Learning to Love - Natasha Romanoff and Maria Hill

Nine

Maria finished getting ready, making sure each strand of her curled hair was perfectly in place and fixing her dress. She slipped on her favorite silver heels, which matched amazingly with her navy blue pantsuit. The brunette had planned her date with Natasha down to when she would drop the shorter woman off at the tower. She needed it to be perfect.

Natasha had no idea what was in store for her tonight. She spent an hour picking out the perfect dress, a black number with a slit in the thigh; she, of course, paired it was red bottom heels. It was short, but not so short that she couldn't hide a thigh holster with a knife in it on the side without the slit. She decided on straightening her hair. She knew her natural hair was Maria's favorite, but she hated it so this would just have to do. She had just finished applying her red lipstick and spraying on some more perfume when she heard a knock at her door.

She smiled, walking over to the door and opening it,"Commander Hill, what are you doing showing up at my door looking that good?" Maria grinned, staring at Natasha in awe as her eyes moved along her body,"My eyes are up here, Hill."

Maria smirked, going in for a kiss. Natasha swerved away, and Maria looked hurt.

"I just applied my lipstick, dorogoy, and I can't afford a smudge."

Maria just snorted, settling for a kiss on the cheek,"I don't know why you try. You know I'm just gonna ruin it later."

"Well, that'll be after you take me to dinner, so I guess I can let it slide," Natasha smirked.

Maria looked down at her watch,"We need to leave. Dinner reservations in thirty."

Natasha grabbed her coat,"Alright. Lead the way, commander."

The two women entered the empty restaurant, and Natasha's jaw dropped.

"Maria, did you just- are we-"

"No, Tasha, I'm not a goddamn criminal. I bought it out for tonight so I can cook you something and we don't have to worry about some jackass trying to kill you," Maria grinned as she flipped the lights on.

"You did all of this..for me?" Natasha's eyes softened.

"Of course I did, Natasha. This is the first time we've actually been able to go on a date without one of us being pulled away for work. It was the least I could do."

"Again, why are you so fucking perfect, Maria Hill?" the redhead pulled her girlfriend into a long kiss.

The brunette smirked when they pulled away,"Guess you forgot about your lipstick."

"I guess so," Natasha smiled as Maria pulled her toward the kitchen where there was a grocery bag,"What are we cooking?"

"I think you mean what am I cooking. We both know you can't cook for shit, Talia," Maria grabbed the ingredients from the paper bag.

"Fair enough."

"But..I'm cooking lasagna since you've been telling me about how you're craving it and practically begging me to make it for you."

"Wow. You really are perfect," Natasha smiled.

"And I brought a fresh bottle of your favorite wine."

"God, this just keeps getting better. Next you're going to tell me that you're taking me to Hawaii."

Once Maria had finished making the lasagna, the two women picked out a table and sat across from each other. Natasha, who was practically drooling by the time they sat down, ate almost half the pan.

"God, woman. How long has it been since you ate?"

"Don't know. What I do know is that this lasagna is really fucking good, and now I'm never going to stop begging you to make it for me," Natasha smirked.

Maria just watched Natasha eat after she finished. The redhead even looked beautiful when she was putting away almost half a pan of lasagna. Maria never wanted to lose her. Natasha was quite possibly the best thing that had ever happened to her, she thought.

Once Natasha finished eating, they washed the dishes before sitting back down.

Natasha took a sip of her wine,"So what about that couch? You never actually told me the story behind it."

Maria thought for a minute,"I guess I never did. Wanna hear it?"

"Da(Yes)."

Flashbacks began to flood Maria's mind. The day she met Ashley, the time she had saved Maria's life, all of the stories she told Maria about her days spent as the chief of surgery of the S.H.I.E.L.D. medical wing, the last time Maria saw Ashley, when she found her dead in her apartment after slitting her wrists.

Natasha saw a change in Maria's eyes. She knew that whatever Maria was going to tell her next, it was something that was very personal for Maria.

Natasha's voice was soft and reassuring,"Hey, you don't have to tell me if you don't want to. You know that, right?"

"I do. And I want to tell you. Guess it's time to rip off the bandaid," The brunette took a long sip of her wine, emptying the glass before refilling it,"Okay..I had a really good friend, a best friend, actually. Her name was Ashley..Ashley Ames. We, um, we used to meet in my office every night we could and sit down for drinks on that couch and talk about our days. She, well, I couldn't even begin to tell you how amazing she was."

Natasha listened intently, her eyes trained on Maria's.

"She was actually the chief of surgery of the S.H.I.E.L.D. medical wing. She was so incredibly smart and just such a good person. She saved so many lives, including mine, but she never..she never really gave herself credit. She always blamed herself for the deaths, and one day I- I guess she just couldn't take it anymore. Ashley, um, she took her own life," Maria looked down at her hands, tears forming in her eyes,"And I was the one who found her," She looked back up at Natasha, looking up and wiping the tears from her eyes,"So yeah. That's the story behind my couch."

"Maria, I- I'm so sorry. That must have been so hard and so tramatic. I'm here for you..if you ever need to talk or cry or vent. I really care about you," Natasha grabbed Maria's hand, her thumb rubbing slow circles over the soft skin.

"Thank you, Natasha. I'm sorry I just got so emotional."

"Don't be, Mia," Natasha gave Maria a smile.