CHAPTER 2 – NOW WHO'S THE SMART ONE?
"Thankyou, Dr Erskine, I'm glad to be here." Natasha says, not for the first time thankful that Howard bought her some more fitting clothes.
"Well, let's get started shall we." Erskine says. We nod and get to work, Dr Erskine and two other doctors on the serum and Howard and Natasha on the blueprints of the machine, they both decided that since it was going to get built anyway it wouldn't matter if she helped make it quicker since either way the experiment would be at the same time. A few hours later Dr Erskine was explaining a bit of the chemistry of the serum to Natasha on one side of the lab while Howard calmed down on the other, they had a bit of an argument about the machine, he was designing to wrong and she knew he would have it change it but he decided that she was wrong. After a while she went back to work with Howard.
"No, you're going to build it wrong if you do it like that, the serum will be injected into his arms Howard not his head." Natasha said a while later knowing that Howard was building it too big for Steve. Of course he was designing it for a normal sized person, and it needed to be big for when he grew but the injection points needed to be lower.
"Yes and with how low you want them it will be in his legs." He yelled back, despite the fact that we were standing right next to each other.
"Du bist so ein Scheiß Kopf just listen to me!" Natasha yelled back, she had a habit of changing languages when she was angry, unfortunately she didn't account for the fact that there was a German in the room. (You are such a shit head) All translations will be written in brackets like this after the language has been used
"Das ist sehr störend zu hören, die von einem so hübsch Fraulein!" Dr Erskine said. Howard just laughed at me assuming I'd gotten in trouble. (That is very disturbing to hear coming from one so pretty Ms)
"Ich entschuldige Mich Doktor Erskine, aber er ist sehr Schwein geleitet." Natasha responded. (My apologies doctor Erskine, but he was being very pig headed.)
"Das ist nicht der Punkt Fräulein, aber ich bin neugierig, warum hast du das gelernt, Deutsch zu sprechen?" Dr Erskine replies. (That is beside the point Miss, however I am curious why did you learn to speak German?)
"Ich wurde dazu erzogen, viele Sprachen zu sprechen, Deutsch war einer von ihnen." Natasha answers. (I was raised to speak many languages, German was one of them)
"Well, it is very impressive Fräulein." Erskine says. Natasha nods and smiles at him. She then turns to Howard.
"Look, Howard the guy that gets picked is about my height and skinnier than I am." Natasha whispers very quietly to Howard only just loud enough for him to hear.
"How is that guy even alive?" Howard asks, Natasha just shrugs at him. So they get back to work. After that first day of work she heads to the room she was given. Natasha has been there all of ten minutes when there was a knock on the door, then it opened and in walked Howard.
"You know, generally when one knocks on a door they wait for an answer." Natasha informs him, though she smirks at him.
"Yeah, whatever, look. I have a problem with getting you home. You see there is no way to make it safer, someone would just have to walk onto the wrong bit of floor and they'll get whisked to the future, it would have to be on at a certain point in building and I've got nowhere to build it so that no one steps on it." Howard explains.
"No kidding, a bit of floor? Well, the other bad news is I would need to be at the right spot in Manhattan so I get sent to the right spot, which means that in the middle of New York anyone who steps there gets sent to the future, can you maybe make it portable?" Natasha asks.
"Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes. Oh Natasha that's brilliant! You know, I'm gonna tell Tony one day about this amazing and hot redhead that gave me the best idea of my career!" Howard says enthusiastically. Again Natasha has to remind herself that he was horrible to Tony. "So, do you want to go get a drink, maybe dinner, the cafeteria here is disgusting!" Howard explains, she looks him over for a second considering everything wrong with accepting that request.
"Yeah, sure! Let me grab my coat." Natasha answers instead. So they head out, they walk to a bar that's a little full but not extremely over crowded. "So what is this place?" Nat asks.
"It's the Stork Club. All the soldiers come here in their down time and they have the best cheeseburger in Manhattan!" Howard says. "I mean, most women get a salad but, you aren't exactly most women are you?" he asks.
"No, I'm not. And a cheeseburger sounds great." Tasha reassures him.
"So, tell me. How does a beautiful dame like you end up in your line of business?" Howard asks being deliberately subtle.
"I wasn't most children either." She responds vaguely. "I wasn't raised like most kids, nor did I have the opportunity to like things most little girls like." She says. He nods and makes a mental note to ask when they aren't in public. All of a sudden a red head that Natasha recognises to be Peggy Carter, from the drawings she's seen of Steve's, walks over.
"Howard Stark on a date, not something I ever thought I'd see." She says.
"Ahh Peggy, nice to see you too. This is Natasha, Tasha this is Peggy Carter." He introduces despite the fact that I knew exactly who she was.
"Pleasure to meet you, and this is most certainly not a date." Natasha says politely.
"Well in that case, the pleasure is all mine." Peggy says.
"Ok, seriously what is so unbelievable about me having a date?" Howard asks.
"Really? It's you Stark, must you ask?" Nat asks. Peggy laughs. He just glares at me.
"Well, I'll leave you two to it, enjoy your night." She says walking off.
"Most certainly not a date? Really, am I that repulsive?" he asks.
"Howard, your son is a good friend of mine, so it's not that your repulsive it's that everything I've heard about you is from Tony's point of view. Which makes it kind of creepy to think about being on a date with you." Nat explains.
"Oh, well fair enough then I guess." He says. After dinner we stayed and drank for a while, even danced a little bit before he walked me back to my door. "Night Tasha, I'll see you tomorrow." He says.
"Night Howard." Natasha responds, she closes the door and leans against it for a minute, as she does she realises that he's been calling her Tasha half the night and she didn't mind. She just shook her head and went to bed deciding not to read too much into it.
The next day she goes into the lab to get to work.
"Guten Morgen Fräulein Romanoff." Dr Erskine says when she enters the lab. (Good Morning Miss Romanoff.)
"Guten Morgen Doktor Erskine." Natasha responds. (Good Morning Doctor Erskine.)
"Oh you two aren't going to start it with the German again, I find it very disconcerting. For all I know you're talking about me." Howard says from his desk.
"Yes, because you're our main topic of conversation. Dumm Kopf." Natasha responds. (Dumb head).
"Ok how about this, either of you know French?" Howard asks, Dr Erskine and I nod. "Alright, well that you can speak. Then I know what you're saying." He states.
"Oui monsieur!" Natasha says sarcastically. (Yes sir). And so began the tradition of speaking French in the lab. The next two weeks we spoke French to each other in the lab, Howard and Natasha would be having a conversation in English on the way to the lab, then the second they stepped inside they would switch mid-sentence to French. Then one day Dr Erskine came running into the lab.
"Je lui ai trouvé, il est parfait. Je ai choisi le sujet. Je suis sur Mon chemin pour aller lui parler. Ne pas briser le lab alors que je Suis allé!" He yelled, grabbing his briefcase; coat and hat before running out the same way he came in. (I've found him, he's perfect. I've chosen the subject. I'm on my way to go speak to him. Don't break the lab while I'm gone!)
"Finally, I was wondering when that would happen." Natasha said to Howard when they left the lab, having been on their way out when Dr Erskine ran in.
"Yeah same, though for you I imagine more so. So Stork club?" Howard asked, they had gone every night since the first night, but being the forties he asked every night.
"I'm in." She said. And so they went to the club.
"I assume you want your usual?" Howard asks when they walk in.
"Yes thankyou." Natasha responds. They both found their different speaking patterns interesting, Howard found himself saying things that Natasha says in front of Peggy that other people just don't say, and Natasha found herself sounding more and more like a proper lady from the forties. That night, they both drunk more than they should have, though neither were extremely drunk, they danced and ate a cheeseburger, and then drunk a bit more. Once again as has been the pattern every other night, Howard walked Nat to her door.
"Good night, Nat." Howard says.
"Good night, Howard." Natasha responded, they both stared at each other for a second, then the next moment they were making out. When they stopped for a breath they decided they needed to talk, and that given the circumstances, it couldn't wait until tomorrow. So they talked late into the night, about every reason them dating would be just plain wrong, continually coming back to the fact that Natasha might not be here long, and Tony. But that night they also kissed again, they spent the night together. And I don't mean sleeping together, I mean talking laughing, kissing and eventually falling asleep next to each other on Natasha's bed. The next morning Howard woke up first he looked over at Natasha and dreaded what he knew he had to ask when she woke up.
"Are you just going to lie there and stare at me all day?" Natasha asks when she wakes up and feels him looking at her.
"Thinking about it, good morning Tasha." He says.
"Mornin' Howard." Natasha responds.
"So, now that neither of us are drunk, what do you think about what we talked about last night?" Howard asked.
"I think that you look really hot when you wake up." She says to answer him, before kissing him again.
"The future is a very forward time isn't it. Haha, a relationship with you is going to be quite odd isn't it?" he asks.
"Ohhh yeah, be prepared for me swearing like a drunken sailor and being forward." She responds. They both laugh. "Oh god, when I get back to the future I will never be able to look at Tony in the same way!" Natasha says. They get up and get ready for the day, Howard going back to his room to shower and change, before they head into the lab.
"Ahh, Natasha, Howard il a accepté. Son nom est Steven Rogers s semblent préférer Steve." Dr Erskine informs us when we walk in. (Ahh, Natasha, Howard he agreed. His name is Steven Rogers, though he does seem to prefer Steve.)
"Voilà de bonnes nouvelles Docteur Erskine. Quand il arrivé ici?" Natasha asked as she and Howard walked over to the desk they share to grab the blueprints and put their stuff down. (That's great news Doctor Erskine, when does he get here?)
"Il est arrivé avec moi hier, il est actuellement en formation. Je crois qu'il court le circuit en une demi- heure si vous voulez marquer le long dans la voiture avec l'agent Carter, elle peut le remarquer. Bien sûr, elle aurait à accepter de vous apporter, mais vous deux se entendent si bien que cela ne devrait pas être un problème." Dr Erskine says, he seemed very excited about Steve. (He arrived back with me yesterday, he's currently in training. I believe he's running the circuit in half an hour so if you want to tag along in the car with Agent Carter, she can point him out. Of Course she'd have to agree to bring you but you two get along well so that shouldn't be a problem.)
"Bien sûr, merci médecin." Natasha says looking over to Howard who nods letting her know that he can manage to not blow up the lab if she's gone for a little while. (Of course, thankyou doctor.)
"Natasha, I'm going to start building the machine today so if you want to help start it don't be too long, coz with this thing I will start it as soon as safely possible." Howard says being the first person to speak English in the lab for weeks.
"Oui Monsieur." Natasha says sarcastically giving him a flirty wink on the way out. (Yes Sir.)