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Natasha Romanov has been the head of the DPD for four years, eleven months and thirty-one days when Nick Fury shows up in her office five minutes before midnight.
She looks up at her lover, studying his features for any hidden bruises or cuts he might have slipped past the medics. Natasha can't stop her gaze from flickering to the eyepatch Nick now wears. She still (secretly) blames herself for that even though it really isn't any fault of hers. It’s the incident which made her hit the brakes on her career in covert ops and agree to a new posting as the head of the Domestic Protection Division. She's pretty sure her former partner knows it too.
Nick settles down across the desk. It's late and the on-duty techs are the only other signs of life aside from the one lonely light of Natasha's office, underground in the DPD's basement lair.
He reaches across to brush fingers against her flame-red hair and her expression softens just a hint, enough for the man to smile.
She's heard, of course, about Nick's new position. He deserves it, after all the (blood and sweat) years he's given to the country, to the Agency.
"Congratulations on the promotion."
Nick only looks amused, as if there's a private joke that she doesn't quite understand yet. One can't quite be so certain of anything, really, when it's Nick and Natasha has first hand experience with that. Her gut is telling her that this midnight visit is more than just him wanting an ego boost. Then the man sets a small box in front of her, deep red velvet - but large enough to contain a ring - and Natasha arches a single brow in a silent question, even though deep down a part of her already knows what's coming next.
Nick smiles as she gingerly pries open the box.
It's simple, gold band with an inset of pale pink diamonds, something isn't too cumbersome to wear but obvious enough for anyone who sees it to know. She knows why he'd picked that, remembers one of their past jobs that had involved diamond smuggling and her offhand comment about the shade and color of them.
Nick has always been good at picking out gifts that suit her, and Natasha decides that she really likes this one the most.
"Marry me."
It’s not even a question, she muses, but Natasha is smiling back before she realizes it. It's enough of an answer for both of them as Nick slips the ring onto her finger and leans over the desk to press a light kiss against her lips.
Natasha Romanov has been head of the DPD for five years when she agrees to marry Nick Fury.