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Fighting with the straps of her way to strappy heels, Maria couldn't help but huff once again. It was Saturday evening and instead of settling in with a nice bottle of wine and the newest episode of Game of Thrones, she was getting ready for one of Stark's shindigs. She has to witness his idiocies on a daily basis under the week, having to be locked in a room with him, while he plays the generous and charming host, proceeding to booze up the guests and probably having another catastrophe brewing way to close for comfort, was really not how she envisioned her weekend to go.
Alas she was dating a person that could talk her into wearing a tutu on her morning runs. And she would do it gladly, if it means seeing triumph sparkle in Natasha's eyes. This was why she currently sat on her bed, wearing a tight blue little number and trying to tie some medieval torture devices to her feet.
Maria couldn't stop the grumble, having finished with the excessive buckles of the first shoe “I can't believe you talked me into this.“ Enjoying Natasha's self satisfied look, didn't mean she will always comply without complaining the whole time. Glowering at the spy's reflection in the mirror, while starting to fiddle with her second shoe, she didn't miss the lightly amused look Natasha was wearing.
“Stop complaining – you love it!“ it really should be maddening how smug Natasha manages to sound, even though most of her concentration was focused on fastening her earrings, subtle diamond studs, but for some reason – not less maddening – it was only endearing.
Registering the actual words, Maria had to snort. Only Natasha would come to that conclusion. Knowing that her reasoning will be amusing, if not enlightening, she couldn't refrain from prompting an explanation. “How on earth did you come to this conclusion?“
Turning from the mirror to lock her eyes on Maria's sitting form, Natasha smirked confidently, only increasing Maria's feeling of madness. Sauntering slowly, with deliberate movements toward her sitting position, Natasha almost purred “Simple, you love it when I wear this dress, you love to spend time with me and you love making me happy, seeing how this little outing combines all three, I'd say you love every minute of it.“.
While gesturing down her body was a nice touch, Natasha really didn't have to point out what Maria knew ever since she saw what Natasha chose to wear tonight. The dark red silk dress, almost dark enough to be thought of as black, was hugging Natasha's form perfectly, gently shimmering with each movement and just adding to the already graceful aura Natasha naturally possessed.
What Natasha really didn't have to do, was sitting down right next to her, stroking down her leg to bat away her hands and fastening the remaining shoe buckles with nimble fingers, while staring deeply into her eyes. Fixing footwear shouldn't be such a sensual experience.
Sputtering and jumping up to get some distance between them, Maria looked for refuge at the vanity, picking up a brush to tame her already flawless hair. If only Natasha weren't so good at seduction. Or if only she weren't so alluring. Or if only she would take pity on mere hapless mortals. Starting in fits, but not yet able to form coherent sentences, or even thoughts, Maria couldn't stop her stutter, “this is not... no, you can't just...”
Breathing in and out, Maria felt her composure steadying. Risking a glance back at Natasha, she felt annoyance flood back, along with wild admiration and attraction. The red head was lounging on the bed, legs crossed and leaning back casually on outstretched arms. The look in her eyes couldn't be mistaken for anything else but smug superiority, perhaps with a hint of fondness.
Turning her focus back to her own appearance in the mirror, Maria could muster some of her earlier attitude. “Okay you know what? Technically you are right-“ which probably wasn't the best way to start her little spiel as Natasha didn't hesitate to throw in her two cents.
„Told you so!“ was said in a tone of voice that probably came with the buffing of fingernails on a clothed chest.
„- but! And there is a but! Just because I love you doesn't mean I understand why we have to fake dating each other for your friends! Okay? It doesn't make sense!” If Maria's voice was just briefly tinged with a tiny bit of hysteria, she chose to ignore it. “ For months now we have been sneaking around, never telling anyone, pretending to just randomly walk to the same coffeemaker,” and if Maria started to pace now, gesturing a bit with the brush, she really didn't care to make a big deal out of it, “to incidentally meet while getting a mid-morning refill, exchanging teasing glances and strutting back to our workplaces as if nothing is going on, timing our lunch break so it doesn't seem obvious we share it – or at least the 15 to 30 minutes of it that overlap – and eat together, because people might think we are friendly, or god forbid even friends!” or if she should happen to gesture a bit more than, well, a bit, then it was only, because the last couple of weeks have been a bit more agitating than even she might have known. “And don't get me started on this stupid 'let me out four blocks away from the office' as if I am your mom and you are too embarrassed to be seen with me, while I drop you of at school. And now you want me to pretend to be your date, so the guy Pepper wants to set you up with will know your are off-limits.” turning back to the mirror, Maria is glaring at her own reflection. “Like it would be so fucking unrealistic we would actually go out with each other”
Catching Natasha's expression in the mirror, Maria was surprised, she thought her rant would be met with the same amusement she had to face all day already. Instead, Natasha was sitting in the same position, now appearing unnaturally still, though. Her face a blank mask, only her eyes gave away that something was going on underneath.
Turning with a frown Maria couldn't stop the worry. “Nat? Are you okay?” Stepping closer, Natasha didn't show any inclinations of moving, only her eyes followed each movement Maria made on her way over to the bed.
“Natasha you are kinda starting to freak me out. Are you okay? I honestly expected, hoped really, you would stop me when I started to compare myself to a mom...” neither is good with tense moments in their personal lives. On the job there are plans and instructions to follow 99% of the time. They don't have that luxury when interacting in most private settings, humor and sarcasm has always been their default to deal with unexpected situations. But not even this more than lacking attempt to break up the tension in Natasha's frame was able to coax something out of Natasha.
“Natasha, what is going on?” kneeling in front of her, grabbing her hand and the emphatic tone of voice seemed to get Natasha out of her stupor. Even if it was slowly.
Natasha averted her eyes and swallowed a couple of times. Hunching in on herself, she found some courage and Maria's eyes again, “did you mean it?” she said simply, with a carefully controlled inflection.
Maria really didn't know what to expect, but it wasn't this timidly asked question. “What? That I think you are being ridiculous when you make me drop you off before we actually arrive? Because yes! I really mean that.” Not being prepared for this suddenly tense atmosphere only paved the way for a reappearance of the default-humor.
“No, not that... did you really mean it when you said you... you know what, never mind, we'll be late.” Perhaps, it was time they learned to actually talk like grown-ups. Her ill timed use of a flat joke only resulted in Natasha averting her eyes, straightening up and her attempt to get off of the bed.
Maria didn't try to hold Natasha down, wouldn't ever try to bodily hold her down – not that she could – but she did try to keep her sitting. This whole interaction has been weird and leaving it at this felt more than wrong, especially considering Natasha's suddenly dull-ish eyes. “Natasha, I could really not care less for this stupid party and I do mind. You wanted to ask me something. So, ask away.”
Natasha didn't relax, but she sat down fully again. Having her eyes averted still, she started in a voice that no one would ever associate with the mighty Black Widow. “Just, I feel ridiculous...”
Trying to catch Natasha's eyes, Maria gently swept a wisp of red hair behind her ear, tracing her fingers down to her chin, lifting Natasha's face so they were eye to eye. “Well, I guess going to a party and asking your secret girlfriend to pretend to be your date does it to people...but what did you want to know?” Smiling to take the bite out of her words, Maria tried to infuse her words with as much understanding and warmth as was humanly possible.
Through her fingers, which were still on Natasha's face, Maria could feel a buzzy tension returning to Natasha's body. Green eyes also bore into her own with an intense stare, seemingly looking for something, an answer to a question that hadn't yet left Natasha's lips.
Another swallow, “am I your girlfriend?”.
That was definitely not what Maria expected. Moving her hand to completely cup Natasha's jaw and caressing her cheek with her thump, Maria answered ardently, “yes Natasha. You are my girlfriend, if you want to be of course, but I really hope you do.”
The mask cracked and a small but insanely beautiful smile formed Natasha's lips into the most perfect curve Maria has ever seen. “I really really do... and did you mean it when you said you love me?”
Closing her eyes briefly, Maria couldn't believe she blurted that out while being contrary on purpose for fun. Opening her eyes, she peered into hopeful orbs. Letting go of a breath, it wasn't as if she planned on revealing her feelings with a grand gesture. Might es well just tell the truth now. “Yes, Natasha. I really really mean that.”
“Oh”
“Oh?”
Natasha reached for the hand on her cheek, clasping it and settling it on her thighs. “Yeah, oh. I didn't really know what you thought about all this, about me and I may have been a bit scared that you would change your mind...” Natasha regarded Maria with a mix of sheepishness and obstinacy. Daring Maria to disagree.
Not wanting to taint her confession of love, as jumbled as it already was, Maria thought, that now was the perfect time for a bit of lightness stemming from her attempts at humor. “Is that why we have been sneaking around like teenagers? Don't get me wrong. It sort of was exciting, especially considering how creative and skillful you are when you want to be sneaky” Her liberal use of waggling eyebrows actually got a snort out of Natasha.
“First rate spy, remember?” was the reply, accompanied by a menacing narrowing of eyes, which actually made Maria laugh.
Calming down and turning more serious once again,“yeah yeah, but it kind of got old a bit.” Maria couldn't help a hopeful look of her own, “I really want to have normal lunch dates or take you out to dinner...there is this very romantic Italian restaurant, I always wanted to try.”
“You really want to do all that?” Natasha couldn't hide how pleased she is. Listening to Maria's plans, made this relationship seem more real than ever. Planning a dinner is certainly not the same as planning the rest of your joint lives, but for Natasha it came pretty close.
“Yeah, but only with you.” Natasha was really right, Maria loved making her happy. Seeing the unabashed joy on her face made her heart beat just that tab bit faster. It was a feeling she hoped to never miss in her life.
“Smooth” was said with a grin,“well. Perhaps you might consider being my real date and not just a fake date today?” The light dusting of red across her usually pale cheeks made Natasha seem to glow even more in beauty. If Maria wasn't gone on her before, it certainly would have been this moment that would have cemented Natasha in her heart.
“You are just too adorable-” any and all insinuations regarding Natasha's status as less than lethal are met with rigorous objections categorically “am not! I am deadly!” which will for now and forever be ignored by her newly coined girlfriend “-and I would love that and I love you. And now let's go, lest we are too late, I suddenly really want to show off my date” getting off of the floor, Maria tugged lightly on Natasha's hands to get her going as well. “Especially to any and all of Pepper's friends”
Natasha's snort of amusement caught her attention, Maria raised an eyebrow in her direction to prompt her for an explanation. “I really think it is cute how you want to stake your claim,” to which Maria had the decency to look sheepish “but it's really not necessary. Pepper has always tried to set me up it is just that I made a big deal out of it this time. I started to complain in front of the guys, so I actually had a valid reason to come up with the plan of having to ask you to help me out. Tony couldn't agree more that you and your glare were the perfect match to chase off unwanted would-be suitors. And I could spend the night on your arm and nobody would think anything of it, since my plan was well known”
After the last 15 minutes, Maria thought nothing could phase her, and yet she hadn't taken her master manipulator into account, a rookie mistake. “You really are unbelievable.”
And the smug smirk of superiority made its comeback. Stepping closer to Natasha, reaching up with both hands and framing her face, Maria couldn't help herself and pressed her own lips to Natasha's. The only way to get rid of her smirk was to, quite frankly, kiss it off of those infuriatingly red lips. And if tasting her lips while they were still controlled by her recent bout of self-indulgent victory, was the price she had to pay, well, it made the kisses only sweeter.
Not deepening the connection, just molding her lips to Natasha's over and over again until they were both breathless, made her feel a deep satisfaction. In general, did she feel this bone-deep satisfaction and contentment a lot while she was around Natasha. It was a feeling she longed to infuse into every aspect of her life, which was also the reason she stopped the kiss, before it could escalate.
Pressing her forehead gently against the one in front of her, she didn't open her eyes. “We really should get going. I really really want to spend the night out with you.” lifting her head from it's resting place, Maria waited until she had Natasha's attention, “and I really don't think we'd be able to get rid of my shoes if we were to continue now, and I totally do not want to wear these bastards to bed”
Throwing her head back, giving off a small bark of laughter, Natasha pulled Maria closer, pecking her on the lips. “Well if that is the case, we better get a move on. And as long as you are wearing the 'bastards' you better walk in front of me.” was said with a wink.
Stepping out of the embrace, Maria was shaking her head, “you are truly unbelievable.”
“As you've said before, but it's why you like me.”
“No, it's the reason I love you.”