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~
Even though the rational part of her brain knew that the cameras weren't lying to her, that Scott Lang - who years ago, had knocked her to the ground whilst the size of a tiny insect, much to her annoyance - was standing at those gates. Scott Lang, who had disappeared off the face of the Earth, who neither of them had had any contact with.
It just...it wasn't possible.
"Is this an old message?" Steve asked her, his mind clearly headed in the same way hers was, that there couldn't possibly be a way that Scott Lang was really here, right now. Outside the front gate.
Natasha's mouth was dry, so all she could do was look up at her husband in complete disbelief. Steve's jaw was tense, his eyes locked on the tiny image of Scott as the man continued to introduce himself to the cameras over and over again, asking permission to be let inside. Then, when Steve met her gaze, she could see his mind was let up. She nodded curtly, reaching across and pressing the button that would allow the gates to roll open.
By the time Scott had made it up the long, winding path to the facility in his beaten up van, Steve and Natasha were waiting for him at the front door. Steve looked ready to catch the smaller man, as Scott looked rather dishevelled. But, Natasha realised as she scanned him quickly, it wasn't because he was exhausted from the particularly long drive to the facility. It seemed that Scott Lang himself had no idea how he had gotten here.
Still, as they headed inside, Steve looked ready to support Scott if the man so much as swayed slightly off balance. To his credit, Scott remained upright, and looked around the facility with wide eyes, like the big fan he had been when he'd first met Steve. Clint had told Natasha all about it, so she smiled slightly to herself as she raised an eyebrow at her husband, who shook off her pointed stare with a roll of his eyes.
At least, your number one fan is back, her look had said.
The roll of his eyes had been enough of an amused message, play nicely, Natasha.
Not realising just how stiff her body had become, how on edge this strange appearance had made her feel, Natasha schooled her features into an expression of calmness as she regarded Scott. Despite just how useful his abilities as Ant-Man had been, she knew enough about him to know that Scott Lang would never pose a threat to her or Steve. The knowledge that he was harmless eased that tightness from her, but her veins were already pumping with anticipation to find out what exactly his arrival meant.
Scott was pacing, quietly mumbling something to himself, as if he had had a speech already prepared before coming here, but now had no idea what to say.
"Scott," Steve's tone was calm, comforting, and Scott's pacing instantly stopped. Folding his arms over his chest, Steve looked across in concern as he asked, "Are you okay?"
Hovering at her husbands side, Natasha watched as Scott's eyes seemed to widen as he was addressed by Captain America, and she did her best to not grin.
Scott rubbed his hands over his face, and Natasha wondered when the last time this guy had slept had been. Where had he been all this time? He looked so pale, as if he was about to be swept away right there and then.
"Have either of you guys ever studied quantum physics?" He asked, eyes darting from Steve and Natasha expectantly.
Sharing another glance with her husband, who just shrugged slightly, Natasha admitted, "Only to make conversation." She'd said it to be kind, not wanting to offend Scott in any way if she voiced just how much such a topic bored her.
He seemed to accept her answer, though. "Alright so, five years ago, right before Thanos, I was in a place called the quantum realm. The quantum realm is like its own microscopic universe. To get in there, you have to be incredibly small. Hope, she's my...she was my..." The words seemed to fail him, but he struggled through. "She was supposed to pull me out. And then Thanos happened, and I got stuck in there."
Even though she knew that Scott's wording had been purposeful to dumb it down for both of them - and she did appreciate that - Natasha could only image what being stuck in a place like that could have been like, with no explanation of what had happened. All alone. "I'm sorry, that must have been a very long five years."
"Yeah, but that's just it." Scott said, and the look he gave her was strange. "It wasn't. For me, it was five hours. See, the rules of the quantum realm aren't like they are up here. Everything is unpredictable."
Beside her, Steve's arms tensed, the muscles of his biceps stiffening. Natasha leaned closer to him, so their arms brushed. Although the contact with minimal, it instantly eased the tension from her husband. He looked down at her, and his gaze shone with appreciation as he too tried to process what Scott was telling them.
Then, Scott's eyes darted to the desk. "Is that anyones sandwich?"
Natasha's sandwich from the day before still rested on the plate, not even a single bite missing from it. "I can get you a fresh-" She started, but Scott had already grabbed it and was taking a large mouthful, so she stopped herself. Clearly, Scott was too hungry to care, so she didn't have it in her to make him wait.
"Scott," Steve said seriously, as the man practically scoffed down the sandwich in three large bites. "What are you talking about?"
Scott's reply was slightly muffled as he finished the last bite, "So, what I'm saying is, time works differently in the quantum realm. The only problem is right now, we don't have a way to navigate it. But what if we did?"
Clint had never mentioned that Scott Lang was quite such an adventurous thinker, and it had Natasha listening to the man with a sense of lightness returning to her. She tried not to identify that lightness, just in case it got crushed moments later, when whatever plan Scott had thought of on the way here proved impossible.
One look at her husband told her that Steve was doing the exact same thing. Waiting. Listening. Weighing up what was happening.
Scott carried on despite their silence, "What if we could somehow control the chaos and we could navigate it? What if there was a way that we could enter the quantum realm at a certain point in time, but then exit the quantum realm at another point in time? Like...like before Thanos."
Mad. The idea was mad. The concept was mad. Yet, here stood Scott Lang, something that should be impossible. Natasha tried her hardest not to let that lightness spread to her heart, to lift her soul.
"Wait," Steve said. "Are you talking about a time machine?"
Even hearing the words out loud sounded ridiculous, especially to Natasha, but she couldn't help but wonder...
"No, no of course not. Not a time machine." Scott clarified. "It's more like a...um...yeah, like a time machine."
The old Natasha definitely would have laughed, would have called the idea the most stupidest thing she had ever heard. But, that old Natasha was gone, and had been shown time and time again that even impossible things could be made possible, if there was enough faith, enough knowledge, and enough courage.
She lifted a hand and rested it on Steve's arm, squeezing gently. Seconds later, his own hand covered hers.
"I know, it's crazy." Scott went on. "But, I can't stop thinking about it. There's got to be some way...It's, I know it's crazy,"
"Scott," Natasha interrupted him gently. "I get emails from a raccoon. So, nothing sounds crazy anymore." And if there was even the smallest chance of fixing all this, of making everything right...
Scott's eyes once again flashed from her and Steve, reading the room. Sensing that they were ready to give this a chance, even if it was a fools-chance. "So, who do we talk to about this?"
Steve's entire focus went to Natasha, scanning her face, trying to understand how she was feeling. There was only one person that she could think of that would have the mind, and the money, to back them on this. The only problem was, it was a person who had made it very clear that he never wanted to see anyone ever again.
And this person, could certainly hold a grudge.
But, it Scott's idea could possibly work, Natasha was willing to take any step that would get them started in the right direction. She knew with one look into Steve's eyes that he felt exactly the same.
So, she let out a sigh and asked him, "How pissed off do you think he's going to be?"
~0~0~0~0~0~
As they drove, Scott asked them a few questions about Tony Stark, and what had happened since that airport in Germany.
Natasha did most of the talking, glancing occasionally across from her where Steve was driving, eyes locked on the road and that tension back on his jaw. She leaned across and rested a hand on his thigh.
Scott drank in all the information, and congratulated them when Natasha told them briefly about their marriage in Wakanda. He said he had noticed the wedding bands on their fingers, but hadn't wanted to bring it up in case it wasn't his place. Along the journey, Natasha decided that she quite liked Scott Yang, despite how he had shown her up at that airport when he had barely been bigger than a speck of dust. She didn't bring it up, and thankfully, neither did he.
Although Steve had been practically wordless the entire drive, Natasha knew it was only because he had no idea how he was going to behave once he saw Tony, once they spoke to each other.
Before they had left, she'd leaned up and kissed him, fussing, "You're handsome face doesn't deserve to put up with that frown, Rogers." to which he had laughed and kissed her, mumbling how much he loved her against her lips. They'd had to break their kiss off, reluctantly, when they realised that Scott was awkwardly waiting for the car to be unlocked.
The house that they pulled up in front of now was a large log cabin, situated besides a flowing river, deep in the heart of a forest. It was beautiful, but certainly not what Natasha had expected. After years of expensive villas and his prestiius tower, Tony Stark had never struck her as an outdoor type. But, perhaps he had tried to make this new life for himself the complete opposite of what he had had before, to find it easier to forget. She folded that piece of information thoughtfully and tucked it away into her mind to assess later.
Steve still hadn't spoken as they all climbed out of the car, but Natasha moved to his side, her hand brushing against his. She heard him exhale.
"This could go very badly." He warned her, in a voice too low for Scott to overhear. Sure enough, their companion was too busy staring up at the massive, towering trees surrounding them to pay any notice. Natasha knew that Steve wasn't just warning her so she could prepare for the foul mood that Tony would probably be harbouring the second he saw them, or even at his even fouler comments that he might hurtle their way. Steve just wanted her to be ready in case she was disappointed again.
So, she raised her chin and willed her expression to be one of concentrated determination. "We have to try." Was all she said, but Steve's fingers entwined through hers briefly before they headed for the porch, Scott moving to follow closely behind them.
Natasha's eyes took in the details in front of her, and she noted the little swing hanging from a thick tree close to the waters edge, and a tiny tent with toys scattered around it. The fact that Tony had a child, and none of them had any idea what that child was even called, hit her more than she thought it would.
Perhaps, the house in front of them still had security features put in place - in fact, Natasha would bet money on it, knowing that Tony would put the safety of his family in front of everything - because only seconds later, the door swung open and Tony appeared.
His gaze wasn't as cold as she had prepared for. In fact, it was just blank. As if he remembered who they were, but simply didn't care.
Then, in Tony Stark fashion, he snorted, "I distinctively remember telling you - both of you - that I never wanted to see you again. What part of that did I not make clear?"
Scott's shocked expression was evident, and Natasha tried her hardest not to snap at the billionaire facing them. The muscle in Steve's jaw jumped as he tersely replied, "We wouldn't have come if it wasn't important, Tony." Such careful words. Not showing just how much they depended on him. Not showing that they were willing to apologise even if Tony wouldn't. But, Steve's words did make it clear that this was not a friendly visit, or one that they had wanted to make. It was vital. And therefore, Natasha tried to keep her temper under control.
Moments stretched as Tony didn't respond, as his eyes took them in, head to toe. His gaze barely lasted longer than five seconds on Scott; clearly, Tony deemed the man harmless enough, despite what had happened at that airport. Then, he finally spoke, "You have thirty seconds, before I kick you off my property."
So, Steve told him, with Scott willingly filling in the blanks. Natasha didn't miss how Lang's choice of words had changed, and if she could actually understand them, she probably would have been irritated by that. But, she hadn't been lying when she admitted to knowing hardly anything about quantum physics, so she wasn't entitled to be annoyed, even if she didn't like how smug Tony seemed to look when the billionaire realised that both she and Steve were utterly clueless to the terms being thrown around between him and Scott.
Natasha remained quiet as the men continued to speak, but her eyes noticed movement from an upstairs room. The smallest shifting of a curtain, as if someone had been watching. Knowing that Pepper would have simply walked outside if she'd wanted to know what was going on, Natasha knew exactly who had been watching.
When thirty seconds was up, Tony looked unimpressed, his arms folding over his chest. But, that tiny glimmer in his dark eyes showed that the clogs in his brain were working, processing the information that had just been given him to.
But, when he straightened, the next few words out of his mouth weren't anything particularly helpful. "Well, looks like I'll be playing host once again. Anyone want a drink?"
She didn't, particularly, but if this was Tony offering them a chance, then she was willing to play nicely. Despite everything that he had said to both her and Steve. She wouldn't forget it, but this was more important than that.
The three of them accepted the offer, and Tony headed inside without another word. Natasha looked over to her husband, who met her gaze with a small dip of his head. Tony listening was more than either of them had expected. Quite honestly, Natasha had been surprised that they'd even made it up the porch before Tony demanded that they had gotten out.
But, she couldn't help but think about how married life and becoming a father had changed Clint. In such a positive way. Perhaps, over these past few years, even Tony Stark had grown up. One thing was for sure; they were all different people, who now stood on that porch, then they had been five years ago.
"Trust me, we know what it sounds like." Scott fumbled when Tony had returned and poured them all some hot chocolate.
When Steve spoke to the billionaire in front of them, there was not a single hint of hostility in his voice. Just a gentleness, a request for Tony to listen. "Tony, after everything you've seen, is anything really impossible?"
"Quantum fluctuation messes with the Planck scale," Tony said, passing Natasha a glass first. She accepted with a small smile, another offer to patch up what had broken between them. If Tony Stark could swallow his pride, then so could she. "Which then triggers the Deutsch Proposition. Can we agree on that? In layman's terms, it means you're not coming home."
"I did," Scott reminded him.
Tony shook his head. "No, you accidentally survived. It's a billion-to-one cosmic fluke. And now you wanna pull a - What did you call it?"
To his credit, at least Scott answered, even if he sounded as if he knew his answer was a little ridiculous, "A time heist?"
Tony scoffed. "Yeah, a time heist. Of course. Why didn't we think of this before? Oh, because it's laughable. Because it's a pipe dream."
A little part of Natasha ached as the old Tony Stark seemed to appear in front of her, the stubborn man who couldn't see past his own mind, who never really took onboard anyone else's suggestions. This conversation was already like dancing on thin ice. If tempers started to flare up, there was no recovering this fragile bond that linked her, Tony and Steve, through years of working together, of facing threats to the world that had never been seen before.
"The stones are in the past." Steve pointed out, and it seemed that he too had just realised how Tony was about to shut them down, to send them away. "We could go back, we could get them."
"We can snap our own fingers." Natasha added. "We can bring everybody back." She tried not to think about it too much, to let herself remember the faces of everyone who had vanished, because thinking about them still hurt. It always hurt. A constant, echoing pain inside her. Inside all of them.
When Tony looked at her, she met his gaze, and she knew without really knowing how, that he was thinking about a young boy, thrown into this world of theres, who he had taken under his wing without even realising it.
"Or, screw it up worse then he already has, right?" Tony shot back.
"I don't believe we would." Steve said.
Tony's eyes whirled to him, regarding the captain, reading the territory that stood between them with calculated thought. "Gotta say it. I sometimes miss that giddy optimism."
She knew that it took everything that Steve had to not flinch at the words, even when her husband glanced down to her and seemed lost on how to continue. She locked her jaw.
Tony continued, "However, high hopes won't help if there's no logical, tangible way for me to safely execute said time heist. I believe the most likely outcome will be our collective demise."
So, he had thought about this, had heard their plan and started to pull it apart, to assess it in that silent way he always had done. Yet, he had no hope in it, and when Tony Stark had no hope in something, the odds would never be stacked in anyones favour.
Knowing her husband was just as aware of this as she was, Natasha moved to join him, almost close enough that their arms could brush. Tony tracked her movement, but didn't comment, nor did he glance down at their wedding rings.
Scott, who didn't know the man at all, tried, "Not if we strictly follow the rules of time travel. That means, no talking to our past selves, no betting on sporting events."
"I'm going to stop you right there, Scott." Tony said with a raised hand. "Are you seriously telling me that your plan to save the universe is based on Back to the Future? Is it?"
"No."
Tony didn't seem to buy it, but he said, "Good. You had me worried there, cause that would be horseshit. That's not how quantum physics works."
Pressure clamped down on Natasha, making her chest hurt with every breath as she felt the world start to slip away from her. A chance. They had a chance. Not perhaps the steadiest, or safest, or most thought out chance, but more than they had had in the entire five years since that Snap.
Faces flashed through her mind. Laura. Cooper. Lila. Nathaniel. Sam. Bucky. Wanda. T'challa. So many faces that she hadn't seen in so long, that she always feared that one day, she would forget their features, what they looked like and how they acted. As if they had never existed. She clung to their memory with everything she had, but the effort was starting to drown her. And hearing Tony shut down this chance...
Something inside her snapped, a tether that held onto her pride, onto her self-respect. She'd never cried in front of Tony before, but her emotion was clear in her trembling voice as she said, "Tony. We have to take a stand."
Steve's hand was against her lower back in a heartbeat, steading her. She leaned back into it.
When Tony looked at her, it wasn't in harshness, or in hatred, not how he had last looked at her when they had returned without the stones all those years ago. Instead, his face was blank once again, and Natasha couldn't decide what hurt more to look at, which cut into her more and bled her out. "We did stand. And yet, here we are."
Scott regarded the man sat in front of him carefully. "I know you've got a lot on the line. You've got a wife, a child." A father talking to another father, in both understanding and in compassion. It was the conviction in his voice, however, that left them all silent, all listening. Even Tony. "But, I lost someone very important to me. A lotta people did. And now, now we have a chance to bring her back, to bring everyone back, and you're telling me that you won't even-"
But, perhaps hearing everything out loud was too much for him, or perhaps, Tony Stark simply didn't care anymore. Perhaps, all that fight had drained from him. "That's right, Scott. I won't even. I can't."
Then, the door flew open, and the reason that Tony wouldn't risk all this on a fools chance came hurtling outside. The little girl was in her father's lap in an instant, her tiny arms wrapping around him. Natasha tried to not freeze, tried to not think of another little girl who'd worn her dark hair in those style of braids, whose laugh and smile was still imprinted in her memory, but was fading each day, little by little.
Sensing this, Steve's hand moved to her waist, drawing her towards him subtly.
Hugging his daughter tightly, Tony looked at them all. "I wish you were coming here to ask me something else." He admitted.
"Tony," Steve said, as the man rose and carried his little girl towards the door. Tony paused, turning to face the captain. "I get it, and I'm happy for you, I really am. All of us here have something we would risk losing, if this went wrong." His hold on Natasha's waist tightened at his words. "But, this is a second chance."
For a moment, the tiniest moment, it looked as if Tony really processed Steve's words, and weighed in what to do. But, then he said, "I got my second chance right here, Cap. I can't roll the dice on it."
As Tony and his daughter disappeared inside the house, Natasha tried her hardest to block out that surge of disappoint that her husband had warned her about. But, that hollowness still found her, ripping into the barriers she'd healed around herself over these past few years, like a roaring river bursting through a dam.
"Come on," Steve whispered, his mouth close to her ear as he gently led them off the porch.
"He's scared." Natasha bit out, her entire body shaking.
Steve glanced down at her. "He's not wrong to be." He pointed out, stopping them and tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, one that had escaped the messy braid she'd done that morning on the car journey here, needing the distraction. The look in her husbands eyes told her that he would be willing to talk this all through with her later, in private, knowing that she was keeping her emotions under a tight leash because they were in the presence of someone who - despite being on their side - neither of them knew all that well.
"Yeah, but, I mean what are we gonna do?" Scott asked, reaching the car first. "We need him. What, are we gonna stop?"
Steve's hand brushed against her cheek before he turned to the car, his arm still around her waist. "No, I wanna do it right." He declared, looking around them as if inspiration could pop out of them at any moment. "We're going to need a really big brain."
"Well, at least Banner will be considerably more pleasant to deal with." Natasha said, with another glance back at the house behind them. Would Tony even think about their plan ever again, or just block it out completely? She understood that he loved his family and wanted to keep them safe, but as Steve had said, they all had something that could be put at risk. Yet only Tony had backed down.
"Let's go." Steve brushed a kiss across her temple before they headed for the car, and Natasha tried to push away that sinking feeling forming in the pit of her stomach.
This was only the start of a very long, uncertain road.
~0~0~0~0~0~
Banner picked the location of their meeting, and stated that it was the only diner that would 'serve his needs', and because they were all depending on him for this, no one questioned it. But, Scott had looked ready to faint the second the looming, broad figure of Hulk appeared walking down the street.
Natasha wasn't sure what was stranger for her. To see the Hulk wearing a shirt and jacket - where he got clothes in that size from, she had no idea - or the fact that no one screamed or ran when they saw him. No, everyone here gawked up at him. Not in the way that women always gushed over Steve, but in a way that showed that Banner was admired, was appreciated. It was everything that the doctor had never thought possible, so Natasha was pleased for him.
It became apparent quite quickly why Banner had picked this particular cafe - he seemed to be their number one customer. Along the side by the windows, there was a table already reserved for them, with a large chair suitable for the Hulk's massive size.
Steve scooted along the booth first, and Natasha nestled in the space beside him, with Banner's large form at her other side. Scott took a seat at the other side, keeping one eye on the Hulk at all times even as he scanned the menu.
A young waitress approached, her eyes locking on Steve almost instantly. Natasha did not miss the way the girl straightened and started fiddling with her hair in an attempt to gain Steve's attention, so Natasha glared at her until the girl seemed to falter, blushing deeply before speaking to Hulk, asking what he'd like.
"Easy there, tiger," Steve whispered in her ear, having heard Natasha's low, territorial growl.
Natasha snorted in dry amusement, but the waitress didn't dare look at her husband for longer than three seconds whilst asking him what he wanted to order. Steve ordered them a sharing plate of pancakes, even though Natasha was about to just offer a coffee. Knowing her husband would only fuss if she didn't eat, Natasha gave him a thankful smile as he handed the menu to the waitress. The young girl seemed relieved to hurry away before Natasha's gaze burned a hole in her skin.
"Even when we are trying to fix the universe, girls can't help themselves." Natasha muttered under her breath.
Steve chuckled, his arm stretching over the booth. Natasha moved into the space at his side, smiling despite herself as Steve kissed her temple.
Banner, who wasn't used to seeing them so open, seemed a little lost for words at the exchange, but Scott was none the wiser.
They made easy conversation whilst their food was brought over, just to catch up on what they had all been up to over the past few years - well, apart from Scott, whose story was certainly the shortest. He seemed more than happy to dive into his pancakes and bacon anyway, darting an eye at Hulk with every forkful, just to be sure. Natasha was glad that Steve had ordered for her; her stomach was a demanding to be filled, even though she hadn't first felt like eating. It was another way of realising just how well Steve knew her, how easily he could read her.
If it wasn't for the situation pressing down on them, she probably would have really appreciated the fluffiness of the pancakes, or how nice the golden syrup actually was. Those sort of things barely registered with her brain though, as it raced to attempt to keep up with everything that had happened. If Scott Lang wasn't currently sat directly in front of her with a mouthful of crispy bacon slices, she probably would have blamed all this on a dream.
Only managing a pancake and a half, Natasha settled back into the comfortable booth, her husbands arm behind her neck. The physical touch alone was enough to keep her calm and focused, and when Steve finished the plate without the slightest sign of being hungry, he covered her hand with his, resting them both on her thigh while she cursed that super metabolism of his once again.
Banner was in a particularly good mood - the best mood, in fact, that Natasha had ever seen him in. He explained how he had come to terms with the Hulk at last, and no longer felt ashamed now that he had gotten a lid on that easily-heightened temper and rage that he'd spent years hating. She really was pleased for him, and his optimism was definitely needed, even though he was still cautious. Bruce Banner would always be cautious.
But, they needed cautious, to steady them from racing into this headfirst. They needed to plan, thoroughly, to explore every option and possibility, to assess even the most unrealistic of risks. No one was acting on this until those things had been covered. That was a firm, unspoken rule between the four of them.
When some children approached them and asked rather shyly for a photo with the Hulk, and while Scott did a good job of embarrassing himself, Natasha looked at her and her husbands entwined hands under the table. Together. They were doing this together. Steve's thumb brushed over the back of her hand in agreement.
"Bruce," Steve said, trying to get the Hulk's attention back on track, as he was still saying goodbye to his littlest of fans. "About what we were saying."
Bruce cleared his throat, something that seemed to make even the table tremble. "Right. The whole time travel do-over? Eh, guys, it's outside my area of expertise." Here was the caution, right on time.
"Well, you pulled this off." Natasha reminded him gently, referring to the Hulk who took up the seat, not the human doctor. She meant every word when she said, "I remember a time when that seemed pretty impossible too."
From the look on his face, Banner remembered that day in Clint's house just as easily as she did, and remembered the words they'd exchanged. So much had happened since then, but he had certainly faced his demons. Then, he dipped his head, and Natasha released the breath she had been holding since they had entered the diner.
~0~0~0~0~0~
"Nat, are you planning on coming to bed any time tonight?" Steve called for his wife, who was still in the bathroom adjoining their room.
Somewhere in the facility, in two of the empty rooms where former teammates had used to sleep, were Bruce and Scott. The four of them had spent hours that evening piecing together information, on countless sketches, and Steve's head had felt ready to explode with all the time travel talk.
Now, as he sat on the bed with his back pressed against the headboard, he waited for his wife to join him. It was late, and they had a long day ahead of them tomorrow. Another day filled with complicated words and terms, of more talk of quantum physics and time travel. Steve had never been more thankful for the chance some time alone with his wife, before he succumbed to sleep.
But, Natasha was still in the bathroom.
"I recall a certain someone claiming that patience was a virtue of theres - about a hundred times." Natasha shot back, but her tone was light, lighter than it had been in a days.
When Bruce had agreed to help them, Natasha's smile had been like a breath of fresh air to Steve. Although she had long moved on from those months of grieving and shouldering that sadness alone, there were still times where he knew that his wife was caught in her mind, especially whenever she thought about Clint Barton. When Scott had shown up, Steve had worried that Natasha would get her hopes up. Now though, with Bruce helping them, they stood a chance.
A fools chance.
But, a chance all the same.
"You know my weakness is you." He commented, not needing to see her to know that the words would have made her smile, the smile that caused her eyes to glisten. "I'd very much like to cuddle with my wife."
Then, Natasha was suddenly stood in the doorway, one leg slightly in front of the other, ankles crossing. A silk negligee covered her body, short enough to reveal most of her wonder legs, and the silver colour complimented her skin tone and hair beautifully, and the glossy material showed off her eyes. Eyes which were gleaming with mischief as she regarded him sitting on the bed.
With that coy smile on her face, she tilted her head to the side and asked, "Are you sure cuddling is all you'd like to do?"
A she-devil. He had married a she-devil. "You are a cruel woman, Natasha Rogers." As always, her married name fell from his lips like butter, sending shivers down his spine. He would never get tired of it, never get tired of reminding himself constantly that this remarkable woman was his wife.
"Is that so?" Her teeth sank into her bottom lip, and it took every ounce of self restraint that Steve could muster to prevent himself from launching across the room and taking her then and there.
Natasha loved playing games, and he enjoyed them just as much. So, he remained were he was, watching her closely, resisting the urge to fist his hands into the sheets to keep himself where he sat. Deep breath, Rogers.
Sensing his pause, Natasha licked her lips, her eyes noting how Steve's gaze followed the movement. Her finger ghosted over her wet lip, and that finger started a trail down her chin, down her neck, to the swells of her breasts peaking over the top of the negligee. Delicately, the digit traced over each bump, and Steve tried his hardest not to groan. It should be his hand on her skin, exploring her, appreciating every single inch.
But, he waited. He knew that although they both craved each other, the wait was something they both gained enjoyment from.
Then, with the silence and grace of a lioness, Natasha approached the bed, crawling onto it. This gave Steve the perfect view of her exposed chest, and the endless exposure of leg that the silk material did not cover. To be honest, the negligee served little purpose, seeing as it covered barely anything. But, it hid enough from his eyes that made him want nothing more than to rip it from her body, so it could be his hands and lips that touched her, that savoured her inch by inch.
"Does my husband not wish to play tonight?" Natasha asked, her eyes slowly drawing up his body, pausing at a certain part. "Hmm, your body tells me otherwise."
"Why don't you stop teasing me and find out?" Steve challenged. Part of him wanted to grab her and have his way with her, another part was too transfixed on the sight of her on her hands and knees in front of him.
Damn that negligee...
A purr sounded from her lips, which glistened in the low light of their room. She continued on her slow approach to him, settling over his hips so she could straddle him. Those pretty legs of his surrounded him, and she lowered herself down just enough so he could feel her against him.
"Natasha," He growled out, warning her that his self control may be good, but it wasn't going to hold for much longer.
She made a thoughtful noise from the back of her throat, and when she rolled her hips just slightly, he almost fell apart. "If you only wish to cuddle, it wouldn't be wise to engage in such activities that are clearly not worth your time, so perhaps we should just-"
She'd barely finished her sentence before Steve was upon her. He struck fast, one hand grasping her slender waist while the other cupped her face. Within a heartbeat, his lips captured hers, claiming them powerfully. He pulled himself back, bringing her with him, and relishing at the feeling of her barely covered body covering his, with those thighs still clasping his hips. His own chest was bare, and the boxers he wore were already far too tight to be comfortable now, thanks to her.
His tongue practically ploughed into her mouth, but it met no resistance whatsoever. In fact, hers challenged it instantly, and as Natasha took control of the kiss, Steve found himself powerless against her.
Her hips started to roll again, in a slow, small movement, but it was enough to turn his blood in molten lava that pumped through his entire body. After all these years, she still had this effect on him. It would always be that way for them.
The hand that had been against her waist moved to appreciate the exposed thigh at his side, gliding over the hardened muscle of years of intense training. When his hand slipped upwards and grazed over the softness of her inner leg, his fingers grazed over her hot, drenched core, and another growl ripped through him.
She hissed as his fingers caressed down her, the small amount of pressure driving her crazy. "Steve," She mumbled against his lips, her breath already becoming laboured. "Do not tease me."
His body was aching for her, so much so that it was unbearable to keep himself back like this, to take his time when every instinct of his was saying to claim her. "You have so much fun teasing me, sweetheart." He reminded her, bringing those fingers back up slowly, coating them in her wetness, wetness that he caused. "It is only fair that I take my time too."
"Prick," She practically snarled, her hands fisting into his hair as she kissed him with all her pent-up desire, enough so that Steve almost forgot about drawing this out. But, as his tongue slid across hers, he remembered that whilst she had started this game, he was just a strong a player.
Another part of him just wanted to enjoy every moment, simply because seeing Natasha this happy, this comfortable and confident, reminded him of how she had been before the Snap. Although they'd helped each other through these long five years, there were still days were her mood was lowered, where he would catch her staring at absolutely nothing as she got lost in her head. He had bad days too, and they helped each other out of that darkness. So tonight, having his wife like this, was something that he certainly wasn't going to take for granted.
"We'll have to be quiet, Nat." He reminded her. "Banner and Scott are-"
"I don't care." She admitted, her jaw making its way along his jawline. She nipped at his skin occasionally, her nose skimming along the edge of his chin. "Let them hear. Let him hear how well you take me. Let the world hear it."
God, when she spoke like this, with such wild abandon and passion, it drove him insane. His fingers brushed down her once again, showing her just how much he enjoyed her words, enjoyed seeing her fall apart above him.
Tomorrow was going to be a long day, but a day that would change everything. It would be the first step into this seemingly ridiculous plan of theirs, to test this theory and see if it could be possible, if they tried hard enough. Steve couldn't quite belief it, even now, that they were going to attempt time travel. But, if these last few years had shown him anything, it was that he should have learnt to expect the unexpected by now. That anything was possible, if they worked together and tried.
So, he had every intention on enjoying tonight, on stretching these hours as far as they could, before falling asleep with his wife in his arms, both of them sated and smiling to themselves. As Natasha's mouth moved against his and she rocked into his hand expectantly, Steve banished all thoughts about the sleeping team-mates at the other side of the facility. He coaxed as many moans and whimpers from his wife as they could that night. He memorised how she felt against his hand, against his mouth, how she felt when he was inside her. His mouth kissed every inch of her body, cherished every curve and line. He cried her name out as she brought him his own release with her skilled mouth, and when she lowered herself onto him and slowly rocked with him, bringing them both another breath-taking surge of pleasure. Then, finally, as he rocked into her slowly and they found their final orgasm of the night, he kissed her with everything that he had, and took in the sight of her flushed cheeks, her beautiful red hair as it clung to her, and that shine in those emerald eyes that he adored so much.
"I love you," He murmured into her ear, as they finally settled down after midnight. His arm wrapped around her waist and drew her against him, and he relished in the feeling of her naked body against his, fitting so perfectly it was as if they were truly meant for one another. His soul had been destined to find hers. He'd never been more sure of anything in his life.
Natasha wiggled further against him, as if she too was savouring this peace, before tomorrow. Tomorrow, when everything would change.
"I love you, too." She whispered, her voice a gentle caress to his heart.
Hours later, when the morning light started to peel into the room, Steve woke up and found himself ready for whatever the day had in store.
~0~0~0~0~0~
Honestly, I think Endgame wrecked me as a film. How do you think it will play out for our favourite couple?
- E x