Her Prisoner

Chapter 9

It has been twelve days since he attempted to escape and the routine has grown incredibly dull. Steve spends his days locked up in the room, reading or drawing. Romanoff's visits are brief and cordial but they lack something he is beginning to crave. Companionship.

He feels like a stranger in front of her. And it seems she has wiped off any remnant of their budding relationship. He catches himself missing their banter and her sarcasm. This sarcasm that he found contemptuous at first, but soon grew to become a semblance of normality. It made him feel less like a prisoner and more of a human being.

Petranov sees a tool in him.

Dimitri views him as child hero.

She saw him as a person, simply put. Behind the upper soldier, behind Captain America, she saw Steve.

And he craves to see his reflection in her eyes again. With time, he fears Steve Rogers will only live on in his memory until it slowly becomes to vanish, like a print on wet sand washed off by the waves; until it becomes a stranger to him.

The snowy days have left ways to milder days. He can almost feel the sunlight through the window glass.

Seated at his desk and reading, he notices that the red light of the surveillance camera has just gone off. A moment later, he hears movement in the hall outside.

The door opens and he stands up. An agent is letting someone in. Steve frowns when he recognizes the familiar features of Irina.

She has a lustful smirk on. She exclaims something in Russian and wraps her arms around his neck, kissing him fully. Taken by surprise, he almost loses her balance and she presses her body against him. She runs the tip of her tongue over his lips.

He wants to speak but she doesn't let him. She eagerly takes her coat off and throws him on the floor before pinning him again. The agent hastily disappears behind the door.

"Irina," he tries to call, gently putting his hands to her hips to keep her away. She moans against his mouth and pushes him on the bed. He falls flat on his back and she straddles him. She unbuttons her blouse to reveal the lace lingerie she is wearing underneath.

Confusion and timidity assault him alongside her and he cannot seem to comprehend what is going on. He doesn't hear the door of the room open.

The voice of someone clearing their throat thankfully pull him out of this uncomfortable situation...only to put him in an awkward one. He finds Natasha standing before them with a straight face.

Irina stops and runs her thumb along her bottom lip to wipe off the excess of lipstick.

"Having fun, Rogers?"

"It's not what it looks like," he exclaims.

He notices she is wearing her catsuit.

"Well, I certainly hope it looks like it," she comments matter-of-factly. She then turns to Irina and speaks in Russian.

The young woman immediately switches behavior and comes off of him. She goes to stand beside Natasha and collects the folded bills that she is holding in her hand.

She hands in the money and he understands she is giving her instructions to wait here.

"Merrymaking is over, Steve. It's time," Natasha says.

"Time for what?" he asks numbly.

She smirks. "Time to leave."

He jumps on his feet and readjusts his shirt. He shoots a sheepish glance at Irina who kindly smiles at him like nothing happened.