𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐅𝐈𝐅𝐓𝐄𝐄𝐍 || 𝘉𝘦𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘔𝘺 𝘌𝘺𝘦𝘴

WHEN NOVA HAD MANAGED TO PEEL HER EYES OPEN FROM THE POUNDING HEADACHE, SHE NEARLY VOMITED. Half her face pressed into a pillow that did not smell anything like Natasha's or her very own. She could make out in the corner of her eye some specific belongings ranging from trophies, clothes, pictures, and what seemed to be military medals.

So, when she tried to sit up, everything around her lurched forward. She had to grit her teeth and clamp her eyes shut to subdue the scream that bubbled at the bottom of her throat. The pain is so blinding that white blooms across her vision with a lingering sting once it settles. She fell forward on her stomach with a silent cry falling from her lips. Her eyes tearing up with her bottom lip trembling. A painful shiver ran down her back that felt ice cold compared to her clammy hands.

Nova wanted nothing more than to drift into the murky waters of the afterlife in her little cocoon. Oblivion just beyond the sunrise to which she would forget all thought and sensation. Forever lost within the emptiness inside her chest that heaved. The idea of it sounded so pleasing in comparison to this pain.

Turning her head to look behind her, Nova felt her entire silent facade collapse when Natasha lay soundlessly beside her. Gentle scratches scattered across her beautiful features. She was so at peace. Nova had never been able to see it up close.

But the tears twinkling along the brim of her eyes made her carefully pull herself toward the older woman. Shimmying until she could find solace in the crook of Natasha's neck. Hands faintly grabbing the sides of the woman's shirt. Her hot tears dropped and ran across Natasha's jaw with her body shaking against the woman.

It must've been enough to wake the older woman because she shifted with a gentle hum. "Hey, you're okay." Natasha's arms curled around the woman's lower back, pulling her flush against her. "I'm with you."

Nova exhaled shakily, eyes still clamped shut with tears slipping from the slits. "What happened?"

"We're at a safe house, so to speak. A friend of Steve's. You suffered burns from the missile and have lacerations along your arms." Natasha licked her lips, exhaling softly. "You scared the shit out of me."

Natasha can still remember finding Nova under all the rubble. The jacket she wore charred with her back a foul grime from dust and rocks combined in the sensitive flesh. Skin littered with air pockets. Ooze leaking from them like zits. But she remembers the tears that soaked the woman's cheeks and her screams.

Stop it! It hurts so much!

She doesn't want to go through that again.

The air they shared was enough to heal their already fractured minds. The air they breathed together was enough to make them feel safe. Able to relieve themselves of such simple festering thoughts just by being within arms reach of one another. And Natasha doesn't understand how she's managed to survive as long as she has. Ever since their minor falling out after the attack on New York, Natasha felt like she was missing her lucky charm. Her girl in the sky always looking out for her. The girl who held her down when she might've been acting out of turn.

It sounded bad for her to rely on Nova for so much, but they had enough time together that it was something she became accustomed to. Maybe even felt a little jealous when others had her attention. Willing to take Nova away even if she got to simply stare at her. Perhaps it was her selfish thoughts taking the forefront, but she cared deeply about Nova. Even if she was mad at her, Nova would continue to be at the front of her every thought. And when she had to pull her from the rubble, she wanted nothing more than to transfer the pain onto herself.

"Do you wanna wash up? I think we have a few more hours here before we need to make our next move." Nova nodded and felt Natasha slowly slip from her grasp. Eliciting a quiet whine in disapproval.

Natasha managed to swallow her amusement and took Nova's hand. She helped her sit up carefully. Whispering praise to the girl who winced and whined in pain before Natasha aided her to her feet. Wrapping an arm around her waist, cautious of the burn scaling her back, they moved around the bed and to the door.

Faint murmuring could be heard and when the door was open, Nova was greeted to see Steve and his friend. Both turn to find the broken girl barely able to keep her head up. But she managed a lazy smile. "Thanks for letting us hunker down at your place."

The man shook his hand in dismissal. "Don't worry. Name's Sam. Sam Wilson, by the way."

"How're you doing?" Steve inquired, offering a worried look. That almost parental look in his gaze. Which was almost surprising after memories of their first meeting came to her mind. Almost.

"Like I had been set on fire," she quipped, shaking her head with a reassuring smile. "I've experienced just as bad."

"Take the time you need. We'll debrief when you're ready."

She smiled, nodding. But Natasha huffed a sigh. "As much as I would love for her to chit-chat, I need to get her cleaned up." And she didn't wait to hear the pair's response. Already entering the bathroom and leaning Nova against the sink before kicking the door shut, and locking it.

Only now did she realize how damaged her body was; her arms were covered in wraps in a quick attempt to bandage the cuts from the concrete chunks. A thick and continuous stream of bandages was wrapped around her chest, covering her breasts, and continued to cover the burns across her back. It brought a smile to her lips, remembering when Booker had taken four rolls of toilet paper and wrapped her in them all because she wanted to be a mummy. All in an attempt to scare Fury, which they successfully did.

Bracing her hands along the edge of the sink, she turned her gaze to Natasha. The woman made sure to move everything along the edge of the tub out of the way, and everything inside the tub to be placed elsewhere. A concentrated look on her face was apparent with her slightly screwed eyebrows scrunched together.

"Are you hopping in with me?" Nova's voice was above a mere whisper. Almost drowned out beneath the water pelting against the porcelain tub. But her head snapping up at her with a soft look in her eyes showed she heard.

"Yeah," she said, smiling softly. "You can barely move so I just want to help you."

Nova bit the inside of her cheek, turning her back to the woman. Heat festering her cheeks.

Swallowing the warmth in her chest, she gently slid the sweatpants down to the middle of her thighs. But when she went to continue, a pair of hands stopped her. She looked over her shoulder and found Natasha taking the lead. Crouching down and carefully peeling each pant leg from the girl's ankles. Tossing it to the side dismissively, she ran her hands up Nova's calfs then the side of her thighs to gently rest on her hips. Nova could feel her chest heave, following the woman's touch in anticipation.

Her eyes flickered shut when Natasha kissed just below her bandages, smiling softly. "Let's get you under the water and clean you."

Carefully, Nova stepped into the tub and shivered from the warm stream that hit her head. Cascading down every curve of her body and wetting the bandages, which she was glad to quickly figure out were waterproof.

Placing a hand on the wall opposite of her, she leaned her weight into it and rubbed her tired eyes. Her entire body fell to relaxing numbness that the warm water provided. Hoping that she could just curl into a ball and have water rain down on her soon. With everything happening, her energy was half-spent and trying to conserve it was slowly whittling her down.

Nova removed herself from her thoughts when Natasha gently pressed her back. The touch pulled a shaky exhale from her lips. Her free hand reached around to grasp the other's hip. Fingers gently squeezing the plump flesh.

Natasha seemed to understand without even a word. She wrapped her arms around Nova's waist and held one another close under the stream that came down on them. The warmth of the water was nice, but the intensity of their skin flush together made Nova all too aware of how she was practically bare. When she had her bath at Natasha's she was too preoccupied with her thoughts to care. But now, she couldn't help but focus on how her body trembled in Natasha's hold.

Hindsight was a bitch and Nova didn't particularly want to display her emotions in a moment like this. She was far too fragile and exposed for her liking. But something in the room made it hard for her to push away. It felt wrong for her to even consider it.

"You're making it hard to breathe," Nova muttered, voice nearly lost within the steam that bellowed around her.

"Am I holding you too tightly-" As Natasha went to pull away, Nova quickly grabbed her hands and kept them around her. Desperate to live in this warmth a little longer, even if it's for ten minutes.

"I promised myself I wouldn't let myself get close to you until you told me your secrets." Nova shook her head, biting her bottom lip. "But I can't fucking stand the idea of being away from you anymore."

"Is this your subtly asking me to tell you everything?" Natasha asked, her arms faintly tensing.

"No." Nova turned in her hold and placed her hands on the side of Natasha's neck. Pellets of water ran down the curve of her eye socket and dripped from the tip of her nose. Wet strands of hair sticking to her forehead and cheeks. And still, with the slight disarray in her appearance at the moment, Natasha couldn't think of anything prettier. "I can't pressure you to do anything, Nat. I just want you to know that I miss feeling like I belong by your side. Every day since I've known you, my heart has felt like it was on fire when I was near you. And if that isn't love, then I don't know what is. I want everything to go back to the way it was before-"

"I have two siblings." It took a moment for Nova to realize Natasha had spoken. The words tumbled from her lips so fast they could've easily been disregarded. "Yelena and Andrei. We were all separated when I was taken to the Red Room. I only got in contact with Andrei two years ago, but he's been MIA since."

"And Yelena? Is she still under the radar?" Nova inquired softly.

"She could still be an assassin for all I know." Natasha pursed her lips. "I miss them."

It came as a difficulty for Nova to try and comfort the woman. After all, this was a lot for her to process and the first time she'd gotten any real insight into Natasha's past. But she knew what separation between siblings felt like. Maybe not to the extent that Natasha was experiencing, but well enough to say that she knew what a sibling closing her off felt like.

Nova wouldn't even consider her childhood to be particularly tragic. She and Booker managed with their mother, Priscilla, who provided them with the attention their father couldn't. They were just orphans from powerful families that forgot about them. In that shared history, they found comfort in one another and suffered in silence with one another. Hating their father was a mutual feeling and Nova relied on Booker when he decided to leave.

But Nova had no way of understanding Natasha's childhood. She knew very little of what the Red Room was, but she knew enough to know that they graphed the girls into weapons. And in some sort of twisted way, Nova could relate with her on that.

With such shared traumas, Nova managed a smile, giggling to herself. "Ever wonder what it would be like if we were friends as kids?" She inquired, staring up at the woman curiously.

Natasha felt the corners of her lips slightly peel, biting the inside of her cheek. "Sometimes. Yeah."

"I bet you were stoic as a kid," Nova muttered. "Just always expressionless. I would be the golden retriever and you would be the black cat."

"Debatable," Natasha smirked at the offended look that crossed Nova's face. "But I guarantee that I would've loved every second of it."

"Oh, God. Booker would've had it out for you."

"Why?"

"He's always been protective of me. Girls I dated when we were teenagers were swiftly met with threats. He didn't like the idea of others stealing my attention," Nova explained with a ghostly smile. "It would've been adorable seeing the two of you bicker about who got my attention."

"Well, I think you know who would win," Natasha said, a prideful look crossing her features.

"Yeah, Booker would've put you through a table." Nova could barely contain her laughter when Natasha's face fell and lips parted in shock.

And in that moment, Natasha could finally see the stress and pain slip from Nova's eyes. A sense of jovialness filled the room. And her laugh made Natasha's heart squeeze tightly. She selfishly wanted to hear it every day and be the only one privileged to it.

Natasha wanted to drown in her. She wanted to be swept away and carried in the odd warmth Nova provided her. She wanted her lungs to be filled with Nova's worry while her body went numb from her touch. When the waves washed over her, she wanted to sink to the bottom with her body breaking each foot of depth she achieved. If her heart slowed she would smile as long it matched Nova's. Willing to break beneath the weight of each crash as long as she was by her side.

It's where she wished to be until her last breath.

"For such a long time, I've been feeling these waves. They would push me away from where I was trying to get to. I've fought against them for so long I can't even remember where I've been trying to get to." Her eyelids slightly drooped, a shaky smile peeling across her lips with the first noticeable addition of tears appearing behind her eyes. "I never thought I would be searching for a home. And the waves would be you, my home, guiding me to where I needed to go."

Nova felt her face scrunch up, managing a smile with her hands cupping the taller woman's face. "Nat-"

"I love you, Nova." The confession ripped whatever oxygen was left in the Usoro's lungs out. Staring at the redhead in shock. "I've loved you for as long as the day I met you. I have just been too scared to admit it because I've never been able to have something like this before. And when I heard you what you made that cuff for, I felt horrible."

"You heard that?" Nova whispered, visibly tense.

"I heard enough to know that I haven't been giving you enough to deserve you," Natasha explained, brushing wet strands from the girl's face. "I understand where you have been coming from and I know I have a lot to do before I can even call you mine, but I would like to start trying soon. Anything can happen and with that cuff, I don't know how much time I have left with you-"

She couldn't stop herself from pressing her lips to Natasha's. Clinging to her desperately with whatever space between them being filled. Before at the mall, the feeling was somewhat indescribable. There was no point of emotion or feeling that Nova could label it. But this felt like love in the purest form. Two damaged souls attracted to one another and finding common feelings with one another most wouldn't understand.

And perhaps that's what made it more intense and passionate. Nova doesn't think she could find this with anyone besides Natasha.

Breaking apart a few inches, Natasha swallowed the lump in her throat. "I don't want to do anything that's going to hurt you," she breathed, eyes staring down at Nova's parted lips.

"Then do it when this is all over." Her eyes snapped up Nova's and found longing swimming within her orbs. "We can figure everything out then, yeah?"

After the pair separated, they washed themselves. Albeit, sharing brief intimate touches and kisses that a normal couple would do. Nova didn't let it go further because Natasha was completely right. With the cuff around her wrist, her time could be ticking down at this very moment. She didn't want to give Natasha hope if, in a day or an hour from now, she was dead. Reduced to pink smoke. However, that didn't mean she didn't make her feelings known in their brief kisses. Always pressing herself against the older woman when she could.

They eventually stepped out of the bathroom and Nova felt a thousand times better. Of course, her back was still sensitive to certain motions. But she managed a limp and a smile that didn't seem forced.

Getting settled in the living room, Sam pulled out a seat for Nova, who offered a smile in thanks. Natasha sighed as she sat down on the couch. "So, the question is, who at S.H.I.E.L.D. could launch a domesticated missile strike?" She questioned aloud.

"Pierce," Steve answered, motioning to Nova. "Everything that you said makes sense. He'd be the perfect spearhead for this."

"Who happens to be sitting on top of the most secure building in the world," Natasha also added.

"But he's not working alone," Steve stated. "Zola's algorithm was on the Lemurian Star."

Nova sighed. "Which in turn means that he has someone in his pocket to place the algorithm on the Lemurian Star. We have to assume anyone could be a possible enemy." She nibbled on her bottom lip, managing to suppress her doubts and wave her hand. "With how everything played out in Siberia, Cooper was an easy target for Pierce and has had access to the Lemurian Star since early production."

Natasha's lips parted in realization as she glanced between the two men. "That would mean Jasper Sitwell, as well. He was on the Carrier when we reclaimed it."

"So, the real question is, how do the three most wanted people in Washington kidnap a S.H.I.E.L.D. officer in broad daylight?" Steve inquired.

"The answer is, you don't." Sam came over, placing down a file and picture in front of Steve. Nova shifted from her seat to stand by Natasha's side.

"What's this?" Steve asked.

Sam smiled. "Call it a resume."

"Is this Bakhmala?" Natasha asked. "The Khalid Khandil mission, this was you? You didn't say he was a Pararescue."

Steve took the photo and glanced back up at Sam, motioning to the man by his side. "This Riley?" Sam nodded with a quiet confirmation.

"I heard they couldn't bring in the choppers because of the RPGs," Natasha explained. "What did you use? A stealth chute?" She inquired.

"No. These." He handed another file to Steve.

Looking through the files, Steve raised a brow and looked up at Sam. "I thought you said you were a pilot?"

"I never said pilot," Sam replied with a smirk.

There was a clear doubt in Steve with the offer, mulling the options over if he wanted to bring another person in on the mission, who didn't deserve to possibly die because of this. "I can't ask you to do this, Sam," he said. "You got out for a good reason."

"Dude, Captain America needs my help. There's no better reason to get back in."

Taking the file from Steve, Nova scanned over the photos of the abstract intricately designed flight pack. "Where do we get our hands on these?" She inquired, eyes flickering up to the man.

"The last one is at Fort Meade," Sam said. "Behind three guarded and a 12-inch steel wall."

Glancing at the other two, Nova shrugged. "Shouldn't be a problem. They'll be able to handle it," she praised, glancing around. "But I need to do something if we're going to get gear." She looked at Sam. "You got a phone?"

The man nodded, reaching into his pocket and handing it to her. But she shook her head, "No, you're going to have to answer. I don't want to risk S.H.I.E.L.D. tapping in and fixing on our location," she explained. "I'll just tell you what to say."

"What are you doing?" Steve asked.

"After the New York attack, Tony invited me to help his company in a product line that Martin and he started. Just like the APEX suit, but with Tony's spin on it," she explained. "He said that he had something in the works for me. I'm going to see if there is anything I can take to help us."

"Nova, you just got injured. I don't think this is the best option," Natasha speculated softly.

"I'll be ok, Nat," Nova reassured. "And when have you ever seen me just sit and wait for others to solve my problems?"

"Never and that's the problem."

Rolling her eyes, Nova typed in the phone number before handing the phone to Sam, who did not at all seem comfortable with having to take the responsibility. Maybe because his home and normal life were in danger. But Nova had faith in him.

There was a long pause of silence with the ringing of the phone able to be heard faintly. But it came to a pause when a voice could be heard. "Hi is this...."

Sam looked at Nova, raising a brow. "Martin Usoro," she answered.

"...Martin Usoro?" He asked, glancing at the three for a few moments. "This is Sam Wilson, I am calling you about..." he placed his hand over the phone and whispered, "What am I calling him about?"

"Tell him, 'Mom's gift needs to be ready.'."

Although Sam couldn't help but stare at the girl in slight confusion, he swallowed whatever pride he had and sighed. "Mom's gift needs to be ready." There was a long pause before the phone hung up. Almost immediately, the cuff on Nova's list beeped with coordinates appearing.

"Outside of him being a trash human being, he does seem to have a plan for everything, huh?" Natasha glanced up at the girl who recited the location under her breath. "Do you need me to come with you?"

"No, you have to interrogate Sitwell. This could take me a few hours depending on what the procedure is. I could be getting surgery to implant the node or something else," she explained.

"Okay, well, just be careful, alright?"

Nova smiled, kissing the woman on the corner of her lips. "Of course."