I’m In The Middle Of An Interrogation. / Interaction. - Blog Posts

tailing her was an easy mark, and perhaps natasha had gotten too comfortable, which resulted in getting too close. it was no secret that she could lie with the best of them and perhaps that was what she needed to do but it seemed easier to tell the truth. "following you? technically, i suppose you could call it that, but i could also promise you, i'm the least of your worries."

starter for @madeofmarblex from Becca

———————— ❝ I'm sorry are you...are you following me?❞ becca turns to face the woman finally sick of sensing her on her tail. honestly, she was just trying to find a nice place for lunch but...she's got time. ❝ You should know, I don't take very kindly to people in my personal space.❞

she didn't count the minutes that had passed since she'd entered the office, instead taking the time to glance around the room where she sat waiting, eyes searching for something that would let her know she was making the right choice. eyes were drawn from furniture and then the walls, not seeing anything but a layer of dust that came from living in new york. there was no magic writing on the wall to tell her that she was in the right place. and to be fair, considering most of her life had been one impulsive decision to another, she didn't understand why she expected this to be any different. the pretty blonde behind the desk was good for small talk, but unfortunately, that wasn't something that natasha excelled in at all.

at the arrival of who she'd been waiting for, there wasn't a moment missed as she stood from her seat following him as she was directed to. "i appreciate you seeing me on such short notice."

it takes natasha time to sit into the seat across from him at the desk, eyes studying him as she considers her options before electing to open her mouth. "i'm looking to hire you to assist in reobtaining a property in new york that i lost when SHIELD fell. it had been listed in the files as a safe house, and while it may have been used as that, it was originally my home and i'd like it back."

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The morning had started out like any other; groaning at the sound of his talking alarm clock going off, smacking it off of the nightstand in his attempt to quiet it, only making him groan again in frustration he would have to put the thing back together for a second time that month. But there was a deep sense of worry with knowing who was waiting for him at the office; the Black Widow. He had encountered several times on patrol as Daredevil and when he found Natasha Romanoff's name on his schedule for the following day, he silently prayed it was just a coincidence.

“Matt!” Karen piped up from behind her desk the moment he stepped through the door, looking relieved. “I was just about to call you. You’re late again and we were getting worried. Miss Romanoff has been waiting for you."

“Ah, I apologize. Rough morning.” Matthew waved an apology before slipping inside the office. Slipping his suit jacket off and hanging it on the coat rack, he picked up his briefcase and cane again before nodding towards the open door of his office. “Miss Romanoff, if you don’t mind me getting settled, come in and sit down. I don't think there was any notes about your case so you're going to have to bring me up to speed."

natasha gives a slight hum at the acknowledgment that he doesn't know where Sam is or what's next. and she can relate to that on many levels. the not knowing what comes next. she hasn't known that for a while, instead, focusing on each day as it comes. life is easier that way along with a little less overwhelming.

the silence between them envelops her for a moment as she sips her drink, allowing it to settle between them comfortably. but as quickly as it's there, her head is turning, listening as he speaks, responding with an uneasy smile as she processes. "thank you, james. i'm glad that i'm here with you." she means it because as uneasy as she is in the world around her, this right here is familiar and comfortable.

"but don't go all soft on me now." eyes narrow slightly with a smile that twinkles despite the words that she speaks.

He finds it easy to talk to her, still. It’s been a good long while since they’ve actually sat down and had a real discussion, and yet the words flow from his mouth comfortably. He knows, somewhere deep embedded in him, that he’s not going to find judgement with her.

“I don’t know.” He answers both questions at once, a small shrug of his right shoulder. He thinks Sam is in DC, but he hasn’t heard from him. He will, at some point. If that means a friendly chat or gearing up, he won't know until he answers the phone.

“I wanna say something.” He says, after a long moment of extended silence– the type that doesn’t need to be filled. He’s filling it now, because he doesn't see the point in biting his tongue. He looks at her, something genuine in his gaze. “I’m really, really glad you’re here, Natalia.” He doesn’t mean just here, where they’re sitting, and he hopes she understands that.

imagine that you're given two options, both equally bad but one just a little less painful. live in hell and never see your children again, or live in hell and get to raise your children. a literal rock and a hard place, but for natasha, it was a no-brainer that she was going to pick the option that resulted in keeping the twins and watching them grow up. even if that meant having to live a lie. having to answer to the people she despised most of all. there were times when she tried to forget the chaos that they were living in, times when she was able to pretend that they were just the quintessential suburban families. spoilers, this wasn't one of those times.

there's a thoughtful sigh as natasha finds her way onto the edge of the bed, hands carefully placed into her lap as she considers the best answer. james was so much better at this part of parenting then she was. he'd had parents to base his parenting off... she'd had the red room. but she knows offering to have someone to take them out isn't an appropriate first reaction.

"these children have a way of being mean that is beyond anything we could know." it's a genuine answer despite knowing the world that they are living. "the situation we were put in does not make you any less real."

do better natasha.

"you are the farthest thing from fake. what brought this on?"

A   normal   life   was   never   going   to   be   easy   to   adjust   to.    She   knew   that   much   when   they   had   been   PLACED   in   the   town   for   security.    It   wasn't   even   the   matter   of   their   parents   leaving   from   time   to   time   when   missions   called   for   it.    It   was   the   fact   that   they   still   felt   like   the   odd   one   out   now   that   they   were   out.    Friends   were   hard   to   come   by   even   now   ,   which   had   ultimately   been   was   brought   the   young   girl   home   from   school   with   an   INTENSE   FOCUS   set   on   taking   her   to   the   confines   of   her   room.

The   knock   of   the   door   doesn't   STARTLE   her   ,   but   instead   pulls   her   from   the   mean   comment   that   they   had   seen   scribbled   on   their   locker.    The   same   one   that   had   stuck   in   their   memory   all   day   long.    Jaw   setting   tightly   before   granting   access   to   whoever   was   on   the   other   side   of   the   door.    Seeing   that   it   was   understandably   her   mother   ,   she   sighed   when   asked   if   she   wanted   to   talk.    At   least   this   part   seemed   100%   by   the   books   of   the   normal   American   family.    “   They   called   me   fake.   ”    She   finally   admitted   ,   hands   holding   one   of   the   teddy   bears   that   sat   posed   on   her   bed.    “   &   there   not   even   wrong.    None   of   them   have   the   slightest   clue   who   I   am.   ”

natasha nods, understanding the reaction, the uncertainty in her answer. for a moment, the redhead considers her options before electing to speak. "I'm sorry for not checking in on you sooner, but the last thing I wanted to do was overwhelm you." justification for ignoring a child? great job, romanoff.

Since Tony brought her on, Ana has felt like the redhead had been avoiding her. This wasn't new; people didn't tend to notice her, so it wasn't really done on purpose. However, Tony clarified to Natasha who Ana was and her importance to him. So it was shocking when the woman spoke to her in a pretty friendly manner. It honestly took her aback. The blonde probably looked like a fish gasping for air before collecting herself enough to respond. "I'm…good, I guess?"

there's a hum as she acknowledges that she is indeed standing before him. even if there are moments that she cannot believe it herself. "i suppose i should feel honored that you've come to see if i'm still alive. surely you had better things to do?" her voice is flat, lacking the usual sarcasm that would have once been littered with smirks as though she had just won the top prize. "we both know, i've always been far too stubborn for my own good, i wasn't going to be out that easily."

the books painted out a poetic fallacy of a romanticised red thread that connected people and brought them back into each others orbits time and time again.

the reality of the situation wasn't quite as refined; it was a red thread that lashed them together in spite of each other, tying them to a leaden anchor that would probably down them both in the end.

' i was never one for rumours, ' alexei offered after a few long moments, blue eyes raking over the woman a few metres away, ' i wanted to see for myself whether the stories were true or not. '

@russiasredguardian pressed the ♥ for a starter

she doesn't say anything for a moment, instead hues are studying him with furrowed brows and a frown. "it must be pretty bad if you've come looking for me." she wonders, for a moment, if he'd heard the rumors that she'd died.

@badgerops pressed the ♥ for a starter

for a moment it's as if she doesn't know that he's there, her body doesn't move, her lips don't open. but then there's a hum of acknowledgment before she tilts her head slightly to talk over her shoulder without really looking at him. of course, she'd known he was there, she'd known he wasn't a threat. "what brings you knocking on my door? i'm not much help these days. haven't you heard — i'm retired.

❛ i love you, but you’re not mine. ❜ says @murder-popsicle

"that's not fair."

it's difficult when one of you is hiding out from the world, unready to admit that they're out there, and the other is a well-known avenger. natasha had always been easy to pick out of a crowd with her stunning red hair, but recently, it had been even more of a tell since she'd help save the world the day the sky had fallen open in new york. she wanted to see jane, she wanted to respect the fact that the other wasn't ready to see steve and that she didn't trust what was left of SHIELD. not to mention it was tricky when HYDRA was still out there hunting for their most prized possession. but she'd never expected it to be this difficult.

natasha had been walking on egg shells, keeping her opinions to herself, unwilling to talk for more than a few sentences here or there. beyond that, everytime she showed up, jane had to be prepared to move because it was only a matter of time until the black widow drew media attention for visiting the town jane was so desperate to hide in. it was why natasha had suggested that she stop showing up for a bit... to give jane her best chance at figuring out herself and what she wanted without the theatrics that natasha brought.

"what do you want me to say? i've done the whole on-the-run nonsense you're trying right now; if i keep showing up, you're going to keep risking being exposed. my presence is more of a hindrance to you right now."