widows_kiss | Appointments Post

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-luceti

Appointments Post

[DATE] | [VOICE / ACTION / WRITTEN]

~ STANDING APPOINTMENTS ~
Daily:
Early morning run
CH5 Avengers Breakfast
Training Session at the Battle Dome

Other:
Friday: 8AM Coffee Date with Pepper

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[Her eyes fly up from his hand to his face, startled for a moment by the question, drawn abruptly out of her thoughts by his focus on her. There's still shadows there, but she gives him a crooked smile anyway.]

I'm fine. I'm just... in the unique position of being able to understand a little of what she went through. She... She shouldn't have had to go through that. I don't understand... [She trailed off a moment, looking frustrated, looking guilty.] We were a team, when everything went down in New York. I'd like to think, if Tony and Pepper were in trouble, we would have been there to help. Should have been. Is it because we were all here? Were they wrong about time passing differently at home for all of us?

[No one should have had to go through that. He doesn't say it, but there's a flicker of something in his eyes before he presses on.]

Stop it, Natasha. [He tries to catch her eye. Misplaced guilt is something he never really stops seeing and he gets it, he does.]

Listen to yourself. You'd have been there in a heartbeat if you could. You've gotta stop beating yourself up about things you've got no control over. [He gives her a wry smile.] You know, follow example.

[She huffs out an irritated breath at that, but stops. Or at least does her best to, because she's just as human as any of them, has her doubts and fears and guilt. She doesn't often give voice to them - almost never maybe, outside of a few times with Clint when her own composure was too badly shaken - but the knowledge that Pepper was probably tortured and...]

[Her voice is soft. Strained.] I would have. But I wasn't. And she's gone home and come back and I can see so much changed in her. And Tony's still missing, could be missing for good and while maybe that's a good thing...

I don't know how to help her. I don't know if what I can do will be enough.

It's enough that you try. Some things even you can't control, sweetheart.

A lot of this - the really hard stuff - it's gonna be Pepper's fight. The only thing we can do for her is let her know we're always in her corner.

Sometimes I really hate being the one to watch.

[She confesses it softly, lips quirking faintly as she huffs out a soft laugh that doesn't hold a lot of humor. Her thumb brushes lightly over his bandage, almost apologetically.]

So. Do you need to punch things some more or should we get out of here?

Just sometimes?

[He puts his undamaged hand over hers. He thinks about staying. The anger is still there, but he isn't going to get at it this way, and underneath it is helplessness that this doesn't change.]

I think the bag got the message. Let's get outta here. Your place or mine?

[She doesn't answer that, lets her gaze flick over his face instead for a moment, gauging his mood, then nods.]

Let's make it my place. I'd like to check in on Pepper anyway, if she's home yet. She's using my spare room.

[There's a brief flicker of surprise, but he's glad Pepper is willing to stay with someone. Natasha will take care of her.

He nods, and then untangles their hands so he can slip an arm around Natasha's waist as they leave the gym behind and head back home.]

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