DISCLAIMER: ALL CHARACTERS BELONG TO MARVEL CINEMATIC UNIVERSE.
The rating of this story has CHANGED from T to M now, due to sexual content. Please bare this warning in mind if you decide to continue reading.
~0~0~0~0~0~
Natasha turned to Clint the moment they disembarked the jet. "Here?" She whispered in a hiss of disbelief. "You brought us here?"
He gave her a look as he helped her down, as her shoulder was still causing her some discomfort. "I wouldn't have if we had any other option." He said, just as quietly, as the rest of the team jumped off the jet.
Although they were all clearly confused about why Clint had brought them to this particular location, no one asked the question out loud.
Clint helped her up the grassy hill towards the house, and she was aware that Steve followed their every step with his eyes on her. She felt like glaring at him over her shoulder, and probably would have done if said shoulder didn't ache every time she so much as turned her head.
No one said a word as they entered the house, although she knew that each member of their team probably had a dozen questions they'd love to voice, until Clint called, "Honey? I'm home."
At the sight of Laura as she came to greet them, Natasha felt her spirits lift, a small splash of much-needed warm entering her body as she took in the sight of her friend. The last time she had seen Laura, the woman had just announced she was pregnant. Now, her belly looked ready to burst at any minute. Not, of course, that Laura was actually that far along. It had only been a couple of months. But, Laura was such a tiny person that any bump would look large in comparison to the rest of her body.
Laura had always been a very pretty woman, but she had a way of smiling that made her look younger, brighter. If ever Natasha needed that influence in her life, it was now. For the first time in her life, Natasha understood why people claimed that pregnant ladies glowed. If it wasn't for the look of confusion and shyness that echoed on Laura's facial features, Natasha was positive that her friend would be radiating happiness.
However, when the rest of the Avengers followed into the room, Laura's smile faltered slightly, an unsure look on her face as she realised this wasn't a typical drop in. She knew who all of them were, of course, having heard stories from her husband and Natasha, and because Laura always kept an eye on the news - especially, when Clint was away at 'work'.
"I brought company," Clint said, but his words echoed with apology. "Sorry, I didn't call ahead."
Deciding that her husband certainly wouldn't have exposed their secret unless it was the only option he felt he had, Laura reached up to kiss him softly in greeting. Then she hugged Natasha gently, as if sensing the other woman was in a rough state. The warm embrace did wonders to soothe Natasha's tense, tired body, like relighting a flame that had just been blown out.
However, the warmth and power of that flame remained vanished, as Natasha felt an emptiness in her chest, caused by a current silent tension between her and her boyfriend. Her boyfriend who was stood so still that she wasn't even sure if he was still breathing. Not that she felt inclined to check right now, bad shoulder or not.
"This is an agent of some kind." Tony muttered to Thor, completely baffled at what was happening in front of them.
"Gentleman, this is Laura." Clint introduced his wife, and his greatest, most precious secret.
Laura gave them all shy smiles. "I know all of your names."
Then, there was the thunder of tiny feet crashing down the staircase, and two children appeared; a tall, lanky boy with his dad's dark hair, and a little girl with dimples and pigtails. "Daddy!" She cried out with uncontrollable joy as Clint went to embrace both of them. Whilst Lila seemed completely oblivious to the unfamiliar guests standing in her front room, Cooper gazed up at them in wonder. He'd always idolised Captain America, so much so that his dad often joked around about taking offensive.
"Hi, sweetheart!" It had been the happiest Natasha had heard her friend in a very long time. She watched as Clint ruffled Cooper's hair affectionately, and probably to stop his son from staring up at Steve as if a god had just walked into his house.
Tony's expression turned even more baffled. "These are...smaller agents."
"Did you bring Auntie Nat?" Lila asked, peering round her father to scan the adults in the room.
The beaming smile on Natasha's face was the most genuine thing she had felt in hours as she stepped forward, a lightness replacing her earlier gloom mood. A spark of heat touched that flame inside her, bringing it back to life. "Why don't you hug her and find out?" God, she had missed these guys so much, even though it had only been a couple of weeks since she'd last visited. Unfortunately, this visit was under very, very different circumstances.
Lila rushed forward, and Natasha knelt down to pick her up, swinging the girl round in a full circle.
Steve was watching them both, a strange look on his face as he met Natasha's gaze. She stopped spinning, placing Lila on the floor gently so the girl could run back to her dad for another cuddle. Steve cleared his throat, turning to Laura. "Sorry for barging in on you." Ever the gentleman.
"Yeah, we would have called ahead, but we were busy having no idea that you existed." Tony added, staring at Clint as if he was a whole new person.
Natasha glared at him.
But, Clint only shrugged, chuckling. "Yeah, well, Fury helped me set this up when I joined. He kept it off SHIELD's files. I'd like to keep it that way." Although his tone was good-natured, there was an unmissable, underlying warning to the men in the room who now knew what Clint had kept hidden from them.
The room was silent for a moment as everyone soaked in what was happening. Then, something pinged out of the toaster, and Lila spoke out, "Mommy, can we have lunch now?"
"Of course, sweetheart." Laura stroked her daughter's hair softly. "Why don't you and your brother set up the table for our guests, while they make themselves comfortable?"
Lila beamed, clearly pleased with her new responsibility as hostess.
Natasha excused herself, heading for the small bathroom down the hall. She ran some cold water and splashed it on her face. As she looked up, she felt that hollowness in her chest expand. How was it possible for her to miss Steve, when they'd been together all this time? But, it felt like a lifetime since he had held her, since he'd even spoken to her. The void between them ripped into her, tearing her in half, and her heart had never felt this much pain before.
The rational part of her processed this feeling, and she knew exactly why she felt like this, why nothing in the world made sense unless she was with Steve. She wasn't sure when she'd started falling in love with him, there were several possible points in time where it could have been. Like when he'd protected her in that bumper and then hugged her so tightly when she's come around, whispering that he'd been so scared about losing her. Or, that night in Sam's house, where he'd held her after her nightmare and comforted her, so much so that she had never felt so safe before. Or, in that shower where they'd kissed for the first time, when her whole body had felt healed, mind, soul and heart.
It could have been when she'd returned from Russia, and instead of flinching away from her once he'd heard everything about her past, Steve had chosen to stay. He knew about her demons, and yet he'd still chosen her. That relief that had hit her back then had been out of this world. The reality that she had found someone who truly saw her, and still wanted her, had seemed unbelievable. It still seemed unbelievable, even after all this time.
That feeling had grown with every single night that they had shared together, eating and talking, watching a movie and then exploring each others bodies. She had been Steve's first in the very definition of the term, but he had been her first in so many ways too. He'd shown her that it was okay to trust someone, to open her heart and not have it broken, but to have it protected and valued.
Every time that he had made her laugh, or smile, or roll her eyes at something funny he said, she'd fallen for him even more. Fallen for that irresistible dimple, or that growl he made whenever he let himself give in to his desires, or the way he always had a sarcastic comment to shoot back at her whenever she teased him. Every time he kissed her forehead or her temple, every time he told her she was beautiful, every time he'd hold her or wrap his arms around her waist. Every time his lips covered every inch of her skin, even her scar. Every time he made her heart flutter in her chest, or made her feel so much desire and want that it pooled inside her, so deep that it always consumed her.
Every time he looked at her, and saw the person she truly was. When her nightmares would catch up with her, and he'd chase them away simply by staying with her. His presence was enough to soothe her whenever she was scared, and she finally realised just how much that meant to her.
Once she had started falling, she hadn't been able to stop.
That was why this silence between them hurt. That was why, even though she appreciated what Clint had done for her on that cargo ship more than she could ever express to him, all she had really wanted was Steve.
She was in love with him. She'd been falling in love with him all this time, and now that reality hit her. Did it scare her? A little. She'd never been in love before. She'd long since convinced herself that it wasn't possible for anyone to love her. But, although the feeling was so sensationally unfamiliar to her, she knew what it was. Keeping it to herself was starting to get too much.
But, she remembered his face on that cargo ship. Yes, he'd probably given her space since then because he had convinced himself she didn't need him. How far from the truth that was. She needed him so much that she could barely breathe right now.
There was a gentle knocking on the door, and when she opened it, she was surprised to find Steve there, waiting in the corridor for her.
"Can we talk?" He asked gently, but also, he sounded shy, as if he was half expecting her to either bite his head off or simply walk away. That probably would have been her first reaction months ago, at the very start of this relationship. To run away from the problem, rather than facing it. Now, there was too much to loose. She couldn't keep avoiding him, it was tearing her apart.
Biting her lower lip, she nodded. "Not in here," She said, and led him out into the large garden. They didn't stop walking until they reached the lake, where they stood at the water's edge. It was secluded here, out of view from any prying eyes back at the house thanks to the glassy slope that led down to it.
As much as she wanted nothing more than to throw her arms around him and crush him against her body, there was still this tension between them that she needed to ease before she could breathe again.
"Were you ever going to tell me about them?" He asked, taking her by surprise. She hadn't thought the first point of their discussion would be Clint's secret, safe family.
"It was not my secret to share." She replied honestly.
His jaw was tense as he looked across at the water glistening in front of them. "You have a family." There was no lie in his statement. Clint and Laura had always made Natasha feel like family, had welcomed her into their world and given her the greatest joy of being an aunt to their children.
"I love them, Steve." She told him. "I've protected their secret with my life."
"I'm not angry, Nat." He said, finally turning to face her. "This silence between us, it's been unbearable, and I know that I was the one to instigate it, but it's just...what that girl put us all through on the ship, the first thing I wanted to do when I came around was find you and hold you. To then find you in Clint's arms…"
"Clint is my best friend." After everything they had been through, did he still believe her feelings weren't true? Did a part of him question her every interaction with Clint, searching for a sign that her heart didn't belong to him even though she thought she had made that clear?
"I'm not jealous of Clint." Steve said firmly, and then sighed. "I'm not jealous of him in that way. I know he's very important to you. It's just...seeing someone else hold the woman I love, it killed me, Nat. I know we both agreed to keep this between us, and I still believe it's the right thing to do because what we have is so special. But, it still destroyed me that I couldn't do what Clint did for you. I couldn't be the man you needed me to be, and because of that, I felt as if I had let you down and-"
Natasha covered his lips with her fingers, gently. "What did you just say?" The words escaped her in the softest of whispers. The world around them had halted once those words had hit her ear, as if time itself had stopped to allow herself a chance to process what she had just heard.
His brow furrowed slightly, and then, realisation dawned on his face. For a long moment, Natasha was ready for him to take back what he said. But, he didn't. Steve looked down at her with those blue eyes that she adored, and he smiled a breathtaking smile.
"I love you, Natasha." He said again. "I've loved you for a very, very long time. I just...I never knew when the right moment to say it was. Something always seemed to get in the way, or it just never seemed like the perfect time to say it. But, I love you. I'm sorry it took me so long to tell you."
Oh, Steve, the grip that had been tightening around her heart ever since the cargo ship eased, leaving her vulnerable and open. But, she didn't feel afraid, because it was Steve.
"I love you so much that it scared me, at first." She admitted, the truth of the words dancing across her tongue. She'd never, ever told someone body she loved them. Although her heart was racing at an world record-breaking pace, she knew she meant those words with every fibre of her being.
Steve stared at her with completely bewilderment written all over his face, his eyes were wide and his lips parted. For a moment, her flight instinct was ready to kick in, as she feared he'd take it all back.
Then, his lips were against hers, in an all-consuming kiss that made her feel feather-light, as if she was floating. It had only been just under a day since the last time he had kissed her, but it felt like a lifetime.
When they broke apart, he rested his forehead against hers, his breath dancing across her face. Warm. Familiar. "Forgive me, Natasha, for being the worst boyfriend in the entire world?"
As always, her skin tingled as she heard the word 'boyfriend' fall from his lips. She smiled up at him. "There is nothing to forgive. You've never let me down, Steve, and you've been the one thing keeping me from falling apart for so long." She reached up on her tiptoes to kiss his mouth, quickly but softly, always so addicted to the taste of him. "I'm sorry that you didn't know about Laura and the kids, and that you felt like I kept it from you because I didn't trust you. I trust you with my life."
His nose nuzzled against hers. "I understand why you did what you did, sweetheart. You were protecting your family." His hand stroked down her red hair, past her elbow so it could rest on her hip. "That little lady back at the house looked absolutely besotted with you."
"Oh, Lila will absolutely adore you," She said, smiling at the thought. "She's always wanted to meet Prince Charming."
Steve chuckled, the sound coming deep from within his chest. "I can't wait to get to know them all."
"There's not many spare rooms in that house." Natasha pointed out. "But, I don't think there's any way we can be subtle about bunking together. We'd have to play our cards right."
"Well, I'm not sharing with Tony, the man snores like a beast." Steve said instantly. "He and Banner are much more suited, they can spend the time brainstorming how to get us all out of this mess." He kissed her nose affectionately. "Thor headed off to Asgard not long after you left the room. That leaves you and me, Romanoff."
"Looks like you'll have to keep your hands to yourself." She pointed out.
Steve smirked at the challenge. "Only when we are in the company of others," His lips found her ear, biting down on the lobe ever so slightly, enough to make her gasp. "Soon as the night falls, you're all mine. I intend on showing you just how much I love you."
His words touched her heart, making it beat so loudly she wondered if he could actually hear him. For a moment, she considered telling him about her 'dream', and asking him what he had seen. But, she didn't want to tarnish this moment, so she pushed the thought away, burying it.
"As if you can be quiet long enough for that to happen." She teased, as his lips moved to her neck.
His hands squeezed her waist. "Excuse me, but you're the loud one." He was proved right when he sucked on her pulse point and she moaned in his ear.
She felt him grin against her skin, so she shoved him away playfully. "Hmm, perhaps I'll share a room with Lila tonight. You'll learn to block out Tony's snoring, eventually."
The gleam in his eyes faltered ever so slightly. "You wouldn't-"
Teasing him came as easily as breathing. She relished in the effect she had on him, the knowledge that she could drive Captain America crazy without even trying. "Let's see how this evening goes, shall we? Then, I'll make an informed decision."
The noise that came from Steve this time was strained. "You wicked woman,"
She grinned, knowing she had him exactly where she wanted him. "Good things come to those who wait, Captain."
"Can I at least have one last kiss before I am subjected to this cruel waiting game of yours?" He pleaded.
Natasha purred as she pressed her lips to the corner of his mouth. "They'll all be wondering where we've snuck off to." In all honesty, it wouldn't have bothered her if she and Steve were currently being the subject of conversation back at the house, but she knew they'd better head back.
Otherwise, she'd snap and drag him down onto the grass to show him just how much she loved him, right next to that glorious lake.
This time, his hands moved to squeeze her ass. Although he loved every part of her and very often vocalised such a fact, he definitely was an ass man. "I couldn't care less."
"Now, that's not very leader-like of you." She chided. "What am I going to do with you, Rogers?"
"That's what I'm hoping to find out." His hands were firmer this time, making her squeal. He used that to his advantage, kissing her slightly open mouth.
Natasha didn't have it in her to resist him. Not after the day they'd had.
Safe to say, they got a few questioning looks from Laura and Clint when they returned to the house - with Steve's hair slightly scruffy and Natasha's cheeks burning.
~0~0~0~0~0~
That evening, Laura prepared a large spread for them all, and they sat themselves down at the table. Steve was at Natasha's side, his hand resting on her knee under the table subtly as he finished his plate and leaned back in his chair. "That was delicious, Laura. Thank you."
She smiled at his praise. "It's my pleasure, Steve. You all looked like a little bit of grub would do you the world of good. I can't even begin to imagine what you've been through." Which was exactly why Clint had ensured all those years ago that his family would be sheltered from his job.
Tony, sat at the far end of the table with Banner, patted his stomach. "Consider me refuelled," He'd spent the majority of the meal answering endless questions from Clint's son, Cooper, with a level of patience that his teammates hadn't known he'd even had.
"So, tell me," Natasha said, leaning forward onto her elbows with her head cradled in her hands as she looked at Laura. "How is Baby Natasha?"
Laura's hand rested on her stomach as a shy expression crossed her face. She exchanged a glance with Clint, who smirked. "Well...she's now...Nathaniel."
"Better luck next time, kid." Clint added, winking.
Natasha threw her napkin at his face, which he easily diverted with a flick of his wrist. "I'm still going to teach him how to wind you up best, Barton."
Lila, sitting across from them, looked up at Steve, battering those long eyelashes of hers, with a look so sweet that it would melt anyone's heart. "Mr Steve, are you Auntie Nat's boyfriend?"
Nat practically choked on her drink.
Squeezing her thigh under the table, Steve answered the little girl, "Your Auntie Nat and I are best, best friends, sweetheart."
If Natasha already didn't fancy the pants off her boyfriend to the point where it was overpowering, she definitely would have visibly swooned at how he was around little Lila. She had been right about her earlier prediction; Lila had been smitten with Steve ever since he had returned to the house, and had even drawn him on top of a white horse. No one had asked if the princess he had been rescuing was Natasha; the red hair had been an obvious give-away.
For someone so young, it was easy to forget that Lila was just as observant as her father.
"What makes you ask?" Clint asked, shooting a mischievous glance at Natasha and Steve. Over the last few months, he'd never questioned their friendship, but Natasha had a feeling that he suspected something.
Lila giggled. "Because they look at each other all the time!"
Tony burst out into laughter, and even Laura giggled behind her hand at the expression on her friends face.
Natasha tried furiously not to blush, and she didn't dare look at Steve. "I think," She whispered across to Lila. "That Prince Charming needs to work a bit harder if he wants to get himself a princess."
Another squeeze against her thigh. This time, his hand was a little bit higher.
"Would anyone like some desert?" Laura asked as she got to her feet, somewhat slowly.
Before her friend could even attempt to pile up the plates, Natasha rose from her seat, causing Steve's hand to its resting place. "Sit back down, Laura."
"Always so bossy," Laura commented in amusement, but she did as Natasha said, her hand instantly moving back to her rounded belly.
Steve helped clear the table, managing to trap Natasha in the kitchen quickly, his arms braced on either side of her, effectively pinning her between him and the kitchen counter.
"And what, pray tell, does the Prince have to do to win the woman who already owns his heart?" He whispered, making sure his mouth brushed against the shell off her ear .
Shivers ran down her spine, but she remembered what she had said earlier, and shoved him away gently. "That's for me to know and you to find out." Before he could try to kiss her, she ducked under his arm and returned to the table. He followed shortly after, glaring playfully as he took his place at her side once again.
This time, though, he kept his hands to himself.
When it became time for the kids to go to bed, Natasha helped Laura tuck Lila in, as Cooper insisted he was 'too cool' for bedtime stories. The little girl giggled and squirmed as Natasha coated her face with wet kisses.
"I missed you, Auntie Nat." The girl yawned widely as she fought to keep her eyes open.
Natasha stroked her cheek with the back of her fingers soothingly. "I missed you too, pickle."
"Are you and Daddy staying with us forever?"
The question struck a cord inside her. She looked quickly over to Laura, who dipped her head. "Daddy and I have a very important job to do, Lila." She told the little girl.
"You and Daddy keep the world safe." If there was ever a girl who idolised her father, it was definitely Lila Barton.
Natasha smiled softly, looking into those bright eyes that watched her as if she really was a hero, a good person. "We do it to protect you, and your mum and Cooper. And Baby Nathaniel,"
Lila sat up so she could wrap her tiny arms around Natasha's waist, mumbling out an 'I love you' against Natasha's jacket.
"I love you too, precious girl." She returned the hug, wishing that she could pause time. They wouldn't be able to stay here long; the risks were too high already. But, in that very moment, as she watched Lila snuggle into her blanket, she really wished she could forget about the outside world, just for a minute.
~0~0~0~0~0~
In the end, the bedroom situation had been solved by a simple game of rock-paper-scissors. It had been Banner's suggestion, and when Steve had won, no one even raised an eyebrow when he picked Nat.
"Sorry, Tony, but the snoring just won't work for me." Steve excused.
"Yeah, yeah, you go get your beauty sleep, Captain." Tony rolled his eyes as Steve said his goodnights and left. "Good luck to you, Little Red. His alarm clock is probably the theme song of our great country."
Natasha stuck her tongue out at the billionaire as she headed upstairs, ten minutes after Steve had gone to their room. She found her boyfriend taking off his shirt, the muscles of his back and arms capturing her eyesight and leaving her standing in the doorway, watching.
Steve glanced at her and smirked. "See something you like, Nat?" He asked.
"Prick," She said, shooting him a finger as she darted into the small ensuite, shutting the door before he could join her. She heard his groan of disappointment, but he left her to it.
The hot water did wonders for her aching muscles, and it was a relief to change into some of Laura's old clothes. She settled for just a baggy shirt, knowing exactly how much Steve liked her legs, especially when they were exposed.
Tonight was no exception. Steve finished his shower, entering the room with a towel wrapped around his waist, and he paused when he saw her sitting with her back against the headboard of the bed and her long legs stretched out. It was hard for her to concentrate, however, on resisting him when his powerful torso was bare.
God, this man drove her insane.
"Don't give me that look," Steve chided. "You're the one who started this game."
She bit her lower lip. "I'm currently forgetting why…" Shamelessly, she watched as he dropped the towel and changed into boxers. America's ass, indeed.
"How's your shoulder?" His eyes were glittering, as if he knew she'd been watching him.
"Sore," She rolled the shoulder in question slowly. Even her shower hadn't been able to rid it of its lingering aches.
Steve crossed the room to kneel on the bed beside her. "I think it's about time I took over the massaging duties."
Oh, she certainly wasn't about to refuse him. Without a word of protest, she turned and removed the shirt, which left her completely naked before him, earning her a low growl from her boyfriend. Natasha winked before lying on her stomach, feeling the bed dip as Steve straddled her waist, his hands finding their way up her back to her shoulder blades, kneading the muscles softly.
As she moaned into her pillow, she heard Steve chuckle. "I distinctly remember someone claiming their innocence about being quiet, earlier on." He said thoughtfully.
His hands pressed small circles just below her shoulders, creeping low. "Am I not allowed to appreciate what my boyfriend is doing for me?"
"Oh, I believe me, there's nothing in the world I love hearing more than your moans." Steve whispered, his mouth brushing against her ear. "Knowing that I'm the one to bring you such pleasure, feeling your delicious body under my hands." To emphasise his point, his hands dropped to her round bottom, squeezing and kneading there.
"It's not my ass that aches." She pointed out, half-heartedly. Her heart was pounding already, and her core burned for him.
The bed dipped as his weight changed; he moved from straddling her to sitting just behind her knees. A second later, his mouth kissed over the area where his hands had just been. His tongue darted out, tasting her skin, before his lips started their slow trail back up her body, sucking and biting, until they were back at her shoulders.
"I'm going to make you feel so good that you'll forget all about that troublesome shoulder." He promised her against his skin, kissing the sides of her breasts that were crushed against the mattress below her.
She lifted her hips so they brushed against his, and she could feel just how ready he was to follow through with that promise. The hard reminder was pressing against her, making it hard to concentrate. "I'm counting on it, soldier."
He flipped her body effortlessly, and Natasha almost squealed. She quickly remembered that they weren't at Stark's tower with thick walls and privacy. They were at Clint's house, with their teammates along the same corridor as them. Hopefully, Tony's snoring would be enough to keep what they were doing secret.
The second Steve's lips were on her breasts, however, she forgot all about the other residents in the house.
Steve knew her body perfectly, knowing all of her sweet spots, where to kiss her to make her moan, where to suck on her skin so she'd whimper and writhe underneath him. He slowly mapped her body with his mouth as he headed further down, to where she was yearning for him most. She raised her hips again, willing his mouth to go exactly where she needed him, but he chuckled against her skin and stopped just above the apex of her thighs.
"Relax, Natasha." He whispered, looking up at her. The sight was almost enough to make her come there and then.
Before she could threaten him, his hand slid between her legs, and a finger was pushed inside her. Her back arched at the sensation, as the finger stroked her, curling slightly in a way that set her body on fire.
"You're so wet, Nat." His lips were against her neck whilst he added a second finger, the digit slipping in so easily in support of his words.
"Only for you," She whispered back, her words coming out in ragged breaths from the combination of his teeth scraping her neck and his fingers curling inside her again.
A third finger, a reward. She arched her spine again, pressing closer to his body, her own writhing as she tried to maintain some form of control. Before she could moan, he kissed her, capturing her lips with so much passion and need that it left her unable to do anything but kiss him back.
"You feel so good." He groaned out, losing himself in the moment, as his thumb started to circle her clit, gasping her to gasp. The sound was muffled by his mouth, but he smiled at the knowledge that she was now reduced to desire-filled noises.
Faster, his fingers worked her, thrusting in and out in time to each circle of his thumb. Natasha would lift her hips up to meet his pace, and he pressed his thumb down. Seconds later, her release came, coating his fingers in her juices as he pulled his hand out slowly.
Natasha watched as her boyfriend lifted his hand up to his mouth and cleaned himself off without hesitation. The pool of arousal in her belly surged through her entire body at the sight. Months ago, he would never have done something like that. Now, they were both so comfortable around one another, and that thought alone made her want him inside her.
But, she tackled him, taking him by surprise. Before he could even think to say anything, she hooked her fingers round the top of his boxers and shoved them down, laughing as he willingly kicked them off the bed. Unable to resist, she stroked the pulsing length of him a few times with her hand, enjoying the way he writhed and moaned under her touch. Then, she finally lined herself up with his long, hard cock. "You didn't think I'd let you have all the fun, did you, Captain?" She asked seductively, lowering herself down so that the tip of him brushed between her folds. "Let's see just how quiet you can be."
Steve's hands fisted into the sheets as Natasha lowered herself completely, surrounding him by her warm wetness. The veins on his throat were standing out, and his head fell back, eyes closing.
She lifted herself up, almost all the way. "Open your eyes, Steve." She whispered, her hand trailing down the outside of his face, her nails scratching lightly against his neck. "Watch us. Watch how well you fit inside me, how well you fill me."
His blue eyes were open and looking, and a groan escaped him. She could see just how much it was killing him to remain silent, and she was no better, especially when she sank down once again, all the way.
She rode him slowly at first, moving her hips at a cruel pace as she watched him fight to maintain any scrap of self-control he could manage. Steve's hands moved from the sheets to her hair as he pulled her down to kiss her, sloppy and desperate as he moaned into her mouth. When she leaned back, she smiled at him, biting her lower lip in the way she knew he loved.
His hands moved to her waist, helping her keep her pace up without tiring. He squeezed every now and then, his hands roaming to her ass and back to her hips, keeping the movement going. Her thighs burned, but she refused to stop, wanting this, needing this. Tomorrow, they will face the outside world. Tonight, it was just her and Steve.
"I love you," Steve moaned, sending a fire down to Natasha's core when she realised these were not just words spoken in the heat of the moment. He meant them, completely. "I love you, so much, Natasha. I'm yours. Forever."
Her speed increased, taking him even further inside her. "As I am yours Steve." She promised breathlessly.
His hips rammed up to meet hers, and she almost cried out as her release found her, shortly followed by his. The only thing that prevented her from making such a noise was Steve's lips against hers. She collapsed onto him, shaking as the waves of her orgasm started to subside. He lay underneath her, panting, his arms wrapping around her.
"I love you, too." She said, once oxygen had returned to her lungs. She'd never been more sure of anything in her entire life. But, as if finding her at her moment of happiness, doubt settled in her head. "Steve?"
"Yes, sweetheart?" His lips brushed against the top of her head, his voice sounding like a satisfied purr.
Feeling guilty for ruining the moment, she asked quietly, "What did she make you see?"
Steve was silent for a moment, which made fear blossom inside Natasha almost instantly. When he spoke, his words only encouraged that fear to grow, to sink into her and not let go of her. "I saw Peggy, and we were standing in a dance club. The war had just finished, and she told me that we could go home now. That it was finally over."
Unconsciously, Natasha tried to wiggle out of his arms, feeling her heart turn to ice, ready to shatter at the lightest of touches. He had only just today told her he loved her, but if Peggy had been what he had seen, did he really love her, or was she just second best because he couldn't have the woman he most desired? Did that girl show him the life that he wanted the most?
But, Steve sensed her trying to get away from him. He didn't hold her against him, knowing that she'd fight against him and panic even more. Instead, he kept talking, "I turned and looked at her, and she looked exactly how she always did. Hopeful. Happy. Smiling. But, it all felt wrong. I felt as if a piece of me was missing. I wasn't the same man who had stood before her all those years ago. So, I asked her, 'Peggy, where is Natasha?' and she looked at me so blankly. I asked again, and just as I started searching the room frantically for any sign of you, I was back on that cargo ship."
Natasha stilled. She was half-sitting up, her side off the mattress but her hips and legs still lying down. Steve's arm was still around the back of her shoulder, but without a shred of resistance. If she wanted to move, she could have. He'd never make her feel trapped.
"You remembered me?" She whispered.
Steve sat up slowly, and she did the same. The two of them faced each other, and his arm dropped from around her so that he could cup her face. Feeling her cheek wetten with a tear, Natasha leaned into his warm palm and breathed.
"We've never really talked about Peggy before." Steve said, and this time, when she heard the other woman's name, Natasha didn't feel nearly as frightened. "But, Natasha, I need you to know that you are the only woman that I have ever truly loved. Peggy meant a lot to me, and I did love her, but I'm in love with you. It's so completely different, and wonderful, and leaves me unable to comprehend how I ever got so lucky, but there will never be a day where I will take it for granted. I thought, when I awoke from the ice, that I had missed my chance, my chance to live a life with the perfect girl. What I didn't know was that the perfect girl hadn't been born in that time. She was waiting for me, on the other side of that ice."
Another tear escaped, and he caught it with his thumb. "Oh, Steve,"
"I'm so madly in love with you, Natasha." He went on, his eyes pleading with her to understand just how much he meant what he was saying. "Peggy Carter will always be special to me. She was the first person, other than my own mother and Bucky, to show me kindness, to see something in me that I didn't believe I had. But, you own my heart, Natasha. You've taught me how to be brave, how to put everything on the line when I believe that what I am doing is right. You inspire me every single day with your courage and compassion, and that's why I fell so hard for you. My heart is yours, Natasha, for as long as you want me."
No one had ever said such beautiful things to her before, no one but Steve had been able to fill her heart with such adoration and hope, of light and promise. "I want you forever." She told him softly. Her voice did not tremble at all. No doubt. No fear.
Steve's lips found her, in the gentlest yet still passionate embrace that only he was capable of. She melted against him, and he pulled her down on top of his chest, his arms wrapping around her.
They kissed until their lungs felt ready to burst from the lack of oxygen, and Natasha smiled when she saw Steve's slightly swollen lips. She nuzzled into his neck, setting her head down on his chest. "I'm sorry. For bringing it up,"
His arms squeezed her. "I never intended on keeping it from you forever. I just wanted to wait until you were ready. I just...I'll do everything in my power to ensure that you never question how I feel for you, Natasha, ever again. You are my life now, and I need you to know that no one in the entire world matters more to me."
She snuggled closer to his warm body. "You're my favorite person." The saying made them both smile, and reminded them of their peaceful time at the tower, in between their passionate nights and mornings. "I love you so much, Steve." It didn't surprise her that the words came easily to her when she spoke them to him. Her love for him was the realest, strongest thing she had ever experienced, and she was relieved that she could speak so only with him, because she trusted him that much.
Kissing her temple, Steve stroked her spine with one hand soothingly. That night, as she lay with her head against his chest, Natasha didn't have a single nightmare.
~0~0~0~0~0~
The L word has finally been said! A good way to finish such a long, challenging year - in my opinion :)
- E x