The base wasn't much at the surface. It was a clearing with boggy ground marred by tire tracks. It was a few rudimentary concrete buildings, weathered and eaten by lichen and moss. We trod our way through the central circle, and I could feel the heat of snipers trained on us and lookouts on raised sentry-posts.
"Have you guys even been out to Belgium before?" The junior agent chirped merrily as ever. He had a spring in his step; I'd never seen anyone so pleased to be abroad in the freezing cold.
A few of us shook our heads, but James did all the nattering - making us all seem a little less like communist puppets. All that was needed was a slight accent-bleed or syntax-stumble to give away our true identities; and I didn't trust myself to speak.
We were led into bleak building that resembled barracks. We came to steel door with a hidden panel. The young American slid away the cover and quickly input ten digits with a flourish. The reinforced steel door slid side to unveil an elevator.
"After you..." Phil cooed, jiggling his head happily as he permitted us entrance to the high-security premises. If only he knew he was letting in the most highly-skilled USSR agents that our government had - he wouldn't be so smug then.
We were all crammed tightly into the lift, shoulder to shoulder. I hadn't been pressed so close to James since we'd been in... Well, relationship is too farfetched a word. My face was practically planted in his chest and I felt my face heat with ignominy whilst my stomach jerked with repugnance. All the while, Yelena was draped on him like a second skin.
Sensing my discontent, Alexi grumbled an apology and wriggled between the two of us. He snapped me a wink and was flush chest-to-chest with James.
The S.H.I.E.L.D agent prodded a button and he took us down, listening to the clicking and rattling as the lift cranked down. The brakes made alarming scraping sounds and the whole canister shook. I felt my ears pop as we dropped such a significant distance.
After the longest minute of my life, being suffocated like I was wearing a corset, the doors prized open to unveil the thrumming military base.
It was like a colony of ants, the underground base looked to have miles of tunnels and personnel dashed around in flocks - engineers working on the piping that was affixed to every walls like the veins of the body of the base, soldiers charging around in troupes; strides matched perfectly and go-fors traversing lonesomely with files tucked under their arms.
I couldn't help but immediately make comparisons to the water-logged corridors that I called my home. This place was lit decently, the floors were fitted with panels rather than grates, and it had ventilation.
"Welcome to Able Archer," Phil announced, striding out into the corridor amongst the hecticness. "If you'll excuse me, I'll be on my way to the central communication room - I've a conference call with President Reagan to take..." And he tittered like it was a joke.
That left us to find our way through the base with all of its blaring sirens and glaring lights. It was like some ridiculous game, trying to dodge the swarms of people bombing down corridors at us.
As we made our way conspicuously through the base - the only people not running like it was the end of the world - we observed the signs flashing all around the base. It appeared that all of the rumours were true. 'DEFCON 1' was in bolded black letters on a white background.
Some followed signs that read 'control room' whilst others splintered off to the 'nuclear warheads'.
Now, I'd never been one to truly believe in our cause, in all of the conspiracies they spoon-fed us. I'd never really believed in the authority of the KGB or even the USSR supremacy. I'd never really digested the propaganda with belief it was genuine. But from the moment I locked eyes on that sign and saw the armies of men flocking in that direction it suddenly became clear that there was a very real threat to the USSR.
I stood, shocked. Stock still. Just for a while. Gawping at the sign to behold.
"Nuclear warheads?" Alexi suggested, and I locked eyes with him and nodded completely wordlessly, my mouth still hinged open unintelligibly.
So we followed in the wake of the nuclear scientists and flanked the engineers headed in that direction. We could overhear their conversations from that proximity, about executing the threat of the 'orange armies' and how we had weapons aimed at them. They weren't wrong.
As we followed the snaking tunnel down to the nuclear launch tunnels, more signs were plastered to the wall, ones that warned of radioactivity and recommended hazmat suits.
But no matter the distance we got from the original elevator, the sirens still followed us - shrill as ever, and blinding lights still pierced our eyes like needles.
Finally, we came to a halt. I nearly tripped up Alexi as I skidded to a stop.
One curved wall of the facility opened up into a panel of floor to ceiling windows. The windows overlooked what looked like a rocket launch tunnel.
At the base of the tunnel were individual tubes which housed chunky nuclear missiles. Around them, raised platforms, where scientists - miniature by comparison - in their comical white suits checked on the activity. Geiger counter clicks were audible, tracking the radiation leaking from outside the room. Steam billowed from around the rockets, with their pointed nozzles and aerodynamic fins.
The reality of a nuclear crisis somewhat dawned on me. I felt ripples of repulsion roll down my spine and I gave a full body shiver.
"They..." I couldn't gather mental coherency, let alone verbal.
They didn't lie. The Americans were ready for nuclear fallout. The Americans were armed with nuclear weapons. The Americans had reached DEFCON 1. The end of the world was a hair's breadth away.
"They're real nuclear missiles..." I uttered to Alexi, in English.
He nodded, clearly in as much shock as I, but he managed to carry out the mission: withdrawing the pocket sized camera and snapping a few images with the lens pressed against the glass.
Just then, a man emerged; a man in a black leather coat, and black clothes beneath it. Dark skinned, dark eyed, with a shaved head.
He clocked a young passing corporal's rank and snagged him by the collar. "Son, are you supposed to be down here? Nuclear weapons aren't a game, you know? With your rank you should be nowhere near."
"No sir..." The young man garbled.
The man sighed impatiently and turned his eyes to the rest of the corridor. "This is 'cocked gun protocol'! Is there anyone else down here who wants to skedaddle before I hand their asses to the general on this base?"
He cast his eyes to the rest of the hurried corridor, people rushing by like a river.
I had to make a plan. Fast.
Then it occurred to me in a brief moment of clarity.
I gritted my back teeth and blurted: "Public displays of affection make people very uncomfortable..." My eyes were wide.
He searched my face with confusion. "Your point is?" Panic was quickly his heart.
"Everyone feels too repulsed to look when James and Yelena canoodle." I quirked an eyebrow at him, expecting him to work it out.
"Too repulsed to look..." He parroted. "Glad I'm not the only one."
"Kiss me," I whispered close, my lips brushing his cheek as I spoke. I tilted my head expectantly.
He reciprocated. Passionately. I hadn't expected the pair of lips to land on mine with such force, or such confusion. It was evident that Alexi wasn't as experienced as I had anticipated for a man - perhaps directives of the 'Soviet Supremacy before sex' had really been taken on board. I felt his twitch of confusion as I ran my tongue over his lower lip, but I kissed away his inhibitions. Kissing had honestly become such a dull act. Almost a chore. No longer was it something meaningful, it was but a skill in my arsenal. I had pressed my lips to so many others, feigning lust, love, interest.
But for Alexi, I felt it meant something.
The man in his black leather coat gave a repulsed groan. And then a familiar face emerged at his side and Phil made a disgusted noise. "Funny how the potential end of the world can evoke these reactions in some," Phil observed.
"Coulson..." The man greeted him, giving him a sideways glance.
"Fury..." The other said tunefully, rocking back and forth on his heels like a bored child.
"How did the exercise go?" 'Fury' asked and the pair turned and they migrated in the other direction.
Finally seeing them move out of the corner of my eye, I disengaged the kiss and took Alexi's hand. "Let's get out of here before we cause any more trouble..." So I dragged him along behind me, and we trampled away from the armed missile site - having collected enough visual evidence to report back.
As we finally regrouped at the central hub by the elevator, I dragged Alexi a little closer. "Mind doing me a favour?" I asked with a coy smile, eye to eye with the brown-eyed Red Guardian.
"Depends what the favour is..?" He asked in a quiet voice.
"It would make Yelena terribly bitter if you were to kiss me now."
And as he cupped my cheek, running his fingers across my face as if it were delicate porcelain, and tilted my head towards him as if it were a dainty flower, I felt her glare land on me. He tenderly pressed his lips to mine and I wound my arms around his neck, smiling into the kiss.
As an ostentatious flourish, he dipped me. I made a small noise of alarm in the back of my throat before his lips soothed away my nerves. His lips departed from mine sensuously and I saw him give an honest smile.
"Bitter enough?" He asked sweetly.
And I could sense Yelena's fury.
A plane journey, a trek through the snow and a sunset later, that's how I ended up tangled in his bedclothes.
It's funny how impending doom has a way of drawing out the truth and hurrying things along.
His sheets felt softer than mine ever were - but that was the privilege of the higher ranks - and warmth still resided between our bodies like that of a dying fire. He drew circles with the pad of his thumb on my cheek, and I felt the calm wash over my body like a tide drawing in. The way he looked at me, it was like I was a prized possession and he made me feel far more significant than I'd ever remembered feeling.
He spent a small infinity gazing into my eyes and doting upon me; until his eyes got heavy and he could no longer stay awake. He pressed a kiss to my temple and ran a hand through my interwoven strands. "Goodnight, Natalie..."
But even then, he didn't turn away from me. He encouraged me over onto my side with a sweep of his hand up my hip and then fitted his body to the curve of mine. He nudged the tangled strands of auburn hair from the back of my neck and pressed a kiss to my nape.
I hummed contently and my eyes slipped shut.
His body fitted to mine snugly, I could feel his heartbeat - steady, like a military drum beat. I could feel his breath tickling the hairs on the back of my neck, so full of peace and life.
But he stirred one final time. I heard the parting of his lips, the anxious swallow and felt the sigh jostle the curls framing my face.
I could detect the smile in his voice as he said four words that changed my world all over again. "I love you, Natalie."
A/N - Sorry this is so late in the day! I've had family stuff today and I slept it late whoops! For the record, Able Archer '83 was a real event that happened. They say that it's the closest we've come to nuclear war since The Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962. Basically the Americans set up a camp so they could train their troops for the eventuality of a nuclear war and how to go about launching missiles. It was all done in a very realistic way and a lot of money was spent on it. And the USSR got wind of this exercise and decided to set up missiles in return; not knowing it was an exercise.
Also Alexi/Natasha! Thoughts?
Dedication goes to nightsflashingby! x