Chapter 3
Natasha wakes up to someone standing over her. In a moment her eyes are open, shes on her feet and her knee is pressing the attacker against the wall, her hand at their throat
‘well this is a warm welcome’ Maria looks down at the slim hand fastened around her throat
‘kinky, didn’t know you were into that’
‘Masha!’ Nat breathes, her eyes tracing up to meet Maria’s
‘hey’ Maria tolts her head ‘but im serious, is that how you greet all your early morning visitors’
‘only the ones I like’ Natasha smirks, then leans up, pulling Maria in for a deep kiss
‘mm I missed you’ Maria sighs into her mouth
‘its been one day’ Natasha laughs
‘one day too long’
‘what time is it?’ Nat asks, wrapping her arms around Maria’s waist and looking up at her
‘about 7’ Maria smiles ‘you were sleeping peacefully, I meant to just slip in beside you’
‘im glad you didn’t’ Natasha leans up and kissing Maria on the nose ‘you would have missed this’ she kisses maria again on the nose and the brunette laughs
‘Your parents are waking up’ Maria reminds her ‘we should go down’
‘urgh’ Nat groans, pulling away ‘fine. Let me put on a hoodie’
‘and I’m going to change’ Maria looks down at her suit that crumbled and creased, her jacket undone and the skirt collar unbuttoned, sleeves rolled up slightly
‘you flew here?’
‘yeah’ Maria nods
‘through the night?’ Nat’s eyes widen as she asks
‘yeah’ Maria shrugs
‘why? You mustn’t have slept for 2 days’
‘3 actually’ Maria corrects with a laugh, then turns serious as Natasha frowns ‘but, you said you needed me, so I came’
‘I love you’ Nat states easily
‘I love you too’ Maria replies, amused, pulling a hoodie and looking the one Nat’s wearing
Hey is that my-‘
‘oop, got to go’ Natasha rushes past her, grabbing her hand and dragging Maria out of the room, slamming into Bruce as she does
‘Hi Nat, Hi Hill’ he yawns, then freezes, turning back with comedic slowness, to reinspect the women
‘Hill?’ then a light of realisation dawns on his face
‘Maria!’
‘yes’ Maria replies casually and his eyes widen further when he spots their linked hands
‘oh my lord’’
‘uh huh’ Nat nods him along
‘oh wow’
‘yep’
‘you two’ he points between them ‘are...’ he waves his hands
‘im not quite sure what you mean Banner?’ Maria asks politely and he gasps more as Natasha creeps her other hand around Maria’s waist
‘yes what do you mean?’ she repeats, leaning against Natasha, resting her head on top of the redhead’s and kissing her gently on the forehead
‘you…you’re together’
‘ding dong hes got it’ Natasha looks up at Maria in fake shock
‘really?’
‘yes’
‘really?’
‘yes’
‘really?’
‘is it that hard to believe’ Natasha frowns, considering ‘I mean Maria’s hot, but its not like shes out of my league that much’ she eyes Maria ‘are you?’
‘miles out of it love’ the brunette grins back
‘aw’ Brucce softens ‘this is sweet’
‘thanks?’
‘why didn’t you tell anyone? Is it new?’
‘no, not in the slightest, we just didn’t need to’ Nat shrugs
‘okay then’ Bruce seems happy with that ‘see you down there then’ and he walks off down the stairs
‘that was aggravatingly easy’ Nat says, watching him go
‘would you prefer he screamed and you and tried to hit you or something?’
‘well I’ve always wanted to see Mama use that bazooka’ a voice behind them says
‘Pockets!’ Maria grins
‘Tree trunk!’ Yelena fist bumps Maria
‘can I hug you?’
‘urm’ Yelena considers for a moment ‘yes’
And Maria sweeps her up and a huge hug
‘ive missed you you giant’
‘ive missed you too you midget’ Maria puts her sister down and ruffles her hair
‘oi’ Yelena slaps her hand back indignantly
‘there literally a couple of inches between you’ Nat sighs
‘oh be quiet’ Yelena waves her hand and turns back to Maria
‘so, have you brought it’ she asks excitedly
‘not this time’
‘boooooo’ Yelena groans ‘you’re no fun’
‘I thought I was your favourite American’ maria tilts her head
‘how do you know that?’ Yelena snorts ‘Nat was defiantly still asleep when you came in’
‘you think I set feet within 100 metres of this place without Melina pointing a gun at me-no way’ Maria laughs ‘she offered me coffee, and told me everything that happened last night’
‘she really is your favourite’ Natasha frowns moodily and Maria shrugs
‘well you’re my favourite’
‘really?’
‘really’
‘okay ew this is too much romance this early in the morning’ Yelena swats her hands in her sister face as she leans into kiss Maria
‘don’t stay up here making out all morning, come eat’ she hops up onto the banister and walks down it to the kitchen, her arms waving around as she tries to balance
‘spending all morning up here does sound good’ Natasha smiles at Maria who rolls her eyes
‘I might drop dead on the floor if I don’t eat within the next 10 minutes’ Nat opens her mouth to reply and Maria shakes her head ‘no-don’t even think about it’
‘I heard someone talk about making out’ Tony pokes his head around the door
‘yeah’ Maria nods
‘Hill?’
‘yes’
‘Hill?’ then he takes a step forward and pokes her in the stomach
‘ow’ she catches his finger and he frowns ‘what was that for’
‘just checking you were real’
‘I came last night’ Maria tilts her head ‘didn’t think you’d be here though’
‘Romanoff showed us her little family last night, slightly shocking’
‘not really’
‘oh so you’ve been here before?’ Tony asks as they make their way down the stairs
‘yep’
‘lots?’
‘yep’
‘oh’ he reaches the bottom and sniffs ‘ohh food’
And immediately beeline to where the others are sat around the table, only Steve and Clint still upstairs (Steve having let everyone else shower before him and now suffering the cold water)
‘Ah Hill’ Alexi claps her on the back ‘welcome home’
‘thanks Alexi’ Maria smiles softly as he gestures with his fork at all of the food
‘come eat’
‘thank you’ Maria sits down next to Nat ‘hey Melina’
‘I’ve told you, call me Ma’ Melina leans over Maria to place a stack of toast on the table
‘so you know our commander huh? She another adopted child?’ Tony asks and melina shrugs
‘Natasha brought her home one day, this is her home now’
‘poetic’
‘romantic’ Yelena coughs and Bruce grins slightly
‘very’
‘very what?’ Tony pokes him ‘what did little blondie say over there’
‘I said romantic’ Yelena raises her voice and Natasha drops her fork with a clatter
‘shut up’
‘you told Bruce’ Yelena argues back
‘told him what?’ Tony looks between them ‘what does Banner know that I don’t?’
‘infinite amounts’ Maria silences both the sisters with a glare ‘but most importantly when to shut up’
The rest of breakfast is eaten in a low hum of chatter of nothing important and nothing questioned. Steve and Clint shove each other down the stairs to join them and at the end the super soldier stands up to help clear the plates
‘no sit down, you are a guest, Natalia, Yelena and Maria can do it’ Melina instructs
‘I really don’t mind’ Steve replies politely as Yelena groans, Natasha sticks her tongue out and Maria picks up three plates and a bowl
‘you can swap with me old man’ Yelena sits back and puts her feet up on the table, only to have them slapped back down by alexi
‘alright’ Steve starts to load himself up with dishes as Maria walks into the kitchen, Natasha immediately stand up and follows her
‘you okay?’ Maria asks gently, setting down the plates and beginning to run hot water in the sink
‘uh huh’
‘don’t lie to me Nat’ Maria reminds her and Natasha spins around, hopping onto the work surface beside the sink to ace Maria
‘I will be’ she says ‘I think its just weird, seeing them here, im my space, with you, and my family, its so domestic and calm and casual, I never even thought, dreamed this would happen’
Maria just stays silent pulling on rubber gloves and starting to scrub the plates
‘I think its good though’ Nat continues ‘I needed this, it was getting hard, keeping secrets all the time, sneaking out’
Maria nods ‘so you want to tell more people?’
‘I think so’ Natasha shrugs ‘I mean, look how Bruce was, he was fine with it’
‘why wouldn’t he be?’
‘you know how it is’ Natasha smiles sadly at Maria who sighs ‘between who you are and who I am it would be almost impossible so keep it so quiet for much longer, I mean there are always people looking, when I’m walking down the street, when I was at the supermarket, and I dont mind the families, the children’
‘but when its news people with camera lenses longer than your arm and pockets to be filled you mind’
‘im only human’ Nat shrugs ‘this is the best thing I’ve ever had and I cant let Fox News spoil it’
‘say that again’ Maria grins
‘I wont let Fox News spoil it’ Natasha repeats, confused
‘not the other part’
‘this is the best think I’ve ever had’ Natasha chuckles quietly
‘what was that I cant hear you’ Maria raises a hand to her ear, splashing Nat as she does
‘hey!’
‘oh no say it again’ Maria picks up a huge handful of bubbles and aims it at Nat’s face
‘go on!’
‘The best thing I’ve ever had’ Natasha laughs, and Maria snorts, the bubble cascading over them both, making Natasha squeal and leap down into Maria’s arms
‘best, thing, ever’ Natasha says breathlessly pressing herself to Maria and pulling her in for a kiss, Maria’s gloved hands soaking the back of her top but not really caring just losing herself in Maria.
Or at least, she was until they’re bumped back down to reality by plates smashing
Steve stands in the doorway, three plates shattered on the ground, his right hand now empty and the other stacked on his left teetering warily
‘woah’ Maria lunges forward and grabs them from him, freeing his hands so he can point to the pair
‘you… you’ the others run into the room
‘what happened?’ Melina takes in Natasha’s soaked shirt, the smashed plates and Steve looks of utter shock, like someones just told him the sky is green
‘you’ he sputters again
‘use your words Rogers’ Maria says causally, putting the pates on top of each other on the draining board
‘you were’ he turns red up to his ears ‘canoodling’
Natasha snorts loudly
‘THEY WERE WHAT?’ Tony bellows from his place at the back
‘catch up dude’ Clint shurgs
‘IM SORRY THEY WHAT?’ he yells again, Tony’s panic mode being shouting
‘do you know Hill’s first name?’ Bruce asks
‘yeah its’ Tony thinks for a moment ‘urm… Commander?’
‘no’ Natasha tolts hr head ‘try again’
‘Deputy Director?’
Yelena lens forward and whispers something in his ear and his eyes widen
‘MARIA?’
‘you called?’ Maria smirks and he physically quakes
‘no!’
‘yes’
‘no?’
‘yes’
‘no.’
‘oh my god how many times do we need to say it’ Natasha rolls her eyes and pulls maria down by the front of her t-shirt into a short kiss
‘ta-da I’m dating Maria?!‘
Steve hits the floor with a thud