[ She takes a long moment to think about her answer for that before inclining her head and meeting his gaze. ]
Eventually. Once you two had a common goal to work towards together again. Tony... his loss against Thanos up there... it changed him. He walked away when he got back and I'm not sure he ever looked back until we showed up on his doorstep with Lang's crazy theory. And even then, he had to work around the problem on his own before coming back to join in.
[ Steve finds that Natasha's answer doesn't surprise him that much. Feeling responsible for what Thanos did, losing Peter and then almost dying out in the vacuum of space, that would screw with anyone's head.
Of course it was a common goal that brought them back together. That's what had happened here, too. ]
Well, I guess he did always threaten to retire. Figures that losing half the universe would be the final straw.
[ He keeps his gaze on Natasha, studying her features with a close eye. ]
You didn't ever throw in the towel, though, it sounds like.
[ She gives him a lopsided grin - one she feels like she's been giving him for ages now. It almost feels like deja vu, that last day he'd come to her, before Lang showed up on their doorstep. When they'd talked about moving on. Something neither one of them had ever managed to do.
It would take them both a lot longer than five years to accomplish that. ]
You know me. I'm really bad at knowing when to quit. Kinda like someone else I know.
[ Natasha isn't making any effort to mask the fact that she's calling him out, but she's always been good at telling him how it is without much in the way of fluff or hedging. It's part of why Steve had grown comfortable with her so quickly compared to some of his other teammates. He smiles wryly and bows his head, shaking it slowly.
Her words do serve to tell Steve at least a little about what his role in the future is going to be. There are a lot of blanks still left to be filled in, but he doesn't want to bombard Natasha with questions either. ]
I'm guessing you're still adjusting to this place. If there's any questions you still haven't gotten answered, I can try to help.
I'm also guessing you're making lists of questions in your head even now of things you want to know, but you're trying to take it easy on me.
[ She's still sounding very amused as she gives him a crooked smile. Leaning forward, she rests her elbows on her knees and cocks her head to the side to study him. ]
Works for me. I've asked you a lot already, so you first.
[ Steve knows that Natasha deals in information more than anything else. It's the most important tool that any spy can have; she taught him that too. That may mean she's already gathered together everything she needs to know, but he still wants to throw out the offer. ]
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no subject
Eventually. Once you two had a common goal to work towards together again. Tony... his loss against Thanos up there... it changed him. He walked away when he got back and I'm not sure he ever looked back until we showed up on his doorstep with Lang's crazy theory. And even then, he had to work around the problem on his own before coming back to join in.
no subject
Of course it was a common goal that brought them back together. That's what had happened here, too. ]
Well, I guess he did always threaten to retire. Figures that losing half the universe would be the final straw.
[ He keeps his gaze on Natasha, studying her features with a close eye. ]
You didn't ever throw in the towel, though, it sounds like.
no subject
It would take them both a lot longer than five years to accomplish that. ]
You know me. I'm really bad at knowing when to quit. Kinda like someone else I know.
no subject
Her words do serve to tell Steve at least a little about what his role in the future is going to be. There are a lot of blanks still left to be filled in, but he doesn't want to bombard Natasha with questions either. ]
I'm guessing you're still adjusting to this place. If there's any questions you still haven't gotten answered, I can try to help.
no subject
[ She's still sounding very amused as she gives him a crooked smile. Leaning forward, she rests her elbows on her knees and cocks her head to the side to study him. ]
Why don't we trade answers for answers, then?
no subject
[ Steve knows that Natasha deals in information more than anything else. It's the most important tool that any spy can have; she taught him that too. That may mean she's already gathered together everything she needs to know, but he still wants to throw out the offer. ]