A/N Well, this is my first trip concerning fanfiction into this fandom. All I know about Marvel is what I got from the MCU (so aside from Ant-Man, I'm currently pretty good up-to-date, I guess). Originally this was planned as an oneshot only, but if there is enough interest from you guys (and if my writing is not too terrible, the characters are not OOC, etc.), I think it could have the potential to contain some chapters more. So just let me know if you want more or not and have fun reading it.
Oh, and of course I sadly don't own anything Marvel related.
P.S. The series of oneshots I promised in chapter 2 has already been started and contains some stories. Maybe you like them as well, if so, please let me know. You can find them under "The Secret Life of Natasha Romanoff"
Got two hours in town. Care to join me for a drink? -N
A smile played on the lips of the redhead while she hit the send-button. Steve would probably wonder where she got the number from but honestly, he shouldn't be surprised. She was a spy, after all. Even though right now rather a fugitive than anything else, but why bother? It wasn't the first time and it sure as hell won't be the last. Carefully she sipped at her cup of tea, never once let up her alertness. Ross wouldn't catch her off guard and although she had to give up most of her equipment she still was a fatal danger.
Her eyes were guarded with sunglasses which also covered some parts of her face against the blazing sun. Loose shorts made of linen showed enough of her legs to be a distraction to some men. Not that the heels of her shoes made anything better. A green top, almost the color of her eyes, hugged her torso closely and a light jacket hung over the back of her chair. A duffel bag lay under the table she was seated at, right beside another one that was only a little smaller.
It didn't take long until she saw a familiar figure in the crowd, the blonde shock of hair demonstrative low-key covered by a baseball cap and his eyes also hidden behind sunglasses. He discovered her in almost the same moment, looked around (again way to inconspicuous to not be noticed) and then made way towards her table.
"That's what you call a drink? I thought of something… different", he commented with a lopsided smile and took a seat beside her but in a way that he also had his back against the wall.
"Since when does our Cap drink alcohol in the bright day?" Natasha just loved to tease him whenever she could. It was their thing.
Steve shrugged. "Some coffee will also do. What are you doing here, Natasha? Does Tony need something already?"
"Paying you a visit. I thought it appropriate to say goodbye before vanishing off the radar again. T'Challa told Ross I'd let you escape, so let's just say Tony wouldn't tell me if he needed help with anything. And by the way, he can kiss my ass." She eyed him sympathetically before adding: "I heard what happened in Siberia. I'm sorry."
"Well, it was just a question of time when Tony would find out, wasn't it?" Steve scratched his neck. "I should be the one offering help to you. If you hadn't stopped T'Challa… I don't know if Bucky would be still alive by now. I owe you one."
"You owe me way more than that." Natasha grinned. "And trust me, it's not going to get any better. But let's get to that later. I'm glad you got a place to stay. The others all okay?"
Steve sighed and leaned back in his chair. "Yeah, they're fine. I'm just worried about Bucky; he wants to get himself into a cryogenic tank so he's not a danger for anyone. Couldn't you… talk to him? There has to be a different way."
"No, no way." Natasha held up her hands. "Most members of your team think I'm still on the other side of this stupid war and I really don't think T'Challa appreciated being shocked by my Bites. No, it's better if I stay away. I would only cause more trouble. And concerning Bucky… Let him do it if he thinks it the right thing to do. You don't know what it means not being able to trust yourself, Steve." She wanted to stay, wanted it badly. Finally stop running altogether and kind of settle down, if only for a little while. But that wasn't possible. She understood Bucky's choice, maybe better than anyone else. She knew what it meant to be a danger to the people one loved.
"Fine." It was silent between them for a while, both eyeing the crowd for potential dangers. When Steve didn't find anything, he asked: "What about you? Do you have a place to go to? A plan on what you're doing next?"
Natasha shrugged nonchalantly. "No. Yes. Maybe. I'm not sure yet. I brought Laura and the kids to a safe place. You can tell Clint as much, but I won't tell you, where exactly they are. Not because I wouldn't trust you but because one can never know who's listening. But they are safe, I promise. I left them with someone I would trust my own life with. You may know him. Older guy, only one eye… He's great with the kids." She had been surprised, honestly, but why not? Training agents couldn't be that much different from watching kids. Probably both Cooper and Lila already practiced archery and other stuff, as long as Laura didn't notice.
The blonde man tried to fight a smile but failed miserably. "You got the director to babysit? That's just great! Clint will love that story." His smile faded and his look became more serious. "But you're avoiding. Is it something you can't tell me about? Some sort of… mission?"
"Rather a personal mission, really", Natasha admitted. "I need to dig up some new identities and I thought I might start in Asia, asking an old friend of ours why he chose to hide cowardly when we could have needed him. There's no way he didn't hear about the Accords or at least the fight at the airport. Or did you hear something of him?" She still got angry when thinking about Bruce. Angry at him for leaving the team. For leaving her. Angry at herself for letting herself drawn into this whole misery. For letting herself think that Bruce was the one to understand her, to help her fight her demons. And she would have helped him fighting his.
"Of Banner? No. Wait. You want to kick the Hulk's ass without your gear, backup or whatsoever? That's mental, Nat!" The American hero seemed honestly shocked.
"It's cute you're worried about me. But unnecessary. I don't want to kick the other guy's ass, just maybe punch the doctor in the face. Or somewhere else. Haven't decided yet." She flashed a short smile at him. "As I said, Rogers, personal business. Don't even think of talking me out of it. Or worse, accompanying me. You have your hands full of stuff to do and to organize and I'm a big girl, I can handle this." She really didn't need Steve's support when dealing with her ex. If ex he could be called.
"So she said before a big green guy showed her otherwise." Steve shook his head. "Fine. But you will tell me when you're safe and back, alright? Captain's orders."
Natasha simply rolled her eyes. At least she won't have him drag along. "Only if you call Sharon. She asked me to tell you she's still interested although, I quote, 'you're a goddamn bullhead and your next getaway car shouldn't be a Bug if you want to get away the fast way.'" Why was there this pang in her chest? She spent months in setting Steve up with girls, so she should be happy that there finally was one able to deal with his gentlemanly kind of way and his goddamned old world charm. And those eyes…
"Well, Sharon doesn't seem to know that to run away you have to walk", Steve quipped with half a smile, referencing to the episode in Washington, D.C. two years prior. "Why did she contact you?"
Natasha returned his smile. Her world had broken apart back then but he had been there. Together they had gone through the Hydra uprising. "I contacted her. Needed her help to get some stuff I thought you could use." She reached under the table and pulled the slightly bigger bag on her lap only to shove it to Steve. "Here. A bow and some arrows for Clint I got from Laura, Sam's beloved Red Wing, Wanda's picture of her brother and some energy bars for this Ant-Guy. Didn't know what to get him, but I couldn't leave him out, could I?"
Steve playfully pulled a face. "But you could leave me out?"
"Don't play puppy. You're worse than Cooper when he finds out Lila got one cookie more than him." She lowered her voice before continuing to talk. "Since you're in the one country with natural occurrence of Vibranium, I figured you could use a new shield. I couldn't get your old one since you left it to Tony – stupid move by the way – but I got a copy of Howard Stark plans of the shield. And before you protest, listen to me."
Steve closed his mouth again.
"You didn't kill his father and we both know it would have changed nothing if you told Tony about his parent's death. Howard made this shield for you so you could fulfill your part. You're gonna need it. So stuff your pride and stubbornness."
"Am I allowed to speak now?"
"Don't test me, Rogers. Just because I spent time with the Mini-Bartons doesn't mean my patience is any better than before."
"I just wanted to thank you. Really, Natasha. I don't know what you had to do to get your hands on this stuff, but I appreciate it. If there is something I can-"
"No." The answer came fast. Too fast? Natasha wasn't sure. "Take it as a goodbye gift. I'll be off the grid for a good while and I don't want to worry about you guys. Just don't let yourselves be caught, alright? Or killed." She took the second bag and stood up. "I need to go, catch a plane. Be careful." She needed to go. Now. Her plane wouldn't start in another three hours but it was dangerous for her to be near Steve that long. Still, she had wanted to see him one last time. Who knew when they would or could meet again? The Avengers were her family as S.H.I.E.L.D. had been her family. The only families she'd ever known. She hated what the Accords had done to her family, her friends and the whole civil war (as it has been coined by the media) that had followed. And maybe most of all she would miss the times fighting at Steve's side.
"Natasha?", he called her back, grabbing her hand and standing up himself. "Don't be a stranger. If you want to, there will be a place for you. If not, that's fine, too, but don't let us worry too much about you."
A small, slightly sad smile played around her lips. Natasha turned around and laid her free hand on Steve's cheek. "Goodbye, Steve." Her lips barely grazed his, then she turned around and confidently set one foot in front of the other. She had a plane to catch.