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"Just be careful," Natasha explained, staring intently at the flashing dot on the screen. Steve and Bucky were out in the field, and she was trying to guide them. Directions weren't exactly Nat's strong suit - she was better in action than she was behind the scenes. She hated the fact that Tony had benched her until her wrist healed.
"I'm always careful, Nat," Steve's voice echoed in her ear. "Are we getting close?"
Natasha squinted at the screen and moved her finger from the flashing dot with Steve's name above it to the one that was flashing without a label. From the looks of the map, they were practically on top of it. "It should be right in front of you."
"There it is," Bucky's voice chimed in. "I'll go get it."
"No," Steve responded. "Stay here."
Natasha furrowed her brow and studied the screen. There was a hot spot a few feet away from where Steve and Bucky's signals were coming from. She looked around the rest of the screen and noticed that that was the only hot spot in the entire room. Her eyes went wide with realization.
"Steve. Bucky. Get out of there!" Natasha yelled, jumping up from her chair and slamming her hands down on the desk. The crack of an explosion rang through her earpiece, and the screen went back.
"No," Natasha said, shaking her head as she smacked the screen. "No. No. No. No. No."
She kicked the chair away from the desk and moved away from the desk, pacing the length of the small office as she knotted her hands into a fist. Natasha cursed under her breath as she moved. She could not get ahold of either of them or know if they were safe, and all she could do was wait.
Her mind drifted to thoughts of the last undercover mission she and Steve had been on in New Jersey. Hiding out from Tony and the others in an attempt to recruit for their side of the Civil War had proven to be more difficult than they had originally intended. With every turn, they found themselves faced with Tony having more resources and could easily persuade someone to join his side. All Natasha and Steve had was each other.
The partnership between them was easy. Steve knew what she needed before Natasha could even ask for it. Each time they went out in search of someone, Natasha watched Steve's back, and she rested assured that Steve had hers. Vivid pictures of late-night dinners and endless laughter brought a smile to her face as they played through her mind. She remembered the softness of his lips against hers and how right it felt to be wrapped up in his arms. They protected one another and brought calmness in the chaos, but soon they had to return to reality - no matter how perfect their world seemed when it was just the two of them.
The last night they spent together still played like a movie in the back of her mind. Her nose was flooded with the aroma of Chinese food as if it was sitting right in front of her each time the memories ran through her mind.
"I don't think we should continue down the road we're on," Natasha said, refusing to look up her box of lo mein.
"What do you mean?" Steve asked, raising an eyebrow as he glanced up at her. "You don't think we should be working together anymore?"
"I think that's all we should be doing," Natasha replied, peeking up at him through her lashes. She let out a sigh as she lifted her head, her eyes meeting his. She noticed a sadness in his eyes that hadn't been there earlier.
"I can't stop the feelings that I have for you, Nat," Steve said, placing his fork down on the table. He shoved his chair away from the table and got up to move over to her. He got down on one knee in front of her and grabbed her hand. "I'm falling in love with you."
Natasha tilted her head back, blinking her eyes furiously to stop the tears that were starting to roll down her cheeks. "I know," she whispered, leaning her head back down to look at him.
"Are you telling me that you don't feel the same?" Steve asked, reaching up with his free hand to cup her cheek.
"I'm not trying to convince you that I didn't love you at one point," Natasha said, nuzzling her cheek into his hand. "I am trying to convince you to see that we won't last if the accords get signed, and Tony gets his way. We'll be shipped off to god knows where and never see each other again."
"You don't know that," Steve said, leaning forward to rest his forehead against hers.
"I do know that my heart won't be able to handle it if something were ever to happen to you," Natasha said, her eyes fluttering closed. "Even as friends, I will always love you, Steve. But we need to protect our hearts."
Natasha let out the breath she had been holding and scrubbed her hands over her face before heading back to the screen. She clicked a few buttons on the keyboard, and the screen lit up. The markers for Steve and Bucky were still missing. With shaky hands, she reached up to her ear and pressed the power button on her earpiece.
"Steve," she whispered, slowing her breathing as she waited for a response. "Are you there?"
"Yeah, Nat," Steve's voice rang through the earpiece. "I'm here."
Natasha let out a sigh and collapsed against the chair at the desk as a smile pulled at her lips. "You scared the hell out of me."
"Got to keep you on your toes somehow," Steve laughed. "We'll be back to the compound soon."