Natasha awoke to a knocking at her door. She hadn't slept until around 4am and it was now 8am.
"Hang on" Natasha shouted, her voice thick with sleep and her red locks tussled.
She opened the door to reveal a fresh faced Wanda Maximoff dressed in workout gear smiling softly at her.
"You didn't show up for training. Is everything ok?" Wanda said, her head tilted, making no mention of the night before.
"Shit, sorry Maximoff, I didn't sleep well" She admitted.
"It is no problem. I thought maybe we could go for a run?" Wanda asked hopefully.
"Sure." Natasha agreed, knowing she would be going for her run anyway.
"Erm, this is for you" Wanda said shyly, biting her lip as she handed Natasha a Bloomingdale's box.
"What is this?" Natasha asked curiously.
"Your present. I told you I had bought you something in the city, it’s not much but..." Wanda trailed off, shrinking under Natasha's intense gaze.
"Oh. I thought you gave me my present last night?" Natasha teased, her lips curling into a smirk.
Wanda blushed furiously.
Natasha opened the box carefully and peeled back the crinkled tissue paper revealing a beautiful silk black robe. She lifted it gently from the box and allowed the cool material to ghost over her skin.
"You loved the one in the Maldives so I just thought..." Wanda said, shrugging.
"Its beautiful Kroshka. Thank you" Natasha said sincerely, giving Wanda a lingering kiss on her cheek.
"Give me five minutes to change and then we'll run ok?" She said, hanging up the robe and walking into the bathroom as Wanda plonked herself on the Russian's bed.
The morning sun was beating down on them as they began their 2nd lap of the compound, Natasha pushing Wanda hard to compensate for lack of training recently.
As they approached the garages they spotted Carol and Sam who raised a hand in greeting.
"Morning Agent, Wanda" Carol greeted politely as the two women slowed down their pace.
Natasha nodded in response.
"Wanda are we still on for tonight?" Carol asked.
"Yeah of course. 7pm right?"
Carol smiled and nodded.
"See you guys later"
Natasha and Wanda continued to run in silence for a few minutes, enjoying the relaxed pace.
"So, what’s tonight?" Natasha asked, glancing at the brunette.
"Oh, erm, Carol asked if I wanted to get some dinner" Wanda replied nonchalantly.
"You mean a date"
"I don't think it’s a date"
"Wanda, if someone who finds you attractive asks you to get dinner then it’s a date" Natasha explained, rolling her eyes.
"Oh. Well, I don't think it’s like that. We're just friends that's all"
"I think Captain Fantastic would like you to be a little more than friends." Natasha said bitingly.
"We are going to a Japanese restaurant." Wanda informed her needlessly.
"Good for you"
"I don't know how to use chopsticks" Wanda said, her doe eyes wide and innocent.
Natasha sighed.
"I'll show you when we've finished here"
"No, like this, see?" Natasha repeated for what seemed like the 50th time, demonstrating to Wanda the correct way to hold chopsticks.
"Urgh! It’s so difficult!" She groaned in frustration.
"Here- look" Natasha said, taking Wanda’s hands and placing the utensils in them correctly.
"Why didn't you just do that in the first place" Wanda huffed causing the Black Widow to laugh.
"Because I wanted you to try first" She shrugged simply.
"OK, now I need to find something to wear and get ready" Wanda said to herself.
"You're certainly putting a lot of thought into this dinner with a friend" Natasha said, swallowing her jealously.
"Natasha- is this a problem for you? Me going out with Carol?" Wanda asked quietly.
"No. It’s none of my business, we've been through this before." Natasha stated plainly.
"That was before we slept together"
"Sex is sex. You are free to do what you like with who you like. I cannot be the kind of person you need." Natasha shrugged, refusing to focus on Wanda's hurt expression.
"What makes you think I ever needed you to be anyone other than yourself?" Wanda replied.
"Carol can make you happy I think, I can only make you orgasm." The words were tumbling out of her mouth carelessly, her heart constricting with every one.
"What makes you happy Natasha?"
Images of Wanda flew through Nat's head; smiling, laughing, fighting, arguing.
"I try to focus on staying alive and doing my job. That's enough for me." She said simply.
Wanda gave her a sad smile and left the room silently to prepare for her night out with Carol.
Natasha lay in her bed, staring up at the ceiling and trying not to think about what Carol and Wanda were doing. She had tried her best, tried to be selfless and let Wanda go. She knew it was better for everyone this way; she could never give Wanda what she needed and she wasn't sure she even wanted to. She knew she would miss the younger woman's body, but you couldn't have everything. Natasha didn't want complications or vulnerabilities; that was a quick fire way to getting yourself killed. She couldn't love, couldn't feel like a normal person and that made her almost invincible when it came to her job because it meant she had nothing to lose. That sentiment suddenly struck Natasha as odd, because at the moment she felt like she had lost something very important but couldn't verbalise what it was.
Natasha's eyes snapped open as she heard heavy footsteps approach her door. She swiftly leapt out the bed and grabbed her gun from the bedside table, waiting for an intruder to storm into the room.
"Natasha! Open the door!" A slurred voice shouted and they began to bang on the door.
Natasha tucked her gun into the waistband of her shorts and opened the door. Stood in front of her, grinning and swaying on her feet appeared to be a very drunk Wanda Maximoff.
"Wanda what the fuck are you doing? Its 3am and you're drunk"
"I am not" Wanda stated, hiccupping.
"Get in here now" Natasha demanded firmly.
Wanda stumbled into the room and flopped onto Natasha's unmade bed.
"Ohhh these sheets smell soooo good" Wanda giggled, wrapping the comforter around her.
"Maximoff I swear to Odin if you throw up on my bed we are going to fall out. Got it?" The Black Widow said menacingly.
Wanda giggled again and Natasha's nose flared.
"Drink this" Natasha instructed, handing the drunk a bottle of water and waiting as she drank it quickly.
"So, explain to me how you got this drunk and where Danvers is?" Natasha requested, trying to piece together the events that had led to Wanda being completely smashed and left alone to wander the compound.
"Carol is in her room. I didn't want to sleep with her Nat" Wanda said sincerely, her eyes wide and unfocused.
"She didn't try and force you did she?" Natasha bristled, half standing to go and kick the blonde's ass.
"Nooooooo. She didn't even try to, she must think I'm ugly"
Natasha calmed and laughed a little.
"No one would think you were ugly Little Witch. I think that perhaps she was trying to be respectful and take things slowly, which isn't a bad thing" Nat explained softly, trying to understand why she was sticking up for the woman that irked her more than any living being.
"I just want to fuck you. That's why I'm here. You're so good Nat" Wanda slurred, unabashed by her wanton expression.
Natasha smirked, enjoying hearing the Witch's true thoughts on the situation. She quickly cleared her head and decided she needed to be Wanda's friend in this moment.
"Little Witch, you have had so much to drink, you need to sleep it off and then you can decide where things go with Carol ok? She clearly cares about you and it’s for you to decide what you want from that. But first, you need to sleep and sober up"
"But I care about you Tasha. You are my favourite thing" Wanda said quietly, her voice sleepy and almost childlike.
Natasha sucked in a breath, the younger woman's words reverberating through her chest.
"And I care about you too Kroshka, that's why I haven't shot you for assaulting my door at 3am" She smiled softly trying to lighten the mood.
"Now, scoot over to your side and take your clothes off. I’ll find you something to wear" Natasha said as Wanda complied.
She found a large shield hoodie and some checked pyjama bottoms that would suffice.
"Here" she said, throwing them to Wanda.
"Thanks for looking after me. Sorry I'm drunk" Wanda said as she snuggled further into her pillow and wrapped her arms around herself.
"We have all been drunk Little Witch, I wouldn't worry about it too much. Now, go to sleep"
Wanda didn't respond, her breathing already soft and rhythmic.
Natasha shook her head and laughed to herself. If nothing else, her life had certainly been more unpredictable since Wanda Maximoff barged into it.