Work Text:
Natasha and Maria have been spending time in each others’ quarters lately, under the guise that it’s helping Natasha adjust to SHIELD. It’s not a lie. Natasha is beginning to enjoy the other woman’s company, even if she’s still guarded, and it’s a lot nicer than spending the majority of her time alone. She tells herself that they’re cautious friends now, and that’s it. If she even deserves to make friends.
Maria is having Natasha catch up on movies she never got to see, and tonight is movie night. Natasha is trying to pay attention to the movie, but Maria is sitting beside her, being incredibly distracting. Her attraction to the woman hasn’t diminished, but she’s done her best to keep it to herself. She wonders a lot if SHIELD still thinks she’s a double agent, and having any kind of contact with Maria that could be interpreted as seduction would just solidify that image. If she were a double agent, it would make sense to get close to at least one of the agents, so she could have an accomplice.
But she’s not a double agent, and Maria’s fallen asleep, her head coming to rest on Natasha’s shoulder. Natasha has no idea what to do.
The logical choice is to wake Maria up, but she knows Maria doesn’t sleep well, and she’d hate to deprive her of any rest. That’s what she tells herself, anyway. She doesn’t want to admit that she’s enjoying this, and that Maria feels utterly right against her like this. Natasha’s often cold, and Maria is like a furnace. She wonders what it would be like to sleep beside her, and she quickly pushes that thought out of her brain.
She continues to watch the movie, and Maria continues to sleep. Natasha’s hand eventually finds its way up to Maria’s head, and before she realizes what she’s doing, she’s been petting Maria’s hair for five straight minutes. God, Romanoff, you’re in deep.
It’s not too long after that Maria jolts awake, and Natasha rockets her hand away from Maria like it’s on fire. Maria’s face is flushed with embarrassment, and Natasha prays Maria didn’t notice what she had been doing.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to fall asleep on you.” Maria returns to a sitting position on the couch, looking like she’s just been caught doing something horrible. Natasha wonders if Maria is afraid of her after all.
“It’s all right, I didn’t mind.”
Please, do that again sometime.