𝐚𝐠𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐭 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐨𝐝𝐝𝐬 [ romanogers² ]

twelve. in love and war

I have returned. 

And I'm broken by Chadwick's passing. This chapter is dedicated to our king :')

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( twelve. in love and war )

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Steve, and the rest of his team, heard someone announcing that the airport was being evacuated. And, of course, they deduced that it had to be Tony's orders. 

They're here.

They made their way out of the parking garage, going down to the ground levels of the airport. Clint informed them that a chopper would be waiting for them, and they needed to get to it first before Tony or anyone from the opposing side could.

"Is that it?" Steve asked Clint, nodding towards the direction of the chopper placed in the middle of the grounds.

Clint nodded, eyes darting around for any sign of a situation. It seemed secure enough, but they had to be careful. For all they know, Tony and Natasha could be anywhere; their eyes and ears were currently on them now. And they needed to to do the same.

Steve was anxious too, so he told his team to stay behind while he made sure to check if the coast was clear. He took slow strides, glancing at every direction to look for any possible ploys. It was oddly silent. To the naked eye, everything around them seemed and sounded peaceful enough, a fight was the last thing you'd expect to erupt from this, but to Steve — it was the exact opposite.

Something wasn't right.

"Looks clear, Cap?" He heard Clint asked from his earpiece.

Steve brought a finger to his ear, responding lowly, "Yeah, I think it's—" The second Steve turned around to have a final scan of the grounds, he stopped short. His breath hitched. The orders he were supposed to give out died down in his throat. He swallowed thickly, eyes locking with the person in front of him. 

Clint received silence on the other end and wondered what's wrong. "What's happening?"

Then Steve muttered, voice faltering, "Nat."

Natasha stood in front of him. He didn't know how or when she got here because just seconds ago, he swore the area was clear. There was no trace nor sign of her. But now? She was standing here in full view, staring at him with wide, wary eyes, and an unreadable expression on her face. A mix of desperation, frustration and exhaustion all at the same time.

She didn't take a step back nor a step forward. Neither did he.

"Steve," Natasha said back. Her voice was calm, but Steve heard the hint of warning behind it. So, he realized, he wasn't talking to Natasha. He was talking to Black Widow.

Steve took a defensive stance, giving her the same treatment. "Where's Stark?"

Natasha shook her head feebly. When Steve tilted his head at her disbelievingly, she sighed, "It's just you and me."

He frowned, raising an eyebrow. "Is it?" he countered. Unconsciously, his eyes fleeted over to the earpiece in her ear. It was subtly but evidently kept hidden by her hair. From all the years they've worked alongside together, Steve picked up some of her tactics. He knew her moves, and what she was planning to do next.

The only downside was — she learned some of his too.

Natasha caught his drift. With an exasperated sigh, she tucked a mass of her hair behind her ear — indeed, revealing an earpiece. Steve was right. Tony was here, listening and watching them, and he was sure as hell that they didn't come unprepared this time. He was definitely up to something.