Chapter 3-Natasha
By: MysticFantasy
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Normally, Natasha didn't let herself be out in the open or express feelings. It wasn't in her training to let herself be somewhere so open where anything could happen at any moment or be open herself.
But she realized that she could break that rule this one time. Seeing Steve sitting outside by himself was a little depressing.
He was sitting alone on one of the wooden benches looking at something in his hand.
Craning her neck a little, Natasha realized it was a broken and worn out compass. There was a picture inside it of a woman that Natasha couldn't really pin-point the identity of.
But she once heard Tony mention a compass that Steve once possessed during the war and a woman that he once loved.
Natasha had to guess that the picture was of Peggy Carter.
As she continued to stare at their team leader, Natasha realized how lonely Steve must feel. He was, as most people refered to him as, a man out of time. He was apart from the time he once knew and everyone else he had come to know.
With the morals he was raised with, Steve wasn't too fond of how most women were these days. He respected women but it seemed that these days not a lot of women had respect for themselves.
Natasha guessed that it was pretty hard for Steve. Having only loved one woman only to never have the chance to be with her. If she remembered correctly, Tony had told them that Steve's last words ever in his time were promising Peggy that they would go dancing.
Lonely and broken hearted. Natasha thought quietly slipping into the cool night air.
Something she had quickly come to learn about Steve was that it seemed nothing could bring him down. No matter how many times he was knocked down he always got back up stronger than before.
He could take physical pain just as well as the rest of them but when it came to emotional pain...That was something different altogether.
Before he'd become Captain America, he'd been a frail man who didn't have any kind of attention from women mostly because of his appearance. She heard a friend of his had tried to set him up with women but they all ended miserablly.
After Steve became the super soldier, women just seemed to throw themselves at him. No doubt because of his new appearance and the fame he'd built up as a performer and soldier.
Selfish reasons.
Steve had wanted someone he could love and who would love him for who he was. Not because he's Captain America. He found that one woman, only to lose her and any chance at a life he wanted.
He lost the dreams he had hoped for. The chance to have love of his life, get married, have a family...
Natasha couldn't imagine how hard that was for Steve to do. To drive that Hydra ship down into the icy waters that caused him to be here now and know he would lose everyone he cared for.
Ice or not, it seemed that fate wasn't going to allow Steve to remain in 1943.
Natasha quietly walked over and took a seat on the armchair of the wooden bench. She easily spotted the black and white picture inside the broken compass.
The faded and water damaged picture of a woman with dark curls held Steve's eyes and Natasha instantly knew that her guess was right.
Peggy Carter. The only woman who had ever captured Steve's heart.
Natasha looked at Steve's eyes and saw the pain and hurt in them. She couldn't begin to understand how hard it must be for him. To have loved someone only to be seperated by time and the thought they believed he was dead.
None of them really knew how romantically involved Steve had been with Peggy but they knew that their 'relationship' hadn't been for long or very strong because of the war that had been taking place.
Steve had never been in one place for more than a week or two. He'd constantly been on the move with his team, taking out Hydra factories and saving innocent people.
Whatever regular life he could have had died the day he became Captain America.
Natasha leaned over a bit and wrapped her arms around his neck. She rested her head gently on his golden locks and brought him close to her.
She was a little surprised when he didn't resist. Normally he was uncomfortable with such actions like this but it seemed that he knew that she was trying to comfort him.
He closed the compass wordlessly and reached up to gently hold her arm.
"Did you ever find out what happened to her?" Natasha asked after they sat silently for a few moments.
"Yeah." Steve answered softly. "She died about twenty years after I went into the ice."
"Did she ever marry?"
"Yeah. Married a fighter pilot. Had kids, grandkids...Named her first son after me."
"A way to honor your memory." Natasha said. "I would have done the same."
Steve remained silent as did Natasha. They sat in a comfortable silence.
Natasha ran her fingers through Steve's hair soothingly and felt him relax a little. She had no doubt that if he were to try dating that he could have any woman he wanted. With his looks alone he could choose from dozens of women.
But he didn't settle on appearances like most men. He looked for something deeper.
Natasha wished that all men could be more like Steve. He knows how to treat women. He doesn't take them for granted or abuse them.
He listens, cares, supports, cherishes, respects...
Steve would make the perfect boyfriend and husband. He only lacked a little self confidence and Natasha knew that it would be tricky to help him build that up. Especially with the lives they have.
Running around the world was great and all but their personal lives took a hit because of it. The others went out whenever they could but Steve always seemed to hang back. Mostly because he didn't know this world from the one he once knew.
Not only was he lonely and broken hearted, he was lost. The only people he could really trust were the Avengers and Fury, to an extent. None of them had gotten past the fact that Fury had lied and kept secrets when they had first been brought together.
Steve took Natasha's hand and placed a light kiss on it.
"Thank you Natasha." he said. "I appreciate this."
"Well, I can't let my favorite super soldier be depressed." she said. "You do know that you could have any lady you want right?"
"I don't think I'm ready to get into dating. Tony says I'm too old fashioned to know what women want."
"Don't listen to Tony. If anything he's the one who's outdated. You have no idea how big of a catch you are Steve. Any woman would be lucky to have you all to herself."
Steve quickly chuckled as he blushed. It was very rare to hear words of encouragment from Natasha Romanoff and hearing her say how women would basically fight for him wasn't something he thought he'd ever hear from her.
"Does that mean you too?" he teased.
"You're treading in dangerous waters there Cap." Natasha answered with a smirk. "But, honestly, I wouldn't mind. It would certainly be a pleasant change from the usual jerks who try hitting on me."
"Then maybe...I can take you to dinner?" he offered shyly. "If you want."
Natasha smiled and turned Steve so that they were facing each other. She then leaned down and placed her lips on his. She instantly felt Steve tense in surprise. She pulled back and smirked at his stunned and blushing face.
"I would love to go out to dinner with you Steve." she said before she slipped off the bench and walked back inside.
Yes, just a little work and Steve will be the perfect catch.