Chapter Thirty-Three

Steve

Wakanda is alive.

It makes me feel alive, really appreciate it. The colours, the smells, the people. I see joy in their faces. I see a hope that I had forgotten was possible. I see the smile on Nat's face as we enter the banquet hall and see all the people, already enjoying the festivities, laughing and dancing. I see her smile at a group of little girls' who stared, transfixed by her blonde hair. I watch as she crouches down to let them stroke her long tresses. I see Sam joke with young warriors on the brink of manhood, enjoying the feast before us.

I could stay here, stay here forever. But I don't think thanking these people's hospitality with putting them in danger was a move I was willing to make. They already put themselves at risk harbouring Bucky for us. Three more international fugitives is not a good idea. And I know both Natasha and Sam would feel the same.

I sit behind the long head table, a few seats down from Queen Ramonda. One of the few left actually seated at the table. Everyone was up now, mingling after the big feast, dancing, having a good time. I sit back and watch. Watch Sam dance with Nat, as they both laugh. Turns out ballet isn't the only dance Natasha is good at but also latin, she she learned just for herself she said. Sam's mom happened to have been a ballroom coach, and saw the value in a boy being able to turn a girl around a dance floor.

I watch the two of them dance, what I think they called a Rumba? Or maybe it was a Cha-Cha... I don't know, but I do know I can't take my eyes off Nat.

She looks so happy. She is wearing a simply navy blue dress. Nothing fancy, almost more of a sun dress than anything formal. Just off the shoulder, tight in the waist, full skirt hanging to just above her knee. She looks stunning. I think of her only a day ago, in my arms, kissing my lips, her hands on my body.

I take a breath and sit back further in my seat.

"She is beautiful." I turn at the Queen Mother's voice. She leans towards my seat and it's obvious she has been watching me get lost in watching Nat.

I smile and raise an eyebrow looking back at the dance floor, Nat and Sam are explaining a step they did to a young couple who had been dancing beside them, "She is more than that," I blink realizing who I am talking to and hurriedly add, "But yes, she is." I smile meekly at the Queen.

The Queen smiles at me, with an amused shine in her eye. She nods her head, "Must be, for you to risk so much to find her and bring her back to your side."

I look back at her, interested in what this woman thinks about my actions, "Do you think I was foolish?" I raise an eyebrow as I look at her.

The Queen titled her head to the side as she considered her answer, "To find someone who is worth risking everything for..." She smiled and looked at me, "That, is always worth the risk." She nodded at me and I smile back, "Please excuse me. I must make my rounds." She gave me a bemused face and then rose from her place.

I turned back to see Nat striding towards me smiling and I could see Sam behind her still dancing in the crowd but now with one of the young female warriors from the army detail that had been stationed with us our first day here.

Nat comes around the table and sits down next to me. "Hi!" She says brightly, smiling at me.

I smile back at her, leaning back, my arm draping over the back of the chair. "Hi,"

"You alright over here, all by your lonesome?" She teased. She was being coy but I don't care. She is mesmerizing.

"You have fun dancing?" I ask, answering her question with a question of my own.

Her smile becomes brighter, and in a more innocent in a way. She looks back at the dance floor, "Yeah," She sounds so genuine when she says it. "You forget... sometimes..." She looks down at her hands on the table before looking back up at me, "These things that we enjoy." She cocks an eyebrow, "That make us human."

She glances back at the dance floor and seems as if she is miles away, struggling with something, she may want to say. But instead, she sat up straighter and looked back at me smiling.

I lean forward, drawn into her eyes, the dazzling green. They twinkled in the bright flames of the big fire pits and torches that illuminated the great hall. "Would you teach me someday?" I ask. Her eyes search mine, and I find myself reaching out. Our hands are hidden by the table so no one else can see, but still I only lightly brush the top of her hand with my forefinger as I ask the question that makes me think of so many things but mainly of the future. With her. "To dance, I mean."

Her eyes search mine and she is holding her breath again. She swallows and I see the smile that is pulling on the corner of her lips, as if she is trying not to let her emotions get the better of her. Nat leans forward, coming closer to me, "You wouldn't just be saying that now, would you Rogers?"

And just like that I know. I know that she knows what I am actually saying when I ask her to teach me to dance. She knows I don't just mean I want to learn to Salsa. She understands everything I don't have to say. And once again, I am struck by just how much she understands me without even have to be told or have it explained. And I feel a wash of relief that she is beside me again.

I shake my head, looking at her delicate hands. Noticing how small they actual looked. How could they be so delicate yet so capable? "Never with you, Romanoff,"

Suddenly, Nat sat up straight and her eyes were big and bright, "I have something for you," She said catching me off guard. I sat up a little straighter and raised an eyebrow at her.

"Oh yeah?" I ask her, a smile pulls at the corner of my mouth.

She nods and her blonde locks bounce slightly, "Yeah," She gets up and takes off at a brisk pace.

"Oh right now, you mean," I say as I get up and take off after her.

I follow Nat up through the quiet building, everyone still being down at the festivities, until we get back to standing in front of our two doors. Nat strides into her rooms and I follow her.

Her rooms are the same as mine only mirror images of each other. You walk into a big great room, with big comfy chairs and a large welcoming sectional, a bar fully stocked and then through the next door bedroom with it's own luxurious bathroom. Nat goes straight to her bag which is simply sitting one of the arm chairs and she starts to search through the contents.

I close the door and walk over to the big windows over looking the majestic mountain range behind the city, once again I am struck by the beauty of this country. Untouched and unspoiled by the outside world.

Suddenly, I am aware of Nat standing beside my arm and I turn and look down at her.

She smiles, cocking her head to the side. "Here," She hands me something wrapped in light brown paper. I take it and start to peel back the paper. "I saw it a few weeks ago." It must have been right after she left Tony and the compound, "And I thought of you. I don't know, maybe you...I dunno."

I let a leather bound journal fall into my hand and I looked at it feeling myself go still. The leather is a velvet soft black. It was tied shut with a long thin leather strap that wrapped around it. I unwrapped the cord and opened the book to see blank pages of a thick heavy weight parchment. On the inside of the cover there was also a set of charcoal pencils.

"It's not very practical, since we will be on the move so much. But I thought ... you might... like it." I look up and see Nat's big green eyes twinkling in the night's cool light. I realize we haven't turned on any lights in the room, we are only illuminated by the full moon outside.

I don't find myself able to answer her as my heart starts to pound as I think about this gift. Instead I step forward, reaching I take her face in my hands and pull her to me, crushing my lips down on hers. I feel her hands come up and rest on my back, her fingers tips digging in, holding me there just as much as I held on to her.

I let my lips leave hers for a moment, so I can say against her skin, "It's perfect." Soon I find myself dropping the journal onto the seat behind her and pulling Nat into my arms.

She kisses me back, letting herself get lost in the moment. Her hands find their way up into my hair. I wrap my arms tightly around her waist and stand up straight, picking her up off the ground. She pulled back and looked at me, her eyes darting between mine in the moonlight, "Are we crazy?" She asked quietly, looking vulnerable and I feel glad I already have her tightly in my arms.

"I don't care any more," I say kissing her lips just briefly, "I am tired of thinking and worrying. All I want is you, Nat." Her fingers trail down the side of my face and she looks like what I am saying is confusing or too complex for her to take in.

She kisses me so quickly, it catches me so off guard, that I can't help but take a step back from the force of her contact. The intensity of her touch. I kiss her back and steady myself. Between kisses I say against her skin, "Do you want me to stay?"

"Shut up and kiss me, Rogers." Was her hushed response.