Author's note: Not beta'd. Any grammatical or spelling errors are mine alone. It's short but I hope you enjoy it!
Natasha Romanoff, or Black Widow, was a light sleeper to say the least. Any shift on a mattress she rested on, the delicate sound of footsteps across plush carpeting, or even a slight creak of a floorboard 15 feet away would bring her abruptly from her slumber into a fighting stance. Except in certain circumstances. Under very specific conditions, Natalia Romanova could sleep deeply and soundly.
After years of pretending to be someone she wasn't from the sake of a mission, Natasha finally had down times. She still spent much of her time acting under an alias for varying amounts of time but she now also had more time to be herself. In the past, she had wondered if there was any of the real her left. How much of how she behaved was her true self and how much was an act she began to believe herself? Identities that fit like a moist glove, struggling to fit into the persona but feeling uncomfortably fixed in that role.
Yes, these things still troubled Natasha but not nearly to the degree as when she was flying completely solo. She had a better grasp of who she was now and managed to hang onto that with the thanks to one person. Natasha had awoken to a shift in the bed. She was now lying in bed peering beneath her lashes at the solid muscular back facing her. She watched the back shift as the man heaved a sigh while running his right hand through his dark hair. Natasha continued observing the man who then stood revealing his bare body. He then walked towards the bathroom connected to the bedroom and shut the door behind him.
When she heard the shower begin to run, Natasha sat up to glance at the clock on the adjacent nightstand. She then flopped back as she scrunched her eyes closed and stretched. After a yawn racked her body, Natasha rolled onto her back and stared at the ceiling. After a moment a faint smile grew on her face. Content to cuddle into the blankets that smelled of Bucky Barnes, she rolled back to her side but grabbed the pillow he had been using as she did so. She pulled it close to her chest and pressed her face into it.
When was the last time she had felt this frivolous, this light-hearted despite the realities of her world? Natasha thought. She could almost pinpoint each and every instance her feeling of enjoyment or even her affection towards an individual was quashed as a part of her "instruction."
She frowned and rubbed her eyes with the heels of her hands attempting to erase the memories. Natasha ran a hand through her hair then threw her arms over her face. Maybe I should go get some coffee, she thought. At that time she heard the bathroom door open but she didn't remove her arms from her face. Shortly after she heard a deep chuckle.
"Rough night?"
Natasha lifted her arms from her face and turned her head to look in the direction of the voice. Bucky stood a couple feet from the bed with a towel wrapped low around his hips. She let her gaze linger on his taut abs. When she looked at his face, he pushed his wet hair out of his face and gave her a smirk. Natasha gave a small smile, "Yeah, a certain someone hogged the covers again."
Bucky grinned broadly and gave a lazy shrug, "I said I'd try not to hog the blankets, Nat. Not that I wouldn't."
Natasha sat up on her elbows letting the sheets fall to reveal her bare body. She saw Bucky's eyes drift down and said, "Why don't you make it up to me?"
Without hesitating, Bucky approached the bed and dropped his towel. He climbed under the sheets and blanket. Natasha rolled to her side to look at him. Bucky stroked her hair and asked, "Are you sure you like me?"
She reached up and traced his face. Making sure to touch every crease. Every scar. She must've been doing it for a while because Bucky chuckled again this time uneasily and said, "You're making me a little nervous. What's wrong?"
Natasha shook her head and replied, "Nothing. Just…"
Bucky tilted his head.
"Just admiring the view."
Natasha pulled his head down and kissed him.
She felt a rumble of laughter against her lips then Bucky pulled away.
"You never did answer my question."
"One hundred percent."
"One hundred percent?"
Natasha nodded and tucked the hair hanging in his face behind his ear. Bucky searched her face. When she continued to give him a look that made his chest tight. A look Bucky felt he didn't deserve, he pulled her close. He rolled Natasha onto her back and kissed her deeply. He would earn the look she gave him, he thought. And he was going to start right now.