Almost Love | Natasha Romanoff - Discontinued

One

𝟎.𝟏
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𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙗𝙚𝙜𝙞𝙣𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜

The night that she meet the crimson haired woman, was one Rhea Lawson would never forget. It was raining and she had spent the past 4 hours grading papers in her office. Rhea had forgotten her umbrella and was in quite a hurry to escape the cold bullets of water that got under her coat and stung her skin.

The small village streets were almost deserted. The street lamps gave off a warm light that made everyone know that even in the dead off night that the little town was welcoming and homey. The Main Street was lined with slim buildings of various purposes. The library, the small diner, the bookstore and a small clothing boutique that belonged to Rhea's oldest friend.

A little ways away on the end of the block was a general store, with light blue paint that was chipping and white trim. A small sign that read "Fitz & Sons General Store" hung above the door.

Rhea was familiar with the elderly man and his adult son that ran it. Arthur and David Fitz where good people. David has two young daughters and closed the store at seven pm to tuck them into bed at night. And everyone knew that Arthur never stayed in town past two o'clock.

Which is why it was alarming that the light in the store front room was on.

Rhea slowed her pace and carefully went to reach into her purse and retrieve a portable can of mace. Even if Rhea liked people she still didn't trust them very much. Her father always said that.

As the cautious Lawson woman neared the store she heard voices. One hushed and stern, the other was loud and sarcastic. The second man obviously didn't find what he was looking for because he repeated a string of curses about this item might be.

Rhea decided that if she was going to act, she had to do it now. Her long fingers curled around the small handle and yanked it back. Rhea has just shouted something about robbers and how stealing was immoral when her world spun upside down and something hard hit her head.

Her back was on the ground and through the dizziness, Rhea could make out a woman standing over her. Holding a damn gun to her face.

Her red hair was vibrant and the light that glinted off of the woman's head gave the impression of a halo. A divine angle seeking justice however she saw fit. If she wasn't so scared, Rhea would have been in aw.

The woman spoke harsh and with purpose, "Who are you? What are you doing here so late?" Rhea's silence did not help and only irritated the suspicious woman further. "Who do you work with? Answer the question!"

A firm hand was placed on the red haired woman's shoulder, pulling her away from Rhea. "Nat, I think she's just a civilian. Stand down."

The voice was familiar, with a heavy American accent. Then it clicked. She recognized the voice from countless classes she taught concerning World War II. This man was Steve Rogers. Captain America, a fugitive.

They both were. She had seen the face of woman before on the news only a couple of days ago. Nat had to be Natasha Romanoff. They saved the world multiple times and were avengers, but the media and United Nations coined them traitors, dangerous rouges.

Even so, it was hard to think of them that way. They both had been there at the battle of New York and fighting against Ultron. The avengers protected people when no one asked them too, they were hero's.

Steve Rogers held out a hand, helping her up. Natasha still looked wearying of Rhea but held back any scathing remarks and a glare. Though, Natasha had to admit, Rhea was cute. She was tall, with kind eyes. Her hair was  wet from the rain, sticking to her neck and falling out of what used to be bun.

"Hey Steve, I found some weird cookie things but they say biscuits, what's up with th-" The voice of Sam Wilson boomed through the small store. He quickly cut himself off when his eyes found the soaking woman standing awkwardly in the middle of the isle.

"Not to alarm anyone, but there is a random chick standing right there."

"Yes, Sam we know." Natasha said slowly, as if the trained assassin was teasing him. This only confused Rhea more. The teasing face was soon wiped from Natasha, as if she finally realized what a situation they were in. Apparently Steve caught on also as there was a silent communication between the three.

Steve looked tentivly over at Rhea, making sure she wasn't going to run. "We need to be absolutely sure that you will never tell anyone that you saw us here." It sounded a lot then a friendly suggestion.

Nervously the professor nodded and made a motion that was supposed to be zipping her lips. Although it just looked like Rhea was insane because her hands were shaking so much, from the cold or fear she couldn't tell.

"Look, you should probably get home. And we got to get back to a real shitty motel. So as long as you are sure you're not going to tell anyone that you saw us here, we should all be going." Sam gestured around the store, as if trying to get the vegetables to agree with him.

Natasha looked unnerved at the thought of agreeing with him but nodded her head, flaming hair bouncing."Sam's right, we we've been here too long." She directed her focus onto Rhea, "You can make it home ok?"

Of course Rhea Lawson has no value on her life or well being as she said the next idiotic sentence, "Yeah sure, but uh, do you guys need a place to stay?"

And that was the beginning of a terrible wonderful decision.