III: The Soldier and the Fairy Queen: Red Eve

IV: The Sins She Had Been Told She Committed

Tatiana grabbed a green tulle gown and held it to herself, looking to Wanda and Natalia for approval. She squinted, the bright lights irritating her eyes.

Natalia shook her head, her red hair pulled back into a French braid, "We're going for elegant and modern but not enough to stand out."

"What about this?" Wanda picked up a maroon number with a nonexistent skirt. She kept scanning the dress shop sporadically, as if she were waiting for the police to jump out from behind the counter.

Tatiana shuddered, "No, I prefer to have my thighs covered, thank you."

Natalia moved through the hangers, and grabbed a navy blue A-line dress, "This one?"

Tatiana felt it, "I like the design, but the fabric is wrong."

Wanda joined Natalia while Tatiana guarded the cart. "Straps or no straps, Sunny?" Wanda asked.

Before Tatiana could answer, Natalia replied, looking down at a purple velvet monstrosity, "Steve prefers strapless. Or sleeves. Which doesn't make any sense, but when does he ever make sense?" Natalia peered back at Tatiana, "Why do you always wear long sleeves?"

Tatiana shrugged, and surveyed the rack, "I get cold easily."

Wanda sighed and turned back to the rack, "Strapless it is."

Tatiana buried her face in her hands. They'd been going at this for an hour, one of them would ask her a question, then the other would answer with what Steven liked. She was completely convinced that half the stuff they said wasn't true and that they were just trying to make her as uncomfortable as possible.

Natalia gasped, "You guys, I think we found it!" She held out a cream-colored dress. Floral designs on the lacy fabric provided something to look at. It had a short train and a sweetheart neckline. "What's your size?"

Tatiana told her. She left the cart and started walking toward the check-out. "Fine, let us go."

Wanda caught up with her, "Wait, don't you want to try it on?"

A knot of ice formed in her stomach, and her shoe squeaked on the floor, "No." Not in front of you two.

Wanda sighed, "Fine." She called back to Natalia, "Come on, Nat!"

"I'm coming, just give me a sec!"

***

Natalia gave her fifteen minutes to get ready for her when they got home. Tatiana stood in the bathroom, staring at herself in the round mirror. She only wore the strapless slip Natalia had let her borrow. She watched herself trace the pale lines on her shoulders and chest in the mirror. She remembered all of the wounds. A shuriken and a bullet in her right shoulder, three knife wounds on the left, three bullets in a perfect triangle right above her heart.

A scar for each sin she had committed.

A scar for each sin she had been told she committed.

She pushed those dark thoughts out of her minds and grabbed the golden bangles off the countertop. She put one on each forearm and twisted it. A blue hexagonal pattern appeared above her skin and her scars disappeared. She did the same thing with her ankles. She stretched and tried to get used to the feeling of a second skin.

Tatiana put on deodorant and her complying face. She marched to her bedroom, where Natalia was waiting. Natalia stood and threw the dress at her, "Come on, put that on. We only have two hours."

Tatiana sighed and resolved to stay silent. She shimmied into the lace dress and looked into the mirror on the back of the door. The soft dress clung to her curves and showed her shape. She turned around, "Is it not a bit tight?"

Natalia leaned back in the chair she'd stolen from the kitchen, "It's supposed to be that way. You know, you don't look half bad for a SHIELD agent." She made an hourglass shape with her hands. Tatiana felt the blood rushing to her cheeks. "Sit down and I'll get started with your makeup." Tatiana sat on a stool in front of Natalia. She worked for several minutes before asking, "Do you like him?"

Tatiana's eyes snapped open, "Like who?"

"Eyes shut. And I'm talking about Rogers."

Tatiana obeyed, "Steven? No. He and I are co-workers."

Natalia chuckled, "Uh-huh, and co-workers cuddle together all the time."

"How do you--," Tatiana was cut off.

"You guys left the door open. We all saw you."

Tatiana sighed.

"So?"

"So what?" Tatiana knew exactly what she wanted her to say, but she was determined to drag this out as long as possible.

"Do you like him?" Natalia tipped her chin up.

"No." Tatiana said, maybe a little too harshly.

Natalia brushed her cheeks, "Are you sure?"

Tatiana opened her eyes and channelled all of her annoyance into her eyes and voice. "Yes. I am. Stop asking."

"Okay, okay." Natalia held up her hands in mock defeat. Then started to cover the scratch on her temple. "I guess I'll just have to show you that you like him."

"What?" Tatiana asked sharply.

Natalia smirked, "Oh, you'll see."