There was a long silence between them, then Natasha lowered her gaze, "I'm sorry."
Honestly a little confused Maria frowned, "What?"
"I'm sorry." Natasha repeated, looking the other woman in the eye, "I'm sorry for what I said to you before. I didn't mean it, but I do not understand how you can doubt your beauty."
At the last words Natasha reached for the brunette, only for Maria to slap her hand away and step back, "Thanks, I guess, but this thing between us... it was a mistake. You know that, I know that. So let's just try to be civil from now on."
There was another long silence and then Natasha said, "I'm a spy, not a soldier. This whole thing, it's monsters and magic. Nothing I was ever prepared for. My chances of survival are slim. So I will not allow my last words to you to be a lie."
"What are you talking about?" Maria frowned.
"I've been compromised." Natasha said, taking a step forward and taking Maria's hands in hers, "I was arrogant. I thought I was too good to fall into such things, that we were too much the same for me to ever want something more. But... I do. I want you Maria, more than just physically, and it terrifies me."
Another long silence, and then Maria mumbled maybe a little bitterly, "I thought love was for children. Isn't that what you told Loki?"
Natasha smiled, because of course Maria was watching over her as usual, "You make me very childish. Hence our last conversation."
"And that's why I should never have broken my rule." Maria said, pulling her hands away from Natasha's grip, "Love is a weakness which makes fools of us all."
Natasha smiled sadly, "I couldn't agree more, but... what I'm somehow only just now realising is ignoring a weakness or pretending it isn't there makes us even more foolish. After all, if I did the same with any of my other shortcomings I'd be dead by now.
Maria bitterly faked a gasp, "You mean The Black Widow is admitting she's not perfect!"
"I never claim to be." Natasha said softly, "I'm very good at what I do, but this whole thing with Loki and you is completely outside my comfort zone, and there's no way I'd be telling you this if I wasn't about to die-"
"Natasha! Look at me!" Maria practically yelled, grabbing Natasha's face in a way no one else would probably ever dare and force the redhead looked directly into her eyes, "You're The Black Fucking Widow. You're the greatest spy this world has ever seen. You're awesome, you're unstoppable and I forbid you from dying!"
For a second Natasha just stared at the other woman, and she smiled, "As motivational speeches go, that wasn't too bad."
"Thanks." Maria lowered her head, feeling embarrassed of her outburst.
There was another pause, then Natasha mumbled, "Look, I didn't come here expecting anything from you, I just needed to tell you the truth for once."
That line was a bit nerve wracking, but Maria chose to ignore it for now, "You know what? It could be hours before SHIELD finds Loki, and I don't want to spend precious time drinking alone or discussing my feelings."
Natasha smirked, "Then what do you want-"
Before Natasha could finish Maria pressed her lips hard against hers, the redhead not hesitating for a single second to kiss the brunette back. Simultaneously they add their tongues into the mix, those soft muscles battling for control as Natasha grabbed a firm hold of Maria's waist and pulled the other girl's body as close to her own as possible. Maria responded by moving her hands from Natasha's face to around her neck and then redoubling her efforts to defeat the superspy's tongue with her own, although despite her recent successes this time the battle seemed to have no end.
