Chapter Text
Natasha wasn’t jealous of her cat. She knew this, of course, she did, being jealous of a cat would be ridiculous. But as she watched Liho curling up in Maria’s lap, green eyes looking over at her smugly, purring as Maria ran her fingers absentmindedly through her soft black fur, Natasha had to remind herself.
“Tough day?” she asked, curling up on the other side of the couch.
Maria shrugged.
“You know. None of them are particularly easy,” she said, hand still running over Liho as the cat purred.
“It was okay.”
It was a lie and they both knew it, Maria wouldn’t be here otherwise, sitting in her SHIELD suit still covered in some kind of rubble residue looking as though the day had taken years to pass. Natasha reached out softly, tracing a gash in the sleeve.
“Are you hurt?” she said, fingers dancing along the tear brushing the skin beneath.
“No. Not me.” Maria answered and again, the words she hadn’t said came out so much stronger. They sat for a moment in silence but it was the silence of two people who understood each other, who gained comfort just from the presence of the other.
Liho stood then, bored by the lack of action, or possibly lack of attention to herself, jumping off Maria’s lap and moving to the other side of the room, blinking bored before beginning to wash.
Maria’s hand moved aimlessly at the emptiness before she let it drop, and Natasha felt the change in the room as Maria’s fingers twitched, moving at nothing. She shifted position on the couch, curling against Maria instead and Maria lifted her arm, pulled Natasha so her head had replaced Liho in Maria’s lap, and gently pulled at the band restraining her hair. She stroked her fingers through, the dust clinging to Maria’s legs mingling with the deep red strands, and in the back of her mind, Natasha made a mental note to wash it thoroughly tonight. The rest of her mind was occupied with staring up at Maria’s face, at the woman she loved but could never explain it to. But their relationship was comfortable like this, where they could appear at each other’s places, hold each other when they needed it, and talk when no one else would possibly be able to understand. And Natasha didn’t want to risk that by admitting her feelings to Maria. There were too few people in the world she could trust, even fewer whom she considered a true friend. She wasn’t going to give up Maria over some feelings she knew Maria didn’t return. Because of course, she couldn’t. She was Maria Hill, deputy director of SHIELD. She was strong, and powerful, and beautiful, and could probably have anyone really. And Natasha was an ex Russian spy, known for her treachery and past sins. She was amazed that Maria was here at all, long dexterous fingers making their way through her hair as they sat.
There was a buzzing noise and the two of them reached at the same time, Natasha lifting Maria’s phone.
“It’s Fury,” Natasha said with reluctance, handing it over.
Maria took a moment before answering, taking the phone as though it weighed a ton.
“Hill,” she spoke in her classic deputy director voice and Natasha felt the change, Maria straightening, stiffening.
“Yes…….” Natasha couldn’t hear Fury on the other end, just Maria’s short, clipped answers.
“Ok. No, of course. 5 tomorrow. I’ll be back to the carrier tonight I’m staying there for now.”
Maria hung up the phone and Natasha sent her a questioning look.
“Just SHIELD stuff. Nothing important.”
Nothing unclassified the words lingered in the air for a moment before Natasha spoke.
“You’re staying on the carrier now?”
“Yeah,” Maria said, shrugging. “The food is terrible, and for an organization that’s supposed to have cutting-edge technology the shower pressure is shit but it’s a place to stay. I’m going to have to stay there another week at least before going home.”
“You could stay here,” Natasha spoke without thinking, clamping her mouth shut a moment afterward. But really, it wasn’t a terrible idea. She was close enough to the Triskelion, and Maria needed at least some time away from the rest of SHIELD. Natasha only had one bed but it wasn’t like they never shared before whenever they’d had to on missions. Or of course, she amended hastily in her mind, one of them could take the couch.
She could see Maria going through the same things in her mind.
“Thanks,” Maria said with a small smile that said everything else.
“Of course,” Natasha answered, getting up off the couch. “Come on. If you’re staying here, you’re going to have to help me cook.”
From the look of it, Maria had been busy all day and it was unlikely that she had taken the time to eat.
“I can’t cook.” Maria’s voice was lighter as she joined Natasha going to the kitchen.
“You liar. That hell hole we were stuck in, back in June?” Natasha said, calling up the memory. “You cooked just fine then.”
“I should never have gone on that mission with you. Now I’m exposed.” Maria said, already looking over at the crumpled paper Natasha was double checking with the ingredients for some kind of soup.
“Yeah, yeah.” Natasha pulled open the fridge withdrawing the necessary vegetables. “Peel those for me will you? We’ll get it on the stove and then you can clean yourself up with a proper shower while it cooks.”
Maria reached over to the right drawer automatically, pulling the peeler out and as Natasha looked over at her, she realized that Maria staying really wasn’t a terrible idea at all.