Eternity

Chapter 3: Retired

"When were you going to tell me you were abandoning me to live in a elderly care home?" Natasha grinned as Steve opened his apartment door later that night. He lived not far from herself and Bucky, Brooklyn boys after all. Hard to break the habit or have them consider living anywhere else.

He smiled as he rubbed the back of his neck, giving a chuckle as he stepped aside to let her in. "I've mentioned it once or twice."

"I always thought you were kidding." She laughed, setting down the large grocery bags she had brought with her. "You don't even like pudding cups and that's basically the most edible meal they serve in those places."

He laughed, following her to the kitchen as she made herself at home, unpacking Chinese take out and beer as well as cake. "Is this you fattening me up before I can never eat a decent meal again then?" He teased back.

"More so that you're too big to get out of the door when you try to run from us." She smiled, looking up at him. "But seriously, I'm happy for you. You deserve a break. You've done more than enough."

"Thanks Nat. I've went back and forth on the idea so often I thought I'd drive myself mad." He said. "But I wouldn't have considered it if I knew Bucky wouldn't take my place."

"I think he's flattered." She smiled. "Honoured too I suppose...it helps him realise people believe in him."

Steve nodded in agreement as they both smiled fondly about their absent Bucky. "So you aren't upset I'm leaving you to try and handle the biggest dork we know?"

"Oh I can handle him." She smirked, moving to his side to ease herself into his strong embrace. "But I will miss you. We had a good little duo going on. Team alpha."

"We did," he agreed, returning her hug. He never knew when their friendship developed into one that gave hugs, she wasn't a cuddly person with just anyone. He was thankful for it though, and for the trouble she'd went to tonight and always. "We still do actually, at least for the next few months until it's official I'm leaving."

"So it's still you and me for the Holland mission next week?" He nods in reply. "Thank god, I already booked the hotel under our fake IDs."

"Always prepared." He smiled, watching her start to open he containers of food. "Hey Nat?"

"Yeah?" She replied, glancing at him to show she was listening before continuing

"Take good care of him, will you?"

**

They had no idea where it went wrong. The mission was over, intel secured, enemies beaten, another disaster avoided. Well, the one they had anticipated.

This was an unrelated attack to their mission as far as they could see.

She was walking across the warehouse with Steve, checking their sixth as they left but it happened from the shadows, so quick and unexpected. The gunshot had her attention, and then the strangled gasp from Steve as he buckled onto his knees beside her as they made their way towards the exit. She grabbed him instinctively and shielded him with her body, trying to get a response from him while doing so, make him run, answer her, do anything that wasn't become the dead weight in her arms like he was doing.  Seconds from the first shot, another sounded, hitting where her shoulder joined her neck and causing her to collapse too, another intended kill shot. She held her hand to the wound, losing blood fast between her fingers as she turned Steve over quickly with her foot, trying to ignore the gaping wound amongst his blonde hair on the back of his head and hold onto any hope she could.

Blue eyes glossed over, mouth slightly parted and a puddle of blood and matter beneath his head. Any hope she had that he was alive before was quickly replaced with anguish and disbelief while she alerted SHEILD for help but pressing her emergency tracer on her belt, urgently shouting for backup into her communicator. Slowly, she began to pass out from the loss of blood pouring from her neck and the Captain pulled so sharply into retirement stating passed her. It was all over in seconds.