❝Manifested food does have the underlying taste of cardboard❞

♡₊˚ ⴵ・₊✧⋆⭒˚｡⋆

Aurora

I have to say, I was pleasantly surprised when Natasha Romanoff walked into the room, a worried look on her face.

"Well well well, if it isn't S.H.I.E.L.D's very own Black Widow," I chuckled, shifting my position slightly.

She smiled slightly, her slightly furrowed brows betraying her worry.

"Don't be worried about me," I chuckled. "I feel better than I have in..."

How long had it been since I had felt free? It must've been since before Dreykov...

"Years?" Natasha finished my sentence.

"I guess," I replied, then we fell into silence.

I broke eye contact, looking down at my pale hands. I could feel the red-head's gaze on me as my eyes followed the veins in my wrists up my arms.

You're pathetic.

"Your widow bites," I started. "They made the chip in my arm malfunction."

"What?" I heard the surprised reply of Natasha.

"The chip in my arm, it leaked some sort of chemical that controlled me. I could hear his voice, telling me what to do. He was testing new technology after you defected, when I ended up in the Red Room," I explained. "But because it's relatively new technology, he probably didn't factor in getting electrocuted by another widow, because naturally, widows don't attack each other with their widow bites."

"And the electric shock messed with the tech?" Natasha guessed, and I looked back up at her, meeting her green gaze.

"Basically," I replied. "So... thankyou."

I gave her a small smile.

"I-" she stuttered slightly, before replying, "No problem."

I chuckled.

"Go on, what rumours flew around S.H.I.E.L.D after I disappeared?" I asked.

Natasha smirked.

"If I told you all of them, we'd be here for a good few days," she warned me, sitting herself down on the edge of the bed.

"Well, get me something to eat and maybe it could kill a few hours," I suggested with a smile.

Natasha cocked an eyebrow.

"Can't you just manifest something?" she asked.

"Wow," I laughed. "Lazy."

She chuckled, then inquired, "No, seriously, can't you?"

"Technically, yes," I replied. "But there'd be no point, because it doesn't have any nutritional value. I might as well just be eating flavoured paper. And manifested food does have the underlying taste of cardboard."

Natasha nodded her head with a smile.

"So I guess I'll have to get off my ass and get you something?" she asked.

"Exactly," I agreed.

The red-head stood up and made her way to the door, then suddenly turned, the worried look returning to her face.

"You'll be okay?" she asked.

"Yeah of course," I assured her. "And if not, Dr Cho and Banner are around."

Natasha nodded, then turned and left the room. I sighed gently. I was free. I was free from him. From the Red Room. From his control.

Pathetic!

Yes, his voice was still there, but I had been assured that would go away when the chemical controlling me was gone. All that mattered was that I was back. Home. At S.H.I.E.L.D. The only thing I needed to do was find the man who had treated me like his own daughter - Coulson - and tell him I was alright.

♡₊˚ ⴵ・₊✧⋆⭒˚｡⋆

"No way," I chuckled. "People really thought I was an undercover middle school teacher trying to recruit new agents?"

"Yeah," Natasha chuckled as I reached into the bag for another crisp.

"Oh my days," I mumbled. "That's insane. My skills are better suited to the field, everyone knows that."

"Apparently not everyone then," she replied.

I smiled at her, unable to stop admiring her shining emerald eyes. How does one naturally look so gorgeous? Her eyes were so... entrancing. God, I could stare into them all day if I had the chance. I'd-

"Do you like these?" Natasha asked suddenly, gesturing to the bag of crisps.

Pulled so unexpectedly out of my thoughts, I asked dumbly, "Huh?"

"I asked-"

"Oh, yeah, yeah they're really nice," I chuckled, realising what she had asked.

The red-head smirked at me.

"They're sweet chili," she replied. "My favourite."

"Natasha, you act like I have never eaten crisps before," I told her, giving her a mock glare.

"Well, I'm guessing you haven't in the past four years?"

"No, but that doesn't mean-"

"You're what, twenty two?" she asked. "And you've spent four years of your life unable to eat chips? That's basically your entire life."

"Actually, I'm twenty three," I corrected her. "I'll be twenty four in March."

Natasha scoffed.

"I was close enough," she commented, causing me to smirk.

"Not really," I replied. "You were seven months off."

"Honestly," the woman chuckled. "So specific."

"Hey!" I cried. "I can't help it!"

"Chill," she chuckled. "I know you can't, I was just teasing you."

The smirk on her face, the way her green eyes glinted. Something about her made me scream with joy internally.

"Are you hot?" she asked suddenly.

"What?" I asked.

"Your face is red," she pointed out.

"Oh, uh, yeah, I-I guess."

The woman got up and went over to the window, opening it. With horror, I realised that I had been blushing. What the actual hell? Why was I blushing? 

"Ah shit," she suddenly muttered, checking the watch on her wrist.

"What?" I asked.

"I said I'd meet Agent Barton in the training room," she explained. "And I've been talking to you for so long that I completely lost track of time."

I groaned.

"You should've told me!" I told her. "I would've reminded you!"

"Oh and you know the time wherever you are, whenever?" she joked, and I smirked.

"Well, yes, actually," I replied. "Currently, it's five forty two in the afternoon."

The red-head agent stared at me with surprise.

"Wow, you really can," she commented.

"I know," I replied with a smirk. "I can go more specific than that, but then it won't be correct because time will pass quicker than I can talk."

Natasha laughed slightly.

"Go meet your friend," I told her in a more serious tone. "He'll be waiting."

The red-head nodded, and turned towards the door, walking the few steps it took to get to it. As she placed her hand on the handle, I suddenly asked, "Natasha?"

She turned her head and nodded questioningly.

"Will you come back later?"

She lifted her head a little in surprise.

"You... want me to come back?" she inquired.

I chuckled and nodded.

"You're not bad to have a conversation with," I replied. "And no doubt I'll be kept under observation here for a couple of days. I could do with a little stimulation that isn't staring at the wall."

Natasha nodded.

"So?" I repeated my question. "Will you come back later?"

"If I can," she agreed with a nod and a small smile.