A/N: Our duo came through a lot of angst recently and I believe it's high time they had a break.

Not to mention their long-overdue date.

DISCLAIMER: I own nothing. All rights to Marvel Cinematic Universe, etc.

Chapter 14

THAT'S ALL THERE IS

"One day or day one. You decide." - Paulo Coelho

1

"How did you know I kept a knife under the pillow?" Clint asked, carefully watching the spy. She had a disturbed look in her eyes.

When Natasha woke up screaming like hell he knew she had one of those nightmares. A particularly nasty one apparently, which would explain why there was a knife sticking out of the bedroom door.

"I didn't." Natasha curled on the sofa, staring into space.

The images which plagued her for so long, disappeared when Steve started visiting her. They became nothing but an unpleasant memory she would forget in time but now… It all came back, stronger than ever. The redhead felt nauseous, just by thinking about this. Beads of sweat formed on her forehead.

Just like Natasha predicted, Barton saw right through her walls. He didn't ask any more questions because he had already figured out what kind of nightmare she had. "Wait a sec."

Barton made her a large mug of tea with mint and put a fluffy blanket around her shoulders. The coldness she remembered from her nightmare seemed to be quite real so she accepted the warm fabric without hesitation. He also put a plastic bowl next to the sofa, just in case.

"If you want, you can stay here as long as you like. I'll keep you company until it goes away." His voice was calm and collected. Contrary to her, the archer showed no sign of distress whatsoever.

She was so surprised by the fact he accepted the emotional mess she became that she found herself relaxing involuntarily. Clint didn't pity or patronize her, he just sat there providing silent comfort. The redhead was grateful someone like him could stay around. But he had a family and she was an ex-assassin with a dark past, haunted by the emotions she was taught not to harbour at any cost.

"You'd better get back to Laura and the kids. They miss their father." Natasha mumbled quietly.

"Lila isn't a baby and Cooper's at boarding school. Plus I think Laura can take a few more days of my absence. I don't leave my friends when they need help, Natasha."

The redhead nodded and Barton knew it meant more than thank you. After so many years spent together he read her very well, non-verbally most of the time.

"Come here, Nat."

She glanced at the archer who was extending his arms. It felt good to be protected by a friend. Soon she was snoring quietly while Clint kept the ghosts of her past at bay.

2

A month after their crazy adventure in Venice, Steve abruptly came to, as though he suddenly remembered he overslept for an important occasion. Bright golden rays were seeping through the window blinds, storming into his brain. They evoked an unpleasant headache similar. He might as well have been hit with a crowbar.

His groan of discomfort didn't wake Natasha who seemed to have fallen asleep in a chair beside him. Her head rested on the nightstand, her left arm slumped towards the floor.

Judging by the sunlight, it must've been late afternoon but the absence of his phone or a calendar prevented the soldier from checking which day it was exactly. He must have spent a fair amount of time here given the beard he grew and the soreness of the muscles.

The soldier found it difficult to focus his sight but with every passing minute he regained acuity of vision. He looked around. A room with white walls, full of medicine cabinets and monitors. Familiar surroundings.

"Why do I have a feeling I'm getting used to this?" He thought to himself.

He sat up. Not without difficulties but at least on his own. The movement caused a book to fall from his bed and onto the tiled floor. Its cover read Nineteen Eighty Four. A novel by George Orwell. Weird. It was one of many pieces he intended to read in his free time. Which he definitely didn't have recently.

When he picked it up, Natasha lifted her head abruptly and rubbed her face. Her sight fixed on Steve as if she saw him for the first time in her life. Her bottom lip quivered.

"Uh, I'm sorry. Didn't mean to wake you up." Steve apologized, seeing how the spy could use some sleep. Dark rings under her blood-shot eyes were ample proof of that yet they still gazed at him.

Natasha blinked repeatedly so as to make sure the image wouldn't disappear into thin air. She had always found him in this dead-like state and now… he was just sitting there, smiling. Safe and sound.

Before she knew better the words escaped her mouth. "You are an idiot, Rogers."

She immediately scolded herself mentally. He almost died and that's the first thing that comes to your mind? Really? Way to go, Romanoff.

"It's good to see you too, Nat." Natasha heard his weak voice and the next second she was hugging him tightly, murmuring inaudible thanks to whoever was watching over him. The soldier closed his eyes and returned the hug. She was warm and soft as he buried his face in red locks.

He hoped they'd stay like this forever.

"Don't you ever do that again or I'll kill you myself, understand? I mean it." Natasha whispered as if she was afraid someone was eavesdropping. He chuckled faintly.

Natasha pulled the chair closer to Steve's bed and brushed his blonde hair away from his face. Once again she was struck by those blue irises. They told her more than she was ready to admit.

"How do you feel, Steve?"

"Stiff. I could use some work-out." He admitted and tried to get up but the spy halted him in his tracks.

"No, you're not going to just stand up and walk out. They need to check up on you, first." Natasha said firmly. "Sometimes I think you like ending up in the hospital. You must've set a record among the Avengers."

"Most probably, yeah."

However angry she was with the soldier endangering his own life again, Natasha couldn't help but sigh with relief. Maybe she grew accustomed to leading a conversation with a motionless body but it didn't mean she enjoyed it. She must've got lost in thought because the next thing was Steve's warm hand on her own.

"You okay, Nat?"

"Listen, Steve, I…"

They were interrupted when the door opened, causing Natasha to draw a gun from a holster on her thigh. Person who walked in, was dressed in his usual lab attire and carried a large blocky suitcase.

"Jesus Christ, Bruce, have you heard of knocking? I could've shot you."

"It would've been worth it, believe me."

Bruce Banner approached them with a satisfied grin on his face, seemingly unfazed by the possibility of taking a bullet. "It just wasn't the same without you around, Cap."

"Likewise, Bruce. I hope I didn't pose much of a problem."

"Well, you weren't the easiest patient, but I think I have something that'll speed up the healing process." Banner announced happily. "You've certainly surprised me. One drop of that poison would've killed five."

The soldier nodded. "So that's why my arm feels as if I dipped it in acid?"

"About your arm…" Bruce clicked the locks on both sides of his suitcase. Inside was a compartment laid with shock-absorbent material. It contained a set of small vials marked with Roman numerals from I to VI. "I was able to come up with an antidote for the toxin. I know most of it has already been eliminated by the serum but you lost a lot of blood nonetheless. These should help you get back into shape much quicker."

Natasha glanced at Banner with gratefulness. Had he and Dr Mitchell weren't ready to take care of Steve after the mission in Venice… no. Speculation was worthless at this point.

"Thank you, Bruce."

The began a series of injections. When he was finished he packed his things and shook Steve's hand.

"You should rest now and let the drugs do the rest. You'll be back on your feet sooner than you expect, believe me." Bruce locked the suitcase and fixed his glasses. "I'll leave you two for now, I have to check up on Sharon."

"How is she?" Steve asked, earning a soft smile from Natasha. Classic Steve.

"HYDRA did terrible things to her and I think she'll need a bit more time to return to her previous state. She's tough but she's been through a lot. I think she might need support after the whole ordeal." Banner told them honestly. With that he left.

Steve looked outside the window, a worried expression on his face. The silence stretched between the soldier and the spy for a minute or two.

"She'll be alright, Steve." Natasha said, following his trail of thinking. For some reason she didn't feel any unjustified jealousy as she would in the past whenever Steve would mention Sharon. He sighed.

"Why do we need to fight all the time? When they thawed me out, I was told the war ended. But missions like these prove the world is just as cruel as it used to be. Nothing has changed, Natasha, not a single thing."

Natasha had no answer to that. She wasn't good at inspiring speeches especially when it was Captain America who needed one. He had always had words of comfort for everyone up his sleeve, while Natasha... well she didn't. So she told him the truth instead.

"I missed you, Steve."

His gloomy expression slowly turned one which had a debilitating influence on her. The spy was one of the most dangerous people alive yet a toothy grin from an almost 100-years old guy made her completely harmless.

"I bet you did. Besides, you owe me a date, Romanoff."

Well, well.

"Excuse me, are you being sassy right now? Can Captain America even do that?" Natasha faked a gasp which earned her a full-on laugh. She could listen to this sound for hours because it felt so much like him. He was finally returning to the world of the living… to her.

"I see your sense of humour survived."

"You're a pain in the ass, Rogers."

"So I've heard." Steve shrugged his shoulders as if it was nothing new. "Mind if I get one more hug?"

Natasha couldn't help but smile.

3

Bruce wasn't lying about the antidote. Steve was regaining his former strength with each passing day. Sure, Fury dismissed him from any missions but that would have probably happened anyway because of Natasha. She gave Fury a piece of her mind concerning the danger Steve was subjected to during their mission in Venice. It was a little bit undeserved but the spy didn't care.

Suffice to say, the soldier received a phone call from Maria Hill shortly after, who informed him he had been relieved of duty for an unspecified amount of time. Considering the odds it could mean anywhere from a week to a few months. Once again he had been taken aback by Natasha's fiery temper. After all, it was one of many reasons why he fell for her.

The soldier wasn't also allowed to strain himself too much which meant no training with a punch bag and no running with Sam. That certainly didn't appeal to him but the doctor's orders were clear as day. Speaking of the devil, Steve visited the hospital a few more times after being discharged. He wanted to see Sharon who was just as broken as Banner told him earlier.

The soldier was shocked to see someone as resilient and resourceful as her to be in such a low spot. He felt it was his duty to comfort her. Sam provided support as well due to his experience in counseling soldiers. Steve had no idea if that was of any help but whenever they left Sharon to rest, the blonde had a smile on her face. Faint, yes, but genuine. In time she'd be back in action, at least Steve hoped so.

He would also stop at Bruce's office from time to time, just so he could undergo diagnostics. The antidote worked like charm but it was experimental nonetheless and Banner had to make sure it didn't exhibit any adverse effects. The slight numbness the soldier felt in his arm was nothing to be afraid of in the long run, as Dr. Mitchel stated, so Steve just avoided unnecessary movements with it, letting the serum do the rest.

Apart from those activities he had nothing else to do or at least he thought so until Natasha came to the rescue. Some time after he returned home, she started dropping by. On a daily basis, sometimes very early in the morning, sometimes late at night when he was preparing to sleep. Even though she didn't want to admit it, Steve was almost 100% sure it wasn't the initiative by Fury.

And while it made him happy, the soldier couldn't help but feel a tad bit guilty. Not that he wasn't enjoying her company, he certainly did, but he also knew how much time she spent working at S.H.I.E.L.D. trying to get any lead on Aristow or Wasilewska. Such things tend to be exhausting but she devoted herself entirely to the cause and decided to take care of him as well. But whenever he told her this, she just ignored it and kept coming anyway. In all fairness he shouldn't be surprised, Natasha's second name was stubbornness.

His train of thoughts was interrupted when he heard his best friend's voice coming from the living room.

"You coming?"

"Yeah, yeah, give me a sec." Steve replied and looked into the mirror.

He wore a tailored black suit with white pocket square and matching shoes; as he decided against wearing a tie, the white shirt was unbuttoned at the top. The soldier had his longer than usual hair brushed back and his beard trimmed. The final details included his grandfather's watch and dog tags.

Steve inhaled deeply before walking out of his bedroom to find Sam sitting on the couch. Wilson was going through random channels but stood up when he saw the soldier. He started to clap, a huge smirk plastered to his face. "Ladies and gentlemen, we've got a lady-killer on the block. "

Steve rolled his eyes. Back in the day he wouldn't dare to ask a girl out (that was Bucky's area of expertise) let alone dress the way he did tonight. For him, dating was akin to traversing a mine-field and he was about to spend a whole evening with the most dangerous woman in America. To say the soldier was nervous would be a lie and Sam's approval was something Steve needed to hear.

Sam patted him on the back. "I'm serious, man. Tony really needs to stop joking about your taste in fashion cause you've clearly made progress. Besides, I've seen the looks she sends you. You lucky bastard."

"Natasha looks at me the same way she always does…"

"Yeah, keep telling that to yourself. She's been practically devouring you with her eyes."

Steve's ears were beetroot red. "Have you finished? Any other clever comments up your sleeve?"

"I think that was it." Sam plopped down on the couch. "You'll be just fine, Steve. Trust me."

"How can you know this?" Steve asked quietly, more to himself than to his friend.

His experience included an incomplete date, disrupted by an unexpected mission and a few-weeks stay in hospital. Not the best score if he had to admit. It didn't seem to bother Sam though.

"I don't. I have a good feeling about this. I must've mentioned it before, haven't I? Besides, I'm still rooting for you two, Steve."

The soldier felt the corners of his mouth tugging up. Slightly. "Thanks, Sam."

"Oh, you'll thank me later. Over a bottle of beer."

They shook hands. "You got it, Sam."

"Perfect. No go get 'em tiger."

"You really enjoy it, don't you?"

Sam just flashed a stupid smile and returned to flipping through channels.

4

"I didn't expect you'd be into this kind of thing. You seemed like a guy who'd eat three burgers for dinner rather than a teeny-tiny piece of raw fish." Natasha said as they sat in a newly-opened sushi restaurant located in a skyscraper that could be seen from the Avengers Tower.

"Can you imagine an overweight Captain America?" Steve gave her a crooked smile. "Tony wouldn't pass the opportunity. I'd rather jump off the Avengers Tower than listen to his jokes."

Natasha chuckled trying to picture Steve as someone not good-looking. "Yeah, you're probably right."

Understandably it was impossible. The soldier was sculpted like a Greek god and no amount of burgers could change that. To make things even more difficult for her, he decided to wear that damn suit… black colour outlined his frame ridiculously well. Not to mention the beard and those blue eyes which made her, Black Widow, melt... Something fluttered inside her.

Thank goodness he was too oblivious to realize she's been practically undressing him with her eyes.

"As for the sushi stuff, I remember talking with one of my army buddies who had a wife from Japan. She got him into that cuisine and he wouldn't stop rambling about it. Since then I've always wanted to try it but the war and seventy-year-long winter holidays kept me busy."

His voice was playful but Natasha saw a hint of bitterness in his eyes. She didn't dare to point it out though, she'd probably react the same way had she gone under for the better part of the century.

"Thank God Fury gave us the rest of the month off then. This time he won't dare to call us on another mission." She agreed. "Are you okay with me choosing something for you?"

"Yup. I can barely speak all those names anyway." The soldier replied, looking at the menu with a mixture of interest and confusion.

"Good thing I got you covered, Rogers."

"Couldn't agree more."

Five minutes later the waiter collected their order. Natasha decided to go with a mixed set, so that Steve could try a bit of everything, plus a pot of hot jasmine tea and a bottle of sweet Japanese plum wine. Normally she'd opt for semi-dry white but such occasions were perfect for something different.

"I had no idea you spoke Japanese as well." Steve admitted with awe in his voice when she placed the order without resorting to English. It left him wondering how many other languages she mastered apart from the few he knew she was fluent at.

"Oh, well. Just a few of my many talents." The redhead winked at him, but he could've sworn her cheeks coloured. It might as well have been the result of the light. Black Widow doesn't blush now, does she?

"Well, back in the day, we used to have this tradition, Clint and I. We'd go for sushi every time our mission was successful so in time we picked up a thing or two. Barton's better at it, though. Waaaay better."

Steve nodded his head. "Then it must have been pretty often?"

"It had, until Clint was almost eaten alive by genetically-modified piranhas some lunatic kept in his swimming pool. I took the guy down but he still managed to push Barton into the water."

The soldier furrowed his brow to a point his expression could literally be read as 'what the hell?' and it made Natasha crack up slightly louder than she expected. "Sometimes I wonder what goes on in Fury's head when he sends people on these missions. They always turn out to be so…"

"... weird and dangerous?" She finished the sentence. "Yeah, I've been thinking about it too. Clint still has scars but you shouldn't ask how he got them. He likes to pretend it's a souvenir from a fight or something."

The soldier smirked. Somehow he knew this topic would resurface in the future.

"Here's our dinner." Natasha said when she spotted the waiter meandering towards them.

He placed the ceramic plates and bowls on their table, then all the sushi they've ordered. Everything looked amazing, even if wrapping food in seaweed seemed weird for Steve. He poured the wine into their glasses and they both took a sip, relishing the sweet burning sensation in their throats.

Then Natasha felt his gaze fixing on her. It was difficult, if not impossible, to intimidate the spy but something in the look he gave her, made her nervous and excited at the same time.

"I want to tell you something, Nat." The soldier's voice was quiet so that the other guests wouldn't hear their conversation. The unmistakable hint in the tone made the hair on her neck bristle.

She looked up from her plate with a stoic face, almost exploding from curiosity on the inside. "What's that?"

"I… Thank you, Natasha. For all you've done for me. I can only imagine what it felt like to be by my side when I was in a coma and this is something I would've never had a right to ask you for." The soldier told her, not even realizing he put his hand over hers. "This is not the first time you saved me. I'll always be grateful for that."

Natasha blinked a few times, the meaning of those words coming to her after a few longer moments. She, a person with a horrifying past, was asked out by none other than Steve Rogers, the very definition of what she could never be. What's more he thanked her for saving his life.

The redhead felt her eyes glistening with tears. It didn't escape his notice.

"Hey, hey, Nat, look at me." His voice was soothing. She was only able to nod her head in response and he waited patiently until she calmed down. No-one around seemed to have noticed the intimate moment they've just shared. A minute or two later Steve broke the silence.

"Alright, let's see if this is as good as you say." The soldier said but soon came across an obstacle: chopsticks. "Uh, oh. I'm gonna need your help, Nat. Who invented this devilry?"

Natasha showed him how to hold the chopsticks correctly. She was silent while doing so, but the soldier didn't seem to mind. "Thanks."

It took a few minutes to get the hold of this, but Steve was a fast learner. Looked like they'd need to go for those burgers after all, because the sushi was disappearing frighteningly fast...

"This is delicious." He announced with delight, having sampled everything she ordered. Natasha was surprised by how enthusiastic the man in front of her could be even though he was discharged from the hospital just a week ago. He practically cheated death but it didn't seem to affect him in any way.

Steve's grin was infectious and Natasha found her lips involuntarily going up. Damn, she got it bad for him.

"This one's to you, Nat." Steve said, raising his glass.

"And to you, Steve."

Then they smiled, chatted and flirted without a care in the world. They wouldn't stop until the morning came if only the waiter didn't ask them to leave. And Steve had one more thing in mind.

"I'd like to show you something, Nat."

The Avengers Tower stood one block away so they got there within fifteen minutes. The enormous building was dark and empty - all the other Avengers were either away or on a mission. Fortunately Tony designed the entrance locks to read their fingerprints so they didn't need a key to get in.

They hopped into the elevator with soft music playing in the background.

"JARVIS take us to the roof, please." Steve said, feeling the nervousness coming back. He had a great time all evening but now he was uneasy again. Guess the kid from Brooklyn would always be somewhere inside him.

"Right away, Captain."

The lift bolted upwards, skipping all the floors until they reached the open area at the top.

"Enjoy the view, Miss Romanoff."

Natasha looked at Steve who shrugged his shoulders. "I wanted to tell you this earlier but I figured the scenery would be much better here. And more private."

The soldier offered her a hand and they strode towards the edge of the railing. Natasha glanced over at the breath-taking picture in front of them. The buildings with shiny windows, surrounded by the neon vapour of a great metropoly. Millions of people going about their own business. She stood high above it, a cool wind blew in her face. What could have been so important to bring her here?

Steve was so much more than she asked for but apparently he didn't want to end their date just yet… and neither was she. She had her suspicions. But it didn't mean she was prepared for what came.

"Nat?" He tapped her gently on the shoulder. The spy got so lost in thought that she didn't even hear him opening the bottle. She accepted the glass of sparkling champagne and inhaled its fruity bouquet.

"Did you mean what you said earlier?" Natasha asked quietly before taking a sip. The question was stupid but some damaged part of her personality craved reassurance. None of it however amounted to what she heard next. Blood was humming loudly in her ears when Natasha saw his lips forming those three small words she has been afraid of all her life. No. Three small words she has always been denied.

"... and I always tell the truth, Nat."

For the first time in her life, she stood frozen in place, her mouth opening and closing wordlessly. To hear it coming from the soldier was one thing but to actually feel it to be true - something totally opposite. The realization he cared for her despite the unspeakable things she had done was... surreal.

Those thoughts raced through her mind with a speed of sound but Natasha could only imagine what the soldier was going through. A few seconds of unbearable tension, waiting for her answer. Then she spoke and her voice was void of any hesitation.

"I love you too, Steve. More than anything in the world."

The noise of broken glass was unnaturally loud in the brief moment of silence before they closed the space between them. They were trying to get enough of each other to care. And that could take a while.

5

"Why is this woman not answering? This is urgent!" Nick mumbled under his nose, furiously tapping the call button on his phone. His assistant, Maria Hill, looked up from the report she was about to finish.

"You gave her time off, Nick. Plus she already took extra hours at the office. Remember?"

Fury closed his eyes and rubbed his temples. "I know, but she's the best for that kind of assignment."

"Agent Johnson is perfectly capable of carrying it out." Maria said calmly, returning to the computer screen. "You signed the papers yourself. Besides… Natasha's busy tonight."

Nick looked like he wanted to comment on the matter but he thought better of it.

"You too should take a break from time to time, Nick. It's not a crime."

"Yeah, maybe I should. Goodnight, Maria." With that the director of S.H.I.E.L.D. grabbed his trench coat and left, muttering curses under his breath. This job was giving him a headache.

6

"You didn't have to spill all of it. It was a good vintage." The soldier said, looking at shards of glass on the ground. He didn't anticipate such a turn of events.

"I didn't expect you to be... romantic, Steve. You surprised me."

The soldier faked a gasp of offense. "Did I just hear it right?"

"Oh, I want to take it back."

"No, no, it's too late for that." He said grinning like an idiot. "Wow."

Natasha rolled her eyes. "You're not letting it go until Christmas, are you?"

He was getting closer. "More like, never. But yeah."

"I wonder if Tony still needs an assistant." Natasha said nonchalantly looking at the cityscape. The corner of her mouth was quivering. "It pays well."

"You're unbearable, Nat. You know that?"

"That's why you love me." She said before she could contain herself. Steve just laughed in response but his eyes were serious. "Point taken."

"Say it again, Steve. Please."

"I love you, Nat."

The moment the last sound escaped his mouth, she was kissing him fiercely. The soldier returned the favour the only way he knew - like the world was going to end tomorrow and she was his road to salvation.

She loved every single second of it.

Somehow they managed to get into the elevator with Natasha holding the half-empty bottle of champagne in her hand and Steve holding her, bridal style. Not once did they part their lips on their way. They clicked the wrong buttons on the panel repeatedly until JARVIS intervened. With its help they eventually ended up in one of the guest bedrooms on Tower's upper floors.

"You sure, you want this?" Steve asked almost inaudibly. The redhead's hair shimmered like a river of fire he would jump into if only she asked him to. "If not, you only need-"

"For a long time now, Steve." She interrupted him, burying her face in his chest. Steve's dog tags were cold against her warm cheek. "You're my everything."

All he did was smile back. The neon lights which she admired from the rooftop, now flushed through the windows and danced on her bare skin as he took her away, pushing the spy to the verge of possibilities.

Firstly, her strawberry lips. Slightly chapped but yearning all the same. Then the corner of her mouth, the jawline and slender neck. The soldier stopped at her pulse point for a while. Natasha wasn't prepared for the flashes of heat which started to surge through her body, from head to toes, but she chose to feel rather than to talk. Steve kept silent as well but didn't disappoint her at all.

He moved along, targeting her collarbone and her cleavage; a hushed breath escaped her lungs when he got rid of her brasserie and decided to pay special attention to the mole on her left breast. Before she got lost in the feeling completely, the soldier moved on, leaving her body on edge and always wanting more.

He did it like a damn professional, she'd give him that.

Then came her heart which he covered with his large, rough hand. Its rhythm began to accelerate, reminding Natasha that despite all odds, the small thing would have a new reason to beat faster.

He worked his way down to her stomach, the navel and the scar on her left hip. The soldier placed a soft kiss there, soothing her mind before it was flooded with the horrific memories from the fight in Odessa all those years ago. It all faded due to his presence and became irrelevant.

She locked her eyes with his. He waited for her further approval, patiently and calmly. No-one before had ever taken the trouble to do the same but she couldn't expect any less from Steve. The answer was obvious.

The room was drowning in blue and purple glow when he moved on. Beads of sweat formed on Natasha's forehead and shoulders when she felt his touch on the inside of her thighs. He was gentle like a feather but the sensation was purely overwhelming, sending her heart into an overdrive.

"Steve…!"

"I'm here, Nat."

"Don't… don't stop, please."

It could have been a smile or a nod, she couldn't tell in the darkness of the room. Either way he performed beyond well and she forgot her doubts on a dime. She even forgot what she was going to say next. Why should you be interested in half measures when you can dive in, head on? Steve Rogers did just that and Natasha experienced it all. First-hand.

After they returned from their high...

"You okay, Nat?"

"Ye- yes. Just... give me a sec." She barely whispered back, her whole body shivering with the pangs of pleasure. One of his hands rested on his stomach, the other one on her thigh, still sending the faintest of chills up her body. Where the hell did he learn to do that?

"I am not going anywhere." Steve said, kissing her gently on the neck.

They might have lain in the dark for minutes or days, no matter. Natasha still couldn't believe it wasn't all a dream. She had to be sure and there was only one way to find out.

She turned to him, her lips lingering mere inches away from his ear.

"My turn."

A/N: I was looking forward to writing this chapter so naturally, I took time to refine it properly. Don't forget to R&R. / WS

PS. I partially re-wrote chapter 8 because I was disappointed with it from the start. You'll find more info when you revisit it.