Burning

James looked up at the grey sky and scowled.

This was supposed to be perfect. Beautiful. Idealistic. Romantic. Peaceful. Liberating. But instead, the clouds were getting darker and thicker all around them.

“It’s going to rain,” he called, the words bitter in his tongue.

Just a few steps ahead of him, Natasha was walking… nearly trotting actually, she was so light on her feet. She glanced upward briefly before turning her eyes back to the trail in front of them. “Maybe,” was her brief response.

She had been in a bright and cheerful mood ever since he had presented the idea of this trip to her, and a smile had been curling the corners of her mouth nonstop since they had packed their things.

James had thought this had been a good idea. Tasha had wanted a vacation together, just the two of them, for months now. But he, in his own insecurity, had been reluctant to agree to anything. But after Ultron, after Sakovia, after they fought to save the world (again) and after he was reminded of the fragility of their lives, he had planned a trip in secret. It had taken a lot of thought and a substantial amount of advice from Clint and Steve, but James had finally settled on flying to Northern California and hiking part of the Pacific Crest Trail. While it wasn’t white sandy beaches, bikinis, and mai tais, he thought this fit the two of them. They could be active, push their bodies to their limits, get away from the public, and forget about the troubles of the world and the responsibility of three new Avengers training back at the compound. And most importantly, they would spend every night together, alone, under an incredible canopy of stars.

He had made all the plans, bought the plane tickets, and made a list of supplies they would need. When he presented the idea to Natasha… well, he just prayed he would never forget the look of joyful surprise that was on her face.

But now, three days into their hike, rain clouds hung overhead, dark and depressing, threatening to sabotage their vacation.

He frowned at the sky again. “We should probably look for some kind of shelter.”

“The wind is picking up,” Tasha replied. “Maybe it’ll just blow past.”

James grimaced. Yeah right.

“I can see the top!” she exclaimed before he has a chance to answer, her voice soft as it came out through a huff of breath, and James had to remind himself that, while physically impressive, she wasn’t a supersoldier like he was. The upward hike through thin air was a challenge for even the incredibly fit Black Widow.

His blue eyes watched her as she stepped upward from one boulder to the next, strong, perfect legs pushing the rest of her body forward. She wore a simple t-shirt and capri leggings, her back and trim waist hidden by the bulky backpack she insisted on carrying, though James had offered to carry all their things himself. She was beautiful like this, he thought for the hundredth time on this excursion. Not that she wasn’t beautiful all the time, but here, with crimson hair flowing free, the heat of exertion coloring her cheeks, and that smile on her lips that told him she was enjoying herself… this was Natasha at her very best.

A part of James still worried that Hydra would come for him, and would try to take his memories again. If he could just remember this scene, just remember seeing her like this, he could loose everything else and still be okay.

“The view is incredible,” Natasha was saying, glancing over her shoulder as he slowly approached from behind. “C’mon, get up here.”

But he wasn’t quite done admiring the view from his current position, and James slowed his steps instead of hurrying to her side. But as he crested the mountain and the view was revealed before him, James drew to a sudden stop.

Despite the dark clouds above, they could see for miles from their position. Grey stone mountainsides carpeted with deep green pine trees dove into a valley below, giving a view as impressive as anything one might see in a National Geographic magazine.

And before it, stood the love of his life. Natasha’s red hair was a stark contrast to the cool colors of the background, and she stood out like a statue against the natural world. Her expression was serene, satisfied, as she silently took in the view.

Like a punch in the gut, James was suddenly reminded of a similar scene just weeks before. Of Natasha, quiet resolution on her face, standing on the edge of a flying city, telling Steve she was ready to give her life for its citizens.

He suddenly felt short of breath. Her readiness to sacrifice herself had terrified him, and haunted him still. They had survived Ultron, had survived Hydra, and many other adversaries prior, but would the day come that they faced a danger they couldn’t overcome? What would he do if he lost her?

As the world’s leading authority on waiting too long… don’t, Steve had said. He had advised Bucky to take Natasha away and settle down somewhere far from danger, where they could just be together. Be safe.

Would she be willing to do that?

James opened his dry mouth to give voice to the question, when a raindrop fell directly onto the end of his nose.

He growled and looked upward, but had to suddenly squeeze his eyes shut from a flash, with a rumble of thunder close behind. Better get to shelter first, he decided. The rest could wait.

“Tasha, we should get going,” he said, the words barely leaving his lips as more and more raindrops raindrops hurtled towards earth.

She was holding her hands to the side, catching raindrops as they fell. “Why, are you going to melt?” There was laughter in her voice.

He huffed in annoyance, ignoring the question. “I just can’t believe it. We finally have our vacation and we get this?”

His girlfriend grinned at him over her shoulder, but finally turned away from the view and adjusted her pack. “Oh come on. You fought the Nazis, James. Don’t go whining about a little rain.”

“If I have to compare everything to fighting Nazis,” he replied, allowing himself a small smile as she approached, “I won’t get to complain about anything.”

She stopped just in front of him, nimble fingers crawling up the front of his wet t-shirt as it began to cling to his body.

“I like the rain,” she cooed as her green eyes traced the muscles in his chest. “The way it sounds on an umbrella, the way the air feels…”

James tried really, really hard to push down the feeling her fingers were sparking within him. “Man, you are such a girl sometimes.”

She peered up at him through dark lashes. “You say that like it’s a bad thing.”

“It isn’t. Believe me.”

James lifted his right hand to her chin, gently tilting her face upwards. He lowered his head, pressing his lips to hers with a sudden hunger. She responded, arching her back to press her soft curves against him, parting her lips to welcome his mouth. A small moan slipped from her throat, and James’ metal fingers dug into her hip.

Another flash and a booming of thunder echoed all around them, and Natasha broke their kiss with a yelp and nestled against his body. Again, James’ eyes searched the grey skies with resentment before refocusing on getting the two of them to safety.

“Considering I have a lightning rod attached to my shoulder…” he began.

“Right, shelter,” Tasha replied. She pulled away and moved toward the trail that led back down the mountain. “There was an overhanging rock not far down that I think will work.”

James watched her go on light footsteps, practically dancing down the trail. He felt his heart squeeze tight again. He had let her distract him from asking about their future, and deep within, he knew he was too much of a coward to bring up the question again.

At least not yet. Not until he was sure she was ready to say “yes.” Because if she didn’t, it would break him completely.

James lowered his eyes to the trail and hurried after her.