Fire and Ice

Part 4: Flirtations

(Natasha):

I smirked when I saw Wanda wander into the kitchen of the compound dressed in an oversized t-shirt that I didn't recognize. "Good morning." I spoke a little louder than was necessary, watching her eyes squint closed from the volume.

"Inside voices," she whispered softly. I chuckled.

"Long night?" I teased, walking behind her to the fridge and pulling out an apple. Wanda stared at me, crinkling her nose at the smell of food.

"Something like that." I smirked again, eyeing her up and down.

"Did you have fun at least?" She rolled her eyes at me.

"Briar was perfectly polite, thank you very much." I raised my eyebrows.

"No way." Wanda's smirk told me that she was telling the truth.

"Jealous of her or me?" She smirked. I was going to reply with a snarky comeback, but stopped myself when I realized that I didn't really know the answer. I suddenly saw a very vivid picture in my head, and my eyes snapped back to the witch who was eyeing me with amusement. "Did you like what you saw?" She teased. Now it was my turn to roll my eyes.

"I'm on call tonight for observation. Get some rest, you look like you could use it." Wanda nodded, cradling the coffee cup in her hand like it was her own personal lifeline to the rest of the world.

"Good idea." She walked out of the kitchen in a daze and got halfway down the hall before I heard a crash. I ran out to find Wanda standing in the hallway, coffee cup dashed to pieces on the floor and hot coffee everywhere. "Shit!" She exclaimed. She crouched down beside me to help pick up the pieces.

"What's wrong?" I asked. Wanda sighed.

"I left my pocketbook there." I looked at her, smirking.

"I'll get it." Wanda raised a single eyebrow and her head began to tilt to one side. Nope. I put my hands up in mock surrender. "I'm just going to get your thingie, Wanda." She shook her head.

"Sure, you are." I smirked. Sometimes we knew each other a little too well. I got to my feet, gingerly stepping over any smaller pieces of broken glass, dumping my handful into the garbage can in the corner. I sauntered over to the doorway, pausing with my hand on the top of the frame.

"Don't wait up." I called over my shoulder. I heard Wanda scoff behind me, but I was already moving and I wasn't going to stop now.

(Briar):

I was jolted out of a mid-afternoon daze by a soft yet insistent knock on my door. When I glanced through the peephole, it was not the redhead I expected. It was Natasha. I smirked, opening the door. She glanced over my shoulder at my apartment before smoothly inviting herself inside, pushing past me gently. It felt like I couldn't breathe for a moment as our bodies touched slightly in the middle. She smiled up at me, green eyes twinkling.

"Can I help you?" I smirked, watching her as she spun in a slow circle, fully taking in her surroundings.

"Nice place," she said, nonchalantly like she hadn't just invited herself into my apartment without a moment's hesitation.

"Thank you." I blushed, suddenly shy.

"Wanda said that she left her..."

"Pocketbook," I finished for her. I walked over to the kitchen counter, retrieving the item and offering it to Natasha. I felt her fingers graze over the back of my hand as she gently took it from my grasp and I shivered involuntarily. Shit. Maybe she wouldn't notice. She noticed. I caught myself staring into her eyes, watching them dance with amusement as she smirked at me. She damn well knew how hot she was. And she knew exactly how to use it to her advantage. I started backing up as she walked towards me. Something about her movement was almost predatory. I felt my lower back hit the kitchen counter. I had nowhere else to go. Natasha, immediately noticing my predicament, stopped in her tracks, giving me a little space. I cleared my throat, trying to pull myself together.

"Did you need anything else, or..." I watched the smile travel all the way across her face, making her cheeks scrunch up adorably.

"Actually, I was hoping that you would like to go have a drink with me." I groaned at the mention of alcohol, and she frowned immediately. I immediately realized my mistake and laughed.

"I'm not groaning about the company, just the prospect of drinking," I explained. The smile instantly returned.

"Dinner?" She offered instead. I smirked.

"Late lunch?" I counter-offered. I was starving, and if I didn't do something about it soon, my stomach would betray me. She smiled and offered her hand.

"Deal." I shook her hand, noticing that she held it longer than was necessary. After a moment, she abruptly let go, spinning on her heel and heading towards the door. I looked after her, confused, unsure of whether or not I was supposed to follow. She paused in the doorway, giving me the perfect side profile view and I caught myself staring. When I finally looked up into her eyes, she was watching me. "You coming?" I grinned, grabbed my wallet off of the table by the door, took my keys off of the hook and followed her.

At lunch/dinner, she was charming and full of funny stories. This was not the version of Natasha Romanoff that I would have expected. Her sense of humor, her sarcasm, her dominance all clashed together in this person that I was genuinely enjoying spending time with. I carefully watched her interactions with other people. She was polite, but aloof. I filed that information away for later, wondering what it was about her interactions with me that allowed me to see a different side of her. After lunch, we walked through the park on the way back to my apartment. Natasha was still friendly and open, but I caught her glancing around us more than once, like she was watching for something. She put a warning hand on my shoulder when I heard a rustling noise in the trees approaching us from the side.

"Stay here," she whispered lowly, crouching down and approaching the sound of the noise. I smiled.

"Natasha, it's okay," I whispered back. She glanced over at her shoulder at me, scowling, but I held a hand up to her. "Look." I pointed to the edge of the trees where a fawn was just making his way between the leaves. Natasha gasped and froze in her tracks, not wanting to startle the small animal. A larger doe followed after him. The pair ignored Natasha completely, walking right past her as they headed in my direction. I caught the confused look on her face as they approached. I sighed. I knew what she was seeing. I crouched down in the brush, extending a hand gently towards the Doe. Just like I thought, my hand was glowing. Natasha stood as slowly as possible, not making a sound as she stared at me. Slowly, the Doe leaned forward, allowing my fingers to gently graze her face as she looked at me intently. The fawn approached as well, and my other hand gently ran a finger up his nose as he leaned into my touch.

"What are you?" Natasha's whisper was quiet, but it was enough to encourage the deer to move on. We both watched them walk away before losing them back into the trees. The glow had subsided now, but I could still see the confusion etched on Natasha's face. I smiled slightly.

"We should probably talk."