1
Natasha Romanoff and Maria Hill had been together for a couple of months, and they were enjoying a rare day off from their busy schedules. This almost never happened, being a SHIELD agent was pretty demanding, so they were determined to spend the entire day with one another, with no work, no distractions.
They had been friends for a while now, but had started dating recently. Almost no one knew, just their closest friends from shield, Barton, Bobby, May and Coulson. Fury most likely knew too, nothing ever slipped past him. But he said nothing, so they said nothing. They were happy. Natasha was happy. Maria made her feel safe and loved. And most importantly, she made her feel human.
Natasha and Maria had planned to spend the day exploring the city and trying out new restaurants.
They started the day with a delicious breakfast at a cozy cafe that Maria had discovered a few weeks ago. They talked about everything from work to their favorite movies and TV shows, and just enjoyed each other's company.
After breakfast, they took a stroll in the park, holding hands and enjoying the beautiful weather. They came across a street artist who was painting a beautiful mural, and Maria suggested they stop and watch for a while. Natasha was fascinated by the artist's technique and watched in awe as the mural slowly came to life.
As they continued their walk, they stumbled upon a small boutique that caught their attention. Natasha was hesitant to go in, but Maria encouraged her, saying they had all day to explore and have fun. Natasha finally relented, and they spent the next hour trying on clothes and accessories, laughing and joking around like two teenagers.
Next, they decided to head to a popular restaurant that Maria had been raving about for weeks. They ordered some of the chef's signature dishes and a bottle of wine, and spent the next couple of hours enjoying the delicious food and each other's company.
As the day drew to a close, they sat on a bench in a quiet corner of the park, watching the sunset and holding each other close. They talked about their hopes and dreams for the future, and Natasha finally opened up about her past, something she had never done with anyone before. Except maybe Clint. Maria listened patiently, holding Natasha's hand and offering words of comfort and understanding. And for the first time in a long time, Natasha felt truly happy and at peace.
***
Natasha linked her arm with Maria’s, and rested her head against the taller girl’s shoulder. Maria smiled and squeezed her hand. They were on their way to Maria’s place, a couple of bocks away. “What’s on your mind?” The redhead hummed and started to play with her girlfriend’s fingers.
“Just that I’m lucky to have you.” Her slightly husky voice made Maria melt a little.
“Well, well, well, the Black Widow is a softy, who would have thought.” This earned her a slight shove and an indignant gasp. “I am not a softy! Spies don’t get soft.” Maria chucked, and landed a kiss on the redhead, inhaling her sent.
“I’m lucky to have you too.”
Natasha flashed a wide grin, and tipped her head to kiss her, giggling like a teenager. They continued to walk at an easy pace in a confortable silence. They were in front of Maria’s door in no time, and the brunette reached for her keys.
“You’ll stay, right? I can make us some drinks, and we could watch a movie.”
She opened the door and turned to face the redhead, only for her to brisk past her and into the apartment.
“I thought that was already the plan.” She smirked. “I even brought my pyjamas.” The brunette rolled her eyes and hid the grin that sneaked on her face. “Nat, we can’t, we have work tomorrow. I think people might get suspicious if you walk in with that dress.”
“What’s wrong with my dress?” Natasha looked down and glanced at Maria with an innocent air, but she was certain that there was nothing innocent behind those eyes. It was a pretty dress, granted, but not one to wear at work.
“I think the only people who have seen you with a dress are Barton, Coulson and May. You literally never wear dresses to work.” She rolled her eyes and walked in the kitchen with her shoes in her hands.
“Half my wardrobe is already at your place anyways. I’m sure I’ll find something.” Maria huffed. The fight was over even before it started, she could never say no to that girl. Maybe she was the one turning soft, I mean, what happened to hard-ass Hill?
While Maria started the drinks, Natasha sat on the sofa with a bowl of popcorn between her legs,browsing Netflix, and searching what to watch. They were in the middle of seeing the Harry Potter movies, because according to Hill, they were “the literal bases, how can you not have watched these?”. She prepared the fifth one and nipped on her popcorn.
A slight breeze shuffled her hair, and she frowned. No windows where open. She stilled, and listened. She couldn’t hear anything besides Maria in the kitchen. A shiver ran down her back and she got the awful feeling that something bad was going to happen.
“Maria…” she started, jumping to her feet and making her way to the kitchen, but just as she entered the room and caught her girlfriend’s gaze in her own, a flashing light invaded her vision. Then, darkness.