Cold as Ice - WinterWidow One-Shots

The Hitman and The Bodyguard

Natasha really didn't want a roommate and―just off the top of her head―could come up with a handful of reasons why she shouldn't even be considering one.

One: her apartment was barely large enough for her despite having two rooms.

Two: Barton tended to drop by unannounced and she doubted he'd stop even if she had a roommate. No matter how horrible her roommate could turn out to be, she didn't feel like it was fair to subject them to that.

Three: her job often required her to be out at odd hours. Even if she got lucky and found a roommate that didn't mind, she'd always feel bad about staying out so late or leaving so early.

And four: she had a number of enemies. She'd worked hard to be one of the best bodyguards in the country, but it came at a price. She'd made enemies and even had her own personal nemesis if she did say so herself. Should one of them ever discover where she lived... Well, Natasha didn't really want to think about that.

So no, Natasha really didn't want a roommate and quite frankly, it was safer for everyone if she didn't have one. However, her rent was due and she had to call in yet another favor in order to pay it on time. Even Clint was starting to worry which really just left her with one option: find a roommate.

"I know someone who's looking for a place."

Somehow, the topic had come up during her current conversation with Clint and Steve. While Natasha generally appreciated her colleague's input, she was not in any particular mood to share.

She'd just gotten back from a job that had not been fun, both due to the fact that her client was handsy and the Winter Soldier had made a surprise appearance. God, if she ever saw his stupid face on the streets, she was going to shoot him as payback.

"That's convenient," Natasha muttered, glancing at Clint out of the corner of her eye. "Almost as if someone told you I'd be offering."

Clint didn't look at her, but Steve had the decency to look a little apologetic.

"He's familiar with the lifestyle, is all I'm saying," Steve told her. "He knows what I do and what it means. Besides, he does this whole freelance thing that means he's out of town often."

"If he's out of town so often," Natasha asked, "why is he looking for a place in New York?"

"Everyone needs a home base."

By the time they left the bar to return to their separate apartments, Natasha had Steve's friend's phone number and had promised to send him a text.

When she texted him the following morning, she didn't exactly expect a response. She sent him a copy of the ad she'd written for the newspaper and told him to text her if he had any questions. She expected to never hear from him again. Hardly three minutes after the message was delivered, however, her phone dinged and she glanced at it to see Steve's friend had already filled out and returned the application.

She didn't really have free time, but during her lunch break, she set aside a moment to read through his application. Halfway through and she knew he'd probably make a decent roommate, if not because he was Steve's friend, then because he had a military background (just like Steve).

If she was going to risk having someone else live with her, she needed to be sure they could handle at least minor threats. Should someone come knocking, she didn't want to worry about her roommate.

That night, she accepted his application and got a text in reply.

From James Barnes: I hope Steve didn't pressure you into accepting my application because I'm his friend