Bed of Roses [N. Romanoff]

Chapter 7

Stark had almost all of it: the girl, the money, the friends, the job. But it had come with prices, that Bailey was all too familiar with when she heard him scream at night from Nightmares, she has heard him whimpering in the bathroom at the early hours of the morning, not to mention his constant need to invent something to protect the world from the creatures that cased all of this for him in the first place.

He had a bad reputation, a black listed past, and too many enemies to count. But luckily, he has the team now.

Sam started whooping his own shot, as he sunk two balls in a shot.

"Alright, alright," Steve looked impress.

"Come back, come back, come back," Sam waved the ball over to him to try get a third sunk.

Bax let out a laugh at the two, and let her eyes travel upwards to where she caught Natasha laughing at something James Rhodes had said, causing her smile to stretch a little farther.

"Excuse me boys, I have a date with destiny," she stood up from her chair with full confidence all of a sudden.

When they began to protest her leaving, she widened her eyes and nodded her head sideways towards Nat.

They both immediately understood and waved her off.

Bailey walked up the stairs, and stepped into the crowded lounge area, making her way to the stunning red-head dressed beautifully in black and white. As soon as Bax arrived, Rhodey left to chat with Tony at the bar, but not before giving Bailey a smile in greeting.

"What brings you to this side of the party?' Natasha asked her, sipping at her red drink.

"Must've taken a wrong turn at the staircase," Bailey laughed, and took a seat across from the woman.

"For all the right reasons, I hope," Nat raised her eyebrow.

"Only one that can defend my honour."

Natasha gave her a genuine smile at the fact that Bax had taken a leap of faith to say that small flirt.

"I need a refill, care to join me?" Nat held her hand out to help the woman to her feet, which Bax kindly accepted.

She followed Nat through the crowd, towards the bar, and took a seat on one of the stools while Nat stood behind the counter mixing different liquids together.

"How'd a gal like you, learn to make a drink like that?" Bax asked with a teasing tone, noticing the complex style Nat had used to whip it up.

"I followed the wrong path," she started, and poured her mixture into two glasses, "I got taught the skills to play the role."

"An undercover bartender... can't say I'm surprised."

"I also was Stark's assistant at one stage," Bailey let out a laugh at her explanation.

Of course mixing drinks would be a required skill to work under Tony, the party animal at his finest.

Nat then slid the drink across the counter, offering to Bailey. She never normally drank alcohol, it took a great deal of being broken for her to stoop down to the drink in her past. She guessed that she had just never found the appeal of it, the taste was awful and the after-effects even worse.

But standing in front of Natasha Romanoff holding out a drink for her, something about it just couldn't allow Bailey to refuse. The woman had her snow-haired friend wrapped around her pinkie that was for sure.

So she accepted the drink, and was delighted that as she took a first sip, there was no taste of alcohol at all.

Noticing the look of confusion and surprise on Baileys face, Nat laughed as she explain, "oh come on. I'm trained to notice the finest of details, I know when a woman doesn't sit well with something."

"Maybe you're looking at the smaller picture for too long," Bax retorted.

"I'm always keeping an eye out for a bigger one," was the reply she received from Nat, a smirk following after.

"Sometimes I just wish my picture could grow into something a little more," Bailey confessed to the stunning lady watching her lips as she spoke.

"Have you allowed it to?" Nat leant forward, trapping Bailey in a trance.

"I could ask you the same," she whispered.

"Not yet... but never say never," Nat leant back, skipping the perfect moment for a wink or a kiss, and slowly walked away from the bar.

Bailey couldn't help but trail her eyes after the woman, her heart beating with every step that separated them further.

"It's nice," Steve interrupted her longing look.

"What is?" Bax played along, and lent on the counter next to him.

"You and Romanoff," he explained, a knowing grin resting on his cheeks.

"That's just harmless flirting," she looked away, busying herself with the drink in her hand.

"No, I've seen her flirt. Up close. This ain't that. With you she seems more relaxed, happy if you will, to be there." He stretched over the counter and plucked up a beer bottle from the other side.

"No-o, I don't- I don't think- know if, uh."

"It's," Steve laughed at her, resting a hand on her brand new shoulder, "it's okay, no one's breaking any rules. This isn't the 1940's anymore, kid. You have to run with it, while the clock still ticks in your favour," he gave her a pat, before trotting on to his next victim to spread wisdom to.

Bailey just let out a sigh, and downed her whole drink in one gulp.

She'd always know about how she felt towards girls, and even after her first encounter with Natasha she could recall how beautiful Nat looked each time she closed her eyes. The image of the woman had been imprinted in her brain, and Steve was right. What was so wrong about that?

She wouldn't truly know how Nat felt though, and maybe that was what made her scared in the first place. Would the assassin allow her walls to drop, and build them around both girls? Locking them from the outside world and living as just them two, without a care for what anybody else thought.

Or would the woman scrunch her nose at the idea of being with another woman, or being with anybody in general. She had proven herself to be highly independent on her own, but could she cope with having someone else depend on her as well?

It was too many unanswered questions, too many doubts but also hopes, something Bailey would never be so worked up about normally.

She had countless opportunities in her 30 years of living to marry someone, build a life, even if it wasn't with a male. Gay marriage is legal, and she has always been excellent with children. Somehow that idea though, always frightened Bax.

She'd never forgive herself living with the thought that she was deliberately placing someone in danger, just because she enjoyed their company, or their conversation.

What would she do if something were ever to happen to Emma? Or Emma's husband, Aron? Never mind the actual thought of her heart being ripped because she loved someone as much as they love each other, and now she had thrown their life just because of what she does for a living.

But why all of a sudden did that not matter?

She would argue back and forth in her head, Nat was raised to face these problems, Nat could protect herself, and Heck Nat would even protect Bailey.

Why Nat?

...

Why all of a sudden did she appear in Bailey's life, and turn all her morals around.

And why did Bailey not mind it at all?

Also, why did two simple words that Steve Rogers spoke hit her jealousy button on her heart?

"Wait... up close? What's that supposed to mean?"