The Guide To Moving On

Chapter 42 - Surprise!

Previously*

"Don't fight back, and your pretty little boyfriend stays safe."

Nat's POV

It felt like forever since those men had taken me, I hadn't fought back, which made me feel like an idiot, but I had to know that Steve was safe before I taught these men a lesson, Black Widow style.

They had dragged me to a black car and push me in, by now my arms and legs were bound with rope, loosely however, which I found suspicious considering they should know full well who I am. It was as if they were daring me to escape and fight back.

We had been driving for about 30 minutes, and I had refrained using my direct spy contact with Clint, a tracker that was currently stuffed into my boot until I knew who I was fighting and if I even needed backup.

The second that I know that Steve is safe, I swear to-

My train of thought was interrupted by the sound of the car tyres crunching on gravel echoed throughout the silent car, and we slowly pulled up. I couldn't tell where we were, considering they had blindfolded me with silk ribbon, but we can't be far from the city. A days walk maximum back to the tower.

One of the men dragged me out of the car and they undid the rope around my legs a little so that I could walk on my own and they guided me across a patch of what felt like grass. They suddenly stopped and I almost fell due to how little movement I still had in my legs.

"Oh my gosh, you tied her up! I should never have agreed to this plan! Help me get them off her." A man suddenly spoke up and I frowned, that voice sounded far to familiar.

"I'm sorry, but there was no way we could be sure that she wouldn't fight back if we didn't." One of the men next to me replied, I could recognise him from the one that threatened me back at the tower.

Come to think of it, how did JARVIS or anyone else realise that there was an intruder and not immediately alert me and the other Avengers? I felt the ropes around my arms and legs fall and I took this as an opportunity to fight, I was far to confused and my fuse was getting shorter by the second.

I blindly threw a punch in the general direction of the man that sounded so familiar, that I was sure was standing in front of me. They caught my hand sturdily, like they had been expecting it. Their calloused hand wrapped around mine, as they intertwined our fingers.

I frowned even more at this, I recognise that warm hand too. I was about to start shouting when the blind fold fell from my eyes and I gasped as I looked around me.

There was 5 burly men standing near me that I could recognise anywhere.

"SURPRISE! HAPPY BIRTHDAY!" They all yelled and I jumped, completely overwhelmed at the sight before me.

There was brightly coloured ribbons, streamers, confetti and balloons. There was tables almost breaking under the weight of hundreds of assorted cakes and treats, there was also loud music that started up out of no where.

"STEVE ROGERS! YOU ARE A DEAD MAN!" I screamed and they all burst out laughing. There was only one person that I had ever told about my birthdate, and that was the man standing beside me holding my hand. I threw another punch and this one got him square on the shoulder.

"I guess I deserve that." He remarked, wiping the tears from his eyes from his hysterical laughter.

"If you ever do anything like this again, you will never see the light of day again." I whispered in his ear, my tone frighteningly low. His eyes widened and he nodded.

"Tony made me do it, he planned everything. But relax, come and enjoy what we have put together for you." He pleaded and I nodded slowly, deciding that I will finish this conversation with him later, and away from the prying eyes of the rest of the team.

"Let's do the cake!" Clint called out as he rushed over to find a lighter. I nodded and walked with the rest of the team over to the cake stand. They sung to me as I stood there awkwardly, with no idea what to do with myself.

I have never really had a birthday before, or at least no one that I could remember. In the red room, getting older only meant that you were able to kill more and after that, I never saw it as something that was important in my life.

After that, we ate cake, danced, stuffed our faces with food, joked and just had an all round amazing time. If this is what it feels like to have a birthday, I want one every year.

A slow song came over the stereo and Tony and Clint immediately jumped into each others arms and swayed along jokingly. Thor decided that you had to dance, but wasn't very good at communicating this and so he grabbed Bruce by the collar and swung him around causing Bruce to yelp in surprise.

I laughed at their shenanigans for a bit before Steve grabbed my arm gently and led me to a clear spot where we started to dance too. I rested my head on his chest and listened to his heartbeat, trying to still calm my rapidly beating heart from me scare today.

"You gave me quite the scare this morning. I thought that something really bad had happened to you." I whispered as we swayed.

"Is that what they told you when they took you?" He asked softly and I nodded against his chest.

"I am so sorry honey, if I had of known that part of Tony's plan was to kidnap you, then I never would've agreed to this. Can you forgive me?" He whispered and I thought about this for a moment before pulling back a little to look at him in the eyes.

"Yes, but please don't ever do anything like this again." He nodded solemnly, "Because I don't think I can handle thinking that I have lost you again." I whispered as he pulled me back in against his chest.

"I am not going anywhere. But, that is all the confirmation that I needed." He told as he pulled back as the song ended and Thinking Out Loud came on.

"Confirmation for what?" I asked and Steve moved again, getting down onto one knee in front of me. He pulled a small box from his pocket and I gasped as he opened it, quickly realising what was happening.

"Natalia Alianovna Romanova, from the day we first met, I knew that there was something so special about you. You are the first person that I want to see in the morning and the only person I want to kiss goodnight. You make every second of my life better as I fall in love with you over and over, and I couldn't ever imagine a future where you aren't by my side. So, would you make me the happiest man alive and marry me?" By now, there were tears pouring down both of our faces and my cheeks hurt from smiling so much.

"Of course!" I yelled and launched into his arms, kissing him hard as he slipped the ring onto my finger.

There was a cheer coming from behind us as I looked over and realised that all of the other Avengers were there, smiling along with us.

If someone had of told me 6 hours ago that I was going to get kidnapped, taken to a secluded park for a birthday party with my favourite people and then get proposed to, I would've laughed in their face.

And yet here I am, a ring on my finger, in the arms of my soon-to-be husband. It all seemed so surreal and I kept pinching myself, hoping that this wasn't just a dream because this all seems too good to be true.

But it wasn't, it never was with Steve. I have no idea what I ever did to deserve someone as amazing as him.