Eden's fingers drummed against the surface of the table while her eyes stared ahead at Natasha's glass. Her teeth speared and released her plump bottom lip, and if they were here under any other circumstance, Natasha would've believed that she was deep in thought. Though she couldn't see, Natasha knew that she was bouncing her leg. The tablecloth fluttered ever so slightly and the table shook a bit as well as her body. Her anxiety rolled off her in large overwhelming waves and Natasha was surprised that she herself didn't become anxious just at the sight of her.

This was not a new sight for her, however. The ride to the little mom and pop diner had been awkward to say the least. When Eden pulled up in front of Natasha's building and she got in the car, her hand brushed against Eden's which was resting on the gearshift, causing the raven haired woman to flush a dark red and shift as far away from Natasha as she could while she was driving. So, it didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that she was nervous.

Natasha picked up on all of her nervous cues, storing them away securely in her brain so that she could remember them in the future, not that she imagined making Eden nervous in the future, but it was nice information to have.

After a few minutes of uncomfortable and awkward silence, Natasha cleared her throat, snapping Eden's attention from Natasha's glass. Her fingers stopped drumming, sitting in midair, and she stopped chewing on her lip though it remained between her teeth. Her grey eyes were wide and locked on Natasha's, and the redhead couldn't stop staring at her, engulfed in her beauty. Why hadn't she noticed how breathtaking she was before? The setting sun filtered in through the window and touched her hair, lighting up each strand as if it was a match and her hair was a powdered keg, running wild until it exploded. Her eyes, without paying attention, one would think they were blue, were now clearly grey and she never knew that the color was so beautiful. Has she always been this beautiful?

The redhead's face flushed a deep pink and Eden cracked a small smile as she watched Natasha staring at her. She swallowed and tipped her head down releasing a shaky breath and picked her head up, seeming more confident than she was seconds ago.

"Again, I'm sorry for the kiss. It wasn't the right time and it came out of nowhere. I...I had too much to drink and I think I misread some things. I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable." Eden frowned in sadness and she too was blushing, though Natasha wasn't sure if it was for the same reason that she was. Natasha's hand stretched out, reaching hesitantly across the table until it rested like a thin sheet over Eden's hand. Eden's breath hitched at the shocking electricity that ran through her...or them, she wasn't sure.

"I-I don't think I m-minded...the kiss."

"You...ran away."

"I think I was just...shocked or surprised? I don't know." Natasha shook her head and cast her eyes down. Eden continued to stare at her, her face full of uncertainty. "That's not an excuse, and I know it hurt you. Regardless of you being drunk, you put yourself out there, and I could've been more considerate of that. I'm sorry for pulling away and running without an explanation, and then ignoring you. You...didn't deserve that."

"Are...are you not a lesbian? Is that why you pulled away? Is that why you ran?" Natasha didn't know how to respond. Eden sounded so...so scared. But she had to tell her the truth. The whole truth. Otherwise, what was the point of being here?

"I'm going to be honest with you; I don't know. I don't know what I am, really." She paused and took a deep breath, Eden's eyes still focused on her. "I'm going to tell you a little story. There was once a little girl that grew up in Russia, living a hard and traumatic life. She was tortured and conditioned into a life of secrets and murder, working for people who wanted to hurt others. They used her, and she complied; what else could she do? What else did she know? Then..." she took another deep breath; it was shakier than the last and Eden could tell that tears pricked her eyes.

"Then, she grew up, became more dangerous, more used. She developed...physically. Grew stronger and according to some, more beautiful, and now she wasn't just killing. She was...lying and using her body on vulnerable people, preying on their most human and basic of instincts, forcing secrets from them when they couldn't think clearly...and then, depending on her orders, she would kill them. She did this for a long time, and as time went on, it got easier. Each kill weigh less and less heavily on her mind, until she didn't feel anything anymore. She became less merciful and every cry and plea fell on deaf ears."

Eden's face softened to one of sympathy and she shifted their hands so Eden's rested on top of Natasha's. The redhead's breath wavered and Eden threaded her fingers with Natasha's. She looked up at her and Eden sent her a small smile, encouraging her to continue while also showing her the depth to which she was listening.

"She got so bad that she got on SHIELD's radar...in a bad way. SHIELD is a secret—"

"I know about SHIELD," Eden said, chuckling and shaking her head. She ran her thumb over Natasha's knuckles. Natasha smiled and sniffled.

"Yeah well, SHIELD came after her, and not in the way that you would hope. They sent their top agent out to...to terminate her. To put an end to her threats. He was already to do so, and when he met her, all he found was a scared little girl that had her childhood and youth stolen from her, and he made a different call. He invited her to SHIELD, gave her a home and a...a family. She worked hard to become her own person...not what those monsters trained her to be. Sure she's made some mistakes since then, she's not perfect, but she's trying. She wants to be different. She...wants to be someone that when others look at her, they'll be proud of her. Of the person she's become."

"I'm sure there are people that are proud of her. I know I would." Eden's smile brightened, revealing her teeth, and grew to stretch to her ears. She tightened her hand over Natasha's, giving it a reassuring squeeze.

"So...you get what I'm trying to do?" Natasha raised her eyebrow and gave her a little smirk. Eden laughed, a sweet melodic sound that rang through Natasha's ear and warmed her heart, making her happier than she ever thought she could be.

"Yes, I do. You weren't very subtle, you know." Natasha looked down, blushing again. "So...you work for SHIELD."

"Don't forget I worked as a secret spy/assassin for the KGB for most of my life."

"Right, but I was trying to focus on your present, not your past."

"Why?"

"Because I like to see the good in people. When I look at you, Nat, I don't see what I think you think you see. I see a strong and confident young woman who is capable of feeling compassion and kindness and...love. I see someone who never fails to make me laugh or to comfort me when I'm feeling sad or stressed. I see someone who is a hero...someone who saved my life." Natasha looked away and out the window, inhaling a deep breath. Eden touched her free hand to her chin, pulling her head back to look at her. "Don't think I forgot about that. You saved my life, Nat. You're a hero."

"There's something else I need to tell you..."

"What else could you have to tell me?"

Natasha felt uneasy. Eden's reaction to her past was...unexpected. She hadn't run away like she thought she would, and she didn't look at her like a monster like she feared. But this seemed to be different. This was her name. A person's name was important. It helped bridge connections between people and told people where you came from and who your people were, where you belonged. Eden squeezed her hand again, easing her thoughts, and Natasha looked back at her, guilt etched on her face.

"I...I lied about my name. My name isn't Natalie Rushman; that was just an old alias of mine. My name...my real name is Natasha. Natasha Romanoff." She released her breath and avoided Eden's breathtaking eyes.

After a few seconds, Natasha looked back up at Eden, trying to gauge her reaction. Like she expected and feared, Eden had sat back in her chair and removed her hand from her own. Her eyebrows furrowed and her eyes were turned away from the redhead. Natasha nodded and gathered her stuff, standing from her seat.

"I'm really sorry and you don't deserve what I did. I swear I had a good reason for doing it and it wasn't some sort of catfish, I just...my past, my life is dangerous. I have a lot of baggage and a lot of skeletons in my closet, and I guess I wanted to protect you. I know that's no excuse, and believe me, I'm not trying to make it one. It's just an explanation. I'll leave you alone, if that's what you want, and I understand if you never want to see me again—"

Eden shot out of her chair and grabbed Natasha's hand again, shocking her out of her rant. Her eyes looked fearful and her hand trembled slightly. Natasha looked down at their hands, watching Eden's fingers twitch against her skin, and placed her hand on top of hers.

"Um...Natali—Natasha, please...don't go. Not again. I don't know if I can take you running out on me again," she breathed a slight chuckle, but they both knew there was no humor behind it. "I'll be honest, I'm a little pissed. But I understand why you did it. I'm sure if I were in your shoes, I would've done the same thing."

"So what does that mean?"

"It means...that I think Natasha is a very pretty name."

Natasha smiled and she blinked away the tears that pricked her eyes. Eden's hand came up and wiped a small tear that managed to escape down her face. Her gentle eyes looked up at her, and for the first time ever she felt...a stirring. Her eyes flickered down to briefly to Eden's lips and then back to her eyes. Her breathing quickened, and her heart leaped out of her chest when Eden licked her lips and swallowed hard.

"I know what I said earlier, but is it bad if I want to kiss you again?" Eden asked, looking at Natasha with a sense of desperation. Natasha smirked and pushed some hair out of her face, grazing her fingers against Eden's soft cheek.

"What's bad compared to what I've done?"

"I-Is that a—"

"Just...just kiss me already."

Eden slammed her lips against Natasha's and cupped her face in her hands. The kiss was hard and passionate and...exhilarating. Natasha's head was swimming and her skin warmed at Eden's touch. Eden shoved her hands into Natasha's hair, intertwining her fingers with silky strands and tugging in sharp pulls. Natasha pulled away and broke the kiss, hissing in pain.

"I'm sorry," Eden whispered, nuzzling into Natasha's neck.

"It's okay."

Eden looked around at the very public restaurant, and her cheeks warmed at the old couple sitting across from them that gave them annoyed looks.

"Do you think we could go somewhere private? I think there's more we need to talk about..."

"We could go to my apartment," Natasha offered, ignoring the growing heat in her face.

Though the drive from the café to Natasha's apartment was still a little awkward, it wasn't nearly as uncomfortable as before. Natasha's eyes lingered on Eden, taking her in and watching her focus on the road in front of them. Her hand slowly moved from her lap to rest against her knee, making the black haired woman smile and flush at the small contact. When Natasha led her up to her apartment, she shifted to autopilot, bringing her over to sit on the couch and making sure she was comfortable.

"Do you want anything to drink?"

Eden blushed again and it was enough to make the redhead's heart jolt.

"I think I should stay sober for this. Wouldn't want to jump you again."

Now it was Natasha's turn to blush. She felt her cheeks heat up and she cast her eyes down while she let out a shaky breath. Picking her head up and chuckling, she nodded and walked into the kitchen, coming back quickly with a glass and a large full bottle of wine. She opened the bottle and bypassed the glass, bringing the mouth of the bottle up to her lips and taking a few gulps. Eden watched her with an amused look, and when Natasha pulled the bottle away from her lips and wiped her face, she raised an eyebrow quizzically.

"What was the point of the glass?" Eden chuckled.

"The glass is for you." She took another sip and huffed after she swallowed, the large amount of alcohol stinging the back of her throat as it went down. "In case you change your mind."

"So...where do we start? Where do we go from here?"

Natasha looked over at Eden, her eyes combing every inch of her, noticing the way she seemed to sink into herself on the couch, her leg restlessly bouncing again causing the plump flesh of her thigh to jiggle in time. Her fingers drummed against her knee forming a melodic rhythm that only she could hear in her mind. Her grey eyes kept flickering to her and to her hands in her lap, and then back to her, and then back to her hands.

"Where do you want things to go?" Natasha's heart hammered in her chest and she prayed to whatever deity that happened to live in the sky, looking down at people and making their lives hell, hoping that Eden couldn't hear its deafening thumps. Eden bit her lip at the question and looked down, her face engulfing in a fiery red.

"I guess it's not a secret anymore that I...have a crush on you Nat. Maybe it never was. Maybe I was only fooling myself into thinking that I was discreet, like I fooled myself into thinking that maybe there was something there between us."

"What makes you think there's nothing between us?" To be honest, Natasha wasn't sure if there was anything between them. She had never been in a relationship with another person—and for the longest time, it never bothered her—but she could admit that whenever she was with Eden, some part of her felt...right. Maybe that wasn't the right word; some part of her felt comfortable. Like she didn't have to pretend or be ashamed. It was hard for her to trust other people, especially women (it had taken almost half a year for Natasha to stop sending angry glares at the Scarlet Witch and even then another month or two for the two of them to be on friendly speaking terms), but Eden wormed her way into her heart and managed to break down all of her defenses in record time. She couldn't explain it or understand it. What made Eden different from lots of other people that tried to get through to her, including her own teammates?

Eden looked up at her, the rims of her eyes glistening with tears she could tell she was holding back. She inhaled and released a shaky breath before reaching for the glass and wine bottle, pouring a little bit into said glass and then taking a sip, downing it in one go.

"I see the way you look at me, and it's not the same way I look at you. I thought maybe...maybe you were just...trying to fight it, so I went on a limb and kissed you. And when you didn't kiss me back and just stared at me...and when you ran away...I knew. Knew that everything I felt was all in my head and that I was stupid to think that someone could..." She couldn't finish and instead broke down, crumbling in on herself and allowing her tears to break free and roll down her face. A loud cry slipped through her lips, sounding louder and harsher than it probably was from trying to hold it in. Natasha scoot closer to her on the couch and pulled her into her, Eden immediately burying her face into the crook of her neck.

"Stupid to think someone could what? Love you?" Eden pulled away from her neck and looked into her soft green eyes. "That's not a stupid thought, Eden. It never is. To want love, it's a thing that everyone wants and needs, so you're not stupid for thinking someone could give that to you."

Eden pulled away fully and moved back to her original seat, wiping her eyes and face with the sleeve of her shirt, and pouring herself another glass of wine. "Still...I overestimated our connection and made myself believe in something that just wasn't there. Probably never was. Maybe I was just caught up in the fact that you save my life and because of that, I feel incredibly safe with you, Natal—Natasha. Sorry...I've got to get used to that." Natasha smiled a gentle smile. "You're different than the women I hang around with. You might not believe it, but you're incredibly warm and funny and so, so, so smart. You're like the smartest person I know, and from what you've told me and the little I know about SHIELD, you're a badass superhero that can take care of herself. I just...one day looked at you, and I felt...different."

"I can relate to that." Natasha picked up the bottle and took another sip, ignoring the fact that it was halfway.

"What do you mean?"

"In the restaurant. I...I looked over at you and everything felt different. And I must've looked at you probably a hundred times before now. Suddenly you...It was like I was just noticing how beautiful you are or that your little nervous habits are...kinda cute. Especially the way you chew on your bottom lip..." Natasha chuckled and shook her head, bringing it down to look at her lap. Eden too looked down but frowned at her words.

"Don't do that."

"Don't do what?" Natasha looked back up at her, and instead of her soft teary face, a harsh angry glare took its place, giving her a dangerous look that made Natasha uneasy.

"Don't play with me. I'm in agony and you're toying with me, giving me hope. So, don't. Don't give me hope." She abruptly stood up from the couch and walked around her coffee table, making her way to the front door. "It's fine if you don't have feelings for it, I'll get over it, but don't sit there and mess with me and my feelings by making me think that I have the tiniest sliver of a chance. I don't need that. I don't need to sit up all night crying over you when you turn around and run from me again."

Natasha jumped off the couch and caught Eden's hand in hers right before she was able to leave the apartment. She spun her around and ignored the startle look in her face and the flashes of anger in her eyes. Before she could say anything more, Natasha pressed her lips against Eden's, capturing them in a hard and hungry kiss. Eden gasped but soon melted into the kiss and Natasha's arms, shoving her hands into her soft red hair, giving it soft tugs. Natasha started to move, backing Eden up until she slammed the taller girl's back firmly against the wall.

A moan slipped out of the raven haired woman's mouth, giving Natasha more fuel to press into her, deepening the kiss. Their hearts beat wildly in their chests and their lungs screamed, desperate for air, but neither one of them wanted to pull away. Eden moved her lips against Natasha's loving the firmness of them, and trailed her tongue across her bottom lip. Though she couldn't think it then, Eden was surprised that Natasha gave her the permission that she sought after. She pushed herself off the wall, pushing back and directing them back to the couch, where Natasha back onto the plush cushions and Eden climbed on top of her.

Natasha's hands roamed up and down Eden's back, pulling her closer to her while not breaking the kiss. She gasped when her thigh moved between her legs, but still didn't pull away. The redhead took a deep breath in through her nose and heat rushed down her body as she breathed in Eden's scent. She smelled like black cherries, and it was intoxicating. If their mouths weren't engaged in this heated kiss that grew more and more heated by the second, then she was sure she would've started salivating.

She wasn't sure how long they were going at it, but when Eden finally pulled away, Natasha was left with an emptiness. The warmth that enveloped her when she was touching Eden disappeared, and the cliché sparks that erupted when they kissed were like they never existed. But Natasha knew. She brought up her fingers and brushed them against her swollen lips, reveling in the tingles that still popped against her skin like a pack of pop-rocks when they touch water.

Eden's chest was rising and falling quickly, as was Natasha's, and her face was redder than the redhead had ever seen. Her lips too were red and swollen, and Natasha so wanted to capture them again when Eden licked them in an effort to bring back some moisture that was lost. Natasha sat up and pulled Eden back to her, resting her on her lap, and Eden wrapped her legs around her waist, straddling her. Placing a quick and innocent kiss to her reddened cheek, Natasha pressed their foreheads together and closed her eyes, once more inhaling her delicious scent.

"We...We got a little carried away..." Eden muttered. "I blame it on the wine."

"I don't," Natasha's voice was deep and husky and a shiver ran through Eden. "I knew exactly what I was doing."

Eden liked the feeling of being in Natasha's arms, in fact, she loved it. She was soft and warm and everything that she wanted. But what she said a few moments ago still haunted her. She wanted Natasha to be sure that this was what she wanted, that she was what she wanted. She wasn't sure if she could handle Natasha ever leaving her.

Natasha kissed her cheek again. Then her other one. Then her nose. Then her forehead, and finally her lips. "I promise I'm not toying with you, Eden. I'll be very, very honest with you, though, I've never been in a relationship before—let alone with a woman—but if you want us to be together, I'll be devoted to you as my partner and try to make you happy."

"I only want to be with you if that's what you want. I don't want to force you into something you don't want to do. I'm not like that; I don't force people into relationships because I want them." She brushed her hand over Natasha's face and rested her hand against her cheek. She pecked her lips and rested her forehead down on hers. "Do you want to try this? See how it works?"

"I think I can do that," Natasha smiled and lifted her head to catch Eden's lips with her own, running her hands down to rest at her waist, gripping her hips. Eden pulled away and bit her lip, smiling and tucking a strand of hair behind Natasha's ear.

"We should stop. I already surprised you with a kiss, I don't want to surprise you with something else."

"You kinda already did," Natasha muttered, nipping at the exposed skin of her collarbone.

"What do you mean?" Eden squealed, her eyes widening.

Natasha's face flushed when she realized what she had said. She looked away and tried to ignore the question, but Eden kept her on the subject, pressing and pleading for Natasha to be honest, promising she wouldn't judge her. Eventually, Natasha relinquished, sighing in defeat.

"You promise you won't judge me?" Eden's eyes softened and her hands cupped her face, bringing it forward to give her a sweet comforting and loving kiss.

"I would never judge you. Ever. Now tell me how I surprised you again."

Natasha sighed, falling limp in her arms, her head falling onto her shoulder. Eden giggled and ran her fingers through her hair. "Okay, so like, the night of the kiss, I...might've had a dream about you."

"What kind of dream?"

"It was a uh...I don't know if I feel comfortable telling you..."

"Why not? It's not like it's anything bad. Or inappropriate, right?"

Natasha paused and Eden laughed when her face darkened. Eden's eyes widened and her cheeks dusted a light pink at the realization. She laughed some more, but when she saw Natasha's embarrassed face, she calmed down and kissed her again.

"Okay...so moving past the fact that you totally, definitely, 100% had a sex dream about me, it's nothing to be ashamed or embarrassed of. It's normal to feel...these things for someone. I know I've had my fair share of wet dreams, some of which have been about you—"

"Really?"

"Yeah, I mean, I'd be lying if I wasn't attracted to you on more than just a romantic level, I mean look at you. You're gorgeous and hot and sexy and I'm not stupid or blind. And you make me so incredibly horny."

Eden looked at her with a devilish smirk, her eyes glinting with mischief and Natasha didn't miss the low rumble of her chest as she kissed her again, slightly bucking her hips to grind against Natasha's stomach. Natasha's breath caught in her throat and her grip on the other woman's hips tightened, her fingers digging into the skin that was exposed when her shirt rode up. Eden's mouth slammed against Natasha's, catching the redhead by surprise, though Natasha recovered, moving her lips against hers. She pulled Eden closer to her, bringing a hand off her waist and up to grope her left breast. Eden hummed at the sensation but pulled away and kissed Natasha's forehead. Resting her hand on top of hers, pulling it off her breast, she gave Nat a small knowing and somewhat lusty smile.

"We need to stop."

"You started it," Natasha laughed and groaned as she pulled away.

"I-I want us to go slow...and since this will be your first time, I want that to be special."

Natasha smiled and hugged Eden, pressing a kiss to the crook of her neck. "Thank you."

"Yeah of course."