Our Underlying Darkness

Just a Little Fun

Kiora walks into the kitchen to find Natasha chugging another drink.

"Woah there love, trying for a hangover?" Natasha smiles languidly.

"There's my least favorite person."

Kiora walks up to Natasha. Stopping a couple of inches away. They're the same height, but Natasha is leaning against the counter, so she looks up to meet Kiora's eyes. Kiora leans forward, her hand going up.

"Don't you just say the sweetest things."

Natasha is frozen, same as last time. She's not sure she likes how this woman is able to make her feel. She wants to push her back or tell her to move away. Instead, she leans forward too, eye fluttering closed. Their lips are centimeters away when Kiora reaches forward to grab a bottle of  Vodka stacked on the shelf behind Natasha. The spy blinks and grits her teeth.

"Would you stop doing that! I know it's on purpose!"

Kiora chuckles. "But you're so cute when you're flustered."

Natasha grabs the bottle from Kiora and pours two shots.

"I need more alcohol in my system if I have to deal with you."

Kiora smiles and they both down the shot.

One turns into two, two turns into four, until the entire bottle is empty and the two girls are laughing hysterically in the kitchen. They share stories of their missions, finding companionship in one another as they lived a similar lifestyle.

Eventually, the two women end up supporting each other as they walk to the elevator. Kiora, the slightly soberer one of the two, decides to drop Natasha off on her floor first.

They walk into Natasha's room after a good 2 minutes of struggling with the keys. Kiora knows that she should leave, but there's been a question in the back of her mind since she first met the ridiculously hot redhead.

"Nat, why don't you like me?"

The spy sighs, sobering up for a second. "I," she pauses, "I knew someone with your powers." Kiora's eyes widen.

"He looked into my head, made me relive things I wanted to forget about." She looks down. Usually, this is where she stops talking, but the alcohol in her urges her to let more out. "I've been tortured before, it comes with the job, but that, it was like he was holding me hostage with my own fears."
Kiora moves to sit by Natasha on her bed. She grabs her hand and when the spy still doesn't look up, she gently grabs her cheek.

"I'm sorry Natasha. But you can't hold something I didn't do against me."

Natasha sighs and leans into the other woman's touch.

"I know. I'm sorry. I know you're different."

The woman's mood changes. She looks into Kiora's white eyes and a deeper emotion flares up. She caresses Kiora's hair, plays with it as she talks.

"You're kind and sweet and, fuck, you're beautiful."

Kiora bites her lip.  A sinking feeling weighs on her chest, she feels as if she's taking advantage of the girl. Then again, she's not exactly sober either. Natasha's hands go up from the ends of Kiora's hair to her shoulders, to her neck. One hand goes up to trace Kiora's jaw.

Kiora brings up a hand to stop her. "You can't keep touching me like that love, you don't know what it's doing to me."

Natasha looks at Kiora's lips, then back to her eyes. "Yes, I do."

---

—-
"Morning Ice Age."

Steve looks up from his place by the counter, a cup of coffee in hand. A sluggish Kiora walks into the kitchen, wearing the same clothes from yesterday.

In all fairness, not only did she put them on because she woke up in Natasha's room, but also because it's the only outfit she has here.

"Sounded like you had a lot of fun last night," Steve smirks and takes a sip from his cup. Kiora raises an eyebrow so Steve elaborates.

"My room's on the same floor as Nat."

Kiora nods and walks over to the fridge, her eyes scanning across the various food and drinks as she talks.

"What about you and cyborg? Don't think I didn't hear your laughs from the living room while Nat and I were drinking in the kitchen last night."

Steve moves a hand to his cheek to hide his blush even though Kiora's back is turned.

"We were just talking don't make it sound like something else, plus I don't want to get my hopes up."

Kiora walks over to the counter with a lemonade in hand. She methodically thinks over what to say. It would be foolish for Steve to dive in head first and tell Bucky that he likes him. At the same time, he should assert that their relationship is changing.

"Why don't you tell him that you're considering your sexuality? That you might be bi and gauge his response. At the very least you'll find out if he's accepting or not."

Steve sighs and takes another sip.

"That's not a bad idea."

"Of course not," Kiora leans against the counter, "I thought of it."

Steve rolls his eyes. "Great, another Tony."

"I take offense to that." A new voice booms through the room.

Kiora hisses and turns to look in the direction of the noise.

"Quiet Tony!" She wines.

The billionaire walks over to her and looks her up and down. "You're hungover."

Kiora shrugs.

Tony sighs and looks at Steve as he walks to the medicine cabinet.

"Aren't you supposed to be a good influence and I don't know, not condone drinking?"

Steve chuckles. "Ironic coming from you."

Tony tosses two Advils in Kiora's direction before responding.

"Touché."

Kiora puts her elbows against the counter and begins to massage her temples. She watches Tony make himself a cup of coffee. She notices his wrinkled shirt and the dark circles under his eyes.

Another tough night with Peter.

Her tone deepens and her eyes stay forward as she addresses Tony. "How's the kid?"

She hears his steps pause. Steve looks down at his cup.

"Better."

"That's not saying much."

Tony sighs and continues his movements. "He struggled with nightmares for most of the night. Keeps thinking that he's going to wake up and be back with May."

At the mention of her name Kiora grits her teeth and just for a second, feels her darkness flare up.

"Bruce says we can wash his wounds today with running water." Tony notices the slip-up after he finishes his sentence. He said we. He looks over at the back of Kiora's head trying to gauge her reaction.

"I'll get him to take a shower as long as you take one too." Kiora turns to meet the mechanic's eye."You smell like shit."

Tony rolls his eyes and fails at suppressing a smile before walking upstairs to do just that.
Kiora heads to Peter's room, thankful for the excuse not to talk to Natasha when she wakes.