Natasha flopped down on the bed and ran her hands through her hair. Peggy handed her a cup of tea and sat down opposite her. "Peggy, I'm sorry I thought you were backstabbing me with Phillips. I should have realized you're not like that."

"I can understand how you might have come to that conclusion," Peggy said softly. "It's never easy working with women. We're always so hard on each other."

"That is the truth," Natasha replied. "We're also hard on ourselves."

"No argument there," Peggy said.

"So, are you and Howard a thing?" Nat asked.

"Howard? No, of course not," Peggy sounded surprised. "He's too much of a narcissist. I like men who are more grounded, less selfish."

"Anyone in particular?"

"Well...that new Sergeant; James Barnes is very handsome." Peggy smiled at her and sipped her tea.

"Bucky? Steve's friend?"

"Yes. He's got the most incredible blue eyes." Peggy sounded like a school girl. Natasha knew she was wrong because Steve had the most incredible blue eyes but she kept her mouth shut.

"We should double date sometime." Natasha suggested.

"That would be great fun!" Peggy agreed.

"Listen, Peggy...have you thought about after the war yet? I mean, do you know what you're going to do?"

"Oh, I don't know. I'd like to stay with the SSR. I see it being an organization that can continue to help even in peace time. What about you, Natalie? What do you want to do after all this? Start a family? Marriage?"

"No...well, I don't know. I can't have children but I guess I could adopt. I just never thought of a permanent relationship before being a clandestine member of society," Natasha said ruefully.

"I take it Steve knows all this. It certainly hasn't swayed him away from a relationship with you. I hope you two can make it. I really do. He's a fine man, Natalie. You both deserve to be happy." Peggy's smile and warmth were genuine and Nat had to admit she really liked her. Besides Pepper and Maria Hill, she really hadn't had close female friends. This was new for her but she found she liked chatting with another woman in the same line of work. Peggy certainly wasn't a chickenshit and she'd run her own number of solo missions. Nat grudgingly admitted to herself that Peggy had earned her respect.

"Being a spy sounds so glamorous but we both know the down and dirty side of it," Natasha said.

"Yes, there is that. But you know...when the prize you're aiming for is in your hands, it sort of polishes things back up. There's no reason for you or me to be ashamed of the way we accomplish those missions, Natalie. We are women who understand that sometimes you just have to do what needs to be done. If a mission is successful, we can be proud of the outcome." Peggy rose, got the tea kettle and refilled their cups.

"I try to stay focused on that. The outcome, I mean." Natasha wished that were actually true.

"Hey, why don't we get dressed up and go into town tomorrow? I bet we can find a little bar or pub where we can dance." Peggy's eyes lit up.

"I think Steve, Bucky and a bunch of the rescued men are going into town after the meeting with Phillips after lunch. I can't be too hard to find them." Natasha grinned at her.

The next day, Steve met with Phillips, Peggy, Howard, and some of the top brass in the late afternoon. When he was rescuing Bucky, he'd noticed a map with Hydra bases marked on it. He'd only had time to briefly look at it but he remembered the positions of most of them. Peggy and Natasha stood at the end of the table while Steve explained everything.

"Well, Captain Rogers, it's your map. Think you can wipe Hydra off it?" Phillips clapped Steve on the shoulder.

"Yessir. But I'll need a team." Steve said.

"We are putting that together for you now." Phillips said.

"With all due respect, Colonel, so am I." Steve said. Phillips nodded in understanding.

After the meeting, Steve and Bucky looked for Nat who seemed to have vanished. Peggy was nowhere around either. The new men Steve had rescued dragged him onto a truck with Bucky and drove them to the nearest town for drinks, dinner and a little fun. They wound up at a cozy bar with old world charm, delicious food and dancing. Steve wished that Nat were there with him.

Steve and Bucky excused themselves to the bar while the men drank at a table. They had some catching up to do and Bucky wanted him to fill him in on his relationship with Natalie. Steve's assessment couldn't have been more glowing. Bucky watched with a smile as his formerly socially awkward friend talked about her kindness to him when he was still Skinny Steve. Bucky's opinion of Nat rose even more when he found out she had been honest about making love with him when he was still thin and sickly.

"Gentlemen," a cultured English voice said. Steve and Bucky turned to find Peggy as a vision in red. It accentuated her dark beauty and set Bucky's heart racing. Nat was next to her, looking delightfully wicked in a curve hugging lavender dress. It brought out the green in her eyes and highlighted her red hair. Steve's heart leaped with joy and he kissed her hand gallantly. Nat blushed and smiled.

Peggy informed Steve of an upcoming meeting and mentioned that she was still waiting for the right partner while she knew he'd found his. The women excused themselves to go get a table in the next room where there was a band and dancing while Steve and Bucky paid their bill.

Steve came in first, having no trouble finding Nat and Peggy surrounded by over eager soldiers. "Captain Rogers!" Peggy called to him. "Sergeant Barnes!" She saw Bucky right behind him and waved them over. The circle of men parted looking a little dejected as the handsome Captain claimed his date and the handsome Sergeant swept the lady in red into his arms.

The couples danced together, laughed together and drank together. Peggy excused herself to make a phone call, leaving Nat alone with the men.

The band was playing an Andrews Sisters song. On impulse, Natasha grabbed both of them and pulled them out to dance. She was in the middle with Steve on her left and Bucky on her right. Soon they were all laughing like idiots. When Peggy came back, Bucky grabbed her and the four friends danced together just enjoying being alive.

Last call came and Peggy insisted they leave before the crowds. When they got outside, she announced she had a surprise for them. They all followed her and Bucky down the street turning into a nice part of town from the looks of the buildings. Peggy stopped in front of a beautifully fronted hotel. She handed Steve a room key and Bucky a room key, pausing to look into Bucky's eyes, "If you want to."

Bucky looked shocked then delighted. He scooped Peggy up in his arms and headed into the hotel. "Night, Steve and Nat!"

"Night, Buck and Peggy!" Steve yelled back. He looked at the key then at Natasha. "Is this okay with you?"

Steve Rogers. Ever the gentleman. "It's just fine with me," Natasha gave him a sinful look. Steve lifted her in his arms and carried her in and down to their room. It was beautifully decorated and surprisingly had an en suite to go with it. Steve set her down and looked at her, his eyes radiating love and desire.

"Remind me to do something really nice for Peggy," Natasha said as she melted into his arms and his kiss. Steve lay her on the bed and followed her down. She had a little surprise in store for him and waited until his hand slid up her thigh to discover she was wearing very little under her dress.

The thong proved to be very interesting to Steve who had never seen anything like it. While he was admiring the view between kisses, Nat expertly unbuckled his belt and made the slow clicks of his zipper into an erotic moment. When he was free, she showed him how to move her thong aside and showed him how to touch her while she stroked him. Steve soon pulled her closer, the need for her making him ache.

Natasha pulled him on top of her and gasped as he slid home. She ran her hands down his jacket and under his pants to press on his ass and pull him into her. Steve obliged her, taking them where they both needed to go hard and fast. The storm broke over them together as he welded their bodies tightly. They lay in each others arms, panting until their breathing and heartbeats slowed back to normal.

She got up and did a quick, impromptu strip tease for him then beckoned him to follow her into the bathroom. Steve took off his clothes and followed her. She was in the clawfoot tub with the shower on. Her hand reached through the curtain to draw him in. There she showed him the delights of showering together, soaping him up and rinsing him off. He wanted to learn so she let him wash her hair and her body which he did with such reverence that it made her heart melt.

Their interplay soon had him hard and aching for her again. Nat knelt with a grin on her face and took him into her mouth. Steve nearly passed out from watching her ply him with her hands and lips. He fought the urge to thrust and let her suction and her tongue do the work. It was just so beautiful, until...

"Natalie...stop sweetheart...I'm close...very close..."

She lifted her head but kept working him with her hands, "Steve, it's all right. You didn't have to stop me."

He gave her a sheepish grin with an overtly sexual look in his eyes, "I thought it would be rude..."

She laughed at that. "You really are a gentleman one hundred per cent of the time, Rogers. I love you for that."

He gasped as she dipped her head on him again. This time, she didn't stop and he found something new when she took him deeply into her throat and swallowed at least part of what he delivered. The rest she spat in the tub then let him help her up. When he kissed her, he could taste himself in her mouth. That gave him an idea.

"Sweetheart, is there a way I can do that to you?" Natasha nodded, grabbed some towels and led him back into the bedroom.

They put the towels down since they were still a little drippy then lay down on the bed. She let him explore without embarrassment. He had never seen the entirety of a naked woman and since she was the woman he loved, he wanted to admire every inch of her.

He gently pushed her legs apart and she showed him what to do from there with his fingers and his mouth. When he took an experimental taste she moaned for him. Encouraged, he tried one finger then two, then added his mouth and tongue. Soon, she was writhing under his touch. For a beginner, he was a quick study with good instincts. He was fascinated with the bands inside her; the smooth and rough places that produced different reactions when he pressed them.

Soon he figured out how to coordinate his tongue, suction and his hand until she was nearly sobbing with need. Nat was doing all she could not to buck against his mouth but she couldn't stop it. He brought her crying his name, tasting her orgasm as she pressed into his mouth and pulled his hair.

"Oh, sweetheart that was just beautiful..." His silky baritone touching her as deeply as he just had physically.

He wiped his mouth on a towel then crawled up over her. She reached down to guide him and he entered her to find the remnants of her climax pulling at him.

"Steve, you don't have to be careful. I won't break." Natalie told him.

"I don't want to ever hurt you," He murmured against her lips.

"You won't...let go, I'll be right here with you," she whispered into the shell of his ear.

He gathered her in his arms and let passion take over. It was a rough, wild, hard ride. His body was designed to process the lactic acids that would normally build up in muscles when they're exerted. He simply couldn't tire and his stamina was amazing.

When they finally reached the pinnacle, Nat was grinding up into each thrust. They shattered together and his powerful arms tightened further to hold her to him. It would have been painful if not for the heat of the moment. Natasha pulled him down for a bruising kiss as they floated back to earth.

"Natalie...please don't leave me." Steve said into her neck. He was buried to the hilt inside her and was starting to cut off her breathing from holding her so tightly.

She got an immediate icy chill. Did he know something? Had he overheard her with Bucky? Did Bucky break his promise? She felt a brief surge of panic then gently eased his arms from her rib cage.

"Steve...honey, I need to breathe." He released her instantly but kept his arms around her as tightly as he dared.

"Why would I leave you?" she asked, trying to keep the fear out of her voice.

"I couldn't bear it. I love you so much. I can't lose you." His eyes were truly mirrors to his soul. Love and uncertainty warred in their blue depths.

"I give you my word that now and in the future, we will be together." Natalie realized now was not the time for jokes or sarcasm.

"Really?"

"Steve, I love you. I told you that. Nothing has changed." She kissed him with all the passion she could muster.

When they paused for breath, Nat held his face still and looked into his beautiful eyes as he looked down at her in his arms. She gave him the most sincere oath that she could think of. "No matter what occurs, no matter if we are split up with different assignments; no matter if time itself separates us for a short while, I will find you, Steve Rogers. I give you my solemn word on that. You will not be alone in this world while I still live and breathe."

He gathered her to him and held her tightly, being careful not to crack her ribs. "Sweetheart...will you marry me?"