After Infinity War

Part 14

STEVE

Clint walks to the back of the plane once we're up in the air, and spends about an hour talking to Natasha. He passes the phone to Tony and he talks for about ten minutes. He hangs up eventually and comes back to sit with me, Clint and Shuri. The kids are asleep towards the front of the plane.
'She says she'll meet us. She was weirdly cooperative.' Tony says, sitting down.
'You forget how close she and Wanda had become. Natasha doesn't have many female friends. Plus she hates this new world. Sure, her and Bruce are happy together, but it's just not the same.' Clint says.
'Wakanda is thriving, but the people are unhappy. As is the rest of the world.' Shuri says, staring out the window.
We remain silent for most of the rest of the trip, no one wanting to bring up anything to do with the future, too scared to find flaws in our plans.
The plane lands in an empty area, two figures standing waiting for us. Clint steps down first and embraces Natasha for a long time. They hold each other friends and I wonder when they last saw each other.
Natasha wears her hair long, it's an odd look for her, impractical. She's let the blonde grow out and has replaced it with her natural ginger. Bruce stands a bit behind her and Clint, but steps forward when Tony walks towards him.
Bruce goes for a handshake but Tony ignores it and brings him straight in for a hug. I imagine Tony's missed his science friend.
I stand with Shuri beside the plane. Natasha let's go of Clint and catches my eye. She walks towards me and punches me in the nose.
I lean back from the momentum of the punch. But she steps in and wraps her arms around me, hugging me for the first time in over a year.
'Don't you do that again.' She says.
'Do what?' I ask, innocently hugging her back. I have missed her.
'Leave. Don't you leave again.' She says, finally letting go.
'Shuri,' She says, bowing her head slightly in respect, 'I hope Wakanda is well.'
'It could be better.' She says, solemnly.
Bruce and Tony walk towards us and I share a brief hug with Bruce.
'Good to see you again, Steve.' Bruce says.
'You too.'
'It's been a while.' He says.
'Didn't even go to the wedding.' Natasha says.
'We won't hold that one against him.' Tony says, leading the way into the plane.
'So Tony,' Natasha says, absentmindedly clutching to Bruce's side, 'What's this I hear about a kid?'
'He's here.' Tony says, to Natasha and Bruce's surprise.
'On the plane?' Bruce asks.
'Right back here.' Tony leads them to the back of the plane and picks up the recently awakened Peter.
Natasha reaches her hand out lightly to brush the hair out of his face. 'Want to hold him?' He asks.
'Oh I can't be trusted with a child.' Natasha says.
'If I can, so can you.' He says, passing Peter to Natasha. She holds him in her arms and looks down.
'He's got your eyes.' She says quietly.
'No, he's all Pepper.' Tony says, taking Peter back and letting him rest on his side.
'So, Tony, we got to talk.' Bruce says, unwillingly making the transaction from Peter to saving the world.
'I'll explain everything, but we have one last call.' Tony says, walking to the front of the plane. 'You can fly us home now, if you're sure you don't want introductions yet. We can make this last call on the plane.' He says to Carol, who remains hidden away at the front of the plane.
'Who are we getting?' Clint asks, coming back from checking on the still sleeping Lila.
'Do you really need to ask?' Tony asks, taking his phone out and dialling.
'Of course.' Clint says, smiling.
'Starting to feel like old times.' Natasha says, 'the worst we had to deal with was Loki.'
'I'm starting to miss the bastard.' Bruce says, smiling a little.
'Hey.' Tony says, 'Watch the language.' He moves swiftly to look at me, to see if I got his reference and of course I did. I find myself smiling, quite happy for the first time in a while. Tony smiles too, and sits down with Peter in his lap, ready for the plane to start up.