𝐃𝐄𝐕𝐈𝐋 𝐖𝐈𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐍━︎━︎ N. Romanoff ✓︎

𝐒𝐢𝐱

CHAPTER SIX:
YOU DON'T KNOW ME

WILLOW NEVER CONSIDERED HERSELF TO be of the athletic type. And maybe that's why she found herself regretting to agree to spar with Natasha Romanoff, because as the redheaded woman threw Willow over her shoulder, slamming her violently to the mat once again, she found a groan falling from her lips. She really should have stressed. And she wished that Natasha would go easy on her. She's never done something like this before, and she didn't think she wanted to do it ever again.

Willow allowed for her eyes to clench shut as she allowed the pain from being slammed on her back leave her body. She opened her eyes with a grunt, finding a smirking Natasha looking down at her. Every muscle in her body ached, and she had only been doing this for. . . how long had it been? Thirty minutes? An hour? Nonetheless, she was really out of shape, and now felt embarrassed as she stared up at the redheaded woman that carefully held out a hand for her to grab. With a grunt, she accepted it.

Natasha pulled the woman to her feet, meeting Willow's eyes for a few moments before she found herself reluctantly letting go of the brunettes hand. Natasha walked over and grabbed her water bottle, placing it to her lips and taking a swig before grabbing one for Willow and handing it to her. Willow silently thanked her, deep and heavy breaths falling from her lips. Her heart was racing so quickly, and she tried not to chug the water in hopes of being able to breathe as she did so. But the water was so cold and felt so good as it brought moisture back to her mouth and throat that she couldn't help herself.

"Never. Again." Willow panted, removing the practically empty bottle away from her lips before she made her way over towards the bench and sat down on it. Her legs ached in protest, a sigh falling from her lips as she ran her hand over her sweat drenched hair. She looked at Natasha who was chuckling in amusement, and Willow simply glared at the woman. She really should've stretched or prepared herself for what it was that she had went through. She pointed towards Natasha. "I hate you."

"You don't know me enough to hate me." Natasha joked, making her way over towards Willow in order to sit beside of her.

Willow watched her with curious eyes. "You're saying that if I did know you, that I would hate you?" She watched the hesitancy fill Natasha's eyes, and Willow realized that she wasn't the only one that had a past that she wasn't proud of. Though she had a feeling Natasha's might've possibly been worse than her own. Willow found herself shrugging her shoulders, offering Natasha a small smile. "You can't be all that bad, right? I mean, from what I've seen, you're not as cold and heartless as everyone says."

Natasha's lip twisted upwards, but only slightly, and it had happened so quick that if Willow hadn't been paying attention she wouldn't have seen it. "You'd be surprised." She stood up and Willow found herself quickly copying the woman's actions. Natasha watched her for a few moments, before giving her a genuine smile. "You're not all that bad for someone that claims she's never trained before. We should make this a habit. If you're going to be here awhile, why not let yourself train in hand to hand so that if you're ever in danger, you won't have to rely on that darkness to save you."

Willow opened her mouth in surprise, a frown falling on her face. Had she told Natasha about her condition? She was pretty sure that she hadn't. So, she simply shook her head and quickly attempted to cover up the fact that there was something wrong with her. "I. . . I'm afraid that I don't know what it is that you're talking about, Natasha." She reached up to tightly tighten her ponytail, a nervous habit of hers that Natasha had been quick to pick up on.

"I've read your file."

"There's a file," Willow cried.

"One thing you will be quick to learn the longer you're here is that there is always a file." Natasha crossed her arms over her chest before nodding towards Willow. "You're trying to find a way to be rid of this part of you, correct?" Willow nodded her head. "If you're planning on doing that, I have a feeling that you're going to be here longer than you originally planned. So, make yourself at home Willow, because it might as well be your home now." She grabbed her things. "Same time tomorrow?" Willow nodded once more before watching Natasha walk out.

Willow stood there by herself, a sigh falling from her lips. She didn't want to be here for as long as she knew that she would have to be. But the determination to get rid of this darkness inside of her was what kept her there. What made her stay. Because she couldn't live with this forever―︎not unless there was any possible way to grasp it under her control. But she had a feeling that that wasn't going to happen. Nothing ever seemed to work out the way that she wanted to.

Just as she went to take the final sip of the water bottle she had chugged, the sound of the door opening and the clicking of heels grabbed her attention. She turned her head and found the water bottle being lowered away from her mouth. Rosalynn came to a stop as her eyes met those of Willow's and the look on the woman's face immediately made Willow's shoulders tense in anxiousness.

"Your results are in." Rosalynn softly spoke. "Meet me in the lab when you're done." And that was all she said before walking out again, leaving Willow to ponder just how bad these said results were.