if you don't see the signs, wait for it ;

[oneeyedeagle]

WHO: Natalia and Nicholas
WHAT: A bromantic dinner
WHERE: Le Bernardin restaurant, Manhattan
WHEN: Exactly one week after the end of the bad future plot, at 8 pm.
WARNINGS: None I can think of.
SUMMARY: God knows why, but Nick decided to make it up to Natasha that he got himself killed in the Time Warp.

Comments

[deadlieststing]

[ natasha has been alive long enough to know a peace offering when she sees one. it isn't even that she is angy about it. nick does what he has to do, and the risks involved in that are understandable. however, he kept her out. he kept her in the dark and he took the risk without her. it was irritating. it had caught her off-guard with little to no time to manuever. she had been caught unawares and she'd hated that.

if it was never repeated, natasha woudl be a happy woman.

she settled into the chair across from him. there was a handgun in her clutch, as usual, but that is neither here nor there. ]

Hello, Nick.

[oneeyedeagle]

[Rather than watch her walk in and stalk towards him, Nick entertained himself by watching the number of men's heads that turned as she went - evidently, this restaurant on this evening had very few men whom were either entirely dedicated to their wives, playing for the other team, or simply dead.

Every guy within ten feet of his and Natasha's table gave Nick the cut-eye on cue as she sat down. He felt no desire to smirk back at them, or to look at Natasha anywhere but her face. He read murder in her eyes that he actually felt a little too damn proud of.]

'Evening.

[deadlieststing]

[ a slight smile curved her lips as she sat down. natasha knew the impact she had a room. she also knew that nick enjoyed that. it was amusing, even now, even here.

she didn't speak first, just settled herself in her chair, clutch on the table, shrug drap over the back of the chair, waiting for him to speak. ]

[oneeyedeagle]

[Ah, of course. It didn't surprise him she was playing a little, waiting for him to speak. In all fairness, he was willing to give her the opportunity to jump in first with a snide remark, but apparently the floor was his.

Nick nodded curtly at the stiff man who came by the table with a bottle of wine. He poured generously into both their glasses, relishing smugly in the silence for a moment.]

Y'know, that cropped shorter hair ya had during that...thing looked silly on you.

[deadlieststing]

Is that how we're starting this discussion?

[ she does look vaguely amused. her hair was only ever that short once before. keeping it long...well, typically she was too fast and too good for anyone to get a hand into it.

she takes a sip of her wine, watching him over the brim of the glass. ]

[oneeyedeagle]

[He makes a bit of a show out of picking up his glass and taking a sip, never breaking eye contact.]

How would you prefer we start it, then?

[He deliberately leaves it wide open for her. She's too good to play the wounded and jilted routine, even if he did screw her up.]

[deadlieststing]

You should have told me.

[ yes, that is where they're starting. even if he hadn't told maria or clint or the others, he should have told her. that is the way they operate. he tells her so she isn't left to scramble in the aftermath of whatever it is that he's done. ]

[oneeyedeagle]

Because you woulda' gotten involved.

[He sinks into his chair a little more, considering the weight he left on her.]

And no matter what, they were gonna find a way to kill me. I never made bones 'bout that. If nothin' else, I could do my guys a favour on my way out by depleting their resources.

I should have told you. But you're the best. Makin' you aware of something I couldn't afford to have you act in...it's a slap in the face. How would ya react if I told you and then said, "now stay out my sandbox for your own good" ?

[He folds his hands in front of him, not losing any composure.]

I could be wrong, but I like to think I'm the one man who doesn't pretend yer' too delicate for your line of work.

[deadlieststing]

[ for a few minutes there's just silence as she turns his words over in her head. ]

Next time, a little warning would be nice. I don't like having to scramble.

[ nevermind that she wants to be able to cover him, to make sure anyone who came after him sincerely regretted that life choice. he would know that, of course, because it was nick and no one read between the lines the way that nick did. ]

[oneeyedeagle]

Well then. Let's make sure that we don't have to worry about what to do if I get shot down by a swarm of goons.

[Because that time warp illusion whatever? Is the first and last time he leaves her behind. He knew that for a fact before he even brought her here tonight. It was a calculated risk, and hell, it worked at the time. But no more fucking around.]

Couldn't imagine what you'd do without me, huh?

[He couldn't resist that one, the jerkass.]

[deadlieststing]

I couldn't imagine how much time it would take me to clean up a mess of that magnitude.

[ she's smiling though. he's forgiven. she's said her piece, made her point, and been understood. that's all she needed to happen here. ]