Chapter Text
The jet felt quieter on the way back.
Not silent, of course. The steady hum of the engines filled the space, and Sam shifted every now and then... but quieter in a way that didn’t come from sound.
Steve noticed it without meaning to.
He stood near the center of the jet, one hand resting against the back of a seat as his eyes drifted briefly across from him, then away again. It hadn’t gone exactly how he expected.
But he knew this was the best outcome possible.
He let out a slow breath before glancing over at Sam. “You okay?”
Sam stretched his arms slightly, testing the freedom of it. “Oh man… this—this is way better than that place.”
There was a hint of a smile there, but it didn’t quite land.
Steve nodded, understanding more than he said.
Across from them, Wanda sat quietly, her hands resting loosely in her lap. She hadn’t said much since they left, her attention moving slowly around the jet like she was still adjusting to the absence of restraints. Every now and then, her fingers shifted slightly, like she was reminding herself she could move freely now.
Her gaze drifted forward.
To Natasha.
She sat at the controls, posture straight, hands steady, eyes fixed ahead. From the outside, she looked exactly like she always did—focused, composed, always in control.
But something about it felt… too still.
Steve noticed that too.
He hesitated briefly before stepping closer, his voice low enough not to carry. “And you? Are you okay?”
Natasha didn’t look at him right away. “Yeah.”
It came easily and automatic.
Steve didn’t call it out. He just stayed there for a second, leaning lightly against the side, close enough that the distance didn’t feel accidental.
Natasha exhaled quietly, her fingers adjusting slightly on the controls.
For a moment, she said nothing.
But her mind didn’t stay in the jet.
It slipped back to the Raft. To the moment Clint hadn’t moved.
The way he had already decided before they even opened the door.
She had understood it immediately. How could she not? It had been the right choice. The smart one. The one she would’ve told anyone else to make without thinking twice.
Her jaw tightened just slightly before she forced the thought away.
Steve caught the shift, even if he didn’t know the full reason.
“…He’ll be okay,” he said after a moment.
Natasha’s gaze flickered, just briefly, before settling forward again. “I know.”
The silence stretched for a while.
Steve nodded once, like that was enough, and didn’t push further. Still, he stayed there a moment longer.
Natasha noticed.
Her shoulders eased, just slightly. Not enough for anyone else to catch, but enough to feel the difference herself.
Behind them, Sam leaned back in his seat, glancing between the two of them before looking away again.
“So,” he said, breaking the quiet, “what’s the plan now?”
Steve straightened a bit, turning back toward the group. “We lay low. Figure out our next move.”
Sam nodded slowly. “I like that. Solid plan, Cap.”
Wanda’s voice came softer. “And then?”
Steve hesitated, just for a second.
Then, “We keep going.”
⸻
The rest of the flight passed quickly.
Natasha kept control of the jet the entire time, making sure their location couldn’t be tracked, guiding them safely toward Wakanda.
She hadn’t planned on staying.
The plan had always been simple: get them out, get them somewhere safe, and move on. Finish the job. Settle what she still considered a debt to the only family she’d ever really had.
And why would she stay?
Sharing a small space with a group of fugitives, most of them men, one of them a powerful, unpredictable witch, didn’t exactly sound appealing.
Still there was only one thing that made her hesitate.
⸻
Steve had been watching her the entire flight.
Not in an obvious way, he was better than that, but enough.
Grateful didn’t quite cover it. Neither did impressed.
Natasha had handled everything. The planning, the execution, the risk. Truth was, he hadn’t done much at all.
That was the thing about working with her. She made it look effortless.
And all you could really do… was trust her to.
Or watch, of course.
Steve caught himself staring and looked away quickly, a flicker of embarrassment crossing his expression. He glanced around to make sure no one had noticed, then pushed himself up and walked toward her.
“I don’t know how to thank you for this,” he said quietly. “Knowing they were all there… it was killing me.”
Natasha shrugged like it was nothing. “Don’t. I know you don’t believe in debts, but this was the least I could do.”
“You don’t owe me anything, Natasha.”
She looked at him then, like really looked at him, something thoughtful passing through her expression. For a second, it seemed like she might say more.
Instead, she just nodded.
“Will you stay with us?” he asked.
Natasha tilted her head slightly. “TBD, Rogers. I’m not sure yet.”
Steve held her gaze. “Please?”
The way he said it caught her off guard. Her lips curled into a small, almost shy smile.
“Wow,” she said softly, letting out a quiet laugh. “You don’t have to beg, Steve.”
A pause.
“I’ll think about it.”
Steve smiled to himself, a little too satisfied. “So it really works, huh?”
She frowned slightly. “What?”
“Saying please like that. Like you.” He let out a quiet laugh. “Really works for getting what you want.”
Her eyebrow lifted. “Are you admitting I’m the best at persuading people?”
He glanced at her, a hint of challenge in his expression. “If you stay… maybe. Means I learned from the best.”
That earned him a look.
Not as sharp.
Just… something that lingered a second longer than it needed to.
They both smiled, briefly.
Then the shift of the jet signaled the start of their descent.
And just like that, their moment passed.
But not completely.