Give Life Meaning...

The First Look

Steve drove the long drive up to the house admiring the tall oaks that lined the drive from the end to the beginning. He was mildly concerned with how far they were from the main road because they could be targets, and the twins definitely were. Tony mentioned that there would be plenty of room for the kids to run around and explore their super soldier serum abilities without being watched by society, and he was right. Pulling up to the house he shifted the car into park as both he and Natasha just sat in silence. It was larger, much larger than he had anticipated, but they did give Tony free rein over the building itself. He took the keys out of the ignition and turned to look at Natasha who looked terrified. The whole process had been stressful for her and now they were facing a nearly finished project. Tony was the literal definition of 'go big or go home.' "Nat?" Steve reached over and grasped her hand, giving it a little squeeze to get her to react. She hadn't even breathed a word since they started up the drive and now he was anxious to pull her from her possibly spiraling thoughts. 

"We should have reconsidered Tony," at Natasha's statement a startled laugh escaped Steve, as he looked back at the entrance. It was a grand house in the middle of nowhere. They were a good distance away from the tower too, which left him feeling squirmish. There was no safer place than the tower for the twins if they ran into trouble. 

"Yeah, or visited before now. At least there's plenty of room for the kids to run around," he said, giving her cold hand another squeeze before opening the door and stepping out of the car. The roundabout driveway was a nice addition, vastly different from the cramped conditions in the City. "I think Tony said we have 23.4 acres around the house, which includes a lake. For swimming or fishing, he said. He told me I needed a hobby." Steve rolled his eyes as he recalled the conversation and waited for Natasha to fully exit the vehicle before meeting her at the front and gripping her hand. It was a huge step for them both. Leaving the confines of the tower, even if it was his idea, was terrifying. Seeing what Tony did to the house made him afraid that Natasha would try to back out. 

"How many rooms?" Natasha asked weakly, her face pale in the cold wind as she looked over the outside from Steve's side. She had a bad feeling the moment they located the drive. Tony was very showy and while this wasn't showy perse, it wasn't something she was used to. Nor was Steve. The apartments in New York City weren't all that big unless you were rich, and they weren't. 

"Five," Steve responded automatically, he didn't need to read the file over again. Tony had handed them the deed and the full file on the house on Christmas Day. He had read it then, and again the day after the New Year. It was a week into the New Year and all of the activity had slowed down, Clint had taken the kids for the day giving them the opportunity to venture out. Natasha made a face, and Steve understood. They had all been sharing a room for so long it was hard to imagine them not doing so. He knew eventually the twins had to have their own room, together, and apart but five rooms was still a lot. Spare rooms, maybe even an office could fill up the extra room. 

He dug out the key from his leather jacket and gently pulled Natasha into following up to the double doors. With a deep breath, he looked over at Natasha and held out the key to her. "Would you do the honors of opening the door?" Natasha looked slightly shell-shocked before shakily taking the key and inserting it into the lock. The audible click made her inhale sharply as she pushed it open to show a large open area. Then squeaked when she was suddenly lifted into strong arms. 

"Rogers what are you doing!?" Natasha asked with a shrieking laugh, wrapping her arms around his neck instinctively. 

"We're kind of doing things out of order, but I'd still like to carry you across the threshold of the house," Steve answered, readjusting his hold on her to keep her more secure against him as he moved forward into their new house. Their future. They explored every inch of the house and noted that Tony built security into the house, a direct line to JARVIS in case the AVENGERS were needed, and the basement while fully furnished had a safe room. Steve hoped they would never need to use it as such but there was a possibility. They would furnish it with things that would keep the twins happy and Steve, for the first time, acknowledged that there may be a time when he would have to fight separately from Natasha. Someone would have to be with the twins if they were attacked, the other would have to fight off the attackers until backup arrived. 

They didn't venture out into their twenty-plus acre land, but Steve made it a note in his head to go do it. He wanted to inspect the property line and lake that Tony insisted he needed. The privacy was much appreciated considering much of his life was on display for everyone to read about. Even the loss of Bucky was displayed and... The media hadn't gotten ahold of the twins yet but when they do, Steve was determined to not let them destroy what little peace they had managed to garner. As they were standing outside inspecting the immediate backyard that had a little stonewall built up. Plenty of room for the twins to run and play but able to keep them close to the house. They would have to figure out what to do with the rest of the land. Natasha mentioned a home gym for him to train while not with the Avengers, he could run as far and long as he wanted without being noticed. 

It was when they were turning and heard a thump inside that made them pause. Tony had wanted them to explore by themselves, and as far as they were aware no one else knew where it was. "Steve?" Natasha asked, bending down and grabbing her gun from her right boot. She straightened and prepared to shoot on sight, and Steve clenched his fist. The shield was in the trunk of the car they drove. Natasha tilted her head towards the house and they began to creep towards it, the snow crunching quietly under their feet. 

Before they made it to doors that led into an outdoor enclosed patio that Steve envisioned being able to heat during the winter for the twins to play if it was too cold outside emerged a man. His hair was dark and long, almost obscuring his face entirely and it looked like he was being muzzled. He cocked his own gun and aimed. Natasha pushed Steve out of the way of the spray of the bullet, causing him to grunt and roll to his feet. Looking over and grabbing a rock that lay in the yard he gripped it before throwing it at the man. His eyes caught sight of the Hydra symbol on his metal arm and he felt icy fear go down his spine. Hydra had found them already, and they hadn't officially moved in. 

"Hydra?" Natasha asked, breathless as she sidled up to Steve her gun pointed at the intruder. The man didn't speak, there were no orders given. He was just out to kill them, and he wondered if Hydra had thought the twins would be with them. 

"Yeah," Steve grunted as another spray of bullets was aimed at them. Darting to the left as Natasha went to the right and then they both ran at the guy. He was caught off guard by the strength when the man punched, and Natasha managed to wrestle the gun out of his hands, but that wasn't the end. Natasha jumped onto his shoulders and began to choke him, but he slammed her into the ground, leaving her gasping as all the air was forced out of her lungs. Steve flipped the man over his shoulder, before finding himself also knocked off balance. Rolling back to his feet he found Natasha back in a tussle with him, her forehead bleeding from the ground, but she had a fierce look on her face. She brought her elbow up and swiped it across his face. 

Steve ran over and not so gracefully tackled the man to the ground away from Natasha who grabbed a knife from her other boot and went for the attacker. The attacker merely threw Steve off again and blocked the knife, twisting his own in his grasp. Taking a swipe at her and then at Steve when he came up again. The darkly dressed person paused for a split second, seemingly listening to something and Steve caught a brief crackle as if someone was talking into an earpiece and then the man went for a grenade on his belt. Once the man threw it Steve grabbed Natasha and ran for the rock wall that surrounded the yard. Jumping over it as it exploded, Steve covered Natasha's with his own to protect her head from flying debris. His heart pounding a thousand miles per minute his ears ringing from the blast. Blood mixed with sweat rolling down his face, his lip busted from being knocked in the face and panicked blue met shell-shocked green as they tried to process what just happened. 

Steve picked himself up and helped Natasha up as they walked stiffly back into their house which remained mostly untouched. The assassin had entered quietly and found them outside, leaving no trace of his presence. The only traces left were the bullet damage in the stone walls and the grenade size hole in the yard. His chest heaved as he looked down into Natasha's eyes, her lip was busted, her cheek was going to bruise, and he had no doubt so would her back. Her eyes flickered between concern, panic, rage, and relief all at once. He understood well, and the blood still trickled from her temple causing him to reach up and cup the side of her head and wipe the blood with his thumb. "You're a mess," he said, his voice low from the raging emotions flooding his nervous system. 

"Me? I think you need a mirror Captain," Natasha responded, swiping her thumb across his busted bottom lip and before her eyes dipped to look. She brought up her other hand to cup his cheek feeling him lean into the touch. Natasha licked her lip before pulling him down for a hard kiss in their foyer, adrenalin coursing violently through her veins. She walked him back against the wall, pressed against him as her hands moved to unzip his jacket and push it off his broad shoulders. 

Steve responded in kind by going for her jacket, a husky chuckle escaping the moment he found a second gun inside her coat before just dropping it onto the ground. He caressed her shoulders, thumb rubbing circles as he turned them so she was pressed against the wall. Natasha let out a grunt of pain but hooked a leg around his waist the moment he meant to pull away out of concern. She kept him hooked as her nimble fingers began to unbutton his shirt and nearly groaned as she noticed he was wearing a white tank underneath it. "So many clothes," came her mild complaint. 

"Noted," he whispered before crushing her lips with his own once more, Steve groaning as she met his ferocity and emotion. She pushed back with as much force as he did, her fingers trailing his shoulders before dragging her nails across his back feeling his shudder. 

"Captain," it came out in a breathless whisper as Steve dragged his lips from hers and trailed down her neck, finding her sensitive spot. Natasha let out a gasp and a rolling moan as her head fell limp to the side to give him access. "Steve!" She cried when he grounded himself against her, causing her eyes to grow wide before her hands trailed to his pants and pulled desperately on them. Her mission and message was clear. 

Steve lay on the ground breathing heavily, Natasha laying heavily across his body. Her small coat covered just a part of them as they recovered from their activities. Steve's hand trailed down her back rubbing in soothing strokes. His head was merely cushioned by his arm. He stared up at the ceiling with a small grin playing on his face, Natasha's hair she had put in a braid had come undone at their frantic joining. 

"You all right Captain? Was that too much activity for you?" Natasha asked with a chuckle, snuggling into his chest trying to soak in his warmth. The house wasn't cold but now that the activity had died down she shivered a bit. His arm wrapped around her tightly trying to share more warmth. 

"Never," he stretched his neck enough to kiss the crown of her head. "Are you okay? Your back..." Natasha merely waved off his concern with a lazy wave of her hand. 

"I'm perfect," she said softly, turning her head and meeting his lips gently, soaking in the moment.