He woke up to the soft sound of the shower running. Pale sunlight filtered into the room. The water stopped. He overheard her speaking, though he couldn't quite make out the words. The conversation went on for a few minutes. He got up and folded up the sheets and blankets, listening hard.
"The prince also claims that he will provide an army to protect you, if you agree to his terms." The voice was unrecognizable and sounded tinny over speakerphone.
"Terms?"
"I sent you the press release."
"I wouldn't call those terms."
"Nor would I. They read like a schoolboy fantasy."
"Why do all of these guys think I need someone to protect me?"
"I'd wager that's part of the fantasy."
"Anything else?" She sounded impatient.
"No. Just keep moving."
"Thanks."
The drone of the hairdryer started up, and he busied himself with pulling out a change of clothes. The door opened and he was surprised when she stepped out. Her hair was short and blonde.
"You like?" She asked, catching his expression.
"It's different."
"Don't lay it on so thick."
He smiled bashfully. "It looks nice."
She shrugged. "I liked the red better but needs must."
He nodded. "Who's the prince?"
"Prince?"
"I overheard your phone call."
"Oh." She rolled her eyes. "He's offering sanctuary to the Black Widow in exchange for…"
"Right."
It wasn't the first time she'd been publicly solicited for sex. Most of social media, several movie stars, politicians, porn stars, and other public figures all seemed to share a preoccupation with the Widow far beyond her accomplishments as an Avenger or her whistle blowing. There was artwork of her in a variety of compromising positions with other Avengers, (himself included sometimes), villains, and aliens, deep fakes that were more offensive for how unbelievable they were, and an entire website dedicated exclusively to her feet. He himself was the subject a variety of speculation and creativity, though not to the same extent.
"That's why Tony has a PR team." She'd joked. "So that he doesn't have to see it himself."
"He pays someone else to look at this stuff?"
"He pays them to sift through it for anything relevant."
She opened the closet and pulled down a duffel bag.
"We should get going."
#
They got jumped on their way to the train station. It was hard to tell what agency attacked them, if it even was an agency, but there were only six of them. She wasn't ashamed to admit she'd been itching for a fight, even if she hadn't been outright looking for one. Fighting together with Steve was a kind of dance. They were in sync when they fought. Our fight is over. Banner's words echoed back to her as she caught the duffel bag Steve tossed to her and slid between two black uniformed men. Banner had stared at her, imploring her to run away with him. The absurdity of it almost made her laugh. She slid her arm through the loops of the bag's handles and swung it, using its momentum to throw one of the men off balance, then using it as a counterweight to launch her into another.
They stopped and caught their breath. Sirens wailed in the distance. Six men lay unconscious or incapacitated around them.
"Underground, or…"
"Underground," she said, nodding.
They took the stairs two at a time, disappearing into the tunnels beneath the street.
"How far is Sam from here?"
"Not close."
"There's a tunnel closed off for repair about… three kilometers down that way," she nodded. "We can regroup and figure out our next move."
The adrenaline left her mind racing. Plans, contingencies, and obstacles whirled through her head.
#
There was nothing quite like an adrenaline rush to get the heart pumping and the blood flowing. Spending time in close quarters with Nat following a fight was both an appealing and frustrating prospect. He tried to focus on what she was telling him. She was speaking quickly and moving quicker. The closed tunnel connected to a junction that could take them directly into the train station, or they could walk the rest of the way which, while taking longer, would be more low profile. Assuming no one thought to look for them there.
All he wanted to do was kiss her. Well, that wasn't all. He grabbed her arm.
"Let's take a minute to think it through."
"We don't have a minute. We need to keep moving."
"Then we should head to the train station. It's our best bet, and the faster we're out of the city, the faster we can lose our tail."
"Do you have a secure way of reaching Sam? I have a safe house set up to the north. We can head there."
"Stop."
She stopped, but he could tell she needed to move. She would start pacing like a caged animal in a minute. His heart was racing in his chest and he felt a little lightheaded. The time was never right. He was horrible at this.
"What?" She asked.
He wanted to tell her why he came to find her. He wanted to tell her how badly he wanted to touch her. But it all sounded like 'a schoolboy fantasy.' He shook his head. "Sorry, I thought I heard something."