If you haven't read 'D A R K', read it (;
If Maria Cristina Hill could tell you what love was, or better not, what love is, she probably wouldn't answer you. What is love? It's an intangible question ,of course it is. Leaving us with the only fathomable conclusion: it cannot be easily answered. But, then again, there would be no fun in that. Love, therefore, must be difficult. You must walk through hell in order to find love, and in return, you must be fully prepared to walk those same fiery gates to find YOUR lover.
In all fairness, she hadn't exactly been shown love. Not by her father, he much preferred to punish her. To this day she can still smell the blood, her blood, on that leather belt he'd use on her and that same shitty off brand cologne mixed with whisky. Maria would like to think that if her mother was alive, she may have known what love was, is. Maybe her mother would have read her bed time stories and kissed her on the head before turning the lights off. No one would ever know, all they knew was Elizabeth Cristina Hill died giving birth to her daughter on that cold night in Chicago. The very same daughter who would be called useless until she left her home, if you could call it that, with a single bag slung over her shoulder and a recently purchased army cap. Maria Hill stood all alone, at nineteen, at the bus stop waiting for her life to begin.
Thus, we are brought back to the present. And, lets not forget the burning building metaphor.... Because, here Maria Hill stood watching the flames roar from outside of the factory. And, just knowing her luck, her stupid Russian friend is still in there....
Maria's heart raced as she tried to come up with all the potential possibilities and options. She could wait for the evac team? No. They'd take too long, Maria would be more efficient alone. God dammit, she told Natasha not to wonder off! Why did she always insist on straying?
She entered the burning factory, which was some dodgy dealing ammunition gang posing as an off brand IKEA in Siberia of all places. Smoke billowed, making it hard to see more than a few feet ahead, but she knew Natasha was somewhere in there. Maria Hill was an agent, but she'd always be a soldier. The whole 'no man left behind' had been drilled into her many years ago, but Natasha was different. Of course Hill would go back for everyone and anyone, that was who she was - stubborn and selfless. But she knew deep down that Natasha meant more. She'd always mean more. The mutual pining between them had always been a silent dance, but in this moment, it was a blazing fire. And, one could hardly ignore a fire.
As she moved cautiously through the fiery maze, her thoughts raced. She couldn't help but remember all the moments she'd shared with Natasha over the years, the stolen glances and secret smiles. But now, with the factory engulfed in flames, the urgency of the situation pushed her deeper into the inferno.
"Natasha!" she called out, coughing as she passed each smoky room. Where the hell was she?
"Natasha!" she tried again, still no answer. The crackling of flames and the deafening roar of the fire made it hard to hear anything else. But Maria was determined. She wasn't coined hard ass Hill for nothing. Her training kicked in as she navigated the treacherous path, moving with a blend of grace and determination. The acrid smoke filled her lungs, but she pressed on. When the scantling above fell down, that's when she allowed herself to panic briefly. She can't lose Natasha, not today and not ever.
Finally, a faint cough pierced through the chaos. It was beacon of hope in the darkness for Maria. It meant Natasha was alive, they still had time. Maria followed the sound, inching closer and closer to the source. The flames seemed to reach out to her, licking at her skin, but she pushed through the searing pain, fueled by her love (?) and concern for the red headed spy.
With a final burst of strength, Maria burst through a doorway and found Natasha, her fiery red hair was illuminated by the blaze. Natasha really was a creature of hell, but she wasn't the devil. No, she was Persephone. The red room took her and tricked her the same way hades had done to Persephone. Natasha was struggling to free herself from a fallen beam, her clothes singed and her face streaked with soot. Her eyes widened with relief as she saw Maria enter the room. Bright blue orbs met green. She wanted to say something witty, something along the lines 'Hey Hill, you miss me?' and then give the brunette her signature smirk. But what actually came out was a soft and relieved,
"Masha"
Maria didn't waste a second, she would never hesitate for the woman in front of her. She rushed to Natasha's side, using all her strength to lift the beam and free her. Natasha's heart began to melt, her dizzy state wanted her to admit everything to Maria. To scream and shout and say 'I LOVE YOU' but she had far too much pride.
"Thank you" she coughed, giving Maria a tired smile.
"it's nothing, don't worry" Maria smiled back, supporting the smaller woman to stand. Classic Hill, deprecating as ever. Their hands met in the midst of the chaos, and for a moment, time seemed to stand still. The intensity of their feelings for each other burned brighter than the flames around them. Almost the same shade as the spy's hair.
"I'll always come for you," Maria whispered as they walked down the fiery hall way, She knew she shouldn't have said it, she shouldn't have come off as sentimental. But, it was Natasha. And the Lord knows her heart bleeds for her. They locked eyes, briefly, and in that moment, the unspoken words hung in the air, the acknowledgment of the deep connection they shared. A spy and a soldier, falling in love. Falling together through the flames.
Together, they fought their way out of the inferno, supporting each other as they navigated the fiery labyrinth of the factory. With determination and an unspoken love as their guide, they emerged from the burning building.
"Maria?" Natasha asked a few hours later, and a shower later, both of them sat in the common room in the hellicarrier. They were both exhausted, and they knew they should have left for bed separately hours ago but the day's events were still fresh. Neither wishing to be alone.
"Hm?" came Maria's soft voice, she really was tired.
"I'd come back for you too, every time."
Even if it meant she'd have to walk through hell all over again.
