James carried her into the flat and laid her gentle on one of his sofas. The place was not exactly the tidiest it had ever been but it was better than earlier. Cleaning was not on his priority list, he would be the first to admit that but he hated living in a tip too. He made sure there was a pillow under her head before removing the small box and placing it on top of the clock on the mantelpiece. It was something he had never, ever thought he would receive from the director to use in a 'work' situation. It was a box with the word Durex written over the front. Rolling his eyes, he left Natasha on the couch and went to make a coffee. He had the idea that he was going to need as much energy as he could find over the next few days.
Once he had the drink in hand, he returned to the living chair and pulled his book inot his lap. Opening it, he realised it was fairly pointless, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix would have to wait, he had far more on his mind and concentration was not going to happen. All he could do was look at the fiery haired woman passed out on the couch opposite and worry about what was going to happen when she woke up.
It did not take long.
Natasha's eyes flickered open, a small cry escaped her and she struggled into an upright position. "You'll not take me!" she cried out. Immediately she realised that had been unnecessary, she was no longer in any danger.
She did not know where she was. A quick look around told her she was in a domestic house, there was a small TV in the corner, a bookshelf which was half empty on the wall and a rack of drying clothes in front of the radiator. The scent of coffee hit her and she let out a small groan. She became aware that she was wrapped up in a grotty looking blanket and underneath that, her body suit was torn.
"You're awake," said a familiar voice. Her head snapped around and she saw someone very unlikely sat in the chair opposite her.
"Bucky?" she asked. He nodded. "Why am I here?"
"How are you feeling?" he asked, ignoring her question.
She placed the heel of her hand against her forehead and screwed her eyes shut for a moment, "Fuzzy, one of those would be great," she said, indicating the coffee. He got up and fixed it for her, returning moments later with a fresh cup. She took the mug and sipped from it, finding it bitter but better than nothing at all.
"Do you remember what happened to you?" His question was valid and she watched as he settled into one of the chairs.
"I can remember infiltrating HYDRA's base, I was about to hack into their system, plant a nasty virus when I felt a sting in the back of my neck, it all gets a bit vague after that," she said, absently rubbing the spot where she was hit. There was a growing sense of unease in the back of her mind. She had been captured by HYDRA and yet, here she was, sitting on Bucky's couch and wondering what the hell was going on.
"Odd, you went alone?" he asked.
She raised an eyebrow, "That's how we work sometimes," she replied. The blanket around her shoulders seemed to be made of the itchiest substance known to man and she scratched at her bare skin where it contacted the fabric. She looked over at Bucky on the other seat and found a rather odd want to be a bit closer to him. Why she had no idea, she got the impression that there would be some comfort there at the very least.
"You were returned to Fury about an hour ago," he said as he placed the now empty mug on the low coffee table between them.
"They didn't rape me did they?" she asked, aware that there was an odd tingling sensation settling in the pit of her stomach and an ache she had rarely felt before. Bucky shook his head.
"I believe that under the blanket, your clothing is a bit ripped. I was given a few of your belongings by the Director, it would be good if you changed." He said. "Can you stand?" He added.
She was sure that if she shook her head, he would assist her but she wanted to prove she could do so by herself. Slowly, she swung her legs off the couch and tried to get to her feet. Standing alone was not going to happen! A sharp ache struck her stomach and she doubled forward. Bucky caught her arm with his metal one, stopping her from toppling. "Easy," he said. The moment he touched her, her mind flashed. The heat intensified and she realised that her nipples had pressed against the neoprene fabric of her jump suit. She blinked, dismissing the sudden intense desire she had never once felt before for this man.
Carefully, she straightened up. She realised she really did need the loo then and she nodded, "I'm alright," she said, taking a step. His hand let her arm go and she felt the loss of the contact keenly. So much so that it was tempting to touch him back. She resisted and made her way to the bathroom.
Shutting the door behind her, she ditched the blanket and used the toilet. Once done, she went through the procedure of cleaning herself up. Her hands worked mechanically as she tried to get her head away from Bucky and the strength she had felt through his grip. The thudding of her heart matched the throbbing between her legs and she wondered where the hell this had come from. She'd hardly looked at the man before, let alone felt anything like this! These feelings were for compartmentalising and dismissing, not indulging! Looking into the mirror, she shook her head, red hair shifting. "Get it together," she told herself. Her mind was stronger than her body!
There was a tap on the door, "Alright Natasha?" he asked.
With the sound of his voice the thoughts flooded back. "I'm coming out," she said. She was fully dressed after all and there was no reason to hide in there. When she emerged, she returned to the couch. Bucky seemed unaware of her current mental state, which was a relief and so she settled quickly.
He returned to the living chair opposite and indicated fresh coffee. There was a rather large file on the edge of the table too. "I don't know how you like coffee," he confessed.
"Milky with sugar," she replied. She tried to focus on the file but her eyes refused to look at it. The ache in her lower abdomen seemed to intensify when she sat still and her nerve endings were hyper sensitive to everything she touched. The feel of the couch under her fingers was like the caressing of a lover's fingers. The fabric of her jeans was a gentle cupping of her ass and damn it did she want the man opposite. "What did they do to me?" she asked, aware that something inside was wrong.
"They injected you with a drug," Bucky replied. "We don't know the full extent of the effects but what we do know is in here," he said. He pushed hair back from his forehead when he spoke in a manner she found exceptionally sexy. She took the file and skimmed through the information. The effect on her made it hard to concentrate at the moment but she got the jist of it quickly enough.
"A lust potion?" she snorted.
"They wanted you to fix on Fury," he said. She pulled a face.
"He got you to do it instead?" He nodded a confirmation, "Why?"
"I suppose he finds the idea distasteful," he replied.
"And you?" she asked. The pulse between her thighs intensified at their subject to the point of being painful, as though that part of her body was swollen, distorted and needy. She supposed that in a way it was.
"Does it matter what I think?" he asked. His tone was firm though not unkind, "I agreed to see to your needs as long as you need me to," he said. It wasn't exactly a warm answer but she hardly knew the man. He didn't really know her either and that was bound to make any situation awkward. The back of her mind admitted that this was utterly distasteful, that he was not her choice and that she should have that right at least. The rest of her screamed at her to touch him, tear his clothes from his body and to take him into her.
"Will you help me?" she whispered. Her cheeks flushed the same colour as her hair and she hung her head, not really wanting to hear his answer but needing to know.
"You only have to ask me," he said, aware that he would keep some control over the situation as it unfolded. She bit her lower lip, caught it between her teeth and let her eyes fall closed for a moment. A sinking feeling momentarily overshadowed the pulse from her core and nodded.
"Please, please help me, make this incessant feeling stop," she almost cried.
He shifted in the living chair then and beckoned for her to come over to him. "Come here then," he said, his tone as soft as before.
She wasted no time in doing so, putting herself in his most capable hands.