A/N: Hello again, Avengers fans!
I'll be brief today.
This chapter is pretty fluffy, if you need a warning for your teeth. And was inspired by Something's There from Beauty and the Beast.
Note: I don't own anything save for the OCs I'm adding in this chapter. They aren't human/alien...so I don't know if that counts?
Enjoy!
Wasn't There Before
April (a year and a half after the Infinity Stones War)
Steve took a step back, paint roller gripped in his hands, and smiled at his handiwork.
It had taken a year, but seeing the fruits of his labor completed before him, it was worth every setback, every snowstorm, every alteration to satisfy safety regulations, every little stumbling block.
The barn was finally done.
The elderly couple who owned the Ranch before Steve and Natalia came along had not been able to maintain the old barn, and it had fell rapidly into disrepair. Steve had taken one look at the pathetic looking building, and fell hard for it, and almost immediately consulted with Clint on how to best go about with restoring the old building, and now it looked just like new.
Maybe like it had when it had first been built.
Picking up his paint supplies, he put his stuff away and headed into the Ranch House. Time to get cleaned up and pick something up.
Today was a day to celebrate, and he knew who he wanted to show his project to first.
"Well, this is quite a domestic sight."
Natalia turned to face the voice, a knife—which she had been using to cut the fresh tomato Laura had given her from the Barton garden—still gripped firmly in her hand.
And she wondered, not for the first time, if her roommate/friend/partner/whatever-the-hell-he-is had a death wish. She eyed the man with a raised eyebrow, noting firstly that he was very relaxed, leaning against the doorframe of the door to the kitchen, one hand hidden in the hall while his right hand was smoothing back his hair (a gesture she noted could mean a lot of different things). Secondly, that he had not removed his shoes, but had changed his clothes from the ones he had been wearing that morning.
All of that in combination was taken as a sign that he was finished for the day.
He, too, lifted an eyebrow in jest. "Is the Widow going soft?"
She stuck her tongue out at his teasing. "No. Just hungry. You interrupted my making myself a sandwich. Don't expect me to share." He laughed at that. "You know what they say about hungry Black Widows…"
Steve stood from the doorway, revealing his left hand. "Well, then I'm glad I brought something with me."
She took a look at the plastic container he held out to her, noting that there was something within it. Upon closer inspection, she noted that it wasn't just anything. It was full of pastries, specifically Zefir.(1)
"You did not!" She exclaimed with false irritation, her eyes narrowing suspiciously. "Are you trying to butter me up, Rogers?"
He shrugged his shoulders, neither confirming nor denying if he was.
Natalia put down the knife and crossed the kitchen. "What did you do?"
"What?" Steve said, his expression full of mock hurt. "I can't do something nice for you without an ulterior motive?"
She rolled her eyes, enjoying this banter way too much. "Alright then. What's the occasion?"
"The…" he began, but stopped, a wide grin spreading over his face. "Actually, it'll just be easier to show you." He quickly put down the box of zefir and took her hand, pulling her out of the house.
Chuckling at his enthusiasm, she allowed herself to be dragged out of the house, her slipper covered feet falling softly on the grass covered earth.
"Close your eyes." He said, grasping both of her hands and facing her as he pulled her across the yard. "No peeking."
Sighing, Natalia decided to indulge him, just this once. He had brought her zefir after all...
She counted the steps, more out of habit than actually needing to know, and determined that they had made it to the back yard. After a few more moments, Steve stopped and let go of her hands.
"Okay, you can open your eyes now."
Natalia didn't need to be told twice. Her green eyes snapped open and widened at the sight before her.
"You finished it!" She squealed, looking back at her companion who was grinning like she had given him a surprise.
"Yep. I finished the last coat of paint this morning."
She turned back to the finished red barn. She knew that Steve had been working very long and very hard on restoring the structure to its former glory, but hadn't been able to assist him in the endeavor while she had been helping Laura by babysitting Nathaniel while the housewife was helping her older children with getting them to school and whatever other activities they had.
Plus, Steve needed something to occupy his time that didn't involve thinking about old wounds and problems.
And the barn looked magnificent. It was painted in the classic red and white (of course, this is Steve we are talking about), with a five pointed roof and sliding wooden doors. It was as if the plans he had shown her months ago had leapt into reality.
"Want the grand tour?" Steve said, drawing her eyes away from the barn for a moment.
She almost nodded enthusiastically, but she remembered that she wasn't wearing suitable shoes…and that all her shoes were upstairs in her room. "I'd love too, but…I should probably put on some real shoes first …"
Steve seemed to consider that for a moment, but a light bulb went off. "No need. I can carry you around."
She lifted an eyebrow, a playful warning.
"Piggyback?" He added, as if hoping to escape her ire.
He was so eager to show her his handiwork and, him being Steve, she knew he wouldn't try any funny business. She trusted him. And he looked just so pleased with himself that it melted her heart.
Just a bit.
Eh…what the hell?
"Alright, Steve." She finally conceded. "Just quit with the puppy eyes."
"Yes, ma'am." He said (in that charming way that would make any woman swoon…wait…what?), turned his back to her, and held out his arms to catch her legs.
She hopped onto his back, her arms wrapping around his broad shoulders and her legs around his middle. His hands gripped the under part of her knees, keeping her secure on his back. "Alright. Mush! Or whatever it is that gets you to move."
He laughed, throwing his head back in a fake rearing motion, and neighing like a horse before moving forward.
He's such a dork.
After opening the doors to the barn, the pair entered the space. And the first thing Natalia noticed was that if the outside was an impressive transformation, the inside was miraculous.
She had been in this barn back when they had first purchased this place. The outside had been falling apart, but the inside was pretty much filled with rusted junk that wasn't worth saving. Now, it looked like it could be inhabited. Like something could or should live here.
The space was organized into two floors. The second floor was a loft designed for storing supplies or grains, and the bottom was divided into a long hallway with four stalls splitting off from it. Two on the left, two on the right.
As Steve showed Natalia the stalls, she couldn't help but touch the smooth wood and see the care, time, and dedication that he had put into his craft.
"What are the stalls for?" She asked, finally. "You wouldn't put so much time and energy into each one if you didn't intend them to be used."
"Well…about that." He began, slowly, cautiously. "Remember that article we found in the paper a month or so ago? The one about the three horses in need of a good home?"
"Yes?" Natalia said, her voice cautious, but willing to hear him out.
"Well, I did a little research," He continued, adjusting her on his back a bit. "And turns out that those horse were owned by the couple that lived here before us and are being cared for by their great nephew."
She lifted an eyebrow. "Is that so?"
"Yeah," He said, shrugging his shoulders a bit. "And I thought…maybe…it would be nice for them to…come home."
His voice became softer and softer as he spoke, but she was still able to pick up all he had said. And she mulled it around in her mind for a bit. Honestly, Natalia didn't know the first thing about taking care of an animal, much less a horse. However, she had seen the mass of books that he had acquired over the past several months and it hadn't been hard to guess that he was eventually going to bring this up.
But three animals would be a lot of work and money and time…
But what else are we working on now? I mean, Steve is finished with rebuilding the barn and we do have money to spare…and if we ever need more, we can always get a job in town…
"You really thought this through, huh?" She finally asked.
"Well," He replied, turning his head a bit to look at her. "I have a full plan written in my room. It details the budget, a care plan, etc."
She couldn't fight the smile that crept up her lips. Leave it to Steve to be the man with a plan. "Well, I guess I need to study up. Have you ever worked with horses?"
Steve froze, as if processing her words. "Really?! You're up for this?"
She didn't bother holding back a chuckle. "You could use a hobby that doesn't involve taking apart stuff. Clint is already trouble enough."
His laugh rang through the empty barn. "Yeah, he needs a new hobby." He shook his head, as if he couldn't believe what he had heard. "And, yes, I have worked with horses. Back in the thirties. It was the first job I had, though I was mainly brushing and feeding them. I've studied up on the best ways to care for horses."
Natalia blinked. He never talked about his life before the serum, and very little about that information was available in his file. She tucked this precious bit of information in the back of her mind. "Great!" She rested her head on his shoulder. "I guess we should head back and look over those plans."
June
The months trickled by, full of paperwork, classes, inspections, visits, payments, and waiting on approvals.
Until the day finally arrived with the three horses would be coming home.
Laura and Clint were out for a meeting with Cooper and Lila's new teachers for the upcoming year and wouldn't be home until later that afternoon. So Nathaniel was left in Steve and Natalia's care.
The young brunette was playing with his "Auntie Nat" when Steve's phone buzzed. Natalia did notice the sparkle in his eyes as he pulled out his phone and left the room to take the call. She could only guess that it was Nick, the great-nephew who took care of his family's horses.
Before she could think more about it, Nate attracted her attention once more as he pulled on her sleeve. She looked down to see a toy he was holding up to her, his big, blue eyes staring at her.
"For me?" She asked with surprise as she looked at the toy truck, his favorite red one.
The little boy smiled, showing off his little pearls of teeth. "Cha, Auntie Nat!"
"Well," She said, taking the toy carefully in her hands and patted his head. "Thank you very much, Nathaniel."
He giggled and turned back to his other toy trucks that surrounded him. She joined him, making truck sounds as she pushed the toy around the floor beside him.
A few minutes there, Steve returned to the living room, pocketing his phone. "They are right up the road." He said, answering the question Natalia hadn't had a chance to ask. "I'm gonna wait on the porch."
Natalia nodded and turned to the little boy in her charge. "Guess who is almost here?"
The little boy blinked up at her, eyes full of curiosity. "Who?"
She paused for effect, only making him more excited. "The….Horses!"
"Yay!" Nate dropped his toy trucks and clapped. "Horse-y! Horse-y!"
"Wanna go out and see them, Ace?" Steve asked, kneeling down on the other side of the boy. Nathaniel nodded eagerly and the older man smiled. "Okay. But first we gotta put on our boots!"
Nate squealed in delight as Steve slipped on the boy's favorite birthday present – a pair of cowboy boots – over his feet. Once they were secure, he stood and took his aunt's hand as they walked to the front door.
"We gotta stay on the porch, okay, Nathaniel." Natalia said, her voice clear, serious and patient. "Let Uncle Steve show you the horses."
"Okay, Auntie Nat." The little boy said as she picked him up.
As she did so, a truck and trailer pulled up the path. Steve walked down the porch steps and right to the truck as the driver stepped out. The newcomer was smaller than Steve, but built like a football player. Broad at the shoulders and big boned. His dark hair shifted in the June wind, making him look much younger than he really was.
The man, Nick, shook Steve's hand before heading back to the trailer, making friendly conversation with the soldier as he opened the back. If Natalia had to guess, it was about the college that he attend the next month.
They had been lucky to approach Nick when they had back in April. The young man was at the end of his rope looking for someone to take his great aunt and uncle's horses before he went to college. He had not been sure if he would have been able to attend school this coming year if he hadn't found someone to take the horses in, since he only had enough money to go to school or take care of them. Not both.
So when Steve, who had the experience and the desire to take in these horses, showed up on his doorstep, Nick had been ecstatic. He knew they would be well care for, especially after all the inspections and interviews.
Steve soon led out a chestnut mare from the trailer. The female horse had a mild temperament and was genuinely patient as the former soldier led her in front of the house.
Seeing the mare once more brought memories to Natalia of the day she met the mare. She had instantly fallen for the sweet tempered female Budyonny and had spoken with her in Russian. The horse, as if hearing her native language, had turned towards Natalia and accepted her presence without a care in the world.
Unfortunately, she hadn't been able to name the Budyonny, seeing as part of the agreement that she had made with Steve was that she would name his horse and in return, he would name hers.
"I think that Tatiana knows exactly where she is," Steve laughed as the horse pranced a bit.
Natalia rolled her eyes a bit at the name. When he had first told her the name he'd selected for the chestnut, it had been a riot. Of course he had picked one of the most common Russian girl names. "Of course she does!" She called back in English before switching to Russian. "Добро пожаловать домой, Татьяна."(2)
The mare's head turned towards the native tongue and Steve laughed again. "She'll only respond to Russian by the end of the month if you keep that up!"
"That's the point!" She called back in English. "Didn't you get the memo?"
He continued to laugh as he led the mare away to the barn.
By this time, Nick had come out of the trailer leading a large, black American Warmblood stallion. Even from a distance, Natalia could tell that the poor horse was nervous, but she understood why.
The stallion, whom she had named Lieutenant, did not enjoy trailers. But, at least he was calmer than he might have been if Tatiana hadn't been in the trailer with him.
That had been another reason why Steve and Natalia had agreed to take the three horses together. On their first visit with the horses, they had seen the dynamic between the mare and the stallion, knowing that it would be near-cruelty to take one from the other. They were so attached to each other.
Kinda like you and Steve.
The voice in the back of her head vanished as quickly as it came, as her thoughts were pulled from the stallion by her nephew.
"What's that one's name, Auntie Nat?"
Natalia smiled at the boy, then back at the stallion. "That's Lieutenant."
"Loo-ten-ant?" The boy asked, pronouncing each syllable carefully.
"Yes. He's your Uncle Steve's horse."
"Oh…" Nathaniel said, looking back at the horse for a bit before speaking again. "Auntie Nat?"
"Yes, Nathaniel?"
"Why is the black one called Loo-ten-ant?"
"Well," Natalia began, shifting the boy in her arms so she could get a good look at him. "You know that Uncle Steve is a soldier, right?"
Nate nodded. "A Cap-tan?"
"Yes, very good. And all good Captains need their teammates. That's what Lieutenant is."
"Ohhhhh!" The little boy repeated, his blue eyes wide in awe. "Auntie Nat, you are so smart."
"And don't you forget it." Steve said, suddenly, and his pointer finger poked the boy's nose, causing him to giggle. "Tatiana's all set up and enjoying her stall. I'm going to get Colt."
Natalia nodded, her lips twitching at the placement name. Unfortunately, the older couple who had owned these horses before their great nephew took them in had had many horses. Some of which, the names they couldn't recall. All three of these horses had been dubbed with "placement" names, and while Steve and Natalia had found permanent names for the mare and stallion, a new name for the colt had been hard to come by.
"Ok. Just be sure to bring him around. I think Nathaniel can help us with the name problem."
The little boy blinked up at his aunt. "What problem?"
Steve smiled and turned to the boy. "We're gonna need your help, Nate. Think you are up for it?"
The boy nodded eagerly.
"Great! We've got one more horse, and Auntie Nat and I aren't quite sure what his name should be. Think you can help us?"
Another enthusiastic nod from the boy sealed the deal.
"Yay!" Steve cheered. "I'll be right back, okay? Don't go anywhere."
Nathaniel clung to his aunt, as if his excitement alone would prevent her from moving.
Steve vanished into the trailer, and after several long moments reemerged with a young dunalino coated Quarter horse. The majority of the horse's body was white, save for his face and legs, which had a light yellow colored coat.
Nathaniel squealed on sight of the colt. "Auntie Nat, look!" He pointed at the horse's legs. "It has boots like me!"
Natalia laughed at the exclamation. It was true. The color variation on the Quarter Horse made it look like he had yellowish colored boots on. "Good eye, Nathaniel. He is wearing boots."
"Boots!" The boy exclaimed, waving his arm as if to greet the colt and clapped with the horse turned to face him, as if responding to a name.
Steve and Natalia couldn't help but laugh.
"I guess that ends the search for a name." Steve said, running a hand over the colt's muzzle. "Welcome home, Boots."
A/N: Ok a few things!
(1) Zefir - a Russian pastry that's name literally translates to Air. It is sweet and delicious.
(2) "Welcome home, Tatiana."
I'm assuming in this that Nathaniel is probably around 4-5 years old.
And lastly, Thanks for reading. If you like, please leave a review. Thanks again!
~Rachel