A/N: Time-jump to match the prologue. Thank you for reading!
What did you think would happen?
The kitchen felt small, cramped. She was standing by the stove, waiting for her tea to cool. He was standing in the living room, though actually only about a meter away. His expression was earnest, open, fully aware of what she had asked of him. Her hands were cold and she couldn't seem to move, hadn't been able to since he'd told Sharon the name of the man from the fight.
"I remember everything, Natalia. And you were the one good thing in all of it," he added sincerely.
Her heart was pounding, surely loud enough that he could hear it. Loud enough that the neighbors probably heard it. Stay calm, stay calm, she ordered herself ineffectually. The one good thing? The one good thing! What did that mean? Was that still how he thought of her? Did she think of him the same way? It had been a long time since she'd let herself want something. It tended not to go well.
He hadn't moved, was still standing there, watching her. Waiting for however she might react to his pronouncement. As if there weren't a hundred more important things for them to be doing right now. As if they weren't on a mission with people who would be counting on them.
Taking a deep breath, she steadied herself then walked over to him. Gently but not hesitantly, she stood on her toes to press a kiss to his lips briefly. "I haven't forgotten, either," she told him.
She did not miss the grin that crossed his face at the gesture and had a hard time keeping her own expression relatively neutral. Heading back to the kitchen, she poured them both some tea with trembling fingers. "Sugar?"
He held her gaze and nodded in a much too serious manner to be a response to her question.
"Do you… not want any tea?" she asked innocently.
His eyes flickered toward the tea then back to her face. "Natalia… I meant to tell you. When we were in Wakanda, at… at the end. I remembered then. I wanted so badly to tell you, to find out how you felt, but I didn't think it was, you know, the best time."
She focused on breathing slowly. "That was probably a good call. It was hard enough, watching you… watching you go without something like that on my mind."
The thought clearly hadn't occurred to him and he looked stricken. "Natalia," he murmured, seeming at a loss.
Leaving the teacups where they were, she walked over to him. "It's alright, don't worry. All of that is in the past."
Very slowly, he reached up to touch her face. "I missed you, Natalia."
"I missed you, too." It was a relief to finally admit it, and more so to admit it to him. She leaned into his touch and closed her eyes. "You made me realize that I could leave. That there could be more to my life than working. I'm sorry I couldn't take you with me."
"Me too," he murmured, leaning forward to brush his lips against her forehead. "You… you can take me with you now," he offered.
She grinned. "Oh, can I?"
"If you still want to."
There was something there, a vulnerability she wasn't used to seeing. She reached up to tuck a strand of his hair behind his ear, thinking of how long it was getting. This might be a mistake. They were teammates. Things had ended badly for her the last time she became involved with a teammate. And the last time she'd been involved with him, though that had really been outside of their control. Now could be different. They wouldn't need to hide, to sneak in rare moments of connection, of feeling human. They could be… well, normal wasn't exactly right, but close.
"I do. Still want to," she clarified.
She didn't know, later, which of them moved first, but then his lips were pressed against hers and she wrapped her arms around his neck to bring him closer. It was familiar and safe and new and exciting all at the same time.
Later, she didn't know how far they might have gone, either. But then their comms buzzed to life, thoroughly interrupted them and causing both to draw back abruptly. Because being caught was still a frightening concept.
"Hey, we tracked down Bleach to a warehouse and he looks like he'll be on the move again soon. You should hurry. I'm sending you the address," Sharon explained.
"Be right there," Natasha replied, then paused to touch his face again. "Rain check?"
"Yeah," he answered, turning his head to press a kiss to her palm.
It took only a few moments to be on the road, heading after Bleach. The man hadn't really been a personal enemy of hers, but it was going to change a part of her to see him captured. She didn't know what effect it might have on James. Something to think about on the way. Sharon's intel informed them that Bleach was holed up in an abandoned warehouse, and, if the heat signatures were any indication, he was not alone. And that something rather suspicious was with him as well – likely a bomb. The plan was for them to sneak in and take care of the bomb while Sharon and Sam did their best to lure people outside.
As they drove, Natasha pulled off her coat and affixed her Stingers and other weapons where they belonged on her suit, feeling better to have them. Her adrenaline was up and she was excited to get started. James seemed to be feeling the same way. They left the car a few blocks away and went the remaining distance on foot, sticking to the shadows in the lingering darkness before dawn.
"First one to be spotted buys dinner," she suggested, grinning at him.
He grinned back. "You're on."
It was easy to stay unseen; there was no way he would win. They moved swiftly and silently down the empty streets until they reached the warehouse. No obvious security measures were in place and she wondered if Bleach had intended to come here or if it had been a decision of convenience, not strategy. If so, he was getting sloppy.
There were sentries, of course, but only a couple of them. She and James watched their movements patiently until a pattern emerged. Then, with a grin, she took the first opportunity, running past the closest sentry in the brief moment he was facing the wrong way. Without waiting to see if James would join her, she made her way toward where she knew the bomb would be, keeping an eye out for more mercenaries.
She had just rounded the corner, taking in the sight of Bleach, a huge wooden crate, and five guards, when there were shouts behind her. Well, this would make it more interesting. Pulling out her batons, she gave up on subterfuge and ran out into the open space of the warehouse. The guards attacked, naturally, but she kept her attention on Bleach. He did not look happy to see her, swearing and then rushing over to the crate. That was bad news.
Her Stingers took down a couple of the men, she used her garrote on another, and managed to get to Bleach before he could do anything stupid. She grabbed him and pinned him against the wall, slightly surprised that such an intimidating figure from her early life could be so easily dispatched now.
"Did you start it?" she demanded, glancing back but unsure if the blinking numbers on the display meant anything.
"I'm not going to talk, girl," he growled.
She pushed him harder against the wall. "No? Are we all about to die, Bleach?"
He didn't answer and she was relieved to see that James had arrived. He took out the remaining guards with his usual efficiency, then walking over to the crate. After a brief consideration of the workings he could see, he gave her a nod.
"You're a little late to the party," she teased him.
"I like to make an entrance," he replied, coming over to take Bleach off her hands. She went to verify that the bomb was, indeed, not armed, then gave a slight sight of relief.
"Sharon, Sam? We got it. Threat neutralized," she reported in.
"Fine," Sharon responded, sounding out of breath. "We've got it covered out here. Heading in."
"So, where are you taking me for dinner?" she teased James, grinning at him.
Bleach swore harshly, and they both looked at him in surprise.
"You traitors are the reason I've lost everything! Lost my position in HYDRA because I couldn't keep control of their precious asset, lost HYDRA, now I'm reduced to being some garden-variety terrorist. Do you have any idea who I used to be?" he demanded.
"Yeah, we do," James replied coldly. "You used to be a mean little man who was so inept he sent two assets on the same mission without realizing it."
Bleach blinked at him for just a moment, then lunged forward. James managed to restrain him before he could do anything, but Natasha stepped back reflexively.
"You… That was when it started, wasn't it? When we lost control of you. How pathetic you are, that it would take such a little push to break both of you," he snarled, struggling violently against his bonds.
Natasha wasn't much interested in whatever else he had to say, so she used one of her Stingers to knock him out. Then she looked up at James, whose expression was concerned. About her, she realized. "We're not broken," he told her softly.
She nodded slowly.
"What was all that about?" Sam asked, he and Sharon apparently having entered the warehouse while they were distracted. Sharon was still clearing the floor, but Sam was heading toward them. "You knew this guy?"
"Yeah," they both said at the same time unintentionally, then glanced at each other sharply.
Sam folded his arms over his chest. "What are you not telling me?"
Natasha gave him a bright smile, patting his shoulder. "That we have absolute faith in your ability to hold down the fort with Sharon until her agents get here to wrap this up."
"What? Why?" he asked suspiciously.
"James owes me dinner," she answered simply, offering him her hand. He glanced at it before taking it, eyes tracking up her in a way that made her flush.
"Seems more like breakfast," Sam called after them as they headed for the exit.
"Oh, I forgot. No pancake houses," she told James.
"I'll see what I can do, Natalia," he responded, pulling her closer. She smiled.