Real Love is Hard to Find

Tethered

As the aircraft took Steve and Natasha back to Washington after their successful mission, Steve turned to his partner, anger written all over his face. "Nat, don't ever pull a stunt like that again."

Natasha let out a chuckle, then winced as pain shot through her right arm. When they were making their way back to the landing point rendezvous, Natasha had been shot taking a bullet for Steve. Well, really, she threw herself into the path of the bullet. Steve had quickly taken out the gunman with a well-aimed throw of his shield. When he turned back to look at Nat, he had never felt so frightened before in his life.

Even though the wound wasn't life-threatening, she'd still lost a lot of blood. Luckily, they had an emergency medic in the quinjet, so when Steve helped get Natasha on the plane, her arm was treated and bandaged carefully.

"Mmgh, Steve, don't start, alright? I've been wounded by bullets long before I ever met you. I'm used to taking a hit."

Steve, however, wasn't hearing any of it and he crossed his arms. "I don't care if you've been shot at and wounded a million times. I still don't want you to take a bullet for my sake. If I get hit, my super soldier serum can fix it. There's a greater chance of your dying if you get hurt because you're weaker than me."

Natasha's nose flared and she scowled at him. " 'Weaker than you'? Wow, Rogers, how wonderfully shallow. If I weren't injured, I'd fight you for saying that. Listen, I don't just take a bullet for anyone, but you're my teammate and my friend and..." She wanted to say 'The man I love', but she wasn't ready to proclaim something so intimate, especially on this aircraft. Still, she needed him to know that she did feel for him, that she wasn't as blasé and indifferent to his presence as she led him to believe in the past. They had been doing this dance for years and it was beyond getting old.

"I only take a bullet for people that I care about. I care about you." Those last four words were pointed and she made sure that the emphasis was put on 'you'. Steve looked down at her, surprised. Natasha could feel the heat on her cheeks and she forced herself to look away. Suddenly, the words came pouring out of her like a waterfall and she couldn't stop them.

"Nothing matters more than you do, not the mission, not our objective, nothing. I would gladly let the world burn if it meant spending one more day with you, Steve, and that...compromises me to the mission. Maybe I should request Fury to separate us and give me single assignments so I don't put myself at risk like this..."

Steve took her hand in his and squeezed it gently. "No, you don't have to do something like that. We're a great team and we compliment each other. I can't imagine having a better partner than you by my side. We can find some way to work it out, Nat. I need you."

Tears began to run down Natasha's face. Never in her life had she dreamed he would say something like this to her. She wasn't sure how to take it. After a few moments of silence, she looked up at him again, hope shining in her eyes. "Do you really mean that? You...need me?"

Steve just smiled and pressed his lips to her forehead. "Yes, I need you. As my partner on the field and in my life too."

Natasha gave him a mischievous cat-like grin. "That...almost sounds like a marriage proposal, Rogers."

"It is."

Her eyes widened and she stared at him. To her shock, Steve got down on one knee and pulled out a small, square box. Natasha's lips opened and she gasped. She tried to speak, but no words came out. All she could do at the moment was stare.

"Natalia Alianovna Romanova, from the moment I first met you and the day we fought together in the battle of New York, I was fascinated by you. You've made the past few years the most memorable of my life. You're one of the toughest women I know and probably THE toughest one I ever will know. We've been partners, Avengers and we've been through a lot together. You're one of the few people on this planet that I trust completely with my life and I know you feel the same about me. I've been proud to call you my friend, but I don't want us to just be friends anymore. I want us to be partners for real, standing side by side, committed to each other as husband and wife. So, I have one question to ask you. Will you marry me?"

He opened the box and there rested a white solitaire diamond. It was the most beautiful thing Natasha had ever seen. She reached out and touched it, her voice barely a whisper as she said, "Oh, Steve...it's white?"

"Yes. I chose white because no matter what you have done in the past, you're still perfect for me. You've redeemed yourself from all of your wrongdoings and you have nothing to prove to anyone that you've changed, because you have. I see it, our friends see it. You have a clean slate, Nat. Your ledger isn't red any longer. I love you and I don't care about your past. Every time you look at this ring, I want you to remember that."

By this time, Natasha's head was on Steve's shoulder and she was crying, unsure of how to respond. She had never felt such love from anyone in her entire life. Steve's words were like a balm to her soul and she sobbed from the realization that, for the first time, someone really accepted her.

Steve just held her for a few minutes, knowing that she needed time to process. He was a patient man, so he waited, rubbing circles on her back as she cried. Finally, she pulled away, a big smile on her face. It was infectious and Steve found himself smiling right back at her.

"Do I get an answer this time?" He asked her playfully.

"Yes! Yes, I'll marry you!" She nearly squealed.

"I was hoping you'd accept." Steve's tone was full of teasing and he kept his eyes on Natasha as he pulled the ring out of the little box and slid it onto her finger. Her eyes focused on the ring and she felt so joyful. It was almost like a dream. Steve sat next to her and whispered in her ear, "Natasha Rogers. I like the sound of that."

"So do I." Natasha touched Steve's cheek with her hand, caressing it lightly. "Steve...I love you." She finally let her lips say what her heart had known for many years. He entwined his fingers with hers and kissed her knuckles.

"And I love you, Nat. I can't wait to start a life with you."

Their lips met in a soft kiss. Eventually, they had to pull back to catch their mutual breaths from the intensity of their passion, but they continued to hold each other's hands, their foreheads touching. 

Steve and Natasha were bound by a solemn promise, a vow to love, honor, protect and cherish each other. Their souls were now tethered together forever...as one.