Nicholas bit the inside of his lip as he watched yet another male agent flirt with his partner. The archer watched his partner raise an unamused eyebrow at the junior agent before turning to finish her conversation with Agent Hill. When the young agent placed his hand on Lorraine's shoulder, the red-head quickly shook him off, herself and Maria leaving the bridge.

It had been six months since the incident with Reynolds. Six months of their relationship. During their time off after the incident, the two had spent several days of just Nicholas and Lorraine spending time alone in her apartment - and two in his - testing the red-head's limit for pleasure. But the archer was too angry because of the green-eyed monster called Jealousy to think about how he made her beg for him. Beg for her release as he kept her on edge for ages while she was tied to his bed. No, he wanted to make his mind clear to his partner.

The twenty-seven-year-old made his way to the gym where he and his partner had new recruits to train. He entered the senior agents' locker area just as Lorraine shut her locker, turning to look at him with a tender smile. But he wasn't able to return it.

Lorraine immediately frowned in concern at her lover. "Nicholas?" she whispered, stepping closer to her partner who shook his head in reply.

"Not here Romanoff," he muttered, taking Lorraine by surprise; he only ever called her by her surname when he was teasing her.

Lorraine nodded submissively at her lover, standing closer to him after making sure the locker area was clear and gently pressed her lips to the corner of his mouth. "I'm sorry if I've upset you," she whispered softly in her mother tongue before leaving the locker room.

Nicholas sighed and took a deep breath. He hated being angry at her. Especially when she got upset and worried because of it. Because of him. Running one hand through his spiky hair, he quickly grabbed a towel and water bottle from his locker and left the room, following his lover.

Maria was addressing the newbies, giving them the low down on how things worked at S.H.I.E.L.D., how their evaluations would be assessed and to not piss off any senior agents if they valued their lives just as Nicholas entered the training room. "These agents will be assessing you and giving their recommendations to me. Agent Romanoff," indicating to Lorraine beside her, "and Agent Dark" indicating to the archer. "Any questions?"

"Are either of you ladies available?" some hot shot newbie asked, making Lorraine and Maria roll their eyes at him while Nicholas tensed beside Lorraine.

"Agent..." Lorraine started, raising an unamused eyebrow at the kid.

"Micheal Edwards," he replied smugly, grinning at the two senior agents with a cocky grin.

"Agent Edwards, you see that silver pen you have in your hand which you're supposed to be using to take notes..." Lorraine started, earning a nod from the over-confident male rookie. "Yeah? I, personally, could kill you with it in a minimum of twenty seven ways," the ex-Russian stated with a sickly sweet smile, making Edwards gulp nervously, the previous cocky confidence he once had completely gone. "While my partner, Agent Dark, could use you as target practice," Lorraine added with a satisfied smirk as she noticed her partner watching her carefully.

Maria noticed the smirk in Lorraine's eyes, showing that the red-head was already enjoying scaring the new recruits. "Is that all the questions?" the Assistant Director asked, watching the groups' reactions carefully.

A young man raised his hand hesitantly, making Maria raise an eyebrow. "If this is another question about Agent Romanoff and my personal interests or personal lives, you better be prepared to leave this room immediately," the Assistant Director warned. The agent quickly dropped his hand. "If that's all, Agent Dark and Agent Romanoff will show you a demonstration of two opposite fighting styles before pairing you off." Turning to the two assassins with a smirk, the brunette stated in Russian, "Don't make them spoil their pants before you even begin."

"But that's the fun part," Lorraine replied as she took her place on the opposite side of the mat while Nicholas did the same on the opposite side. The two agents removed their respective jackets to the floor behind them so they were in a black tank top and a black wife beater.

Maria could only shaking her head, knowing that both agents would most likely torment the new agents as they usually did.

"As Agent Hill indicated," Lorraine started as she and Nicholas stepped onto the sparring mats, the two agents turning to face the rookies. "Piss either of us off and you will regret it," she warned. All of the newbies gulped nervously in reply. "Is that understood?" the ex-Russian asked, earning a chorus of nervous 'yes's from the group.

"Whenever you're ready, Dark," Lorraine said as she took her fight stance she usually used during their sparring matches.

Nicholas nodded before suddenly throwing a left hook at her which Lorraine easily dodged it, throwing a right uppercut at the archer. The twenty-seven-year-old easily dodged it as they circled each other. He threw a quick left cross at her, the red-head catching his wrist in response, twisting so his arm was in an easy arm lock. He responded with a back kick which the twenty-one-year-old easily dodged but loss her hold on his arm in response.

The two went back to circling each other, quick jabs and hook with kicks being added into the mix every now and again. Suddenly the red-head threw a high reverse roundhouse kick at her lover, catching the archer off guard, allowing Lorraine the time and space to slice kick Nicholas's legs, giving the spy the advantage.

Nicholas dropped down on one knee before throwing a left swinging kick at Lorraine, trying to bring her to ground along side him but the red-head was able skip around his leg. Then she proceeded to run at him, wrapping her dangerously - yet oh so perfectly shaped - thighs around his neck, flipping the archer so he was flat on his back. Within seconds, she had a hidden knife pressed to his throat.

"I... yield," Nicholas gasped as Lorraine continued to keep her thigh choke and knife on him. The red-head smirked down at the archer as she slowly pulled her knife away from his neck.

Suddenly Nicholas flipped them over, pushing Lorraine own face first and pinning her down.

"We need to talk Baby," Nicholas whispered in Russian as he slowly released his lover's neck and jumped off of her. The archer waited until his partner was standing beside him before turning to look at the rookies, who were standing in awe at the two assassins' match. "Any questions?" the twenty-seven-year old asked as his lover stood slightly behind him, slightly beside him.

"How about I take on Agent Dark," Edwards asked, making Lorraine smirk knowingly as she looked at her lover.

"God fucking help you kid," Lorraine muttered in Russian under her breathe so only Nicholas could hear her, making the archer chuckle slightly at her statement. The red-head had to school her emotions as she noticed most of the female rookies whispering about how sexy Nicholas was. How muscled his arms were. How they'd loved to have him dominate them in the bedroom. If only she could get half the chance to use their skinny asses to wipe the floor with.

"He's the one that was hitting on you and Maria," Nicholas stated in his lover's native tongue rather then asked, smirking smugly as Lorraine only nodded in reply. She knew that he was still pissed about something. "Okay so, Edwards, let's see what you got," the twenty-seven-year-old stated as he walked back over to the mats as Agent Edwards took his place opposite him but not without checking out Lorraine in the process, the archer noted with a pissed feeling.

"You ready kid?" Nicholas asked as he took a relaxed fighting stance, waiting for the blonde male to make his first move. Edwards threw a right cross which the archer caught easily before he flipped the rookie over his shoulder, flat onto his back, making Edwards groan in pain. Everyone in the training room heard the crack when he landed, signalling either a broken vertebrae or broken ribs. The archer placed his boot on the rookie's neck, digging it so it hurt hard but it wasn't hard enough to collapse his trachea.

"Do you yield?" Nicholas snarled as he kept the rookie's arm in a straight arm lock.

"Yes," Edwards gasped hoarsely all the while trying to release himself from Hawkeye's hold.

Nicholas caught Lorraine's nervous gaze and let go of the agent, the archer making his way over to the red-head. "Anyone else want to try fighting the Black Widow or Hawkeye?" he asked, turning to look at the group, noting that several of the agents looked nauseated. "You can take a break and prepare for your trial sparring examination. Meet back here at 15.35," he added, smirking slightly as he watched Lorraine hold back a snort at his statement.

Once the group had left to head to the cafeteria, Lorraine turned to Nicholas with a worried look. "Nicholas?" she whispered, watching him carefully.

Suddenly Nicholas grabbed Lorraine's arm and dragged her into a nearby closet. Slamming the door shut, he pinned her to the wall, growling possessively at her. The red-head stilled her body, not knowing how to deal with her lover at the moment.

"Did you plan on getting me jealous today, Nat? Was that your plan?" Nicholas growled at her, pinning her arms above her head.

"What are you on about?" Lorraine replied, a confused look crossing over her face. "Nicholas, when the fuck did I give you a reason to be jealous all day?"

"Nearly every male agent has been either flirting with you or checking you out. And you've done next to nothing to stop them," he snarled, surprising his red-haired lover.

"Excuse me! You're the one who decided to keep our relationship a secret from everyone but Coulson and Fury. I don't know how any of this is my fault?" Lorraine hissed back, fuming at her lover's accusations.

"I don't like sharing. Or the fact that you've done practically nothing to stop them. Practically encouraging them."

"What the fuck Nicholas? You more than know that I hate being looked at like a piece of meat. I have to deal with it enough on missions, the last thing I need is the same on base. And anyways, it's not like I have five exes literally eye-fucking me every time I walk onto base," Lorraine shot back, not bothering to school the hurt she felt.

Nicholas flinched as if he had been slapped. "What?" he whispered.

"Bobbi Morse, Carol Danvers, Wanda Maximoff, Jessica Drew and Anya Corazon. Five of your exes. All of whom literally eye-fuck you every. Single. Time. You step onto base. So you have some fucking cheek Dark!"

Nicholas frowned at Lorraine's words and the hurt evident in her words and eyes. "Nat, you know that I have nothing to do with them anymore. You have to know that," he whispered.

"I don't know anything anymore. You've literally just accused me of flirting with other men. When my only thoughts and attraction is to you. Do you know how much that hurts?"

"Nat, I-..." he started but was cut off by his lover.

"Save it Dark. I'm sorry that you feel this way. You should know that you needn't be jealous. But you have no right to be angry at me. At least, I don't have my exes drooling over me everyday. Oh yeah, that's because I don't have any!"

"You should've told me that you felt this way. I would've made it clear that I only have eyes for you."

"I shouldn't have had to make it clear, Nicholas. Your exes practically hate me. I know the rumours going around. That I'm a whore. Your good for nothing else sex toy. That I let you make me your personal whore in exchange for bringing me back to S.H.I.E.L.D. And it's clear to me that sometimes you agree. That's why you were accusing me of doing nothing to stop people flirting with me."

"I do not and will never think of you as a whore or sex toy Lorraine. I never have. I thought my actions in Moscow two years ago proved that. You're the best thing that's happened to me Nat. No fucking exceptions. You're my partner. My best friend. The only person I trust to see me at my weakest. You are not a sex toy for my pleasure. For fuck sake, you were raped as a kid. I hate the thought of you being used, let alone using you like that myself. Don't you know how important you are to me?"

"You have a funny way of showing it. Why would you even accuse me of letting the male agents flirt with me when I only have eyes for you?"

"Because I was jealous. Jealous that I can't have you all to myself, twenty-four-seven. Not because I think of you in any derogatory way."

"But why? I have only every let you have me Nicholas. I've let you tie me up. Take me in various positions. Been tied up, eagle spread, at your complete mercy. Trusted you with my body and mind. Gone down on you even though I am not the biggest fan of blowjobs because of what I was made do when I was gangraped in the Red Room. I've cried in front of you. Let you comfort me after nightmares and fucked up missions involving rape and children. Why would you be jealous of people who mean nothing to me because you mean everything to me?"

"I'm afraid of not being good enough for you Nat. You're six years my junior. You could have anyone you want, why a washed up carnie like me?"

"Because I trust you. With all of me. It seems clear to me that that feeling is not mutual."

"I do trust you Nat. It's them I don't trust. I don't want to lose you."

"Let go of me Nicholas," she requested dejectedly, knowing it was futile to continue this argument when both her own insecurities and her lover's were the main reasons behind this conversation.

Nicholas's eyes grew wide in fear. "You want to leave," he accused more than asked, his voice hoarse with insecurities.

Lorraine's green eyes immediately went to Nicholas's grey ones, noting the fear in his eyes. She knew that one of his major insecurities was not being good enough for her. His fear of becoming his father. "No, I'm not leaving. I don't know how many times I have to repeat myself on the fact I'm not leaving you. But I am uncomfortable. My wrists are stiff under your death grip," she replied calmly.

Nicholas visibly relaxed and gently released her wrists. "Sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you," he whispered as he massaged her wrists lovingly.

Lorraine only watched him as he massaged her wrists. Once he was satisfied that they were no longer stiff, she wrapped her arms around his lower back and resting her face against his chest. The archer immediately wrapped his arms around her, pulling her closer. "I hate fighting with you," she mumbled softly against his chest.

"I hate fighting with you too Nat," he whispered into her hair, stroking her back lovingly.

Lorraine closed her eyes and breathed in her lover's scent. "You know I love you... Right?" she whispered, making Nicholas pause in surprise. He had thought it would be him that would say those three little words first. But Lorraine had a thing for surprising him.

"And I love you too Nat," he whispered, moving his hand to cup her chin, guiding her to look at him. Slowly, he leaned down and pressed his lips to hers, kissing her softly.

She sighed against his lips, smiling slightly as he deepened their kiss softly. Gently, she brought her arms up to wrap around his neck while he wrapped his around her waist. The couple continued to slowly make out, taking their time as their tongues danced around each other.

Nicholas slowly broke the kiss and leaned his forehead against Lorraine's. He brought one hand to gently stroke her cheek, looking at her lovingly. "I'm sorry," he whispered, holding her close with his free arm.

Lorraine shook her head gently then pressed her lips to his chastely. "Make it up to me later?" she requested shyly.

"Always."

Lorraine had barely dropped her gym bag to the floor when Nicholas pinned her to the wall in his hallway. He grabbed her wrists and brought them to the coat hooks above her head while kissing her desperately.

He kissed her deeply, trying to show her just how much she meant to him. And to show her he never wanted her to leave him. He had been so scared when she told him to let go earlier. But was more than relieved when she said she wasn't leaving.

"Nicholas," she moaned, wrapping her legs around his waist while he brought his left hand down to palm her ass possessively. "Bedroom. Want... Need you."

Nicholas was all to happy to compile to his lover's request. And he had a lot in mind to make it up to her.