XI

Run

Natasha was faster than James that morning.

"Nice try," she said, catching the back of his shirt just as he was about to make a break for it out the fire escape. "I need help today, you're going to be next after I get the gown I need."

"Nope, I told Fury that I would be delighted to assist with security detail. From the roof. Where I don't need a tux," James said as she dragged him from the windowsill and toward the apartment door. She'd waited on purpose to go shopping on the day he wore his favorite jacket, so she could pull on it and he would go without a fuss as to not ruin the material. "Besides, I thought you hated shopping," he said, clearly in a last ditch effort to get out of going.

"Yes, well, this is for a mission. And S.H.I.E.L.D. is footing the bill, so let's go," Natasha said, keeping a firm grip on his jacket collar.

James tried once to fight, grabbing onto the doorframe and holding onto it, but a tug on his jacket reminded him of the dangers of resisting.

As it turned out though, when they got to the department store at the nearest mall, they found out James wasn't the only soul suffering.

Steve Rogers was fighting to stay awake, sitting in one of the plastic chairs in the fitting rooms. Surrounded by shopping bags, he nodded in tired greeting to James as he and Natasha walked in. "Sharon here?" Natasha asked, pausing with the few gowns she had to try on.

Steve nodded toward the nearest fitting room. "Another one of her cousins is getting married in two weeks, she couldn't get out of it before the RSVP date," he said, shrugging with one shoulder as James sat down next to him.

"How many cousins does she have?" Natasha asked, frowning. "Didn't another get married three weeks ago?"

"My mom has four sisters, all of whom have two to four kids each. Do the math," Sharon's muffled voice said from the other side of the door. "Ever since Erin caught me wearing the same dress to several family functions, she will not tolerate me at family gatherings and I do want to see some of the nicer cousins."

"I do not envy you, my dear," Natasha said before disappearing into her fitting room. "James, I'll need your opinion in a moment."

She and Sharon inevitably got distracted, chatting about previous missions that had involved getting dressed up for. They both agreed that the favorite part in the preparation had to be dressing up the significant others that would be attending, although Steve and Sharon were getting paired together more frequently since their engagement. They were just discussing what tuxedo or dinner suit would look good on James for Steve's and Sharon's wedding when it occurred to Natasha that it was very, very quiet outside the doors.

"Sharon?"

"Yes?"

"Please tell me they didn't."

Sharon was quiet for a moment, and then Natasha heard the creaking of the wooden door as Sharon looked outside.

"They did," she said finally, sighing as she went back into the little room and shut the door again. "Shall we find them?"

"Let me finish this first, mission prep takes priority," Natasha replied as she stepped out of her little room. "Now what do you think of this one?"

A/N: Prompt: Shopping