A/N : For being the best readers in the world, I am coming back with an update as a gift for all of you and I am seriously can not keep it to myself anymore!
andy-ho13, Avengers101, Kirigaya-Asuna54, Midgardian Avenger, immy01, G-Man82, Destined627, MESPX13, TheOneandOnlyGodessofAwesome, Koala35 and guest: Thank you again for your review. I really appreciate it and hope you continue leaving your feedback.
Will Steve come back to Natasha? Let's find out.
23 : ALL THIS TIME
It had been two weeks since Steve left for his year long mission. Natasha was sitting alone in the coffee shop they used to occupy together. They always loved to just sit at a table nearest the window, idly drinking their coffee as Natasha read a book and Steve filled out a crossword. She would rest her feet on his legs, and he'd tickle the bottoms to tease her.
She may miss their little activities, but most of all she missed his warm embrace and his baby blue eyes. She missed him.
If this was his way of punishing her, it was definitely working because she was suffering, severely.
She would constantly think to herself that she might never see him again, and the thought made her cry.
She went to Steve's room and found that he left his sketchbook on a bookshelf. She found this odd as it was his most treasured possession. She took it with her as she left, but didn't open it right away, as she respected the fact Steve kept its contents a secret. He always carried it with him everywhere and didn't miss a chance to sketch something that took his eye.
Finally, after an hour of temptation, Natasha opened it and found many pictures he sketched were of his teammates and a view of New York City. Some pictures consisted of Tony holding Pepper who was sitting on his laps tightly, Bruce and Betty reading a book on the love seat, Clint and Bobbi hiding on the nest, Thor holding glass of mead and laughing with Jane by his side.
But the next picture hit her the most. It brought tears to her eyes. It was a picture of a summer day when they picnic'd in Central Park. The drawing depicted her using his chest as a pillow and his arm as a blanket as he laid down napping. Steve was looking over at the lake near them.
The rest of them were all a picture of her. She was in the kitchen, preparing breakfast. She was in the gym, working out. She was sleeping on the couch. There was even one of them when they first met on the Helicarrier.
But the sound of her ringtone diverted her attention from the sketchbook.
"Clint, what's up?" she asked, answering her phone.
"Nat, you need to come to the tower ASAP" Clint replied anxiously.
"What's going on?"
"Steve's on his way back. He's been critically injured."
Her heart sunk. She grabbed her purse and bolted back to the tower.
Everyone was in the living room, with a very serious atmosphere lingering over everyone. Bruce was analyzing Steve's condition. Thor flew out from the tower to help create wind tunnel for the quinjet, making it reach the tower faster. Natasha burst in, anxiety racing through her.
"How is he?"
"Not good, Tasha. Hill said his injuries are very serious, to the point he had to be brought back here"
Before Natasha could ask any further, the doctor turned to Tony.
"Stark, we have equipment to prepare"
Tony nodded and the two geniuses hurried to the medical floor. Natasha sat down on the couch with Clint, who put his arm around her shoulder in attempt to console her.
"He will be fine, Tasha. He is a super soldier after all"
Four hours passed, and SHIELD had not yet arrived. Bruce and Tony were back in the living room and alerted SHIELD that they had prepared everything for Steve's surgery. Fury told them that they were loading Steve's up to the helicopter from Stark Tower to the Triskelion.
Everyone hurried to the helipad and not long after, the helicopter arrived. SHIELD medical teams were with Steve laying unconscious on the gurney. Clint had to lock Natasha within his arms while Banner and Stark led them down to the medical bay, to prevent her from running onto the helicopter.
Bruce, Betty and SHIELD medics were preparing for Steve's surgery. Natasha waited outside with the others, trying not to think the worst. Thor and Jane were sitting on the couch at the corner. Clint and Bobbi were reading books while Natasha and Tony were standing close to the window of surgery room.
Her green eyes were locked on the unconscious Captain America. Never looking away, never blinking. Steve had an oxygen mask and other life support equipment attached to him.
"He will be alright, Red" Tony quietly said, patting her shoulder
"I know" she replied. "I know"
"JARVIS, what is Steve's current status?"
"Captain Rogers' condition is still unstable, sir. Most of his wounds have still not healed properly. They still have to remove some bullets for them to begin. Dr. Banner is trying to get them all out. There are multiple fracture in his ribs from the explosion, as well as a broken collarbone and a cracked arm from being buried in rubble."
"Thanks, J" Tony said before turned to see Natasha silently crying. "It's not your fault, little red"
"He is my partner, Stark I shouldn't have let him go"
"He made his choice, Red. We couldn't do anything"
The spy stood still, not saying something to the billionaire. Tony wrapped his arm around her shoulder before pulled her into a hug. Natasha didn't recoil but buried her face in his chest.
"He will wake up tomorrow, Red. He is a fighter" She murmured something that Tony didn't catch it "You should get some sleep. Its almost 2 am."
Natasha just nodded her head but didn't move. Tony picked her up and took her to the couch before draping a blanket over her.
"Night, Tasha"
But when Tony was about to leave, Natasha grabbed his hand.
"Stark, don't let anything happen to him"
"He will be alright, Red. I won't let anything happen to him"
Bruce moved Steve to a normal recovery room at dawn. The doctor and the billionaire thanked SHIELD for their help. The two geniuses came back and saw their teammate asleep at the same place they found last night.
Steve's condition was currently stable but he was still unconscious due to massive blood lost and fatigue from the mission. His body was healing and needed a long rest.
"I'm gonna take a shower and get some sleep" Bruce said. "You ok here?"
"I will watch him. You and Betty go get some rest" Bruce nodded and left.
Tony was still at the window and watching Steve.
"Sir, Mrs. Stark is on her way down to the medical bay"
The elevator opened and Pepper rushed out, hurrying to her husband.
"Tony! How is he?"
"He is recovering, don't worry" Tony quickly said to stop Pepper's nervousness.
"Oh thank god! She exclaimed and sighed in relief "Did you sleep yet, Tony?"
"No, I promised Bruce and Natasha to watch Steve for them"
"I will prepare breakfast and coffee for everyone. And get some sleep soon"
Tony kissed his wife to thank her before returned to continue watching his best friend. He would be lying if he said he's not worried about Steve. He was very concerned, afraid of losing his family again.
His lonely life as a billionaire play boy never gave him a chance to have a real family until he met the Avengers. Even though they were a ticking time bomb, not fond of each other at first but they all oddly fit together.
They formed one hell of a crazy family that gave him love and happiness the way Tony Stark never felt before.
"Time to wake up, buddy. You have to lead all of us because no one can do that job except you" Tony whispered.
"So you are worried about him too?" A female voice teased him.
Tony chuckled "Of course! I worried. He is my best friend"
The redhead assassin stood next to him with a blanket wrapped around her shoulder.
"You said he will wake up in the morning"
"Sometimes we don't get what we want, red. Even the man who gave you a promise is a billionaire who has all the money in the world" Tony replied "Banner said Steve's condition is stable now and his body is healing itself, so it shouldn't be much longer now"
Pepper, Bruce and Betty came down with breakfast for everyone. Bruce gently woke everyone up. When Tony smelled coffee, so he bolted to Pepper.
Only Natasha remained by the window.
"Come on, Tasha. You gotta eat something or else you will collapse" Clint said and pulled his friend away from the window to Steve's recovery room.
Natasha sat down and started eating a pancake before reaching for a pop tart on Thor's plate. She was the only one who could do that without getting hit by Mjolnir.
The breakfast was quiet. Clint and Bobbi got a call from SHIELD for a mission. Pepper took care of the household matters. Tony, Bruce, and Betty did everything in their power to make sure that Steve would get well soon. Thor and Jane were keeping Natasha's company.
Time passed by and it soon was almost 9 pm. Tony could not stay awake any longer so he excused himself to go get some sleep.
"Don't worry, I will take a night shift" Natasha said.
"If you need anything, just have JARVIS call me" Bruce told.
"Lady Natasha, should Lady Jane and I keep you company?" Thor asked
"It's okay, Thor. You guys should get some sleep too. I can take care of him" Natasha reassured.
Everybody left the medical bay. Natasha was the only one left. JARVIS kept his watch and analyzed Steve's condition all the time, as Tony ordered.
"How is he doing, JARVIS?"
"Most external wounds are fully healed, ma'am. Only internal organs and bone fractures are left to rebuild"
Natasha stood at the side of his bed, holding his hand before bending down to kiss his cheek.
"Wake up, soldier. I'm here now, Please come back to me" She whispered to him, praying he would wake up. "I'm so sorry, Steve. Please come back"
Natasha found herself crying again for the same man. She whispered again.
"I love you"
The Next morning, Tony hurried down to the medical to change shifts with Natasha. There was nothing going on last night and Steve was still unconscious. The billionaire had two cups of coffee in his hands.
He saw the spy sleeping on the couch.
"Hey…Natasha" Tony gently said to her.
Natasha snapped her eyes open and immediately sat up straight before she relaxed when she saw Tony was knelt down beside her.
"It's almost 7 am. It's time to change shift" He told and offered her a cup of coffee "Want some?"
"Thank you" she said, taking the cup into her hands.
Tony sat down beside Natasha before they were sipping their coffee in silent.
"He should be awake by now. It's been three days" The redhead spoke with anxiety in her voice.
"Give him time to heal, Red. Even the super soldier has his limits too."
The day passed by and showed no sign of Steve waking up. Thor and Jane had to pick up Darcy and Dr. Selvig at the airport. Tony had invited them to spend their holiday at Stark Tower. Clint and Bobbi would return tomorrow. Bruce did another check-up and reassured Natasha that Steve is doing fine and will wake up soon. Pepper was with little Anthony in the nursery.
Natasha still took the night shift duty when Tony and Bruce went to sleep. She sat down at the chair beside the bed and held his hand tightly.
"Steve, I know you in there. Please come back to me. Im so sorry. I need you. I miss you and I need to see those blue eyes of yours again so please. Please come back to me"
She lowered her head to his hand before feeling a lightly squeeze at her hand.
"I thought you didn't want me around anymore" A tired voice sounded.
Natasha snapped her head back up and found his baby blue eyes were opened and looking at her. The spy could not hold back her tears and her lips stretched out a big smile.
"JARVIS, get me Dr. Banner now"
"Already did, ma'am"
"I miss you" She said "But we still have a lot to discuss after Bruce's check-up"
Steve didn't say anything but from the look on his face, he was still processing everything after three days of sleeping. Bruce ran into the room with Tony who was overjoyed. Natasha moved to the corner of the room but when she was about to let go of Steve's hand, he was hesitant, scared of losing her again. His eyes said everything.
"Alright, Cap. Your body is fully heal itself but still has one broken rib that has not yet healed. Get some more rest, and I believe you should be out of here in a few days."
"Thank you, Dr. Banner"
"We will leave you two to kiss and make up if you want" Tony said with a sly grin and pushed Bruce out of the room.
Natasha waited until the elevator door was shut then she moved to stand next to his bed. His eyes never looked away from her. He raised his hand to hold hers.
"I have to make sure that you're real, not just a dream"
She lightly smiled at his words but it slipped away. They still needed to talk.
"Why did you put yourself in the line of fire? Why do you act like no one cares about you?" She said, tears threatening to fall from her eyes "What the hell is your one-year mission? Are you mad?"
"I just cannot be here anymore"
"Why?"
"You know damn well, Natasha"
She could feel that he still upset with her. She knew that things between her and Taylor was what drove Steve away. She didn't care how he felt but she needed to make it up to him, big time.
"I know, Steve and I'm sorry"
"It hurt really badly when you so easily went back to Taylor after our night together. I knew that was what was happening once Clint told me you were going to make things official with him"
Her eyes went wide. "So that's the reason! I will kill Barton when he comes back." She exclaimed "I didn't go on a date with him. I just wanted to talk to him and end things, because I love you. I was planning to tell you the minute I came back but you went on your stupid mission"
Steve was astonished. "That idiot Barton! I'm so sorry for doing that to you, Nat. It just hurt too much seeing you with that guy"
"Did I really hurt you that much, Steve?" She asked with a sad tone in her voice.
"Yes, Natasha. It is really hurt to see someone took the one you love away from you"
"You love me?" This time, she was the one who deeply blushed.
"Yes, I love you very much, Natasha Romanoff"
"Why didn't you tell me?"
"Well, I was planning on writing a little speech-"
"Shut up and kiss me, Rogers"
"Thought you'd never ask"
Steve sat upright as Natasha crawled onto the bed. He cupped her face with both hands before kissing her passionately, full of love and desire.
They wiped away all of the tension they had with their kiss, a promise that they would never let go again.
They didn't count how long the time passed until they both need some air. Natasha broke off and panted but still had a smile on her face.
"Steve, I really want to know what you gonna say about your speech"
He chuckled and kissed her again.
"Let my lips do the talking. But in all seriousness, you are what makes me whole. You make me happy. You make me glad to still be alive after 70 years. I love you, Natasha Romanoff. I love you with all my heart"
Tear ran down her cheeks but it was a tear of true happiness. Steve kissed her cheeks to wipe away all the tears.
"I love you too, Steve Rogers" She whispered. "You really know how to make girls swoon over you"
"It's part of my charm" He said and grinned.
She laughed and nuzzled her head into his neck, arms wrapping around him.
"Perhaps I should sleep on the couch? I don't want to make your injuries worse"
"It's okay. I can take it. I want you here with me, Natasha. I want you in my arms"
"If you say so"
Natasha slid under the blanket next to her super soldier before snuggling into his warm embrace, resting her head on his chest.
"You know what, Natasha" He said quietly "You are the best gift I ever had in my entire life"
The spy smiled and said "And you are mine too"
Bruce was heading down for a daily check-up with a cup of tea in his hand. But when he opened the door to Steve's recovery room, he smiled at the sight he saw.
Natasha Romanoff, the Black Widow, world most dangerous spy and most lethal assassin, curling herself in the embrace of Captain America.
She even smiled while she was sleeping.
And that was a conclusion to everything they had been wondering for a long time
The spy and the soldier were in love with each other.
The doctor didn't want to interrupt their intimate moment but he had to wake Natasha up.
"Morning, Natasha." Bruce gently said and the spy started to stir.
"Morning, Bruce" She smiled lightly
"Fury needs you at SHIELD"
She grimaced. "I don't want to leave him" She simply confessed, hugging onto Steve.
"I will take good care of him. Don't worry, Natasha" The doctor reassured.
The spy took a look at her soldier one more time. Bruce turned away to give her a privacy. Natasha gave a peck on Steve's cheek before she got out of bed.
She didn't want to go. She didn't want to leave him, even if he was with their friends.
"Go, I will take care of him, Natasha" Bruce said.
Steve woke up again around 10 am and he saw the good doctor was sitting on the couch.
"Bruce" Steve spoke up
"Captain" Bruce greeted "How are you feeling?"
"Better" The soldier answered before looking around the room. "Where's Natasha?"
"She had to go on a mission. She didn't want to go, but Fury made her go"
Steve nodded, a slight frown on his face.
"So…are you and Natasha a couple now?"
Steve looked a surprised, but from the look on the doctor's face, Bruce knew the truth.
"Yes, we are but please don't tell anyone just yet"
"Don't worry, captain. Your secret is save with me"
"I just have to talk to Nat first about how we want our relationship to be"
"I understand. But again, congratulations"
A/N: I felt like I have to torture Nat a bit because i felt like she got Steve way too easy after everything
- Well, they finally finally got together for real. Are you guys happy now? hehehe
- One chapter left. *crying*
- Still planning on a sequel but many new project come to my mind (Most of them were still Romanogers, another one was about Little Anthony, another one was Teenage high school avengers)
- Special thanks to my proofreader, Muldoon22. You're amazing and thank you for everything.
- As always, reviews, critic, and advice are greatly appreciated! It's almost the end anyway Can all of my reader leave a review? Pretty please *Using Steve's puppy dog eyes*
Next chapter : I know it's very late but it about Christmas.