blackhourglass | Open Post

Teasing is half the fun.

[Her brow lifts in return, along with a corner of her mouth before she wanders off to be ridiculous. Moving back beside him she nods and tips her head to the side. ]

It's been a while since I've been to Florence and seen his magnificence in person. I'm still trying to figure out why they all had tiny pricks. Maybe they didn't want the average male to feel bad since they were already comparing the rest of themselves.

[The first room they walk into is the front frieze of the Parthenon. All of this is highly contested property. It should belong to the Greek, but instead by war rights, belongs to the British and they won't return it for numerous reasons.

The second room contains many more statues from the sides and other inlays inside the Parthenon. ] They are all very interesting in shape and life, showing the wear that war took on them, and life over many years. ]

I really love all the details, so much life and history here. It's sad that the wars took such a toll on them, but you see it all over Europe and historical sites.

[As they walk through the Parthenon Nate's eyes do much of the same thing when he was looking at the stone, picking one object and almost scanning it and all it's details before speaking.]

It is a little sad to see them broken up like this, although in a way it does add a somewhat eerie quality to them seeing how so many of them have lost their heads.

[ Steve, who'd grown up in a poor household and where things had gotten precipitously worse after the Depression started, and then dropped out of school, and then joined a war - yeah, Steve had never gotten to eat food the way that he does now, and never in the abundance or even the type of variety. ]

I do.

[ And he's pretty sure Nat knows why - he's pretty sure Nat empathizes. Late 20th century Ohio and post-Soviet Union Russia? Maybe not the greatest place to find the kind of amazing fresh and viable foods that they get treated to down in New York. ]

Yes.

[ He builds himself a perfect bite, and reports back to Nat. ]

It's amazing.

[Nat moves on down along the rows of statues, of people, many missing limbs as well. She nods in agreement. ] It is rather eerie. I mean, I know that they built the bodies as separate pieces to be shipped around, and even sometimes so they could change the face if they wanted, so it was easy for the head and limbs to fall off at the first sign of trouble, but it's very odd to see all these people with no heads.

You'd think they'd all been beheaded. It was some macabre royal decree. It's even more sad that the British won't return this to Greece. In my opinion, at least. I think it's been long enough. This belongs in its rightful place. At least the front of the temple. The statues can be where they want, but the face of the temple...

[She moves back to Nate and sighs, a true sign of sadness. She's seen so much war torn land. Her country full of it, and landmarks are precious things. To have them stolen is a sad thing. There's programming in her that makes her obviously attached to Russia, even if she's extremely proud to be an American citizen. This tiny vulnerability is extremely rare, but today seems to be the day for them. History can bring about much.]

[Growing up the way Nat did never afforded her the kind of luxurious food that she treated herself to now. On some jobs she ate at the very best restaurants in the world, and others at some of the poorest. It all depended on the day.

Days like this one were the best though. This was where she wanted to be most, spending her own money going out with someone she adored and watching them chow down on something that they would appreciate as much as she did.

Food never lost its fascination. It's like bringing in a stray cat who never was afforded the ability to have real affection or a steady diet-- they never took it for granted once they realized what it was that was set before them.

After Steve reported the chef's brilliance, Nat took a bite and closed her eyes, savoring the collection of exotic spices as they spread across her palate. ]

You aren't kidding. This is now going on regular rotation. This is lovely. It's got all the right spices. I need more.

[several more bites were had before she said a single word, and then it was only Yum. Food was also the greatest silencer of communication. After the tip of her appetite was silenced. She sat back and took a sip of wine.]

Thank you for this, it is really so good. We should never tell anyone else about it.

Yes well the British have a bad habit and a long history of taking everything in general.

[Nate says dryly, obviously not a huge fan of such things either. He hears the sadness in her voice and puts an arm around her.]

On the plus side, your comment about switching faces, or heads, reminded me of a film. Have you ever seen the bizarre sequel to 'The Wizard of Oz'?

[ He can tell that she's relaxed - really, actually relaxed, and not putting on airs. And it's relaxing, just to go out together, just to do normal things that normal people do, and not have to worry about aliens or robots or HYDRA.

Not tonight. ]

You can have some of mine.

And Nat, we came here because it got rave reviews.

I'm not sure we have to tell anyone it's here.

[ They already know. And, it'd be a shame to keep this to themselves. They'll at least have to tell the rest of the team. ]

[laughing, Natasha leans into him and lays her head on his chest. He's tall and rather comfortable to lay into. It's been a while since she's allowed herself any real intimacy with a man that she finds attractive not only on a physical level, but mentally and emotionally too. The maturity that he shows, along with his dry wit and insight is a wonderful contrast to the majority of men she pits herself against-- always safeguarding herself from really relaxing around anyone. ]

The British are quite rude like that. [tipping her head up, she lifts a brow and shakes her head against him]

I'm afraid I can't say that I have. Now I'm rather curious.

[No worries tonight beyond how full they're going to be and what they're going to do with the complete body buzz it will create.

laughing, Nat dips back into her plate and takes another bite looking at the two plates that she still has food on. ]

Steve, babe. I do love you, but I think two plates of food is enough. I only meant I wanted more of mine.

[she giggles then, a light sound that rarely if ever leaves her lips-- fingers immediately lifting to hide the action. She knows better than to show such lightheartedness. But then relaxes realizing where she is. ]

You're ruining my dream of having this be our place that no one ever bothers us at. We deserve that, don't we?

[of course she'll tell the others, but she can dream can't she?]

I think you'd like it, it's unintentionally dark.

It starts with poor Dorthey being taken away to a mental facility because she keeps talking about Oz and her aunt and uncle think she's suffering hallucinations and a breakdown. She makes her way back to Oz in the middle of a storm and finds that everything is corrupted and everyone has been turned to stone.

Your comment about the heads made me think about it because one of the characters in the film is a woman who switches her head at will when she wants to feel more beautiful. She has a whole hallway of chopped off heads to pick from.

[ He really likes the sound of her laugh, even if it's directed at him. But he's just excited, and he knows that's how she is too. ]

Well, okay. We can order some to go so you can eat it tomorrow.

Or, we can always come back.

[ He reaches over to the other side of the table to gently touch the back of her hand. It's not very often that he feels comfortable enough to display this kind of affection. ]

We've got options.

[there's a lift of her brow at the way he describes the movie. She purses her lips. He's very good at understanding what she'd like. She considers that he seems to understand a bit about what makes her tick and it startles her some. ]

You're right, I would like it. A hallways of chopped heads, now there's a woman with a slight complex. I assume the book would be quite a read as well. If there exists such a thing.

[turning a half touch in his arm, she places one on his chest.]

Now that we've seen Greece and early Mesopotamia, any thoughts about what you'd like to see next? Or would you like to stop for some lunch, unless you want to shop in the gift store.

[her laugh dies down to a fond smile as she glances across the table to find him watching her as she was spying upon him earlier. It's true, they're both simple, and excited by excellent food. Her lips quirk up to the side, and she drops her head a little]

We'll come back eventually. We have other wonderful little places like this to discover. Can't put all our stores in one pot. I think that's the saying, right?

[She flips her hand over when he reaches across. It's a tender gesture, and she knows that he doesn't make them flippantly. Offering her fingers to him, she makes to hold his hand. One hand is good enough for eating right now.]

We've always got options. Lots, and lots of them.

[She glances back up and soft eyes meet his across the table, and for one small second there's no wall, no pretenses, nothing there but Natasha wide and open as she looks over at Steve.]

The sequel actually does take some inspiration from the books although not directly, mostly with the characters of the Queen of Oz and the Gnome King.

[He pauses when she puts a hand on his chest, looking thoughtful.]

I think it's a bit early for lunch or the gift shop, perhaps you could show me some of your other favorite areas?

[ He can't really tell what she's thinking from how she acts. Even when she does little micro moves, well, firstly, he's never been good at understanding the subtleties of women. He's always been observant though, and he at least understands that when she offers to hold his hand right back, that's an excellent thing. ]

That's true. About eighty Starbucks locations alone in Manhattan.

[ He says, on autopilot, even though that's a dumb thing to say at the moment. But he's a little distracted by the openness in the look in her eye. ]

[Nodding, she moves from the shadow of his arm and takes his hand again. He might notice that they are heading mostly back in the direction they came from. They pass the rosetta stone and move further into an area full of things from ancient egypt. The first large room is Egyptian sculpture. There are large statues and figures everywhere. Unlike all the greek statues, they all seem to have their heads, but are also built of much sturdier stuff it seems like.]

I love the Egyptian history wing. There is so much rich history here, and it dates back so far. They were so advanced. I mean look at how powerful all these statues are. Then when we get to the mummies. They go on forever. It's macabre, but so interesting to see how some of them are so intricate.

[It's okay that he doesn't get all the little tiny idiosyncrasies of women. When Natasha decides something, she's usually pretty up front about it. Right now, she's enjoying the small things. Talking and holding hands. It's not really all that often that she gets to hold hands with someone she likes. It feels nice.

She runs her thumb along his, and smiles softly. ]

That's a lot of coffee. I think we might end up like Loki if we drank that much coffee. A lot crazy, and ready to take over a few worlds. Maybe we should try one starbucks, and some Italian food next time. Or call me crazy, we can skip the food and stay in for movies, or drive somewhere quiet and beautiful.

[Never once did she bring back up her shields, instead while she was speaking she drops her shoe, and slides the side of her foot along his ankle without even thinking about it. ]

Well, we don't have to go to all of them.

And I prefer the local shops. Think it's mostly the tourists who keep the Starbucks open.

[ And then he smiles at her as she outlines all the other ideas. ]

Hear me out, Nat: We don't have to limit ourselves to one thing. We can schedule all of them.

Well, as long as we don't have any missions to prepare for.

I was kidding, and I like local shops too. They're more personal.

[there's a laugh and she takes another bite of food, enjoying their easy conversation. She loves how nothing is forced between them. They could make the weather interesting she imagines. There's a small snicker and a nod.]

I wasn't planning on tackling everything in one day. I was listing date ideas, you know, ways of saying I wanted to go out with you more, Steve. But, of course, we both know that training and missions will always come first.

Leaning back against Natasha, he just shrugs. Men are trash, and they both know it. At least she knows that he'll always be there for her. "Well, fuck him I guess," he says, "but I'm not gonna complain because it's worked out pretty well for me."

He turns in her arms to face her and cups her cheek with his hand. "Forget him." They both know where this is heading, so he leans in and presses their mouths together. Natasha needs someone to scratch an itch, and Clint is more than willing to be used for that purpose. She's his best friend, and he's more than happy to giver her anything she needs.

Every time they fall back together like this it's two-fold. There's a part of Natasha's brain that knows she'll never forget what it is to be in his arms, and then another part that wonders how she could ever forget what this was like and why she waited so long to come back to it. It's more than an itch and she knows it. Clint could never be an itch. Maybe what they are doing fills a need, but it's still more than that because of who they are to one another.

Sighing against his mouth, Nat surrenders easily and leans against him, pressing tight against Clint's body when he takes her lips. She opens readily and lets her mouth be explored by someone who knows her every flavor, and the way she moves when she kisses. Never passive, she takes as she's taken and slips her hand up under Clint's shirt, enjoying the play of muscles along his back.

When they pull apart to breathe, she smiles and keeps her lips close to his. Playfully flicking her tongue across his full bottom lip, she laughs softly. "Fuck him, I think I've got a much better partner for the night. Jesus, Clint. You always been this good at kissing?" She drags blunt nails lightly along his back, still teasing.

You have a bit of a morbid streak to you, don't you?

[He asks with a smirk and then nods in approval.]

Good, so do I.
If this is one of your favorite wings does that mean you been to Egypt? Perhaps to see the pyramids with your own eyes?

I dare say I have a very morbid streak. When you deal so much in death, it's pretty easy.

[She had a feeling that was the case and smiles. She enjoys his little smirks. They make her laugh lightly, a thing she doesn't do so often. She's probably laughed more in this little bit than she has in ages. ]

I have been to Egypt, but not so much to see the Pyramids. I've been in the messier parts. Shield has a base there, and I've been in and out on jobs. They like to do a lot of weapons deals there. I've stayed in a few luxury hotels, and done a bit of luxury shopping on a gentleman's credit card.

It's easy and sometimes death is amusing, given the right context.

[He's glad they think similarly, he's been accused of being a heartless bastard a few times when he's laughed at something morbid so it's nice to know she won't hold it against him.]

Ah I see.
Is that something you enjoy?

[He asks, lifting a brow at her.]

Spending a gentleman's money?

It's true. I am always catching a laugh at the wrong time over things. Only certain people can find humor in it.
[She's missed the heartless bastard accusation, but there have been plenty of looks and there are lots of those out there who wonder how far her mind has gone from the training and reprogramming she received at the red room. There are memories in her head that she knows aren't her own. They did a number on her. She knows that.

She also knows that she is a lethal weapon, and there are those out there who will never understand her. It's nice to find another person who even garners a whisper of understanding of that side of her. Nate does even more, it's obvious. He makes her feel at home with him, even with his little probing questions that she'd normally never answer for anyone else.

This one makes her eyes roll, but she smiles coyly and flutters her lashes in play. ]

Why yes, you know it's what I live for, some rich old man to spend his millions on me so that I can drip in diamonds and lavish clothes and fast cars.

[laughing now, she spins around a glass cube and looks at Nate through it, peering playfully around the corner.]

Please. It's not terrible when I can buy a few luxury items. I do like quality lingerie. I'll admit it. It feels so soft against my skin, and so I splurge now and then when I'm told to go be a good girl and buy myself something pretty for the job. Then I come back and take care of business. It's never why I do it. I'd never seek anyone out for money. The thought makes me sick.

[she walks back to Nate and looks up at him]

I am my own woman, and I will always make my own way. Anyone who challenges that or my freedom, will wind up dead.

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