Even In This Lifetime

5 | beauty through the red

"К черту это дерьмо!" [Fuck this shit!] Natasha shouted, her blood boiling with anger as she slammed the kitchen drawer shut. Her emerald eyes were narrowed with hatred as she glared at the sink as if she could destroy the damn thing with one look. She spoke multiple languages, was one of the most elite assassins in the world, and could hack into any supercomputer. Yet she couldn't figure out how to fix the damn drain to the sink. She was surely going to add the thing to her hit-list, and it was only nine that morning. It had been hours, a long morning of screwing and unscrewing pipes that caused more harm than good. Now, pieces were scattered around the kitchen, Liho had made one of the pipes her toy, and Natasha didn't have the faintest idea on how to put the sink back together. The Red Room had rented the apartment for her, and it's not like they would call the landlord. Fixing broken sinks weren't exactly at the top of the regime's priority list.

She had one idea, however.

It was dumb. Maybe the stupidest she's had, but it was worth a try because if Captain America could save the world, surely he could fix a broken sink.

They weren't exactly dating. At least, not in her mind. He'd taken her out a few times, all surprisingly enjoyable and relaxing. He was easy to talk to, but there was something about him that she couldn't quite put her finger on, something she tried hard not to think about because it was beyond her line of work. She worked hard to gain his trust, often texting him and occasionally FaceTiming him when Captain America found time to sit down and talk on the phone. He made her job easy by always making time for her, and she hoped this morning wouldn't be an exception.

Wiping her hands on the kitchen towel, she dialed his number and leaned against the counter as the phone rang, watching Liho bat around a pipe to the sink. The kitten was growing like a weed and couldn't be happier. She was becoming beautiful with long, black hair and a white spot on her chest that reminded her of Captain America's ensemble. It made Natasha's heart thrum, and it made coming home from the dance studio much easier when she looked forward to seeing her cat at the end of the day. When her mind wandered, she found herself envisioning another life; a life as a dance teacher with a loving boyfriend, her sweet cat and eventually a dog... maybe even a kid of her own. She found that she enjoyed teaching dance to the children more and more every day. She loved her kids, their individual personalities, strengths, and weaknesses that made them who they were. She loved seeing their smiles when they caught onto a new routine and she loved supporting them when they needed a helping hand. She could spend the rest of her life teaching children how to dance and never tire of the beautiful thing that was a language in its own way.

It was dangerous, something that could easily get her killed. As Yelena had reminded her already, they weren't supposed to have hearts. She wasn't supposed to look forward to going on a date with Steve. She wasn't supposed to care for anything, much less a cat she'd run into a burning building to save. She wasn't supposed to envision another life, a life with children and relationships.