Chapter 7

Maria looks dishevelled on her bed, her head proped on her pillow as she sits against the wall. The white blouse she is wearing is a one piece cloth made of a fabric that itches the skin just by looking at it, going from neck to ankles and wrists like an ugly potatoe bag trying and failing to resemble a dress. Her brown hair are loose, framing her face in every direction, joining in with the cuts and bruises and giving the Commander an air of unproper that feels really out of place in a SHIELD facility.

Natasha can almost feel the disconfort of the woman as she brings her fingers to the neck of the blouse, tugging it as far from her skin as possible in a wince. That is why she isn't surprise when Maria priorities her choices in the minimum amount of time she has at her disposal. Knowing Coulson's efficiency, he will manage to get a reach on Fury. It is only a matter of minutes before somebody comes barging in again.

Even though Natasha would really like to know what is going on now that she is certain that Maria is okay and about to kick ass again as soon as she gets her hands on her uniform. But her own curiosity would have to wait. Before that, as she knows the Commander after watching her work for five years at SHIELD, there are forms to restaure.

Seeing Maria fidgeting with the cloth and visibly weighing whether staying and answer Natasha's question, or moving out of that damn trap of a clothing, Natasha sighs with a small smile. That same smile she doesn't seem to stop herself from doing since Maria woke up. She doesn't mind it, she quite likes it actually. This smiling thing make her feel a little giddy, like she is behaving like a normal girl, not like the deadly assassin she is. Natasha was so sure this part of her didn't exist, she finds herself amused by her own behaviour. She is smiling and she likes it. She is off the clock and they are alone, so she can allow it. Still, her smile is small because, well, she is Natasha, and Natasha doesn't do explosion of expression, she, most of the time, goes for a blank face. So this is improvement.

Maria scratches at the skin on her throat. Natasha's grin stretches a little bit more. She locks eyes with the woman, never moving out of her chairs, still lounging about.

'Go.'

Her voice is amused but she keeps from smirking. She congratulates herself for that. Maria would probably goes full Commander mode on her ass if she were to prob the unconfortable itching beast. Maria Hill can be really scary when she is pissed off. No thank you.

'I'll wait'

It is all it takes to make Maria's shoulders sag in relief as she closes her eyes and breathes a deep 'Thank you' which sounds very much like a moan.

The Deputy Director is out of her bed in no time, dismissing her injuries completely, wincing here and there trying not to put her weight on her left leg, but she keeps going. The hydious gown drifts around her with a dry noise while she slowly – with a determined frown – walks to the door Doctor Simmons pointed moments earlier. Shower.

Natasha smirks at her back then, happy to see the ever bad-ass Hill, moving around in her usual -while a little limitated for now- determination. The unstopable force still stands.

Natasha doesn't think for a second to move and help, she knows the Commander is very capable of doing her business without her, as she knows her stubborn pride would have pushed her out anyway. Why bother then ? She has a nice book waiting on her lap, something about a black dog mark in the bottom of a tea cup. This Harry character sure seems to have a lot on his plate and she still has a little bit of free time - no-one required her unic skills on mission until now. She hopes she'll have free range to stick around longer, as she knows her small injury from two days ago would not be enough to require medical assessement to put her off active duty. She doesn't want to be sent on mission, for her usual missions are the undercover ones, often for days or weeks, sometimes months.

She doesn't think she can focus on an op now, not without knowing with certainty that Maria will be alright.

Natasha checks her inner clock. It's been five minutes since the bathroom door shut closed. They don't have time. At any moment Fury or Coulson can barge in, Maria can disappear in her neat Commander uniform barking orders left and right, or Natasha could be summoned for briefing.

Sighing, she slides the worn photo of the Barton's family posing with her on Christmas last year into the book to keep the page she is on, before standing up. She drops the book on her sit and moves for the door. She can still hear the water running. With practise efficiency of a spy, Natasha opens the door and smoothly walks in. Soundlessly she closes the door after her, keeping the heat in and plumps herself on the sink, her legs swinging lazely under her. If Laura were here she would probalby be scolding her for setting a bad exemple to the children. Natasha smirks at that and swings her feet some more. She is about to make herself known when Maria's voice rings out from behind the glassy door.

'I'm Inhuman'

Leave it to her to go straight to the point in a casual tone.

There is a pause, but nothing else comes from the shower part of the room.

'Okay'

Natasha can be concise too.

She is processing. They don't have time for Maria to develop the how and the why.

'Do you control it ?' she asks instead.

'Not really'

She hears the pipes closing. The water stops and in the sudden silence Natasha wonders if she should go. They both have shared the commun shower stall in the women lockerroom before, neither caring about nakedness, each agent wanting to get rid of the grim post-mission as soon as possible. But now things are differents.

Or not, apparently. The shower door opens without pause and the Commander appears, in all her glory. A hand darts and grabs a towel, first drying her face with a content sigh before wrapping her body all around. Natasha doesn't dare to look. She feels shy and stupid suddenly, but she can't look away either. She is stuck watching Maria's relaxed face, damp hair, drops of water and perfect blue eyes.

'I manage enough though'

Natasha blinks once, remembering what they were talking about, as Maria smiles at her, her eyes soft. She is giving Natasha that smile, the same smile that this night in the lockerroom at the gym, the teasing-caring kind of smile that sends warmth and butterflies in Natasha's belly.

She swallows. Her fingers clinch at the sink under her. She feels her hands sweating and her pulse quicking. Still, she can't take her eyes off of Maria's beautiful face. The woman is relaxed for the first time since she woke up. Her usual guard is down as they are just the both of them, alone, in the secluded bathroom. Maria seems to have enjoy the shower immensely. She is fresh and calm, almost serene.

She is beautifully soft and easy when her guard is down.

Natasha knows how Maria, like her, is a very private person. She can relate. They both have their private self locked away from the world. As Maria choses to put on a mask of Commander Hard Ass Hill most of the time – everybody knows the nickname the juniors agents use behind her back with a mix of fear and respect – on the other hand Natasha is learning to discover her own private self when she has free time and is alone to do so. There is something fragile about the process.

It has been difficult at first, understanding and using her free time. The concepts of 'time off' and 'salary' were so foreign to Natasha that the first year after her deprogramming Coulson had to drag her outside of the agency into a shopping feast to make her discover the joy of vacuity. They even went to a theater. Just for fun. There was no-one to spy, no mark to seduce, no assignment. Natasha's wandering brain hadn't been able to focus on the movie then, always assessening potentiel threat, ready to strike imaginary targets. She learnt to relax since then, Clint made sure to sign them for movies marathon almost once a month on random places -mostly inviting himself on her couch at the farm, sometimes using his laptop in their bunk on the carrier-, saying you improve only with practise. Still, the practical part of Natasha's mind learned to stay alert in the background. Her ability to multitask was one of the main reason she survived her Russian training in the first place. Now she is able to live a fully relaxed moment with her friends while keeping watch at the same time. She made it. She learned. As it was true that practise was key for learning any new fighting -killing- skill, it appeared to be true for learning 'to chill' as well.

Now it seems Natasha is learning to … love... more... with practise. Clumsy practise, but she is a beginner and she knows she will improve in time. The more the practise, the easier it will be to be around Maria.

Natasha isn't worried anymore, now that she knows what is going on between them. Now that Laura told her that it was love that she felt toward Maria. Love in a higher scale. Falling in love, it is called, and Natasha understands why, as she feels her body reactions and compares it easely with a drop from a plane with only a parachute to activate at the last minute. It is quite similar. And like parachuting, she will practise falling in love until she masters it.

'I need practise, but the most important part is that it protects me whenever i need it'

'Good'

Natasha nods with a distracted voice. Her brain registers the information, but she is otherwise occupied with her staring. She is looking at Maria's peacefull face, the cut on her left eyebrow reminiscent of the injury the woman gained facing Loki's men months ago on the hellicarier. Natasha remembers the fear she felt then, for Maria, seeing her shaken and lost, her fierce exterior momentarely wavering, but Natasha had dismissed her surprising fear for the Commander quickly in the heat of battle, in the urge to close that gate in New York sky.

She can linger now, she can look at the dry blood on Maria's forehead, the wound already healing itself in fast speed. Speeder than usual. But they don't have time to talk about that and Natasha choses to use the short amount of time they do have to look, just look at the strong woman in front of her, relieve to see her unyielded with only bruises marring her side. Healing quickly too by the look of it.

Maria is fine. Maria is okay now. Her relaxed state is soothing Natasha's lingering worry more and more, until there is just this butterfly feeling all over again.

She sighs.

Maria tilts her head to the side. She seems to realise that Natasha's attention has drifted a little as they stand – sit – with each other in the tinny steamy bathroom.

Huh, so it appears that Natasha isn't quite able to hide her state of... feelings's storm right now. Even though, they have a silent rule. No hiding. She doesn't know when they established that one, but it feels like it's there as a fondation for them.

No hiding.

So Natasha lets herself bare, her green eyes and her small, shy grin for Maria to see. She feels her heart hammering in her chest. There is recognition in Maria's eyes, and a soft smile stretches her lips, the caring smile only for Natasha to see. For a moment, they are silent, looking at each other without barrier, seeing in the other the reflection of their own feeling recently discovered but never talked about. There is no need to talk. They are no women to talk arround, they are women of action and smooth efficiency. That is why Maria's smile grows and she takes a step toward Natasha. Natasha licks her lips as her fingers loosen their grip on the sink. Two more steps and they will be in the same space.

The tension between them increases, it is a good tension, Natasha decides. Contrary as before her talk with Laura that opened her eyes on her situation, now Natasha can fully contemplate the low humming that spread all arround her body, like a steady vibration. She is starting to like it. Her eyes locked in hypnotising blue iris, she is afraid and she is at peace, both feelings sending chills everywhere. Maria's progression is both too slow and too fast as Natasha forgets how to breath properly. Her hands itch to reach out but she doesn't dare. She is a mess, but she trusts Maria to take care of her, to take their relationship into her hands and move them forward.

Because Natasha is paralysed.

Still, she can't look away. She really is hypnotised by Maria's blue eyes as the tall woman finishes to close the distance and stands in front of her. Natasha's clothed knees touch Maria's toweled stomach, then there are slightly wet fingers touching her cheek. A soft caress of skin. Maria's gaze fallows the movement of her fingertips, soothing a path to the jaw and back. The feather like touch becomes firm as the woman's thumb comes accross Natasha's bottom lip. At that moment she realises she was bitting on it. After a gentle probing of Maria's thumb, she releases her redden lip with a sigh, allowing herself to breath again. Maria's eyes goes for Natasha's red lip, and Natasha can hear the little moan escaping the Commander's mouth before Maria licks her lips and leans closer.

Natasha's gaze is all over Maria, taking in the gorgeous face and the droplets of water she wants to lick softly. Only this woman brings Natasha's soft side out. She feels the same need to cuddle, to reassure, to smooth and to sooth as she does the Barton's children, only in a totally different way. Mixt with the caring, soft feeling there is hunger, desire, wants to lick those droplets of water softly from her neck to her ear teasingly too, then suck on this perfect shaped earlobe, bit just under it, lick Maria's velvet skin with her hungry mouth. There is fire of passion lurking under her skin, ready to get loose. This, the flame of desire mixt with soft caring, Natasha never lived it herself until now, not on that level of intimatie. It is not just about sex.

The new territory is thrilling.

Before she knows it, Natasha is leaning too, her hands are no longer on the sink but searching for Maria's hips, bringing her closer. She opens her legs to make room. Maria steps in, their breath heavy as their noses brush. The fierce blue eyes are intense, a clear echo of Natasha's own feelings. Desire and softness. When Maria closes her eyes, Natasha does the same, and there is only touch. The brush of tempting lips as Natasha's hands grip at the towel, as Maria's hand snuggles in red locks. The pressure of their mouth increase slowly and soon they are kissing, feeling each other, tasting each other. It is soft and beautifull, but it's not enough. Blood pulses in Natasha's veins with fire. She darts her tongue out to lick at Maria's bottom lip, making the naked woman shiver and moan into her mouth. The sound echoes straight in Natasha's lower belly, where the butterflies are celebrating wildly. Her hands tighten their hold on Maria's hips and pull closer as her tongue invade her mouth with a content sigh. Maria arches into her.

With the tip of her tongue, Natasha brushes the top her Maria's mouth. Maria's knees waver a little as she clunches the sink with the hand which isn't currently burrying itself in Natasha's neck, scratching deliciously the sensitive skin there. Natasha's legs come to the rescue, wrapping themselves arround Maria's waist to prevent her from collapsing on the ground.

At this point, they are a tangle of fryied nerves, heavy breathing and clawing nails. Their soft first kiss it turning into a heavy make out full of tongues and moans and fuck, Natasha has to stop herself from grinding. Maria's demanding tongue sends bolts of lust in Natasha's core. Her hands has left Maria's hips, she is coaxing Maria's head now, fingers spread all over brown hair, making the woman whimper and moan again and again. The fire is wild between them. Natasha's noises are loud too, and if it weren't for her super training she wouldn't have heard the door of the pod being slide open.

But she is a super assassin from the Red Room, so she hears it, and she knows Maria wont any witness to their private moment. Hell, Natasha don't want anyone to walk on them either. She never minded when it was just sex with a nobody, but now is different. Now, most of all, is intimate. Now is perfect, and it will remains pure. A pure moment of shared bliss to remember.

With a grunt Natasha slows their kissing to a stop, sucks one last time on Maria's bottom lip in a lingering goodbye. When she releases her mouth in a wet sound, making Maria whimper into her with a pleading note, Natasha groans and refreins from diving down again. Those swollen lips has her addicted already.

Maria's content sigh makes her smile lazely as they touch their forehead and come down their high.

They can hear people talking in the room just outside.

Maria doesn't stiffen, though Natasha knows the woman heard them too. They stay relaxed in the loose embrace, sharing the same air for a few heartbeats longer. Then Natasha's hands slowly leave Maria's hair, brush the naked arms before finding themselves gripping the edge of the sink once more. She uncrossed her legs and releases Maria. For her part, Maria nuzzles Natasha's temple with a satisfied 'hum' before dropping a kiss there.

When they open their eyes, Natasha is smiling like a fool but she barely feels it and she can't make herself stop. She is happy. For the first time of her live, she feels a level of happyness she didn't know was in the cards for her, not after the life she had, not after everything. But here she is, and it's only her first kiss. There is so much practise in her near future, she is smiling even more her cheeks hurt.

Maria's low chuckle makes Natasha's eyes spark and raise an eyebrow. She knows she looks like an idiot, her feet swinging giddily under the sink, and she dares Maria to comment on it, but honestly Maria looks on cloud nine herself. The woman, standing between her legs still, her brown damp hair all over the place after Natasha's mishandling, claded in the towel barely hanging by a loosening knot, it the picture of content. Natasha can only stare at the sexy mess of the Commander, gratefull for her perfect memory for she knows she will replay this moment in her head until the next time. The next they will get to be fully alone together like this. It could be in a long time.

There is a knock at the bathroom door and Maria grunts. She distangles herself from Natasha, forehead leaving temple, and steps back. Blue eyes meet green's with a wink, her teasing-caring smile making an appearance before she turns arround in a military motion. She pauses a moment at the door, squares her shoulders, and Natasha knows the woman is no longer Maria, she is Deputy Director Hill, ready for duty.

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A/N

Awww finally the romantic scene of a KISS we were all waiting for !

A special chapter just for it ^^

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Thank you so much for your reviews, it helps the writting coming tremendously !

- i so love english langage with all it's funny wording – tremendously ^^

It's like a game, playing with this langage ! Anyway :

niehausis here is the kiss you've been waiting for ! Your probing helped me decide, well first to a closer setting instead of more turning around each other -honestly i was ready to wait few more chapters before moving on to that part, but i feel that those characters are strong and when they know what they want, they go for it -, then if they were actually be kissing this time or if they were gonna be interrupted. I almost made Fury walk in on them just before Maria closes her eyes. But i'm not that cruel ^^

So, you're welcome ;o)

debssofs i am so counting the days i have left till holidays and honestly i am kind of desinvested with it all at this point, just counting down the days. Two more weeks and i'm off to the beach, YES ! ^^
Guest i'm glad you liked the action on the previous chapter, i have to say i'm more an emotional and psychological kind of writter, but i do like a challenge ! There will be more action in the future for them both

Genesiswings i love your ENTHOUSIASME ! Thank you for your sooo chearing review ! I feel like a footballer or something. Go, go, write, write, the crowd is wild and i score a goal ! New chapter updated ! Yeah ! As we say in french 'la foule en délire' as i run around the field ! - which translates as 'the delirious crowd'

I'll be waiting for your chearing reviews to keep me going ^^

MochaGirl14 i do love a slow burn in romance, and even as they kissed today they are not an item yet ! And yes, they are certainly developping an easiness and their own private langage, which will come in handy very soon ;o)

Ilessthan3KH i love that story too ! I am so happy to write about it, it's more like i am writting it so i can read it with you guys, does that make even sense ? There are so few fanfictions about this couple, i found myself in need to read one, so i wrote it... :o)

Snow0115 thank you Snow0115 for your support from the start, i am grateful, and know that i will be updating the Clexa fiction as well, since i appear to be unable to stop writting those stories ! My others projects are not as appealing as those lovely romances ! I have so many other pairings i want to explore after, but i intent to finish those 2 stories first.

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Don't worry friends, the developpement is in process ! I won't let you down !

I love you all, thank you for your support !

Please keep the reviews coming, it keeps the writing going ^^

Team effort !

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As usual, sorry for my misspelled words here and there, i am not a machine haha ! o)

This chapter is short, i hesitated to update it or wait to write more, but i felt this scene deserved it's own chapter. I am working on the fallowing chapter now, from Maria's point of view now, it will be updated soon, probably this week.

:o)