A/N: Valentine's Day doesn't always have a happy ending or at least a happy beginning. This was my submission for Marvelously Magical Fanfiction - Love You to Death 2022 - Valentine's Day Fest this year.
This piece was beta read by Grammarly so I apologize for any glaring errors. It is rated T for implied violence. I hope you enjoy it!
thescarletphoenixx, I hope that I was able to do your prompt justice!
Happy Valentine's Day everyone! Lots of love to you and yours!
Love always,
~starr
His fingers entangled themselves in the hair at the nape of her neck, forcing her head back. She let out a sigh as a wicked smile pulled at the corners of her lips. Glancing at him out of the corner of her eyes, she let out a hiss as she brushed her tongue against the edges of her teeth. "You caught me," she growled.
"As I always do," he whispered in her ear, his voice low.
"And what are you going to do with me now that you've caught me?" she mused, attempting to turn to look at him. She stopped when she felt his grip on her hair tighten, and she let out a hiss. "Damn it, that hurts."
"It's supposed to," he growled, lifting his arm to place the blade against her neck. The coolness of the edge sent a shiver down her spine; the subtle shake of her body against his fueled the adrenaline rush he was already experiencing. "You know this is how it has to go."
She rolled her eyes. "Not exactly like this," she hummed, slowly pulling the gun out of its holster on her side and elbowing him in the stomach. The force of her elbow made him drop the knife to the ground. She moved forward until he backed into the wall, and she pressed the barrel of the gun against his stomach. "We've got two options."
"You can shoot me," he replied, meeting her gaze.
"Or you can kiss me, and we go our separate ways until the next time our paths cross," she said, offering a smirk as she looked him over. He was tired, and a bruise was starting to form on his cheek where her fist had made contact earlier. She could feel a dull ache in her shoulder after being pinned to the ground earlier before she got the upper hand.
"I know which I would prefer," he laughed, reaching up to brush a strand of hair out of her face that had fallen loose in their brawl. His thumb gently grazed her cheek as he studied her face a few moments more.
She pressed the gun against his stomach again, reminding him of his current situation before returning it to her holster. They leaned into one another, pressing their foreheads together as he cupped her cheek, and she wrapped her arms around his neck. The kiss was gentle at first, tentative as a first kiss, but after a moment, the kiss deepened. They held onto one another like this was the last time they would be together, and for all they knew, this could very well be the last time.
She pulled away first, gasping for air as she rested her head on his shoulder. "I've missed you, Malfoy," she whispered.
"I've missed you too, Romanov," he whispered, pressing a kiss to the side of her head. "I hate that we keep meeting like this."
"I know," Natasha replied, shaking her head. "I hate that I always have to beat the shit out of you anytime I want to see you. But I can't say that I don't enjoy it."
"Holding a blade to your enemy's throat is rather exhilarating," Draco replied with a laugh. He leaned back to get a better look at her as a smile pulled at the corners of his lips. "We really need to stop meeting like this."
"And what would be the fun in that?" Natasha asked, smirking as she pulled away. She knelt and picked Draco's knife up from the floor. She examined it for a few minutes, sliding her fingertip along the dull edge. "The blade is a nice touch. You didn't have this the last time we went at it, did you?"
Draco reached out and took the blade away from her, kneeling to slip the knife into his boot. "It's new. It allows me to get closer to my enemy, drawing them in, and it lets me feel them taking their last breath."
Natasha nodded her head. "I know what you mean," she mused, bending down to grab the handle of her own blade out of her boot. There was a flash of light as the rising sun reflected off the blade. "It makes you feel powerful, more powerful than any gun, that's for damn sure."
Draco nodded his head slowly, taking a deep breath as he glanced down at the time on his watch. "I should be going. We don't want anyone getting suspicious, especially since you've been my mark for the last decade, and somehow you keep getting away from me."
"As you are mine," Natasha sighed, shrugging her shoulders. "One day, we'll be able to be together without having to kill each other."
"Or we'll take one another out like Romeo and Juliet - destined to be in love, but the only way we can be truly happy is in death," Draco replied, hanging his head. He took a few steps forward, wrapping his arms around Natasha's waist, pulling her in close. He pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead, pausing there for a few moments to soak in the serenity of the moment, knowing full well that madness would soon settle in as they returned to their respective camps.
"We can't keep going on like this," she mumbled, leaning her head back and looking up at him. Tears were welling up in the corners of her eyes as the words escaped her lips. "It hurts too much, and I can't kill you."
"I know," Draco replied, cradling the back of her head as he pulled her close to his chest. "I know."
"But this is the destiny that's been laid out for us," she sighed, shaking her head. "As much as I hate it, I know this is how the cards are dealt."
Natasha pulled away and pressed up on her tiptoes, pressing a chaste kiss to Draco's lips before pulling away. She turned quickly on her heel and started to walk away. She hoped to hear him calling her back to him as she continued on. Her heart ached for him, but she knew this was how it had to be - as much as she hated the reality of their situation.
Draco watched as she walked away into the wee hours of the morning. His heart broke with every step she took, but he couldn't bring himself to call her back. Death was the only option that would allow them to be together, and neither one was ready to take that step. Instead, until death called them home, they would continue in madness chasing after one another with weapons drawn just as they had done for many years before and would continue to do so long after.
