Chasing Ghosts | Natasha Romanoff

Chapter 95: Sun, Sea, Sunflower

July 28, 2024

Something tickled Katya's leg, lightly brushing over the outside of her thigh. It barely registered in her brain, but it pulled her out of the depths of unconsciousness, her active mind kicking awake. Squeezing her eyes further shut, she grumbled and shook her leg once. The tickling feeling disappeared.

Satisfied, she sighed and relaxed into the mattress again, trying to go back to sleep. She didn't care that a bright light burned behind her closed eyelids, clearly indicating the day had started; her body still felt too heavy to get up. And if her alarm hadn't rung, there was nothing important she had to get up for.

But right before sleep consumed her once more, something else invaded her senses. One of her favorite sounds in the world, only findable in certain corners of the world.

The unmistakable sound of waves rushing up on the beach.

A blissful smile curled on her lips, serotonin shooting through her veins as her heart started to beat faster. Sleep suddenly felt like a sin to cling onto. She wanted to see and experience every possible second of this.

The light wasn't as overwhelming as Katya expected it to be when her eyes opened, but the whole bedroom was compiled with such light fabrics and materials that it looked like literal heaven – white curtains, beige lounge chair, light wooden furniture. A look out the balcony doors could confirm that theory, because all she saw from the bed was the brightening sky, momentarily more orange than blue.

But nothing would ever compare to the sight she had been waking up to for twenty years now. Because next to her, on the white sheets, lay her absolute favorite person, her vibrant hair spread out around her head. It was the only pop of color in this room, yet it felt completely right as the center of attention.

Somewhere in the middle of the night, Natasha had turned to her back, facing away from her wife just slightly. But Katya forgave her for that, because she melted at the sight of her, at the soft breaths falling from her parted lips, the complete relaxation in her face, the fluttering of her eyelids as she dreamed. There was no worry on her features, no tension, only Natasha in her purest, most vulnerable state.

Katya didn't mean to, but her hand reached out to caress her cheek, praying it wouldn't wake her up. She held her breath when Natasha mumbled something unintelligible, the muscles in her face twitching as Katya's thumb brushed over her cheekbone, but luckily, her eyes stayed closed.

Katya could have watched her sleep for hours, but the prospect of watching the sky turn blue and the town wake up made her get out of bed. This was only their fourth day here, but she'd already picked up on the rituals of this town as it prepared for a new day. The beach cafés opened the parasols on their terraces, morning people took their jog or walk along the shore, the wind carried up the smell of freshly baked bread from the bakery down the street, and everywhere, window covers were rolled up to let in the first rays of sunshine.

Every day, she woke up in a painting or a scene straight out of a movie, and she never wanted to leave.

As quietly as possible, she got out of bed and slipped on the black, silk, rich-wife robe with feathered trims she got for herself a week ago. Natasha had laughed when she first saw her wear it, shaking her head and muttering something about being ''extra''. But she didn't laugh the next day, when Katya had let it slip off her shoulders to reveal a very daring outfit underneath. Now, she loved it.

The morning breeze already felt warm on her skin when Katya stepped through the double doors and onto their balcony, tightening the string of her robe. No fresh New York City winds. Summer here didn't stop once the sun had set. Their balcony doors had been open the whole night, too, allowing fresh air into the bedroom since they fairly quickly figured out that keeping the shutters closed during the day kept most of the heat out.