Was that really his Natasha? How? He knew that it was impossible, but the woman in the bakery looked exactly liked Natasha, smiled liked Natasha and moved like Natasha. He was going to go in and see for himself. His heart told him it was her, but his head knew that it wasn't her. He had to go in to see which one was right- his heart or his head. He really hoped it was his heart.

Steve moved to the door of the bakery when he saw a reflection in the door's window. Fury. What the fuck? Fury looked at him and then disappeared into the hardware store behind him. Something was really rotten in Denmark. What was going on? He gazed longingly at the woman in the bakery before he decided to follow Fury. Steve needed to get some answers.

The hardware store was deserted and Steve saw Fury walk into a backroom. His former boss was sitting in an armchair behind a desk and looking at him with a neutral expression.

"Rogers."

"What the fuck is going on here?!"

"Good to see you, too."

"Stop this, Fury. I want answers." He was getting angrier by the second. Was Fury just fucking with him? Tricking him into thinking he was seeing Natasha to manipulate him into something? He wouldn't put it past the guy. He'd never fully trusted him.

"I shouldn't be surprised to see you here. Strange told me that this could happen. That you always find your way to each other." Fury sounded annoyed.

Strange? Dr. Strange? Steve understood nothing. He crossed his arms over his chest and gave Fury a pointed look.

"When you were on Vormir, why did it never occur to you to look for her body? Why didn't you bring her home?"

"I-"

"Save it, Rogers. The thought never crossed your mind. You should have looked for her body. Then you would have realized that she came back to life."

"What?" Steve's knees almost gave out. No, that couldn't be. Nat was alive?

"Natasha is alive. Strange's magic somehow sensed her and he brought her home."

Steve turned around, he wanted to run to the bakery to her. He couldn't believe it. He was going to beg for her forgiveness and make it up to her every day for the rest of his life. He felt terrible that he'd left her on Vormir, he shouldn't have done that.

"She doesn't remember you."

Steve stopped in his tracks.

"She doesn't remember any of us. She doesn't even know who she really is."

"What?"

"We don't know if it's because of the fall or because of the whole soul transferring thing. All we know is that she has no memories of her life and Strange advised against forcing her to remember. We need to be careful or we could cause damage."

"So what, you're hiding her here?"

"This little place owes me a favor. They're keeping her safe and she has time to heal and to remember."

"You can't do that to her!"

"It's the best solution for now. No one has ever come back from being the Soul Stone and Strange doesn't know what it could do to someone's soul. I'm protecting her. She needs to remember on her own. I know I can't stop you from going into that bakery, but you can't tell her who you are. Or who she is."

Steve's head was spinning, he felt like he was going to have a heart attack. Natasha was alive, but he couldn't go to her and tell her how much he missed her And the guilt he was feeling for leaving her on Vormir was crushing him. Why had he not looked for her? He should have looked for her, should have brought her home.

"I know it's a lot, Rogers." Fury sounded almost compassionate. "But we need to do this for her. She doesn't know who I am either."

"What does she know?"

"We told her that she was found at the bottom of a cliff and was in a coma. Technically not a lie. She woke up only three weeks ago. We couldn't ID her, but found a place for her to stay and work until she remembers who she is. We told her we filed a missing person report for her."

"I don't know if I can lie to her."

"You're not lying per se. You're doing this for her. Strange was very adamant about it, we can't force her to remember. You didn't tell her in all those years that you're in love with her, what's another secret?"

Steve didn't answer Fury. He wasn't going to dignify that question with an answer. He wanted more than anything to storm into that bakery and to pull Natasha into his arms. The last seven months had been hell and he just wanted her back. But he couldn't be selfish. Strange was a neurosurgeon and sorcerer and if he thought it was best for Natasha to remember things on her own, then Steve would accept that. He had to.

"I won't tell her anything."

Fury nodded. "Good." He stood up and walked over to him. "She'll remember." He clapped Steve on the shoulder. "It just takes time." And with that, Fury left.

Steve was standing in that hardware store office, unsure what to do. Should he get on his bike and leave? Stay away from Natasha to not jeopardize her recovery? He was torn between what he wanted to do and what he should do. In the end the urge to see her and talk to her was too strong. He just needed to talk to her for a minute and then he would leave.

He got out of the store, crossed the street and walked into the bakery. The old man was gone and so was Natasha. No!

"Hello?"

Please be still here, I just need to see you for one second. Just one look, so I can breathe again.

"One sec!"

That was her voice! He couldn't believe it. He couldn't believe that he was hearing his favorite sound in the world again. He was so happy that he wanted to cry.

"Hi!" Natasha came in through the backdoor and was standing behind the counter. "What can I do for you?"

He just stared at her. God, she was so beautiful. She was alive, he had her back.

"Are you okay?" She asked him with a worried look.

"Yes, yes. I'm great!" He smiled at her and chided himself mentally. "I'd like a coffee and a chocolate croissant, please?"

"Coming right up." She pointed at the little tables behind her. "Take a seat!" She turned around to fill a cup with coffee for him.

Steve took a deep breath and told himself to stay calm. He couldn't fuck this up, he had to do this for her. He sat down at one of the tables, watching her. She had cut off the blonde part of her hair and now had shoulder-length red hair again. She smiled when she turned around and came over with his order.

"You're new here! Passing through?"

"Um, yeah...I live in New York. I'm doing a tour with my bike."

"That's cool! I never been on a bike or to New York." She shook her head. "At least I think so." She offered him her hand. "I'm Lena."

Lena? Like Yelena? Had she chosen that name herself? Unknowingly inspired by her sister?

"I'm-" He almost said Steve, but he wasn't sure if he should. "I'm Grant." He shook her hand and a spark went through his body. He felt alive again. Natasha blushed, she had felt it too.

"Nice to meet you, Grant."

She was still holding his hand and it took every ounce of willpower not to pull her into his arms. She was so close and yet so far away. She only let go off his hand when the oven beeped and she had to get back to work. Steve's pulse was racing and despite knowing better he thought he was about to have an asthma attack.

Natasha was working behind the counter, but she kept glancing at him and smiled shyly when she saw that he was already looking at her. He couldn't take his eyes off of her. He was scared that she would disappear like a mirage.

He'd just finished his croissant when Natasha came over to him with a Danish on a plate.

"I've tried a new recipe and need feedback. It's on the house." She put the plate in front of him. "You look like you eat a lot." Her cheeks turned pink. "I mean, you're just so big. Not fat! Just very well-build. I'm just making this worse." She facepalmed herself. "I'm so sorry. You're so good looking and I'm making a fool of myself."

"Thank you for the Danish." Seeing this new side of Natasha was exciting.

"You're welcome."

"I think you're very beautiful." He told her and Natasha smiled at him.

"Thank you and thank you for not running out of here. I'm...I'm not really used to talk to people anymore. And you're...Well, you're the hottest guy I have seen in ages." She laughed. "I can't believe I just said that out loud. You must think I'm crazy, Grant."

"No, I think you're very cute, N-Lena." He took a bite of the Danish. "And a great baker!"

"Thanks! I want to impress my boss. She really did me a solid by hiring me. I am not a trained baker." She smiled at Steve. " I just moved here a few weeks ago. Have you been here before?"

"No, but I think I'll come here more often now."

Natasha smiled and his heart almost leaped out of his chest. God, he loved her so much. She was really back.

"I hope so." She stood up. "I have to get back to work." She sounded like she didn't want to. Like she wanted to stay here with him. Did she somehow sense deep down that they knew each other?

Steve finished his coffee and ate the rest of the Danish and went to the counter to pay for his food. No customer had come in during his stay and he was glad for that.

"I'll be back soon." He said and Natasha brushed her hair behind her ear and gave him a sweet smile.

"I'm looking forward to it."

He didn't want to go, but he had to before he did something that could jeopardize Natasha's recovery.

"Bye, Lena."

"Bye, Grant." She said softly and he wondered what she was thinking right now. Did she like him? Was she attracted to him?

He left the bakery and when he turned around to get another look at her, he caught Natasha looking at him. She blushed and waved at him. He waved back, feeling happy and giddy for the first time in ages. They smiled at each other and Steve eventually managed to turn around to walk to his bike. His phone buzzed in his leather jacket and he got it out to check it. It was a text from Buck.

Hey, you doing okay?

He looked up from his phone to steal another glance at the bakery and saw Natasha standing behind the window looking at him. She seemed embarrassed that he'd caught her again, but she gave him another beautiful smile. He would be back very soon to see her. He couldn't stay away from her.

I'm good. And for the first time in seven months he wasn't lying.