The Girl & The Hound | Winter Soldier

NINE

Please tell me how I can help you.
- Sawyer

remind me of what it feels like to be human.

Sawyer stared at the words quietly, brushing her fingers over his handwriting as she sat silently on the sofa, the early morning apparent by Sam's still sleeping state. Gunner slept on the floor beneath her feet as she reread his words a million times, the smallest trace of fright evident in her that he had the ability to murder her in her sleep last night however it was somewhat drowned out by an abundance of intrigue.

Sawyer couldn't grasp how she of all people was to remind him how it felt to be human, she led a boring life and resorted to processing emotions in a journal when the weight of the world was too heavy to carry. It was prominently in the back of her mind that he'd read her writings and seen her naked mind, perhaps an aspect that led him to feel he could trust her as though he knew her through her writings and in hope, believe she could understand him when no one else could.

She sighed, the lurking prospect of the hidden man behind a mask still weighing on her emotions as she acknowledged she didn't exactly know what he looked like beside basic features anyone could point out. It was tormenting that he trusted her but she couldn't completely bring herself to trust him through her fear of him, the entity endorsing her to feel as though she was betraying his vulnerability through being afraid of him- after all, he just wanted her help.

Reaching for the pen on the coffee table, she relaxed back into the chair and put her pen to the table, adrenaline flowing through her as she made her most easily regrettable but dauntless decision of the year so far.

Then show me your face.
- Sawyer

"Holy shit-" Sam exasperated, startling her as he tumbled into the living room, shovelling his feet clumsily into his shoes as he pulled his shirt over his bare torso, Sawyer having to respectfully divert her attention as he awkwardly realised Sawyer was present.

"My bad," he indirectly apologised to her as she hid her eyes behind her left hand, her right hand forming into a thumbs up, "shit has blown up," he added as she removed her hand, her eyebrows furrowing.

"Nick Fury-" he paused knowing she had no idea who that was before drawing in a breath, "someone's tried to murder him, he's undergoing surgery and I slept in. Steve is going to need my help," he added as he shoved his jacket onto his body as Sawyer stared wide eyed, slightly confused but enticed.

"Who do you think tried to kill that man?"

"We don't know, but I think Steve chased him so he has an idea but he hasn't told me that yet," Sam replied as he zipped up his jacket, feeling in his pockets for his phone before acknowledging its presence, "now-" he glanced to her, "I won't be long I promise."

"Sam, honestly I don't need babysitting I've got Gunner," Sawyer reasoned as she reached down to the dog, stroking him as Sam cocked an eyebrow.

"A stray from where we don't even knowing," he objected as Sawyer sheepishly avoided his stare, secretly knowing the answer to his objection as he added, "don't do anything wild, promise me?"

Sawyer feigned a smile, "have you met me?" before he rolled his eyes, Sawyer averting her attention back to her journal as the door finally shut, signalling that Sam had left.

She listened intently as his footsteps slowly faded into the hallways, causing a smirk to grow on her face as she tore her eyes from the journal to look at Gunner. "Hallelujah," she mouthed to Gunner triumphantly, softly laughing as the dog wagged its tail whilst she carefully climbed to her bare feet.

As her feet traced across the creaking wooden flooring, her expression contorted with a yawn before the front door immediately sounded with sudden knocking, knocking Sawyer to a stand still as she momentarily held her breath. Hesitantly dragging her eyes to the door, she mustered a small, hesitant laugh as she tried to assure herself it was probably Sam having forgotten something, "Sam?" she timidly called out.

The door handle twisted, Sawyer furrowing her eyebrows before her eyes widened at a red - headed girl nonchalantly letting herself in, "wrong," she affirmed Sawyer, shutting the door behind her as Sawyer remained still with fright- she seemed intimidatingly attractive.

The girl drew out a deep breath and twisted on her heel, stepping into Sawyer's apartment whilst distantly studying the interior, "cute place," she commented as Gunner gazed up to the girl from the floor, Sawyer still bewildered and slightly nervous before she almost had to manually shut her mouth from suddenly gaping at how pretty the intruder was.

"Holy shit, you're gorgeous," Sawyer stammered before instantly retracting her words in horror, "-I'm sorry," she chortled, her cheeks flustered with a scarlet hue, "you're probably here to kill me but sure, go ahead I don't mind," she added as the red head shook her head with a laugh, Sawyer furrowing her eyebrows at the girl who was making her question her sexuality.

"Killing you is too messy," she nonchalantly replied as she dropped down carelessly onto the spare sofa, sprawling herself out, "I was thinking more along the lines of movies and junk food, girls cheat day," she reasoned, glancing at Sawyer expectedly for her to agree.

Sawyer sucked in a breath, "what a relief," she murmured before, "wait," she suddenly figured, her eyebrows narrowing, "you're Natasha?"

"Sure am," she replied to the brunette, Sawyer's posture instantly deflating in defeat that she was yet again being babysat like a child whilst the girl glanced around her apartment, her eyes eventually landing on the gleaming piano in the furthest corner of the room, "do you play?"

Sawyer's eyes followed Natasha's eye-line, her face instantly losing its colour as she merely nodded, barely even detectable whilst she awkwardly stood still, failing in avoiding attention as Natasha clasped her hands together in excitement, momentarily starling Sawyer.

"Great!" She chirped almost sarcastically, bouncing to her feet with a feigned enthusiasm as she grabbed Sawyer by her shoulders, pushing her to the piano as she mentally yelped with confused eyes, slightly taken back as Natasha placed her next to the piano.

"Now you stay here, play some songs whilst I go to the shop and steal all the junk food I can from the shop around the corner? Capiche?" She blurted out as Sawyer immediately choked at her statement- "steal?" she repeated, staring with widened eyes at Natasha.

Natasha stared back at Sawyer for a moment, not understanding the issue as she cocked her head incredulously. Sawyer remained slightly surprised by her words and after a moments final realisation, Natasha eventually retracted her words, "I was joking hot-stuff," she lied as Sawyer slowly nodded, contemplating her words in confusion.

"But seriously do not leave the apartment, do not even step over that threshold until I get back," Natasha retorted, Sawyer not even realising her fading voice as she made her way to the door, "capiche?" she repeated, Sawyer having to instantly snap her head to Natasha and helplessly nodding.

"Capiche."

The door instantly opened for her to walk out, leaving a slightly disorientated Sawyer staring at Gunner in confusion as Natasha shut the front door behind her, leaving Sawyer to then stare down at the keys of the piano.

Was that Natasha pretending Sawyer was a two year old?