Chapter Text
“Here’s where you’ve been hiding.” Natasha said with wry humor in her smooth voice. “I should have tried here first.”
“Well if you think of this place first, it wouldn’t be much of a hidden location.” Steve snarked lightly, pinning the last photo against the wall.
Natasha stepped closer to Steve’s side studying the wall covered in pictures of fallen Avengers and allies both old and new. All but three had a red X through them, signifying their demise. She glanced at the one he just put up, Bucky’s smiling face with blocked out with the red marker.
“It must have been hard, losing him.” Nat commented as she continued studying everything.
“I’ll admit it hurt watching him disintegrate like that. He was a good friend to the end. But I ran the scenarios and he was too great a threat to let live.” Steve’s voice echoed the loss, but also the determination to see the mission through. It’s one of the things Natasha has always respected about the Captain, his ability to prioritize the loss/benefit ratio of the job. And for Steve, there has only been one priority he cared about.
“He killed Stark’s parents. I seriously doubt he could have been that much competition.” Nat told him.
“You don’t know how charming Bucky could be. Plus, he was broken, you know how Tony could be around something that needed fixing.”
“You have a point there.” Nat said, nodding at the wall. “You’ve eliminated just about everyone who could steal Tony from you. Rhodes is so firmly friendzoned he shouldn’t register, I’ve got a firm grip on Banner so he’s out and Tony’s never been drawn to the strong stupid type.”
Steve picked up a letter opener and stabbed it right through Thor’s picture. His face remained calmly pleasant, but Natasha could feel the rage burning off of him.
“I believe I just mentioned how much Tony gets obsessed with fixing things and Thor’s pretty damn shattered right now!” Steve snarled. “I have not spent the last six years isolating Tony from all possible contenders just to lose him now to a fucking would-be god!”
“Thor might not be your only problem.” Natasha said with a sigh, taking a step back to lean against the desk.
“What do you mean?” Steve asked, his blue eyes as cold as the glacier he was found in.
“It’s why I came down here. I was talking to the blue woman Tony came back with and she had some interesting observations.”
“Which are?”
Steve leaned forward to bracket her against the heavy oak desk. A gift from Tony all those years ago when the compound was still being designed. It was an antique and Nat knew he cherished it.
“Thanos apparently knew Stark. Knew his name, knew his face, knew enough of his story to openly respect him. You know how much Tony craves respect. It’s possible he could change everything.”
Natasha flinched as she heard the desk crack under Steve’s hands.
“I was going to leave him alone.” Steve told her softly, each word laced with ice. “He did me a huge favor wiping out most of my competition. Made things easier on me getting Tony back on my side. But if he thinks he’s going to take Tony away from me, then stones or no stones I will destroy him.”
“You are the man with the plan Cap.”
Steve turned back around to stare at the wall again, satisfaction coming off him as he stared at all the red X’s. Natasha knew there was something wrong with him the first time she saw him. There was just something…off. She didn’t know if it had anything to do with the serum or if he was always like this, but whatever caused it made him one of the most dangerous people she’d ever come across. She had watched as his obsession with Tony grew over the years and how calculating he could be with it. She saw how he privately raged with each new powered individual entered Tony’s life until he couldn’t stand it anymore. She did nothing as he systematically destroyed every relationship and friendship Tony had acquired since they first met. She got involved when Banner proved impossible to kill and Steve was about to call Ross on him.
“Is Tony still in recovery?” Steve asked, calmer now.
“Yes…with Banner overseeing him.” Natasha said reluctantly.
“Well, I should go and give him a proper welcome home.” Steve said, heading for the door. “Give him a shoulder to cry on. He was rather attached to that spider kid after all.”
“Just be careful with him Steve. He’s extremely fragile right now.”
“Good. Maybe this time he won’t fight me.” Steve paused at the threshold, turning to face her. “Be careful yourself Natasha. You may not be up on the wall, but I still have your picture.”