Young isn't that far off the mark, actually. This is Natasha with ten years worth of experience and growing up stripped away from her. Back when she was still struggling with the idea that she could ever be anything but the weapon they raised her into. Mentally, she's currently one messed up teenager right on the verge of adulthood. At least technically. Actually? Natasha never had much of a childhood, and her teenage years were spent training or going out on missions. It's like she skipped her youth and just emerged a fully-fledged spy and assassin. Can you blame her for being a little bit fucked up as a result?
At the moment though? She's caught up in his wide grin and their ridiculous joke, and the smile on her face is solid and momentarily unguarded. "Shit, you guys got spiders as well?" She makes a show of looking around at the state of the art workshop, which may not be exactly pristine, but still must be a hell of a lot cleaner than a goddamn cave. "I have to say, I'm surprised you can live in a hovel like this after that experience."
Natasha's eyes are drawn back down to the arc reactor and they widen just a touch. Damn. Not only did he build it in a cave, he built it out of missiles. And it's about the size of her fist and can -- if he's not lying to her, which to be honest, he might be -- power a whole city. She's going to have to ask Clint to verify everything that Tony tells her. Because it can't all be true. "You're kidding me..."
The flex of his fingers against her skin earns him a light press of her fingertips in return. Her eyes snap back up to his at the answer to her question though. She gives him a long and searching look. Sometimes, you see pain in people's faces, in the lines around their eyes and mouth. But Tony just looks like he's a quirk of the mouth away from a grin all the time. Natasha isn't even aware that her fingers have unfurled from around his wrist -- leaving her wide open to attack -- until her hand is halfway to his face. You can see the moment when she catches herself at it, her hand sort of hesitates in the air like she's not sure if she should continue the motion or capture his wrist again. In the end, she slowly makes herself finish what she started. Her hand cups the side of his jaw, thumb nearly touching the corner of his mouth. Her other hand follows the curve of his ribs to his left side and settles there. Her eyes meet his, and she's frowning as she tries to catch so much as a flicker of pain in them.
"You can't even tell," she finally says and it's part compliment, part admiration, and part suspicion. He could be lying after all.
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timeasmymeasure
no subject
Date: 2012-06-17 06:33 pm (UTC)At the moment though? She's caught up in his wide grin and their ridiculous joke, and the smile on her face is solid and momentarily unguarded. "Shit, you guys got spiders as well?" She makes a show of looking around at the state of the art workshop, which may not be exactly pristine, but still must be a hell of a lot cleaner than a goddamn cave. "I have to say, I'm surprised you can live in a hovel like this after that experience."
Natasha's eyes are drawn back down to the arc reactor and they widen just a touch. Damn. Not only did he build it in a cave, he built it out of missiles. And it's about the size of her fist and can -- if he's not lying to her, which to be honest, he might be -- power a whole city. She's going to have to ask Clint to verify everything that Tony tells her. Because it can't all be true. "You're kidding me..."
The flex of his fingers against her skin earns him a light press of her fingertips in return. Her eyes snap back up to his at the answer to her question though. She gives him a long and searching look. Sometimes, you see pain in people's faces, in the lines around their eyes and mouth. But Tony just looks like he's a quirk of the mouth away from a grin all the time. Natasha isn't even aware that her fingers have unfurled from around his wrist -- leaving her wide open to attack -- until her hand is halfway to his face. You can see the moment when she catches herself at it, her hand sort of hesitates in the air like she's not sure if she should continue the motion or capture his wrist again. In the end, she slowly makes herself finish what she started. Her hand cups the side of his jaw, thumb nearly touching the corner of his mouth. Her other hand follows the curve of his ribs to his left side and settles there. Her eyes meet his, and she's frowning as she tries to catch so much as a flicker of pain in them.
"You can't even tell," she finally says and it's part compliment, part admiration, and part suspicion. He could be lying after all.