They silently got out the car, Natasha pulling her coat off in case there were unwanted guests in their temporary home she needed to kick out. Always expect a trap. Mason proved to be trustworthy until now, but he could turn on them at any given moment.
Katya pulled her gun from her waistband and handed the other one to Natasha, who clicked the safety off and went first.
Their footsteps were silent on the flattened and muddy grass as they walked to the caravan. They were too exposed for Katya's liking, but no houses or anything stood nearby. In fact, she didn't see anything but forest and road. Despite that, she kept her gun up and glanced around constantly.
When Natasha reached the door, she shared a glance with Katya, who nodded. In one quick motion, she pulled on the handle and stepped inside, her whole body on high alert. She dove left, so Katya turned right.
She was met with an empty seating area.
''Kat,'' she heard behind her, whispered softly. Katya turned to find Natasha in the door opening of what must be the bedroom. Her posture had relaxed, and the gun hung in her hand loosely.
Interested, Katya joined her side and almost burst out laughing.
In the middle of the double bed lay Mason. On his back, his mouth slightly open, snoring. If she still had a phone, she would have taken a picture and teased him with it till she end of his days. Even Natasha was smiling now. That adorable half-smirk.
She walked closer, studying him for a while until she kicked his feet and he shot up like she had shot him. ''You're in my bed,'' she smirked.
Katya stuffed her gun back where it was before. ''Our bed.''
Mason's eyes flickered between both Russians, staring up at them because he still hadn't moved. ''I'm... I'm not even under the covers,'' he answered with his English accent, his eyes droopy because he was so abruptly woken from his sleep.
''Thank god,'' Katya muttered, disgusted by the idea that other people had slept in her bed.
Her voice attracted his attention and he rolled his eyes at her presence. ''You're still here?''
''You're still jealous?'' she teased without missing a beat. Mason had an obvious thing for Natasha, despite knowing he had zero chance.
He glared at her as he sat up and scooted to the edge of the bed. ''I'm not jealous.''
''Sure. Try and tell a five-year-old that, maybe they'll believe you.''
Natasha chuckled, not giving two shits about what Mason thought of her or wanted of her besides cold hard cash. She wasn't stupid. She had seen the way he looked at her. It was kinda funny and they loved teasing him with it.
''Did you get everything on my list?'' she asked.
He nodded and pushed past Katya with a playful glare, swiping something off a side table in the kitchen and handing it to Natasha. ''Got passports, entry visas, a couple of local driver's licenses. Mix and match, you should be able to stretch it to twenty or so identities.''
Damn. Katya had to admit, that was pretty good. They were planning on staying here for a while, like they did in every country. Just a couple weeks before moving on. Or moving on when they thought they were spotted. This place was so remote though, they could stay for months if they didn't make a mess in town.
''Fanny Longbottom?'' Natasha raised an eyebrow, flipping through the documents he had given her.
''What?'' he asked innocently.
''What are you? Twelve?''
''That is a legitimate name.'' He chuckled, defending himself. And Katya couldn't help but do the same as Natasha handed her her part of the documents and they laid them out on the counter of the tiny kitchen.
The same awful picture of her face printed on the papers, with different names next to it. At this point, Katya had been almost everyone.
''We've got a generator outside," Mason started his usual run-down of the situation. Like he did everywhere. "It's petrol-powered. And the septic tank will need a flush in a couple of weeks, but, you know, I've got a guy coming for that. You have to haul your rubbish into town. It's just a twenty-minute drive. I've got your basic hardware kit stashed under the stairs.''
''Nice.'' Natasha turned around to lean against the counter, crossing her arms over her chest. Katya could feel her mood swing from where she stood next to her, busy looking out the window and at the things in her hand at the same time. It didn't take much to bring tears to Natasha's eyes these days.
''Are you okay?'' Mason asked genuinely. He was ex-SHIELD, he could read people too.
''No use asking her. She always answers the same things,'' Katya mumbled, holding the papers into the light.
Natasha completely ignored her words and did her best to cover up her cracking voice. ''Why wouldn't I be?''
''I hear things. You know, something about the Avengers getting divorced...''
Even Katya's movements faltered slightly. She did whatever she could to avoid that name, avoid the memories. They were good ones for the most part, which made it even more painful. She missed Tony, she missed Sam, she missed Wanda. But it was no use dwelling on that. They lived in the now, or at least tried to.
''Ugh. It's fine.'' Natasha answered casually, unconvincingly, glancing at her hands and playing with the rubber band that was around papers earlier. ''We're actually better on our own.''
''Are you sure?''
She nodded, although it didn't convince anyone in this trailer. Not even herself. ''Yeah.''
''Because you can tell me, you know. That's the way the whole friends thing works.''
Katya payed more attention to him when he started getting too close to her wife for comfort. She knew he'd never try something, but that protectiveness of hers flared up in situations like these. At least the word 'friends' comforted her.
''I know. I have friends,'' she smirked, trying to get out of it with a joke.
''People who have friends don't call me,'' Mason countered softly.
But even he couldn't get Natasha to give in and say she wasn't fine at all. Her smile simply fell and she crossed her arms again to distance herself from him. ''And I don't pay you to worry.''
Mason shook his head with his own smile and turned to leave. Everyone knew what Natasha was doing, but she kept going down the same path.
''Oh, hey. What's all this junk?'' she called after him after he had stepped out, kicking a cardboard box next to the door. It was full of letters and other trash they didn't care about.
''Oh, just some mail and personals from the Budapest safe house.''
Right, the one they stayed in a year back or so. But not for too long, because Katya saw the haunting look in Natasha's eyes when they were in that city. She'd woken up screaming a bit too much for the brunette's liking, so she convinced her to leave.
''Budapest?'' Natasha questioned, using the correct way to pronounce it.
''Yeah. Budapest.''
''No, it's "Budapest''."
''Budapest. Budapest,'' Mason repeated, too stubborn to see she was right.
''It's "Budapest''," she muttered, Katya shaking her head at the entire conversation.
''Whatever." Katya only heard his voice and couldn't see him, but his smile was audible in his voice. "I knew you weren't going back there, so I've got someone else in the flat now.''
Natasha looked back down at the box and shoved it around with her foot. ''Sorry you went through the trouble. I would've told you to chuck it.''
Mason said one last thing before he completely left. ''Well, if you don't want it, throw it in the rubbish.''
So she did, going back to the car to park it next to the caravan, and then throwing the box into the back to take into town tomorrow. It was getting late and Katya's stomach grumbled loudly, begging for some dinner.
''What do you think?'' Natasha asked when she came back in and locked the door, tossing the car keys on the counter.
Katya shrugged and looked around. ''It's not bad. I prefer an actual building, but at least it's warm in here.''
Natasha cocked her head. ''You wanna see if the shower's warm too?''
It wasn't meant like it usually was. She wasn't out for anything. She genuinely didn't want to be alone right now and needed some hugs and relaxing alone-time with the two of them. Without looking over her shoulder. In the safety of her wife.
Katya smiled, pushing herself away from the counter. ''Lead the way.''
The shower was tiny, so they spent almost fifteen minutes huddled together, which was exactly what Natasha needed. They felt a lot cleaner and a lot better afterwards.
Katya was still pulling her top over her head when she stopped in the middle of her journey into the kitchen.
Because there, at the counter, stood Natasha, in nothing more than underwear and a t-shirt that didn't fall over her butt enough to cover it. Her long legs were on full display, and Katya couldn't help but tease her with it. ''You should not wear pants around the house more often.''
Natasha turned at her voice, so Katya wrapped her arms around her waist tightly and pressed their bodies together lovingly.
''We're not in a house,'' Natasha answered, mirroring Katya's relaxed smirk while draping her arms over her shoulders lazily.
''Around the... caravan then.''
But she had already lost Natasha again. She wasn't in for anything jokingly like this today. ''I'm not in the mood,'' she muttered, staring into Katya's eyes which were only inches away.
Katya's smile disappeared, and a worried crease formed between her eyebrows instead. ''I know. I was trying to cheer you up, but you are really having an off-day, aren't you?''
Her words brought some tears to Natasha's eyes again. To hide them, she hugged Katya tighter and pushed her face into her neck.
''It'll be okay,'' Katya reassured her softly, running one of her hands up and down her wife's back slowly. She swallowed her own tears and rest her chin on Natasha's shoulder. ''This won't last forever. We're always getting sucked into one adventure after the other. We just have to wait for that to happen and keep going until then.''
For however long that was. But Katya didn't care. She wouldn't move from her wife's side at any point. Not while she was like this.
When Natasha finally looked up again, she was met with a smile. A smile she couldn't muster herself. Because something else was on her mind, something that had guilt swarming in her eyes. ''I'm sorry we're on the run again. I know this isn't what you wanted.''
''Babe, stop.'' Katya cut her off, tightening her grip around her waist. ''I am here because of my own free will. I wouldn't want to be anywhere else but right here.''
Natasha raised a teasing eyebrow. ''In Norway?'' It made Katya feel a bit better. Knowing she was able to joke again. And not as some sort of defense mechanism.
She gave her a playful glare. ''You know what I mean.''
Natasha nodded and pulled Katya's face closer so she could kiss her. Katya could feel the emotion behind it while pouring all her love into it as well. Sometimes, actions like these worked much better than trying to talk sense into Natasha. She was stubborn, but couldn't ignore how gentle and soft this felt.
And so she pulled back to whisper those vulnerable words to her.
''I love you.''
Katya smiled and looked deep into her green eyes, repeating the words without having to think about it. Because once again, it was all she knew right now. ''I love you.''
It always had the same reaction. Hard to describe, but for a split-second, Natasha's eyes lit up. And her heart always skipped a beat. When she didn't say anything but instead studied her face, Katya chuckled lowly. ''What?''
''I don't like your hair like this. It's not right,'' she threw out, dragging another chuckle from Katya's lips as she played with the brown hairs on the back of her neck. Natasha was right though, it didn't look right and didn't feel right either. Katya hated it just as much because it was always in the way.
''You're not gonna say anything quirky about my hair?'' Natasha asked with a smirk, because she expected Katya to try and defend herself. But she stayed silent and simply watched her redheaded wife cheer up.
Katya shook her head. ''No. Because I haven't figured out yet if I like this better or the short hair. I like the braids. Makes you look younger. Less serious,'' she listed the pros while removing one hand from Natasha's waist and slowly working her fingers through her wet hair from top to bottom. Natasha's eyes fell closed on their own by the nice feeling. ''And this is nicer to run my hands through.''
''Sounds like you've already decided,'' Natasha smirked, slowly bringing her lips closer again.
''I guess I have,'' Katya hummed, meeting her kiss halfway. ''What'd you buy us for dinner, wife?'' Natasha turned her torso around as far as she could in Katya's tight grip and fished a packaged sandwich out of the plastic bag from the store, holding it up in the space between them. Katya looked at it, then at Natasha with a dry look. ''You're kidding.''
She shrugged and threw it back in the bag. ''I'm not hungry though. What I do feel like, is...'' And out came a pack of beers, which she proudly held up. ''This.''
Katya hesitantly narrowed her eyes at it. ''No vodka?''
''No vodka.''
''Too bad. I wouldn't have minded getting drunk tonight.'' Katya let go of her after another quick kiss and went to look for a plate she could use for that amazing dinner.
In Natasha's defense though, the store probably didn't have a lot to choose from, and she made sure to pick a sandwich with ingredients Katya liked. Besides, it was a smart choice. Maybe they wouldn't have had a stove to heat pasta or something.
''Why? Are we celebrating something?''
''A new home? Another day without getting caught? Ross falling into our trap face-first?'' Katya proposed, shrugging as she ran the tap for hot water and threw some dish soap in it. ''Who cares at this point.''
''We'll just drink all the beer and hope for the best, then.'' Natasha opened two, placed one on the counter for Katya and took the other to sit on the narrow L-shaped bench by the small wooden table. It was the only place they could sit, and there was no TV. A laptop though, that did lay on the table, and Natasha opened it before typing something.
''Sounds like a plan,'' Katya agreed, washing her plate because she didn't trust anything in his place. ''You sure you don't want dinner?''
''I'm good.''
''Okay.'' But she still washed a second plate and split her sandwich in two. And when she handed it to a distracted Natasha, she took it without question and without looking at it, started to chew on the food. It made Katya smile, really smile.
She disappeared to the toilet for not even two minutes, but when she came back, Natasha murmured along with whatever movie she had found on the laptop.
''You're not a sportsman, Mr. Bond. Why did you break up the encounter with my pet python? Because I discovered he had a crush on me.''
''Are you talking along with one of those stupid movies again?'' Katya asked. However, she couldn't help but smile at her wife, who sat cross-legged on the thin bench cushions, only the screen illuminating her face, entranced by whatever she was looking at.
Without taking her eyes from the screen, Natasha answered, taking a sip of her beer to wash away the sandwich. ''James Bond is not stupid. It's classic.''
''The amount of times we had to sit and watch those.'' Katya grabbed her own food and drink from the counter and plopped down on the hard bench as well. ''Scoot over.'' Natasha did as asked, although with a grumble.
So now there were two people, huddled together, watching the same ancient movie while absentmindedly eating their cheap dinner.
It was the best evening Katya had in a while.
And from time to time, she snuck some glances at Natasha's face when she laughed at the movie. Happiness could be so simple.
But when was Katya ever allowed to relax? To simply sit down and watch a movie with the person who mattered most in life?
Yeah, never.
She got half a heart attack when all the lights in the caravan extinguished after a faint rumbling. Her heartbeat shot up, even though it could just be a generator problem. But it could also be done by hand. Easy to lure two spies out their stronghold like this.
''Oh, great,'' Natasha breathed, looking at Katya without taking any further action.
The brunette raised an eyebrow, placing her plate next to the laptop. ''What are you looking at me for?''
''Go check it out.''
''What am I? Your dog?'' Katya laughed, unable to stay serious. They stared at each other in the glow of the screen, neither wanting to go outside. ''Go outside yourself. I'm the one who's afraid of the dark.''
Natasha playfully rolled her eyes and started to get off the bench. ''Alright. Let me put on some pants.''
''You don't have to for my benefit. And I'm sure the deer wouldn't mind either. Then they'll have something nice to look at too,'' Katya called after her when she disappeared into the bedroom and rummaged through the closet for anything comfortable. She didn't answer, but Katya could picture her rolling her eyes again.
''Come on.'' Natasha threw Katya's gun her way, which she skillfully caught. Could never be too careful. ''Bring the flashlight.''
''Wasn't planning on going out there without it.''
To Katya's surprise, it wasn't entirely dark. It looked that way inside, but it wasn't. The sky still lit up blue in some areas and illuminated the landscape just enough to see where they were going.
She let Natasha figure out the generator since she had more knowledge about this sort of stuff, and shone wherever she ordered her to with the flashlight.
Time after time, Natasha pulled on the string that should start the engine, but nothing more than rattling came from it. It was dead. Which meant it was either out of gas, or already broken.
Natasha tampered with some screws, but Katya saw in her body language that she couldn't figure it out. ''Maybe it needs more gas,'' she mumbled to no one in particular. But when she grabbed the second jerrycan, it was empty. ''Great. You up for a trip into town?''
''I need light. So, yes.''
They changed into something more presentable than joggers and got in the car. Again. Katya grew tired of the constant moving. Even though more than half of the time, she didn't have to do anything but sit in the passenger's seat, since Natasha wouldn't let her drive.
Katya turned up the radio and softly sang along to a pop song, watching their surroundings carefully until she heard a faint chuckle next to her. Whipping her head around, she saw a smiling Natasha. ''What are you laughing at?''
''You.'' She chuckled again, daring to look away from the pitch-black road for a moment. ''Since when do you listen to this shit?''
Katya propped her elbow up on the door and leaned her head in it, smiling at the woman next to her. ''Since we have literally nothing else to do. And I like 'this shit' thank you very much.''
Natasha shook her head, a relaxed smile on her lips. ''You're so weird.''
''Says the woman who talked along with James Bond in different voices.'' Simply the thought of that made her smile again. ''That was adorable by the way.''
Natasha scoffed and slowed down for an intersection, turning left into town. ''I'm not ad-''