A/N : Happy new year guys! I wish you all the best and have a very wonderful year
This is another new year gift from me to you all, my dear readers. Thank you for your great support.
MysticFantasy, Destined627, bcumberbatch3,Avengers101, MESPX13, Midgardian Avenger, songsweareplayingforyou, Widow306, lauralina, CAMILLE JONES, Guest and Widow bite : Thank you for your reviews! I'm glad that you like it. As always, I will do my best to keep up the good work.
13 : RED, WHITE & BLUE
Everyone was at the living area including Pepper that just flew back from LA. Tony missed his wife so bad that he vowed not to leave her side ever again but Pepper made a deal with her eccentric husband that if he want her to stay here all the time, she will need more girl time.
Or else her pregnancy hormones will play it part.
Natasha came down from her room. First thing she did was looking for the super soldier but she found none.
"Where's Steve?"
"Steve is not here. On a mission" Clint answered without taking his eyes of the video game. "Why do you ask?"
"Because I have something to talk to him" The spy replied annoyingly.
"He just left and he left his note on the counter." Tony said.
The spy walked right into the kitchen and saw the note her partner left. He said he will be back at six if nothing going wrong.
Everything always goes wrong. She thought to herself but tried to set her mind at ease. Steve will be back at six. He will be fine.
But it wasn't easy as Natasha told herself. Many during the day, her mind wandered off to a certain someone, worried that he will be badly injured.
She spent the rest of the day with her friends in the tower. Keeping Pepper company and tried to protect the pregnant woman from her crazy husband. Natasha sent the boy to an errand for some strange food Pepper was craving for. She also taught the pregnant woman to knit.
"I didn't know you can knit" Pepper noted.
"It's helping me taking my mind of something. I learned how to knit very long time ago."
"But something on your mind right now is Steve, am I right?"
Natasha's hand stopped and tried to refrained herself from blushing.
"What's make you think that?"
"You knitting a scarf with his color. Red, White, and Blue what clue do I need to find the answer?"
"Okay you got me! I'm worried about him. He is my partner and as you know, we always on a mission together for two years and now we went on a mission separately most of the time and it's make me worried that something bad might happen to him"
Pepper looked into her best friend eyes and squeezed her hand gently.
"It's okay, Natasha. It is normal to worry about someone you care about."
"Before New York, I only have one thing to care about and it was Clint. He likes a brother I never had and now, I have a whole family"
"Everyone feels the same way as you, Nat. Everyone was broken until the Avengers get together and form you own family"
"I'm very grateful for that"
The pregnant woman smiled fondly at the spy who show her vulnerability for the first time.
Everyone was waiting for Steve at the living room. The clock was almost 6 pm and Natasha tapped her feet anxiously. The clock seem to move slowly than usual.
It's 6 pm and Steve didn't show up. Bruce tried to calm everyone down by saying that the plane might be delay or he has to debrief with Fury before came back to the tower.
Everyone noticed that Natasha was the only one who was about to explode if she didn't see Steve walk off that elevator.
Time passed by and it was almost 10 pm. Pepper excused herself and let Tony took her to bed. The others were with Natasha until they saw their captain was back home safe and sound. Every minute that passed and Steve didn't show up, the worrier Natasha became.
Finally the elevator sounded and Captain America walked out of it. Steve looked like he been through hell. His face cover with dried blood and a cut on his forehead. His uniform has holes from bullets and black dust. He limply walked into the living area and dropped his shield on the floor.
"Are you alright, cap?" Clint asked worryingly
"I'm fine." He shortly replied and headed to the stairs "I will go take a shower."
Natasha silently followed her captain to his bedroom. Steve knew she would follow.
"What can I do for you Natasha?" He asked and removed the upper part of his uniform.
And it revealed more hidden injuries than she already know. Blood still bleeding from the bullet holes. His arms had cuts and bruises that she couldn't count it all but it was enough to make her mad.
"Let's me see those wounds and sit down before you hurt yourself any further"
Steve complied and sat on his bed while Natasha prepared everything. He winced when she pulled a bullet out of his wound. When the spy finished tending her captain, she gave him a warning glare that make Steve squirmed a little.
"Never try to hide your injury from me – ever again" She warned. "If you do, I will make you suffer 100 times more than you already are, do I make myself clear?"
"Yes, ma'am" He replied. "Loud and clear"
She let herself smiled a little before took everything back in its place. Steve's eyes followed her every movement until she came back to his bed. They locked their eyes for a moment.
"You never cease to amaze me, Tasha" Steve said fondly and gave her a bright smile.
"You are lucky that I have a soft spot for you, Rogers" She replied and sat down next to the man who lay on the bed. "Otherwise, you will end up annoying me more than Stark already was"
"I promise I'll try to stay on your good side"
Natasha allowed herself to let out a full smile. Steve had his way to make she forgive him so easy.
"Rest now" She ordered and bended down to kiss his cheeks. "Goodnight, partner"
"JARVIS, please inform every avengers and their respective partners except Captain Rogers to assemble in my lab please"
"Right away, sir"
Tony was waiting for five minute until everyone was already at his lab. Everyone still had their sleepy face and all clad in their sleepwear. Clint leaned against the wall and closed his eyes.
"Better be good, Stark or else I will put an arrow in your head" The archer threatened.
"Honey…Do you drink too much coffee?" Pepper asked tiredly as she sat down on the couch.
"It's almost Capsicle birthday! We need a plan right now!"
"It's only six AM in the morning, Stark" Natasha growled.
"Can you at least keep the excitement to yourself, Tony" Pepper said.
"How can I do that, my dear? He almost hundred years old!"
Natasha and Pepper rolled their eyes.
"So I need you guys to come up with a plan for his birthday"
"Anything that's not a huge party like you always throw, Stark" Natasha said. "He prefer small and quite party, just us and a few friends"
"He is Captain America! He needs a big party, red! Everyone will ask me to put their name on the list"
"Whatever! It's your money anyway but I think it's better be a patriotic theme." Natasha suggested
"I agree with Lady Natasha" Thor spoke up. "I shall go back to Asgard to bring the finest gift for our friend"
"No mead" The spy ordered with a deadly glare.
"Just one barrel, my lady and I will not challenge anyone to a drinking game ever again." The thunderer vowed and the spy gave him a permission.
Tony cleared his throat and brought attention back to him.
"I will assign you guys with a task. Legolas and Bobbi, you guys are on decorations task. Bruce and Betty will be on food catering. Pepper and I will take care of guest list and other entertainment. Thor, Jane and Darcy will be on cake task and beverage." The billionaire said and looked at the last three. "I have put my trust on you three with the most important task so don't let me down"
"I shall not disappoint you, Lord Stark" The god promised.
"What about me?" Natasha interjected when she hadn't been assign anything yet.
Tony turned to her with a mischievous grin on his face.
"You, little red has the most important task of them all" He put his hands on her shoulders and looked right at the beautiful green eyes. "You have to distract Rogers"
Natasha did her task very well. She took Steve out to spend a day in the city with her while the others busying try to come up with the best party. Clint and Bobbi done with their task but had to put the decoration in that day.
Thor just came back from Asgard with a barrel of mead, finest food, and a gift for his friend. Jane and Darcy finished stocking every alcohol known to men in the storage.
"I'm very proud of you two" The billionaire said as if he was a dad that his two baby girl just won a Noble prize.
Bruce and Betty already finished their deal with the caterer. While Tony and Pepper finished with the list of guest and entertainment.
The whole week was very busy for the team except for Steve and Natasha who spend the entire time together. They became closer and closer every time and it didn't go unnoticed.
The spy and the soldier just came back from their movie night out. They walked into the living room with a smile on their face and Natasha even laughed at the joke he told her.
Pepper and Tony looked up and saw them. The married couple exchanged a slyly grin. Pepper waited until they were out of earshot and gossiped with her husband eagerly.
"Do you think that they are already a couple?"
"They always refuse when I asked them" Tony replied.
"But they are very close!"
"They are only two single people left in this tower, my dear and we couple always left them alone out there" Tony told. "They will make a very cute couple"
"You're right. They are perfect for each other but you keep parading supermodels to Steve rather than help him and Natasha"
"On my defense, Red is dating someone else too!"
It was his birthday but he didn't feel like he want one. Yeah, if you woke up into your cold sweat in the middle of the night after had a nightmare.
Nightmare that was so real. Same nightmare that kept haunting him since the day he woke up from ice. He kept having this nightmare especially the nights of his birthday week.
This time it was too much he had to wake up to stop it. He catch his breath and tried to slow his heart beat down.
He dreamed about Bucky, the Howling Commandos, Red Skull, the day he clashed land the plane into arctic ice, and most of all Peggy Carter.
The dream brought back the memory he thought that he buried it deep inside. It was like putting a salt into fresh wound. He never had those nightmares for almost two years and now it started to come back. Memories of those he loves and care and lost, kept coming back like haunting ghost.
Steve got up from his bed, wiped away sweat and tears. He went downstairs to the living room at 3 am and tried really hard to ease his mind.
He saw the couch that Natasha always sleep on it during the day. She loved sleeping on that couch and he didn't know why. He walked over and lay himself down on it.
"Is he dead?"
"He's still breathing you dumbass" A female voice hissed. "Maybe he just tired"
"Should we wake him up?"
"I will prepare breakfast for everyone" a calm and content voice of a man said.
"You should be the one who wake him up, Nat. You never been on his bad side…like ever"
Natasha gently shook her partner's arm. The blonde man started to stir and cracked his baby blue eyes open and saw the fiery red hair first.
"Are you alright, Steve?"
"Yes, I'm okay. I just need some sleep" The captain answered tiredly.
Upon hearing his answer, the others left him alone but not Natasha who knew him better than anyone. She examined him closely.
"Was something bothering you, Steve?"
He looked at her and saw her piercing green eyes stared into his souls. He knew that look very well so he didn't lie to her.
"Nightmare. It keep haunting me this past week. I couldn't sleep so I went down here. I just sleep for two hours."
"Then get back to sleep"
His eyes flashed with fear when she said that. "Stupid dream." He muttered with shaking voice.
Natasha felt something inside her was tumbling down. She never saw her captain be this vulnerable. She lifted his head up and let him sleep with his head on her laps.
She will shielded him, she will protected him.
"It's alright, Steve. Everyone has a nightmare too." She consoled him and kissed his forehead.
He held her hand tightly and didn't let it go even when he fell back to sleep.
Steve slept for a couple hour more until Tony walked in and called his name loudly.
"Capsicle! Wake up It's your birthday!"
Steve startled from his slumber. Natasha glared at the billionaire for waking up her partner. Steve curled himself tighter and refused to open his eyes.
"Cap, I'm throwing you a party!"
"Nooo, Stark" Steve replied tiredly.
"Leave him alone, Stark or I will kill you on his behalf" Natasha interrupted and gently rubbed her partner's arm to help him got back to his sleep.
Tony backed out as he saw Steve looked extremely tried and Natasha who was about to kill him in split second.
The others set up everything for the party. The loud noise and people yelling didn't wake the captain up.
When it was 5 pm, Natasha decided to wake him up and help her partner get ready for his birthday party. When he came down, he was in shock after saw what his friends were preparing for him.
"Happy Birthday!" They all shouted at the same time.
The confetti fall from the ceiling onto Steve and Natasha. Thor gave Steve a big hug followed by Tony and Clint and Bruce which it became a group hug. After the boys released their captain. It's the girls turn.
Pepper kissed Steve's cheeks. Betty and Bobbi just gave him a lightly hug. Jane and Darcy were hugging him tightly (For Darcy, this was something she really wanted to do for a long time)
Natasha was the last to hug him. He held her tight and buried his head on her shoulder. Natasha patted his back and kissed both of his cheeks. Tony snapped the picture for taunting Natasha in the future.
"Happy Birthday Steve" She whispered.
"Thank you"
"Alright! No more touchy feeling. It's time for party!" Tony shouted.
The guests Tony had invited finally arrived and Natasha could see that Steve was very uncomfortable around people he didn't really know. Tony introduced six supermodels to the captain.
Chaos indeed erupted inside Stark tower. Tony ran this show, not Steve. Techno music was blaring loudly. Steve slipped out of the living room without nobody notice. He went to his bedroom to avoid all the noise and the women that chasing after him.
"Where's Steve?" Clint yelled over the loud music. "It's almost cake time"
"I don't know" Bruce answered.
"I'll find him" Natasha volunteered and went on in the search for the super soldier.
She knew he would have hid himself in his bedroom. He probably sleeping.
"JARVIS could you override the lock code for me?"
"Yes, Agent Romanoff"
The door opened and she walked right in. Steve was sleeping on the bed.
"Go away, Stark" He hissed.
"Steve, its cake time"
He startled and sat up straight because it was Natasha' voice.
"I don't want to, Nat" He said. Sadness clouded his eyes. "I really don't. Can we just hide here?"
Natasha sat on the bed and looked at her partner. He put his head on her shoulder and she wrapped her arms around him loosely.
"It's your birthday, soldier boy. We been through a lot of troubles to throw you this party"
"You shouldn't have to. I never want a birthday party"
"Just went down there, eat some cake and you can come back here"
Natasha can felt her partner shaking his head so she cupped his face and looked right into his sleepy blue eyes.
"Can we just stay here quietly…just the two of us?" His voice was almost begging. "I don't know those people. My last two birthday was just you and me and it turn out perfectly fine. I don't need those people. I need only my family."
Natasha lost her words. She didn't know what to say with a vulnerable Steve in front of her. Nightmare must had a really bad effect on him.
"Steve"
"Yes"
"I want you to do something for me"
"You don't need to ask, Nat. Just say it and I will do anything for you" He murmured back.
"I want you to go down there. Blow the candle, eat the cake and you can come back here. I promise you one thing that I will not leave your side."
Steve slowly got up from the bed and let Natasha took him downstairs. They sneaked back in the party without no one noticing.
"Found him!" She announced.
"Cake times!" Clint shouted eagerly.
Thor and Jane bring the birthday cake in front of Steve who still held Natasha's hand. Everyone in the party sang a birthday song. Steve made his wishes before blew off the candles.
And just as Natasha promise, she never left his side and led him back to his bedroom. They still heard the party going on but it didn't about Steve anymore.
"Thank you, Nat" He spoke quietly.
"I got something for you" She said and handed a present to him.
He accepted it and ripped of the paper wrap before open the box. Inside it was an entire set of knitting clothes with his theme color. A red, white and blue scarf, a blue hat, a red sweater with a white star in the middle.
"Wow! Thank you, Nat." He said. "I really love it"
The spy's smile widen upon hearing that her partner like the present. She knitted it all every time he was away on his mission, when she was worried about him not coming back. Knitting helped took her mind away from her partner.
The explosion outside the window erupted and it took their attention. The firework displayed marvelously outside his window.
"I love firework" She said and walked over to the window.
"It's fourth of July after all" He replied and joined her side.
"And you guys having a private party without inviting us"
The voice startled both. They turned and saw their teammates along with their significant others at the door.
"You can't keep Capsicle all to yourself today, Red" Tony said with a smirk and pretend to be jealous. "You have him all to yourself every day, wasn't that enough?"
"No, it's not enough" The spy replied playfully. Steve blushed lightly.
"What's about the party downstairs?" Steve interjected.
"Well, the party was dead like two hours ago so I send everyone home" Tony told and shrugged his shoulder. "And the birthday boy doesn't like being in the crowd"
"So we decided to have a private little party" Pepper continued.
"Family only" Bruce finished.
And Steve allowed himself to give a happiest smile of the day to his friends.
A/N: What do you guys think about vulnerable Steve? Do you like it or not? Is it to intense or too emotional? Because the next chapter would be more of it.
- One more thing, when did you guys start to ship Romanogers? for me, the moment he protect her with his shield and ship them so hard since then.
- As always, critic, advice and review are greatly appreciated!
HAPPY NEW YEAR 2014 !