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8 : THE RUNAWAY PART 2
After the ordeal in Chicago (something Steve compensated with by renting out a luxurious hotel; she repaid him with their unfinished hot spring action), they headed out once more, exiting Illinois, journeying though the farmlands of Iowa, and then Nebraska. They found a lovely and romantic B&B lodges near Lincoln after the long ride. Both was really exhausted and needed a proper shower. They stopped at a lot of interesting place along the way.
The old married couple, the owners of the lodge, warmly welcome them. They were always happy to see a young couple visit their place.
"Good evening. How may I help you?" the woman, Audrey, asked.
"Me and my girlfriend would like a room for the night." Steve replied. Natasha smiled at his use of the word "girlfriend".
The man, Oliver, smiled. "Alrighty, but normally when young lovebirds like yourselves stop in, they normally stay for two nights."
"I don't know. We're heading for Colorado tomorrow."
"Come on, Steve. What's an extra day?" Natasha pleaded. He looked at her and gave into her green puppy dog eyes.
"Two days then"
Audrey and Oliver eagerly escorted them to their finest suite.
After settling in, they decided to indulge in much needed sleep. Natasha's eyes blinked open to see she was in her man's hold. Steve always had a way of comforting her to the point she just didn't want to move ever again.
"Steve. Steve, its morning." she said, lightly nuzzling his shoulder to wake him up. His blue eyes lit up and he smiled at her.
"Morning, beautiful"
"I'm not beautiful yet. Gotta get my makeup on" she said, wriggling out of his arms and headed for the bathroom.
"You don't need to wear makeup, Nat" Steve said with a sleepy voice.
"Yes, I need to because I look like a zombie without it"
"No, you don't"
"Yes, I do"
Steve got up from bed and stood behind her. He bend down and kissed her shoulder up to her neck and lingering at her ear.
"People tell stories of angels who come down from heaven to grace the lives of the unworthy men. I used to not believe them until I met you. You're beautiful in every way, but I feel you positively glow without anything artificial to enhance it. You're beautiful as is, my love."
She looked in his eyes and knew he meant what he said. His words made her blush intensely.
"Thank you, honey" She said and grabbed his hand on her shoulder. "It's time for you to take a shower too."
He kissed the top of her head before walking into the bathroom. She watched as Steve disappeared behind the door.
Before he entered her life, the path she lived, the path full of bloodshed and darkness, of killing and cruelty was all she ever knew. But he brought her back to the light. He shone into her the happiness she struggled to hold. But the struggle ended when a certain soldier stepped off that jet.
This time it's real, everything was real and she would never let him go.
"Come and join me, darlin'." he called. She was in the shower in a flash.
Natasha insisted that they go for a walk in the middle of the night of their last night at the lodge, despite his protests due to the cold air, and had him carry fur blankets and a mat. Sometimes he really cannot follow what his girlfriend was thinking but he trusted her judgment.
They stopped at the top of the hill far from the lodge.
"We never have a chance to watch the stars like this back home" She said as they were sitting on the mat and Steve wrapped both of them with fur blankets
"It's very beautiful"
He looked up at the dots of light twinkled in the sky, Natasha cozying right next to him. He marveled at the ocean of stars, trying to remember any of the constellations he learned as a kid. But he also couldn't help but look at his companion, the same twinkle in her eyes as the very ones they watched in the night sky. They illuminated her green orbs.
"You're like a star yourself, Nat"
"How so?"
"They're all one of a kind. You're a rare blend of dangerous and lovely. I love that about you"
She smiled and kissed him. "I love how you make me happy"
They cuddled as a shooting star shot through the darkness.
Aspen, Colorado
The ride from Nebraska to Colorado was fun. They stopped in Denver for some sushi and sightseeing before hitting the road. By the time they arrived at Aspen, Natasha informed him of an apartment she had there.
"Wow. Stark doesn't have a place out here. It's a really tough place to purchase real estate.
"It's just a small apartment" She told "Girl needs to reward herself after working so hard protecting this world"
"Ok, my spider, lead me into your web" she laughed as she entered, Steve following her inside. His eyes went wide when he saw her 'small' apartment.
It was well furnished, with a staircase leading up to another floor. Glass was the predominant theme, with many windows lining the back wall. Her kitchen reminded him of the one back in Stark Tower, complete with a kitchen island.
"I wonder what your definition of large is"
"Ok, Steve, you're the only one outside of myself who knows this place exists. If I come here to find Barton in my bedroom trying to cop a feel with that Bobbi girl, I'll know whose legs to break."
Steve went silent, and she felt bad. "I didn't mean really"
"You are indeed the most terrifying woman I ever met, Romanoff"
Natasha just laughed and gave him a kiss before dragging Steve by his shirt to the bedroom.
They decided to stay here for a couple days. Natasha just wanted to go skiing, considering they were at one of the best places for it anyway. Steve had problems at first because he never had a chance to do learn when he was younger.
Natasha slowly taught him. Steve picked up very fast because his body, his reflex, his agility and his balance allowed him to do so. After an hour, he was doing fluent back flips.
"I have to say that you are a natural, Steve" Natasha praised "But your body is more for snowboarding"
"I will try that next time. It looked like fun" He said, eyes looking at the teenager gliding down hills with his snowboard.
They came back to her apartment, exhausted after a long day. Steve had to carry his sleepy princess into the room.
"I know a small diner just a two minute walk from here" She said tiredly "If you want to"
"You should get some sleep before we go out again"
"You too, Steve, come here"
He complied and joined her on the couch. Natasha held her boyfriend tight.
"I think we should skip Vegas this time" She murmured "Considering Clint might throw his bachelor party there and I've been there countless times"
"I've never been to Vegas before"
"Trust me, Rogers. Nothing good will come out of sin city. I don't want it's influence to poison my perfect gentleman"
"So straight to LA then"
"Yes, sir"
"Sleep now, we still have a long ride tomorrow"
Malibu, California
After the journey from Colorado, the two parked outside of Tony's Malibu mansion. Having redesigned it and bolstered the defense systems (something he loved bragging about), it seemed the perfect place to relax for awhile.
"Do you think the eccentric billionaire will allow us into his secret lair?" Natasha asked.
"Greeting Captain Rogers and Agent Romanoff" JARVIS sounded and startled them both.
"JARVIS, its nice to hear your voice again" Natasha greeted back.
"Can you let us in?" Steve asked.
"Of course, sir."
Steve carried their bags into the mansion. This is the first time he visited this place and the house alone made Steve wondered how much money Tony made a year.
"I take it you two are enjoying a great vacation"
"In deed we are" Steve replied. "How are things back at the tower?"
"Mr. Stark investigated a little but he had no time to do anything because he had to take care of Master Anthony, sir" JARVIS informed. "Agent Barton and Mr. Odinson went on a mission together. Dr. Banner was at a science conference in Newark."
"Does Tony has any guest rooms?"
"I will show you the way, sir"
JARVIS illuminated the light to tell them the way to guest room. The room was spacious and furnished with the top-of-the-line furniture. Natasha walked straight to the king size bed and dropped herself into it.
"God! I miss my comfy bed" She exclaimed.
"And you are the one who want to go camping when I told you to stay in a hotel" Steve amusingly replied her.
"Shut it, Rogers" She said. "We will go to a bar tonight but now, I need some sleep, and I need my teddy bear"
She grabbed his shirt and pulled him into the bed, wrapping her arms around him.
"You really have a thing for dive bars and dancing" Steve noted as they walked into a small dive bar.
"The last time we went together it was really fun so I want us to do it again"
Steve got them two bottles of beers. She seized control of the jukebox and surfed through the options. The bar was currently absentmindedly bobbing their heads to a dull country song.
"Steve, help me find something to help pump life back into this place"
He complied and flipped through the system. It was a more advanced system that sorted their songs by artist and genre. She told him to surf through the dance section.
"That's a good one" she said, pointing to "Run Away" by Sunstroke Project feat. Olia Tira.
He inserted the required quarter and selected the song. As the music played, the other patrons began dancing along, with some even engaging in dance offs.
Steve and Natasha kept near the jukebox as they danced, keeping the vibrations going for as long as possible. She held herself in his arms for the rest of the night, sneaking in a kiss now and then.
He carried her tipsy and sleeping form into the bedroom, laying her down and gently taking off her clothes before pulling the sheets over her and deciding to go sleep on the couch, so she could have a peaceful sleep.
"You're not going anywhere. In, now" he heard her command as he opened the door. He smiled to himself before complying and getting in beside her. She latched onto him as they drifted off to sleep.
By the time Natasha awoke, it was almost noon but her Steve was a very comfy pillow. His warmth enveloped her completely. She really didn't want to get up, but someone needed to make some food, so she decided to get up and went straight to the bathroom. Natasha walked back to find some clothes but she had remembered that she sent all her clothes to the cleaners so she started to dig through Steve's bag. He woke just in time to see her try on one of his shirts.
"Why are you ransacking my stuff?"
"I needed some clothes. Mine are getting cleaned"
Steve watched as Natasha found his boxers and a football jersey. She let the towel fell on the floor before dressed up. Steve couldn't help but watch the most gorgeous body in front of him even she didn't like it when he stare at her.
"Stop staring at my ass, Rogers" she said, smirking.
He didn't comply but instead got up from bed and put his sweatpants on.
"You just stole my last shirt" He said in mock annoyance.
"I like to watch you walk around shirtless, beefcake" she replied, kissing him on the cheek. He smiled and bent down to scoop her up in his arms.
He carried her downstairs, but damn well nearly dropped her in surprise when they ran into Pepper Potts standing in the kitchen.
"What do we have here?" she asked.
"Sorry, Ms. Romanoff, I cannot deny entrance to Mr. or Mrs. Stark" JARVIS apologized.
"It's alright, JARVIS"
"How long?"
"A month and a half. After Steve came back from Africa"
"Why didn't you tell me?" she continued, dropping the stern approach and sounding giddy. "You two are adorable together!"
And that was only the beginning of the interrogation/info gathering conducted by Mrs. Stark to find out all the juicy details about her friends' love life.
"But please, Miss Potts, for the love of god, don't tell Tony" Steve pleaded.
"I promise. And do feel free to stay as long as you like"
Natasha and Steve enjoyed staying inside the mansion because they didn't want to risk expose themselves to nosy reporters. Pepper was a generous host and let them do anything that they wanted.
They had dinner together, which was fun. Natasha eventually excused herself to take a shower. Steve was about to follow when Pepper called him.
"If you're not in a hurry, Steve I have something to talk to you about"
Natasha was enjoying her shower when she sensed someone looking at her.
"Are you going to pull a Norman Bates on me or something? Come in and join me"
He complied and hopped into the shower.
"I just had a conversation with Pepper" he said. "She said if I hurt you, than agonizing pain was in store for me'"
"Oh, did she really say that?" Natasha asked, grinning slightly.
"Yup. So I know now not to"
She wrapped her arms around him.
"But I don't think you would've anyway"
"God no. Wouldn't dream of hurting my Natty"
She smiled at his nickname for her and relaxed into his hold.
They spent the rest of their time in LA, with Pepper letting them use the place still, as she had business to attend to.
Before the last day of their vacation, Pepper gave them a cover story and some evidence for them to use if anyone (namely Tony) should be curious about their time off.
"Here is a plane ticket for you, Natasha. Obviously,you don't want to be seen returning together, so you go by plane, and Steve will take his bike home"
"Thanks, Pep" Natasha said, before heading out to the driveway to say goodbye to her boyfriend.
"See you in a day" he said, capturing her lips on his.
"Safe ride, baby" she replied, backing away as Steve revved up his bike and rode away. Pepper could see the slight sadness in her eyes.
Oh yeah, they are absolutely adorable together, she thought to herself as she and Natasha re-entered the mansion.
A/N: - Thank you to my proofreaders, CAMILLE JONES and Muldoon22
- As always, review, critic and advice are greatly appreciated! I can only improve if you leave some feedback.