Is This Love?

Chapter 7 - A Whole Month

Steve's fists pummeled into the bag, again and again. Sweat dripped down his neck and back, drenching his shirt. 

It had been a week. A week since he had last seen Nat. A week since he'd hurt her. Each day Steve felt worse, guilt consuming every inch of him. He shouldn't have said it. He let his worry about her turn into anger, and to say it didn't end well would be an understatement. 

He really just wanted to keep her safe, but in the process, he'd only hurt and pushed her further away. Had he thought of checking on her? Too many times... but he knew that Nat wasn't ready to see him. Steve's words had cut deep. But what's done was done, and now he resorted to helping her from afar. 

Preparing meals, making sure that they were only her favourites, freshly cooked to perfection for Clint to take to her. Steve did this because he knew that Nat was too stubborn and would readily starve herself if it meant she didn't have to see him or anyone else. 

Steve wasn't even sure if she knew that it was him cooking her meals or not, not that he cared, he wasn't looking for recognition, he just wanted to make sure that she is ok and was willing to do whatever it takes to be on good terms with her again. 

Steve delivered the final blow to the punching bag, using the towel he'd bought to wipe the sweat off his face. He really was a mess without her. 

Picking up his belongings, he exited the training room, pausing in the hall as FRIDAY's robotic voice echoed around him, telling Steve to report to Fury's office immediately. 

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The elevator dinged, signalling Nat's arrival at Fury's office floor. Walking out, she glided down the corridors silently, until she landed in front of his office, striding in without even knocking. 

"Agent Romanoff," Fury acknowledged as she strode in.

"Fury," She replied, imitating the same formal tone, "You wanted to see me?" She asked, her voice devoid of emotion. Fury nodded and gestured for her to take a seat opposite him on the mahogany desk. Following his command, Nat perched herself on the arm of one of the chairs non-commitally, showing her unwillingness to spend any longer than necessary in the office. 

"A solo mission, I presume?" Natasha asked in a bored tone. Fury had sent her on quite a few solo missions lately, for whatever reason. 

"You will be working with a partner on this one, actually," Fury informed her, making Nat raise an eyebrow. Before she had a chance to inquire, a voice from behind made her stomach drop through the floor;

"Director Fury, you called for me?" She could recognise Steve's voice anywhere. Squeezing her eyes shut and clenching her jaw, steeling herself before glancing over her shoulder to find the very thing she'd been avoiding all week. 

"Director Fury, you called for me?" Came a voice from behind me, I could recognize Steve's voice anywhere. I squeezed my eyes shut as if when I open them he will disappear. I reopened my eyes and glanced over my shoulder to find the very thing I had been avoiding for a week.

One look from Nat gave Steve the immediate impression that she was far from ready to see him, only further proved correct when he saw her out of the corner of his eye subtly lean further away from him as he sat down on the seat beside her.

"You will both be sent together on this mission. Now Romanoff knows about it, there is a group of criminals that are involved in stealing and illegally transporting valuable minerals around the world. I have received intel about their next drop spot. The issue is, I only know that it will be in the span of the next four weeks. We're aren't exactly sure when." Fury informed as he bought different images and files onto the screen behind him with his tablet. 

"Forgive me, but doesn't this sound like the kind of thing the local police could handle?" Steve inquired, earning a scoff from Natasha. Weird, Steve thought. 

"Do not doubt these criminals' abilities, they are strong and have slipped through SHIELD's grasp before. You leave at 5 sharp tomorrow morning for Laamu Atoll, Maldives. You will stay in one of the resorts there, undercover as a recently married couple enjoying their honeymoon," Fury continued, pausing to let his two agents process the information. 

"Your mission will be to find out exactly when the shipment will arrive and gain intel into the organization and what they are intending on using the stolen minerals for. The buyers will arrive 2 days before the rest of the shipment does, and you are to take down the criminals and seize the minerals. Do I make myself clear?" Fury finished.

Steve smiled, relief washing over him. He would finally get the chance to get Nat alone and make it right between them. Fury cleared his throat, getting his agent's attention again. 

"Once you have found out when the shipment will arrive there is nothing else you can do until the shipment arrives, so for once in your lives, I would like you to take the time, relax, and enjoy yourselves. You both deserve it and something tells me that you will find the Maldives very relaxing." Fury was interrupted by Natasha.

"But sir it is a mission, how do you expect us to relax?" Natasha quipped speaking up for the first time since Steve's arrival.

"You will have to find a way to wind down, Romanoff. And by the way, it is an order. Do you understand?" Fury ordered and she rolled her eyes indignantly and nodded her head reluctantly in response. She then got up and left quickly without saying another word. Steve was about to follow her when Fury called him back.

"Rogers, as you probably know, I care about Nat a lot and it is really important to me that Nat gets a holiday. I'm basically certain that she has never had one before, or any real-time to relax, really. So I want you to make sure that she gets one, ok? I know the circumstances aren't great but I want you to try your best. Can you do that for me, Steve?" He asked.

Steve was momentarily shocked, Nick Fury had never been this personal with him before. He even used Steve's first name, which he never does. 

"I will try my absolute best sir," Steve replied as he got up and walked out of Fury's office to take a shower. 

Steve would be lying if he said he was shocked that Natasha had never had a holiday before, but it still broke his heart nonetheless. 

One thing was clear to Steve, he was going to do everything in his power to make sure that this mission was ironically the most relaxing and memorable holiday Nat has ever had.