{ C3 — TROUBLE ON THE FIRST DAY }
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Leaving my house, I started walking towards the nearest bus stand. I was so engrossed in learning the new spell that I completely forgot about the orientation.
I checked my phone again.
10:12 AM.
"Perfect," I muttered. "Orientation day, and I'm about to miss the bus like an idiot."
Queens was already fully awake. Cars honked like they had personal grudges. A halal cart nearby sizzled, the smell making my stomach regret skipping breakfast. People moved fast—like everyone had somewhere more important to be than right here.
I shifted my bag and stared down the road, 'Please make the bus late, please make th-'
That's when I saw her. At first, nothing made sense. She didn't fit. It wasn't just that she was… attractive. It was the way she moved—too precise, too aware. Like she was reading everything around her. But she looked familiar. Long red hair with hazel eyes.
Then I noticed the details. A cut on her cheek. Another on her wrist. Fresh.
'Okay… not normal.' Before I could look away, her eyes locked onto mine. And just like that, she changed direction. Towards me.
"Hey," she said. Like we knew each other. I blinked. "Uh… I think you've got the wrong—"
She grabbed my jacket. And pulled me in.
— — —
Natasha Romanoff didn't hesitate. Two agents were following her, heavier steps and poorly concealed for her trained eyes. They weren't professionals but persistent nonetheless.
She needed cover, quickly. That's when her eyes fell on the boy in front of her. A college student, young, handsome and distracted. No immediate threat to her. He was in close proximity, with minimal risk. Good.
'Guess, he should thank his stars for this opportunity,' Natasha thought humorously. She closed the distance and kissed him.
— — —
My brain stopped working. There was no buildup, no warning, just the softness of her lips.
They felt warm, close and most of all, they were real. It was completely different from watching porn.
But then something strange happened. Suddenly, for a split second, it felt like a current passed through me. It wasn't the painful kind, but the kind you have during sudden orgasms.
While I was lost in the kiss, her grip tightened slightly. I felt it, she was much stronger than me. She was probably enhanced.
'Her physical stats might have crossed 10,' I thought idly. Now, I was sure of her identity. She was none other than Natasha Romanoff, the Black Widow. And if she was here, pretending to kiss me, then that meant—
"Don't react," she whispered. Right, sure. Totally doable, when a hot woman is kissing a young innocent boy in the middle of the streets.
Suddenly, behind us, someone spoke into a walkie-talkie. "She's here somewhere!"
Like, what the fuck, bro? Who talks into a walkie-talkie in the middle of the street. They weren't even pretending to hide themselves.
'I somewhat feel bad for the guy who hired them. Poor soul.' While thinking this, my mind was suddenly brought back to what the situation meant to me.
Oh wait, this could be bad. They might have guns for all I know. But Natasha didn't give me time to think of countermeasures.
Her arms slid around my neck like it was the most natural thing in the world. Like we'd done this before. Like we belonged together.
I hesitated for half a second, then placed my hands on her waist. Because if she was going to use me to escape, I definitely wanted to enjoy it to the utmost.
"Missed me?" she murmured.
"…Bus was late," I said.
I could hear the footsteps getting closer. One of them stopped right behind me. I could feel it without looking. My heart thumped loudly. Natasha smiled gently, her eyes carrying a teasing tone. Bet she could hear my heartbeats.
Her thumbs brushed lightly across my cheek, as if to reassure me, and it did.
The guy stopped for a moment longer, before walking away, following his associates.
'Thank god.'
— — —
They took the bait, predictable as always. Natasha scoffed in her mind and pulled back slightly, ready to disengage. But she suddenly froze.
Something was wrong, she could be sure of it. No, not wrong, but something different. She placed her fingers on her cheeks, brushing against the nick that was supposed to be there. The sting, gone.
Not just that, but the cut on her wrist was gone, no longer bleeding as if it didn't exist in the first place. Even her fatigue reduced by a huge margin, as if she had been resting for a few hours.
'That shouldn't be possible.' She thought to herself. But then her gaze shifted back to him. The boy wasn't just a bystander anymore. He was different. He was dangerous, a potential threat she failed to identify.
— — —
The act didn't last long as she stepped back, just like that. As if whatever happened didn't involve her at all.
"Thanks," she said. I stared at her. "Wait… what was that?" But she didn't answer. Instead, she touched her cheek, feeling the nick that was supposed to be there. Her expression change, not a lot, but enough.
"…That's new," she muttered quietly. I blinked in confusion, though I had a clue what she was talking about. Still, I pretended to ask, "What is?"
Now, she was looking at me differently, not like before. Previously, I was just some random guy. But now? I felt like I was being analysed, measured and being filed away.
'There goes my peaceful days in New York,' I thought to myself with mild humour. After this, SHIELD would most likely be on me.
"…Interesting," she murmured.
"Okay, you're seriously freaking me out—"
She blocked my lips with her finger and said, "I will be seeing you soon."
Before I could reply, she was already stepping away. Blending into the crowd as she'd never stood out at all, which was quite ironic, seeing how beautiful she was.
Within seconds, she was gone. Leaving me still standing there, still processing.
A bus pulled up in front of me. Its honk bringing me back to reality. The bus doors opened, people got out, and a few got in. I didn't move; I couldn't move. I just stood there, staring at the spot where she disappeared.
"…I just got kissed by a spy," I muttered. A small pause and a stupid grin crept up my face. "…Didn't I?"
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