Romanogers Stories

Ballet Anyone?

The Avengers decided to do something fun in their spare time, and they agreed to allow Tony to decide, mainly just so he'd quit whining about it. He said it was a surprise, so no one knew what it was.

Clint couldn't make it, as he had to help take care of the family. Everyone understood, but would miss him.

Tony told them to dress nicely, so they all met in the common area dressed in suits, minus Natasha and Pepper, who were wearing dresses.

They left, all gathering inside one of Stark's many limos, heading downtown.

When they arrived, everyone was excited, except Natasha, but she put up a front and followed them inside.

The Bolshoi Ballet. The best in the world. Natasha knew that from experience. She'd been their prima ballerina for a couple years while she was completing a mission. They loved her, and were sad when she had to leave. They still never found out who killed their associate teacher. Poor them.

She shook those memories out of her head and sat next to Steve in their box seat along the side of the auditorium. She had no doubt Stark had gotten them these seats. He always went all out.

They had arrived a little early, which had given her mind plenty of time to wander, into memories she'd locked up.

She still danced in her room. No one knew and she wanted it kept that way. She wanted to leave, but that would raise questions and she couldn't handle that, so she stayed. She couldn't afford to look weak.

She didn't even look at the program one of the ushers had given her; she'd know what it was soon enough. She'd danced all of them herself.

She was snapped out of her thoughts when she felt eyes boring into her.

"What are you looking at?" she asks, rather gruffly.

"You seem to be deep in thought. Are you alright?" he asks, his eyebrows scrunched together in concern.

"I'm fine, Rogers," she responds with a small smile.

He watches her a moment longer before turning around and answering a question from Thor. She releases a breath she didn't realize she'd been holding.

Soon enough, the lights dim and the orchestra begins to play.

Swan Lake seemed to be the chosen one tonight. That one she knew inside and out. She'd played both Odette and Odile many times during her time in the Red Room, and with the Bolshoi themselves. She didn't have to watch to know what was happening, but she couldn't close her eyes, Steve would notice, leading to questions, so she put on one of her many masks and continued to watch. Being his partner lead him to know her in ways no one had. She trusted him more than anyone, more than Clint even, and that terrified her. Even when she thought she was acting perfectly, he would seem to know something was wrong. She hated that. Hated the fact that she was becoming weaker. In her eyes, at least. Even Clint didn't know her that well and they'd spent years as partners. She just didn't trust anyone. Not fully. She'd never been trained to trust, only to finish missions. 

She brought her mind back out of the spiral it was beginning to descend, focusing back on the show.

It was good, the Bolshoi always was, but they could never do better than her, everyone said that. The more and more she watched, the more the music called to her. It was embedded in her system. They had taken care of that, and she didn't want to dance now. Really, she only did it because it had become a part of her. She always got lost in the music. It controlled her, and that's what made her so deadly.

When it was a little over halfway done, there was a fifteen minute intermission. She was going to take that to her advantage. The boys stayed inside the box to avoid being recognized, while she silently slipped out and made for the bathroom. She needed a moment to collect herself.