A/N: There appears to be some confusion about the whole 'hibernation' deal, so to put it in basic terms it's pretty much bear-people have to sleep through the coldest months of the year, much like some real species of bear, but these people have to spend it together with another person otherwise it sort of won't work and they'll die. It's not solid science or anything, we just needed a reason to have angst and cuddling in the story and having teddybear ears was already part of the plan, so, yeah if anyone is still confused I'll go back and clarify better in Chapter 1.
It grew dark in Pepper's home and finally, when it was too difficult to see what she was working on, Pepper stood to turn on a light.
She flinched when she saw Natasha sitting on the bench behind her, lurking like a predator in the night, as if Pepper had forgotten she wasn't alone. "Oh! Umm…" Pepper started, before shaking her head, dismissing whatever train of thought she'd started to verbalise. She frowned and navigated her way smoothly in the dark, not looking down once but never putting a foot out of place, even kicking a tool out of the way. Natasha wondered if Pepper knew where every stray tool, machine part and piece of scrap lay, and if there was some method after all to the mad mess that was her home after all. And if she could cross the room just once without kicking something...
Pepper flicked on several light switches around the room. The room was lit up by a wide range of different sized globes, all glowing in different shades of white and yellow, with the occasional hued exception, and varying in brightness. Although Natasha was initially put off by it, she soon found that she could use them to orient herself in the giant box of a house. By using the lights as markers to tell which direction she was facing, even if only seeing the slight glint of green or blur of blue through fluttering eyelids, she could work out where everything else should be from there. This was extraordinarily helpful for Natasha, who was already feeling better about having to wake up with unfamiliar surroundings the following morning. 'I wonder if she designed them that way.'
From the kitchenette, Pepper folded her arms and watched the woman in her home blink in the lights before quickly adjusting to using them to her advantage. No one else had been to her house and really experienced the lighting trick, so Pepper didn't have any past observations to draw from, but she was certain that figuring them out that quickly wasn't ordinary. Oh well, it was kind of impressive.
'Right,' she thought, 'Food.' She rolled her shoulders, stiff from being hunched over so long, and asked, "Do you want dinner?"
Natasha looked over and smirked, "How domestic, we're already like wife and wife."
Pepper rolled her eyes, "Is that a yes or a no."
"You don't have to feed me, I'm already staying at your house," she said, suddenly serious. "I don't want to burden you."
Pepper shrugged, she knew the feeling. You get that way sometimes, when you spend so long depending only on yourself and being made to feel like you cause more trouble than you're worth. "It's just leftovers, I have heaps. You can have some."
Natasha looked surprised and a little wary, but took the container of food when it was offered. She was one of the better off of those living on the streets, but it had been a while since she'd had a full meal and wasn't going to turn this down.
"I don't have a dining room, not really, so just sit wherever you're comfortable," Pepper said, taking her food with her to resume the same position she'd been in for hours; slouched in front of her machine.
Natasha followed her lead, sitting atop the workbench again with her legs crossed beneath her, watching curiously.
After an hour Natasha broke the silence, deciding Pepper needed a distraction and she needed some answers. "Why are you so calm around me?" Probably not the best starter, she realised once it was too late.
Pepper jumped, but replied calmly. "You don't seem so bad."
"You know my reputation. I've killed some people even – if you believe the rumours. That doesn't scare you?"
"I'd be a fool if I wasn't scared of the Black Widow," she replied absently, focusing on connecting delicate wiring.
"Then are you a fool?"
Pepper sighed, "You're not currently the Black Widow are you? You're, like, a normal person right now. And you didn't rob me in that alleyway, you offered to help me. Besides, I've been nice to you, you'd be an asshole if you killed me now."
Natasha laughed, "You're too trusting…"
"Am I?" Pepper interrupted, sitting up and facing Natasha, suddenly more serious. "I've never let my guard down around you, you might think I have, but what do you really know about me? I have a bad relationship with my mother, sure. I have a crappy house layout, sure. My job is more than just a secretary, I build things, I'm bi, I swear when I'm frustrated, I'm a passably good liar. Sure. But these are all things you could have easily found out by asking around." She fixed Natasha with a stern look, "You don't know me, and I don't trust you."
Natasha opened her mouth to speak but quickly shut it. She matched Pepper's glare, "Fine, maybe I don't know that much about you, but I could kill you in your sleep tonight, I could've poisoned your food when you were zoned out, I could've stolen your valuables! You are too trusting."
"You're underestimating me."
"You're underestimating me. I'm from the street, you don't know what I'm capable of." Natasha cringed at how cheesy that sounded, but stuck to her point.
Pepper laughed, actually laughed. Natasha stared, taken aback.
"Ahh!" Pepper exclaimed in realisation, "You think I don't know what I'm doing! You think I have no idea what street life is like, or what the people are like. You assume that because I now have a good job and an okay house, that I've always had those things? And that I don't know how you're thinking?"
"But…"
"I have lived on the streets, I know about that life, what it does to people. Don't jump to conclusions."
"You've lived on the streets?"
Pepper nodded. "In rougher cities than this."
Natasha looked down at her food, then back up at Pepper who was patiently watching her. "Sorry. False assumptions." After a moment she glanced at Pepper with a playful grin, "Didn't think someone so cute could be a street rat."
Pepper snorted and ignored the comment. "Well you're a street rat," she said offhandedly and shrugged. "Don't worry about it."
Natasha blinked at the comment, unsure if Pepper was aware of what she'd implied. She'd left too long thinking to reply, so she let Pepper get back to work and they finished their meals in silence.
Pepper worked most of the night but turned off some lights and told Natasha to take the comfiest couch, who fell asleep quickly. She woke with a start but soon remembered where she was, using the lighting in the dim morning to jog her memory and place her direction before her eyes fully focused. The snow was thick and covered the skylights with heavy layers of white sleet. The room was dark and freezing and Natasha cursed the inefficient design again; clearly not a winter home.
She felt like she was in a strange, cold cube, it was a bit surreal.
Walking over to the work area, Natasha saw Pepper had fallen asleep on the floor. She grabbed the blanket she'd been using off the couch and picked her way through to Pepper, tossing it gently over her. She didn't know why she was doing this, she didn't quite understand why she'd been compelled to help Pepper or accept her help in return. She shrugged to herself, lying to herself and promising she'd make a point of thinking it over later.
Natasha moved silently around the house, exploring the sectioned off areas and kitchen and much as possible without moving anything except for picking up a First Aid kit she placed on the kitchen counter, hoping Pepper would take the hint and see to her hand. Finally, she checked the peephole in the door, seeing the snow had become almost chest height overnight. 'Damn, that's going to be a pain to navigate.' Natasha tried not to dwell on how little time she had to find someone to survive the winter with.
She heard a clank behind her and spun around quickly, only to see Pepper shoving bits of metal away giving herself room to stretch out. From her viewpoint by the door, Natasha could see that Pepper's jeans had slid lower in her sleep, and a small rusty-brown tuft of fur was sticking out at the base of her spine.
"Nice tail, hun," Natasha called out, winking as Pepper glared and hiked up her jeans.
"Hilarious," she said flatly, making her way to the couch. After a few minutes she gained momentum again and sat up to stretch. "D'you want breakfast? Or are going fight me on that too?"
Natasha grinned and sat on the arm of the couch, "I could do with some breakfast."
"Great!" Pepper said cheerfully, "Make me some while you're at it."
Natasha grumbled and got up to scope out the kitchen, berating herself for falling into Pepper's trap, but smiling nonetheless.
A/N: If you have any feedback, please feel free to let me know and I'll take it into consideration. Suggestions, comment, corrections, requests, criticism – are all welcome, just let me know.