Chasing Ghosts | Natasha Romanoff

Chapter 105: The 1

May 30, 2026

The Greek island of Zakynthos

Natasha

''Get that out of my face.'' Natasha scowled lightly, lazily swatting at the pocket-size digital camera pointed at her.

Katya stopped walking, her sad eyes widening. ''But the light is nice, and you look really pretty.'' She pouted, peering up at Natasha through her eyelashes when the redhead halted with a sigh. Those puppy eyes were her downfall every time.

''You say that every time.''

''Because it's true! Please,'' she dragged out the word, jutting out her bottom lip further, and Natasha knew she was screwed. She gave in with a sigh, like she always did.

Whenever Katya pulled out her camera and pointed it at her, they played the same game. Natasha would pretend to hate it, Katya would pout adorably, and then Natasha would give in with a sigh and be rewarded with a breathtakingly bright smile that made her heart skip a beat. Katya thought she won, but it was really the redhead counting herself as the winner.

So, she endured the torture of being her wife's model, letting her adjust her hair and her clothes and following her directions.

''Just stand there, look a bit to the right, a bit more. Perfect!''

The shutter went off, and Katya immediately checked the image on the small display, smiling happily at the result.

Her cheeks were red because of the warmth and a light sunburn she refused to admit she had, her bright blue eyes twinkled gleefully, and her brown hair waved lazily back and forth in the sea breeze, and Natasha thought it was the cutest thing she'd ever seen.

Whatever was on that screen, she knew the picture she was capturing with her own eyes in this moment would put it to shame.

Katya put the camera into her small purse and slipped her hand into Natasha's again, continuing their walk home. A small, cozy restaurant in a narrow street just off the boulevard had stolen their hearts the first evening here, and now they had dinner on the patio underneath the sinking sun every day.

They talked about everything and nothing, but mostly sat in easy silence, savoring these moments. And on the way home, they'd walk the boulevard, swinging their intertwined hands back and forth between their bodies.

Greece was a paradise; the temperatures pleasant even in the late evenings, sunshine all day long, and a whole different kind of architecture that took their breaths away regularly. Palm trees lined the boulevard they walked on, white sand grinded underneath their shoes, and the sea rushed on shore with a familiarity they were used to from Italy.

"Oh!" They were nearing their cabin when Katya stopped abruptly, scrambling for her camera again.

''Kat,'' Natasha whined, throwing her head back, her braid tickling her spine.

''Just one more. One more," she promised. "I have a vision.''

She prompted Natasha to lean against the back of a public bench, telling her to grip the edge as far away from her sides as possible. Of course, Natasha indulged her, with nothing more than a roll of her eyes and a sigh.

Katya quickly took the picture and checked the result, walking up to her wife to show her too. When she appeared content, finger reaching for the off-button, Natasha snatched her up and wrapped her in her arms, back to chest. An involuntary shriek flew off Katya's lips, and she was too late to notice the camera disappearing from her hands until it was in Natasha's.