Pepper has picked a Natasha off a page, and she has yet give up the Black Widow

Natasha opened her eyes a crack. She moaned in desperation. Why oh why did the sun have to wake her up now? She had just fallen asleep. A stiff agonizing pain hit her mouth like a banshee with a pick ax. Tears rolled hotly down her cheeks.

"Oh shit!" She heard exclaimed just above her ear. Her green eyes slammed shut as she willed herself not to scream out in pain. It wouldn't do to allow her enemies too know that she was truly in pain. She was stronger than this after all. She wasn't ashamed that a few tears were rolling down her face – after all she had to give them something after all. But she would be damned if she gave them her screams.

She felt cooling hands on her neck, and shoulders. "Natasha." She heard in her ear. She tried to block out the voice. She wouldn't give in to the enemy. She wouldn't allow the enemy to trick her into believing that she wanted her to be comforted. "Tasha." The voice pleaded in her ear. The voice sounded so damn familiar through.

She forced herself not to believe it. She couldn't keep the moan from escaping her pressed in lips. She was in so much fucking pain. How could they know that she was weakest in her mouth. How could they know that even she; the black widow; can't withstand torture in her mouth? She was always so damn careful on what she allowed out in the world for her enemies to know about her. She was always so damn careful.

A hand was on her jaw now. "I need you to swallow this Natasha." She felt her lips being shoved opened, and a pill was slipped onto her tongue. She chocked as she tried to fight the drug with all her might. But, an arm was holding her firmly down. A cool glass was against her lips, she couldn't stop herself – she opened her mouth and took in the liquid, and the pill quickly went down her pipe. Her eyes opened wide and met the started brown eyes in front of her.

"P-p-pepper?" Natasha chocked out, as she tried to get her breath back.

"I'm so sorry Nat. I'm sorry that I forgot to give you the next dose of your pain medicine on time." Pepper said as a tear rolled down her cheek.

Memory came rushing back. She had gotten her wisdom teeth pulled that morning. Pepper Potts was with her taking care of her. She felt heat rush to her cheeks. "It's all right Pepper. It's just a little pain is all." She brushed it off – just as she always did whenever she got the shit kicked out of her in the battle field.

"No it's not all right." Pepper firmly said. She brought her hand to trace gently Natasha's jaw line, and cheeks. "You trusted me to take care of you, and I betrayed that trust."

Natasha lowered her eyes. She watched as the taller woman's pale white hand traced her jaw line. It was actually making the pain go away. "What happened?" She asked still not meeting Pepper's eyes.

"I fell asleep." Pepper sighed.

"You needed your rest." Natasha lifted her eyes to meet Pepper's chocolate brown ones. "Don't worry about this. I would say lesson learned." She felt her mouth twist into a small smile.

"I shouldn't have fallen asleep." Pepper's voice shook. "It was just resting against you was so comfortable – that I just allowed myself to drift off."

Natasha's right eyebrow rose.

"You actually pulled me down into you before you drifted off to dreamland." Pepper replied to Natasha's silent question. "You don't remember anything before you went to sleep?"

Natasha thought long and hard, "I know that I loved saying my 'P's." She giggled. "I made a few coney rhymes." Her face deadpanned, "You can't tell anyone. Especially Tony."

"I loved the coney rhymes." Pepper smirked. "They were so – so"

"Don't say it." Natasha groaned.

"Why can't I say it?" Pepper asked with a sad sigh. "It's the truth."

"No it is not. Not for me. Never for me." Natasha lowered her eyes once more.

"Pepper has picked a Natasha off a page, and she has yet give up the Black Widow." Pepper's voice softly whispered above her.

"Stop." Natasha's eyes closed. Her head lowered back onto the couch. She felt Pepper's hand drop from her face – she felt the deep loss.

Pepper leaned forward, and gently stroked Natasha's sweaty hair from her face, "I'll never give you up." She whispered.

Natasha's green eyes cracked open slowly, "You should." She murmured. "I'm death. You are life. I'm death." Her eyes closed once more.

"You aren't death." Pepper whispered as she leaned that extra inch to meet Natasha's lips with her own. She gently kissed the unconscious woman. She pulled back as she kept her eyes firmly on the fallen Ninja spy.

END OF THIS DEPRESSION ONE-SHOT