See You in a Minute

S T E V E

❝You wouldn't have been proud.❞
- Steve Rogers

× × ×

My body was soaked with water and my uniform was getting drenched. As I lay there motionless, I heard nothing. It was too peaceful, too quiet. Did I do it? Did I get her back? It was all I could think about.

Slowly, I opened my eyes and I saw the dark skies of Vormir. A sky of purple and gray clasing together with a huge moon in the center, highlighted with a strike of silver.

It was a beautiful, melancholic view—one I truly admired. The scenery looked breathtaking and it seems like the sort of place where you can just breathe and sort things out. If I had a pen and paper with me right now, I would take my time in drawing every single detail just so that I could give it justice.

The only thing that prevents me from loving the place is the fact that it represents the unfair truth that everything does come with a price. Whether it be in our world or in other worlds.

I sit up from my lying position and my eyes instantly found her. She was sitting, too, wearing her famous catsuit with the same braided hairstyle she had when I last saw her, but this time, she was staring at me with confusion written all over her face.

I did it.

She's here. She's back.

And I'm not losing her this time.

"Steve?" Natasha asked me slowly, disbelief lacing her voice and her eyes reflected the same.

"Nat," I say, breathless. I didn't mean to be, though. It was just... she was dead and now she isn't anymore. Everything felt surreal, she seems surreal—but I'm not complaining. No, not at all. "You're back."

Slowly, Natasha sorted everything out. She had this expression on her face like everything finally made sense to her. Suddenly, she smirked that usual Natasha Romanoff smirk that I haven't seen in a while. This sudden feeling I couldn't quite put my finger around overwhelmed me out of nowhere and that's the only time I realized that I have actually missed seeing that smirk of hers, "Whatever it takes, huh?"

I smiled at her, "Whatever it takes."

× × ×

"So, exactly how worthy are you?" Natasha asked me as she traced her finger on the mjoulnir.

"Worthy enough to carry the hammer when I need it."

"I'm gonna go with my gut and guess that you had a one on one battle with Thanos using that thing," she said as she made her way to the seat.

"You're not wrong."

Natasha and I have just returned the power stone back to Morag where it's supposed to be. I didn't want to go there immediately since I just got Natasha back—even though I don't really know how to react to that; but the moment we stood up from our sitting positions in Vormir, she didn't waste a second asking what the mission was. I was dumbfounded for a moment but I swiftly regained my composition and told her what we needed to do. Tomorrow, Asgard is next and so is New York.

I had to admit though, when I first started out this mission, I was confident enough to know that I was going to accomplish this mission without failures even though I know it wasn't going to be easy. But with her right by my side, it's not so difficult anymore.

Now, we're just floating in space at Rocket's pod, resting and existing together. And somehow, it was enough.

I never imagined I'd get to share a view like this with her. Thousands of galaxies. A sky of swirling colors. Constellations of ceaseless diamonds. It only seemed fitting though, that she had a view like this. Something that almost measures to her beauty.

"I take it we won then," Natasha said as she sat down on the other pilot seat next to me.

"Thanks to you," I told her as I sent a genuine smile her way.

Natasha just rolled her eyes at me but I knew she was simply playing around because of the smirk that was playing on her lips. "So, how did you guys take my death?" she asked teasingly.

I smiled sadly at her, "You wouldn't have been proud."

"When was I ever?" she asked and I chuckled lightly. "Clint must've cried like a crybaby," she said with a soft smile.

"Actually," I told her slowly, "I was the one who cried for you. Bruce was mad and Tony accepted it the easiest—he understood. Thor was in denial about what happened to you and Clint—he was, he was bargaining. He said it should've been him."

Natasha wore a smile that looked like she didn't expect less from us. However, she didn't choose to comment about it. "Oh, you surely must've missed me, Rogers, haven't you?" she teased and I couldn't help the small laugh that escaped me.

"I apologize. It's just... it was different when you were gone, and now that you're back, it's really good, Nat. It's really good," I told her in all honesty.

She looked away from me and just stared into space. "It is good to be back," she said lowly.

"I'm sorry that you had to sacrifice yourself so that we'd get the fighting chance that we needed. And I'm sorry that Clint had to be the one you come to Vormir with as well. I didn't know it'll cost us losing you."

"Steve, you don't have to be sorry for anything. At least you guys did it. You didn't waste my death. Good job to you people on that, by the way," she teased and I simply shake my head at her behavior. "Besides, you said whatever it takes. I simply morphed myself to be the epitome of exactly that. Death doesn't scare me, Rogers. I'm Black Widow, remember? And just be thankful that I came with Clint, all right? Imagine if we went to Vormir together; when I heard about the whole sacrifice thing, I would've just immediately pushed you off that cliff, " she joked and we laughed together.

"I wouldn't have put up a fight."

"I know," she looked at me like she was disgusted. Yeah, right. Thank goodness I knew better. "it's because you're too good and I hate that about you."

"On the contrary, I think that's what you love most about me."

"If I had a pillow or some chips nearby, I'd definitely throw it your way."

I laughed at that, "Good night, Natasha."

She smiled at me as she leaned her head on the chair, "Good night, Steve."

That was the first time I smiled before falling asleep in a long time.