A/N; Thank you for reading! Please review, follow, favorite if you're interested in more.
"You really should visit Cali sometime- like, not during a crisis so we can hit up the beach."
Brody leans his elbow on the cafeteria table and rests his chin over his hand;
"I wanna go California."
Lucy sizes up Brody with one eye closed;
"Do you swim?"
Izabella can't help but chuckle, her borrowed book open on the table;
"Brody is definition of athleticism. He do all of it."
He dodges her swinging ponytail;
"Watch your hair sis! You've whacked me twice."
The girl tugs at the end of her longer hair to restrain it, "Sorry."
"You're good, it's cool."
"Izabella!"
Two girls come over toward their table, sharing a story in their own language with the Russian who listens intently.
Brody waves toward the girls once they part ways after their short visit and Lucy motions to do the same. Izabella shrugs, returning to the two-some;
"They talking about Steve turning training into art project homework."
Brody holds his head, "Ohh! Good thing you missed yesterday Lucy. It was awful!"
Lucy drops her eyes across the table toward the book out and open in Izabella's area. The gibberish diagrams and numbers are enough to make her dizzy. She taps her food against the table leg;
"Whatcha reading there friend."
Izabella lifts it and turns the opened page toward Lucy;
"It's neuroscience, breaking down the brain, Vrach Banner gave to me to borrow."
The California girl points toward the younger boy, "No gifts for Bro-bro?"
The boy scoffs, "Girl! No matter what nickname you come out with, it's still two syllables. Say it with me; Bro-dy."
Izabella holds her chin, "He not come to visit. Not like hospitals."
He snaps defensively, backing up to gesture accordingly;
"They freak me out!"
"Hey."
Izabella's eyes go wider over the sight of her blond haired acquaintance as he steps toward the table. She swallows hard over his presence. Lucy and Brody share a look of pure disgust and shift their gaze as the Russian invites the boy to sit with them.
With a slow rotation of their heads, the disapproving two-some each wrinkle their noses. Izabella narrows her focus as if to encourage them both to drop the expression in front of her crush.
John slides his bigger backpack over the table without asking, pleasantly surprised when an eager Izabella shifts her own belongings. He folds his hands and moves the bangs from his forehead with a sly focus on Lucy;
"So. Miss Lucile Jameson."
She twitches, deepening her voice in a scoff, "Congratulations, you learned my last name."
"And that you like to dance."
Izabella nods with a bite over her lip, eyes fixated on the boy as she adjusts her hair. Lucy lifts her eyebrows and lowers her head;
"Did you skip homework to do that research,' she glances upward to see him snatch up Izabella's book, 'Don't bother it doesn't have any pictures."
Brody laughs loudly and raises a hand to high-five the girl across the table for her remark.
John nods over the tag team and hands it back to Izabella;
"I just came by to ask if the dancer and her friends were planning on auditioning for the play."
Izabella nods and glances toward Lucy;
"You should do it!"
Brody wrinkles his nose over the thought, "I won't. I'm not a canary."
Lucy tilts her head, "It's none of your business what I do with my life."
John leans forward, his eyes low toward the table, "There's, nothing wrong with 'Dancing Through Life.'"
Lucy pauses, eyes shifting to her phone screen with the infamous "Wicked" poster." She snatches up her active device to shove it into her bag.
John smirks over her reaction and knocks on the table with a knuckle before standing;
"Guess I'll see you all tomorrow."
Lucy lowers her eyebrows, "Do you not have training tonight? Are you a frequent absentee?"
Izabella interjects, "He not have powers."
"Then why aren't you any of the other 8 rooms with the normal kids, like, why are you in ours..."
John smirks with a ready explanation, "My dad's in SHEILD. I prefer classes with the P.S's."
"Powered Students," Brody translates.
Lucy shakes her head, questioning his interest in their group, "Okay...who is your dad?"
"Kyle Murphy."
"How mainstream," Lucy replies with a snarky tone.
"Anyways, I should be going. I'll see you all tomorrow. Bye Izzy."
Izabella waves her fingers with a shoulder lift as he makes his way from the table, "Bye."
Brody drums each of his fingers over the table, staring down his adopted sister. Izabella shrugs and hides her blushing cheeks behind the book.
Lucy shifts her focus between the boy and her friends, "What's the play."
Brody shakes his head, "Who in the heck knows-"
"Cause he'd be a great Gaston."
"Ohhh burn!" The boy nods approvingly and reaches a hand across the table for a fist bump.
Izabella looks up from her book with a tilted head, "You do not need to be mean to him."
"Look who suddenly knows her perfect English when 'Ram Sweeney' is involved,' Lucy widens her stare, 'Just because you have the hots for him doesn't mean we need to tolerate him bursting our very tight bubble."
Brody lifts his fist again and Lucy consents without looking. Izabella exhales with an eye roll. She pauses momentarily, returning to her book as she answers Lucy's previous question;
"The play is 'Grease.' And I not participate because I have training."
Lucy grins, offering her analysis with a sincere compliment when she senses their friends aggravation;
"Setting aside an extremely questionable, overrated, sexist, incredibly negative story about changing one's self, not to become better but to be who someone else wants them to be, which you shouldn't ever do- I digress! You'd be the perfect Sandy."
Izabella returns the grin with the wiggling of her nose as she chuckles;
"Do that make you Betty Rizzo?"
Lucy scoffs, "Wow! I'm actually sincerely impressed with your reference."
She lifts her shoulders, "Darcy Lewis show me."
"But so. Like... So look; That boy you're drooling over is Danny, not in any of the two good ways; he doesn't even have the looks and I seriously doubt he can dance."
The younger girl shuts her book with a lean forward, "He dance. He know 'Wicked.'"
"No. Just no. His obvious flirtatious nature makes my eye twitch."
Izabella flutters her eyes dramatically, hugging the book into her chest, "But his eyes."
"No, no!"
"Maybe you jealous? You ask him to prom?"
"Heck to the frickin no!"
Brody stands as he spots the clock and scoops his backpack, "Yeah, I'm out."
"Dude! You can't be out! Your sister needs help to make better life choices!"
Izabella laughs over the playful aggression in Lucy's voice and the way Brody is all too quick to catch up with his friend group.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
"Surprise!"
"Welcome home!"
Natasha pauses in the doorway, greeted by the overly excited residents of the tower. Alex charges forward with his mouth open and his tail wagging at full speed. Banner brushes her good shoulder, supporting at her side. Pepper chuckles at Romanoff's opposite side, content to see Tony consented to Darcy's suggested brighter decor.
Agmundr and Agatha step forward to greet Natasha as Jane scrambles to scoop her twins from the path;
"Get back here, right now!"
Darcy runs forward, successfully catching Agmundr;
"Got the boy!"
Steve reaches a gentle hand forward, crouched to the ground as Agatha tip toes at his urging;
"I've got the girl. Come on, a little closer..."
Thor interrupts Rogers gentle coaching by scooping his daughter into his arms and up over his shoulders;
"We are pleased to see you Lady Banner."
Natasha smiles, holding Thor's softer stare. He holds her arm an extra moment and Natasha returns the hold, grateful for his aid;
"Thanks Thor."
She reaches to brush the small cheek of a humming Agatha, busy chanting her Asgardian nursery rhyme as she rocks over Thor's shoulders.
Natasha takes a seat at Darcy's urging. She takes the one beside her, eager to connect with her friend;
"Okay! I'm sure you're eager to sleep but we have some catching up to do. Ready?!"
Natasha brushes her hair behind her ear, trying to give the team the attention they're all begging for;
"I'm ready."
Darcy taps Natasha's forearm, mixing a cocktail with the other for the two-some;
"Ian! Asked! Me to move in with him!"
Romanoff widens her tired stare, lifting the stem of her glass, "Wow. That's a big step. First I'm hearing about this guy."
"Oh,' she reaches into her pocket, 'I mean, I texted you..."
"Sorry Darcy, I've been off the grid lately."
"You know what, never mind! Point is! I need to show you his place..."
Pepper catches up with Tony who stands in the back, content with his strong arm wrapped around her waist as Antonia comes running.
Jennifer enters with a tap on Banner's shoulder. With a smile missing from her expression she leads him down the hall. He runs a hand through his messy curls, in their quiet space away from the team, his hands shoving into his pockets. Jennifer moves to dig through a previously opened envelope held tightly against her torso in a suspicious maneuver. He lowers his volume over the distrust in her odd choice of action;
"What do you have."
She glances over her shoulder and shoves he letter into his chest;
"This first. Which has been covered, I told John after I did it so he's not thrilled but he understands. I debated on hiding it from you entirely but you should know because- well read it."
He unfolds the letter hesitantly, tired eyes reading over the official complaint for a dog bite. He exhales heavily;
"So...Tasha's right about someone else being at the park that night..."
Jennifer nods as if to bring him up to speed a little faster;
"Yeah it proves this Theodore guy was present and got bit by Alex which Tony confirms is completely out of character for your canine-"
"9,000 dollars worth of damages...?! For what?! Did he not see my wife get shot-"
"No. He didn't confess anything and I admit I got a little- well green,' she snatches it back with a hand raised, 'Like I said, that's covered. I wrote the bastard a check this morning plus a little extra with the promise that he'll leave your dog alone."
"You didn't have to-"
"I did, it's done. My point being; there's a part of Natasha's story that is accurate but can't be proven through DNA tests. So Tony and I went through the security footage surrounding the tower. Here's my problem; the tapes from 11:56-12:30 are the glitching a coincidence? I vote no..."
Bruce pauses thoughtfully, pressing his weight up against the wall behind him. She shrugs as she continues;
"I don't want to doubt your team, but-"
"Have you checked the SHIELD sheets? Any new names, interns-"
"They were all interns on the forensic team."
"Okay. Well I'd start there. Do you have a list of names?"
Jennifer hands him a second folded paper;
"I've started the research by collecting names, family connections and highlighted the ones that make me the greenest. I started a complete analysis on Olga and Kyle- I mean that name! Kyle?!"
He scoffs, "Olga's harmless."
Walters crosses her arms, pulling the sleeves of her cold-shoulder sweater;
"If you say so. Seems like a cryptic old lady with secrets to me."
Stark knocks on the side of the wall, intruding their conversation with a casual smile;
"What up. Did you tell him about my damaged security footage?"
Jennifer points, covering her mouth with the edge of her sweater;
"Yep. We're on that. But you can go sit down until you promise to leave my daughter alone!"
Bruce lifts a protective brow, fully prepared to defend Lucy. Tony chuckles and defends himself;
"She wanted to help! What's wrong with her spying through the dark telescope to tell me what she sees."
Banner glances toward his cousin for clarification she rolls her eyes over;
"Night of the gun shots he decides to let Lucy help in the investigation without telling me. I'm pissed."
Bruce contorts his mouth, glares between the two-some and drops his raised hand holding the documents. He shakes his head as he walks back through the hall. Stark raises his voice in defense;
"I didn't do anything."
Jennifer scoffs, "Really?! Doc! Tell him-"
Bruce shakes his head, "I have work to do."
Tony smirks wider, "Come on man-"
"Work it out Tony..."
Walters tightens her arms across her chest, giving the engineer a sold and unwavering stare down.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
"What could be more interesting then us-"
Lucy inhales sharply as she makes her way through the doors of the training center, unable to resist the urge to howl through the echoing hallway.
Brody chuckles and mimics her coyote call.
Izabella shakes her head with her own laugh, tossing her backpack aside to give her friends a hug as the enter the hall.
Lucy remains busy with Brody stepping out in the center of the auditorium as she tests the sound of her brushing shoes against the floor;
"I mean the acoustics in this place are impeccable."
She takes a wide seconde, back flapping and stepping in her tap dance sequence. Brody joins in as best he can as she shuffles to change direction.
Izabella waits for her rowdy friends to complete their attempt at squeaking their sneakers across the floor. With an arm wrapped around two of her friends she points to the blue-haired teenager in the middle;
"This is Lucy."
"Hi!"
"Hey!"
"What's up?!"
"Where you from?"
Lucy pauses as she's encircled by the other students of varying age groups, attempting to give each of them a greeting. She stutters, pleasantly surprised by everyone's kindness and genuine smiles;
"I'm. Um. Hi...?"
Brody dashes further down the hallway, whistling for the group to follow;
"Come on folks; ya'll can hang out later. We're gonna be late."
Izabella links elbows with one of her friends, catching the shoulder of one of the boys;
"Oh Garrett, meet Lucy! She have similar powers."
The boy waves with a friendly grin, "Nice to meet ya. You staying a while?"
The California girl gives a shrug,
"We'll see."
She pauses in her tracks, catching the mysterious figure in her peripheral. With the flip of her bangs she moves closer and exhales over Barton's cryptic stance;
"You alive there bud or are you just stalking us-"
Maria intrudes with a clipboard, handing out her papers to the students;
"Alright, todays agenda is a little different. We know you weren't a fan of Steve's art project so we're going back to actual activities. Clint's going to host some target practice, I have a presentation on health and then we have a work out. We have an agent upstairs, I'm taking main level, Clint you're outside-"
He nods, "Two teams. Intermingle. No clicks, I'm talking to you Tina and Riley, Brody and Garrett!"
Maria clutches her com, "I need one more volunteer to monitor outside."
Izabella lifts her shoulders, "I usually help when Natasha not around."
Maria nods, "Great. You can run the workout. Everybody good? Go. Don't kill each other."
Barton grins with a glance toward the agent who drops her clipboard onto the table;
"Can we get you for one round on the obstacle course?"
Maria shakes her head solemnly, hand instinctively rubbing over her stomach, "Ask me after this is over."
He nods, "So what's you're plan."
She scoffs, "I like the idea of hiding in the office to analyze adoption requests. Besides, it looks like the fearless leaders are behind on submitting files to Fury- So I'm gonna do that."
"On purpose?"
"Doesn't matter. I think they conveniently forget this is SHIELD run."
He pauses thoughtfully before repeating himself, "Maybe it's on purpose."
She snaps with her voice above a whisper, "Oh come on Clint everything needs to be submitted. I said I was writing Fury not SHIELD."
Clint claps his hands together once she makes her way to the offices. He turns to address the mob. The archer leans his hands over the banister to address those waiting underneath and on the steps;
"Alright! Outside! Split yourselves up into two groups, red and blue. Go grab some weapons and let's go!"
Lucy drops her jaw with a cautious turn towards Brody, "Like, are we actually shooting each other?!"
He dismisses her hesitation as he cheers with the others and moves to locate their weapon room;
"You've never heard of paintball?"
Clint interrupts with the wave of his hand, calling the girl to the side;
"Lucy."
She obeys, hand nervously clutching her elbow. Her eyes shift downward as he reveals a white Mongolian bow with silver etching. The teen takes it with slight hesitation, overwhelmed by the gift that is sized perfectly for her. Lucy's voice lowers as she comments;
"It's, heavy..."
"It's a 'welcome to the team' type, present. Don't worry I have no interest in becoming your best friend."
The bend is slight as he encourages her to lift and aids in correcting her position. She chuckles as he hands her an arrow;
"You don't even know if I'm staying or if I can shoot with this. My eyes are kinda dependent on it being dark-"
"You think you need powers to do everything? Take a test shot."
He smirks, encouraging her to casually fire toward the wooden door. The raise in her eyebrows demand an explanation he provides as he readjusts her stance once more;
"It's not called a training center for nothing. Separate your feet more, align your elbow more like this. Use your muscles, stronger...hold it there. Now, focus, keep both eyes open...don't shoot until you're in complete control..."
Lucy takes her corrections, exhaling as she holds the solid weapon and takes her shot. With a gasp she allows the weight of the bow to cause her arm to drop, jaw agape over the central location of her arrow now residing in the door.
Barton taps her shoulder, ready to move on as if her perfect aim were everything he had already expected. With a flourish he hands her a delicate quiver full of arrows. She watches as he snatches up his own gear and moves toward the steps;
"Come on. Time for your initiation."
Lucy pivots once more to see her perfect shot. Giddy as she studies the weapon she was previously against. She allows herself to laugh a little louder with a prideful skip in her step. Maybe having Clint wouldn't be so bad after all.
"Lucy!"
She jumps over his commanding call, chasing behind her mentor.
As the last one to exit the facility, Lucy can barely let the door close behind her before being mauled by an onslaught of blue inked paintballs.
She gasps over the stinging, aiming her bow as she hears the laughter from the blue team as they ran through the courtyard. Lucy takes her arrow and targets a giggling Brody, with the spring of her bow she gasps over the green tinged circle that envelops her arrow.
Izabella stands over the balcony, smirking as the girls make eye contact. Her fingers raise with a twitch, opposite hand over her hip as she shows off the stolen, dulled, ink exploding tipped arrow in her hand.
Lucy snarls playfully, prepared to take down the blue team single handedly;
"Alright, that's-! -Ow!"
She hops with a frustrated laugh as she spots Clint's shot that grazes her shoulder. He chases her down;
"Move girl! You keep standing there and I'll shoot you again."
"Wait! She cheated! And you can't! You're on red with me!"
Clint takes his own aim and shrugs matter-of-factly, "I'm in charge so I can do what I want."
Lucy tosses the quiver over her shoulder and embraces her role as she moves to take aim. With an opened mouth laugh she successfully shoots toward Izabella and adds a point to her team.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Natasha waits on their sofa with her right hand busy petting over Alex. Her headphones block out most noise though she prefers to have the radio on this particular evening. Their small white clock reaches twelve-thirty as she looks up to check the time. She pulls in her cheek, pausing in the tapping of her pen as she deciphers the last of her Morse code project.
The back of her gifted notebook meant for dream analysis is quickly turned into a transaction of complex voicemails from her currently targeted criminal. Alex rolls onto his side, shifting with a wide mouth yawn as she reaches to remove her headphones, reaching forward to rub at his rib cage.
The shepherd takes up most of the sofa with his outstretched legs and moves to evict Natasha's notebook from the cushion. She drops her jaw and tickles him with both hands;
"You! Little devil."
Romanoff pauses over their play, listening a quiet hum from Banner's office. She bites her lip over the sound, hearing him softly singing along to her radio. She pauses in her movement to soak in the breaking down of his walls;
"I'm speechless, you already know that you're my weakness...after all this time I'm just as nervous every time you walk into the room..."
Natasha steadies Alex to locate her phone. She bites her lip once more, choosing to send him a text in the hope that he has his device nearby. She'd prefer to read his reply even though her husband is in the other room;
'You should learn this song on piano for me'
Natasha lowers her phone over the read receipt with a satisfied smirk and leans over to lift her notebook. With the pause of his humming she reaches to check her device, eagerly awaiting his reply;
'I'll play when you can dance'
Her fingers adjust over the screen;
'I can sing in the meantime if you ask nicely.'
She shuts her screen, stacking the loose equipment within the living room. Alex leaps from his position over the door to Banner's office creaking as it opens wider. Natasha looks up to spot his entrance as he stands between the two rooms;
"You know I'll take hearing your voice over any other offer. Especially texting."
"Alright you old man,' with a contorted grin she sits at the edge with her hands clasped, 'You seemed busy."
"Not old, just old fashioned," he jokes.
Bruce makes his way over to Natasha and urges an easily excitable Alex to follow with a quick whistle. She turns her head, nudging him as he settles beside her;
"Are you gonna tell me what you were up to all night."
He brushes it off with a preference for her company;
"Just work."
Natasha retrains the urge to tussle his curls and lifts her hands over his glasses instead. She removes them with a steady hand as she watches his cocoa stare shift to her wrapped shoulder;
"If you ask to check my injury, I might run you through with a knife."
He complies with her not so subtle request to avoid the obvious. With a forced grin he momentarily dismisses thoughts on a potential SHEILD mole and focuses on her playful stare.
With a shift in her position she lifts her knees over his lap, tucking a pillow underneath her head. He shakes his own as she adjusts, tucking his glasses over her head;
"Are you comfortable?"
She glares from behind her screen, feeling his palm caress her knee;
"As comfortable as I can be."
"You should probably-"
"Please! Don't. I'm comfortable I'm fine."
Banner fixates downward over her abrupt reply, afraid to move as she continues to settle. Alex whimpers comfortably from the ground, pawing at his bone to move it closer.
Bruce shifts slowly to move his elbow over the back of the sofa. He holds his head as he stares down toward her stern expression. With a hesitant mumble he bravely addressed her dismay;
"You look like you're in pain."
She forces a laugh with a crack in her voice that breaks his heart;
"I heal fast, I'll be okay. I can rotate my shoulder now. Thank the red room- I guess."
He contorts his mouth as he refocuses the rage in his eyes away from her view. His thumb presses gently into her calf, tenderly stroking at her skin as he makes his way toward her foot. With a firmer grip he presses his fingers into her arch;
"What do you need- did you. I'm not going to ask."
"Yes Vrach. I took my pain meds."
Natasha swipes through her device, setting it on the table once she's made her playlist selection.
He rolls his thumb up her foot, seeing her chest rise and fall steadily over his contact. She shifts her head to better see his expression.
Banner lifts the corner of his mouth over her song, focused on his work;
"Moon River."
She grins nostalgically, reaching to encase his hand with her own, fingers clutching him tightly;
"Bruce."
He lifts an eyebrow cautiously, "Natasha..."
She rolls her eyes over his anxious response;
"Trying to be romantic here Vrach..."
He widens his stare playfully;
"Tossing your feet on my lap, that's cute. My, brain didn't translate that as romantic."
She reaches a hand up through her hair to locate the frames, jaw dropping as he continues;
"-If you break those I'm blind."
Jokingly she holds them in one hand making a snapping motion. He mumbles;
"Well there goes this week's pay check...fixing things my wife continues to break. Her shoulder, her hip...Alex will need a job just to support his mother's medical expenses. And you think you're going on missions after this- I'm not letting you take a walk-"
Lowering her eyebrows she can't help but chuckle as she tosses his glasses into the table;
"Careful or I'll break something else of yours."
"At least you'll be down an arm if this one falls off, so, one less limb to dodge."
Natasha rolls her eyes, reaching her fingers to pinch his shoulder as she releases her restrained chuckle;
"Are you drugged or just delirious."
"Both?"
He shrugs with an unreadable smirk over her second disapproving pinch. He brushes her knee with a blank expression. Natasha tilts her head over the doctor's downward focus. She returns to hugging his hand, rolling her fingers over his pressure points as she pries;
"You got quiet."
His eyes stay low with his mind elsewhere;
"Can you go through exactly what happened that night-"
"Ugh Bruce-"
"Just one more time."
Natasha uses his shoulder for support to move herself upright. With a hand caught within her wavy hair she exhales heavily.
"We've gone through this,' the master spy widens her eyes over his disgruntled expression, 'This is what you've been doing all night isn't it."
Bruce crosses his arms, focusing forward, "Jen gave me information and we think there's a reason for glitching security footage, inconclusive forensic tests..."
"So. You don't think I'm crazy."
"I never said you were crazy. You've just been off, acting out on nightmares."
She twists her jaw, restraining an eye roll;
"I didn't shoot myself."
"Okay! Is it horrible I'm trying to figure out who did."
Banner dismisses the topic over here adamant expression. Alex stirs beside Bruce's feet, lifting his head over the tension between his masters. Natasha reaches for his shoulder, uninterested in reliving her account;
"I've been through much worse."
"No way," he mumbles sarcastically.
"Bruce, analyzing this a million different ways won't miraculously give you answers."
"I have names-"
"Then give them to me, it's literally my job to get a confession."
He pulls gently from her grasp with a tug at his curls and a grumble as he stands. She clenches her jaw as he parts from her hold;
"You're not protecting me by keeping secrets."
He breaks, not wanting to share information on Natasha's most trusted confidants; "Fine. Olga, your Russian buddy, from Black Ops, she's been deleting reports. I didn't want to look but I did. Kyle's got dirt with the government, he's thrown Fury under the bus twice this month with multiple accounts of blackmail... what Natasha? Why are you smiling..."
Natasha shakes her head as she listens quietly. He presses;
"What? You think I'm crazy for questioning your teammates..."
The Russian lifts her focus with a sarcastic head tilt, tucking her fist under her chin. He shifts uneasily over her lack of a response. She breathes deeply, reaching to slide her notebook closer to him. With a soft correction she points to her decoding;
"Who's voicemails do you think I've been tapping into the past two days."
He reaches to tug at the back of his neck with a humbled expression. She watches as he changes his mind about talking, filling him in with a softer tone;
"I've known about Olga for the past year. Kyle's latest partner in crime was taken down yesterday, Barton's mission. I can't share the details."
He bites his lip, hands moving to his hips;
"...wow."
Natasha nods, laying her hand over the book;
"Jennifer pulled the files at 12:48, Fury tipped me off to alter a few facts to protect our undercover operation from reaching Olga...She's been trying to undermine me on a bunch of my more recent jobs. She has no idea that I'm playing along. Um... Pennsylvania was another one of the Black Ops spies we rescued two years ago. They're all slowly defecting from SHEILD one by one."
"...who shot you."
"I don't know, but I've been making enemies. I'm busy making some classified connections with a bunch of hidden figures to help filter out the defectors...Africa, Paris. I can't elaborate just yet."
He rolls his tongue over his cheek, shaking his head over his own ignorance. She inhales over his soft gaze. With a forced chuckle she keeps her voice soft;
"Believe me, I'm having a field day hunting down my friends and watching my back 24/7."
Bruce drops his arms and sits at the edge of their table. Facing her direction she shifts to turn towards him.
"I'm sorry Tasha."
With an eyebrow raise full of 'told you so' she exhales sharply;
"I'm having daytime hallucinations, and I get it, you're concerned but I'm not losing my mind."
"What can I do."
She tilts her head, "I need my scientist right now. To figure out why and how I can separate face from fiction. Whether I should be looking into them as any kind of foreshadowing or just start taking pills for schizophrenia."
He forces a regrettable smirk over her chuckle, reaching to gently take her hands.
"Okay,' Bruce nods toward her book, 'You know that book was supposed to be for dream analysis."
Natasha leans forward over her knees, each hand encased within his. She narrows her focus over his subtle lecture;
"Just like tonight was supposed to be for romance?"
Banner's cocoa stare pierces her soul. His voice holds a promise she knows she can put her trust in;
"I'll make it up to you."
"You better."
Natasha pulls away playfully from his reaching in to catch onto her lips. With a snobbish nose lift she narrows her focus;
"What are you doing."
He pulls back cautiously, "I was going to kiss you...?"
She scoffs, "No you're not."
"Can I help you to bed?"
"No."
He watches her make the attempt to stand, cringing over her hip. With an eye roll she requests with stubborn hesitation;
"I could use a hand."
Bruce crosses his arms with a sarcastic tilt in his head, "What was that? I couldn't hear you."
She grits her teeth with a refusal to give him the satisfaction of lending aid;
"You heard me just fine Vrach."