Steve's phone buzzed on the nightstand next to him. He groaned against Natasha's neck and untangled his limbs from hers, rolling over to grab the device.

"Sam," he said with a sigh. "Again."

"How many is that now?" Natasha asked with a raised eyebrow, pulling Steve back into her. She wound her arms around his neck, threading her fingers through his hair, and grinned. The brownish-blonde strands that were usually neatly combed were now tousled and falling into his eyes. He looked positively delicious.

He pressed his lips to hers and smiled against her mouth when she hummed in contentment. "Six."

"I'm honestly surprised he hasn't come looking for you yet."

Steve rolled his eyes and held the phone up so Natasha could see the latest text message.

"C'mon, man. Bucky's driving me nuts. Don't make me come up there and drag you out."

She snickered, plucking the phone from his fingers, and tossing it onto the floor, "Why do all your friends have separation anxiety, Rogers?"

Before Steve had a chance to respond, Natasha pushed him onto his back, trailing kisses over the partially healed cuts on his face and down his neck. She rested her head against his chest, running her fingernails lightly across the short hairs there then tracing a patch of green and purple bruises on his ribcage.

If it wasn't for his marked body, she might have been able to forget that they all nearly died a few days before. Steve must have noticed her tense because he began threading his hands into her hair, undoing the braid that had all but come apart over the last several hours.

"We're ok, Nat," he whispered into her dual-colored tresses. Natasha pushed the intrusive thoughts aside and continued her gentle exploration of Steve's exposed torso. Touching him was something she didn't think she'd ever tired of.

Not five minutes later, his phone buzzed again, immediately followed by Natasha's.

She turned her face into Steve's chest and grumbled in irritation, "I'm literally going to kill him."

"We probably should rejoin civilization at some point today," he said, tilting her face up so he could reach her lips. "We've been holed up in here for a good five hours."

Natasha tightened her arms around Steve and looked toward the window. The sun had been high in the sky when he arrived at her door earlier in the day, now, she could see the beginnings of golden hour. Her stomach rumbled, and Natasha realized she hadn't eaten since breakfast.

"Need food," her voice was muffled against him.

Steve chuckled and slid out of bed, dropping a kiss to her forehead. He leaned down to retrieve his boxers on his way to the bathroom, and Natasha couldn't help but stare, tilting her head in appreciation.

"I can feel you staring at my ass, Romanoff," he said without turning around.

"Hate to see you go. Love to watch you leave," she called after him, amused with herself.

Natasha grabbed his tee shirt off the floor and pulled it on, letting his familiar, comforting scent wash over her. She absentmindedly thought about what'd he'd said just a minute ago – that they'd have to leave this room eventually – and anxiety bubbled up in her chest. She inhaled deeply and closed her eyes, focusing on the cologne that lingered on his shirt.

Of course, they couldn't stay in this little bubble forever. They had friends and lives and responsibilities. But the revelation of their feelings for one another was an added layer to an already complex relationship; a friendship they'd worked hard to nurture and protect for years. Changing that dynamic scared Natasha to her core.

She felt the bed dip down as Steve settled back in, laying on his back with his head in her lap. "Always stealing my clothes," he teased, tugging on the shirt she now wore.

Her hands immediately found their way into his hair, and she twisted the strands nervously between her fingers. After a minute or two, he rolled onto his side and folded one of her hands into his, rubbing his thumb in circles against her knuckles. "What's wrong?"

Natasha looked down at him and considered lying, but she knew it would be pointless. Steve was exceptionally intuitive when it came to her; he always had been. It was a quality she usually found incredibly annoying.

"What if I'm really bad at this?" She closed her eyes and let out a long, shaky breath. This vulnerability shit officially sucked.

Steve's eyebrows pulled together, like he hadn't even considered that to be an option. He sat up and pulled her into his lap. Natasha leaned into him and began drawing circles on his thigh. He clasped her free hand between his again, "What do you mean?

"You know my past, Steve. I'm a spy," she said, moving her hand to rest against his stubbled cheek. He closed his eyes and sank into her touch. "I was raised to be a killer. It's the only life I've ever known. I've never loved anyone before. I'm not sure I even know how."

Tears welled in Natasha's large, green eyes, and she blinked them away. God, she was so fucking tired of crying.

"Natasha, look at me," Steve pressed her fingers to his lips, then tilted her chin up to meet his gaze. "You know how to love. You loved Clint; you love your sister and all of us. You do it without even trying."

Natasha considered this. She knew he was right, but that did little to ease the churning in her stomach and the doubt in her head. This felt different. It was Steve. They'd spent too long pretending their feelings didn't exist, and one impulsive decision turned everything on its head. "I just feel like we've fought so hard to get here. I can't lose you, Steve."

"I'm not going anywhere. You're not gonna lose me," he planted a soft kiss on her lips. "And let's be honest; I'm not exactly experienced in this sort of thing, either."

Natasha gave him an appreciative smile. While it was true that neither of them had much, if any, real relationship experience, Steve had always been open to loving and being loved in return.

She hesitated to mention Peggy, knowing how difficult it had been for him to cope with the loss of the life he thought he might have had with her. If they were going to do this, though, she knew she had to communicate. "You've been in love."

"I have, yes," Steve paused to gather his thoughts. He still kept the compass with her picture on him while in uniform, but it was more out of habit now than anything else. He'd loved Peggy, that much was true, but he'd also let her go. "And thank God, I did, because if I'd come out of the ice never knowing what that was like, I don't know if I'd be able to let myself feel these things now."

Natasha's eyes flickered to his, and he could see the doubt in them begin to dissolve, "Peggy taught me how to keep my heart open, but she is my past. Up until very recently, I didn't think I'd have the chance at a future with anyone, especially not with you. Now that I do, there's no way in hell I'm letting it go."

Finally, Natasha let the tension inside her gut uncoil. She wrapped her arms around his neck, folding herself into his warm body. "It won't be easy, you know."

Steve pressed his face into the crook of her neck and breathed her in. Vanilla, honey, coconut. "I know."

The rumbling in both their stomachs eventually forced the pair to leave the bubble of Natasha's bedroom. They made their way through the large safe house where some of them were staying, down to the kitchen.

Natasha opened the refrigerator and began rummaging around, grabbing what she needed to make grilled cheese sandwiches. Steve wound his arms around her waist from behind and rested his chin on her shoulder. He moved her hair to the side and pressed a lingering kiss to her neck.

"Well, look who it is."

They both jumped in surprise at the unexpected intruder and turned to see Sam posted up in the doorway. Bucky stood just behind him with his hands on his hips and a toothy grin spread across his face.

"How nice of you two to rejoin the land of the living," Sam said with a knowing smirk, arms crossed over his chest.

Steve shot Sam a withering look, prompting Bucky to join in the teasing. He stepped through the doorway, nudging Sam, "C'mon, can you blame the guy? He probably hasn't gotten laid since, what? 1942?"

"That's hilarious," Steve deadpanned. He glanced at Natasha and was pleasantly surprised to see her mouth turned up in a playful smirk.

"Jealous boys?" she asked, raising her eyebrows suggestively. "I would be, too. Not everyone gets to say they've seen Captain America naked."

Steve's mouth gaped open, and he could feel his cheeks flush with embarrassment. This woman had absolutely no shame, and he loved her for it.

Bucky let out a snort and reached out to clap Steve on the back, "Happy for you, buddy."

Sam couldn't hide the smile forming on his face, either. He simply shook his head at the display in front of him, "Honestly, it's about damn time."

Nat's eyes slid over to Sam. She knew he always believed something was happening between them, even before either of them recognized it. When did she start allowing all these people so much access to her? Steve was right; every single one of them had managed to push their way into her heart, and she was better for it.

"Yeah, yeah. Maybe don't go broadcasting it to everyone just yet," Steve said to Sam, leaning back against the counter. They would obviously have to tell everyone eventually, but Steve wanted to keep Natasha to himself for just a little while longer.

And then suddenly, he remembered that he'd been sitting for hours on the knowledge that Tony was awake. "Damnit, I completely forgot to tell you. Pepper called…"

Bucky rested his non-Vibranium hand on Steve's shoulder and smiled warmly, "Don't worry about it. Sam talked to Rhodey a few hours ago."

"We're actually headed over to the hospital soon, if you two can keep it in your pants long enough to make the trip," Sam said over his shoulder as he exited the kitchen.

Natasha tore a piece of cheese from the slice she was holding and popped it in her mouth, "He's the worst."

Bucky shrugged, "Eh, he's not so bad."

She looked at Steve, whose shoulders were shaking with silent laughter, then back at Bucky, shaking her head in disbelief, "We disappear for half a day, and these two are best friends."

Steve draped his arm lazily across Natasha's shoulders, pressing a kiss to her temple, and inhaled a slow breath. For the first time since he could remember, he felt really, truly happy.

When they arrived at the hospital, Rhodey, Scott, Bruce and Thor were already in the waiting area. Pepper had finally convinced Peter to go home and rest for a while, and Happy had taken Morgan on an ice cream run. Unsurprisingly, the entire floor had been closed to the public.

Rhodey's once-over of Natasha and Steve as they said their hellos and sat down didn't go unnoticed by either of them. She caught Rhodey's stare, and her eyebrow twitched up, as if to ask, "What do you know?"

He gave a noncommittal shrug and nodded toward Sam, who was standing at the vending machine with Thor and Bucky debating whether Coke or Pepsi was the superior cola.

Natasha rolled her eyes and laced her fingers through Steve's, much to his surprise. She winked at Rhodey's conspiratorially.

"What was that?" Steve asked, catching the exchange.

"I have a feeling our dear friends have a bet going," she shifted her eyes from Rhodey to Sam, who had turned around and clocked her hand in Steve's. She waited until both men were looking then leaned in and kissed Steve square on the mouth.

"Damnit!" Sam shouted, eliciting a "SHHH!" from the nearby nurses' station.

"HA! I told you, Wilson," Rhodey said proudly, extending his open palm to the younger man. "Pay up."

Sam pulled a $20 bill from his wallet and handed it over begrudgingly, "You suck." He turned around and pointed at Natasha who was now tucked comfortably against Steve's side and wearing a triumphant smile. "You suck, too."

"That's for all the text messages," she said. "What, exactly was the bet, anyway?"

Rhodey folded his winnings in half and slipped it into his back pocket before sitting down. "We've had this bet going for a while now," he said. "Sam thought you'd keep it under wraps, I told him he was wrong. Per usual, he was."

"You got lucky," Sam said, shooting him a displeased look.

"So much for not telling everyone right away," Steve said, shaking his head, unable to keep from chuckling at the scene in front of him. They were laughing, relaxed and, for once, not at odds with anyone or anything.

A few minutes later, Pepper poked her head out of Tony's room, signaling that he was ready for visitors. Steve and Natasha stopped just outside the door, and Steve held out his hand for hers. "Shall we?"

She smiled up at him and laced their fingers together, "You know Tony's gonna give us so much shit for this."

He squeezed her hand and shrugged, "Eh, let him."

They were barely across the threshold before Tony was on them. He raised an eyebrow "And what, pray tell, do we have here?"

"Pepper saw us in the hallway and told you, didn't she?" Steve asked, sitting down in a chair next to the bed and pulling Natasha down onto his lap. So much for subtlety.

"Yeah, she told me," Tony scrunched up his nose and shuddered. "And I'm appalled by the outlandish display in front of me. Quite frankly, it's disturbing."

Pepper sat down on the edge of Tony's bed and swatted his arm playfully, "Oh stop it. I think it's sweet."

"Toss me that bed pan, Cap," Tony said reaching his hand out in a "gimme" motion and made several gagging noises. "I think I might be sick."

Natasha rolled her eyes, "Good to know those stones didn't ruin that winning sense of humor of yours."

The next couple hours flew by, and Natasha didn't realize the time until her phone buzzed in her pocket. Her chest clenched at the text from Laura Barton. It was innocuous, a photo of the kids, but it struck a chord all the same. Knowing she wouldn't immediately make it to Iowa to talk to Laura in person, she called right after the fighting ended. But giving her longtime friend the news about Clint's death over the phone just felt wrong, and Natasha knew it was time to make the trip.

Natasha pulled Steve from Tony's room into the waiting area, hoping he'd understand that this was something she needed to do alone. "I need to go see Laura."

He could see the worry etched into her face and pulled her to his chest, "Yeah, yeah, of course. We can leave in the morning."

She pulled back slightly and took his face in her hands, "Steve, no. I'm going alone."

"Nat, you don't have to do this alone," his brow furrowed with worry. "I'm here. Please don't shut me out."

"I know you are, and I appreciate it more than you know," she said, leaning up to kiss him. "I promise you I'm not running. This is just something I need to do on my own."

He nodded in understanding and wrapped her in another tight hug, "If you change your mind, just say the word. I'll be there."

Natasha looked up at the man in front of her and was flooded with adoration. Rhodey had been right, he really would do anything for her. Not that she expected anything less, but after their conversation earlier, she was happy to have the reassurance.

"Thank you. I'll be back in a few days."

"Of course," Steve smiled affectionately and dropped one last kiss to her lips before she headed toward the elevator.

When he turned around to head back into Tony's room, Wanda was standing a few feet away, wearing the same smile Sam and Bucky had just a few hours before.

"How long were you standing there?" Surprised to see her there, his voice came out more brusque than he'd intended.

She laughed lightly, "Long enough."

For what seemed like the hundredth time that day, Steve blushed. He shoved his hands in his pockets, failing to suppress a smile, "Have you been in to see Tony yet?"

"Not yet. I was actually looking for you."

Steve led Wanda to a row of chairs, and they sat down. With everything that had happened over the last few days, he hadn't had the chance to talk with her, "Is everything all right? I'm sorry I didn't come find you after everything."

"Please don't apologize. It was a lot, for everybody," she said slowly, picking the black nail polish from her thumb. Wanda's eyes focused on Steve with unwavering determination. "I want to give Vision a proper burial. He sacrificed his life for us, for me, and I want to give him the goodbye he deserves."

Steve squeezed Wanda's hand gently. He, and the others who hadn't blipped, had five years to mourn, but for Wanda, it had only been a matter of days. "We can try to talk to Director Hayward at S.W.O.R.D. again, but he's granted us almost no access since the Blip."

Wanda offered Steve a wry smile, "What was it that you said to Senator Ross? You're past asking for permission?"

He immediately understood, "Wanda, breaking into S.W.O.R.D. is risky, especially right now."

"Steve, I'm doing this, with or without your help," she said forcefully. Wanda's mind was made up. "I'd rather it be with your help. I know you had no control over them taking his body, but they're treating him like… like he's nothing."

Steve ran a hand through his hair. She was right, he knew she was. They'd tried to get Vision's body released to them several times but were always denied without explanation. When he looked at Wanda again, he saw a brief flicker of red in her pale green eyes.

"All right. Let's go get him back."

Wanda released a heavy breath and nodded. "Thank you, Steve." She stood and headed toward Tony's room. Steve leaned back and scrubbed a hand across his face, making a mental note to shave in the morning. He pulled his phone from his pocket and typed out a text to Sam.

"We've got a mission."

The device buzzed almost immediately in response, "Aliens, androids or wizards?"