Maria Hill was her own biggest critic. She, like everybody else, had made mistakes and paid for it, but often she punished herself more than anybody else. That seemed to be the case over the past two weeks, as while she wasn't on her A-game she was close enough to it that nobody called her out on it. Or at least not yet, Maria sometimes feeling like if Tony Stark hadn't decided that putting on an expensive suit suddenly made him some kind of superhero some of the higher-ups at SHIELD might have noticed her plight.
As it was only Director Fury who had noticed she seemed distracted lately, his tone and facial expression giving away nothing although Maria had no doubt he at least had a vague idea of what was going on. It wouldn't completely surprise Maria if there were cameras in the women's showers, but as far as she was aware there weren't so if Romanoff had been completely professional Fury probably wouldn't have suspected a thing. And maybe, just maybe... Maria could have gone about her business in peace, Natasha Romanoff never even crossing her mind. But Natasha had seemed to go out of her way to cross her path and giving her these lingering glances which made Maria's entire body tingle.
Likewise Natasha had perhaps got what she truly wanted all along, Maria reduced to little more than the drooling moron whenever she was in the presence of the gorgeous and deadly Black Widow. The fact that everybody else was lusting after her was probably the only reason no one, except maybe Fury, had noticed Maria's eyes lowering down that oh so flattering catsuit to linger on those big round breasts or curvaceous ass. Hell, sometimes Maria would just stare at Natasha when they were in the same room together and wonder how someone could be so effortlessly sexy.
That was the thought that crossed Maria's mind many times without having to look at The Widow, and that was before she had broken her most important self-appointed rule and compromised herself. Now she just wished that Natasha would make her move, Maria obsessing over it more than anything else. Ever since she had left The Black Widow naked and humiliated inside that shower. Of course Maria suspected Natasha was waiting for the most inconvenient and potentially mortifying time to strike, and while it turned out to be not as bad as some of the things Maria had imagined it was still pretty bad.
"I need to speak to you." Natasha said, her tone sounding serious although Maria had her doubts.
If this was truly a serious situation Natasha would have rushed into her office, not wasted time silently slipping in while Maria was distracted with paperwork, but not so distracted that she shouldn't have seen it coming, Maria hating the fact that she couldn't hide her surprise which came out as she coldly replied, "About?"
With an infuriating smirk on her face Natasha approached Maria's desk, taking a brief moment to study every item on it before finally the two women locked eyes, the redhead then softly purring, "About our little arrangement."
Maria succeeded in not reacting this time, other than a nonplussed, "What about it?"
Slowly moving around the desk so she was standing right in front of her target Natasha questioned, "Are you still willing to do whatever I say?"
"Well, it is your turn... so yes." Maria said, her heart racing.
"Good." Natasha smiled wickedly, allowing that little exchange to hang in the air for a few more moments before adding, "Stand up."
While Natasha had moved around the desk Maria had at first followed her gaze, then she had pulled her chair out so she could turn to face her while still sitting down. It seems that this woman still didn't trust her, which was hardly a surprise to Natasha. Honestly she would have been disappointed if Maria's trust was so easily earned, and this did mean that she could give that little order while staring into the higher ranking officer's eyes. There was even a second of hesitation before Maria inevitably did as she was told, Natasha smiling at the obedience even if it would have been absurd to deny such a simple request.
