Christmas 2001
Christmas was the only day off the entire year. Madame made sure the kitchens had better food than usual for meals. The girls were allowed to go out into the snow and play in the courtyard hidden behind the academy's tall structure. Snowball fights were a fun way to continue training. As much as the free time was fun it was more fun to train.
Natasha passed by a loose floor panel that she had passed 4 times already that morning. Now was the only time that no one was around and she could pull it loose and find the note inside. She quickly displaced the board, snatched the tightly folded paper and hurried to the bathrooms. It was the only place she could have privacy and read.
T,
Up for another snowball fight? I'm sure you'll want to redeem yourself after last time. 8:30 tonight.
-J
Natasha smiled to herself. For the past few months James would slip notes into her shoes during training. Or the loose board. Several times he planted a rolled-up note in a gun for her weapons class. The notes were usually the same. A planned meeting spot where they could inconspicuously be near each other or passing in a hallway.
She had 10 minutes to get her things and meet him. She hurried to the dormitory where all the beds were kept. Each girl only had one drawer of clothes. She pulled on her warmest socks and tan boots that reached her knees. Her thick sweater added more warmth to the simple blue winter jacket she had. Gloves, scarf, hat in hand she hurried down the stairs. No one was around. Typically on Christmas Madame kept cookies and hot chocolate freely flowing after dinner. She knew all the girls looked forward to it, this year she didn't mind skipping it.
It was freezing outside. The cruel Russian winters were relentless. Cold bit at her skin as she tugged the hat on. Her thick red hair insulating her head more. She wrapped the thick woolen scarf around her neck and bottom of her face. She surveyed the yard, the blowing snow made it hard to figure out where he was.
She stuck to the walls and headed left along a snow bank that used to be a green wall of shrubs. A snowball collided with her shoulder and she dropped to her knees, sinking into the snow. She packed a ball tightly into her hands and watched as another sailed over her head. She caught of glimpse of black against the snow.
She crawled left on her hands and knees. She knew exactly where he was and couldn't wait to tell him that it was predictable. The girls and her had built a very structurally sound igloo that morning. He was hiding behind it. Natasha burst forward and slid down a huge bank of snow. She ended up directly behind him.
"Predictable, soldier." She grinned and pegged him with a snowball.
James laughed and twisted to face her. She dodged his throw and hit him in the face with a loosely packed ball, the powder bursting around him. She beamed and took off around the right side of the igloo. For several minutes they ran through the snow, hurling it and flinging it in any way they could.
James hurried around the other side and threw three balls at her, all hitting in quick succession.
"Oh!" She gasped and clutched her heart. "I've been hit!" She gasped dramatically and dropped into the snow. She panted as he pulled her up.
She dusted off the snow that clung to her leggings. She shivered and nodded toward the igloo. "Go check it out." She pushed him toward it.
James slid down the tunnel and she followed after. Inside it was hollowed out and packed down into a smooth surface. It was roomy, and to the littler girls surprise this morning it was much warmer inside. The older girls had built it to show the little ones that it would be warm.
"Alina and I made most of it." She breathed. It wasn't that roomy, James was sitting very close to her.
"if you weren't the world's greatest assassins I'd say you two need to be architects." He pointed out with a smile.
She laughed and wrapped her arms around her knees. "I'll consider it." She caught him stealing glances at her. "What? Is there something on my face?" She brushed her gloves across her face.
He looked caught off guard. "Oh, no.. It's just…" He added quickly. "You look really nice."
She blushed despite how cold her skin was. The past few weeks she had noticed the looks. And she was guilty of them too. She wasn't the only girl who looked too long at their new assistant in sparring. The older girls ogled him all the time.
"Oh... This old thing.." She laughed and played it off. Snow clung to her long red tresses. The blue jacket, hat, and scarf made her blue eyes seem brighter. It was dangerous what she had recently started feeling about him. Much more than friendship.
"I mean it, Tasha." He insisted. "You're incredible."
She looked over at him and raised an eyebrow. "James…"
"I'm being serious. You literally took my breath away that first day." He said quickly.
She watched him carefully, trying to not let his words stir up the butterflies in her stomach. She shouldn't have them. "Why, because I threw a decent punch?"
He ducked his head, "Because you're the strongest person in that room. A normal person would have stayed down after a dislocation. You got back up and continued to kick my ass while in excruciating pain."
"You won though." She pointed out.
"Only because I'm made to be unbeatable. That's why I assist in that class. I'm stronger than any opponent you all will face. Every day you guys try to take me down and you get better. No one's going to win unless I fake it. But it'll make you all better for it." He looked over at her, "You'd be the only one to beat me I bet. You'll figure out something."
She smirked, "Watch your back tomorrow, I'll have it worked out by then." She teased and shoved him playfully.
He laughed and caught her hand as she shoved him. "You'll have to be quicker than that." He dared.
Natasha was never one to back down from a challenge. Her hand gouged up some snow and flung it at him, making him lean away and she pushed him to the ground. Pinning him, "I win!" She beamed.
"Who taught you to play dirty? Alina? What would Madame say?" James grinned.
"Madame isn't here right now." Natasha retorted.
He flung snow into her face and she gasped, "God! It's so cold!" She shook her head.
James sat up and tugged her scarf loose, using the end to wipe the snow off her cheeks. Natasha watched him closely as he ungloved his hands to wipe the snow away from her eyelashes. His hands were so warm against her skin that she unconsciously leaned into the touch.
His hand brushed across her cheek again, despite the absence of snow there. James pressed his lips against hers. She kissed him back quickly, before she realized what she was doing. Her hand rose to her lips and she opened her eyes.
James scanned her reaction quickly, "I'm… sorry... I don't know what came over me."
Natasha felt a blush crawling up her neck to her cheeks. She shouldn't like him. He shouldn't have kissed her. She should not want him to kiss her again.
"I… have to go…" She gasped and wrapped the scarf around her neck again.
"Tasha…" James said softly. "Don't go…"
She looked at her hands, "I have to... James.. we can't be doing this." She gestured to the space between them. "I don't know about you but there are rules. If I break them I am as good as dead."
"Stay, Natasha. I promise it won't happen again." James said quickly.
"But I can't make any promises about myself." She admitted. She looked at him longingly before hurrying out of the igloo. If she didn't leave now she knew she'd stay there all night and kiss him.
