A Life With You

“Dance?” Darcy held out her hand for the redhead to take, she smiled and Natasha was in awe, not only from the slightly revealing dress that the princess was wearing but also the spark in her brown eyes. It terrified the pirate but also excited her beyond reason.”

Her first reaction was, of course, to say no. To remind the princess that they had more pressing matters to be worried about but instead she took the other woman’s hand and let herself be led to the dance floor.

The band played a light and unassuming melody, the kind that set the mood but didn’t generally stick in one’s head.

“You really have a thing about dancing, don’t you?” Natasha teased.

Darcy laughed and put her hand on the other woman’s waist, “Have I told you about the balls that my family would organize?”

“A few times.” Natasha relaxed into the rhythm of the dance as she was twirled lightly to one side of the princess’s body.

“Then that should make sense.”

“I bet you had lines of suitors waiting for a dance.”

Darcy’s feet were perfect and graceful as she kept the both of them in time of the music. Natasha couldn’t tell if they were among a lot of other people or if everyone had left them to the dance floor because for a few moments the rest of the world, the halls, the golden ceilings, and the statues of gold, faded away. She didn’t even worry where her feet were or her body, Darcy was moving for the both of them. She was just locked into a trance with the princess’s eyes.

“Always.” The princess said with confidence.

“How would you choose?”

“I didn’t choose. That’s not how it works at home, I danced with everyone. And everyone was fun in their own way.” Darcy dipped the redhead until she had a good upside down view of the hall.

“Wouldn’t dancing lose its charm after a while? If you dance with everyone wouldn’t it lose the specialness of the act?”

Darcy laughed, “No?” She said with a hint of confusion, “Why would it? Everyone is special in their own way so it’s never old or boring.”

“You’re—“ Natasha shook her head and dropped the sentence.

Darcy didn’t pursue the topic but she did stop the spinning and for a moment the pirate was caught off guard, “Let’s explore!” Darcy said with enthusiasm.

Before Natasha new what she was happening she pas being pulled away by the princess. They moved through the crowd of unsuspecting guests and they got a glimpse of where Hunter was chatting up the mark. The pirate had no idea where they were going but she was pretty sure that Darcy did (or maybe she didn’t).

They moved up a winding set of stairs with gold floors and handcrafted rails, they moved up and over the rest of the crowd only coming in contact with a few other guests as they moved up. They were two floors above the party when Darcy swung a right and led her down a similarly epic hall but this one led to a set of white doors.

Darcy, curious as to what was behind those doors of course went toward them first, she let go of the pirate and swung the doors open revealing a massive balcony. It looked over the sea and went around the outside of the house.

The princess inhaled the sweet air of the planet and walked forward, putting both hands on the boundary, looking over the expanse of the sea, toned in purple from the setting sun. Natasha moved next to her and appreciated the view.

“Is this all you’ve ever wanted?” The redhead asked, continuing to stare at the sea.

“To see this? Maybe. I just wanted to see everything that I could before I die-- Since I don’t have much time, you know.”

“I thought you were planning on getting the Anima stone?”

Darcy shrugged, “I am. But--” She glanced over at the pirate, “What if I die on the way to it ? I just don’t know and I’m afraid that I’ll leave and I will have never gotten to experience this.” She gestured to the humbling view.

“You know I never started seeing things until I met you?”

Darcy gave her a curious look.

“Yeah, I survived. That’s just what I did; it’s what I still want to do. I kept my nose down and focused on my work.” She paused, regret clouding her face, “We had been to so many places, I always had an opportunity to go and see but I never did. I guess apart of me was afraid that they would leave me if I ever stopped working. I can’t imagine what I’ve missed at this point.”

The princess put a hand on Natasha’s shoulder, “Well, you’re seeing things now, right?”

“Thanks to you.” Natasha looked down, “You’ve effectively ruined my plans and drug me into this ridiculous situation and yet I think this is the first time I’ve ever actually experienced a sunset. And for that, I’m thankful, princess.”

“Well--” Darcy began softly, “I hope there are many sunsets to come.”

“And sunrises.”

Darcy leaned in to kiss the redhead and Natasha closed her eyes, content to just enjoy the moment. When their lips met it was perfect, Natasha reveled in the fact that if felt like they were meant to be this close. That being with this woman was as instinctual as breathing.

.

.

.

72 Hours earlier. Outside the Planet of Drarth.

“I’m impressed. I really really am. And that’s not an easy feat.” Ward stepped over the tied up legs of Maria Hill.

She was tied and gagged on the floor next to America Chavez, Clava, and Claire Temple. They were in the same condition that she was in. Ward paced in front of them with a cocky grin, in his hands he held the Anima stone. The three pirates glared at him and America attempted to worm her way out of the binds but with little success.

“I mean, going to the Monks of Thahn, what a ballsy move AND you managed to get your way through the puzzles. I’m impressed. And I want to thank you for doing the grunt work for me here.” He threw the stone up in the air and caught it with a smirk.

“This artifact is going to be confiscated by the O’Nahn government; we thank you for your cooperation and hope that you have a safe journey back.” He said in fake tone of professionalism then he turned to one of the soldiers that the Pacis offered him and gestured to the women, “Put them in the hold. I would kill them but they’re worth more to the officials alive.”

Then he turned back to the captives, “But that can change if any of you try anything.”

A few of the soldiers moved past him and picked the pirates up off the ground, leading them kicking and yelling to the ship’s cargo hold. Ward chuckled as they cursed at him through the gags.

“Are we going back to Pacis, Sir?” The soldier asked the bounty hunter.

“No, I’ve got something to pick up first.” He held the rock, which, for all it was worth did not look all that special. It was grey and rough with small patches of dull crystals.

“And I’ve got just what I need to bate her in.”

.

.

.

Darcy was standing, body flushed to the redhead’s, they had found a private corner of the balcony and they were enjoying it immensely. They breathed heavily as their lips moved together and their tongues slipped inside.

Darcy let her hands roam up and down the pirate’s body, making her breath hitch and her body to shiver. Natasha had her fingers tangled in the princess’s thick brown hair and she clutched harder as Darcy’s hand moved downward between her legs.

“Something’s happened; meet us back at the ship immediately.” Bobbie’s concerned voice rang through both their ear pieces and they jumped at the sudden interruption.

“Damnit!” Natasha cursed and hit the wall behind her.

However their anger of being interrupted faded as the sound of a ship’s engine approached. They looked around nervously for a moment as everything went silent. They gasped and sprinted toward the door as a patrol vehicle of unknown make rounded to the back of the house and nearly caught them In the search light.

They slammed the door and fell behind the safety of the walls. Natasha grabbed the other woman’s hand and rushed down the hall to the staircase. They took the stairs two at a time.

They were a floor down when the pirate stopped dead causing the other woman to crash into her, however the redhead didn’t move. Natasha was staring with wide eyes down at the party floor.

There was a disturbance that had nothing to do with Bobbie and Hunter’s mission. The guests of the prince’s gala were standing nervously around the dance floor, whispering among themselves and shifting.

Through the crowds soldiers in blank uniforms were moving in and out of the people, checking faces and asking for weapons. Natasha specifically saw as one of the soldiers approached Bobbie and she faked a smile still staying in character. A way from her Lance was hiding behind the Prince since he was one of the few that weren’t being searched.

Natasha gripped the edge of the staircase as a familiar man made his way to the middle of the floor, bowing to the prince with a wicked smile.

“I apologize for the interruption, you highness but this is a matter of extreme importance. When we are finished here we will be out of your way.” He gestured one of the soldiers and they instructed their men to hurry up.

“Ladies and Gentlemen and all variation thereupon, we believe somewhere in this house are a pair of criminals. They are potentially dangerous but I promise they will be taken care of.”

Natasha clearly saw Morse and Hunter exchange glances, along with the entire crew of Howling Commandos who were scattered within the crowd.

“How did he find us?” Darcy whispered. Her voice shaky and nervous.

Natasha didn’t respond and instead she grabbed onto the princess’s arm, “Come on, we need to get you out of here.” They ducked down and moved back up the stairs, just in time as a group of soldiers began making their way to the staircase.

They sprinted quietly back to the balcony, when they opened the doors and checked to make sure there weren’t any patrols moving around they stepped outside. Natasha looked over the edge of the boundary, moving quickly and searching for any way down.

She concluded that apart of the house in the corner would have to do and she gestured for the princess to follow her. Darcy glanced down at the height and the precarious climb down and she stopped, staring at the pirate.

Natasha didn’t give her a chance to say anything, “Climb down here, I’ll be right behind you.” She let the princess use her for balance as she threw her legs over the fence and slowly began climbing down.

“Stop right there!”

Natasha glanced at the princess before turning around and facing the guards that had caught up to them. She threw her hands up and tried to act innocent; they grabbed her wrists and pushed her forward. One of the soldiers checked over the edge of the balcony where the woman had been but concluded a moment later that it was clear. A few feet below him Darcy clung onto the vines that climbed up the side of the house, closing her eyes and hoping that she wouldn’t be caught.

Natasha was dragged back down to the interrupted party where the atmosphere was just as tense as when they left. The soldiers pulled her down the stairs and they stopped in front of Ward. He turned around when he heard them approach and he smiled as he saw who they had caught.

“Well, well, it’s you again. Where is the princess?”

The soldiers pushed her forward to face him. Natasha remained silent, looking away from the bounty hunter. She hoped that Darcy was getting out of here and she wanted to give her some extra time to escape.

Ward sighed when he saw that she was ignoring him and he put a hand up to turn her face towards his, “Now, no name, I’ll ask you again, where is the princess?”

He got a face full of spit instead of an answer. He closed his eyes and sighed. He wiped her saliva from his face and proceeded to land a particularly hard punch to the redhead’s stomach.

She dropped to the floor coughing and he walked away shaking his head. “That’s fine. Take her away. This’ll work better.” He moved to one of the soldiers who was holding a locked metal box, he punched in a few keys and it popped open.

Inside was the Anima stone, Natasha tried to get a glance at what it was but she wasn’t sure. Although she did have an idea. The soldiers pulled her away, lifting her off the floor and dragging her away towards the exit.

Ward then made an announcement, holding the stone up high above his head as his eyes scanned the crowds and the windows. Natasha struggled against the soldiers but they pulled her back through the doors.

She hoped that Darcy was already gone by this point, but that didn’t help her with her situation. She continued to kick and struggle as they escorted her outside to the courtyard where Ward’s ship was sitting in the middle of the court. They were planning on taking her to the ship.

She went limp a few feet away from the ship and then used her body weight to pull them down, wrenching their arms. Then she aimed a hard kick with the spiky and complicated shoes at on of their faces. He went down with a crushed a bleeding nose.

She rolled out of the other man’s grasp and head butted him as he tried to catch her, he shook it off quickly but not before she kicked his feet out from underneath him and punched him, his head hitting the stone underneath it.

He went limp and she stood up, pulling a knife off of the unconscious man. The other soldier stood up as well, holding his nose as blood gushed out of it. He made to grab his gun but she lunged forward and snapped his hand away, twisting his arm and plunging the knife into his shoulder. As he stumbled down she kicked him, knocking him unconscious.

She practically growled as she stood up, straightening her dress and then getting the guns off of the soldiers. She didn’t want to kill them, they were unmarked which led her to believe they were just grunts from Pacis.

She tucked the knife away in her dress and gripped the stolen guns; she didn’t waste any time going for the kill. She moved towards the front door, her face focused and her arms up, aiming the guns in front of her.

She kicked the natural wood doors open and stood tall as everyone in the room, including Ward stopped and looked at her. In an instant every soldier in the room immediately had their weapons up rushing forward. One by one she aimed shots at them, taking out either knees or shoulders until nearly all of them were on the ground.

The guests jumped and screamed and suddenly the entire room was a flurry of movement. Ward stood in front of the commotion, his face blank even as his soldiers were injured and struggling.

“Who the hell are you?” He asked, his face confused and slightly impressed.

The pirate aimed a shot at him but he dodged it expertly, she moved forward antagonizing the bounty hunter. He lifted his own gun and ducked underneath the cover of the stage.

She gave a few warning shots around his position, still headed toward him through the stampede of people who were rushing through the doors all at once, any of the soldiers that she didn’t incapacitate were run over from crowds.

“What the hell are you doing?” Bobbie was struggling against the crowds.

Natasha looked back at her, surprised. This gave Ward the chance that he needed to get a shot out. He hit the guns in the pirate’s hand and she jumped away just before he could shoot her in the chest.

She rolled underneath one of the tables just as he stood up, confident that he had her cornered. He walked cautiously towards the tables, pacing lightly where her position was.

He was surprised with a knife in his leg; she threw it directly into his knee. He fell around his wound and she slid out from underneath the tables, punching him backwards and pulling the knife back out. He cried out in pain but watched her angrily. She kicked the gun away from him and then stood above him. Her dress was ripped from the action and it had spatters of blood all over it.

She looked utterly terrifying standing over him.

He laughed, still clutching onto the deep cut in his leg. “You’re pretty good, I’ll give you that. But you’re stupid. You know that?”

She raised an eyebrow in response.

“You want to be invincible; you can’t have such a blatant weakness.” He gestured his head to the doors and she paused but then looked.

Darcy was being held by three soldiers, they had her handcuffed and she had a split lip. The soldier pushed the gun into the side of her head and she shuddered.

“Give up. You’re not going to win this one.”

Darcy shook her head but Natasha dropped the knife nonetheless. Ward smiled and stood up, hobbling slightly on his injured leg. “So predictable.” He said with a sneer and tied the redhead up. She struggled only slightly, realizing just now how much she didn’t want anything to happen to the princess.

Ward shook his head and went to confront the princess, leaving the pirate with two soldiers that came to help. The redhead looked away, her anger boiling inside her while at the same time that feeling of helplessness washing over her like a bad memory.

That was when she caught a glimpse of blue eyes from underneath the table. Her eyes locked with the small man hiding underneath one of the tables. His face was determined and impressed. She could tell he was torn at what he should do.

He held up a small remote with a button on top. It was a detonator, she recognized immediately. She glanced around, understanding what he was planning on doing. Her thoughts of escape were interrupted by a harsh push forward, Ward was urging the soldiers to move her to the door.

She sighed and closed her eyes, wishing that she would be able to cover up her ears as well. Almost instantly afterward the walls behind them blew, collapsing a massive portion of the staircase and sending shrapnel through the air, nearly hitting Natasha as it flew by, she felt something hit her side but she was pushed down by the force and didn’t feel anything after that.

The explosion exposed a backroom underneath the stairs which was probably meant for the Howling commandos to get through as an exit strategy. The soldiers holding her were thrown forward with the force and she was thrown with them.

Ward and Darcy hit the ground violently as pieces of the floor and staircase rained down on them.

Natasha doesn’t waste any time getting out of her binds despite the fact that her ears are ringing and she could barely see anything through the dust and debris. Ward was on his feet just as fast as she was and he tacked her to the ground.

Natasha kicked him off and used a piece of wood to block a punch before rolling over and dodging another throw. She ducked a few more times before taking the piece of wood and slapping across his face. That barely helped to stop him and he twisted the weapon out of her hands and swung it at her.

She dodged it and moved away only to become trapped by the O’Nahn at the back of the room, she struggled against his grip on her wrists and she headbutted him, sending him back with a cry of pain. She grabbed the only thing that was in her reach which was a broken bottle. When he stood up straight and lunged at her again she brought the bottle down against his face. It ripped through the side of his face and down his neck.

Blood poured out of the wound and he screamed, falling backwards. At this Natasha grabbed a pipe from the ground and slammed it down, his screaming and writhing stopped and he fell unconscious. Natasha dropped the pipe breathing heavily, She spit at the body in front of her and spat out in a hoarse voice "I'm Natasha Fucking Romanov."

She looked up to see the princess running up to her but instead of a joyful smile or a happy embrace, Darcy’s eyes were concerned and her line of sight was lower than the pirate’s face. Natasha glanced down to see the massive gash in her side, nearly into her stomach it was pouring blood and she realized that she was shaking.

Before the pain could fully hit, her legs gave out and she crumbled to the ground. Darcy was at her side a moment later, lifting her head up gently and holding her close. Natasha’s eyes were blurry and she was having trouble making out exactly what Darcy was saying but she certainly enjoyed the view. However, she wished that she could see the princess smile once again before she died.

Her vision was tunneling and Darcy seemed to be screaming at her but it was only coming through as a muffled beat. Natasha smiled as everything went black and she felt at peace for the first time in her life. She was content to die now. If she had to.

But just as everything drifted off she was suddenly drowned in all the sensations of her environment again and she inhaled a panicked breath as she shot up, her eyes wide as she felt like someone had just electrocuted her. She gasped and started coughing, her lungs fighting against the air she was sucking in.

The world was extremely bright all of the sudden. Too bright and she closed her eyes against the sensations. She was still reeling when a pair of arms wrapped themselves around her body and she chanced a glance down to see the princess crying over her.

She, more instinctively than anything, clutched on to Darcy in return, her head spinning and the world speckled with yellow dots.

“What happened?” Natasha choked out.

“I lost you.” Darcy said through tears not relinquishing the grip on the pirate’s waist.

Natasha brought a hand down to her side, feeling only the rip in her dress. Her skin had been healed and she was no longer bleeding. Also, there was no more blood despite the fact that from further examination she was laying in a pool of her own blood. Beside them, that Damned rock that had began all of this was shattered into pieces.

Everything locked into place and Natasha pulled away from the princess, looking into her eyes, “Darcy, what did you do?”

The brunette sniffled, “It can heal people, I used my blood to activate it and it brought you back to life.” She ducked back underneath the Pirate’s arms.

“But Darcy, your life? Why did you do that?”

The princess looked up at her, “I would rather live a short life with you than I long one without you.” She paused, “Don’t question it. I knew what I was doing.”

Tears fell from the pirates eyes and she clutched onto the other woman for dear life, around them the congregation shuffled back in to gawk at the scene of violence. Bobbie and Lance were at the front of the group looking a mix of shock and worry.

Steve Rogers stood up from where he had been and joined his own crew, Natasha had a feeling that he was going to want to talk to her after all of this was over for for now she paid no mind to him. All that mattered was the woman in her arms and the fire in her heart.

Darcy looked up at her and suddenly the whole world faded, “What are we going to do now?” She asked.

“I don’t know.” Natasha said with a little shake of her head, “But we’re going to do it together.”