Be With Me

Chapter 2

Natasha just shrugged her shoulders and looked at the horizon. Steve followed her gaze and found a mesmerizing picture of the sun setting, giving off a glow that turned the sky in a beautiful blend of purple, pink, and orange. He tried his best to commit it to memory so he can try and draw it later. He looked back at Natasha. There was some distance between them and Steve wished he could close that. He didn't want to simply go back to how they were, no, he wanted to move forward with his feelings for her.

"How's Sam and Wanda?" Natasha asked with concern.

"They're okay," Steve said with a smile. "A bit grumpy sometimes, which is understandable given their circumstances, but otherwise, okay."

Natasha laughed. It sounded so true that Steve felt his heart fluttered inside his chest.

"Have you talked to Clint?" Steve continued.

"Yeah. We talked twice in the past year. I never heard someone so happy to be in house arrest," Natasha said with a laugh again.

"Tony?"

Natasha's laugh stopped but kept a smile on her face, "He's fine, last thing I heard was him and Pepper moved upstate for a while, away from everything."

Steve sighed. He probably would have teared up too if he wasn't keeping his emotions in check.

"I'm really sorry, Nat, I just ---," Steve started but stopped when Natasha jumped down from the ledge and walked to him. She stopped right in front of him, no more than a foot away. He gravitated to her eyes.

"Steve, there's nothing to apologize for. I'm not sorry about my stand on the accords. But ---I am sorry that I disappointed you."

Steve shook his head. Their gaze met and his heart started pounding in his ears. "You didn't, Nat."

He smiled to ease up Natasha who was now at the brink of tears. He immediately reached up to her face and brushed away a tear before it rolled down her cheeks. He felt a very nice shiver when Natasha held his hand in place and leaned on in his touch. Steve took advantage and brushed her cheek with his thumb. She didn't let go of his hand and held it on her lap where she started to fiddle with his fingers. Steve couldn't be any happier. He was a few steps closer to hugging her. He just had to make sure he played this right.

"So, how's Wakanda?" Natasha asked with a coy smile that surprised Steve for a second. Of course she knew.

He just chuckled and said, "Amazing. T'Challa couldn't be more gracious. It's hot, though. How about you, what have you been up to?"

"Oh, nothing," Natasha said. "Tried doing the right thing, you know, just like you."

"And?"

Natasha looked down and focused on their hands. It took her a few seconds before answering, "Fought bad guys, blew up some Russian gulag, jumped from a helicopter, you know, the usual."

Natasha was smiling but Steve knew from her tone and how she avoided his eyes, that she didn't want to talk about it. So no matter how intrigued he was about the things she said, Steve didn't probe. He just smiled and nodded in amusement as Natasha continued to draw circles on his palm. He looked at her, no, he stared at her and pretty soon Natasha felt it. She looked back with a fond smile on her face.

"Do you have to leave soon?" Natasha asked softly. There was vulnerability in her voice that startled Steve a bit.

"No, not really," Steve replied.

"Good," Natasha said, now in a happier tone. "I hope you don't mind, I already ordered dinner."

Steve laughed as Natasha half-dragged him back into the building. Natasha led him to her room at the fourth floor. The hotel wasn't really big and a 3-star at best so Steve wasn't surprised to see the room simple. All Natasha had with her was a backpack and a duffel bag that were sitting by the foot of the bed. She took out some clothes and went for the bathroom door.