What now? [winterwidow]

19 - Tired

Natasha POV

"A quick mission as always Hill."

"Thanks Nat, I owe you one," she smiles.

As I step out of the soulless briefing room with Hill, I immediately head towards my room in anticipation of a steaming shower with a proper flow of pressured water. Something I will never get tired of experiencing, not after all the cold showers in Russia. 

My muscles release immediately at the sensation of warmth running through my back. Lathering the chemically laced formula into my hair, I continue to think about that truck. That stride that felt all too familiar. I know I've seen that before but I can't be too sure, not after all the implanted memories Ivan gave me. 

*** 

Staring hollowly outside the helicarrier's extension of never ending windows, I observe the empty skies, devoid of birds and filled with nothing but blue and clouds. Slowly entering my view, I see the Winter Soldier enter. I observe his gait as he moves towards the coffee machine and notice no similarities to the man he was in Odessa. Perhaps he never recovered all his memories himself. Is that why he's become Steve's Bucky? Has he managed to lose his red room self? Concerningly, I notice him slowly turn towards my direction and- No! He's coming to me. I'll be honest, still not a fan of this guy, I mean to be fair, he is one of the very few to actually get a bullet in me so I guess that warrants a degree of respect. 

"Hi Natasha."

"Hi" 

Silence. 'Why bother me if he had nothing to say', I thought.

For 30 minutes we sit in silence with the occasional sips of his coffee. Strangely, I am indifferent to his presence and there is no discomfort, just peace. As if he is reading my mind, he decides to destroy the peace. 

"Want to spar?"

"Sure."

It didn't end very well the last time we sparred but I have to make up for the terrible performance from then. We both head towards our rooms and change into more suitable clothes before meeting in the hand to hand combat room. This feels... strangely familiar.

***

3 hours. We have been here for an entire 3 hours and neither of us can be deemed the winner of this session. I'm starting to get tired, he's no where near as easy as Clint or Steve. 

We start again after a 5 minute break, heaving heavily as drops of our sweat conglomerate and pool between every crevice in existence. I decide to take the offensive position and strike first, ready to end this daunting sparring session that should never have been this hard. 

Cross-cross-jab-right leg swipe. No effect, it's as if he knows my every move and how to combat it. Jab-left upper-right elbow. Still nothing. Enough is enough. With every ounce of determination suddenly rushing through, I intend to end the tedious battle between us as I catch him off guard, moving back before leaping up towards him as a squirrel would to a tree, straddling his head between my thighs before pulling him down. Except he didn't come down. Instead, he immediately reacts, rotating his body by 70 degrees before sending me to the ground. WHat just happened? 

***

Chuckles echoed through the cemented square they called a room. The air was cold, musty and devoid of life with no sunlight or ventilation but despite the bleak grey of everything, laughter could still be heard. Natalia lay on the floor, covered in sweat as she stared upwards to the sole surviving halogen lamp barely hanging on to the cemented ceiling as the Winter Soldier stood centimetres away from her splayed body, looking down at her. A slow smile creeps up his face as he observes her rhythmic breathing.

"Not like that Natalia, you have to leap on an angle so your opponent can't turn around and throw you down instead."  

As Natalia slowly recollected herself, she rose up and broke into a wide grin,

"Whatever James, I'm sure you liked it,"  she winked. 

For a 19 year old girl that grew up in the red room, Natalia was surprisingly flirty, especially when it came to James. She tended to behave differently with James. It wasn't like the classroom lessons on seduction the students had, it was natural between them. Natural and reciprocated.

***

I stare up to see Barnes above me from an angle that had become very common between us. How did that not work? He offers a hand and as I slowly recollect myself I am suddenly reminded of... him. 

"Ang-"

"-le" I finish. 

How did he know what I was going to say. This has happened before hasn't it? He was definitely my coach. That's confirmed. I'm sure there's something I'm missing though, there has to be. I'm too... comfortable. 

A/N

So... it has officially been 3 years since I last updated this book and I'm somehow already in uni?! I kept telling myself that I would finish this book but never did so here I am again saying I WILL FINISH THIS BOOK. It should be ending really really soon and I vow to complete this by the end of 2021. Lockdown gave me a sudden urge to complete this so hopefully I actually do instead of just procrastinating.

Stay safe and will be back with the next chapter soon!! :))

1/8/2021