Gemini (BEING REWRITTEN)

Calm Before the Storm

"Ouch!" Alrina rolls her eyes at her dramatic friend.

"Quit complaining, Talia or I'll just let it get infected."

The two S.H.I.E.L.D agents separated from the mission team the second the jet touched down back in the states, choosing to retire to Alrina's new apartment. Natasha was adamant on treating her own wounds, but Alrina jumped at the opportunity to help the redhead. Which led them to where they currently are, Natasha sitting on the counter of the sink and Alrina standing between her legs with a cotton ball soaked in alcohol. Alrina swipes the cotton over one last cut over Natasha's eyebrow, catching the small wince the redhead reacts with.

"You would think you'd be used to this, Talia." Alrina throws the cotton ball away in a nearby trash bin and steps back, letting Natasha hop off of the counter.

"Whatever, Rina. Your turn." She sighs, but listens to her, leaning up to sit herself on the counter as Natasha starts soaking her own cotton ball in alcohol. As she starts swiping over the multiple cuts across Alrina's face, she notices the other woman doesn't flinch at the stinging sensation.

"This isn't uncomfortable?"

"Not at all, кукла." Natasha smiles at the nickname, and grabs the liquid bandage to heal one larger cut on her cheek. As she swipes the brush over the cut, she ignores the stare on the side of her face that never seems to look away.

"What?" Natasha pulls away from the cut, taking inventory of every other cut to see if they need the same treatment.

"Want to know a secret?" Natasha looks up from her task of putting away the medical supplies with almost childlike glee at the question.

"Always." Alrina slides off the counter, never faltering her gaze away from the redhead.

"I've never been to an art exhibit. Not even for a mission, but I do know they tell you not to touch the artwork." Natasha looks at the rambling woman, confused about the point of this secret.

"No flash photography, that sort of thing, right?" Alrina looks up from her seemingly anxious movements with her hands with an almost shy smile.

"Right...?" Natasha starts to get a hunch of what the other woman is attempting to say, but enjoys her rambling too much to say anything to stop it.

"Right, well, um." Alrina looks around the small bathroom, refusing to make eye contact with the redhead, already embarrassed of how she started this conversation, debating to back out of it entirely. She rolls her eyes at herself, and makes her way out of the room, but stops at the threshold to gather all her bravery to finish her secret.

"You're my favorite artwork, Natalia. Something so beautiful that is just out of reach, but it's okay because as long as I can see it everyday it makes me happy." With those words, she escapes towards her kitchen to make dinner, leaving the redhead astounded in the small bathroom. It isn't until Alrina has everything set up to make Spaghetti and Meatballs with a load of garlic bread that Natasha appears from the bathroom. Alrina risks a glance over her shoulder away from the boiling water to the redhead, and turns right back around at the teasing smile on her face.

"You aren't really that good at the whole flirting thing, are you?" Alrina shakes her head as she slips the bread into the oven.

"It's not that, Talia." She turns around to lean on the counter next to the stove and folds her arms across her chest.

"Then what is it?" Natasha copies her movement, leaning over the island countertop across from the blonde, resting her head in her hands.

"The other times I flirted it was for a mission, it didn't mean anything. But flirting with you?" Alrina looks at the redhead as if she could kill her right there, which she could, but the fear in her eyes was real.

"It scares the hell out of me." Alrina turns back around to strain the finished noodles, turning the heat down on the sauce as she moves around. Natasha watches her back as she moves around the kitchen with a soft smile on her face. She doesn't notice the plate being pushed towards her until Alrina waves her hand in front of her face, snapping out of the soft thoughts the blonde gave her.

"You alright? You've been zoned out for like five minutes." Natasha gets a forkful of food before shoveling it in her mouth to avoid the question and to attempt to hide her slight blush on her cheeks. Alrina accepts that she's not going to respond, so she joins her in eating their dinner, both agents appreciating the domestic feel of the action. When they're both done, Alrina takes the plates, but before she can clean them, Natasha lightly pushes her out of the way, turning on the sink.

"You made dinner, let me clean." Alrina smiles at the woman, grabbing a dish towel and standing at her side.

"Fine, you wash and I'll dry since you have no idea where anything goes." Natasha rolls her eyes, flicking some water at the blonde who gasps at the action. The redhead laughs at her reaction, grabbing the first dish to wash before they both are focused on the task at hand. Natasha spares a glance at the blonde who is drying a glass, but smiles as she looks back at her hands holding a plate.

"Want to know a secret?" It was then Alrina's turn to smile at the five words, nodding at the question knowing to never turn it down.

"Always, Talia."

"I understood what you meant." Alrina looks at the redhead confused as she turns off the sink, handing her the last dish.

"It is different with you. It always has been." Alrina freezes as she reaches to put the plate back into the cabinet and feels a thin layer of tingles over her body where Natasha wraps her arms. She closes the cabinet, letting her heels touch the ground, but not moving from the hold the redhead has her in, afraid that if she even breathed she would move.

"You scare the hell out of me too, Rina." Natasha mumbles into her back as she tightens her arms around the blonde's middle. Alrina smiles down at the clasped hands around her stomach, knowing they're both too afraid to take that next step right now, but they both know. They know that when that moment does come, the other will be there to take it with them. 

'~'

Small A/N

They're so adorable.. So, at the beginning of this story, I was going to make Alrina more closed off, being the one literally born into the Red Room. Instead, I thought she would be the one more adapted to her emotions, understanding which are 'bad' and which are 'good'. She's going to help Nat learn how to understand her emotions as a result. But it's not fun if it's right at the beginning... :)