You had worked with Natasha Romanoff before, back during her days at SHIELD and before she became an Avenger. Back when she and Barton were the team to find yourself working with, if not only because they always won their battles, but because they were far and away the most fun to be around even in the midst of extreme danger. There were a few times when your lives hung in the balance, and you worried that the secret of your mutant powers would be given away out of pure necessity, but so far, you had managed to keep it from both SHIELD and the Avengers. The most important of them all, however, was Natasha; you feared the loss of her in your life more than the rest.

When you signed up for duty with SHIELD, one of the requirements that you had insisted Fury agree to is that your life and indiscretions as a mutant be wiped from record; you hadn't led the most law abiding life up to that point, but he believed that you could find a life in helping people. He had seen something in you on the day that he apprehended you, and had brought Natasha in specifically to be sure that his vision for you was realized. Your skills were sloppy and raw at best, but with her help, you rose quickly to a level that brought you to work at her side as a peer. It was that close work together that led you to fall hard for her, but it was something that you didn't feel safe in showing. Your previous life couldn't come to light, or she would be sure to turn away if she knew who...or more so what you really were.

It wouldn't take long for you to realize that even the best-laid plans can fall apart in the worst situations. One mission with the Avengers destroyed your resolve to keep your powers quiet, finding yourself standing between an injured Natasha and a group of Hydra assailants, with an empty gun in one hand and the other with only one bullet left. You were backed into a corner, and even though you would ready yourself to die to save her, once you were gone, she would be taken next and you couldn't let that happen.

"Nat, I'm sorry that I've kept this a secret for so long," you hurried to explain, "but this is the only way to save you."

"(Y/N)? What do you mean? What are you going to do?"

"Please, look the other way," you begged, knowing that it wasn't likely anyway. You closed your eyes when the deep rumble built in your chest and the fire within you began to grow; you had held it back for so long that it was raging quickly and eagerly to be set free as if your body missed its abilities. Before you had full control, you lifted your head, unleashing an eruption of flames from your hands and mouth, setting everything that stood in your way ablaze.

"Holy shit," she gasped, staring in awe at the power that filled you, feeling none of the anger or betrayal that you had expected of her. Natasha was amazed and intrigued, and dare she say proud of you for letting your truth out like this; she was sad that it took for her to be in danger for you to feel safe to show this side of you, but she was nonetheless thankful to be a witness to it. "(Y/N), why haven't you told me about this?"

The screams of fallen soldiers and trees that were engulfed in flames had caught the attention of the rest of the team quickly, leaving you in a panic to get away. It took every ounce of energy that you had left to calm yourself and to quell the fire in your chest, but that couldn't stop you; none of them would want you there after this, and they wouldn't see you as anything other than a danger that needed control. You had been through this before, and you weren't about to let anything or anyone bring you back to that life.

"Nat, I'm sorry. Please, don't look for me. I had to do this because...because I love you, and that's why I can't stay. I'm a liability to everyone around me, including you." You spun around to find your best route of escape, searching for any way to go that would make it harder for the team to follow; in a moment of clarity, the answer was right in front of you. Despite her screams at you to stay, you broke into a sprint, running straight into the inferno that you had created.

~~~

You weren't sure who you thought you were joking that day, believing that someone like Natasha Romanoff would just back down and let you run, especially after what you had said to her as your last words. Looking back, it was ridiculous to think that anyone would be able to escape a master spy like her; if she wanted to find you, you were going to be found, it wasn't a question in the least. It only took her a week to track you down, and she didn't need a single member of SHIELD or the Avengers to help her. She was that good, and now you were thankful for it.

You were thankful for her insistence, and thankful for the trust that you didn't feel you deserved. She promised to keep your whereabouts a secret for as long as you wanted, letting you wait until the reactions could die down. She hadn't even told Nick that she had found you, making your trust in her that much more solid. She had helped you find a safe house, one that she had used back in her days before SHIELD and had kept just in case she needed it. Together you had restored it enough for you to survive in comfortably, and with each visit to see you she would bring another item to make it feel more like your own, many times struggling to walk through the door because her arms were too full of gifts and dinner to make it on her own.

Her visits quickly became more frequent, from a few random stops here and there as you settled in, to once a month and then once a week, until she was visiting you nearly every day. It became natural to have at least one meal a day together, usually ending up snuggled together under a blanket on the couch, engrossed in a movie marathon, or just listening to her talk about her recent missions with the team. When she spoke, it was hard to listen to what she was saying; your attentions were always drawn into the shape of her mouth or how her lips moved as they formed around her words. You couldn't help yourself from getting enraptured in the color of her eyes, studying how the light danced in their depths. You memorized the strands of red in her hair, finding so many shades of the color woven through it that it became a challenge to you to find more each time you saw her. Eventually, as it turned out, she was doing the same towards you.

And now, so many months after the day when you thought that you'd never see her again, you were standing before your mirror, staring at your reflection though your mind was filled with those memories that brought you here. It had taken a tremendous amount of convincing on her part, but you had agreed to attend a party at the tower, deciding that if she were at your side, you could find the strength to return to that life.

"Stop obsessing, you look amazing," Natasha smiled, leaning against your doorway as she watched you. "Trust me, they're going to be happy to see you again. You saved their favorite assassin."

"Oh, and here I thought that they were suddenly pyromaniacs."

"I've been working on them. I've got Barton trying out flaming arrows if that helps any."

"I suppose I could help him out with that. It's been a while since I've raged, but it's worth a go just for the pure entertainment value alone." You laughed quietly as you envisioned it, and the likelihood of third degree burns for the sometimes clumsy archer. It made you happy to hear her laughter blending with yours, as if the tones were meant to complement each other naturally. She was perfect in every way, and as the laughter slowly began to quiet, the moment was left with the appreciation of allowing you to love her.

"Come on," she said softly, extending her hand, "you're ready. That's a great color on you, by the way. I did a damn good job picking that out, if I do say so myself."

"I was wondering if you chose red to mark your territory."

"It's red because you're hot, baby. Literally."

"Right," you nodded, taking her hand, "and?"

Nat paused for a second, the hint of mischief in the curl of her perfectly painted lips, "and yeah, maybe I was marking my territory. Just a little bit. Now come on, they're waiting for us."

"Us? Do they know that you and I-"

"Not yet, but no time like the present."

~~~

When the elevator door opened, you felt immediately tense and your breath caught in your chest; Natasha could sense it easily, making her grip on your hand tighter as if it could keep you grounded in the moment. It wasn't that she was forcing you to be here, but she had put in her share of hours trying to convince you, and she wasn't about to let you back out now.

"One foot, then the other," she encouraged, "just breathe and take a step."

"There she is!"

"Oh, god, do we have to start with Tony?" you groaned. At the sight of the man eagerly waving to get your attention, your hold on her hand had blanched the color from it, but she didn't flinch.

"Would you rather we start with Sam?"

"You're right, let's go with Stark. Probably best to get it over with anyway."

Tony hurried across the lounge, smiling brightly enough to light the room around you, stopping every few seconds to greet each person who tried to gain his attention. He didn't balk too long though, his determination to welcome you back driving him forward. "Hey, Firestarter! Welcome back! I've been waiting to thank you for rescuing Red, here, but from the looks of it, she's thanked you plenty."

"Tony..." she warned, throwing a harsh glare his way.

"What? She's wearing your color. I thought it was territorial."

"See?" you snapped, turning to her with wide eyes. "I told you."

"It's not territorial! I picked it out because she looks amazing in it, that's all!" she argued vehemently, pulling you away from him. "Come on, (Y/N), let's grab a drink. I'm gonna need at least one in each hand for this." She shifted her stance to allow you to take the first step away, her hand rested gently on the small of your back as you moved. Before she got too far, she leaned in towards Tony with a smirk and a whisper that left absolutely no question, "but yeah, she's mine."