Hi everybody! Sorry that this is a week late ^^'

I ended up finishing up moving into my new place over the course of the week and then after that, I ended up getting sick. I wanted to get some proper rest before getting back to it. Updates might be a little sporadic as I go through boxes, but I will do my best to keep up with it!

Hope you all are having a good week so far!

Chapter 7:

Here's to Us

and Coffee

"Feel better?" Natasha looked to see Harlow coming from the bathroom, hair dripping wet. The girl nodded as she continued to towel dry her head, thankful not to be covered in her own blood. However, the bruising on her face had started to overlap, making it look even worse.

"Um..." She thought hard, trying to figure out how to reply in Russian, still not confident with the language. "As much as I can be." Natasha let herself smile at the attempt, glad to see the girl was doing her best.

"Your pronunciation needs work." This time it was Harlow's turn to eye roll before going to her room. She quickly threw her hair up into a ponytail, slapping on a ball cap and sunglasses. Once she reappeared, she noticed Natasha raised an eyebrow. "Is that supposed to make you less inconspicuous?"

"Less bruised is more like it." She feels Natasha take off the sunglasses.

"Just let people think what they're going to. If anything, they won't try to attack you." the girl laughed as they made their way out the door. The walk to the nearest coffee shop was in amicable silence, sounds of cars going by. Clacking of shoes on the sidewalk, the beeping of crosswalk signals

As they approached the shop, a gentleman held the door for them and they quickly uttered a thank you before going inside. The smell caused Harlow's nerves to jitter excitedly at the prospect of coffee and a breakfast sandwich. Although when she arrived at the counter, the cashier's eyes bugged out of their head at the sight of her face.

"Are you alright? Did someone hurt you?" They cast a quick glance at the red-head woman standing next to her. Harlow side eyed Natasha, seeing her adjust her stance, gaze flicking to the signs pretending to look at the menu. Signs of embarrassment, though anyone else might think it was just impatience.

"I just ran into the pavement...With my face." For the first time, she hears a bark of a laugh come from the woman next to her. It was strange and yet, her heart welcomed the bit of change in the Natasha. "Okayyy...Seriously though, I'm fine."

"If you say so...What can I get you?"

"A large mocha with an extra two shots please. Hot...And a Ham and Swiss sandwich. Whatever my..." She hesitated, unsure what she should call Natasha. "...Colleague wants as well."

"Tall Flat white."

"That'll be $15.75."

"Jeez. That's highway robbery..." Harlow told the guy as she swiped her card. "However, if robbery tastes good, I'll gladly pay." This got the cashier to laugh as he handed her the receipt before they moved to the pickup counter. Silence fell once again, save for the other customers and the light Jazz music in the background. Once their order came up, Natasha grabbed her drink and then handed the girl her things before spotting a booth in a far corner.

"Are you sure you're not hungry?" Harlow raised an eyebrow, slightly concerned. Natasha took a long pull of her drink before answering as they sat down.

"I had a smoothie this morning. I'm fine-" However, before she was able to protest further, Harlow promptly got up and soon returned with a lemon poppy seed muffin. "Thanks."

"Yeah well, just don't let Nick give you a random drug test." Harlow quipped before taking a bite of her sandwich that was much too big for her mouth. Natasha couldn't help but hide her small smile behind a sip of her drink, soon taking a bite of her muffin.

"So how'd you know I liked them?" The girl held up a finger, trying to chew what was in her mouth before answering.

"You always say to be observant about everything. Even the stuff that might not seem to matter, because it will." She shrugged, also making a mental note about Natasha's coffee order.

"Ahh, so she does listen." Natasha watched as the girl mocked her, head swaggling.

"Har har...What do you want me to call you?" The blonde mused, changing the subject. "Or better yet, are we good?" Natasha sighed, sitting back in the seat, crossing her arms.

"Good, no. Better, yes...Natasha is fine. And you?" the girl only shrugged. "Harlow for now then."

"I guess we have a lot of work to do..." The red-head's eyes narrowed, questioning. Harlow laid her arms on the table, leaning forward slightly. "What I mean is, we need to be more..." Her right hand gestured as if trying to pull words from thin air. "...Open with each other. More than we have been."

"Right."

"I'm not saying we are super awesome bff's or anything. That that fight solved all of our problems, because it didn't, but it-"

"Might help us in the future...On missions..."

"Something like that."

It went silent as Natasha studied Harlow as she took another bite of her sandwich, looking at the pictures on the wall then she flicked her vision to the patrons. Something about this girl, whether it was her bluntness or her willingness to try, made the red-head want to work on being better. To figure out how to be herself and not just someone who could just adapt to whatever someone needed her to be. And it seemed as though Harlow felt the same way.

"Okay." The blonde turned her focus back to the woman across from her. She gave the woman a small smile.

"Okay." She paused, holding out her hand for Natasha and the woman took it firmly. "Let's start over then. Harlow Elizabeth Channing."

"Natasha Romanoff."

"Okay so no middle name then-"

"Wait. Your initials are H. E. C.? Your initials spell HEC?" Harlow's forehead made a slight thump on the table.

"I was hoping that would have slipped passed you."

"We're literally Shield Agents...Besides, I'm pretty much the best."

"And so modest." Natasha received an incredulous look from the younger girl which only made her smile. "So are you going to tell me your actual name or..."

"Maybe someday."

"Some day's good." Soon, they just let the words fall away, content to sit and people watch as they finished their coffee's, the sun casting colored hues in the sky.

Two Months Later. October 2006.

About a week after the coffee shop, Natasha had been called away on a mission with Clint, leaving Harlow to her own devices. Honestly it had been some time since she had been alone in the apartment and it was only after the two had briefly bonded over coffee, that the girl realized it was nice having someone else in the living space.

As she stared at the ceiling, laying on the couch, her chest ached at the quietness. Not even the show that had been turned on was keeping her attention. She had continued all of her routines and training practices that she was supposed to. Maria had even let her know that the Shield scientists were somewhat close to a breakthrough for something to help channel her powers.

However, everything just seemed so humdrum lately, Autumn bringing the chill along with it. Over all, the girl was restless and found herself constantly praying that Natasha and Clint would make it back safe. Sighing, she got up from the couch and made her way to her bedroom. Surprisingly, Harlow had even been bored enough to clean up the room, making it feel foreign as she slipped on a pair of sneakers. Grabbing her wallet and a warm jacket and scarf, she headed out the door.

She was greeted by brisk air and sunshine as she allowed her feet to carry her wherever they wished. Before she knew it, the blonde had made her way to a fall festival she didn't even know was going on. Her hazel eyes watched as parents played with their kids, laughter ringing out from couples that walked around with warm coffees and hot chocolates.

'Natasha would like this...' She shook her head, not knowing where the thought came from. How would she even know that? For all her observing and living with her for a year, almost two, she didn't know her very well at all. Harlow was pretty sure that the red-head knew her far better than she knew herself.

Harlow brought herself out of her thoughts, finding the coffee stand, ordering a pumpkin spice latte. The drink warmed her down to her feet as she continued to mill about, checking out the stands and nearby shops. Her eyes found a few things of nail polish, one of them a striking red and the other a soft pink. She promptly bought both and the vendor tucked them into a small silver bag before the girl continued on.

"Been out here long?" A voice came from behind her, causing her to give into a gasp of surprise. She turned around to see Fury with his arms behind his back, his clothing looked warm but the color scheme remained the same: black from head to toe.

"Make some noise next time Nick."

"Fury." He corrected, looking her over. "I see you're all healed up."

"Amazing what not getting hit in the face for a third time can accomplish." She laughed as she continued to walk, the man at her left.

"I'm glad to see you two are working things out...I have decided that we will begin to work on a cover for you."

"Oh? For my first official mission you mean?" He nods. "Let me guess...I'll be a rich heiress with a troubled past. I was previously thought to have murdered my parents in order to receive my fortune. My name: Fanny Longbottom." She watched as Fury rolled his eye before shaking his head.

"You are hopeless."

"This coming from the man who hired me." Harlow shrugged, stopping at another vendor, searching through clothing racks. Fury studied her, noticing she seemed slightly morose. She definitely wore what she was feeling on her face, but he didn't dare pry. However, it seemed like he wouldn't have to. "Fury...Are they okay?"

"From the reports and what I can say, there doesn't seem to be any issues to have popped up." It must have been a good enough answer for the girl as a bit of light returned to her eyes. She pulls a gray sweatshirt similar to one that she owned off the rack and a black t-shirt.

"I'll take these please." She tells the man behind the table and he nods, bagging up her purchase as she hands him a fifty. "Nick did you want anything?" He feels himself stifle a small smile, something out of character for him for sure. There was definitely something about her kindness that matched the fall air. Crisp and fresh.

"I'm good." His phone began beeping and he bid the girl his goodbyes. She gave him a quick wave before making her way to a nearby pretzel stand, ridding herself of her empty coffee cup. Once her stomach was full, her feet soon carried her home, glad to be out of her boots. Setting the bags on the coffee table, Harlow shed herself of her jacket and scarf, tossing it over the back of the sofa.

"...Let's see..." She hummed, looking for a piece of paper and a pen. A yawn crossed her face as she looked, finally finding some on the the hall table. The girl sat down, quickly scrawling a note and attached it the larger of the two bags. Harlow prayed that Natasha was able to read her handwriting, it had been terrible ever since she could remember. It always came out in chicken scratch no matter how much she practiced and it was a wonder she ever graduated high school and was passing the general college courses Shield was putting her through.

Harlow couldn't help but lay back on the couch, pulling a blanket over her body allowing herself to be overtaken with the warmth. Her eyes slowly slid shut as sleep pulled her away, a calm in her mind.

Natasha was thankful to finally arrive home, her limbs sore and bruised. Her abdomen hurt worst of all, but she carried on, knowing that her bed was waiting for her. Slipping the key in and hearing the familiar click caused her to sigh with relief as she stepped inside, soon locking the door behind her.

She frowned slightly at the amount of lights that had been left on, along with the tv as she set her bag down. The woman shed herself of her shoes and outer layer before beginning to turn things off, her eyes finally catching the sleeping figure on the couch. Harlow slept soundly, her mouth slightly open, still in jeans and a sweatshirt, blonde hair in tangles. Natasha rolled her eyes as she picked the blanket up from the ground, softly laying it back over the girl.

"For goodness sake..." The woman shook her head slightly, unsure how Harlow was even comfortable sleeping in clothes that would pinch and pull. One of her socks had been kicked off sometime in the night, the other down too far looking like a floppy hat on her right foot. Some part of it bugged Natasha and she moved forward to remove it, but her hand hesitated. The girl on the couch stirred slightly, groaning and turning over, tucking further into the cushions. Running a hand through her red hair, the woman sighed with relief, unsure of why she had wanted to commit the action in the first place.

A yawn spread across her face, reminding Natasha how tired and sore she was. After a quick stretch she made to go to her bedroom, but as she turned to make her way from the living room, Natasha noticed the two bags on the table and a quickly scrawled note. Thankfully, after a few minutes, she was able to make out every word.

"...Saw these at a festival downtown, thought you might like them (one of them so you can stop taking my clothes...Specifically my favorite sweatshirt...)...Hope you get home safe...From Harlow...You probably know that though..."

Natasha felt a slight stinging in her nose as well as her eyes when she opened the bags. Two things of nail polish, the sweatshirt as the note promised, and the black t-shirt definitely held her attention. The words of the shirt read: Bond in my Veins. She cleared her throat quietly before tucking the items back in their bags, retreating to her room. The woman couldn't help herself and slipped into the James Bond shirt before going to sleep. Maybe it was okay to care for this girl since she was going through the trouble to care about her...However, before she could think more on it, the red-head fell fast asleep.

The next chapter is one of my favorites for sure, but I do like how the story is going thus far. (However I could be a little bias xD)

See you next time!