Here we go, my first WIP in this fandom! The rating will rise as the story goes on. This was written for Enediyne as part of the Be_Compromised Secret Santa on Livejournal.
Disclaimer: Nothing you see here is mine.
Worlds Collide
She has been in America for a month and progressed from interrogations with suspicious S.H.I.E.L.D agents to men and women in tweed with degrees in front of their names. Somewhere S.H.I.E.L.D has gone from considering her a threat to a salvageable asset.
She is not sure what to make of that.
Barton visits her in a quiet moment between the endless physical examinations and interviews. He tells her about the new bow he is testing, how the strike team he is placed on won't stop bickering and that he isn't allowed to smoke on base. After a good ten minutes of blather he asks about her day.
"They did a pelvic exam."
Barton nods as if considering the information. "Ouch."
She shrugs. Being poked and prodded by men in lab coats is a known variable.
Barton pulls out a chair and sits down like he belongs there, folding his arms and leaning back against the wall. He is relaxed in the way true masters of their craft are. Unlike amateurs, he can snap to attention and defend himself in an instant. He keeps his distance from her, never leaving the opposite side of the room, but he is not afraid. "Must be boring in here," he says after a moment.
"I adjust."
"I'm sure you do." Barton's eyes flick over to the leather restraints on the bed. "Kinky."
She glares at him. "You're not as funny as you think you are."
Barton rests his elbows on his knees, watching her. His face is a paradox of youth and experience, and she gives in to her curiosity to observe the man to whom she owes her life. When he pointed an arrow her throat in a Siberian warehouse she had instantly placed him as ex-military, and now that she looks deeper, she sees more. Strong hands, weathered face, keen eyes, slight tan. Sniper, mid-thirties, probably a team player in the field but not off duty. No wedding ring, so married to the job.
"Do you need anything?" he asks. When she doesn't reply he stands and turns to leave.
"Wait." Her voice is soft but he stops at the doorway. "An extra blanket." She keeps her face blank as he looks back her. "I'm cold."
He nods. "Okay. See ya, Natalia."
She swallows. "I prefer Natasha."