A/N: Hi there! I must admit that 21 follows and 12 favs is something truly magical. We are so close to the Romanogers fluff, but first our hot-headed duo must suffer a bit (like if they didn't before lol) – so as to acknowledge something we knew about for long, long time…
DISCLAIMER: I own nothing. All rights to Marvel Cinematic Universe, etc.
CHAPTER 6: Exile
I'm so all alone
Sitting in my room
Waiting for your call
But you're not here anymore
What I am to do
I'm still feeling you
You make more than life
More than life
- Mighty 44, "Calling your name"
"Can you tell me where the hell is Rogers? Oh, and Romanoff by the way?" Nick Fury asked angrily, fixing his eyepatch into position. "Why do I always have problems with those two?"
"Believe me sir, we've been asking ourselves the same question for some time." Clint replied, while the other Avengers gathered in Nick's office at S.H.I.E.L.D. HQ, nodded collectively.
"When did he disappear?"
"Three days ago. He left a note, saying 'Don't follow me under any circumstances. I'll be OK'. He took his suit and his shield." Bruce said, scratching his beard. "I think It's safe to say he's looking for Natasha."
"Stark, can you track him?"
"Nope. Stripes left his phone and every electronic device I could stuck a GPS into. Plus the vibranium absorbs all the signals." Tony shrugged his shoulders. "It seems he knows how to disappear of the grid after all. Who would have guessed?"
"Natasha will stay untraced as long as she wishes. With all due respect… I don't think any of us, including Steve, will be able to find her." Clint muttered. "Don't forget it took me almost seven months to track her to Budapest. And she put a hell of a fight."
"At least he's armed now, not like the last time." Fury grumbled. "In this case then, I have new orders for you."
Everyone in the room quietened.
"You are not to follow him this time. I don't want another unintentional escapade under my nose. Do not get me wrong, I am very pleased with your results, but Captain Rogers and agent Romanoff almost paid an ultimate price and that's something we cannot afford." Fury said in a serious tone, but then a wide smile crept over his face. "With all due respect agent Barton, I think this time Agent Romanoff wants to be found. It is a matter of honour for Captain Rogers."
Everyone in the room smiled a bit. Seeing an oblivious 95-year-old super-soldier bonding with a reserved, deadly, ex-assassin proved to be at least interesting if not amusing (especially for Tony and his crazy social-media-obsession).
"And when he finds her I will have a nice chit-chat with those short-tempered fools." Fury said. "Now I'd like to introduce a new mission to you."
He pressed a small, green button on his desk and cleared his throat. "Agents Coulson, Hill, Morse and Carter are to proceed to my office immediately."
Soon a well-known yellow folder bearing S.H.I.E.L.D. logo and words in red stating "CLASSIFIED" was handed to each of the Avengers in the room plus said agents, who came in a few minutes after Fury's announcement.
Clint realized that Sharon looked very concerned even if she didn't show it openly. He made a mental note to tell Steve about it. Meanwhile Fury turned on the holo-computer and loading screen appeared.
"Agents, listen closely-" He started, but Tony suddenly jumped out of his seat.
"I'll grab a snack, before the ads end." Tony called and sped out of the room, before anyone could stop him.
He returned after a few minutes with a pack of blueberries and milkshake and took a seat with innocent smile on his face. Everyone (except for Clint and Thor who immediately took a few berries for themselves) looked at him with irritation.
"What?" he asked as if nothing has happened.
"Don't do that again, agent Stark or I will suspend you from the upcoming mission." Fury said equally annoyed.
"I wouldn't mind." Tony whispered with a grin on his face.
"Agents, your assignment is fairly simple. After successful, yet disastrous mission in Spain, agent Romanoff and Captain Rogers managed to break Alcala's weapons-dealing cartel and now the remaining smugglers formed three separate, independent groups which still sell Hydra weapons to those who offer more money."
"I freaking hate those guys. Why there are always those suckers with superiority complex?" Tony muttered and crushed another berry.
Fury ignored his comment and continued:
"We have confirmed their IDs: Kenneth Stewardson, Gregory Jenkins and Alfonso Herrera Rodriguez, who used to be Alcala's most trusted henchman. Initial plan was to bring them to justice and for trial here at the S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters for crimes such as smuggling, theft, murder and endangering national security, but our intel indicates they won't surrender under any circumstances after the loss of their leader. Phil lost his team thanks to those bastards."
"And that leaves only one option." Bobbi Morse said grimly. "Elimination."
"Indeed. You know the drill." Fury nodded. "Agent Coulson will tell you everything you know, he's your coordinator for this mission, got it?"
"Yes, sir." Everyone replied collectively (except Tony who was crunching the last one of his berries).
"Very well. You are dismissed."
His favourite sport trainers left symmetrical bipedal tracks in the cold sand of the eastern seashore; as always his morning runs never failed to remind him how thrilled he was being able to simply run. It gave him this irreplaceable sense of freedom, taking problems out of his mind.
For some of his new neighbours it seemed at least interesting to find a well-built, blue-eyed man running with a wide grin on his face despite the fact it was as early as 6.00 am.
"Old habits die hard." he would think to himself, pondering his times in the US army when Colonel Philips mercilessly woke them up for routine morning workout. He missed that.
Steve was grateful for the harsh training as it made his character stronger and more perseverant – he also realized he could find peace of mind in physical exertion, especially when he was finally in peak human condition and nothing seemed impossible for him.
Now, six months after Natasha's unexplained departure, this morning runs turned out to be the best solution, whenever beautiful redhead spy messed with his thoughts; after the events in Spain and the episode including the winter soldier, he left with just a letter on the kitchen table at the Avengers Tower. He took his equipment, shield and sketchbook with drawings of Natasha, and caught a plane from NYC to London.
After arrival, he rented a motorcycle and headed to a small town of Dunwich on the eastern coast, where nobody knew him and that was exactly what soldier was hoping for. Steve needed to cool down and then visit an old friend near said town – a long time ago he made a promise and he was about to keep it.
Clint turned on his phone and dialled spy's number. He hesitated for a few seconds before he hit the round, green button. Surprisingly for him, she didn't keep him waiting and answered the call fairly quickly.
"Hello, Nat? Are you there?"
"Yeah, I'm here, Clint."
"Where are you? Why didn't you tell me you're leaving?"
"I thought we'd established that I won't... can't be around for some time."
"No munchkin. You did, not we. You know you hurt him badly."
"At least he doesn't need to be tortured for me..."
"Bullshit. You know, damn well, he is when you're not here. It's even worse, because he doesn't fully understand why you left. He blames himself for your leaving."
There was an extended period of silence, after which Clint finally heard her quiet words, full of guilt and sorrow.
"He's my weakness, Hawkeye. I can't have weaknesses… he could have been beaten to death back there at the Hydra base, so winter soldier would gain access to me. If it happens in the future, if someone will take him to get to me… This thought is killing me."
"But he cares for you. And we both know that's a mutual feeling, a feeling you have probably never felt before, except for me of course."
"The Red Room-"
"The Red Room has nothing to do with this. You're strong, confident and beautiful woman, Natasha, and I know what I'm talking about. The way you look at each other… it has been pretty obvious for the Avengers and agents we work with."
"Oh, really?"
"I see how you look at him. Like there was no other in the world, the fire in your eyes says it all. Everyone could feel it in the air. And for some stupid reason you both deny it and play cat and mouse."
This time she quietened for a very long time, so long that Clint checked if she didn't end the call.
"You there?"
"I doesn't deserve his love, Clint. I don't… I don't want to stand in his way. He deserves a better life."
"He does absolutely nothing to stop you from doing so. I believe he wishes you to be in his way, Nat."
"If he knew what I have done when I was with the Red Room, he would probably never talk to me and that is what I fear most, Clint… "
"He couldn't do that. He loves you with his whole heart, I won't even tell you how depressed he became after your departure. A shadow of his former self. It was a miserable thing to look at."
"Clint, I can't..."
"Natasha, tell me please. Why do you hide the feelings that prove you are not the heartless murderer Red Room tried so desperately to make you? Why don't you just admit you love him, huh?"
"..."
"Nat? Natasha?"
Silence.
"NATASHA! WHY DO YOU HAVE TO BE SO STUBBORN?!"
He looked at his smartphone and saw she has ended the call. "God dammit."
At the far side of the line, Natasha closed her eyes, desperately trying to hold back the tears.
He returned home from the run and jumped into the shower. Hot water washed away the sweat but not the thoughts which haunted him for such a long time; this six months felt like an eternity for him. At some point he had problems with recalling such mundane things like pancake breakfast with Natasha.
He stepped out of the shower, groomed his overgrown beard and combed his hair, doing a perfect 40s-style parting. He knew that other Avengers, including Natasha, considered it funny but he liked it anyway. It reminded him of old times, with Buck and all that.
He put on black jeans, a navy-blue shirt with a matching sweater and then grabbed his leather jacket. Having locked the door to his apartment he hopped on the bike and sped off to the nearest florist.
The bell rang when he entered the small shop.
"Hello there. Can I help you?" Clerk dressed in green apron and matching hat asked.
"I'd like to buy a bouquet of lilies. White ones." he replied, reaching for his wallet.
The clerk nodded and chose seven, large lilies with beautiful white petals and golden stamens.
"Got yourself a girl, huh?" She asked with a wide smile.
"Perhaps in another life." He smiled sadly and the clerk nodded with understanding.
Twenty minutes later he was on spot; the cold, autumn wind blew the dry leaves out of the silent cemetery path, as he made his way towards her resting place. Having attended the funeral four years ago he knew where to look.
The gravestone was a thick sheet of white marble with simple flower ornaments and a few lines of information carved into the sturdy stone.
MARGARET ELIZABETH CARTER
04/09/1921 – 06/03/2016
Founder of S.H.I.E.L.D. and heroine of United States of America
NON OMNIS MORIAR
He crouched and put a bouquet of white flowers, wishing he had spent more time with her, that he had told her how much she meant to him and how much she turned his life upside down. Steve sat on the bench facing the grave and just stared numbly at it. And then, before he knew what he was doing, he just talked with Peggy as if she was alive and well and stood right in front of him.
"Hi, Peggy. Remember when I promised I'll come back to visit you? Well here I am… and I've got to admit I have a problem I hope you would help me with. Quite a big one in fact and I really have no idea how to solve it. I know I don't need to say you always had a special place in my heart, but... Such a shame we had so many opportunities and so little time together. Everything could have been different if it wasn't for the war and all that. I guess it wasn't our time.
But I'm glad you moved on, that you have found happiness in your life after my... death. I don't deny it, Steve Rogers died that day and this whole life after defrosting thing, now I see it clearly, is as if I borrowed these years from someone else…
We parted when we were young. We reunited when you had your whole life behind, while I've just woke up and realized I am a 95-year-old lonely man. And I feel so awfully… empty. And this emptiness is so cold. All my family is long gone. All of my friends are dead…
It's good I can still talk to you, though. You're the only one I can tell everything, you're the one who always listens. I know that, even though you won't respond, you're somewhere better than this world. And you're still listening to old man's blathering.
God, I do sound like an old man! Fortunately Tony's not around.
I'm glad that you found love, Peggy, I really am. A true, mutual one; I'm happy that you met someone who took care of you instead of me, who loved you with all his strength and will, the way I would.
The man who went in the ice all those years ago thought about the same thing, about settling down, a family... I guess someone else came out.
And then I met her Peggy and my life hasn't been the same since. My world has fallen, shattered into a million pieces and I just don't know how to put them back together. She's the key, a magnet that attracts me, and yet I know we cannot be together. I don't know what's happening, she's not even my type. Too hard and relentless and entirely without rules."
Steve sighed and took out his sketchbook. He opened on the last page, where he had a drawing of Natasha, sitting in an armchair and sipping hot chocolate. She was wearing a loose, blue knitted sweater and black sweatpants. She smiled and her fiery red hair that surrounded her beautiful eyes like halo.
"Well not entirely, after all she reminds me a lot of you, Peggy. She's strong, unyielding and beautiful just like you; only with this cunning, modern wit I find so unbearably confusing at times."
He scratched his beard.
"Ah, who the hell I am kidding, she's exactly my type."
Steve laughed a little and immediately realized how weird he must have looked like, drawing and talking to himself in the middle of a cemetery. Fortunately there wasn't many people around, at least not interested in his unusual one-way conversation.
"Anyway this is a real problem, Peggy. This girl I like... I think I love her and I know this to be true, however I am not sure if she feels the same way. We always got on well, but recently after our mission, we got in serious trouble. I... I was tortured and this winter soldier bastard asked me if I am ready to die for her. I think she knows I would. And I will if there is such need, Peggy. I can't stop thinking about her.
She burns in my mind, day and night, and yet I didn't tell her about the way I feel. I was a fool and I fear I have lost her forever, Peggy… just like I lost you.
She left a long time ago... I haven't seen her in months, I don't know what to do nor where to look. She left because of me... Why it has to be my fault?
I'm such an idiot, Peggy.
She said she doesn't want me to suffer for her, yet she doesn't understand that I suffer every time she is not around. How can I possible hope to tell her that? I love Natasha and I've lost my only chance.
Can it be worse?"
Of course nobody answered him. Natasha wasn't there and the cold gravestone remained still and silent as always. Small tear rolled down his cheek and fell to the ground.
"Oh, Nat..."
Natasha frowned at her phone as it buzzed again, effectively distracting the spy from reading the book, which partially helped her to distract her mind. Her eyes were puffy and sore but she looked at the bright screen of the sleek, Stark-issued smartphone anyway. Of course – Steve Rogers. Four unread messages and three unanswered calls.
She pursed her lips, muted the device and tossed the phone onto the bed. If she wanted to protect him… she had to severe all contacts and he had to understand she did this for his own good… She hated herself for that.
Her eyes returned to reading, but the meaning of words escaped her notice and soon she caught herself thinking about handsome blue-eyed super-soldier. She shook her head with exasperation.
"Stop it, Romanoff. He's got his life and you have yours. And there's no place for love in it. Love… Love is childish." she forced herself back to reading and yet again she found herself staring at the same paragraph and not understanding it at all.
She shut the book with flustered sigh and went to the kitchen to grab a coffee and think about something normal, mundane to occupy her mind with an undemanding subject.
As she could've guessed she failed miserably. Steve Rogers was on her mind more frequently than she thought he could and frankly she put progressively less resistance to not think about him. She missed him, very much since their parting half a year back.
She sat in the armchair and didn't even bother to grab the book; she just got lost in deep thought.
He was her friend, just like Clint, except Clint have known her far better and much longer than Steve and treated her as if she was his little, mischievous sister. Natasha had the same feelings of sisterly love for the archer... But not for Steve Rogers. No.
THIS was much more complicated.
Natasha sighed and took a sip of hot coffee.
Why her life had to be so troublesome? Why she couldn't just drown her sorrows in this cup of velvety liquid? She knew he loved her, she saw it in his eyes during interrogation, not to mention his words which, albeit indirectly, confirmed her predictions.
The fact he was ready to die made her barriers crumble more than anything he has ever done. Sole fact that he trusted her with his life was staggering, unreal and felt as if something ethereal. And she was the Black Widow - very few people who surprised her lived on to tell the tale.
Right... Ever since she met the blue-eyed, old-fashioned, confused and terribly dressed man back there at the helicarrier, she could not deny she liked him – right from the start – but he was definitely not her type.
Steve was such a naïve boy-scout, everyone was aware of that. Sometimes she found his super-moral behaviour extremely annoying, even though she knew it was a consequence of his upbringing. Super-soldier was also inhumanly stubborn at times and it was very hard to make him change his mind.
But then, their following moments together – in the heat of the battle with otherworldly aliens or at the Avengers Tower watching a movie together, gave her a little sneak-peak, an opportunity, to get to know America's greatest hero a little better.
She chuckled a bit.
The blue-eyed super-soldier proved to be also caring, thoughtful, kind and strong. Natasha knew countless men with such traits and that would be nice and all that, but Steve… Steve was just different.
He was quiet, modest, perseverant and unyielding. What it is more, now she knew he would rather die himself than let her be taken away and such deep feeling must have been hidden from everyone, even from himself. She knew that because she did the same thing.
Plus he was just excellent at cooking.
Then she sighed, her lips twitched unconsciously.
She knew it was stupid to leave, but she saw no other choice. That part of Red Room's training rooted inside her a loooong time ago, so long it became a part of herself.
No attachment. We are free. No emotions. We are free. No feelings. We are free. No love. We are free.
On one hand she saw no other option but on the other – she was slowly resisting it. She befriended Clint and had a new family, who loved her the way she was and didn't care about her blood-stained past. And now blue-eyed super-soldier was taking control of her heart, no matter how hard she thought it was impossible.
She smiled sadly to herself with defeat.
Who the hell she was kidding, he was exactly her type.
She realized how much she wished she was with him, in his arms, save and sound, listening to his heartbeat and sharing his heat.
She wished she wasn't so alone.
"How long has he been like this?" Tony asked Clint as they both peeked through the door to Steve's bedroom.
The soldier sat in the chair and stared blankly outside the large windows of the Avengers Tower. The weather in NYC was awful, there were grey clouds covering the sky and the rain hit the glass in a monotonous rhythm, depriving everybody of smile and will to live.
The room was poorly lit and almost dark, which made Steve look as old as he should – for his actual age.
"Hey, Stripes, I wondered-" Tony said, followed by Clint, but they were immediately cut off by Steve.
"Leave… Leave me alone." The soldier mumbled, not even bothering to look at them.
Tony glanced with worry at Clint and they quietly closed the door.
"Well this sucks." Archer said. "I have never seen him like this before."
"Yeah, me neither." Tony replied. "And I was going to offer him a private stripper."
Clint looked disapprovingly at billionaire but decided not to comment on this weird idea.
"Do you even know where he was recently?"
"No idea."
They both turned around when they heard silent footsteps behind them. It was Bruce, still in his lab coat and glasses on, probably returning from another researching session.
"Hey, Brucie." Tony called.
"Hey, Tony, Clint. Why are you skulking around Cap's bedroom?"
"We wanted to cheer him up. He's so down, depressed even." Tony replied.
"Of course he is. He visited Peggy while he was away. And now a love of his life doesn't want to contact him and he doesn't know why." Bruce said, taking off his white lab coat.
"And how do you know that?" Tony asked surprised and then turned to Clint. "You knew that?"
The archer nodded, while Bruce continued. "It's amazing what a simple conversation can do. You should try it from time to time Tony instead of this… inappropriate propositions."
"Yeah, I'd rather eat my own ass." Tony muttered under his breath, so that they couldn't hear him.
He had a plan of his own.
At eight o'clock guests started to show up and Tony, dressed in his wild-party outfit, greeted everyone with a huge smirk on his face. The communal floor was well stocked with piles of beer bottles, hot-dogs, hamburgers and other trash food (including Tony's all-time favourite cheeseburgers) and soon was filled with a fairly large group of people.
The music was loud and genius billionaire found with satisfaction that everyone was enjoying themselves. Thor, Sam Wilson and Bobbi Morse were all sparring with Clint in the same video game, the archer had played with Natasha once, and were shouting like crazy whenever one of them got ahead of the others. Bruce Banner was having a conversation, over a beer, with James "Rhodey" Rhodes and Phil Coulson while Maria Hill and Sharon played pool. There was also at least a dozen of other S.H.I.E.L.D. agents roaming around and just having fun. The only one missing was of course Pepper and Happy, but those two were almost always busy.
"Excellent, time for phase two." Tony thought to himself and headed for Steve's floor. He walked into super-soldier's bedroom and grabbed Steve by his arm.
"Okay Cap, enough of this, get up."
Super-soldier mumbled something about being left alone, but Tony was relentless.
"We're gonna cheer you up, whether you like or not."
"Tony give me a break, please." Steve said sternly.
"Negative. I've prepared a party and I'd like your butt downstairs where everyone is having fun. You shouldn't be sitting here alone." Tony said and forced confused super-soldier into the elevator. "You already lost a chance for a private stripper – fine, but you could at least have a beer and talk with us, am I right?"
Steve sighed with annoyance and stood up.
"O-okay, gu-guys, we need to brain-brainstorm something or we'll lose bo-both of them." Clint muttered, stuttering a bit – a result of the amount of beer he drank.
The party was over for quite a long time already and the only party-goers who stayed up were Bruce, Clint and Tony, while Steve and Thor slept on the couch, each in a ridiculous pose and snoring like two giant bears (it turned out that Asgardian mead did its job unexpectedly well and got super-soldier drunk for the first time ever).
Tony poured them another glass of Johnnie Walker whiskey, he himself taking the whole bottle.
"Sooo… I guess the only way to cheer him up is to find Stevie a girl. No sorry… a dame! That's what they called them back in the 1700s…" Tony said and hiccupped loudly. "I know juuuust a place where he could… possibly… find a 'dame'. Whaddya say?"
"Not just 'a' girl." Bruce sighed who drank the least. "Plus you probably thought about something really awful and I don't think Steve's gonna like it. We must bring Natasha back, she's the one he cares for."
"I thought about the same thingy." Clint replied with a smile, but then his grin slowly faded. "But Tasha won't come back. And believe me she is stubborn as hell."
They fell silent, slowly emptying their glasses of the amber liquid. Suddenly Tony's face widened with huge, devilish smirk. "Well I think I might've just a teeny-tiny idea… quite brilliant I must say! Legolas, you need to do something for uncle Tony."
"I'm not gonna like it, am I?" the archer slurred, he and Bruce both looking suspiciously at genius billionaire.
"You're gonna be the bait." Tony grinned, taking a fair swig of liquor from his bottle. For some reason he was able to gulp down almost ¾ of it in ten minutes. "I mean, if I got killed little red would probably send flowers to the one responsible for it, but if you got seriously injured… well in that case, she might've considered checking on you. It's an awesome plan don't you think…?"
Bruce frowned at this comment while Clint looked a bit concerned.
"What do you mean 'seriously injured'?" the archer asked, looking doubtfully at Tony.
"Don't you worry, Legolas." Tony winked at him and then said aloud. "JARVIS send in my suit."
"But sir, in state of intoxication it's dangerous to operate your suit. Miss Potts…" the AI said in a concerned way which was no longer a surprise to any of the inhabitants of the Avengers Tower.
"JARVIS."
"Yes, sir."
"Whoah, whoah, no Stark, we don't need to make it this real." Clint said, increasing his distance from billionaire, who was getting inside his armour.
"Bruce, c'mon man, do something!" Archer said looking worryingly at Tony.
"Tony, Clint's right. This has gone far enough." Bruce said with annoyance in his voice. "Take the suit of immediately"
"Trust me, I know what I'm doing. At least I think so."
"You son of a gun." Hawkeye cursed under his breath.
"What do you mean he got his leg broken and possible concussion? How the fuck did that happen?" She asked, her voice full of ice-cold fury.
Bruce mumbled a quiet answer and immediately regretted it.
"For fucks sake you cannot be left alone for a few months, I swear. I'm coming back." Natasha screamed angrily into the phone, which caused Bruce to jump as if he stepped on shattered glass. "Tell Tony, I'm gonna kill him myself."
"Uh, will do Natasha." Bruce replied tentatively and she hung up.
He turned towards Clint who was in the medical bay of the Avengers Tower and indeed had his left leg in a cast and Tony who sat there with an expression of a beaten dog.
"Well there are some good news. She's coming back."
Clint gave him a lopsided smile, while Tony had a genuine look of terror on his face.
"She's gonna kill me for that, am I right? Probably with a blunt spoon." Tony said in matter-of-factly voice.
"Well that'll teach you something at least, jerk." Clint grumbled.
Tony sighed and rubbed his eyes with his hands. "I shouldn't have drunk so much. I'm sorry Legolas."
"I would seriously considered moving to Asgard, lord Stark." Thor added and everyone, except Tony laughed.
"I must tell Pepper." Billionaire said and ran out of the medical bay.
3 days later
"This is the last warning Rogers. Same goes for you Romanoff. I cannot believe my best spy and best fighter acted so carelessly, endangering the integrity of the Avengers initiative. Your irresponsible behaviour earned you a reprimand and suspension from the upcoming mission. Next time I won't go so easy on you." Fury said, dragging each syllable.
"I do not wish any more of such stupid actions." Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. stated in a firm voice. "Do I make myself clear?"
Steve said "Yes, sir." with an apologetic expression on his face, while Natasha simply nodded. They both knew they got into trouble and now had to bear with the consequences.
"Very well then. That is all for now, you are dismissed." Fury said and pointed the door.
The same night Steve was laying in his bedroom, his eyes wide open and a thousand thoughts swirling again in his head with a speed of light. Sometimes he got really tired with those reflection, but not this time.
She was back. Natasha was back! This fact hit him like a brick to the head but also filled with immense joy and now he was grinning like an idiot whenever she was around. Natasha Romanoff finally returned to the Avengers Tower and Steve Rogers at last felt as if he was regaining a sense of purpose in his life.
Aside from everyone's being happy with Natasha reuniting with them (except for Tony, who soon joined Clint in the hospital), Steve knew that Redhead spy was furious with him, Stark and Clint for getting so drunk during that party. Super-soldier has already apologized her at least ten times and got her a fluffy teddy bear, but she still pouted whenever he was around. Although Steve would never admit it, he did not take Fury's warning too seriously and he knew well that Natasha did the same. Steve chuckled to himself, still not being able to believe his luck.
Everything was slowly getting back to normal.
He reached to turn off the little lamp on the nightstand when he heard a quiet knock on the door of his bedroom.
"Come in, please." Steve said and he sat on his bed.
The door slowly opened and super-soldier saw Natasha in her black-red pyjamas, which matched her fiery hair. She was barefoot and holding the teddy bear he gave her.
"God, she's so beautiful." Steve thought with a goofy grin on his face. "Hey Natasha."
"Evening, Captain." She replied, her voice still bearing a slight hint of former anger.
"Uh, something's wrong? You cannot sleep?" he asked her, trying not to jump up and down, because she was finally talking with him – for the first time in last three days.
She shook her head, her tangled red hair like a firestorm, tempting and hypnotizing him all at once.
Suddenly she approached him and made a vague gesture with her head. "Move, Soldier."
He complied and she slipped under his blanket. He gave her his pillow, even though she didn't need one, and encased her in double layer of navy-blue blankets as she was shivering a bit.
Then he took a spare blanket from his cupboard and made his way to the sofa, all the time being under watchful eye of Natasha, who looked like a tigress preparing to leap. He was about to lay down when he heard her voice, so quiet he wouldn't have made out anything, if it wasn't for his enhanced senses.
"Captain..."
He turned back to her.
"Come over here." She whispered and the soldier hesitantly obliged. He slipped under the blanket and she quickly snuggled next to him. Steve felt his tensed muscles relaxing and he finally realized everything was back to normal again.
"I missed you Steve." She whispered to his ear. "I'm sorry."
"It's okay, I missed you too, Nat." Soldier kissed her forehead gently and then smiled widely. "Rogers – one, Romanoff – zero."
"Oh, shut up, grandpa." She grumbled, her voice muffled by his proximity.
"Yes ma'am." Steve turned off the light.
A/N: Awww, finally some fluff! I hope you enjoyed this little sneak-peak into their romance and be prepped for more. Peace! WS
