The hospital discharged Melina after two days. Alexei barely left her side. The hospital food was disgusting, but he did not want to leave her to find anything else. And, of course, he had nowhere to go. He'd been in prison twenty years. Bad food he could stomach. Leaving her, he could not.
On the second day, however, a man in a suit delivered a package to Melina and left without a word. Inside it was cash, credit cards, and documentation, courtesy of Natasha and her government friends. Now that they had those things, they could make their arrangements after leaving the hospital.
"We will go to a hotel to rest before going home," Melina announced. "You need a shower. You're disgusting. I don't want you in my house until you are clean."
Alexei grinned. He knew how she felt about him being unwashed. She would never let him in the bed until he showered, but she liked very much when he was sweaty and dirty and would fuck him against a wall or counter or in the shower. They hadn't gotten their chance for a proper reunion before the Red Room came to take them away, with Alexei wanting to comfort Yelena and Melina busy planning with Natasha. And now, of course, they had been in the hospital with Melina recovering. Though that didn't matter much to Alexei. If she were willing or showed any interest, he would have gladly ravished her in that hospital bed.
They took a taxi from the hospital to a nearby hotel. Melina was on crutches but moved slowly as she got used to the cast. There was a shop in the lobby, and Melina sent Alexei to buy clothes and basic items they would need for a few days. She also specifically told him to get scissors. He did not know why, but he would not question her. She knew more than he did.
He returned to the room with bags and bags of things. "Melina, I have…Melina?" He looked over to the bed and saw her sprawled out entirely naked except for the cast. Alexei felt the stirrings in the scrub pants he still wore.
"Go shower," she commanded. "I need to regain my strength before I can do much more than take off my own clothes. You shower and you come back to me."
Alexei put the bags on the ground and went towards the bathroom, but he had to go past the bed to get there. He paused. "May I kiss you first?" he requested.
She turned her head to look at him, smiling gently. "Do not touch the bed. Do not touch me. You may only kiss me," she instructed.
Carefully, he approached her and leaned over the bed, careful not to touch any other part of her beyond pressing his lips to hers. She hummed against him. "Go," she whispered. "And hurry back so I can do much more than kiss you."
He grinned again. It never quite felt real, that she could want him as much as he wanted her. Of course, he was the Red Guardian, superhero to all Mother Russia, he was the perfect man in every way. But Melina was never impressed by that. The opposite, in fact. She found him stupid and more of a hindrance than anything else. No, when she fell in love with him, she fell in love with Alexei the man, not the Red Guardian. Alexei the man was never anything impressive or important. Not worthy of any woman, especially the Iron Maiden, most renowned of all the Black Widows. But then again, Alexei the man had fallen in love with Melina the woman. He just liked the Iron Maiden much more than she liked the Red Guardian.
Alexei showered as fast as he could, getting himself clean and fresh for her. And he thought about her the entire time. The image of her perfect naked body on top of that bed in his mind's eye and getting him half-hard by the time he shut off the water. He ran a towel over himself and left the bathroom, not bothering to cover himself at all. It would just waste time.
Melina had propped herself up on her elbows, watching him hungrily. "There he is, my big bear. Come to me," she beckoned.
He climbed onto the bed, crawling until he hovered over her. "All clean for you, my love," he said, still not touching her yet. Never until she told him to. "And you know, I still have a lot of energy after escaping prison, all alone for twenty years. Missing you and wanting you."
She traced her fingers over his face and down his neck and chest. "All alone for twenty years, Alexei?"
"Only my hand, dreaming of you," he replied. His resistance was starting to flag at her touch, but he knew not to make a move until she allowed.
A little smirk of satisfaction appeared on her lips. "That's very flattering. But you know, it has been twenty years, maybe I got old and you don't want me anymore," she teased.
"Never!" he protested. "I always want you. Always," he insisted. Alexei turned his head to show off the tattoo of Melina just over his collarbone. Just below it was the word 'love' in Cyrillic.
Melina traced over the features of a slightly cartoon version of her own face. Only so much to be done in prison without a photograph for the tattooist to use, after all. She was quiet for a moment and then looked back up into his eyes. "You love me, Alexei?" she dared softly.
"More than anything," he vowed.
She smiled again. "Make love to me now," she whispered.
He caught her lips in a fiery kiss. Tongue and teeth and the sweet taste of her and the heat of her breath against his cheek and the little moans of pleasure he swallowed. Oh, it had been so long!
Melina arched into him, her magnificent breasts pressing against him, his big belly pressing her down into the mattress. She clutched at his shoulders and back, he skimmed his hand down her waist to hitch her right leg over his hip, the leg not encased in a plaster cast. Her body was hot and soft and perfect.
Alexei dragged his lips down her pale neck, whispering words of love and desire in Russian, hearing her echo them back to him as he moved over her body. It was strange to see his big, tattooed hands against her skin. He noticed the changes in her after their years apart. Her breasts were slightly bigger, slightly softer. But he was right about his initial words to her. She was just as beautiful and supple as ever.
The more he touched her and tasted her, the more he wanted her. He did not want to rush but oh, he needed her desperately. As gently as he could, Alexei spread her legs, still careful of her injured leg. She could withstand the pain, he knew, but he wanted to cause her only pleasure. He tossed her right leg over his shoulder and nipped at her inner thigh.
"Oh, Alexei, oh yes," she begged.
With a chuckle of pride, he gave an initial swipe of his tongue over her, tasting how wet she was already. Dripping for him. Oh how he loved this woman!
His tongue relearned her, reveling in the delicacy he'd craved for all these years. He sucked on her, grazed her with his teeth, licked her and lapped up her wetness. Melina fisted her hands in his hair and bucked her hips against his face and cried out. So loud, so passionate, so beautiful. She climaxed with force that surprised even him. He kissed her thighs and belly and held her as she came through her aftershocks and went limp.
Alexei lifted his head, licking his lips. His beard and mustache were slick and wet from his efforts. "You are magnificent, Melina," he admired.
She lifted her head, her eyes bleary from pleasure and her face flushed as she panted to regain her breath. "No, it is you who is magnificent," she answered. "Twenty years is a long time to be out of practice, and you have done so well. So, so well, my love."
Her praise was always the best thing he could ever imagine in life. He wanted only to ever please her. Knowing she thought well of him for anything was all he needed.
"Come," she encouraged. "Come, I need you inside me, please." Melina shifted where she lay, lifting her left leg in its cast.
Alexei figured out soon enough what she wanted. Her legs rested against his shoulders. Her hands found his, and their fingers laced together. He leaned forward to thrust inside her with one hard motion. They both cried out at the sensation. "Melina," he groaned. Filthy words in Russian and in English fell from his lips as he moved inside her, hard and deep and perfect. So perfect.
"Yes, да, yes, oh Alexei," she gasped and moaned.
He had worried that he might hurt her with the cast like that, but she was so flexible, so powerful, so strong. So much stronger than him, though he would never say it out loud. He could lift a truck but she could do anything else. Everything else. And knowing that she loved him, knowing he could fuck her and give her pleasure, it was made him prouder and better satisfied than any victory against Captain America.
Melina climaxed again, the noise from the back of her throat causing him to speed up and tumble over the edge with her with a roar. Before passing out, he rolled onto his back and took her with him. Her legs fell at his sides. "Be careful, Alexei," she warned, her voice hoarse.
"да," he breathed in response. His arms held her against him, and he lost consciousness as he felt her lips against his neck.