Disclaimer: I don't own Avengers or any of its characters.
Title: Age Before Beauty
Rating: T
Characters [in this chapter]: Steve Rogers and Natasha Romanov with mentions of Tony Stark and Clint Barton
Summary: Steve was younger than he had claimed and now they had to deal with the consequences of a sixteen-year-old soldier on and off the battlefield.
Warnings [for this chapter]: None
Author's Notes: I'm a sucker for comforting those while they sleep. And I think Steve and Natasha would be pretty similar in that they are light sleepers, always on the go and ready to spring into action at a moment's notice due to their background.

It was a rare night that Natasha realized that Steve's bedroom door had not been fully shut. Part of her rationalized that they all had a long day dealing with the aftermath of saving Paris from the latest menace, as well as the aftermath of dealing with reporters, fans and anti-fans waiting to sink their teeth into them. If Steve was too exhausted to close his door entirely, who was she to judge?

And yet ...

Despite the fact Clint and Tony teased her that she was fond of "mothering" Steve, she could not help but peer through the crack of the door.

He was curled underneath the blankets, back to the wall, a defensive position Natasha was familiar with, having employ it herself every night. One hand was hidden but she suspected it was curled below his pillow, perhaps barely brushing against a loaded gun.

Just in case.

And if she knew Steve, at a second's notice, he would be up on his feet, grab his shield that was strategically placed near his right arm and ready to take down the enemy, his army training having been drilled into his mind from the very beginning.

Even in sleep, Steve Rogers was a soldier through and through.

Much like her and the very thought of it made her ill.

Abruptly, there was a shift in Steve's sleep and he turned slightly to the side with a faint groan that made Natasha's heart jolt with concern.

She recalled the times Steve had nightmares even if he tried to valiantly hide it from the rest of them. Where he woke up gasping and sweating and wanting to scream but didn't have the breath to. Sometimes he called for Bucky, Peggy, Howard and his Howling Commandos, harsh choked cries mixed with tears. Other times he begged and pleaded to unknown faces, endlessly apologizing for things far beyond his control.

"It's-it's fine. I'm fine," he lied amidst his red-rimmed eyes and shaky voice, trying not to show how uncomfortable he was with all of them crowding around him. " I-It was stupid anyways. Nothing to worry about."

" No. No." They murmured, soft and gentle, wanting to reach out to him but not wanting to estrange him further. " Talk to us. Let us help you. We are right here."

" Nothing to worry about," Steve repeated mechanically, smiling an empty smile that made them cringe and wish they could say or do something – anything – to take it all away.

Fortunately, on this night, Steve settled back down with a soft yawn and continued to sleep peacefully, untouched by dark and ugly things and allowed her to breath again.

It was not fair, Natasha thought to herself. It was not fair that Steve should be having these nightmares, mourning for lost loved ones and tormenting himself over unavoidable mistakes and unforgettable decisions.

Her hand twitched and for the first time, it was not following the familiar motion of pulling the trigger of a gun. Part of her chided herself for behaving so childish as to want to reach out and mimic the soothing touch of a mother comforting her own flesh and blood. Steve was not her child (she was not that old) and he was not the child they believed him to be.

But this wasn't about any child or any mother. This was Steve and this was her.

Quieter than any living cat, Natasha slipped through the shadows and approached Steve's bed. And gentler than a butterfly's kiss, she brushed a hand over Steve's hair as if the act alone could dissipate all his nightmares. And faster than a bullet, she was already out of the room, closing the door behind her.

She and the others might not be able to stop the nightmares entirely but they could silently support Steve until he was ready and they would be there for him.