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34 : Avengers Bonding Camp*
"Stark! If I find any type of technological device in your bags, I will electrocute you with my widow's bite!" Natasha threatened as they loaded their bags into Thor's Hummer. "Steve, search his bags"
"Sorry, Tony" Steve said and opened Tony's bag.
Steve found that Tony's first bag was filled with only technological devices while his second bag was filled with his clothes.
"Guys, I will pay you. Just please let me at least bring JARVIS with me"
"Stark, stop being a whiny baby and help me carry this thing!" Clint yelled from the elevator.
"Why can birdbrain bring his bow?"
Steve and Natasha rolled their eyes. The Captain threw Tony's bag to Bruce who was at the top of the car, packing and securing everything on the roof.
"Hey! These are my normal bow and arrows, Stark. I left all my trick arrows here"
"Can we please get outta here?" Steve muttered and took the keys from Tony's hand.
Steve, Bruce, Clint and Thor were checking and securing everything in their place, leaving Natasha to handle Tony Stark by herself.
"For fuck's sake, Stark! We are only go camping upstate, not going to war!" She argued "We don't need your armor, Stark and there are no fucking bear!"
Tony was about to fire something back at Natasha when she hit him at the pressure point on his neck.
"Clint, tie him." She ordered "Let's go camping, shall we?"
Tony woke up an hour later and started rambling on and on about this trip. He hated being outside of the big city. Natasha had to shut him again by her threat. Clint switched driver duty with Steve when they were stopped to fill up the tank.
Thor and Natasha got them a huge bag of snacks and the god started munching on a box of Kit Kats.
Steve sat with Natasha on his lap in the back seat. The spy nodded off immediately when they hit the road again. Her head rested on his chest, arms wrapped around his neck. Tony took a photo of them before quickly uploading it to his phone, the only technological device that Natasha allowed him to take from home.
They arrived at the State Park up in New Hampshire. Clint found them a nice camp ground near by the beautiful lake.
Everybody started to unload their belongings from the car and settle down.
"Tell me again why we had to come this far from big city" Tony spoke up.
"Group activity to build and strengthen our relationship" Clint answered while setting up the tent
"Why can't I bring Pepper here with me?" Tony continued "Capsicle and Red can come in package"
"Because Tasha is an Avenger" Bruce chimed in
"Then I will make Pepper an Avenger!"
"Are you crazy, Stark?" Natasha barked
"And why there are only three tents, JARVIS?!" Tony said "JARVIS…"
"Thou are in the forest" Thor remind his friend.
"Why do we have to be in the place where it has no electricity?"
"Just shut up, Tony" Steve said in his commanding voice to end any further argument.
Steve took Natasha by her hand after setting up their tent and headed to the lake.
"I'm jealous!" Tony shouted and turned to the pine tree "PINE, take note, we need more tents"
"Clear air has a very strange effect on the Metal Man" Thor whispered to Bruce
"Yeah, he cannot stay outside the big city"
It was around midnight when Natasha woke Steve up from his peaceful slumber. The soldier didn't even open his eyes to look at her, trying to get back to sleep.
"Steve! Wake up"
"Nat, what are you doing?" He sleepily asked.
"Come on, soldier"
Steve looked at his watch "It is midnight"
"That's the point"
She threw him his t-shirt and sweats. Steve was dragged by Natasha a spot nearby the lake far away from their campsite. She led him to the top of the boulders.
"Wowww" Steve could only say that when he saw the full moon shine brightly in the sky
Before he turned back to his girlfriend and saw she took off her clothes
"Nat! Not again!" He tried to stop her but the spy wouldn't listen "Last time we almost got arrested"
"Live on the wild side a little, Rogers" She replied and threw her bra at him "Take off your clothes and follow me"
"There could be something in that lake!"
"Come here. NOW!"
Steve took off his clothes unwillingly before he got in the lake with her. Natasha wrapped her arms tightly around his neck and started to kiss him.
"Well, I finally fulfilled two goals on my to-do list"
"Which are?"
"Skinny dip with Steve Rogers and watch the full moon together"
"It feels really good, actually" Steve said and held her tighter
"I told you it will never be a bore when you are with me"
Steve smiled "You are the most fascinating human being I have ever met, Romanoff"
They were swimming, kissing and holding each other in the moonlight for a little while.
Steve said they should get back to the shore and dried themselves with a towel she brought, put on their clothes before someone found them. They sat down on the rock as they watched the star together.
Steve brought up something to talk about again. He asked her that did she really over with the Loki incident because of all the bad thing he said to her. Natasha knew that he still worried about this and she had to ensure him again that even though it hurt her but she knew that the one who said wasn't her Steve.
The Captain didn't buy her answer and asked her again. Natasha knew she couldn't avoid it anymore.
"It did hurt because I never fully told you all about my past. How I kill and lied and manipulate people to get what I want. You can doubt me that I use that trick on you too..."
"Nat..."
"You have every right to feel that way"
"Listen, I love you and I know that you are genuinely love me too"
"I do"
"And I know that you have change, have moving on from those path of killing innocent people. You are not like what that mad god say about you. Stop loathing yourself, Nat. I love you and I see the real you. The kind, loving and caring Natasha Romanoff who risk herself saving life of people"
"Thank you, Steve" She said "I didn't care much, you know, if other people say that but this was you who say that to me"
"I'm sorry" He told and hugged her tightly "I will ensure you again. I never doubt your love for me"
"Thank you, Steve" She whispered and leaned into his chest.
They stayed that way for a while until Natasha fall asleep again and Steve carried her back to the campsite.
"This is fucking boring!" Tony muttered as the billionaire looked around.
Bruce was teaching Thor how to fish. Natasha was sunbathing on one of the rocks while Steve was sketching her. Clint was napping in the tree.
"I wanna go home now" He moaned but no one listened "There is no signal here"
Tony was about to go crazy but Bruce called him over and handed the billionaire another fishing rod.
"You should try, Tony. It could help"
"You can eat those fish in the lake? Really?"
"Yeah" Bruce replied "It's the same that you eat in those expensive restaurant"
"But at least I know it was clean enough to eat"
Bruce didn't reply as he and Thor reeled in another fish from the lake.
"This is the biggest one I ever caught, Lord Banner!"
"This is fucking boring"
That evening, they had a campfire. Their dinner was the fish Bruce and Thor caught from lake. Tony almost accidentally released them back in the lake, but Thor was quick enough to grab the bucket containing the fish.
"Lord Banner! These fishies are delicious!"
Steve and Natasha cuddled up together and talked quietly to themselves. Thor kept telling about his glorious battles back in Asgard while Bruce and Clint listened attentively.
Only Tony had problem with this peaceful moment.
"Can we go home now?" The billionaire asked "I want to sleep in my comfy bed back in the tower"
Nobody was listened to his complaint until they decided to go to sleep. Clint had to sleep in the same tent with Tony because the billionaire requested his prank partner to help him through with this.
It was around 10 pm, Steve and Natasha were sleeping soundly in each other arms when Natasha felt a weight drop on her stomach.
"What?!" Natasha muttered, startled awake.
Steve woke up too before he saw who it was, he sighed "Tony, what are you doing here?"
The billionaire whose head laid on Natasha's stomach "I heard a bear roar outside" The billionaire replied, looking scared.
The couple silenced and listened to the sounds outside their tent.
"I hear nothing" Steve said
"I swear I really heard a bear" Tony confirmed
"Go back to sleep, Stark or I will shoot you" Natasha said in an annoyed tone and she tried to get back to sleep.
"Can I stay here with you guys?" Tony said and wrapped his arms around Natasha's waist.
"NO!" The two shouted in unison
"Aw come on! I cannot sleep. Barton is snoring like a dying lion and I heard a bear"
"There is no freaking bear!" The spy bellowed
"Whatever, Tony" Steve surrendered
"Then you sleep next to him by yourself, soldier" Natasha retorted and changed her sleep spot to Steve's left side.
Tony grinned but took his place next to Steve and took his pillow too. Steve frowned but didn't say anything. Natasha sighed and snuggled into her boyfriend's chest.
"Wake up!" Clint yelled from the outside and open the tent "We will go hikin—"
The archer was shocked at the sight he saw. Bruce and Thor were frozen where they stood.
"Did we miss something?" Bruce spoke up
The three started to stir. Steve held Natasha in his arms and Tony draped his arms over the couple, his face was resting on Steve's fore arm.
"Tell me you guys didn't have a threesome last night"
Steve was fully awake and pushed Tony's head away from his arms. Natasha kicked Tony's legs to wake billionaire.
"I don't want to go hiking, guys" Tony said sleepily "There were bears in that forest"
"There is no bear, Stark!" Natasha said and threw her pillow at Tony "Go pack your things"
They were headed out in the woods. Clint and Bruce were in the front, leading them, while Tony and Thor were in the middle. Steve and Natasha followed behind, chatting with one another.
"Brucie, can we stop here?" Tony asked, obviously panting.
"You have taken two breaks in the span of 1 hour, Stark"
"I'm not trained for this shit like you guys, Natalie" "If you let me bring my armor with me..."
"Fine" Steve cut in before further argument "Take five guys"
Natasha sighed in annoyance but sat down next to her boyfriend.
It was a very slow, hiking trip because they had to stop for Tony (which Natasha declared she will conduct a physical test for every team member). They stopped at a body small water for lunch and headed into the mountain.
"Guys, I think we should head back to the camp" Natasha said as she looking behind her.
"Why? What's going on?" Steve asked and looked at the same direction as Natasha.
"Storm's coming"
"Thor! Is this you?"
"Nye, My Lady. This storm is beyond my control"
"Bruce, Clint, find us a shelter!" Steve ordered
Lighting struck from the black cloud and suddenly rain started to fall, pouring over the six of them. Clint found a small shelter and they all headed that way.
Natasha stopped in the middle of her tracks when she saw a cave in front of her. She grabbed Steve's arm and pulled him back.
"Come on, Nat" He said but she stood still.
Steve picked her up and ran into the cave. He noticed that Natasha was visibly shaking and her eyes were filled with...fear?
"Looks like we have to stick here for a while" Bruce spoke up, looking out to the rains outside.
"How would they know that we are here?" Thor spoke up
"They don't know that we are here, Thor" Steve replied "We cannot go back to our camp during this storm as well"
Tony smirked before said, "Who is the genius behind this? Tell me to leave my phone! My suit of armor! My technology at home! Because nothing will happened and guessed what! We are stuck here in the cave for God's sake!"
Steve gave him a glare but didn't reply back.
"We better get inside, deeper than this" Bruce purposed
"No!"
Everyone turned and looked at Natasha who protested. Steve could see fear in her eyes before it fading quickly.
"Why is that, Tasha?" Clint asked
"Uh— ther could be something scary and dangerous if we go deeper in the cave, bear, bats and stuff"
"You said last night there is no bear!" Tony bellowed
"I can kill ten with my bare hands, Lady Natasha" Thor reassured "There is nothing to fear. I have even slain a hoard of the bilsnige too"
"You know what guys, Natasha is right. We should stay here" Steve said and used his command voice to persuade the team.
"Whatever" Tony muttered "Can someone please light a fire? I'm freezing here"
Clint and Thor were able to find some dried wood inside the cave and lit up a bonfire. The men began took off their shirt to dry off. Steve told everyone to turn around and gave Natasha some privacy to change her clothes.
They ate canned food for dinner before they decided to get some rest. Thor volunteered to take the first watch.
Natasha snuggled herself into the warmth of Steve's body, the safest place she knew.
"Nat, is there something wrong?" Steve asked, concerned. "I have never seen you fear anything before"
"I don't like caves" She whispered "I don't like the dark of it. It is like I will not find the way out"
"Don't worry, okay?" He gently said "I'm here and I will not let anything happen to you"
"I know. It just…a bad memory I have"
"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to"
She held her grip tighter "It was when I was on my mission in Russia, when I was with Red Room. I got compromised and was being hunted down by the Army. They lost track of me when I was in the mountain, hiding in the cave."
Her bad memory made Natasha shake.
"It was heavily snowing that day. I was waiting and waiting for the rescue. Darkness can make your mind wander. I thought of the worst until they found me. Almost died of hypothermia and frostbite."
Steve kissed top of her head and spoke the one simple sentence that helps her through her fear.
"You have me, Nat."
"Friends! It's almost dawn!" Thor boomed and immediately woke everyone up "The sun has almost come up"
Tony mumbled something and went back to sleep. Clint and Bruce sleepily walked to Thor while Natasha and Steve didn't move from their position.
"Morning" Steve whispered and she smiled "The sun has almost come up"
She slowly turned and saw the red light shown in the sky. The storm had already passed and it's now a new day.
"Tony, you gonna miss this" Bruce called
"Whateve…"
"Thor, did you change shift with any of us?" Steve asked
"Nay, I simply do not have to sleep for 3 days" The god replied with a full smile.
The others chuckled and watched the sun rise over the tree and shown its light on the lake below the mountain, savoring and contemplating the magnificent sight.
"This is breathtaking" Thor said "Sun never rose in Asgard like this before"
"You should take us to Asgard sometimes" Clint suggested
"All of you can visit my realm any time you want my friend"
"Can I take Bobbi with me?"
"Of course, Lord Barton. You and Lady Morse are more than welcome"
Clint looked really hopeful. Bruce was just excited because he really wanted to see Asgard for real, maybe read some books and gain some knowledge from this ancient race.
"Asgard sounds nice" Natasha said "Maybe our next weekend"
"If we don't have a mission" Steve replied
"I think Asgard would be a better place than this godforsaken forest" Tony interrupted "I bet your palace has a thing called shower. Can we go back to our campsite now?"
They stayed for two more days and by the time they were about to go home. Tony started to chill and had some fun.
When they arrived at the tower, Pepper praised them all that they were able to drag Tony out of this tower and demanded a family camping trip next time.
"I will rent us a real nice cabin with a real nice hot shower" Tony said.
AN:
- Thank you to my proofreader, RushmanNatalie!
- Please kindly leave a review!