Chewing Gum, Geeks and Guns…

For $1.25

"What do you mean you don't have any more?"

That wasn't the first question Natasha had heard that day once she managed to pry herself –grudgingly- away from her newest -and most defiantly her favorite- form of stress release to join her friend at the firing range but her question was by far the most meaningless one she had, had so far.

"Exactly what those words imply." Natasha replied dryly deciding to just lounge in the chair beside the door rather than work on target practice- she'd rather be back up in his room working on more ways of relieving her stress but unforchiounltly she wasn't so now the Black Widow was curled in a chair in a corner of the room her knees pulled up against her chest and sulking like a lovesick teenager. "Why don't you just go get some from the vending machine it's like $1.25 at least." She complained watching as the gun was loaded and the paper target was hung and sent down range.

"Well I would but you bought out what was left in the whole building yesterday remember." Natasha rolled her eyes at the ceiling "….besides that's not my point, the point is that you managed to get through seven whole packs in less than a day…that's like…well not you." One of the eight (nine when Stark wasn't being a major pain in the neck) people she considered her close friends pointed out.

'I should just be thankful Clint's on leave with Laura and the kids…else he'd probably be snooping in the air vents by now.' She concluded bitterly "What so now a girl can't have a craving for gum all of a sudden?"

"Whatever you say Nat…." was the cheeky reply as she watched the deputy director squaring off against her stationary target and firing off the first round right in the heart.

Flashback/Memory pt1:

"What's up Doc.?" She asks from the doorway blowing a small bubble with her gum and popping it loudly as he looks up that heart stopping smile of his already in place as she pushes herself up on the table beside him. "Nothing much…just trying to unlock the mysteries of the universe before bed time." He shrugged leaning back in his chair and rubbing his eyes beneath his glasses as he propped his feet up at her side.

"Darn I thought tonight was plots in taking over the world." She muttered tarring her eyes away before she completely lost her wits, her voice already faltering with complete control of the situation like she normally would have but as strange as it is she can't bring herself to care, not when the reason behind it was the man lounging in front of her.

(Holy Russia does he look sexy in jeans especially those dark indigo slim fitting ones she loves so much and don't even get her started on that deep purple button up shirt he was sporting with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows and the top three buttons undone to show off just a hint of his chest.)

"Got anymore purple or reds left?" he asked by way of yet another distraction. Natasha rolled her eyes as she dumped the pack onto the table beside her. "I was hoping it'd be both." Bruce grinned taking the handful of dully colored candy she offered with a light chuckle "Thanks and no world domination is for tomorrow night." He explains dumping the whole lot into his mouth while she moves so her legs so they are dangling on either side of his chair

She looked at him in total confusion "But that's what you said yesterday night so I thought you'd be free tomorrow night?" she questioned replacing her own flavorless candies with fresh ones from the now empty wrapper before returning it to her pocket. "I can't let Tony have all the fun he's already a half crazed maniac as it is." He scoffed popping his own gum bubble while going back to his notes. "Yeah anything but that." She agreed as she ran a hand through his already disheveled hair settling in for as long as he wanted her to stay.

"So what's…?" she starts wondering about what's been keeping him down here all this time but she breaks off as his lips crash suddenly and urgently to hers.

Natasha groaned, pulling him closer by his lapels drinking in his warm scent and tasted the salt of his skin under her tongue as she whips at his neck then back up to his lips as he stands somehow managing to pull her back to the ground without breaking the kiss. This one was slow not really fireworks but more akin to the slow burn of smooth vodka that was heatedly sparking one delightful sensation after another as she struggled with the front of his shirt. His arms slid around her holding her against him while she contemplates just ripping the buttons free and dealing with the fall out later or…well that same scenario but decided against it…she liked that shirt too much to destroy it get yet.

She knew going into this he wasn't built like a super-soldier or a Norse god. She knew his body was one that had been fashioned by necessity, (on the run and surviving in the outskirts and slums of the third world countries he loved) but Sweet Mother Russia not even that could make him anything less than heart stoppingly gorgeous as the fabric slid from his shoulders…

End of Flashback/Memory pt1

"Earth to Nat…" she blinked 'Dimmit right at the good part.' she complained just now realizing the buzzing pain in her shoulder and self-consciously whipping the small amount of saliva from the corner of her mouth with the back of her other hand as her eyes refocused on the smug look on Maria Hill's face. "Come on Sleeping Beauty it's nearly lunch." She reminded her nodding to the clock on the wall behind her head "And you still owe me a 1.25 in vending money Widow."

"How about I just get you one of Stark's four stare chefs and we'll call it even?" Natasha suggested hoping that if she played her cards right Maria wouldn't go running to the resident air vent dweller of New York as soon as he got back – whenever that was- for a new round of the 'Let's Follow Natasha.' game the pair seemed to be playing recently much to Natasha and Bruce's annoyance seeing as they didn't want everyone knowing they were a thing just yet meaning they had to be extra careful about when they were together.

"Fine by me…let's go." Natasha rolled her eyes but let herself be lead out the door and back up the stairs toward the mess hall.