The Tower

Natasha

How does someone with no superpowers, no real discernible talents and a whole lot of baggage end up being the girlfriend to all the Avengers? Well, I'm glad you asked. It all started with a blur and an abrupt crash.

As usual, I was late. That happened a lot. I tend to get caught up in my head while I'm working in the lab or the library. Which is a problem because as part of my post-doctoral position I had to teach an Intro to Biology class six times a week. I was dashing down the steps of the library, across the lawn and just smashed headlong into another person.

All I really noticed as I picked myself back up, helped her to her feet and apologized profusely was that she was small, dressed in black and had dark red hair. She didn't really even say anything to me, just 'don't worry about it' and I took off again.

It was as I stood panting in the lecture theatre, getting the slideshow started for the lecture I realized how close I came to death that day. The woman I had flattened was the Black Widow.

Nothing notable happened over the next few weeks. I worked in the lab going through blood samples and went through the results of my tests in the library trying to get some papers written so I might actually get some more publications out. I wrote lectures and delivered them to my classes of 300 odd students. I set assignments and exams.

Then one day I was giving my lecture and I scanned the crowd and there was that red hair sitting right up the back. It took a moment to register and when I looked back it was gone again. I wrote it off as not having enough caffeine that morning.

A month later, I was having lunch in a coffee shop not far from where I lived. I had one of my notebooks open and I was focussed pretty intently on it. I didn't notice when she sat down opposite me.

"Hi." She said and I looked up at her and nearly jumped out of my skin. She was dressed casually today. A light grey t-shirt over jeans. Her hair loose and falling in waves down her back.

"Oh my god. I am so sorry. It was an accident. I swear." I babbled. Feeling fairly certain she'd tracked me down to exact her revenge upon me.

She smirked at me. It was an expression that made her look adorable and sexy and deadly all at once. In that exact moment, I developed an all-consuming crush on Natasha Romanoff of the Avengers.

"I'm not here because of that. Or maybe I am a little." She said, reaching over the table and touching the back of my hand. "I think you're cute."

I think for a second my brain short-circuited. I'm not sure if she noticed or not. What I said back was. "Oh, okay." You know, like that was just a normal thing to be told by Black Widow.

"My name's Natasha, you're Elise right?" She said, with a small shake of her head like she'd realized how huge of a dork I am and actually found it a little charming.

I squeaked. An actual squeak sound bubbled up from my chest and escaped out of my mouth. Right in front of Black Widow. "Yes. How did you know?"

"I've been watching you. Needed to be sure before I asked you out." She answered.

The memory of the red hair at the back of the lecture hall returned. "You were in my class."

"That's right." She answered.

"You wanted to ask me out? Like on a date?" I asked.

"Mm-hmm... It would need to be low key though. I get a lot of looks these days." She said, nodding her head backward. I glanced around the coffee shop and noticed a lot of people looking over in our direction. Some trying to be subtle about it. Others who just had their phones out and were taking photos.