A/N: Wow, thanks for the feedback. Thank you everyone who read, favorited, followed and reviewed! It means the world to me! Warning there is an intense scene in this chapter!
Disclaimer: I don't own the Avengers or Marvel. I do own my lovely OC's – Nova.
Chapter 4: Aloha
Natasha POV
Ever since the night that Bruce had told me that he loved me, I slept without a single nightmare. Every day, I was working hard (but not too hard) in physical therapy for my leg. The doctor told me that I was healing well and that, in a few days, I could take my brace off. My ribs and lung were either in the final stages of healing, or they were completely healed.
Bruce has been helping me out and just last week he took me to my favorite restaurant, Olive Garden, before we went to see 'The Hangover: Part 3'. I hadn't been on a date since that one time when Clint and I had to go undercover as newlyweds and we had to act like we were madly in love.
I walked into the living room and found the everyone else gathered for the announcement that Tony wouldn't shut up about for the past three days. Bruce slid over on the couch and I sat down next to him. Tony walked in and said,
"After much deliberation and a few long talks with Director Fury, my plan to take the team members plus the ladies and the twins on a family vacation has finally been cleared! So pack your bags everyone, because in three days we'll all be on the plane headed for Honolulu, Hawaii!"
I don't know what happened next, but I think everyone went crazy, because the place erupted in cheers.
My mind jumped immediately to getting a much needed tan. Being Russian, I was always pale so a change in climate would be very enjoyable. Then my thoughts shifted to what I would wear. I didn't own a swimsuit, so I would have to get one of those. I would have to buy sandals and sundresses. I was actually really excited to go.
Bruce nudged me and said,
"So, what do you think about this Hawaii vacation? I think it's an awesome plan."
"I think I'm going to have to go shopping for swimsuits and sundresses with Pepper. Other than that, I'm all for it." I replied with a smile.
"Maybe I'm going to have to take Tony up on his offer to buy me some new clothes."
"Hey I wonder if Stark has a mansion by the beach?"
"Mansion? I bet he owns his own island out there."
I stood and said,
"I should go pull the luggage set that Pepper gave me for Christmas out of the back of my closet."
Bruce waited until everyone had run off to pack their bags to pull me into a hug. I don't think he did it on purpose, but he flexed his muscles around me and I couldn't help but wonder what he looked like in swim trunks. I blushed at the mental image of him running out of the ocean, pushing back his wet hair and gazing at me with his chocolate brown eyes.
I was going to love this trip.
Bruce POV
I was standing in front of the mirror in the dressing room at this designer store called 'Saturdays Surf NYC', trying on the most expensive pair of swim trunks ever.
Tony had rounded up all of us guys and taken us to a bunch of designer stores because, and I quote, "Legolas doesn't own non-SHIELD approved clothes, Thor owns and wears his mother's drapes, Capsicle needs an upgrade, Bruce always needs of more clothes and I need the season's best. So all the guys are coming with me!". We took Phil and Fury with us because they were coming on the trip too, though they bought their own stuff.
The pair of trunks fit and looked good and I got the 'Tony approval', so I put them plus another pair of trunks, some board shorts and a pair of sandals on the tab.
After that, we went to a bunch of other designer stores with odd names for other clothes. I pulled out my iPhone and made a note so I wouldn't forget what Tony had bought and where we went. We went to 'Atelier New York', 'Billy Reid', 'The Brooklyn Circus', and even this one place that was called 'Odin' (we had to explain to Thor that these clothes were not made by his father, even if they were worthy of Asgard).
Natasha was giving me frequent updates about where she and the girls were now and what they were buying. They were in 'Diane von Furstenburg' buying everything they needed and then some extras at the prestigious 'Elizabeth Charles'. I let my mind wander and I got a mental image of Natasha in a bikini stuck there. The Hulk was roaring in obvious approval at the thought.
We were done by four PM and the next day we were packing and getting a good night's sleep before taking the larger of Tony's private jets to Malibu the next morning, where we would refuel and fly to Honolulu. It was going to be a long flight and I hope that I would be able to stay calm. I would hate to ruin the trip by Hulking out on Tony's jet.
Two Days Later…
I sipped my chamomile tea and reclined in my seat. The flight to Malibu had gone smoothly and I wanted to be stress free and well rested by the time we landed at Honolulu International Airport.
Natasha sank down into the seat next to mine and said,
"Aren't you excited?"
I looked over at her and grinned.
"I'm thrilled, but I'm very tired."
She took my hand and intertwined our fingers and said,
"Okay, I'll let you sleep, see you in a few hours", before leaning in and kissing me softly on the lips.
I drifted off and slept peacefully.
"Bruce? It's time to wake up.", Natasha said softly.
I opened my eyes and noticed that she looked different. Then I saw how she had pinned a tropical flower barrette in her hair and put on some light makeup. She wasn't wearing her Black Widow jumpsuit either, but a beautiful red floral printed sundress with the necklace I had given her for her birthday. She looked so beautiful.
"Wake up sleepyhead, we're landing in an hour so you may want to get changed."
I nodded and looked around. All the ladies except for Beth and Jane were wearing floral printed sundresses, even Maria Hill was out of uniform. Beth was wearing a pale green gingham printed dress with a white sunhat and she looked like a 40's girl with a modern twist. The look suited her extremely well and Steve couldn't tear his eyes away. Jane was wearing denim shorts and a tank top that said 'Santa Fe' on it. All the guys were wearing board shorts, sandals and Hawaiian shirts, even Nick Fury ditched his traditional black uniform for a more casual outfit. I quickly changed into board shorts and a red Hawaiian shirt to match Natasha.
We all took our seats and buckled in as we began losing altitude and came in for a smooth landing. When we disembarked, we got leis and went to Tony's waterfront mansion in Kāhala.
I got the room next to Natasha and we ended up sharing a bathroom, not that I minded of course. Tony and Pepper had the master bedroom, Thor and Jane had their own room with beds for the twins, Clint and Serena were sharing a bed and so were Maria and Phil. Steve and Beth were in the same room but they slept in separate beds (Tony always made jokes about Steve not getting any action). Darcy had her own room with a bathroom and so did Fury. We got unpacked and changed into our swimwear, then we hit the beach.
I was the second one out after Tony, I threw my towel onto a chair and waded into the surf. It felt so good to swim again. I hadn't done this in nearly five years, the last time was prior to my accident.
"Hey Bruce!"
I looked towards the beach and my jaw dropped. Natasha had her leg brace off and was wearing a mint green string bikini. She looked better than I had imagined, even if she did have a bunch of scars. She had well-toned muscles, perfect curves and the sunlight on her pale skin made her glow. I was close to pinching myself, just to see if I was dreaming. She jogged towards the surf and waded in, swimming over to me.
"Hey Bruce." She smiled
"Uhhhh…h-hey" I managed to get out before I heard Steve gasp and look up as the rest of the girls came out, all in bikinis. He yelled,
"My word! Put some clothes on! It's inappropriate to go out in only your underwear! ", before running off the pier and diving into the deep water at the end.
Beth ran down the pier in hot pursuit, jumping in and swimming after the super soldier.
Tony must have gotten wasted on the plane because he was at the Tiki bar, cutting up a pineapple and yelling, "SPONGEBOB, I'M DESTROYING YOUR HOUSE!"
I shook my head as Pepper lowered herself into the hot tub and sighed. Clint, Darcy and Serena pulled on wet suits over their swimwear and began waxing down their surfboards. Jane was sitting in the shade of a nearby palm tree with the twins in a stroller, calmly reading a book. Fury was pouring himself a scotch at the bar. Thor was building a sandcastle. Maria and Phil were swimming around. I floated in the shallow water and Natasha floated by my side, holding my hand.
She stood up and looked out to sea. I saw Beth gaining on Steve, Darcy catching a wave while Clint and Serena watched her shoot the curl into a perfect front side bottom turn, and Phil swimming next to Maria. She murmured,
"It's so beautiful here."
"Anyplace is beautiful when you're there." I said, standing in the waist deep water and hugging her.
I leaned in to kiss her when Fury called out to her.
"Agent Romanoff! Can you come over here?"
Dammit Fury! You ruined the moment!
Fury POV
I downed my scotch as Stark made himself look like an ass. Then my phone started ringing.
"Hello this is Director Fury and whoever you are, you'd have better give me a damn good reason as to why you are calling me on vacation." I growled.
"Director Fury, it's Agent Winslow, we've found the Ripper."
I looked up and saw Agent Romanoff getting friendly with Dr. Banner. They had found the Ripper and Romanoff had just gotten back on her feet. This was bad. Against my better judgment, I looked up and yelled out,
"Agent Romanoff!"
She glared at me and I seriously thought Banner was going to go Hulk on me for ruining the moment because he looked pretty pissed off. Romanoff came wading out of the surf and walked over to me, taking a seat at the bar as Tony downed a shot of Jose Cuervo.
"What's going on, Director?"
"We've found the Ripper."
Banner waded out of the water and sat next to Romanoff and asked her what was wrong.
"They found the Ripper, the guy who put me in the hospital." She shook her wet hair and pounded her fist on the bar before snarling,
"I'm going to kill that sick motherfucker if it's the last thing I do!"
I asked Agent Winslow what the Ripper's current location was.
"Sir, the Ripper's current location is in Honolulu, Hawaii."
I almost dropped my phone.
"Fury where is he? I'm going to hunt his ass down and put a bullet through his skull. Tell me where he is." Romanoff was growling in a dangerous tone now.
Banner looked like he was going to Hulk out, I saw his eyes flash green for a split second and change back to brown in the next. He placed a hand on Romanoff's shoulder and took a few deep breaths before saying in as calm of a voice as he could,
"Let's just enjoy the vacation and we'll kill the Ripper tomorrow, then we can take the whole team and show him that he messed with the wrong bunch of people."
He glanced up at me and said in a dangerous, almost Hulk-like growl,
"He must pay for nearly killing Natasha, and although he got away once, you can be damn sure he won't escape again. All of us brought our suits and I know Tony has an armory here, he told me when I was working in the lab with him two days ago. He said it was fully stocked with all the same stuff we have at the tower."
Romanoff added,
"I won't sleep any better knowing that that sick bastard is killing for fun. You should see his trophy room, it's enough to make a person vomit."
I spoke back to Agent Winslow,
"Do you have an exact location on the Ripper?"
"Yes sir."
I got the location and hung up with Agent Winslow.
I made up my mind,
"Agent Romanoff, Doctor Banner. I've decided that the Avengers will exact revenge tomorrow at noon."
"Good" , Romanoff said before walking away.
That Night…
Natasha POV
I stepped out of the shower and got ready for bed, pulling on my silky nightgown. As I desperately tried to sleep, my head was filled with terrifying images from the Ripper's trophy room. I tossed and turned in my bed. I couldn't take this anymore. I got up and marched into the bathroom and up to Bruce's door. I knocked and a bleary eyed Bruce answered.
He may have been tired but he was still very handsome. He slept shirtless in his boxers which had little atoms and double helixes on them. I asked softly,
"Can I sleep with you tonight? I can't sleep alone."
His eyes widened, he blushed and swept his fingers through his hair before saying,
"Uh don't you think we should hold off on the whole 'getting it on' until later in our relationship?"
I gasped and said,
"God, I didn't mean 'sleep with you' as in have sex! I just want to share a bed with you and sleep, no sex. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to give you the wrong idea."
He exhaled in relief and said
"Then by all means, come in, make yourself at home."
I gazed at him lovingly and he leaned in, kissing me soft and slow on the lips, pulling me into his chest and wrapping his arms around my waist. We broke apart as I walked over to the left side of the bed and pulled the covers up to my chest as he got in the right side of the bed and faced me in the darkness.
"Natasha?"
"Hmm?"
"I just want to let you know that I'll stay by your side when we kill the Ripper tomorrow, I'll stand beside you forever if you'll let me, because I love you."
He kissed me on my nose and pulled me close.
I whispered in the dark,
"I love you too."
I woke up with the sun streaming in the window with Bruce's arms wrapped around me, holding me close.
I noticed the clock on the nightstand and then I saw the time.
"HOLY SHIT IT'S 11:30! WAKE UP BRUCE!"
Bruce bolted out of bed and pointed at me before we said "Suit up!" in unison.
I ran to my luggage and pulled out my jumpsuit, slipping out of my nightgown and pulling on my jumpsuit, zipping it up and clipping my fully charged Widow's Bite manacles onto my wrists. I brushed my teeth next to Bruce and we ran downstairs to the kitchen. I grabbed a protein shake out of the fridge and threw one to Bruce who caught it as we bolted into the living room where everyone was suited up and ready to go kick some ass.
We drove in a SHIELD issued vehicle to the place where the Ripper was hiding. I loaded my guns and checked to make sure my knives were sharp.
We pulled up to this dingy looking motel and went out behind it to what looked like an outhouse but was really the entrance to the Ripper's underground lair. I pulled my gun out and put on the silencer before shooting two guards in the head and running to the outhouse. Bruce wanted to follow me down, but we couldn't risk having him Hulk out and cause the tunnels to cave in. He grabbed my wrist,
"Natasha! I promised you that I would stand beside you, you can't just go running off to take him down on your own, I'm coming with you!"
"No Bruce! If you Hulk out down there, then we'll all die, its best for you to stay here!"
"Fine then, but before you go," He pulled me into a passionate kiss, the whole team saw it too. Tony landed and opened his helmet up to say "holy shit!" as we kissed,
" You had better come back safe. I love you."
"I love you too."
I ran down through the tunnels and spotted the Ripper, who ran from me and I ran after him in hot pursuit. He ran through a door and I followed him into complete darkness. I felt someone push my pressure point that caused immediate paralysis.
I didn't think about anything other than Bruce's warning before I felt whoever paralyzed me tug the zipper down on my jumpsuit. During the assault, I kept thinking back to Bruce's promise to keep me safe, how devastated he would be when he found out about this happening. The paralysis wore off, but not before the dirty deed was done. It wore off, they made the mistake of turning the lights on at which time I proceeded to kill them with my Widow's Bite and smash their skulls into the wall.
Clint POV
I heard Natasha beating the living shit out of some guys before I saw the Ripper run away from the scuffle, zipping his pants up as he went. Natasha wanted to slaughter him, but that didn't mean I couldn't slow him down for her.
I knocked an arrow and shot, taking out one of his lumbar vertebrae and paralyzing him from the waist down. He fell with a cry of pain.
I called out to Natasha who came running, saw the Ripper, pulled out her six inch blade and slit his throat slowly as he begged for mercy.
She looked so disgusted at him and even yelled at him to die while he was drowning in a pool of his own blood.
I was concerned at this sudden wave of darkness that washed over her soul.
Tony ran down the hall and yelled at us to run because the place was going to blow up in a minute.
We hauled ass towards the exit and got out just in time to clear the blast radius. I hugged Serena as she whispered in my ear that she was glad to see I was okay.
Bruce POV
Natasha walked over to me, blood covering her hands, a terrified look in her eyes.
"What's wrong?" I asked
"Nothing, I'm just glad that I finally killed him."
We celebrated later that evening and I got wasted, so did Natasha.
The next morning rolled around and I woke up with a massive hangover.
I opened my eyes and saw my clothes strewn around the room. Then I noticed them. The pair of red silk panties. I whispered "Oh God no" as I looked next to me and saw Natasha sleeping soundly and then I saw her clothes thrown around the room.
I can't believe I just slept with Natasha Romanoff. And I don't even remember how it felt, but the Hulk told me that I liked it.
I'm so screwed when she wakes up.
A/N: So A bit of a cliffhanger for you guys! Leave me a review and tell me what you think!
