At all costs

Chapter I

Steve turns his head and looks behind him. Everything is silent in the corridor. He starts running again and makes his way across the compound. He reaches the security room, where he catches up with Natasha.

« Have you fond something? » he asks her.

« Not yet,» she replies, still looking at the screens. She looks at him, and he spots confusion in her eyes. « Something's wrong » she adds, « this is unusual. Only a few guards, not even a huge security organization... It feels like a trap. »

Steve is about to reply when a bomb explodes right underneath them. The whole room starts to crumble. He is ejected against the wall under the force of the explosion.

« Natasha! NATASHA! » he screams, trying to spot her blonde hair through the smoke and dust.

« Steve! » a muffled voice answers him.

Following his instinct, he runs towards the place where her voice comes from. There she is, hanging above the void,  trying to avoid the concrete blocks falling from all sides around her.

« Hold on Nat! I'm coming! »

He begins to move the debris and stones that separate him from her. 

« I think I have a broken ankle... » she lets out almost whispering, pain in her voice.

« Come on please, hold on, I'll be here soon and we're gonna be okay I swear » he tries to comfort her.

He curses quietly, damning the obstacles that stand between him and the woman he loves. Even if he uses all his strength, the amount of rocks is so important that he feels like it is never going to end. After ten minutes, he takes a look at Natasha. She is still holding the edge of the wall, but with only one hand and she seems to be close to faint. Her skin is white as a sheet, she has a deep cut on the cheek and she barely manages to keep her eyes open. Steve talks to her, in order to keep her awake until he can each her. He finally throws the last rock away and he runs to catch her arm.

« Steve... » she whispers, looking at him.

« Come on honey, it's okay, I got you,» he says, closing his hand tightly around her arm.

He is about to lift her up when the second bomb explodes. As in slow motion, he watches himself drop Nat's arm and fall backward. Nat's body starts falling. He tries to catch her but he isn't fast enough. Under his horrified eyes, Nat falls and disappears under the rubble, while a cry of terror and absolute pain leaves his throat.

Steve opens his eyes and lets out a sharp breath. He can still see the ghosts of his nightmare dancing in the dark. His heart is still racing. He turns his head really fast and watches Natasha sleeping next to him. He starts breathing again and touches her skin softly, just to be sure she is real. Slowly, taking care not to wake her up, he sits on the edge of the bed. It has been 3 years now since the Civil war, and one year since Nat joined him in his escape. He would have enjoyed it very much if they hadn't to run away every day. He turns his head and looks at Nat again, still sleeping naked beside him.

He doesn't know how they got there. When she joined the team, it was really awkward. Both didn't know what to do or what to say. Steve thought she was still into Bruce, and Nat thought Steve was still seeing Sharon. Eventually, they both realize they were actually into each other, and even then, Wanda had to interfere to enable the situation to evolve this way. One hour and a huge discussion later, they finally admitted that they had an overwhelming attraction and that very evening, Nat slept with Steve for the first time. Just thinking about this, Steve feels all his body turning on. Her soft skin, her perfect lips... Everything about her makes Steve want to touch her over and over again, without stopping. He lays again on the bed and kisses Nat's shoulder. She sighs and he freezes, for fear of waking her up. It has been a really exhausting journey so far, and every moment of sleep is welcomed.