This idea came about from a friend who was telling me she's going to house sit for her next job. My mind instantly went to Steve and Nat, so here we are. Enjoy!
Dear Steve,
First off, I'd like to thank you for taking this job at the very last minute. I wanted to greet you in person, but I had to rush off to beat traffic. If you're reading this letter, I'm assuming you've found the spare key in the little birdhouse by the door. My sister, Yelena, needed me at the last minute for about four days, and I couldn't get out of it, so I appreciate your availability to house sit for me. You've come highly recommended by her; she sends her hello.
There's nothing much for you to do around my home, except feed and walk my babies, Lily and Liam. They don't bite, but they do take a while to warm up to strangers. Just give them a couple minutes to adjust to your presence and then they'll be all over you; they are quite friendly and love belly rubs. Feed them twice a day: once in the morning around 10am and once in the evening around 5pm. Their snacks are in their little bin next to their food. They get about 2 or 3 a piece.
Other than that, enjoy my home. I'm not expecting any visitors or any packages, so no one should come to the door. There's a movie room upstairs and a pool and a jacuzzi tub in the backyard. The fridge and pantry are loaded with food and drinks, so help yourself. You will receive a payment of $2,000 when I return Wednesday. I think those are all the important things to note.
Oh, I forgot. Please, do not invite your friend(s) or your intimate partner(s) over. I do not want uninvited guests in my home while I am not there. If there happens to be an emergency with Lily and Liam, the numbers to the vet are on the fridge, along with the alarm code. Please, set it at night before you go to sleep.
I won't be able to answer many phone calls, but I will be glancing at my texts and e-mail in case you have any questions. Once I get a break, I'll send a text or e-mail to check in. Thank you again for this huge favor, Steve. I'll see you soon.
Kiss my babies for me.
-Nat
P.S. The guest bedroom is upstairs. It's the first room on the right.
Steve puts the letter on the counter after he reads it and roams the fridge for something to eat. He's starving. On paper, Natasha seems like a nice woman; he's interested in meeting her. It takes alot to leave your home to a complete stranger.
House sitting for the rich and famous is an easy way to earn some extra money for their band, End of the Line. Steve's been wanting to record another album and go on tour, so this was another stream of income aside from selling his paintings. Surprisingly, as an independent artist, he does well for himself. He has enough to save, afford a car, health insurance, and a decent apartment, so he's grateful for that.
His band is pretty popular around parts of New York, particularly Brooklyn. They've been together for about five years now and have a pretty solid fanbase. Their band is quite eclectic, playing all kinds of genres; plus, there's no one lead singer, and everyone writes and produces songs.
Steve settles on a turkey sandwich with some chips. After he eats, he wanders around Natasha's home. It's fucking large. He knows he shouldn't snoop, but he is curious. Of course, the kitchen is magnificent, with its shiny steel appliances and sleekness.
The living room is cozy, with blankets and throw pillows. Two of them say "Pixel" and "RAW" and one has a camera on it. A gorgeous red-brick fireplace sits in the middle of a wall. It's not lit because it's still summer, but he can imagine it's wonderful in the fall and winter. Large black and white portraits line the wall in the hallway: one of Lily, one of Liam, one of Yelena, and one of a woman. He wonders if that's her mom and why there isn't a photo of her dad up there.
In the back of the house, there's a spacious area that leads to the backyard. Six panels of windows bring in the sun. The room is set up like a workspace. A display shelf of vintage cameras and photo albums sit on one end of the room. Next to it is a large pine desk that has a stack of photography books, a MAC computer, and lens cases. The opposite end of the room is an area for taking photos. A light kit and white backdrop rest against the wall. Clearly, she's a photographer, and he thinks that's really cool.
There's a door that leads out to the backyard, where he spots the pool and jacuzzi mentioned in the letter. Maybe he'll go for a swim later. In the living room, he finds Lily and Liam in their doggie beds. Both of them are huskies with white and black coats. They stare at him as he sits on the sofa. One of them growls while the other cautiously walks toward him for a sniff.
Steve holds his hand out, says, "Which one are you?"
He glances at the red dog tag: Lily.
She begins to lick his fingers, causing Steve to smile and pet the top of her head. "You're a sweet girl, aren't you?"
Lily sits beside him and stares out the window while Liam sits in his bed, giving him the evil eye. Steve attempts to turn on the television. There are three different remotes for the flat screen alone. He doesn't know what either of them do but he eventually figures it out. He flips through the channels for a good movie. Misery is on, so that's what he settles for. He has to find ways to entertain himself at people's houses. Usually, he packs his guitar and writing journal, so that keeps him busy for a while. Then he'll call his bandmates.
After he finishes the movie, he brings his luggage upstairs to his room. Lily follows him. There are four rooms, and he finds his. The color palette is teal, gray, and white. It reminds him of the beach. It's large, with an ensuite bathroom and balcony that looks over the backyard. It's got a table and chair set and a tree close to it that blocks the sun. He's a sucker for a good balcony and thinks they're quite romantic.
His phone dings; it's Natasha.
N: Hey, Steve. Just seeing how things are. Did you get settled okay?
S: Hi, Natasha. Yes, I did. Thank you. Your home is gorgeous, by the way. Thank you for trusting me to take care of it while you're away.
N: You're welcome. I'm glad you could do it. How are my babies? Are they being nice to you?
S: Oh, well, Liam hasn't warmed up to me yet, but Lily seems to like me now.
N: Just give Liam some more time. He takes longer to come around.
S: I'll do that. :) How's Yelena?
N: She's great. I might actually get to leave a couple days early if things go well. Fingers crossed.
S: That'd be awesome!
N: Yes, it would. K, I have to go now. Bye!
He decides to sit on the balcony for a while with his journal; Lily joins him. She doesn't do anything but lay down and sniff the air. It's pretty humid out, but he doesn't mind. In his journal, he pens some corny lyrics about sharing a home with someone he loves. Natasha's home has inspired him. He may not do anything with this song, but it's nice to get some words down. After he's written all he could, he and Lily go back downstairs. It's almost time to feed the dogs, but in the meantime, he video chats with his friends.
"What are you asses up to?" he says into the camera.
Sam laughs at him. "Nothing much, man. We're just playing pool at my place."
Bucky waves into the camera, and Steve waves back.
"How's house sitting going?" Sam asks.
"It's good, but I am bored as shit. There's not too much to do. Her dogs are nice and so is her house."
Bucky is back in the camera again. "Show us around."
Steve does, and his friends both say, "Holy shit."
"Nice, right?" Steve asks.
"Hell, yeah." Sam says.
"Have you met her? I bet she's fucking hot." Bucky smirks and raises his eyebrows.
Sam smacks the back of his head. "Shut the fuck up, Bucky."
"I'm just saying what we're all thinking." He puts his hands up in defense. "And don't hit me again, Sam." He punches him in the arm.
"Ow, man. Fuck off."
"You fuck off."
"Guys," Steve says. "Behave, please."
"He started it," says Bucky.
Sam rolls his eyes. "Anyway, have you met her?"
"No, she just left a letter. I spoke to her via text today; she said she might be able to come home early."
"Sweet. I'm sure she's a nice woman," Sam says.
"Look her up on Instagram or something," Bucky says.
"I'm not doing that. It'd feel weird."
Steve will admit he's quite curious about what she looks like, but that doesn't matter because he wouldn't make a move on her, since he's in her home where he's a guest that she's paying. It wouldn't feel right to him.
"Must you always do the right thing?" Bucky asks.
"Yes, much to your disappointment. Even if she is gorgeous, I don't mix business with pleasure."
"Aww, have a little fun, Steve. Loosen up a bit. If she invites you for sex, you have sex. Got it?"
Sam sighs. "He's an idiot. Don't listen to him. Do your job, get your money, and leave in good standing. Stay professional. No matter what. You don't want to ruin a good work relationship."
He agrees with Sam.
Bucky sighs. "You always side with him."
"Because he's the most sensible one of you two. I hate to say it, Buck, but you're too impulsive and such a knucklehead."
He smirks. "Trouble is my middle name."
"I know. That's why I never take your advice."
He waves him off. "Whatever, man. We'll see what happens when she returns. Text us."
He chuckles. "I will. Enjoy your game. Sam, kick his ass. He deserves it."
Bucky shakes his head, grinning. "You never give me a break, Steve."
"Nope."
"Later, man," Sam says.
He waves at them before hanging up the phone. A couple minutes later he gets a group text; there's a message from Bucky. You should have looked her up. :) It's a photo of Natasha. She's lounging in her backyard on a chaise, wearing sunglasses atop her red hair and a strappy green bathing suit that makes his knees wobble. Her lips are slightly parted, and her eyes command him. Fuck, she is hot, and Steve may be in trouble after all.
Steve fell asleep on the sofa with his guitar and journal last night. Lily and Liam's barking wakes him. He slowly sits up to find the dogs sitting at the front door, wagging their tails. Steve stretches before standing and peeks out the window in the living room. It's Natasha; she's standing by the trunk of a black Cadelliac, watching the driver grab her luggage. They leave it at front of the door for her, and she shakes their hand before tipping them. When Natasha catches him in the window, he quickly closes the curtain, embarrassed for spying on her. He hears the alarm chime for deactivation. Then the door opens. Lily and Liam whine and bark their heads off when they see her.
"Hi, my babies! I missed you two." Natasha kneels to pet and hug her dogs, who lick all over her face. She glances up at Steve, who's standing nearby. He's stunned at her gorgeousness. The photo didn't do her justice at all. She looks more vibrant in person.
"You're staring too hard. Do I have your tongue or something?"
She certainly did have him. He'd give her anything she asked for.
He nods, takes a deep breath. "I'm sorry. I don't mean to… You're…"
He's a mess in front of her, especially in his Ninja Turtles t-shirt. He must look absolutely ridiculous.
"Take your time." She grins at him while still petting her dogs.
He takes another deep breath. "I'm sorry. I wasn't expecting you to be home."
She finally stands up. "I sent a text late last night. I figured you were asleep, since you didn't respond."
He nods. "Can I help you with your bags?"
"I got it. Thanks though. Were they nice to you?"
"Lily was, but Liam has yet to befriend me. I must give off a bad vibe or something."
"He'll get used to you."
Steve nods again.
"Are you hungry? I can order us some breakfast."
"Sure. That'd be great."
"You want anything specific?"
"Whatever you get is fine."
"Any allergies?
"Nope."
"Alright. Well, I'm going to go change, and then I'll get us some food."
She takes her bag up the stairs, with the dogs on her heels. Though he tries not to stare at her ass for too long, he'll admit her figure is quite nice. He thinks how she'd feel in his arms, his hands squeezing her ass. Probably magnificent. Heaven help him.
He's watching television when she comes back downstairs an hour later. She's in a sheer cover up, which reveals green straps across her body. It looks like the same suit in her photo. Shit. She holds a pair of sandals.
"Our food should be here shortly. Feel free to join me in the pool if you'd like."
He nods, watching her sway her hips. His heart is racing because he has no clue what will happen in that pool if he goes. He heads upstairs to brush his teeth, slather on sunscreen, and throw on his trunks. On the way to the backyard, he feeds the dogs. Natasha's standing by the edge of the pool, and she turns her head over her shoulder to smirk at him. She lets her coverup drop to the ground, giving him a full view of her ass. The straps show bits of her skin that he wants to touch and kiss. Before he can imagine anything more, she dives into the pool.
Lily and Liam rest beside a lounge chair, and Steve's left figuring out what to do. He wiggles his fingers and bits his lip. If he goes into the pool, he knows he won't come back out the same. As a compromise, he sticks his feet in the water as Natasha resurfaces near him. She wipes the water from her eyes and smoothes her hair back. Her arms rest on the ledge.
"You're not getting in?"
"No."
"Too shy or too scared?"
Too aroused, but he doesn't say that.
"I might get in a little later."
He gently kicks his feet in the cool water. It feels nice.
"There's no pressure." She winks at him before taking a couple laps around the pool.
He watches her for a bit, wondering about who she is and what her life is like. He hears the doorbell and tells Natasha he'lll grab the food. She's drying herself off when he returns. He joins her at a wooden patio table. She's ordered them bacon, waffles, eggs, and orange juice. He's actually quite hungry. As they grab for the same packet of syrup, they touch fingers.
"Sorry," Steve says, blushing. "You can take it."
She smiles at him. "Thanks."
"Thanks for breakfast."
"No problem." She pours syrup over her waffle.
"Was your visit okay?" He takes a mouthful of eggs.
"Yeah. It was really fun. Yelena wanted my eye for her project. She's opening up her own restaurant and wanted to get food photos for the menu. They turned out quite nice."
"I'm glad everything worked out." He takes a sip of orange juice. "I noticed you were into photography. What made you start?"
She glances at the fork in her hand. Her voice is willowy, like she's about to cry but doesn't. "My parents. When we were children, me and Yelena lost them in a plane crash. Of course, we were devastated. My mom's sister raised us. She kept a couple of their things, and one of them happened to be their photo albums. There were so many pictures of my parents as children, as teens, and then as adults. I loved the photos of them. It made me want to capture the big and small moments people have."
She tells him about how she begged her aunt for a camera, how she snapped photos of everything, how her aunt put her in photography classes. When she attended college, obviously, her major was photography. From there, she worked her ass off by interning and building her portfolio.
"Now, here I am. I love it." She drinks some of her orange juice.
"I'm really sorry about your parents."
He wants to grab her hand, but he doesn't.
He can't imagine what it would be like to lose both his parents so young. He's truly blessed to still have his in his life. His mom suffered a stroke, and his dad is disabled from the war, but they are as healthy and as living as they can be. He always sends them videos and photos of his shows. They are super proud of him.
"Thank you. I miss them everyday, but I like to think they miss me and Yelena more, and that brings me comfort."
"I'm glad you've found solace in that."
"Me, too. I've certainly found peace in photography as well. Once I got my first camera, I took photos of my parents' things and the places they went when they were younger. It helped me cope with my grief, helped me to remember them. Does that sound strange?"
"No. I don't think it's strange at all. I'm no expert on grief, but it sounds like a healthy way to deal with loss. You needed an outlet. That seems important."
She smirks. "My therapist said something similar."
He chuckles. "Great therapist."
She smiles.
After they finish their food, they walk to the jacuzzi. Steve doesn't think he should get in, but the water looks too inviting. He's sure to sit on one end while she's across from him. Her eyes close as she sinks a bit deeper, moaning and sighing as she does so. One of her legs slides against his under the water, and she doesn't apologize for it. His skin turns slightly red from the temperature of the water and from her proximity and sounds.
"What about you?" she asks. "What's your life like? Any traumas I should know about?"
"Well, I was bullied as a kid if that answers your question. I was pretty small, so I was an easy target, unfortunately. It pretty much scared me for life."
"That must've been hard."
"Oh, yeah. There were plenty of times I went home crying to my parents. Dad said I should toughen up; he thought I was too soft and taught me how to fight. Tried as I might to fend off the mean kids, I still got my ass kicked. My dad was disappointed when I told him I'd lost. Our relationship isn't perfect, but I still love him. Mom reminded me that I wasn't weak for feeling sad. She was the one who comforted me alot."
"Your dad sounds like a piece of work, and your mom seems really sweet. Did they inspire you to make music? Yelena says your band is the bee's knees."
"My mom did. She was a piano teacher, so she was always playing and composing music in the house. I certainly get my musical aspirations from her. Dad wasn't too happy about me going into music at first. He wanted me to find a 'real' career, but he's come around alot."
"It's good they support you. Any brothers or sisters?"
"No, though I do consider my bandmates my brothers."
She smiles at that. "What are they like?"
"Bucky is a little shit, but he's so loyal and funny. Sam is always ready for anything and the most grounded and logical one out of all of us. He brings calm to our little group. I love them alot."
"If Bucky is anything like Yelena, I'm sure they'd get along great. She can be so silly and naughty, but I love that about her. I'm sure she teased you a couple times, yeah?"
He laughs. "Of course. When I met her, she started mimicking how I move on stage. She called me a total poser. I didn't realize I did that alot. She's hilarious."
Natasha shakes her head and rolls her eyes. "That's Yelena."
"She's great though. I enjoyed working for her. She was nice enough to recommend me; I really appreciated that."
"She said you were hot." Natasha smirks.
He blushes and runs his hand through his hair. "I'm...I mean...I look decent I suppose."
Her head tilts. "Hmmm, I don't think decent is the right word. You have a beard and tattoos. Blue eyes. I'm sure lots of your fans flirt with you."
As if she can talk. He knows she turns heads with her red hair, green eyes, and full lips.
"I don't pay much attention to it, honestly. I think that kind of stuff can mess with someone's head. I don't really want to be a sex symbol. All I want to do is make good music."
There's a glint in her eyes as she says, "Understandable."
"It's flattering, of course. Bucky and Sam love it when our fans come on to them."
"Do you think I'm coming on to you?" she says, as she slides her foot up his leg toward his crotch. Her toes rest just above his penis. He's erect and a bit uncomfortable in his swim shorts. Shit. He knew this was a bad idea.
"Um..." He clears his throat. "Yes."
When she bites her lip, he holds his breath. Her voice is much raspier as she massages his crotch with her foot.
"Do you like it?"
Heaven help him. He finds the will to gently grab her foot to stop her. She knows how to test his self-control.
"I like it a little too much." He's hot, as in burning up. "But I can't go there with you. It wouldn't feel right, especially since you're paying me. Plus, I like to keep things professional at work."
"How about I don't pay you and you're off the clock, since I'm back early? It's certainly unfair if you sleep with me and take my money." She straddles his hips. "There's a cost to everything."
He wraps his arms around her waist, traces some of the straps that wind across her body. She's soft and sturdy, like she has more strength than she lets on. He likes holding her. She kisses and nips his neck and his tattoos on his shoulder. He squeezes her ass as she grinds herself over his penis.
He's breathless and can't concentrate much on anything as he says, "I certainly agree."
"Good." Her lips are close to his mouth.
He looks at her for a moment before putting his hands on her cheeks. "May I?"
She smiles. "Please do me the honor."
He grins, and then kisses her with everything he's got. Finally, finally, he can have her. She moans into his mouth, curls her fingers into his hair. There is tongue and nips at each other's lips. Steve wants to fuck her until she's exhausted.
He helps her out of the pool, and they dry off a little before heading into the house. Lily and Liam follow them, but they head to their doggie beds in the living room. She leads him upstairs toward her room. They kiss each other in bed for a while until he undresses her. As he slides her straps down her body, he kisses parts of her skin. She's got her eyes closed, enjoying the drag of his lips. After he removes her bathing suit, he takes off his shorts. Their bodies are still a bit damp as they touch each other. He skims her breasts and hips with the tips of his fingers. She grazes his chest and his thigh with hers. When he calls her beautiful, she blushes, and he hopes he gets to see that reaction again. He has a feeling she tries to hide it, but he desperately wants to bring it out of her every chance he gets.
He's on top of her, swirling his tongue around her nipple. She moans, pushes her breast further into his mouth. He gently nips at each of them, causing her to gasp before sliding his fingers between her legs. He rubs her clit with his thumb and carefully pushes two fingers into her vagina.
"Steve... Oh."
He kisses her slowly while he takes his time. She deserves someone who'll take their time with her, who'll give to her as much as she wants. She's lost so much, and Steve just wants to be the person to bring her pleasure however he can. She comes softly, and it's the loveliest thing Steve's seen in a minute. He kisses her lips as he removes his fingers. She switches their positions to where she's above him now, straddling his thighs. She touches him the way he touched her, slowly and fully. Her fingers work his penis just enough to bring him close to his orgasm, but she stops. Before they move any further, she grabs a condom from her drawer for him to put on. Once he has it on, she resumes her position and guides his penis toward the entrance of her vagina.
"Is this still okay, Steve?"
He kisses her nose. "Yes, Nat."
Both of them groan as she slides him into her. She takes all of him and moves the way he touched her: slowly. He enjoys hearing her sighs and whimpers while he holds her hips. His eyes are closed and he's saying her name. Shit, she feels so damn good. Pretty soon, she abandons the slow pace to a quick one, and before long, both of them come undone, feeling spasms of pleasure through their bodies.
She's a little breathless as she carefully gets off of him to lay on his chest.
"You okay?" he asks.
"Wonderful." She kisses one of his tattoos. "You?"
"I'm great." He yawns. "You've made me tired, Nat."
She smirks. "You haven't seen anything yet, Rogers. This is just the warm-up."
He laughs, squeezes her hip. "Heaven help me."
"There you are."
He turns to see Nat, standing in the doorway of the balcony. She's barefoot and only wearing an oversized Polaroid t-shirt. He smiles at her, sets his guitar aside, and extends his hand.
"I didn't want to wake you, so I figured I'd come out here. I'm sorry for not saying anything."
She sits in his lap. "It's not a big deal. Working on something?"
He kisses her lips, then down her neck. "Yes… A song…"
"About me?"
"Possibly." He smirks against her collar bone.
"I'd love to hear it when it's finished. Feel free to name your next album after me."
"I'd call it 'Photos of You'. As for the song, I haven't gotten too many lyrics down and just barely the melody."
She nods. "I know how that can be. Having a fresh idea and trying to get the pieces together. I know it'll be great, Steve."
They kiss each other for a few seconds until his phone rings. It's Sam calling.
"Would you like to meet my bandmates?"
"I'd love to."
When he answers, Sam and Bucky look pleasantly surprised.
"Well, what have we here?" Sam says while Bucky smirks and waves into the camera.
Steve blushes. "This is Natasha. Natasha, this is Sam and Bucky."
"Nice to meet y'all. Steve's told me about you two." She smiles at them.
"Nice to meet you, too," Sam says.
"Y'all fucked, didn't you?" Bucky says, with that same smirk and raised eyebrows.
"Bucky!" Sam elbows him in the ribs. "Have some decency, man."
"That hurt," he says, rubbing the side of his abdomen.
"I don't kiss and tell," Steve says. His face feels really red.
"I do," says Natasha. "Yes, we fucked, Bucky, and it was glorious."
Sam and Bucky's eyes widen as they say, "Oh, shit."
"Your boy here is good in bed. Just make sure it doesn't go to his head."
"Oh, he can't be that good," Bucky says. "Give me a try, why don't you?"
"Watch it, Buck. Don't hit on my girlfriend."
"Girlfriend?" Natasha says. "I don't think we've established that yet, Steve."
"I'm sorry... I didn't mean to assume you'd….Of course, we don't have to be..."
Natasha giggles at him. "It's okay. I'd love to be your girlfriend."
He blushes when she kisses his cheek. "That makes me really happy."
"Awww!" Bucky and Sam say together.
"Cut it out, guys," Steve says.
They laugh at his chagrin.
"We're happy for you, man," says Sam.
Bucky nods. "You'll have to bring her to one of our shows."
"Would you like to come see us play?" he asks her.
"Of course. I might bring Yelena and my camera. I'd love to get some shots of you guys just for fun."
"We'd like that," Steve says. "Nat does photography."
"Maybe you can shoot us for our next album," Sam says. "If you're interested."
"That would be fun. I haven't photographed too many bands."
"Once we have the album done, we can set something up," Steve says.
"Consider it a favor." Nat winks at him.
They talk some more about Nat's work and the band for about an hour before Sam and Bucky run off.
"What do you think of them?" Steve asks.
"They are hilarious. I see why you adore them so much. You'll have to meet Yelena soon, too. I think her and Bucky would be a good match."
"Bucky likes to be set up. He'll be super happy about that."
"So will Yelena." She quickly hops off his lap. "Oh, wait here."
She hurries off the balcony and returns about 10 minutes later with her camera.
"I wanted to take some photos of you here. Can I? I won't share these with anyone." She fiddles with some of the settings. "The lighting is perfect, especially with the shade from the tree."
"I don't look presentable. I'm in a plain t-shirt and gym shorts."
"You look perfect, but…I think to spice things up a bit, you can remove your shirt. If you'd like."
"Is this for your portfolio or for your viewing pleasure?" He stands to take off his shirt.
"Both."
He grins. "Where do you want me?"
"Well, that's a loaded question, Rogers. Everywhere, honestly."
"That isn't very professional, Nat."
"What can I say? I like to misbehave." She tinkers with a couple more buttons on her camera before deciding on where to place him. "Lean on the middle of the balcony with your arms crossed. I'd like to be able to see some of your tattoos as well."
"Should I smile?"
"It's up to you. I'm not going to be particular about that. I just want to get some shots. Do what feels natural."
She directs him this way and that. In some photos, he's sitting in a chair with his guitar or standing with his journal in hand. She gets a couple of close-ups: some of just his hands on his guitar or writing and some of just his face or parts of his chest. She shows him the photos downstairs on her MAC when she's got all of the shots she wants. He's never seen himself look more cool and would love to send a couple to the band. Maybe some of these can be used in the album booklet. She can take similar ones of Bucky and Sam.
While Natasha designs graphics on some of the photos, Steve orders them a couple of burgers and onion rings for lunch. He's starving. Their food will take about an hour, so he and Nat lay in bed until it gets here. She's tracing one of his tattoos.
"What does this one mean?"
He tries to glance at it unsuccessfully. "Which one is that?"
"It's in Latin."
"It's a reminder. It means enough." He sits up against the headboard, and she stares up at him, waiting.
"You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to, Steve."
"It's hard for me to talk about it sometimes, but I want to. The tattoo is about my self-esteem. When I was bullied, sometimes I'd really think about the things those kids said to me. Would I amount to anything? Would people like me? I had alot of doubt and lack of confidence because of it. I've always loved music but didn't think I could do it until college, where I just said enough was enough. I deserve to go after my dreams. I deserve all the good things like everyone else."
"Do you feel any doubt now?"
"Yeah, but I have to remind myself that I'm enough as I am."
She sits up to kiss his lips. "I think you are everything bright, Steve."
He almost tears up. "That means alot, Nat."
She kisses him again before laying on his chest. He puts his arms around her.
"What about you?"
Her finger traces his skin. "I've always been confident in myself. That's how my parents and my aunt raised me and Yelena. With me, I'm really terrified of losing the people I love. It was such a shock hearing about my parents. It's still a shock now, though it's not as brutal. I believe we have what we have when we have it, and we must take care of it. I think death has shown me how to love a bit harder and to appreciate everyone and everything in my life."
He squeezes her closer to him; it breaks his heart that she had to learn loss so young. He doesn't think anyone can be prepared for it no matter their age, but he thinks it's especially tougher for kids.
"I'm so sorry you had to go through this. It's so easy to take life for granted." He pauses. "I don't know what we'll be in the future, but I'm so glad I have this time with you."
"Me, too."
He kisses her, and soon enough, they are lost in each other until their food arrives.