Hydra's shadow

Chapter 9: A Silver Star

*NATASHA'S POV*

I felt my eyes slowly start to stir as the stream of morning light bled through the thin sheets hung as curtains by the window, moving my arm from my side just enough to rub my eyes allowing them to adjust to the brightness. I went to move my other arm still dozy from sleep, only then realising someone was laying just underneath my shoulder, completely blocking my right arm. As I moved my face down I was met with hers, still peacefully asleep with her head slumped heavily against my chest. As I became more aware of the surroundings and the fact that I was in Echo's room, it didn't take me long to remember the events of the early hours of this morning.

Distant scattered voices distracted me from Echo, the smell of waffles wafting underneath the gap in the door. I could feel my mouth was dry and I could definitely sense the hunger growing in my stomach, a low but apparent rumble enough to tell me it was time to get up. I shook Echo gently to wake her, sliding my arm, now numb from her laying on it all night, from behind her back. I must have startled her too quickly as before I could even react, her right hand already clenched into a tight fist swung from her side and straight across my face, leaving a deep scarlet-coloured streak from the bottom of my jawline stretching up to just below my eye. I cried out in pain as her fist struck my face, the girl had a strong punch I'd at least give her that. The sound of my strained cry was enough to wake her fully, just as the bedroom door swung open, Tony and Bucky on the other side of it.

Bucky was first to rush in, moving straight towards me, gently cupping my face in his hands as he moved it gently each way, trying to work out where I'd got the mark from. I pulled away from his grip reassuring him I was okay as I turned back to face Echo, who was now fixated with perplexed and widened eyes on the streak across my face. She reached out with her hand to touch it, running her finger over the deeper mark where she must've caught a nail against the slight roughness of my skin.

"I'm sorry Natalia, I- I didn't know it was you. I must've panicked and hit you whilst I was still asleep."

"It's ok Echo, I should've given you more warning."

"We good here?" Tony questioned as Echo turned towards me searching for my expression.

I gave a faint nod and so did she towards him in answer to his question.

"Breakfast is on the table when you're ready. I assume you do eat that kind of thing right kid?"

"Yeah, thanks Tony." she responded still a little disorientated.

I swung my legs over the edge of the bed expecting to find my shoes on the bedroom floor, but I must've not even had the chance to put them on this morning rushing to Echo. So instead I walked barefoot towards the door, Bucky following closely by my side.

"I left you a jumper and a pair of joggers that are too small for me out on the edge of our bed last night ready to give to you this morning. You can use our shower too, clean towels are in the cupboard next to the sink in our bathroom."

"Thank you Natalia." she responded with a slight smile, as I walked out of the bedroom following the smell of waffles that had wafted under the door earlier.

*ECHO'S POV*

I jumped at the feeling of cold water against my skin, quickly twisting the handle towards the red dot on the temperature bar. I instantly relaxed as the steaming jets of water ran down to my feet as I moved towards the various bottles of soap on the shower rack. I grabbed the nearest one, clicking open the lid as a I poured a small amount into my hands, rubbing them together along with the water to make bubbles. I made sure to wash my entire body as it must've been days since I last showered, then reached for a bottle labelled with a sticker that read 'shampoo'. As I opened the bottle, a strong smell of coconut hit me, it smelt just like Natalia. I could remember the smell distinctly from last night as her hair had drooped over her shoulder, a curl of it resting on my forehead as I drifted off to sleep. I lathered some of it together as I ran my hands through my hair which was severely knotted together almost in clumps. It took me a while to untangle it, my hair reaching just below my waist in length.