Forever

                                    

                                          
Steve was led inside the cabin.  It was quiet; peaceful.  He could see why Tony had chosen to stay here for so long; to just live as many perfect days with his family as possible.  Natasha took Steve to the front room, a sitting room that looked out onto the front porch and beyond.  There were leather chairs, a couch, throw blankets, photos; all the mementos that made up a happy home.  The lace curtains that hung in front of the open windows swayed slowly in the gentle breeze coming in from outside.  
                          
Despite all that peacefulness, however, Steve couldn't help but to feel nervous inside.  No good conversation ever started with the words, "we need to talk".  He was afraid of what Natasha might have to say, but for the life of him, he had no idea what it could be.  His mind went back to the conversation they'd had before he left.  She said she wanted him to be happy.  Did she not think he had that with her?  
                          
Natasha sat down on the couch, offering plenty of room for Steve to do the same.  He lowered his shield to the ground, first, leaning it against the coffee table.  Then, he lowered himself onto the couch.  He was still in his gear, though he did at least remove the helmet.  Whatever this conversation was about, Steve figured it was going to be serious.  And he didn't think Natasha had ever taken him seriously with that thing on his head.  He angled his body toward her, instinctively reaching out to take one of her hands.  She pulled it toward her and rested it in her lap, one hand underneath his; the other resting on top.  Steve watched her look down at their joined hands for a few moments.  He watched her worry her lower lip between her teeth.  He wanted to lean forward and kiss her, if only to get her to stop biting her lip, but something told him that this wasn't quite the time for that.
                          
"Hey..." he said, his voice gently coaxing her to look up at him.  "Talk to me.  What's going-"
                          
"Steve, it worked."  Natasha suddenly blurted out.  
                          
He furrowed his brow in confusion.  "What worked?"
                          
"Tony.  The glove.  The stones.  It brought everyone back."
                          
Now he was even more confused.  He squeezed her hand a little tighter and offered a small smile.  "Nat, I know..."
                          
"Everyone."  She emphasized.  Then, she pulled his hand forward a little more, just enough to press it against her stomach.  
                          
Steve's eyes had been following the path of their hands.  He stared at the new placement of his hand for a moment.  Then, his blue eyes grew wide.  He opened his mouth and took in a sharp breath of air, lifting his gaze to match hers.  The light seemed to shimmer in her green eyes, reflecting off the tears that were forming in them.  She tried to keep her face a neutral mask, but Steve could see a million emotions warring with each other behind her eyes.  Fear, sadness; hope.  This was uncharted territory, he knew.  Natasha had told her, himself, that she only acted like she knew everything.  This was... this was definitely not something either of them had any experience with.  But God had they wanted it.  So much that they'd gone all the way to Wakanda for Shuri to work medical miracles to make it even remotely possible.  Their love, and ..."perseverance", had done the rest.
                          
"Natasha..."  His own eyes began to sting a bit.  He blinked rapidly to clear away the wetness trying to form there.  Steve scooted a little closer to her.  "You're...?"
                          
Natasha nodded a few times.  Strands of red hair fell in front of her ears, framing her face.  She sniffled once and tried to put on a smile, but the second her lips began to move, the tears started to slip out of her eyes.  They were slow and quiet; heavy and warm.  In the blink of an eye, Steve had her wrapped in his arms.  He felt warm all over as he embraced her tightly, face buried into that red, red hair.  Emotion coursed through him like a heavy current.  Awe and excitement had him buzzing, but happiness and relief kept him grounded.  He laughed, once, into her hair before pulling back to look at her.