She didn't know where she was, only that she was alone and it was white, endless, hot. Sometimes cold, and all-consuming. She still had her memories, of that she was sure, and sometimes these little flashes would jump out at her consciousness- a fire (that had consumed everything too), tiny fingers cleaning a German pistol, all the blood (so much blood). Dancing in a ballet studio (was that even a real memory?), a man covered in ice that confused her, running away, watching through the lens of an assault rifle through a window as a man made of iron went about his day (he was actually more heart than iron). A strong hand pulling her back, a soft voice telling her she had a choice, an angry eyepatch, Budapest, Avengers…. Them. A charming smile hidden behind tinted glasses, clear blue eyes reflecting honor and trust, a flash of green anger and fear, a bolt of lightning in the rain.

Not everything was bad, not everything was covered in blood. Clint's laughter as she pinned him to the mat, her mouth twitching involuntarily at Tony's vicious sarcasm, Thor's innocent observations, stolen kisses with Bruce in an empty room, the almost panic in Steve's voice as he shoved a piece of technology in her face, asking her how to reply to a text…. Three little pairs of tiny hands with tiny fingers, all grabbing excitedly at her legs…

Then there was the really bad stuff, like the look on Clint's face as she fell that clouded the endlessness. Sometimes she saw these things in a loop, sometimes in mixed fragments. Sometimes she talked to herself, sometimes she didn't. Sometimes she answered herself, sometimes she didn't. But it was always the same, until it wasn't. She was always alone, until she wasn't. Until he appeared.

Even in her joy of seeing him, actually seeing his face with his warm brown eyes, perfectly gelled hair, neatly trimmed goatee and shining, straight white teeth, even though her heart was warm with the recognition of someone else, she knew that it couldn't be a good thing, him being here.

"Natasha." His voice was clear, his expression fond.

"Tony," she whispered, reaching out to touch his face. It was smooth, soft, and oh so warm and her fingers tingled with electricity on contact.

"You're here, you're okay," he murmured, enveloping her in an all-consuming hug. "What is this place?"

"I don't know," she answered, staring at him with pity. "What happened?"

"We won," he told her, and suddenly a million different things were reflected in his eyes that she could see, even through those dark tinted glasses, and she wondered which pieces of his own memories he was recalling.

"What else?" She asked, gazing up at him.

"I snapped my fingers," he said, the dawn of realization muddying his perfect features.

A single tear trickled down her cheek before she even knew it had been stinging at the back of her eye. "I didn't want this for you," she told him. "But I'm glad you're here."

He nodded. "You too." He was looking all around, clearly trying to figure out where "here" is, but she knew he would only find the white, the hot, the cold that would now consume him too.

"I don't know how to get out of this place," she whispered in sympathy.

He was quiet for so long that she didn't think he would give her an answer. Finally, he said, "well, then I guess you're stuck with me for an eternity, darling."

"How did you get the soul stone?" Tony asked.

"I loved him," she said simply. "And he loved me."

He nodded. "You know, if it was any one of us on that planet with you, other than him? It still would've worked. Your sacrifice would've held."

"I know," she said seriously.

"If it was me. If I was there with you. I would've been able to possess the stone."

She managed a smile. "Thank you."

"Were you scared?"

"No." She thought for a moment. "Not until I was already falling," she added. "But I guess that's how these things tend to go."

He was studying her with an expression she'd seen many times before and she knew it meant he was thinking about a lot of things at once. "You didn't have to."

"We both know that's not true."

He shook his head. "You could've made another choice."

"But I love you. And I love them." Her eyes widened as she remembered something. "Was there anyone else?" She asked, her lower lip trembling.

"No. No, just us."

"What was it like for you?" She asked. "Were you scared? Did it hurt?"

"Yeah," he said. "It hurt a lot actually. But it was worth it. And I was very scared. Until I saw you here."

She nodded.

"It was dark. It was so dark, I couldn't see. And then it was so white I couldn't see either…." He murmured, lost in thought.

"The sun," she whispered.

He frowned. "That's not the sun."

"It's what I call it. It's like the sun. Endless, white. Sometimes hot, sometimes cold. And all-consuming."

He nodded in understanding. "Then I will call it the sun too."

"Are we dead?" She asked.

He turned to look at her, finding a childlike innocence in her eyes. "I don't know what we are."

"I tried to get out of this place. But I don't know how."

He took her hand. "Well, then I guess you're stuck with me for eternity, darling."

"How long has it been?" She wondered. Time stood still from where she was standing.

He thought about her question, then he remembered. "It's been three days since your sacrifice."

"Oh," she said. "It feels like a lot longer. At least, I think it does."

"I really missed you, Nat," he said, sliding down until he was sitting.

"I missed you too," she told him seriously.

"I just want to go to sleep," he said.

She looked at him, wondering if he even could. She never had, since she'd been here. "You can give it a try. I'll watch over you," she promised.

He closed his eyes.

"Let me know if you dream," she said softly. "Because I don't know how to get out of this place."

He smiled, his eyes still closed. "Well, then I guess you're stuck with me for eternity, darling."

"I think I'm okay with that," she whispered, but she wasn't sure if he heard her.

"I used to dance," she told him. "In the Red Room. Before all the blood."

He opened his eyes, not moving from his sitting position. "I used to do a lot of things."

She twirled around until he stood, and she used his face as a focal point as she turned, over and over and over on her toes. "Would you like to dance?" She asked hopefully.

He frowned. "I don't know how."

"I'll show you," she whispered, holding out her hand.

He took it, his other hand moving to her waist and she could feel the heat from his fingers spread throughout her body as they danced.

"I do this a lot," she told him.

"I'm not surprised."

"It's the only thing I can do here, besides remember. I don't know how to get out of this place."

He placed his other hand on her waist, lifted her up and spun her around before setting her back down in a low dip. "Then I guess you're stuck with me for eternity, darling."

"I wouldn't use the word 'stuck,'" she said, her green eyes locking onto his brown ones on the way up.

"Ninety-two," he said, his voice carrying into the endless white expanse.

"What?" She asked, stopping mid arabesque to stare at him as he sat.

"That's how many days I was in captivity. Ninety-two." His eyes were round as he looked up at her and she moved to sit down next to him.

"How did you get out?" She wondered, reaching over to thread her fingers through his hair.

"Iron Man saved me," he said simply.

She nodded. "Iron Man saved us all."

They were silent for a long time before she thought to ask, "Do you know how to get us out of here?"

"No."

"Oh. Me neither."

"Well, then I guess you're stuck with me for an eternity, darling."

"Where do you think here is?" She asked him.

"I don't know."

"Do you think they're okay without us?" Her voice shook a little when she said it.

"I know they are."

"Yeah. I guess I know that too."

He slipped his hand into hers when she sat next to him.

"You know there's still red in my ledger," she said. "I'm not sure if this was enough to wipe it out."

"You're a good girl, Natasha. You don't owe anyone anything."

She looked down. "Still."

He patted her knee. "I'm Tony Stark. I can buy it out for you."

She grinned, but the smile on her face didn't last long. "I'm sorry I couldn't get us out of here," she said, leaning her head on his shoulder.

He wrapped an arm around her, drawing her in. "Well, then I guess I'm sorry that you're stuck with me for eternity, darling."

She raised her head, pressing her nose to his cheek. "I'm not," she whispered.

"What do you want?" He asked her, his brow furrowed. He had finally stood.

She didn't have to think too long before she answered. "I just want to feel something again."

He swallowed hard, moving closer to her and for a second he looked just like he did when he was there and not here, and his hand was sliding along her jaw, tilting her chin up to look at him and all she wanted to do was look at him.

He leaned closer, pressing his lips lightly to hers and the spark lit from her lips through her bloodstream and she could feel her heart pounding in her chest as pressed herself against him, so close that she wondered if he could feel it too.

She kissed him back, her arms wrapping around his neck of their own volition, hands running through his hair as his arms encircled her waist, drawing her in and holding her close.

His mouth was soft, endless, all-consuming and she wanted to devour all of it…..

Suddenly she felt the pull and her eyes shot open. His were open too and he tried to grab her, holding tightly to her hand, but she was still pulled away.

She threw her force against it with all her might, holding onto his hand, but she was still slipping away….

"No," she said. "No! I don't want to go…. I want to be stuck here with you, for eternity….." In the end, she wasn't sure if she actually said those words out loud, but they were definitely there, and his face looked different from Clint's as he watched in horror as she was pulled away from him. Different, but similar.

She was pulled away, and it was endless, and white. Sometimes hot, sometimes cold, but all-consuming.