Nomad (Steve Rogers)

16

"Making for the exit Clint." I say through my earpiece as I slash another member of the Yakuza down in my path. There were more of them than we anticipated, however our decoy tactic played a key part as usual. Two Ronin's and suddenly chaos ensued.

"I've got him." Clint says calmly and goes after our main man, Akihiko, while I finish off the others inside the building.

The weather matches the mood. The rain hasn't stopped for days and now as I get outside it's showing no signs of stopping. I see Clint slash Akihiko across the neck while he begs for his life and then join his side. "I'll give you anything..." The man is now pleading.

"You wanna do the honours?" Clint turns and looks at me.

"All yours." I allow him this one.

The final blow comes all too easily, and he cleans the blade before sheathing it again. While he's doing so, I sense a different presence and immediately have my arm around the unwanted visitors neck, holding my blade to it. "I suppose you were right not to trust me after all." I hiss.

Natasha Romanoff makes no attempt to break free from me, even though I know that she could.

Clint pulls off his hood and then turns around, "You shouldn't be here", signalling me to take the blade away and let her go.

I release her and put my sword away.

"Neither should you." She says to him and then her eyes rest on me. "Both of you." and then carries on. "I heard the rumour there was two of you, but didn't believe it until now."

Clint looks at her. "Well now you know."

Nat pauses for a moment and then speaks. "We think we've found a way...to bring everyone back."

"Don't." Clint says. "Don't give me false hope."

"We're certain it'll work..."

"And if it doesn't?" I say as Clint and I look at one another. "Then what?"

Nat stares at me and then speaks calmly. "Then we keep on trying, but we can't do it without you." I have no idea which one of us she's talking to, Clint? Me? Both? "Will you come back?"

He signals for her to stay there while he takes me to one side. "Is it even worth the shot?" he's reluctant to be let down and feel his grief ten times as worse if this won't work.

"If it's not then we still have lots more people to go after." I shrug. "But you should take the chance. If it means bringing your family back, then it's worth it. I know I'd do anything to bring my parents back."

"Come with me then." He says

I shake my head. "You know I can't."

"We need all the hands we can get." Nat now interrupts as she comes over. "We need you." and now I know she's talking to me as well as her friend.

"I'm surprised you actually trust me – for all you know I could go all Ronin on your ass and kill you all." I glare, thinking back to the conversation I overheard her and Sam having with Steve.

Nat looks sincere. "You've kept Clint alive; you kept your promise to Steve. I'm sorry for what happened."

I glance to Clint who nods with a look of 'you know what you need to do' and then turn back to Nat. "Ok. We're in."

We land at the compound a couple of hours later and Nat leads the way as she calls to whoever is inside the hangar. "I got them!" She yells while i follow her and Clint inside.

"Them?" Comes a voice that I don't recognise before Tony Stark appears and observes both Clint and me, before giving his friend a clap on the back. "Welcome back Legolas...and...." He hangs onto the word as he sees me.

"This is Aster." Clint says. "We've been travelling around for the last five years."

"Mr Stark" I give Tony a curt nod.

He nods his acknowledgement. "Pleasure..."

"It won't be." I reply dryly

Nat looks around, "Hey, where's Steve?"

"Getting the suit fitted. We need to do a couple of test runs before we go full throttle." Tony says as he fiddles with some electrics before looking rather impressed with himself. "I am an absolute genius."

"Yeah and an asshole too." Clint mutters with a smirk before gesturing for me to follow.

"This was where the magic happened?" I ask as I look around at the compound and the many rooms that we pass.

"I wouldn't exactly call it that, more like 'chaos'." Clint corrects me and shows me into the rec room. "Wait here, i'll be back in a moment." And he's gone before I can even open my mouth to ask where he's going.

I can imagine that back when the group was together and before the snap, this place was a lot busier. Louder. Heading to the windows that overlook outside, everything is just so still. So silent. I can't even hear the work going on down in the hangar where they're still building their machine.

It's deafening.

"Y'know it did cross my mind once or twice as to whether you were The Ronin or at least played a part in it..."

I close my eyes as I hear the voice cut through the silence, and I can only whisper his name. "Steve..."

Eventually I pluck up the courage and turn, eyes resting on him. He's looking just as pained as I feel at seeing one another again. I'm so used to seeing him with the beard and messier hair that I've forgotten what he usually looks like. It doesn't make him any less handsome though.

All we can do is just stand and look at one another until he walks forward and kisses me hard, the familiarity of his lips making itself present again. I simply melt at his touch like I used to and it's taking all the strength I can muster to not start tearing his clothes off right here.

If it were up to him then I'd probably already be down to my underwear and he'd have me leant over the table. He's managed to refrain from doing so.

For now...

As I pull away I run my hand down his cheek, "Not the same without the beard, why the hell did you get rid of it?"

"Fresh start..."

"That's bullshit and you know it. I'm gonna need therapy if you don't grow it back again."

He smirks. "You liked it that much eh?"

"If the constant burn that it left between my thighs was anything to go by then yes."

"Guess I'll have to grow it back then." and he rests his forehead against mine. "I've missed you." 

Before I we can say any more, Tony is in the doorway watching us. "Not wanting to interrupt whatever the hell this is, but I'm gonna need to borrow you for a while." He says to Steve. 

"Can't it wait?" 

"Nope." 

Steve turns to me. "Let me go deal with this, then we'll talk."  

I nod. "I need to find Clint anyway. I'll see you after." 

He drops his grasp that he still has on me and leaves with Tony. I watch him go and hope that everything goes to plan. 

But I also know that nothing ever comes easily, nor is it free.