The next morning, Steve immediately prepared to leave. Alone. He talked to Sam and Wanda and asked them to stay put for a while as he went to see Natasha. Natasha didn't say much over the phone. They just agreed to meet in person.
"I can't let you go on your own, Steve," Sam objected. "It could be a trap."
"No," Steve said firmly.
"It's possible Ross didn't give her a choice," Sam continued. "He could have threatened to bring in Clint if she didn't comply."
"No," Steve said again.
"Are you sure?" Bucky asked, calmly.
"Yes," Steve said, confidently.
"Why?" Okoye asked.
It was Wanda who answered, "Because Nat would rather give herself up to spare anyone else."
Steve looked at Wanda and smiled. It was nice that she seemed to know Natasha well by now.
"I promise, I'll be fine. We'll be fine," Steve said. "I'll check in with you, don't worry."
Minutes later, the quinjet darted through and out of Wakanda airspace.
*****
Hours later, Steve found himself roaming the streets of a country somewhere in Northern Europe. The coordinates Natasha gave led him to a quaint town near a sea. She also gave him coordinates where he can safely 'park' the quinjet. Then Steve used the electronic bike in the jet to get to their meeting place. The address he had was a 5-storey hotel with a cafe at the ground floor. It has several tables and chairs outside for some al fresco dining. Steve sat at a corner table and ordered coffee from a nice old lady in a cute apron. When she returned, she had his coffee in a to-go cup. Steve looked at her confused.
"Enjoy your coffee with a nice view at the rooftop, honey," the old lady said with a knowing but warm smile.
Steve, familiar with Natasha's methods, simply nodded in understanding and smiled with thanks before entering the hotel. After a couple of minutes he opened the access door to the deck and stepped outside, but stopped in his tracks to see the person sitting on the ledge. Her hair is different.
"Hi," Natasha greeted him with a smile, which turned into a chuckle when she saw the surprise and question on his face.
"The news said there was a red-head outlaw on the loose, so...," Natasha joked and Steve finally recovered with a soft laugh.
He wanted to run and hug her but he decided to test the waters first. There were a lot of unsaid things between them before they parted ways a year ago and Steve didn't want to ruin their reunion just because he said or asked the wrong things. So he just walked to her and join her at the edge of the deck. He put down his coffee and leaned on the ledge. He peered down and found the height enough to kill a man. Natasha was dangling her legs inside the ledge, much to his relief. He finally looked back at Natasha, who gestured to her chin, silently referring to his beard.
"Oh, just trying something new," Steve lied.
Natasha smiled and said, "I like it."
"Thanks. I like that, too," Steve said and pointed at her hair.
"No, you don't," Natasha said with a smirk.
"No, I don't," Steve said immediately and they both laughed. Finally, Steve relaxed but still unsure what to say. Natasha seemed to have picked up on it and Steve was grateful that she kept the conversation going.
"Thanks for coming. A part of me thought you'd wouldn't," Natasha admitted.
"Why would you think that?"
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.
"I'm just going to take a shower. Keep an eye for room service," Natasha said quickly before disappearing into the bathroom.
Steve relaxed by the couch and turned the TV on. He thought of sending Sam a message but decided against it. Minutes later, Steve was ushering the hotel staff and two trolleys of food into the room. Steve noticed the question at the staff's face at the amount of food he just rolled in.
"I have a big appetite," Steve just said and handed the staff his tip.
After the staff left, Steve opened the trays and chuckled. They were all his favorite. He was putting the food on a small round table near the window when Natasha finally emerged from the bathroom, fully refreshed.
"Thanks," Steve said and pointed at the food.
Natasha sat down and said in a teasing smile, "Don't I know how to please you or what?"
"You have no idea," Steve teased back and sat down.
Their conversation during dinner was more relaxed. Natasha laughed out loud when Steve told her that Sam kept watching movies with fugitive characters hoping to pick up a trick or two. He also snitched on Wanda who secretly started journaling.
"Leave her alone, Steve," Natasha said. "The kid has been through a lot."
"I know," Steve agreed.
"How's James?" Natasha asked. "I mean, Barnes."
"Bucky?"
"I'm not calling him that. That's a silly name," Natasha joked.
Steve laughed and said, "He's doing great. Shuri finally removed the trigger words."
Natasha smiled from ear to ear, pleased. "One less thing to worry about."
Steve laughed. It had only been hours since he was reunited with Natasha and yet he has laughed more in those hours than in the last months combined. He wished they could just remain holed up in that hotel room, talking and laughing.
By eleven, sleep crept in. Being the gentleman that he was, Steve settled on the couch. Steve wasn't getting much sleep the past months. His senses were heightened almost all the time, even more so at night, especially when they were tucked away in some abandoned warehouse or forest. Of course all of the quinjet's security protocols were up and running but paranoia always chased his sleep away. And tonight wasn't any different. The possibility of Ross' men suddenly kicking the door down wasn't the only thing keeping him awake. He was dreading the morning. He didn't know what Natasha's plans were and to make things worse, he didn't have one too. For all he knew, he might wake up tomorrow to find the bed already empty.
This thought gripped Steve with panic. He sat up and looked at Natasha's sleeping figure on the bed. Only, she wasn't asleep either. Steve could hear her breathing. He debated with himself. This seemed to be his only chance. He couldn't let morning come without telling her how much he cared for her.
Steve finally stood up and walked to the bed. He lifted the covers and gently slipped underneath, not wanting to startle her. As he was settling down, Natasha turned to her side. Steve laid on his side too and they were face to face. Steve mustered all his courage to look her in the eye.
"What took you so long?" Natasha whispered, teasing him.
Steve reached for her hand and held it in the space between them. With her other hand, Natasha reached for his beard and started stroking it, giggling a bit with its feel on her skin. Steve smiled and relaxed.
"I'm so happy you called," Steve whispered.
"Sorry it took a while," Nat replied. "Couldn't get my mail earlier."
Steve chuckled. Natasha moved her hand to his head near his temple and started brushing his hair back, giving him a light massage along the way.
"Not sleeping much, huh?"
Steve nodded and said, "Terribly missing you."
Natasha smiled and Steve was proud to make her blush too.
"Come here," Natasha whispered.
Steve scooted close to her and immediately buried his face in her chest. He could feel her lips and breath on his forehead. He wrapped his arms around her waist. He felt Natasha's arm wrap around him too, while the other cradled the back of his head, gently carding his hair up and down. He pulled her close to him, desperately removing whatever space, distance that separated them.
"It's okay, I'm here," Natasha whispered in his ear and tightened her hold on him.
"Be with me," Steve whispered back, his lips lightly brushing against the skin on her neck.
"I thought you'd never, ask," Natasha said.
Steve felt her smile on his forehead followed by a gentle, lingering kiss.
Now Steve couldn't wait for morning to come because no matter what tomorrow and the days ahead had in store for them, he knew he would be okay. Natasha was with him again. She was her rock and he instantly felt safer, stronger, braver.
Thanks for reading!!!