Username: 
Password:    
Remember Me

Search by :  Username E-mail Region Interest AOL IM ICQ Number Yahoo! ID MSN Username Jabber

Natalia (the_black_widow) wrote in valarlogs, @ 2017-03-06 18:17:00

Who: Nat and Stahma
What: Bailing out Stahma
When: early March
Status: complete
Rating: PG-13



Bail was expensive. Ridiculously so. Natasha would think with Trump fellating Putin every night a Russian citizen would have had an easier time of it. But general xenophobia cast a wide net. Stahma was lucky she was white.

She waited patiently, hands clasped behind her as Stahma was processed and released, and then she waited patiently while Stahma and her lawyer conferred. Mostly, she stared at the various police in a way that was vaguely intimidating, but nothing they could place. It was like at any moment they could all die, and they couldn’t place that feeling.

Finally, Natasha was able to lead Stahma outside to the car. No talking, not even a greeting beyond the initial hug. It wasn’t until they were in the car and on their way that she spoke. “I’ve got a contact doing some digging for us, but we won’t know much until the morning.”

At the first red light, she leaned over and kissed her.

Being in jail was not a place Stahma wanted to be in. Sure, she deserved being there, but if she was going to ever be in jail, she’d much rather it be for a crime she actually committed instead of one that she’d been framed for. So after bail was posted and she was processed, Stahma met with her lawyer, giving him the run down of the crime she was accused of as well as the fact she’d not even been in Orange County. She didn’t give him all the details, obviously, but she told him enough that would give them a solid defense and for him to move forward on that front.

All the while, she’d remained calm and cool on the outside, but she was seething inwardly. When she finally greeted Natasha, she was relieved to see her, and it soothed a little of her fiery anger.

“With luck they will find something we can work with.” Stahma was going to kill whomever was behind this. And she had a feeling that the trail would lead them back to Moscow. Stahma returned Natasha’s kiss, relief and some level of need resonating in the kiss. After the day she’d had, she desperately needed that.

“Let’s get you some real food, and then get you home,” Natasha replied. She was baffled by how sloppy this was. It made her suspicious. Like they were drawing attention away from something else. Keep Stahma occupied, distracted. She squeezed the wheel tightly, mind turning it all over. But it had done that all day to no real avail.

“I will not argue that,” she responded. Stahma could certainly use a good meal right about now. Her own mind was running through the possibilities of who was doing this and why. Though the who tended to change the why. She took a long, slow breath. She was in need of letting off some steam, but food was more important right now.

Taking Stahma’s hand, Nat squeezed it. “I love you.”

Real food turned out to be a Mexican place halfway between the courthouse and Stahma’s home. Real, authentic, and easy enough to package to take home. It filled the car with delicious smells that would hopefully distract her girlfriend.

“I love you, too,” she responded, squeezing Natasha’s hand back. The smell of Mexican food was delicious, and it brought back memories of the trip south of the border that she’d just come back from. “There is nothing quite like Mexican cuisine. At least authentic Mexican cuisine, anyway.”

“You can compare to your trip,” Natasha winked. “How was it, by the way? Not counting the unwelcome return home.”

If Stahma really was guilty, would she have returned home so easily?

“Thus far, the smells are just as good.” With her nose, she could smell more than humans could. Stahma could easily pick out each ingredient used in the food, giving it an even more complex scent than anyone would think. “It was good. Productive.” She would have some more allies to help hit back at whomever was responsible for her current predicament.

“Productive.” Natasha flashed a smirk in her direction. She knew exactly what that meant and it only made her curious. But she kept that to herself - it was up to Stahma to volunteer any information. “Good. At least both our trips were productive. You’re tour of my boat will have to wait though.”

Stahma would give Natasha some details later. Enough so she could better understand the picture, but little enough that Natasha could claim ignorance on certain aspects of Stahma’s dealings. Even if Natasha would undoubtedly find out through her own channels and dealings with people around the world. “I am happy your trip was productive as well. In that respect, we are able to celebrate at least.”

Ignorance was bliss. And deniable. Nat put her hand on Stahma’s arm. “Tacos and some vodka, sounds like a party to me. Not a very healthy party, but still a party.”

“Definitely still a party, and one that I shall enjoy.” Stahma said, setting her hand over Natasha’s and giving it a squeeze. “I am going to relish being able to take the disguise off and simply be with you.” While she meant the literal human disguise that she always wore in public, Stahma also meant the mask she’d worn the entire time she’d been in custody.

“I set out some very nice drinks for us. There might be a hangover tomorrow, but after what you’ve been through...it’s something you deserve.”

Three different kinds of vodka and some very fruity and sweet drinks. Including what she knew to be Stahma’s favorite. “It’ll be good to see you as yourself.”

“That’s very thoughtful of you,” Stahma said, finally managing a smile. It had been a very long time since Stahma had had a hangover. She’d always needed to be in control of herself, to be prepared at a moment’s notice for anything coming at her. But she would relax and unwind and suffer a hangover as long as Natasha was there with her. “It will be good to relax with you. I missed you.”

Missing someone was a relatively new feeling to Stahma. She’d felt it before, but not for very long. And yet she’d missed Natasha while she’d been gone. The admission was another step for her, but hopefully it was a good one that had a more favorable outcome for them both.

“SInce I plan to liquor you up, I did try to get some hangover cures. One in particular always worked in my dreams.” Not really, but it was one of those ‘in mother Russia’ jokes that she and Bucky used to joke about around Steve and other Avengers.

“We could take advantage of that swimming pool you call a tub.”

Stahma chuckled softly. “I shall thank you in the morning instead of cursing you for the hangover.” Whether the cures actually worked or not, who even knew. But she was more than happy to suffer it considering Natasha was here and she wasn’t in jail any longer.

“I think that would be a very wonderful idea. A nice warm bath with my beautiful girlfriend sounds like an excellent way to relax.”

Once they were at Stahma’s (Nat didn’t stay often enough to call it home), she made Stahma take a seat and then dished out the food. She’d draw the bath a little later, but for now she wanted Stahma to relax and recharge. She pulled out her phone to do some research. “You didn’t lose your temper the whole time. I’m impressed.”

The moment they were inside, Stahma took her disguise off, noticeably relaxing once the human mask was off. She did as Natasha instructed and sat down while the food was served. “It is something I credit both to my upbringing in this world, and my upbringing in my dreams. It is rare for me to lash out and let my true emotions show in a public setting.”

“That’ll be a big help going forward,” Natasha noted. “Keep the fury in check, but let just enough out so they don’t think you’re a passionless bitch. Did you even know the victim?”

“Precisely. It is what I am very good at.” Stahma never gave people much to go on when they tried to rattle her, and she could stand up under police interrogation. “No, I did not. They said his name was Jimmy Vega. I have not had any dealings with someone of that name.” She always knew the people she did business with. He was not among them.

“Never heard of him either but he sounds like the kind of person from the Las Vegas Mob.” After the disaster four years ago, the mob had returned has a big presence. “This setup is too obvious. Someone is distracting you from something else. They want you occupied.”

“They want me angry so that I am blind to what is really going on. However, they underestimate my ability to see clearly even while enraged.” Stahma was rather skilled in being able to keep a relatively clear head even when angry. She could come up with a plan on the spot if needed, and she was one who always had multiple backup plans as well.

“And they underestimate your allies. We’ll find out what they’re really up to, and then we’ll name them to the wall.” Figuratively. Or maybe literally, depending on their mood. Nat was sure there were a lot of enemies that would have it out for them.

“They will not know what will hit them,” Stahma said with a dangerous smile. Not for the first time, she was intensely glad that Natasha could be just as ruthless as her at times when people deserved it.

“I love when you get that smile on your face. It either means someone is going to hang, or they’re going to hang.” Natasha had always done her duty matter-of-factly, but she could appreciate a dangerous woman. And Stahma was one of the most dangerous of all.

“In this case, it might be a bit of both,” Stahma said, that dangerous smile still on her face. She was dangerous. She was the snake that most people didn’t see until it was too late and she’d already struck. “I am glad to have you by my side helping me with this.”

“I’m glad to be here.” Nat finished her food, and touched Stahma’s knee before she got up. “Ready for that bath? I’ve been thinking about it all afternoon.”

She knew what bathing meant to Stahma. And she liked the thought of sharing that with her.

Stahma finished her own food, feeling a little better now that she had a full stomach. Smiling at Natasha, she nodded. “I would love nothing more than a bath with you.” She felt incredibly dirty after having been in jail, and she needed to get clean. She also enjoyed bathing with Natasha. Getting to her feet, she reached for Natasha’s hand before heading to the bath with her.

The water was warm, and Nat had added a lot more bubbles than were strictly necessary. She smiled a little sheepishly. “What’s the point of being an adult if you can’t have a bubblebath every once in awhile?”

Maybe she was a little defensive of the idea.

“I think a bubble bath is an excellent idea,” Stahma said with a smile, shedding her clothes. Right now, she was going for both getting clean and for relaxing, so she didn’t go the traditional Castithan way of bathing. Instead, she slipped into the water completely naked and with her hair down, not caring if it got wet or not.

“Mm this feels wonderful,” she groaned softly as she closed her eyes and soaked up the warmth.

Natasha watched as she undressed, and slipped into the bath. It made her suddenly hungry again, for something entirely different than tacos.

She let her own clothing drop to the floor, and stepped into the tub, sitting across from Stahma and letting their legs rub together. “It does.”

She opened her eyes in time to watch Natasha undress and get into the tub. It was such a beautiful sight to see, one she wished to indulge in. And now they were alone and could simply enjoy themselves. Whomever was after Stahma was not going to attack her here and now. If they did, it would be their death.

Stahma lightly rubbed her leg against Natasha’s. “Thank you for getting me out of there.” She knew bail wasn’t cheap, especially when she was Russian.

“You know I’d get you out of anywhere at this point.” Natasha’s hands would never be completely clean, but she didn’t think that Stahma would ever do anything that crossed whatever final line Natasha had.

Luckily for them both, while Stahma could be manipulative and ruthless, most of that tended to come out when she or those she loved were attacked first. Or if she was coerced into it. She had no plans to commit acts of terrorism here in this life, she’d learned her lesson from her dreams. Her hands would never be completely clean either, and it made her even happier to have someone in her life that understood that first hand.

“I do. I trust you.” Sometimes, trust was almost prized more than love for Stahma, if only because so few people got either of them. She trusted more than she loved, and Natasha had the distinction of being both loved and trusted.

Having anyone trust Nat was a Big Deal for her. She blamed the bath for the water on her face, and stroked her toe up Stahma’s thigh. “The feeling’s...mutual.”

She shivered lightly, drawing in a deep breath. Someone trusting her was even rarer than Stahma trusting someone else, and she treasured it beyond words. She slid her foot along along Natasha’s thigh. “It is a good thing that we are in accord there.” She said with a smile.

“I can take a guess at what else we’re both in accord for,” Natasha teased. She lifted Stahma’s foot and kissed a toe.

“And what would that guess be?” Stahma asked, though the gleam in her eye said that she already knew what the answer was. She lightly trailed her fingers up Natasha’s leg.

“Making love.” Natasha could play verbal games all day, but sometimes going straight for simplicity was the best. And right now she wanted to be sincere, and open. And she wanted to make Stahma remember what was best in life.

Stahma smiled. “You are correct.” She responded. Without further ado, Stahma shifted in the tub, moving over to Natasha, yearning for her touch. She leaned in and kissed her, a hand coming up to caress her cheek.

Wrapping herself around Stahma, Nat kissed back, drawing Stahma down into the water and refusing to let her go, or even let there be any space between them. There were few things better than wet, naked skin against skin, she decided.

She groaned softly into the kiss. There were definitely few things better than wet, naked skin against skin. Stahma pressed herself tightly against Natasha, hand still on her cheek. Her other arm circled around her neck. Just the simple act of being Natasha’s arms was enough to make her feel better.

“I love you,” Natasha murmured, wriggling underneath her. “But next time you’re involved in a murder, make sure I can help clean it up for you first.”

Of course, she knew Stahma hadn’t done it, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t tease her over the whole situation. It was better than letting it get to them.

Stahma chuckled as she shifted a bit to straddle Natasha and sit on her lap. “I promise you can help clean up the next time I’m involved in a murder.” Luckily, Stahma could take the teasing, which further helped to release the tension that had been building ever since she’d been taken into custody earlier that. “If you’re good, perhaps I’ll even let you help me plan it,” she teased back.

“That’s how I know it’s true love.” She rested her hands on Stahma’s hips, her thumbs tracing them lightly.

And maybe, just maybe, she wasn’t joking.