"Heads up, Rogers."

A water bottle sailed across the air, sent by a perfect underarm throw.

Not wanting to get hit in the head, Steve reached up to catch it, despite the thick bandages around his torso.

The bottle landed in his palm in a neat catch, the plastic crunching when his fingers wrapped around it.

"Sure." Steve said sarcastically, looking at the person standing by the doorway. His lips lifted into an inevitable smile. "Throw a water bottle at an injured man's face. You would have to give an explanation if the doctor comes in and see me with a bruised eye."

Bucky grinned back at his friend lying on the white hospital bed, arms folded together.

"Don't complain, Stevie." Steve gave him a look on the embarrassing but at the same time, endearing nickname. "You're Captain fucking America. Shouldn't you already be up on your feet taking down evil organizations or helping old ladies to cross the streets?

Steve scoffed in a humorous way and screwed open the cap of the plastic bottle.

"Well, Captain fucking America is not as invincible as everyone thinks he is." He paused a while as he tipped the water into his mouth. The cold liquid trickled down his throat. "He needs rest too."

Oh, Steve needed rest alright. For all the sleepless and stressful nights that went on for months. That was the first time in his life that he had actually considered to go back to sleep for another 70 years.

But that didn't matter. Not anymore. It was over now and that was all Steve cared about.

Of course, the end of this…war also led to something. A chance. A redemption of some sort. With Natasha Romanoff.

Steve didn't know what to do that with that given opportunity. Any sane men would have taken it instantly but Steve…he just wasn't sure. Not anymore.

"It's really weird when you refer to yourself as the third person like that." Bucky told Steve, edging closer to him. With a quick swipe of his metal arm, the water bottle was snatched away from Steve.

There was a small permanent curve of Bucky's lips that always seemed to ease up Steve's mood by a fraction. His improvement was remarkable, almost unbelievable. It wasn't an over-night thing though. Bucky kept forgetting and Steve kept reminding.

It was true that Bucky had lost control over his conscience several times but the most important thing was that he was okay now.

Despite all that, a part of Steve knew that the Bucky Barnes he lost - his Bucky – was not the Bucky Barnes he had found. And he might never be.

Steve was still trying to make peace with that.

"Hey, you alright?" Steve asked. Bucky's hand jerked a little to the left, causing water to spill down his shirt.

"Yeah, of course." He hastily capped the bottle. "Um, why do you ask?"

Steve rolled his eyes. "I have known you for almost my whole life, Buck. I can tell when you're lying." He pointed his index fingers at Bucky accusingly. "Which is what you're doing now."

Bucky cast the closed door a nervous look, which almost made Steve laugh. Nothing much was able to scare James Buchanan Barnes. Steve has saw him face down boys thrice the size of him, zip-line through snowy mountains as if it was nothing, and he was never hesitant.

"Okay, okay." Bucky turned back towards Steve. "She wants to talk to you."

Steve didn't know why he was asking. He already knew who it was. "She?"

"Black Widow." Steve's friend gave another look at the door, which made him think about what Natasha had done to scare Bucky like that.

"Let her in." He said a little too tightly. Bucky didn't argue.

A few moments after he disappeared out the door, someone replaced him, their strides quick and long.

It was her.

Steve had avoided Natasha for months. And she had been too. But some meeting were just inevitable – battles and important meetings on solving the conflict. Steve did not dare meet her eyes because he knew that one glance would throw him off his game. That was how much she could affect him.

But now, free from any pressure of winning some kind of twisted game they had been dancing around for so long, Steve could finally properly study at her. She had changed so much but at the same time, was still the same woman he knew and lo…adored.

Natasha's stance was tense like she was ready to attack any moment. Her green eyes were still as bright as ever and her mouth, though not positioned in the happy grin she bore whenever she saw him, was arched into a small subconscious smile.

"Hi." She said.

All Steve could do was stare at her like a complete idiot, drinking in every familiar and unfamiliar parts of Natasha.

They didn't speak for a while.

"How are you?" Natasha asked a little uncomfortably.

"I'm good. You?"

"Fine."

The long pause filled the air. Natasha exhaled through her mouth in frustration and that was how Steve notice that he had been staring at her lips. "I miss you."

The "I miss you too" was stuck in Steve's throat. He didn't force it out. All he did was nod and look down.

Since that day she left, he had missed her so much that he thought he was going to break into pieces. Every day, when the sun goes down and the night falls, the only thing luring Steve to sleep was Natasha's smile. And sometimes, during the tougher times, she was the reason he woke up in the morning.

Now, she wanted him back. And he wanted her back. Was it not simple? Why could they not just exchange "I love you"s and move on?

Maybe it was the battles he had fought. The stinging betrayal. The agonizing pain in his chest. Steve had changed. In so many ways that he never knew could. And that was the problem.

No matter how much he changed, he still needed Natasha in a hundred different ways. Steve didn't want this weakness.

Love is for children. That was what Natasha used to say to him when he tried to have her open up to him. Feelings are distractions.

Maybe she was right.

"Steve."

He looked up. Natasha did not look worried or scared at the blank silence she was rewarded with. Instead, her arms were folded and her face firm.

"Natasha, why did you come?" he asked. "Why now?"

She looked at him like he was crazy and seated herself on the uncomfortable looking plastic chair. "Why not now?"

He didn't answer, which gave her an opportunity to start talking.

"I left you. And I know I have no right to come back begging for you. So I'm not here to do that." Steve tilted his head towards Natasha, perked up with interest. "But you deserve an apology. And the truth."

"You don't need to apologize."

"Yes, I do. Look," Natasha's hand shot out to close over Steve's without much thought. At the moment she realized what she did, it was already too late to retrieve her hand. So she let it linger. "you are one of the best man I know and the first man I ever needed. I don't know what you would have expected in our relationship. You understand that I'm not an open person, or someone who would fall so easily with a couple of dates and sweet talk. But you still stayed and I didn't. I'm sorry for that."

Steve wanted to give in but the small determined part that never wanted to be hurt again resisted. Her hand lying on his was making the situation more difficult. She had no idea how long he wanted to touch her.

"Well, apology accepted." He said a little too coldly. Natasha's face remained impassive. Steve felt guiltier than he would if she had flinched.

Natasha's fingers tightened slightly around his. "It's not just the apology." She looked up to meet his eyes. "I just…want you to know that, um, you made me happy." She cleared her throat. "I, um, am grateful that you ever entered my life, despite everything that happened."

A smile fought its way to Steve's lips. He couldn't help it.

"You decided that I was worth the wait. I'm not sure about now but what I am sure is that you, you are worth the wait to me. And I will wait until the world ends."

Natasha's eyes were blazing with passion when she looked at him and Steve wondered why he ever even considered on letting her go.

To protect yourself.

It was true. Natasha had done so much damage to him but maybe baby steps might help. One step after another.

"That's a very long time you're talking about." Steve said. "You sure you have the patience?"

That made Natasha grin - a grin they seemingly brighten up the whole bleak hospital room. "I don't know. Maybe you shouldn't make me wait too long."

She bent down and dropped a quick press of lips on his nose. "See you around soldier."

Steve smiled when she left because both of them knew that she did not have to wait any much longer now.