The next night, Steve and Natasha found themselves in a rather impressive flat in Brussels. Apparently Sam's military buddy was now a property manager, and he had some pretty lavish estates under his name. This one was a fully furnished, four bedroom space that was typically rented out by celebrities or other high-rollers when they came through town. Currently, it was unused; so the guy, Ron, was nice enough to let them use it.

The reunion was much-needed. Sam, Wanda and Vision were thrilled to see Steve back to his old self again. They'd been incredibly worried; so it was a huge relief to know that whatever they'd done to him in Wakanda had worked. He was back to one-hundred percent, too; without a single headache to speak of. It was definitely cause for celebration. Sam may have gone a little overboard in procuring such a large space for the small group of them, but then again Sam was known for being a little "extra" from time to time.

Since Steve and Nat left for Wakanda, Sam had been laying low, and Wanda and Vision had done the same but separately from Sam. They were working on Wanda's abilities while keeping an ear to the ground; making sure that things with Garrett stayed quiet. So far, it seemed like S.H.I.E.L.D. had managed to keep the situation contained, and no other international threats had popped up to replace Garrett. Things seemed to be going well for the time being.

Currently, the group was situated around a large bar off the kitchen. Natasha was behind it, seeing what sort of different cocktails she could make. Steve sat next to Sam in the stools in front of her, while Wanda occupied one a couple down from Steve. Vision, sporting his new, "civilian" look, was standing near one end of the bar, watching Natasha curiously. Apparently bartending wasn't in his vast wealth of knowledge.

"So…" Sam said after taking a sip of his beer, "you're telling me that they have rhinos? As pets?"

Steve had just finished catching his friends up to speed on their time in Wakanda. That, of course, included his experience corralling rhinos back into their enclosures.

"Something between a pet and a… war steed?" He said, eyes moving to the right as he thought. After a moment, he shrugged and took a drink of his own beer. Steve was a simple man with simple tastes. Well, for the most part. At least when it came to drinks.

"And you didn't ride one…" Sam seemed to be having a hard time believing that.

Steve chuckled and shook his head. "No, Wilson, I didn't take any rhinos out for a joyride. Maybe next time."

Nat finished shaking up a drink and poured it over ice in a stemless martini glass. It was a deep fuschia color and smelled faintly of rose hips. She was looking particularly lovely in a royal blue pencil skirt that was paired with a shirt with thick, white and navy blue stripes running horizontally across it. She was feeling surprisingly well, too, with very minimal pain and discomfort other than occasional tightness in her abdomen. She was cautiously optimistic that the procedure was taking. She took a sip of the drink, nodded her approval, and then extended it to Vision to try.

He seemed skeptical.

"Oh, come on." Nat said. "It's not jet fuel, but I'm sure it's still good."

Vision looked at her, confused by her comment. "I do not partake of jet fuel, Miss Romanoff…" he said.

"I think that was a joke, Viz." Wanda commented with a wry smile.

Vision stared at the drink for a few more seconds before deciding to take a sip of it. It was small and incredibly cautious, and he spent several seconds afterwards just sort of staring into the liquid like he was contemplating whether or not he liked it. When he started spouting off every single ingredient that Natasha had put in it, however, she realized he'd been analyzing its contents.

"Okay, that's just weird." Nat said, taking the drink back from him. "You're supposed to enjoy it, not dissect it."

Natasha returned to the side of the bar where Sam and Steve sat, leaning down on the counter across from them and gently swirling her drink in her glass. "You know," she said, "the last time we had a party, it was crashed by angry robots."

Sam looked around. "Good thing five people isn't a party," he said.

"You have to admit, it was at least a little fun," Nat replied with a smile.

"Tell that to whoever had to foot the bill for that place." Steve said.

Then, they both remembered it was Tony, and they shrugged.

Eventually, Sam roped Steve into a game of pool, which seemed like it was pretty inevitable. Natasha moved around to the other side of the bar, where she could actually take a seat and watch them play from across the room. Steve was sticking to his theme of ruggedly handsome in a slate gray button-up with the sleeves rolled up halfway and a pair of dark jeans. He'd had a leather jacket but abandoned it at some point, and now it was hanging on the back of a chair next to Natasha. Wanda and Vision were standing by one of the huge windows that overlooked the city. There was an old-fashioned jukebox there that Vision seemed fascinated by. This resulted in a lot of song changes, until somebody found one they particularly liked and let it play all the way through.

Bringing up the party made Natasha feel the absence of their friends. It was certainly a very different dynamic without personalities like Thor and Tony Stark around. Of course, Nat missed Clint dearly, and she wondered about Bruce almost everyday, but she tried not to let her mind stray to those things right now. She couldn't ignore how good it was to have these people that were here with her now. She knew how rare moments like this could be for people like them, and she knew she had to enjoy them while they lasted. So, she stood up, drink in hand, and headed over to the pool table. She leaned one hip against a corner while Steve was lining up a shot.

"Ah, the distraction." Sam said. "Just in time."

Natasha grinned innocently and lifted her drink to her lips, watching over the rim of her glass as Steve missed his next shot.

Sam laughed. "Oh, come on, man!" He teased Steve. "It's can't be that easy!"

"I count three of my balls still on the table, Wilson." Steve said. "And… five of yours? I'm just giving you a chance to catch up. I don't want to get too far ahead of you."

"Yeah, like that's ever been an issue for you." Sam grumbled as he stepped up to the table.

Steve moved to the side that Natasha was standing on, coming to stand next to her with his pool stick gripped loosely in his hands. "You can take next shot," he told her.

"And completely ruin any chance Sam has of winning?" She perked a brow. "That hardly seems fair."

"You're probably right." Steve agreed. "Probably best if we go easy on him."

"I can hear you!" Sam scowled from across the table. He missed his next shot and grumbled something to himself as he stood up straight once more. "Don't you two have a roller coaster to jump off of or something?"

"It was a Ferris wheel," Natasha reminded him.

They spent the rest of the night eating, drinking, listening to music, playing pool and just generally enjoying each other's company. Sam showed Wanda and Vision how to play pool, though apparently it should've been Steve or Natasha teaching them, since they were clearly the superior players. Command of the jukebox was traded off frequently, meaning there was a pretty eclectic mix of music that filled the flat throughout the night. Thankfully, there were no robot attacks, but the occasional sound of sirens and the sight of flashing lights somewhere off in the city was a reminder that the world as they knew it was still turning.

Much later in the evening, the five of them were gathered in the living area. Steve and Natasha sat next to each other on the sofa. Wanda occupied a large chair, which Sam leaned his back against as he sat on the floor. Vision was standing near the window, looking out at the city and just taking it all in. The music was playing more softly now, providing gentle background ambiance while they talked.

"So," Wanda said, "what will we do now?"

It seemed to be the question on all their minds. Now that this whole thing with Garrett was apparently over, there seemed to be a moment of calm after the storm. A time to regather and reset, maybe, and figure out what they would do next.

"I gotta get home, man." Sam said, picking at the peeling label on his beer bottle. "I mean, don't get me wrong," he lifted his gaze to the others, "running all over Europe and almost dying with you guys has been a blast, but…" He paused, seemingly hesitant about what he was going to say next.

"But you miss your mom?" Natasha filled in for him.

Sam scowled at her, but the expression dropped pretty quickly. He sighed. "No. I mean… I miss her, but… she's probably worried sick about me. Everybody back home probably is."

"We'll get you home, Sam." Steve assured him.

"Fury can probably pull a few strings," Nat said. "He kind of owes us after the whole Garrett thing." Her green eyes moved over to Wanda. "What about you?"

Wanda looked over her shoulder at Vision. He slowly turned away from the window and walked back to join them. "There is much of this world I'd like to see," Vision said.

"And someone needs to help him learn how to blend in." Wanda finished, grinning at Natasha. It was Natasha who had taught Wanda those same tricks.

Maybe being fugitives wasn't so bad after all.

Eventually, the others slowly trickled off, going their own ways within the flat. That left Steve and Natasha to sit on the couch together. It had started to rain, and the quiet sound of raindrops gently hitting the windows was soothing. Natasha stared out, watching the way the water streaked down against the glass and created blurry, obscured views of the city lights. She had kicked off her shoes and moved to lean her back against Steve's side, her legs stretched out across the cushions in front of her. His arm was draped over her shoulder, and her hand was gently clasped with his.

Steve looked down at Natasha, a soft fondness on his face. "What about you?" He asked her, repeating his question from earlier. "Where do you want to go from here?"

Nat thought about that for a moment. It was kind of hard to imagine a future that was any different than the past she'd lived thus far, but she knew that she wanted to try. She didn't want to face the worry of losing Steve like she had. Somewhere in her mind, Natasha knew that the Red Room was right. Attachments, love, they were vulnerabilities, but they also provided strength. They were motivation for a better life, something Natasha never felt she deserved. Steve was helping her realize that maybe she did. Maybe there could be something else out there. Something better. She leaned her head back to look up at him.

"How do you feel about Switzerland?" She asked.

"Switzerland?" Steve rolled his gaze upwards, thinking for a moment. It was all an act, really, because Natasha could've suggested the Amazon, and he would've been okay with it. It didn't matter where they went, as long as they were together. He could feel her grinning up at him, probably well aware of the show he was putting on. After a moment, he lowered his gaze back down to meet hers, a smile on his bearded face.

"I hear they've got great cheese."

Natasha rolled her eyes and moved, swinging her legs and resting her feet on the floor so she could lean her back against the cushions next to Steve. She angled towards him so she could look at him more directly.

"I think we'd be safe there," she said. "For awhile. We could lay low while all this crap with the Sokovia Accords blows over." Because it would, she hoped. It had to, right? They had to be able to go home some day.

"We'll make sure that those who need us know how to find us," she continued. "We could just, I dunno…" she paused, struggling to think of what to say next.

"Live for a while?" Steve finished for her, a softly amused look on his face.

Natasha shrugged. "Would that be such a bad thing?"

Sensing some defensiveness, Steve gently took one of Nat's hands in his. "No." He said sincerely. "Not at all. That's just… not something I ever really expected to hear from you."

Nat rolled her eyes, even though she knew he was right. "I'm not saying we retire and get matching rocking chairs," she said. "But we could take a break for a while. Get an idea for… where to go next."

Her green eyes fell for a moment of uncertainty. This was delicate subject material for her, and she felt like an idiot for even thinking about it. It was so unlike her, she knew. So unlike everything she'd grown up knowing and doing. It wasn't even supposed to be possible, and it wouldn't have been if she hadn't gotten out of Russia and the KGB, but she had. And she was here, in a time and place that felt like a million lifetimes away from where she came from. Natasha knew that she could never stop being the Black Widow just as much as she knew Steve could never stop being Captain America, but she thought that maybe they could be both. Together. If the world needed them, they'd be there, but in the meantime… Would it be so bad to do something for themselves for a change?

"Nat." Steve said gently, beckoning her eyes up to meet his. "I think it's a great idea."

He offered her a gentle smile. Steve didn't know what to do with himself when he wasn't fighting, and he was sure Natasha felt the same way. So, what better person to figure that out with? They could learn together. They could grow and reshape their lives into something that they wanted it to be, not something that circumstance or outside forces had pushed on them. It wouldn't change who they were, but maybe it would make them just a little bit better.

Steve released Nat's hand so he could cup her cheek instead. He gently turned her face towards him and, leaning forward, pressed his lips to hers. It was a soft and warm kiss at first, but after a few seconds that natural fire kicked in and turned it into something stronger. Natasha's hands were laced loosely around the back of his neck, holding onto him and keeping him close. He could feel the warmth radiating off of her, and that natural magnetic pull she possessed made it impossible to let her go. Her lips were soft, her skin was soft; everything about her just felt right. At least he thought it did. He was left to wonder when, after a few moments, Natasha broke the kiss.

She slowly opened her eyes and looked at him, rubbing her lips together in thought. Wrapped in the warm, strong embrace of Steve's arms, it was difficult for Nat to think about much else besides how good he felt. All she wanted to do was kiss him and drown in him until the moon fell out of the sky, but she knew that she couldn't. She knew that, if they wanted to keep moving forward and actually do these things they talked about, she had to be honest with him. She couldn't keep secrets. Not from him. So, she took a deep breath and steadied her nerves.

"There's… something I should tell you." She said.

Natasha proceeded into one of the most awkward conversations of her life. She very nervously told Steve about Wakanda, and the procedure she'd asked Shuri to do. It was very difficult to look at Steve and tell him all these things. It was just as difficult to tell how he felt about them. Natasha, who was usually an ace at reading people, couldn't really get a feel for what Steve was thinking. There was a slight furrow in his brow and a look of intense concentration, but she couldn't decipher between anger, confusion, or whatever else he might have been experiencing. It was a lot to take in, she was sure. Maybe she should've… wrote him a letter or something so she didn't have to actually sit here and feel like a spotlight was bearing down on her. Perhaps this was a bad idea.

When she was finished, there was tense, awkward silence. Steve was gathering his thoughts. He was thoroughly surprised and definitely confused. Maybe a touch concerned. This was all pretty foreign territory for him. To hear that Natasha had willingly put her through something like that made him both happy and sad. He was, of course, thrilled to know that she wanted a chance at a normal life for herself, but he was upset that she'd opted to go through all of that alone. Didn't she know he would've been there to support her?

"Why didn't you tell me?" He finally asked.

Nat knew it was a question that would come. She thought she'd prepared herself for it, and yet here she was, staring at him like a deer in the headlights. It took her a moment to blink herself out of her stupor. She cleared her throat and shook her head a few times before shrugging one shoulder.

"Honestly?" She said, her face scrunching a bit. "I didn't want to freak you out. I mean, might as well slap a 'Stage Five Clinger' sticker on my forehead, right?"

Steve furrowed his brow, jaw slightly open. "I… don't know what that means." He said.

Nat sighed. "It doesn't matter. I just… I dunno. Regardless of what happens, I wanted a chance, you know? I wanted to do it for me, and I didn't want to complicate things along the way. There isn't even any guarantee that it'll work. I didn't want to get your hopes up. I'm having a hard enough time not getting my own hopes up as it is."

She dropped her gaze to her lap. "I'm sorry."

Steve could see how much this all weighed on her. He could see her guilt and the uncertainty that was radiating off of her. It tugged at his heart and caused him to frown. "Come here."

He opened an arm and pulled her against him, holding her against his side. He lowered his cheek to rest on the top of her head as she wrapped an arm around his waist and curled her legs up onto the couch.

"I understand why you did it," Steve said. "And…" He lifted his head so he could look down at her. "It doesn't 'freak me out'. The only thing that freaks me out is the idea of something happening to you and me not knowing what's going on. Just… don't keep me in the dark, Nat. I want to help. However I can."

Natasha didn't answer, but she didn't need to. The small smile and the kiss she placed on his cheek were more than enough. She settled back down against him after that, content to just rest safely nestled beneath the weight of his arm wrapped around her shoulders.

Steve was content, too. He sat there, eyes gazing out the window, and thought. He was honest when he said he wasn't freaked out. Natasha had, had something very terrible done to her, and she deserved any chance she had at reversing that damage. That was her choice, and it always would be. Still, Steve couldn't help but wonder what this meant. He thought about Clint and the wife and kids, the whole life, he had outside of S.H.I.E.L.D. The family, the cabin; the farm. Could Steve and Natasha really have something like that? It was a lot to think about. Ultimately, Steve decided he didn't need to think about it right now. They'd had enough of that for one night. The future could wait. For now, Steve was content to sit and enjoy this moment they'd made for themselves.