Disclaimer: Marvel owns everything except the mistakes, so I'd take it as a personal favour if you didn't sue me. There's also a direct quote from an episode of 'The Pretender' - bonus points if you find it.
Day 1: Run away with me
(First part – post AoU; second and third part - post CACW)
"So how are you?"
Natasha kept her eyes on her tea mug, only allowing a small smile to lift up the corners of her mouth. Laura Barton was one of very few people on this planet that was able to sneak up on her. Or maybe that was just a testament to her state of mind.
"Fine."
Laura entered the kitchen and busied herself with pouring a steaming mug of tea, before sitting down in front of Natasha. Her face was smiling even though her eyes were serious as she looked at her. Natasha took that as her cue to elaborate.
"Everyone's settling down easy enough. We've been putting the new recruits through some rough training. We're still tweaking the new installations a bit, so they're up to our liking…" Laura's soft smile stopped her. "What?"
"I wasn't asking about work and you know it. How are you?"
Natasha allowed herself a soft sigh before taking a sip of her tea, trying to collect her thoughts. She knew what Laura was asking, of course, but it was hard to talk about it when she wasn't sure herself about what her feelings were on the matter.
"I'm… if I say I'm fine will you drop it?"
Laura shook her head softly before answering. "Clint may let you fly by with that…"
"He doesn't."
"Good. That means there's still hope for him." Both women shared a laugh before Laura reached across the table to grasp Natasha's hand. "How are you feeling about things with Bruce?"
Natasha sighed once again. She and Laura may have known each other for years but she was still uncomfortable with this conversation. She wondered, not for the first time, if this 'girl talk' stuff was always this awkward or if that was purely on her. "He asked me to run away with him." She smirked with satisfaction as she felt Laura startle a bit at that.
"I didn't know things had gone that far." She squeezed her hand reassuringly. "That has to mean something though, right? That he just needs a little bit of time. That he'll come back."
"I told him no." Natasha squeezed her eyes shut momentarily, remembering the whole conversation. "Not in so many words but… the message got through, I think." She opened her eyes again, seeing Laura looking back at her deep in thought.
"Why? You obviously like him, why did you turn him down?"
Natasha took another, longer, sip pf her tea. She had been playing with that question for days now, not content with any of the answers so far. Still, she decided to try them on again. Maybe an outside opinion was just what the doctor ordered.
"I couldn't. I couldn't walk away from everything. I couldn't… leave them behind to fend for themselves." She looked straight into Laura's eyes, gauging her reaction. "The timing was all off, I guess."
There was a moment of silence, one that Natasha was sure would stretch on, as they both pondered on the what-ifs of life and choices, but she should have known better. Laura Barton was nothing if not direct. "I call bullshit."
Natasha was sure the surprise registered on her face as clear as day. "Excuse me?"
"Sorry sweetie, but I call it like I see it and that's nothing but a bunch of bullshit." Laura stood up to grab the kettle, refilling Natasha's cup before settling back down.
"I think you're spending way too much time with Clint." The smirk on Natasha's face was perfectly mirrored by Laura.
"Oh please. The word may be more to his liking, but the sentiment is all mine." Grabbing Natasha's hands again, she soldiered on. "There is no right timing. There are no perfect circumstances. When something like that comes up, either you want it or you don't."
"You make it sound so simple."
"Because it is." She sighed before looking back at Natasha. "Look Tasha, I know you never had it easy. I know this looks and feels a lot more complicated to you than it does to most other people but… just ask yourself this. If the circumstances had been different, would you have left everything behind to go with him?"
This time the silence did stretch on. Laura quietly finished her tea before getting up towards the sink to rinse her mug. Her whisper was so quiet the spy almost missed it. "There's your answer."
Natasha tried to casually shrug – a move she was sure she was failing like a pro – before replying. "I always said love is for children."
"Maybe you're right." There was a hint of a smile dancing in Laura's eyes. "Or maybe the problem wasn't the situation but the one asking."
To her credit, Natasha stood perfectly still as the words hit her, even though her eyes narrowed. She knew Laura – and that smile - way too well to know that didn't sound like a casual you'll-find-the-right-guy-eventually remark. She only had to wait a second.
"If… or perhaps…"
"Spill it Laura. I'm sure your husband won't be too happy if I have to beat it out of you."
Laura just casually waved a hand, completely dismissing the assassin's threat. "I was just wondering if your answer would still have been the same if it was Steve doing the asking." She walked back to the kitchen table and pressed a gentle kiss to the top of Natasha's head, completely ignoring the stunned look on her face. As she reached the door, she turned around to give her friend a gentle look.
"Just think about it ok?"
A different day, a different kitchen, and Natasha and Laura were once again sitting at the table with mugs. Both had ditched the tea this time though, switching it up to strong coffee with some drops of whatever alcohol was in the bottle Natasha had found inside one of the cupboards. The fallout of the Sokovia Accords had left Clint in a prison and Natasha a fugitive, leading to their current situation – the Barton kids asleep in a bed that wasn't theirs, as both their mother and Auntie Nat had quickly and efficiently relocated the whole family to one of Clint's safehouses. The conversation between the two had been scarce, both of them too exhausted and too acutely aware that, come morning, Natasha would have to leave to make sure they remained safe, leaving Laura to fend for herself.
Which is why to say that Natasha was surprised when Laura started talking was an understatement. And even more so at the content of said conversation.
"I still don't understand why you're here."
Natasha couldn't help it as one of her eyebrows shot up. This was easy, being friends with Laura, and if she was honest with herself it always had been. It was why she was so comfortable just reacting to the other woman instead of checking every little tell, trying not to give anything away. Of course, it was also why Laura Barton could read her like a book – a foreign language book, no doubt, but still. Sometimes being friends with her was a bitch.
"I'm here to help you. But if you'd rather have me gone…"
"Don't be stupid. You know that's not what I meant."
And here we go again, Natasha thought. Girl talk. Goddamit, sometimes she just wished she would have kept Laura Barton at a distance and never become close with the woman. She could be just as infuriating as her husband, although, to his credit and Natasha's never ending surprise, Clint knew when he should just leave well enough alone. Laura had obviously skipped those classes.
"I don't understand what happened in Germany."
She squared her shoulders. "I told you what happened in Germany. Every single detail. Over and over." Natasha sighed out of sheer exhaustion. "I don't know what else to tell you."
"You told me but you didn't tell me." Laura was staring intently at her and Natasha couldn't help it, another eyebrow went up. God, she had to stop doing that.
"Is that supposed to make any sense?"
Laura finished her coffee and stood up, taking both mugs with her to the sink. As she returned to the table, Natasha noticed she had brought the bottle with her and was taking a healthy swig directly from it.
"As much as I appreciate the sentiment, I'm not sure getting drunk would be the wisest course of action right now."
Laura shrugged before passing her the bottle. "I'm not aiming for drunk but I think we both deserve a little something right now."
Natasha gingerly accepted the bottle. "Can't argue with that."
Laura was still watching her with what Natasha normally referred to as her mom look. "Germany."
"It's a country in Europe."
The quick reply was dripping with sarcasm. "Cute. Not funny but cute." Laura leaned across the table, retrieving the bottle. "You were on Tony's side. You were the only thing standing between Steve and a clean getaway."
Despite the alcohol and the weariness in her bones, Natasha was still able to muster up an indignant face. "Hey, I was never on Tony's side."
Laura ignored the remark. There was a point to be made here, and if Natasha refused to acknowledge it then she would just have to shove it in her face. "Course not. Because when push came to shove, you chose Steve's side." She leaned back in her chair, allowing the silence to stretch on for a few moments before continuing. "Which brings us right back to my earlier question. Why are you here? You knew what would happen when you made that call. You knew they'd come for you. Why didn't you go with him?"
As soon as the words were out of her mouth Laura regretted them, as she saw Natasha's shoulders sag slightly and her eyes dart nervously around the dingy kitchen. Vulnerable was not a word one would use to describe Natasha Romanoff but, at that moment, it was the only one at the forefront of Laura's mind. Her mind wandered to a different conversation, years ago, and she steeled herself for the answer she knew was coming.
"He didn't ask."
She loved Africa.
Maybe it was the heat, unbearable and unforgiving, beating down on her skin and giving it a nice warm glow. Growing up in Russia, God knows she had enough of the cold to last her for the rest of her life. Kenya was probably the most bizarre of all places for her to hide in, which made it absolutely perfect. Who would think to look for a redhead here?
Not that she was still a redhead but still.
She kept her pace relaxed as she watched the rapidly falling twilight. It would be completely dark within the few minutes that would take her to reach her place, a non-descript house in a non-descript neighborhood, where the people were nice and friendly and kept mostly to themselves.
As she approached her front yard, Natasha suddenly stopped. Everything seemed exactly as she had left it, down to the tiny piece of string still hanging from the gate, showing it hadn't been opened – sometimes the basic tricks were still the best. Still, there was definitely something… off. Maybe it was just a gut reaction.
Or maybe it was the inkling of a shadow by the side of her porch, one that she noticed immediately as she let her eyes do a quick sweep of the place. One that hadn't been there before. One that she recognized instantly, even as she berated herself for doing so.
She kept her voice deliberately low, knowing that he could hear her just the same. "Stealth isn't really your thing."
The shadow moved slightly, before shaking somewhat. Was he laughing? He better not be laughing.
His voice was only slightly higher than hers when he answered. "You're a hard woman to find."
"You should see me when I'm really trying." She could sense he was about to quip back so she raised a hand to stop him. She could see out of the corner of her eye as his shadow moved slightly back as she turned around to greet the couple arriving next door, before slowly making her way across the yard and into the house. It took a mere second before she heard the door closing behind her.
He looked around for a moment, letting the strangeness of the moment ebb by, if only a little. "This is… nice."
She turned around, giving him a thorough look before answering. "I'm trying out life as an interior decorator."
He smiled, that warm boyish smile before taking a step towards her. He seemed to hesitate just for a second before wrapping his arms around her. "The world will never know its own loss."
She laughed before taking a small step back. "How have you been soldier?"
"Good. Surprisingly, given the circumstances but…"
"You look good. I like the beard. Very manly." She couldn't help the teasing tone in her voice, and was rewarded when he self-consciently rubbed a hand across his beard before sitting down. He didn't blush though. Apparently, America's Golden Boy was finally learning how to take a compliment.
"Yeah, thanks. Noticed you're not a redhead anymore."
"It's harder to notice a brunette when all you're looking for is red hair. Have you learned nothing from me?" She had missed this, the easy bantering that came between them, even under the direst of circumstances. It was familiar, in a way she was beginning to fear she had lost for good. "Well, you obviously didn't. Took you long enough to find me, even with all the hints I've been sending your way."
He shrugged casually. "Yeah, I did sort of wander how was it that I was able to find you. So you knew where we were all along?" She arched an eyebrow at him and he nodded. "Of course you did." He leaned back against the couch, draping an arm over the back of it, looking more relaxed than either of them had the right to in the situation.
"I was beginning to think that I'd have to come to you instead."
"So why didn't you?" For all his relaxed posture, his voice was serious, his blue eyes burning into hers and she almost flinched at the sudden change in mood.
"I didn't think I'd be very welcome in Wakanda." He kept looking at her, that same intensity in his gaze. She could see he wasn't entirely buying it, calling her out on it without actually saying anything. Maybe he had learned something from her after all. She decided to try something closer to the truth. "I didn't know how welcoming everyone would be."
He was out of the couch and standing right in front of her before she could think about it. "Don't. Just… don't." His voice was strained and his face was stone hard. He took a deep breath before continuing. "You know you're always welcome. You'll always have a place with me."
She could feel a soft smile grazing her lips. It was a slip of the tongue, or maybe not. Either way, the hope it filled her with was real. "So what exactly brings you here Steve?"
He seemed surprised for a moment at the question, although he didn't shy away from it. "Well… I was wandering – well sort of hoping actually…." His gaze dropped down to his feet momentarily before meeting her eyes again. "I was kind of hoping that I'd be picking you up."
A flirtatious smirk graced her features almost instantly. "Picking me up soldier? What do you have in mind?" She watched with a strange sort of glee as he rubbed the back of his neck and couldn't help a small laugh when a faint blush colored his cheeks. There it was. She still had it.
"What I meant was…" He shook his head before giving her a shy, embarrassed little smile. "You know what I meant."
"Are you asking me to run away with you?" The flirtatious tone was definitely still there, even if she could tell it was joined by something else entirely. Something that felt and sounded a lot like happiness. She wandered if he could hear it too.
He let out a startled laugh at her choice of words, before letting it turn into a slow smile, one that was bright and warming and inviting. One that was entirely seductive. He reached a hand out towards her. "Will you? Run away with me?"
She didn't hesitate before taking his hand. She knew the answer to that.
"Yeah." She shrugged casually. "It'll be fun."