Risk

Prologue.

His left eye was stinging and he could already feel the skin around it starting to swell up. He tried to get a better look at it through the small mirror in his hand, but under the dark lights in the unfamiliar bar it was hard to get a good look at it.

"I got you some more ice." His attacker and saviour said as she returned, biting her lip as she handed him a clean towel filled with ice. She tilted her head as she examined his eyes. "Wow, I must have got you quite hard,"

"Does that mean it's looking worse?" He chuckled slightly, gently pressing the cold compress to his eye and wincing slightly.

"No, no. Not worse..." she admitted, perhaps lying to hide her guilt. "You're still handsome."

"Thanks," he laughed, "You have a good punch on you. I'll remember to let you take care of your own battles if there's a next time."

She smiles softly, taking back the compact mirror he handed to her. "Thank you for coming to help though." She took a drink from her glass.

"You really didn't need to buy me a drink," he smiled but she shook her head.

"It's the least I could do."

He smiled, " I didn't do much. I think you had that mugger under control, I got in the way. Are you sure your hand is alright?"

She shrugged nonchalantly as she glanced at it, flexing her fingers a little. "It'll be fine, I know how to take care of myself. Sorry, again, for accidentally socking you in the eye."

He took a sip of his drink and smiled. "Don't apologise, I shouldn't have snuck up behind you."

"You did help scare him away, I shouldn't have thanked you with a solid punch." She took a drink and frowned.

"Hey, I'm now in a bar with a pretty girl, beer in hand. My night easily had gotten better, despite the imminent black eye." He smiled, watching her smile softly in return. "Don't worry about it."

She nodded once, exhaling out some of the guilt as she leaned forward to check his bruising again. He set the ice down, blinking a few times to try and see better as her fingertips lightly brushed against his swollen skin. "I'm Natasha, by the way. I don't think we had time for introductions."

"James." He grinned at her. "I promise I'm not winking," he said as his swollen eye began to close again on its own accord. "Funny, I'd have guessed your name to be Rocky."

She laughed softly, hiding her face for a moment. "I'm pretty embarrassed."

"Don't be!" He told her again, watching her peep through her fingers at him. "Am I that hideous?" He teased, making her laugh once more and drop her hands.

"Not at all! It makes you look tough. Girls dig that." She smiled, and he almost swore she gave him a wink.

"They do? Maybe I'm in luck tonight then."

"Mhmm," Natasha mused. "You could be, plenty of girls here would probably jump at the chance." She flirted, making him raise his brows as he grinned. "But if not..." she fished in her handbag and brought out a pen, turning over his hand and writing down her mobile number on it. "Call me so I can return the favour of the drinks and the life saving." She stood up, " Or incase you want to sue me for criminal damages or assault." She shrugged.

He laughed, nodding and holding up his palm. "You'll hear from me or my lawyers soon," he promised.

"Good." She smirked, pulling her coat on. "Sorry, again for your eye and now running away to abandon you."

"Get home safe, Rocky." He grinned, winking with his good eye now as she laughed lightly.

"You too, James." She smirked, exiting the bar.

A few hours later, she received a text from an unknown number reading:

-I think you're a total knockout. Literally. Can I take you on a date sometime? X -

She grinned, shaking her head as his goofy humour as she replied

- Date date, or court date? X -

- That all depends on whether on not I'll need to wear an eye patch. Tomorrow at 8? X-

-I'll take that risk. Where will I meet you? X -

He smiled, setting his phone down to examine his eye in the mirror once more. She'd left a mark on him, in more ways than one, and he was interested to learn more. 

Across town, she dropped her phone onto her bed as she unpacked more of her boxes, placing books onto the shelf in her room while her roommate Wanda brought her some wine and sat on her bed.

- Coulson bar in Brooklyn? X -

"Who's the mystery caller you're meeting in Brooklyn tomorrow?" Wanda smirked, the light of her phone grabbing her attention. They shared everything, so Natasha wasn't bothered.

"I punched a guy in the face accidentally and now he wants to take me on a date." She shrugged, smiling as Wanda laughed.

"Only that could happen to you." She grinned. "Hot guy?"

"Mmhmm. Even with a black eye." Natasha chuckled, dropping onto her bed next to her and replying to his message.

"Tall guy? What's he look like? How old is he

"Tall, dark and handsome, maybe late 20s? Older than us I think." She shrugged.

"Oh, a man." Wanda teased, clinking her glass with Natasha's "I'll cheers to that."

Natasha laughed before sipping her wine and shaking her head as Wanda rambled on about knowing all the details that Natasha promised to give to her.

But she wouldn't. She couldn't. Not when after a few dates she had to lie and say it wasn't working, much to Wanda disappointment. Much to her own and to James, when things became more complicated a few weeks later when  they ran into one another an hour or so after she left his apartment in a rush one morning.

Then a very pale looking James was introduced to her as Professor Barnes, head of History which thankfully she wasn't studying...well, not directly. Not exactly.  There was still the risk he could end up in her lecture. The risk people would find out. But all of that would go away if they ended it right here and now.

But it was a bit too late for that, at least since she had to go there to collect the rest of her things she had left. It only lead to them sitting for hours having a very lengthy discussion about everything about them...

It turned out, it was a risk they'd have to live with, because in a way it was worth it. Too addicting to ignore, and too important to throw away.