"Surprised to see you here." Q greeted her friend once she was close enough to him. For a second, she didn't recognize Dawson. Hair combed back, and beard trimmed he was dressed in a dark suit with a matching dark purple button up. His hands slipped into the pockets of his suit pants while a sigh escaped from him.
"I'm not here for you." he made that clear before jutting his chin out and to where Sharon was standing by the grave with some other family members. The service had ended a bit earlier and everyone proceeded outside to watch them lower Peggy's casket into the ground. Steve had stayed back in the cathedral to have a moment to himself, which was understandable. Funerals were weird for him. Luckily, he hadn't had to attend a lot in his lifetime, but they still managed to freak him out a bit, "Sharon and I are friends too, remember?" he defended his appearance at the funeral with a raise of his eyebrows. She gave him a small smile, nodding to herself a bit. She wasn't trying to get into a fight with him,
"Right, no, I knew that." she crossed her arms over her chest and raised her shoulders up, "Just thought you and Nat would already be on your way to Vienna by now."
"Jet's leaving in a few." he assured her, then paused for a moment, "Room for you too, you know." he offered, ignoring the shake of her head and continuing with his last ditch attempt to get her to change her mind. Much like Natasha was trying to do with Steve inside the cathedral, "C'mon, Q, you know this is something you're for."
"And it's something you're not." she reminded him with a pointed look. "I'm staying because I want to support Steve. Just like you're going to support Nat." Opening his mouth, he got ready to start the fight they had had before in the compound. Then, knowing it was no use to go around in a circle again, he let out a heavy sigh; she was right. The explanation was plainly put, yet so complicated too. With a shake of his head, he let out a slight laugh,
"God, when did we become these people? So..." he wasn't really looking for an answer, just wanted to point out the differences between them then and at that moment. The two of them never would've put someone else's needs and wants before their own. Especially Q.
"Selfless?" she offered helpfully and he gave her an unamused look,
"Sure." he scoffed, thinking of a different word to describe their actions. Never had he thought he'd be someone who chose a girlfriend over his own ideology.
"When we realized we had people we didn't want to lose." Again, such a simple answer that held so much meaning for the both of them. He studied her for a moment before looking over her head at the remains of funeral party that were standing by the grave. There was only a small group left, talking quietly to the family. Others had already begun to make their way over to the wake.
"So Rogers isn't signing, huh." he already knew that, but just wanted to confirm it.
"No, I don't think so." she didn't look surprised by it, or even angry or nervous. Just like she knew it was going to happen. It wasn't surprising to Dawson either. The man had enough bad experiences with governments trying to control his actions for the greater good. Raising her shoulders up, she made a face, "Hey, maybe he'll finally retire." Dawson scoffed at that,
"In this economy?" he raised his eyebrows, playing along, "Guy better wait until he's at least a hundred and five. At least." she grinned at him while he shook his head. There was a pause where he kicked the ground with the toe of his foot, then made eye contact with Q, "Think that'll actually happen?" his friend's inability to sit on the sidelines was one of his biggest downfalls. Always putting the greater good before people like Q or even himself.
"I don't know," she sighed, looking off to the side, "I'd like to hope yes, but...I don't know." she ended up saying, not saying what she meant. Both of them knew that Steve said a lot of things, but never really followed through. Instead, she just gave him a sad smile and shrugged again, then moved on, "What about you? Uh, you and Nat going to be the power couple on Capitol Hill?" Her teasing got him to scoff and give her an annoyed look,
"No." she bit her lip as she tried not to smirk. He took in a breath and then nodded a bit, "But things are good. Better." his eyebrows quickly rose up as if he couldn't believe it himself, "Hoping this just shows her that I'm here for her."
"Same." she agreed, both of them unknowingly admitting the reasoning behind the sides they had chosen to take in the Accords debate. His eyes met hers again, holding her gaze for a moment,
"Just...are you sure about this?" he tried one last time. They could switch places. It was easy to, but it also meant giving something up. Something that he wasn't sure he could again. Because if he did, he was certain he'd never get it back. Second chances were rare, especially with someone like Nat. And for some reason, he felt like he was on his third chance. For once, pushing his luck felt stupid.
"Absolutely." she was firm in her decision. A nervous look crossed his face as his gaze returned to his friend.
"If someone found out about what happened to you…" he trailed off, not wanting it to sound like a threat, but just wanting to keep his best friend safe. She shook her head, not concerned in the slightest about being found out.
"Only like three people know, Daw." she reminded him and then took in a breath, "And besides, it's not like visible or anything like that." she gestured to her head with a wave of her hand, "I didn't grow sixteen inches or have bulging muscles." she compared how the serum had affected her to how it had affected Steve. He considered her for a moment before nodding.
"Alright, as long as you're sure." he gave in, tired of fighting with her. There was no reason to try and change her mind, just as it was the same for her.
"I am." A quick smile flashed over her face, "And you are too." she placed a hand on his arm in a comforting manner. Nodding in agreement, a small smile peeked out across his features and he stepped closer to her so he could wrap his arms around her. The hug between them ended with him kissing her cheek and letting her step back first.
"Alright, I should go say bye to Sharon before we head out." he nodded at the plan he had come up with, "I'll talk to you later." he rubbed her elbow as he stepped by her toward their shared friend.
"Let me know when you land, okay?" she raised her eyebrows at him. Rolling his eyes, he agreed and tried to hide the small smile at the request. It was always nice to be reminded that she cared about him despite them being on different sides of an international argument.
An international argument that he never thought he'd get involved with. But that was what happened when you were dating an international super spy who suddenly decided to play the game right. It definitely wasn't as sexy as all those Bond movies made it out to be. More stressful and annoying than anything. Sort of boring too. You'd think a meeting of all the nations would be a little more exciting. All it was was one big circle jerk. And he had to wear a suit. The worst.
But he wanted to support Natasha. Prove to her that she was his first choice. He knew he fucked up, and if wearing a suit and standing by her side while she signed a bunch of documents to ensure that the Avengers were nothing more than a group of superheroes who didn't hero shit, then he would.
"This is intense." he whispered to her. The pair of them were standing in a rather large conference room, over thirty floors up, at the United Nations building in Vienna. There was stadium seating, like a college lecture hall (not that he would know for sure since he never went to college). Each seat had a microphone set, along with a packet that highlighted the main points of the Accords.
There were representatives from every country - some he had never heard of until right that moment. And it seemed the two of them were representing America in someway. Which Dawson couldn't help but find ironic considering their pasts.
"Only if you think about it too much." she whispered back to him, "You're doing fine. Just stand there and look pretty." she smirked at him. He rolled his eyes, not because he was offended, but because it made it seem like he never looked pretty otherwise. He knew what his role actually was in this gathering: being Nat's arm candy wasn't the worst position to be in.
"I'm gonna go get some water." he told her, just wanting something to do. Being around so many politicians in such an enclosed space was making the back of his neck itch. Not because he was nervous, but just because he hated these people.
He had spent enough time working against the same people in power to help make the world better, then worked for a division where he thought he had been doing the same - only to find out he hadn't been. These people were not good people and he hated to think what would come of the Avengers once the documents were signed.
But, he had to remind himself, it didn't matter what his personal feelings were. He was there for Nat. She wanted to support the Accords so he was going to support her. He chose her, and would always choose her.
"Excuse me, Mr. Starowicz, I need your signature." a United Nations aid asked of him. He glanced over his shoulder to see a young woman, in a classic Q-esque pantsuit, holding out a fancy looking clipboard and pen to him.
The surprise of being recognized and known wore off mere moments after realizing that her being a part of the United Nations gave her access to everyone's information. They probably knew everyone's name and face. No way of hiding who he was. His anonymity was sacrificed long before, then gained again, only to be lost once more. He quickly scribbled his signature across the line on the document she held out to him. She gave him a brief smile and walked off to the next person she needed an autograph from.
Nat was still where he left her, also signing her name on something from a different aid. A skirt and blazer combo that she definitely borrowed from Q replaced her usual outfit of tight shirts and skinny jeans. To anyone who didn't know her, she looked like she belonged in the conference room among the politicians she had at one point told to kiss her ass. A testament to her skillset.
Dawson knew she felt differently though. He could see it in her eyes. Half the politicians in the room were from countries she had done terrible things to during her time as a Widow and in the KGB. The assembly made her just as uncomfortable as he was.
The aid who asked for her signature stepped away, only to be replaced by a stately looking man, dressed in a fitting navy blue suit. Though the two men never met, Dawson recognized him from the news after the Nigeria incident. The prince of Wakanda.
"Jesus Christ." he muttered to himself at the sight of Nat and him talking closely. She gave him a wry grin, clearly agreeing with whatever it was he said. A ball of jealousy began to form in the pit of his stomach; no matter what the topic of conversation was, he didn't like seeing a prince of all people talking to his girlfriend. How could he possibly compete with a royal title like that?
"If everyone could please be seated. This assembly is now in session." A calm voice came over the speakers, directing everyone to their seats. Nat shook hands with both the prince and his father before stepping over to where she and Dawson were supposed to be sitting in the front row.
"What did the prince want to talk to you about?" he asked as she settled into the chair beside him.
"Just about the Accords." she answered airily before side eyeing him, "Why? Jealous?" At the tease, he let out a slight scoff and let his eyebrows raise,
"Uh, absolutely." he wasn't one to shy away from owning it, but also turned it around to make it seem like she was an idiot for even asking, "He's a prince of an entire country." she pulled down the corners of her lips and shrugged,
"Better up your game then." she challenged before folding her arms on top of the desk in front of her. She looked straight ahead to where King T'Chaka was getting ready to speak while Dawson made a face in annoyance.
"Oh, yeah I'll get right on that. Let me just go inherit a country." he sassed back, making her smirk a little. She glanced over to him, then slid her hand over to place it over his.
"I'm glad you came with me to this." A relieved smile came over her face, "I need someone in my corner right now." he lifted his chin up a bit to make his point more clear,
"I'm always in your corner." Turning his hand over, he let their fingers intertwine momentarily before she pulled her hand away - wanting to keep up professional appearances. And there were cameras everywhere. No need for someone to run some headline about Natasha Romanoff bringing her boyfriend to the ratifying of the Accords.
While King T'Chaka of Wakanda took to the podium to start the assembly, his son stood by the windows. There were plenty of news vans from around the world, all reporting on this historic day. Natasha glanced at him, clocking how he was angled slightly toward his father in respect but not paying attention completely.
"When stolen Wakandan vibranium was used to make a terrible weapon…" King T'Chaka started his speech with a reference to Ultron's army of robots, "we in Wakanda were forced to question our legacy." T'Challa stepped closer to the windows, peering down at something happening down below, "Those men and women killed in Nigeria… were part of a goodwill mission from a country too long in the shadows. We will not, however, let misfortune drive us back. We will fight to improve the world we wish to join." he paused his speech to make eye contact with Natasha and Dawson, "I am grateful to the Avengers for supporting this initiative. Wakanda is proud to extend its hand in peace." As he went to continue his speech, T'Challa's body language shifted drastically, gaining Nat's attention a half a second before he yelled,
"Everybody get down!"
Without a second's hesitation, Nat got up from her chair before she even knew what was happening. Call it basic training or instinct. She knew the panic in T'Challa's voice. A panic that only came mere moments before something terrible happened. Up from her chair, her hand went to turn Dawson away from the windows and push him down to the ground. He didn't even know what was happening until a powerful blast shattered the glass windows around them.
Eyes blinking, he tried to see through the smoke that engulfed the conference room. There was a slight wind blowing through the newly open space where the windows used to be. Small fires were littered throughout the room as ash floated through the space. It smelled like a barbecue, but not a good one. One where the burgers had been left on too long and were now just hunks of charcoal.
At the sight of the destroyed room, his heart immediately leapt to his throat. Nat. Where was Nat? He went to sit up, only to feel a deep ache blossom from his abdomen. Someone's hands were on his chest and he turned his head to the side to see her right in front of him, bleeding a bit from somewhere on her face, but otherwise okay. Eyes were wide with concern, not panic or fear, but concern for him. Her mouth was moving, but no sound was coming out which then made Dawson acutely aware that he couldn't hear anything. Concentrating for a moment on the action, the volume of the room was suddenly increased by a thousand,
"Are you okay?" Nat was asking while sirens wailed from outside, "Dawson, can you hear me?" her hands moved from his chest to the sides of his face, squeezing his cheeks together.
"I'm fine!" he yelled, even though he didn't have to, "Let go of my face!" A relieved smile broke out across her features, but she didn't let go at first. Instead just pulled him to her and wrapped her arms around his shoulders, "Nat, I'm okay." he assured her at a normal volume, but not knowing if that was entirely true.
Still, he loosely wrapped an arm around her waist, turning his face to rest against her chest. Trying to understand what happened and what the damage was, his eyes fell to where the prince was cradling his father's head while openly sobbing. Uncomfortableness twisted in his gut at the sight of seeing a royal such as T'Challa crying over his father. Mostly because it seemed wrong, but also because he knew what it meant. The king was unmoving, not unlike some other members of the United Nations. It didn't matter how okay Dawson was; he had survived. Which was more than could be said for others.
A/N: A little different POV just to break it up a bit! Hope you guys liked it haha. I can't believe this story is already 90 chapters! It' e. I hope you guys have been enjoying this story as much as I've enjoyed writing it. Let me know your thoughts and reactions and what you think will happen next!