for when it came to buying a house, only that they'd like somewhere with plenty of space, and enough natural light. After combing through several adverts, it became apparent that they were somewhat pickier than they had originally thought, but as this was going to be their home, they allowed themselves to pick out all the possible flaws.

But this house, the one they now stood inside, had called to them both instantly, like an unspoken bond.

"It's going to need a lot of work." Natasha commented, as she walked through what would be the spacious lounge. The house hadn't been left in terrible condition at all. In fact, it was quite sound; the wallpaper intact, not a single hint of damp, everything had been left spotless from the last owners. But, Steve knew what his wife meant; they would both be wanting to add their own personal touches to the place, and to do so, they would strip it down to the basic layers and work their way up.

Steve made his way over to her, wrapping his arms around her waist and nibbling her ear as he said, "You're never one to shy away from a challenge, Nat."

He could see the corner of her mouth twitch as she continued to survey the room around them. It had a grand fireplace, something that she had seemed to be have fallen in love with the second she laid eyes on it. The house was rather old-style, but it was it's character that had spoken out to both of them, captivating them on their first visit. This was now their third time inside it, having just had their offer accepted.

It was now theirs. Their home.

Downstairs, the rooms were generous in size indeed; a lounge, kitchen, small bathroom and an office space, along with various different storage places. Upstairs, there were four bedrooms, a large bathroom and an ensuit connected to the master bedroom.

"At least we'll have two guest bedrooms," Natasha had pointed out on their second visit, when they had started to allow themselves the chance to start planning what they'd do with each room. "Sam and Bucky bicker enough that having their own space would be vital."

The thought of having their friends round, and the fact Natasha and Bucky's relationship had strengthened over their shared time in Wakanda, had Steve smiling. "We'll go to the store later and start working out some colours." It seemed so normal, what they were doing. As if they were just two average people, settling down and starting a life together. Most couples hadn't spent their first years of marriage trying to save the universe, after all.

It seemed so domesticated now, to look around this currently empty house and picture how it would look in a few months time, when the work was starting to come together. Until it was at least half-completed, Natasha and Steve would be staying at SHIELD headquarters, their living space far enough away to give them space from work. They had originally wanted to rent an apartment nearby, however all their money was going now be pooled into this house to get the work done as quickly but professionally as possible.

Steve wasn't too bothered about living at SHIELD headquarters, considering the contracts that he and Natasha had both sent back to Hill last night. They'd spent hours going through them, checking and rechecking, and at first, Steve had been slightly concerned they may have been too demanding. Natasha had sensed this, kissed him deeply and then reassured him that after everything that had happened, they deserved to now be in control of their lives.

As he watched his wife walk through into the kitchen, Steve couldn't stop himself from smiling.

~0~0~0~0~0~

"Steve?" Natasha called, as she turned and shut the door behind her, bags in both her arms. She placed her purchases down on the floor by the coat-hanger before entering the house.

It had been just under a month since the work had started, and to say that the house had been transformed would be an understatement. They'd literally taken everything down, redone all the flooring and had started on repainting now that the walls had been stripped. They'd been working they way backwards through the house, starting with the kitchen area first, which was nearly completed now. That had been Natasha's mission today; go into the store and collect the items they had picked out from last weeks shopping trip.

She had tried not to smile as she realised that the gentle, sweet lady that had served her at the counter had no idea that it was the former Black Widow who had been buying the newest, top of the range coffee machine.

"In here, sweetheart," Steve's voice sounded from the lounge, precisely where she had left him that morning. Today was a day that both of them had off, so they had walked to the house and grabbed breakfast on the way, before Natasha had headed for the store, leaving her husband to paint.

She followed his voice, leading her into the still currently empty lounge. Their furniture had been purchased but was in storage, waiting for the house to be finished before it was delivered. It would be the final step; filling the house with furniture that they had both picked out. It still seemed so surreal to her every time she thought about it.

Her husband was a sight for sore eyes, in form-hugging jeans and a charcoal shirt that revealed his muscular arms, both items of clothing covered in all sorts of paint colours; white, grey, light blue. Natasha leaned against the doorway of the room, admiring the view.

Steve grinned at her over his shoulder, and that was when she noticed the splatter of paint that stained his cheek. "Everything okay?" He asked, lowering his paintbrush from the wall.

"Everything is perfect," She told him, striding over to him and wrapping her arms around his neck, reaching up onto her tiptoes. She brushed the end of her nose against his before lowering back down onto her feet, but Steve's arm wrapped around her, keeping her pinned exactly where she was. His eyes flickered, so she explained, "You have paint on your face."

His grin only widened. "Paint isn't going to hurt you, Nat." He reminded her, leaning down and claiming her lips with his.

Natasha made no protest, melting against him, no longer caring about the wet paint that would transfer from his clothes to hers. It had been warm enough outside for her to get away with going out in gym leggings and a cropped jumper, but the black material of her outfit would certainly show up the paint.

As Steve's tongue brushed against her mouth, she pulled away and raised an eyebrow, "I'd hate to distract you from your work."

He growled lowly. "You're more than welcome to pick up a roller and help me out, then we can both get what we want." The darkening in his blue eyes was enough indication of exactly what her husband wanted right now, and it had nothing to do with finishing the room.

But, Natasha simply rolled her eyes. "You'll have to let me go then, Rogers."

He stole another kiss from her before his arm unwound from her waist. The only thing in this room furniture-wise was a wooden table in the middle of the room, which was covered in various paint tins, brushes and rollers.

Natasha quickly shoved her hair up into a messy bun before selecting a roller and heading for the other end of the wall that Steve was working on. When he gave her a look, she laughed. "No distractions," He mumbled something under his breath, but they both set to work. This particular wall would be dark grey, and was the side of the room that contained the old-fashioned fireplace that Natasha adored so much. They'd already agreed on how the wall would be decorated, with various pictures and ornaments that would align the top of the mantle. The colour was steel grey, going well with the granite, black and white of the kitchen next door.

She hummed to herself as she worked, enjoying watching the paint cover the wall, as every stroke of the roller was another step closer to their house getting finished. Then, something wet splattered against her cheek, and she let out a shriek of outrage as the tang of paint hit her nose.

"Steve!" She all but yelled at him, turning to shoot him a glare that would send most men running out of the house in fear of their lives.

But, her husband stood his ground, and had the audacity to allow his eyes to glisten in amusement as he looked at her. "Yes, Nat?"

Instead of responding like a sensible adult, Natasha dunked her roller into the tray of paint by her feet and sent an assault of her own at him, covering his face and neck with patches of grey. With the covering on the floor, there was no risk of any damage being done, and the carpet in this room had not yet been replaced, anyway. Besides, the look of shock and amazement that covered Steve's face was priceless.

Within seconds, he retaliated, lunging forward and capturing her with an arm around her back, ignoring her squeals and squirms as he speared paint across her forehead with his fingers, and then his paint-covered hands held her hips, leaving behind prints. Natasha fought against his hold, managing to use the roller as a weapon against the side of his face and laughing as the paint coated his hair.

"You wicked woman," Steve nibbled at her earlobe, which succeeded in the paint on his cheek copying onto her own skin.

Natasha peeled back to look at her work, her insides melting at the fire that burned in those blue eyes that she loved so much. "You started it." She reminded him playfully.

He groaned as her hips rubbed against his. "I'm going to finish it, love." He promised, and before she could even catch on to what he was doing, his hands grabbed the back of her thighs and lifted her up. Instantly, her legs wrapped around his waist, and the roller in her hands fell to the ground as she was carried to that wooden table and laid out before him amongst the tins of paint.

"How is it possible that you still have this affect on me?" Steve asked thoughtfully, as he leaned over her, standing between her parted legs and pressing his body against hers. "How whenever I see you, I can't focus on anything else? How my entire body burns for you? How I crave you, every minute of every day."

Natasha purred as his lips latched onto her neck, her fingers gripping tightly into his hair. "Because you love me, and I am yours." Painting, they should be painting. But, even preparing their house could come second best to the overwhelming sensations that her husband was giving her right now, as she felt his hardness against her.

"I want you, Nat." Steve practically growled against her neck, as his hands roamed over her exposed stomach, curtesy of her cropped jumper. His touch warmed her, encouraging that fire inside her to rage for him.

Her own hands had already roamed down his powerful arms, appreciating every hardened muscle as she went, before they gripped onto the bottom of his shirt. "Take me." She ordered.

The big window of the lounge was not yet covered by curtains, but with such a gap between the house and the street, the likelihood of anyone seeing them was slim, considering how quiet the neighbourhood was. Besides, the thought of someone potentially knowing what they were up to excited her in a way that she couldn't explain, but she knew Steve felt exactly the same. From the way he tugged her jumper over her head, it was clear he didn't even remember the fact there was a window or a neighbourhood beyond this house. And, as his lips started to suck and nip at the skin of her breasts, Natasha forgot all about those things, too.

Her nipples strained agains the lace of her bare, demanding to be freed from the material restraining them, but Steve didn't keep them waiting for long. Within seconds, that bra was undone and pulled down her arms, and his mouth set to work on paying her breasts the attention he loved to give them. Natasha was already a writhing mess, so much so that her hand flew out to the side and knocked over one of the paint dins. Thankfully, it had been almost empty, but as the paint trickled into a pool next to them, Steve chuckled against her skin, and even Natasha couldn't contain her laughter.

Remembering that their clothes remained at the headquarters still, the logical part of Natasha allowed her to lift Steve's shirt over his head, even though she wanted nothing more than to just rip it from his body. Her now paint covered hand speared his chest with white, but he didn't care, and she rather enjoyed looking at her artwork.

Steve's body was artwork in itself own right. More perfect than any artist would ever be able to capture.

He was all hers.

Her husband.

Her best friend.

The man who had held her heart, protected it. Who had caught her whenever she fell, who had helped her fight her demons.

He was all hers, forever.

The rest of their clothes were sent flying into the empty space behind them, but as soon as Steve lined himself up with her entrance, such thoughts were effectively wiped away from their minds.

"God, Nat," Steve gasped out, stilling inside her to give her the time to adjust to his size as he always did. His forehead rested against her collarbone.

Her hand stroked the back of his neck softly. "I love you," She said, at the same time as she rose her hips, silently telling him that she was ready for him to move.

His lips crashed against hers as he withdrew from her slowly before pushing right back in to the hilt, finding her wet and ready for him. Natasha returned the kiss with equal hunger, her tongue slipping through his mouth to play with his, battling for dominance as her husband continued to thrust in and out. A tightness was already coiling in her stomach, but she didn't want this to be over so quickly, so she willed herself to wait, to enjoy every single movement of his hips, relishing in how deep he was inside her, how he hit that perfect spot over and over again.

Years of love-making had not taken away the shine, not dampened or made things boring. Every time they joined, it was not just in body, but in mind, soul and heart. Whether it was slow or fast, gentle or rough, the love they held for one another was always there. The most constant thing in their lives.

Paint splattered on their skin, as Natasha's hand continued to trail over his body, round his powerful shoulders and down his back. Steve's hand was braced against her side, fingers dipped in grey paint, as his other hand continued to play with her breasts, wanting to bring her as much pleasure as possible.

Pleasure seemed like such an understatement to her right now, as she tried to grasp how it was possible for someone to make her feel this good, as if she was soaring.

"Harder, baby," She begged him, sitting up on one elbow to watch as he moved within her, as that white paint still covered his abs, as her body accepted everything from him.

Steve complied instantly, hitting deeper and deeper, his mouth hungrily claiming hers over and over again, his fingers toying and squeezing.

Wanting to feel everything, Natasha wrapped her legs around his waist, digging the balls of her feet into his muscled thighs, pressing herself impossibly closer to him. She sat up, her chest pressing into his, as their bodies moved together in that perfect, all-consuming rhythm. Blood roared in her ears as her release approached, her body trembling with desire and love and need for the man inside her.

Only him. It had only ever been him, that owned her heart. Every single piece of it, that had been shattered when he had first come into her life. He had helped her heal in more ways than she would ever be able to thank him for.

This house around them was the start of the future they had wanted for so long.

"I love you," She whispered against his lips, as her nails dug into his lower back and her hips continued to lift themselves to meet his.

The table beneath her started to rock from the force behind his thrusts, but neither of them could care. "I love you," Steve breathed against her skin as he leaned down to suck on her breasts, leaving behind little marks, claiming her. "I love you. I love you."

When their releases found them and they gradually came down from their high, Natasha did not remove her legs from around his waist, intent on keeping him there, inside her, for as long as she could. Sure enough, within moments, he was hard and ready again, and she silently thanked that serum of his. Of course, that serum had nothing to do with Steve's insatiable hunger for her, because the own hunger burned in her veins for him.

She leaned back against her elbows, more than aware of how the arch of her back pushed her chest out. His eyes tracked the movement, his appreciation for the sight before him proven by the growl that rumbled from deep within her chest. "Shall we christen the other rooms of our home?" She purred. "Of course, we'll have to do it all over again when we have a bed, but you've never seemed to mind taking me against a wall."

The grin he flashed down at her, the desire pooling in his eyes, was enough to make her almost find another release. "You are the devil, Natasha Rogers." His lips grazed down her neck, as he started to move inside her one again, lavishly, lazily, as if they truly had all the time in the world to do this, only this. "And I am incredibly, completely in love with you."

~0~0~0~0~0~

Perhaps, she should be thankful that she had survived this long throughout their relationship without hurling her guts up in front of her husband.

Not that Steve intentionally did anything to make her feel bad about it, or embarrassed. In fact, he was the perfect gentleman, which really shouldn't have come as a surprise at all. He held her hair back and stroked her spine in comforting caresses as she practically lay over the toilet.

"I'm going to kill James." Natasha grumbled as she finally retreated back under the coolness of her bedsheets, kept at that temperature by the bedroom window that had remained open all night. "I'm going to kill him, and then Sam, and then James again."

Steve chuckled as he settled into bed also, his arm wrapping around her and pulling her close to his side. He didn't seem to mind that she'd spent the last thirty minutes throwing up in their ensuit, but Natasha still couldn't help but feel groggy. They had another few hours before their alarms would go off, thankfully. That should hopefully be enough time for Natasha to gain some control of her body, before starting her first day of work hurling onto the training mats.

"I'm afraid to tell you that not even Bucky Barnes would survive your first attempt at his life, let alone a second." Steve pointed out in amusement.

She rolled her eyes, a gesture that would be hidden by the darkness of the room, but one Steve probably assumed she'd make. "He should consider himself lucky then. I'll settle for throttling him when I next see him."

Steve laid a gentle kiss to the top of her head. "And what, exactly, did he and Sam do to deserve this?"

"They suggested the restaurant." To celebrate Steve and Natasha's home finally being completed, the five of them - Wanda had been very excited about this - had headed into the city for drinks and dinner. Their home had been finished two nights ago, but neither Steve or Natasha had felt like celebrating with anyone on that first night, not as they made good on their promise on rechristening the house. There hadn't been a single surface left where her husband hadn't taken her, where they hadn't brought each other unimaginable pleasure, before falling asleep in their own bed, in their own house, at dawn - completely sated and incredibly happy.

So, later that day, when Sam had text them both saying they should all head out for food, drinks and good company, the married couple had been willing to leave their bedroom activities for a few hours. Natasha had never heard of the restaurant before, but their friends had ensured them that they wouldn't find better burgers anywhere else.

Now, Natasha would probably spend the next few hours the night plotting ways to make them pay for their choice of venue, considering the food definitely hadn't agreed with her.

"I didn't even drink that much." She grumbled in annoyance. In fact, she'd barely finished a glass of wine. Steve hadn't drunk much either, clearly planning on spending the rest of the night making love to her, and therefore not wanting alcohol to get in the way.

Steve chuckled once again.

"And how come your not heaving your guts up?" Natasha demanded, glaring up at him. "You ate exactly what I ate."

"Super-serum, sweetheart," He reminded her, and let out a dignified noise when she swatted him on the chest. "Hey, you certainly weren't complaining about that last night," He leaned down, his lips brushing against her ear as he whispered, "When you were moaning my name over and over again. Which was your favourite location, love? The kitchen counter, the shower? The hallway wall?"

Again, she swatted him. "I cannot believe you're even thinking about that, when I've just been sick in front of you."

He squeezed her tighter against his side. "It's going to take a lot more than that for me to not think about those sort of things, Nat."

"Rogue," She mumbled, but a part of her was relieved, even though she knew it was completely irrational of her to fear that Steve would think any less of her - that he would find her any less attractive - just because a burger clearly hadn't agreed with her. She couldn't remember the last time she'd been sick.

"If you really want to make Bucky and Sam feel bad, then I won't get in your way." He promised. "But, just remember, they didn't cook the food."

"I don't care." She grumbled, even if deep down, she knew she would never actually wish any harm to come to either of their friends, even though it was certainly tempting right now to hit them over the heads.

Another kiss, this time against her temple. "Go back to sleep, Nat. We've got a long day ahead of us."

"We definitely should have booked more time off." Natasha commented, but even before she finished speaking, her lips parted in a yawn. Turns out hours of passionate love-making with her husband, followed by a meal out without a happy ending, had in fact left her more worn out than she had first realised.

But, settled into her husbands side as the first few rays of dawn managed to creep into the room, Natasha slowly started to feel her body return to normal. Steve had been right about the day that awaited for them; the first day of their new roles within SHIELD.

However, the fact that after that long day, she would return to her new home, with the love of her life, and spend hours of uninterrupted time with him would certainly make anything that Nick Fury decided to send their way worth it.

It was all worth it.

~0~0~0~0~0~

A chapter of spice and fluff between our favourite couple! I kind of wish that Steve's serum didn't mean that he couldn't feel sick sometimes, because I'd just love to see Nat fussing over him. I think it would be adorable. I hope you liked this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it! :)

- E x