Hello! It's Bubbly Fx, back with a new fanfiction revolving around our favourite heroes! This would mainly revolve about the future I imagined that the avengers will have if the endgame didn't come to pass (I'm still crying don't even). So yeah, this doesn't really follow the entire endgame plotline and this story starts after the Avengers: Age of Ultron. If you have any questions, feel free to ask. AND PLEASE PLEASE LEAVE A REVIEW, It keeps my creativity flowing you feel?

*I unfortunately do not own any of the characters because if I do then this would have become canon and *spoilers to the people who haven't watched endgame* Nat and Tony would still be alive and would be roasting each other to death*

Anyhow, I won't keep you for long, I hope you enjoy and see you at the end of the chapter :)

New Avengers Facility | 01:17

It was chilly for a summer night, but Steve didn't really mind. After all, the slight crisp breeze was no match for the intense coldness of the arctic ice that trapped him. He had been sitting on the edge of a little clearing for some time now, watching as darkness overpowered the day while the sun slowly disappeared. Only the moon and the stars decorated the night sky after, giving him the perfect scenery to sketch. Now looking at his finished drawing, he can't help but feel like something was missing. Pursing his lips, he must have missed something important. Determined to find out what he did (or didn't do) wrong, he flipped back to random pages to see what he possibly forgot. He mostly drew sceneries and architectures, so buildings and mountains were mostly what he found. Sometimes he'd draw some animals or certain events that he found deeply memorable, but rarely did he draw people. That's why it came as a surprise to him when he came across a whole page of portraits, not just of any people - but his teammates, both past and present.

The Howling Commandos decorated the left side of the page. Steve managed to draw them purely out of memory with details as much as he can remember when he first saved them from that blasted hydra facility. Dugan's charred moustache and the hole on Dernier's worn out hat made him chuckle, his thumb grazing over the page ever so slightly as to not smudge the drawing. The smile he had slowly fell from his face when he recalled the time Fury handed him the files he had requested- his friends' files. In the middle of a random night, a few days after waking up, he finally managed to bring himself to look over their papers. His world only came crashing even more as he saw the amount of crosses beside every name he knew. Guilt and sadness hit him like it never did before, and he had spent weeks cursing the serum that allowed him to cheat life. That is, of course, until he met the Avengers. His new teammates covered every space left of the page, all in their fighting ensemble complete with their own weapons- Tony's suit, Thor's hammer and even Clint's bow and arrow. Despite the comfort and friendship that the Avengers gave him, Steve couldn't help but frown further as he stared at their portraits. A dull throb started on his chest until it felt too heavy to carry. Guess he wasn't kidding when he told Tony he'll miss them huh?

It's been months since they've all parted ways and the sense of loneliness (Was he correct? was this truly loneliness?) still has not left the Captain's side. Thor had said goodbye just days after the Battle of Sokovia, with him and Tony wishing him good luck for his next endeavour. Clint wanted to spend more time with his family while Tony had promised Pepper to finally stop risking his life for once. Banner… they still have no news about the doctor ever since his disappearance. The four who left were quickly substituted by the new avengers they have recruited; Rhodes, Wanda, Vision and Sam. Although their new team works together well, Steve can't help but let his old friends' name slip out of his mouth whenever giving out orders. One remained constant through all these changes though, someone he was truly thankful for- Natasha.

"You know, it makes it harder for me to grab my favourite sweater when you're wearing it during these secret trips of yours."

"Is that your way of finally admitting to the crime of stealing my clothes?"

"It's not called stealing if I return it back." The frown he had finally broke, and a chuckle made it past his lips. He didn't even have to turn to see who it was- he knew that voice all too well.

"A penny for your thoughts?" The spy asked next. "If you don't know what that meant, it means-"

"I know what it means Nat. I'm 97, not dead." He replied flatly despite the smirk lingering on his lips, echoing the same statement he said just a year or so ago. Turning to his right, Steve found Natasha already sitting beside him with her silk pajamas. "I'd ask how you found me but I guess I should already know the answer to that." She is a spy after all, tracking people's her job.

"Tell me, is it because your skills are deteriorating or I'm just that good?" She asked, raising an eyebrow as she looked at him. Natasha had a teasing smile painted on her lips, her green eyes shining with mirth.

"Those are my only options? Come on Romanoff, that's unfair. You know I'm not a liar." He jabbed right back at her, causing the spy next to him to laugh. A grin made its way to his face, chuckling as he shook his head lightly at their banter.

Their relationship had blossomed throughout the years- at least, Steve would like to think so. They've become so close, from being mere teammates to actually being friends. Looking back, he would never have fathomed that the cold spy would be his steadfast companion just a few years after they met each other.

Natasha was the first Avenger he met, right after landing at SHIELD's helicarrier. Phil had introduced her to him merely as' Agent Romanoff', leaving him wondering what her name was. Settling for a short greeting instead of stuttering and embarrassing himself further, he merely nodded at the agent before him. Steve, despite being who he was, was an extreme idiot when it came to women… and Natasha was a very beautiful one at that. She had striking green eyes that reminded him of the finest emeralds, with plump lips curled into an amused smile. Her crimson red hair wasn't something you would normally see in the forties, but as he spent more time with her, he found that it suited her personality very well. He remembered the way agents stopped momentarily when they entered, and it didn't take Steve a minute to realise that it wasn't because of him or Banner- it was because of her. People cleared the way for her, head slightly lowered as she passed by. Sharing a look with Doctor Banner, they both had one thing in mind; Agent Romanoff was not someone you'd like to cross.

Soon enough, he was drafted to his very first mission; contain the godly threat called Loki. This was madness, Steve thought as he slid onto his new and improved uniform. During his day, the only threat he had to deal with was a mutated literal red head, but the century today took it up a notch and introduced him to gods and intergalactic monsters. Shaking his head, he grabbed his shield. How in the world was he going to cope? A few moments later, he was led to a jet just like the one he was on before. A lone pilot waited by himself, arms crossed in front of him as he nodded to the captain. He made no move to go and start the engine, confusing the otherwise ready soldier. Before he could ask whatever the matter was, a voice beat him to it.

"Sorry to keep you waiting boys." Steve remembered whipping his head back, surprised as his eyes landed on the Agent he met earlier. The leather jacket and jeans ensemble she sported before was replaced by a cat suit far different from the ones he saw on the agents within the control room. Instead of the dark blue one-piece uniform made of a much looser material, she wore a very tight catsuit made of black leather. Holsters were strapped to her thighs, with a matching utility belt hanging off her hips that probably contained more than what it looks to carry. Were women really this liberated? He thought, quickly averting his gaze. Jesus help him if he was to survive.

"Agent Romanoff."

"You seem surprised to see me Captain," He remembered her smirk vividly before she sternly commanded the man to ready the quinjet for take off. The pilot obediently did as he was told, leaving the two alone. "I take it not a lot of women were agents who fly planes back in your time."

Fast forward a few days later, Steve had assigned her with him to keep the fighting down the ground during the Chitauri invasion. He knew he shouldn't have been afraid sending her out there, but a small part of him- probably the 1940s man he truly was- can't help but worry. Natasha, while in fact one of Fury's best agents, was a woman. By no means did Steve mean it in the wrong way, but he just wanted to be close enough if she had ever needed help. It was biased he knew, and boy did she prove him wrong in the best way possible. He remembered clutching his shield tightly, knees buckled as he looked intently at the woman in front of him. Her breathing was laboured, and several cuts littered her delicate face.

"You sure about this?" He asked one last time. He didn't miss the way she glanced at the flying aliens before wiping her cut lip.

"Yeah," She answered nonchalantly. "It's gonna be fun." The last thing Steve saw was a flash of determined green eyes and a flurry of red curls as she ran straight towards him, leaping from the jeep onto his shield. He pushed with all the strength he had, propelling her straight up. To his utter amazement, Natasha quickly hailed a ride and was zoomed out of his sight. That was the exact moment he knew that doubting the Black Widow- Natasha Romanoff- was pointless.

After that incident, he began working for SHIELD. And while he did expect the paperwork and the long, tedious missions, the Captain did not expect to be working with the one and only Black Widow. It was after two months of him working when Fury announced that he'd finally have a partner. Sitting inside the debriefing office, he tapped his fingers impatiently. If his so called partner would make a habit of being la-

"Sorry to keep you waiting." And just like a rerun of their first 'mission' together', his eyes landed on Natasha. He would've doubted Fury's decision of pairing them up (a soldier and a spy? A rule follower and a rule breaker? Really Nick?) but Steve knew better. He himself had to admit that they work tremendously well, almost as if they were completely in sync in the battle field no matter what mission it may be. Plopping on the seat beside him, she took her jacket off and placed it on her lap. "Those drug dealers wouldn't shut up and I had to improvise."

"Agent Romanoff."

"You seem surprised to see me yet again Cap." The teasing grin she had on her face was something he couldn't help but mirror back. From Captain to merely Cap? Leaning back, he waited for the following sentence she was surely going to say. Taking the folder placed neatly in front of her, she flipped it open and scanned its content before continuing. "I take it not a lot of women who were agents managed to get close to you like this huh?"

Steve remembered laughing loudly at that, shaking his head at the red headed agent beside him. Fury raised an eyebrow, sharing a look with Maria Hill as they wondered what happened. They should have known though- they were the ones who paired him and Natasha on several missions after the Chitauri incident. Mission after mission, the two managed to finally be comfortable with each other. He didn't know that this partner thing would eventually pull them even closer.

It started with one traumatising mission and the sleepover that occurred on Steve's apartment the night they had finished. He had woken up to find her gone and her side of the bed neatly made- he thought that was the last of it. But after letting it slip that he'd love to have her over whenever she's free, her visits became more frequent and their sleepovers have expanded to dinner and movie nights. Every question he had was answered, and it was probably thanks to this routine of theirs that he managed to get over the culture shock and to finally adapt. Sometimes she'd sleep on the couch, but most of the time she'd be laying down with him. She'd always leave before the break of dawn, but on the rare occasions that she stays, Steve always makes sure that she woke up with a table filled with every breakfast food she could ever think of. He thought that was the final stage of their friendship, the peak of what was in between the two of them, but boy was he wrong.

"Stop lying."

"I only act like I know everything Rogers."

The Bucky incident had happened, and to be frank, she was the last person he thought that would help him with it- that would stick by him as SHIELD fell and he was officially labelled as a fugitive. That was one rollercoaster ride, and Natasha sat on the front seat with him most of the times only to depart as soon as the ride was done. In those few months, he had known Natasha more than he did for the last few years they've been together as teammates and partners. In the cemetery, he wanted to ask her to stay and Sam had urged him to follow her. But Steve knew better. They had a different mission this time, and their partnership was second only to their own aims; for her to find herself and for him to find his friend. So he stood there, eyes tracing her figure as she continued to walk away from him. He wished she'd look back, but she didn't, and that was goodbye.

"You're lost again Steve." Her voice softly pulled her out of his reverie, blinking as the memories in front of him vanished.

"That obvious huh?"

"I told you honesty had more downs than ups." She replied with the softest smiles he had ever seen her wore. Unlike her lips however, her eyes screamed nothing but worry. Of course she did her best to hide it, but they've been together for so long that it was almost impossible to hide anything from him. Unfortunately for him, it was a two way street- she could see past him just as easily.

The Black Widow was worried about him. If one told him that a few years ago, he'd scoffed and merely laughed. Now? Steve already knew within himself that he cannot hide anything from her no matter how much he wanted to.

"I was just reminiscing the past."

"You seem to be doing that a lot lately." Natasha commented dryly, "Mind sharing?"

"It's just funny how far we've come." Steve said, his eyes staring straight at the twinkling stars littered across the night sky. Leaning back, he propped his elbows upon the grass and crossed his legs together. "We came a long way."

"Remember when Tony dragged us out to that Shawarma place the second time around?" Steve continued with a smirk as he remembered the events. It was during the first week after everyone had moved in the Avengers tower and Tony had deemed that they were to celebrate. "I remember Thor breaking almost every piece of glass that place had."

"I remember a certain Captain still not acknowledging I existed."

"I was shy," Steve defended himself, knowing exactly what she was talking about. About a minute of silence, he hesitantly added, "And I was worried."

Natasha was the first one to be called in a mission ever since they stayed together. That was the moment they found out that living together had its downs aside from living with Tony everyday; they all fed off each other's anxiety. Her missions was supposedly easy and she was expected to be back the day after. However, hours passed and there wasn't any sign of a jet landing on the helipad. After exactly a seven hours of waiting, all the avengers stormed through SHIELD to demand answers. It turns out that she has been compromised and her last message before requesting for back up was to not let the Avengers know. As their leader, Steve took that harshly. His eyes had hardened, mind working overtime to find a rational reason for her decision. When Natasha came back, she was in a stretcher with an oxygen mask covering her pale face. It took her three days to recover, with all the avengers restraining her from doing work as much as possible. After that, Tony called in and booked the whole shawarma place for them where they reminisced the first time they came.

"I was fine." Natasha replied, waving her hand nonchalantly. "You and the others were too worried about me."

He snorted. She always says that.

"Because you never do."

"Because you guys are doing it for me."

"It's our specialty." Steve said, before blanking out. "I wonder what they're doing right now."

"Well," Natasha scooted a bit closer, laying down the grass as she stared straight to the sky. "Tony's most likely driving Pepper mad, Clint's surely obsessing over his new mango tree while Thor… there's just way too many possibilities as to what a god could do."

"Probably asking his maids to whip up a pop tart in Asgard." Steve said, mimicking her position.

"Plausible." Natasha replied after chuckling, finally knowing the reason why Steve had been down the past few days. Turning to his right, she found him already looking at her. "I miss them too Steve."

A blanket of silence fell over them, eyes staring deep into each other as they tried to understand what the other was feeling. It must have been fairly easy for Natasha. Aside from being very skilful in terms of reading people and their emotions, Steve knew he was an open book- especially in front of her. This may be one of the reasons why he was so thankful to have her stay. No words were needed between the two them, and Steve was grateful for that. He may be the best at giving commands and speeches, but in terms of the matters of the heart, the captain was reduced to being an ordinary human being.

"Me too." He said with a slight smile to which she returned before looking up at the sky again. "But you know what Romanoff?"

She hummed in response, taking in the peace and serenity they weren't really presented with most of the time.

"Out of everyone who stayed… I'm glad it's you." His eyes saw the way she stiffened ever so slightly, her breath hitching on her throat. Slowly, she turned to her side and tucked her arms underneath her head. Looking at him once again, Steve could only smile. Gone was the intense gaze,and was instead replaced with a softness that he had only seen twice before- during Fury's apparent death and their small conversation down Sam's VA.

"If it was the other way around, and it was down to me to save your life - and you be honest with me- would you trust me to do it?"

"I would now."

He had meant every word that he said and would stick by it through the rest of his life.

"Why do you keep surprising me with all these- these-"

"What? The truth?"

"This is unfair," A small pout lingered on her plump lips, devoid of the usual red lipstick she wore. "You always surprise me with these things and I never do. Should I tell the truth more often?"

Deciding not to comment, Steve merely laughed.

"Oh you have surprised me," He replied nonchalantly, minds replaying all the moments he had been left speechless by the spy beside him. "Many times actually."

"You're only saying that to make me believe we're even and make me feel better."

"I never lie Nat." Steve replied. "After all these months being together, I would've thought you'd know that by now."

"Really?" With that, she moved closer to him. If this was any other woman, Steve would have been awkward and pull away. But this was Natasha. "Enlighten me then."

"Let's see…" Where should he begin? Turning and laying down on his back, he wracked his mind for every instances he was left speechless. Folding his arms underneath his head, he started ticking off the boxes in his head. "Loki's interrogation, you jumping off my shield to catch a new ride, tagging along when I was basically being hunted down, not to mention your catsuit and your preferred method of making people… uncomfortable, and-"

"It's called a kiss Rogers," Natasha interrupted him. He knew she had a stupid grin at his slip up, cursing himself as a slight blush rose to his cheeks. Steve knew that the spy wouldn't pass that due to the cold. "And my catsuit huh? My, my, Captain America is just a man after all."

Rolling his eyes, Steve didn't bother saying anything else. What was he supposed to say to that?! This made Natasha laugh out loud, throwing her head back as she clutched her stomach. Taking a glance as discreetly as he could, Steve tried his best to hide the grin on his own face. Warmth enveloped him at the sound of her laughter and the happiness etched on her face. Moments like this was rare to come by, and he treasures it as much as he could.

"You know what, I think it's time for bed." He said after a while. While not wanting the moment to end, Steve knew they couldn't stay like this forever. That short moment was enough- the sun was about to rise hours later and they'd have to return back to normal. Besides, they both need some sleep. Hauling himself up and dusting his pyjamas off, he turned and offered her a hand.

"Taking me to yours Captain?" That stupid smirk was on her face again and of course, as if on cue, Steve found himself blushing harder than before. Taking hold of her dainty fingers, he squeezed them tightly before pulling her up. "Relax Steve, I'm ki-"

"Anymore of that Romanoff and my bed won't be the only thing you'll be on tonight." The spy seemed stunned at his reply, with Natasha freezing for a second before regaining her footing. This time, it was his time to smirk. Who said an old dog can't learn new tricks?

"Did you just flirt Rogers? Wait, did Captain America just dropped a sexual innuendo?" Her tone reminded him of the teenagers he kept hearing on those romantic comedies. "I cannot believe-"

"I blame it on you, Barton and Stark."

"I'm not blaming myself, I'm congratulating myself!" Natasha exclaimed, laughing. Patting him at the back, she continued. "You're learning. More of that and you can get any girl you want Cap."

"Yeah, I'm not really interested in that." Steve countered truthfully. With the kind of job he has, it would've been impossible to hold on to a lady.

"Well, maybe you're interested in a small race back to the facility?" Natasha asked with such an innocent tone that confusingly suits her. She slightly skipped ahead before turning back to face him, a smile brightening her features. It was during these moments that Steve find himself appreciating Natasha even more. It seems as if she could just make anything better. "Or are your joints beginning to bother you?"

"I'm giving you five seconds for a head start Natasha."

"Oh please, I don't need it."

"Five."

"But since you did offer…"

Before he could even say four, Natasha had turned and began running back to the tower, shouting something along the lines of 'last one's on breakfast duty!'.

"What do you want me to be?"

"How about a friend?"

"Well, it looks like you might be in the wrong business Rogers."

Remembering that moment, Steve found himself smiling. Looking at the red-headed woman running away from him and reminiscing all the things they've been through, it looked like their friendship was the only business he firmly believed in at this point.

After all, it was the only thing keeping the loneliness at bay.

Ta-da! How'd I do? Is it okay? Any grammatical mistakes? (I'm so sorry I'm too poor for grammarly :) As youtubers would say, click favourite and review :

See you at the next chapter,

Xx, Bubbly Fx