HI HAPPY NEW YEAR- mediocre nat and r having a night out and r saying goodbye after nat drops her off but not saying she loves her and nat is like ?? hello??
hello thats very cute and in character but i am so tired ive been ready to collapse for like over a day so whatever tf im writing after this is what ur getting
This Friday date night goes a lot better than Nat's McDonald's fuckery from last week. You take her to that bar she likes near work, paying for the french fries you shared and the first two rounds. There was some game playing on the TV that you don't really follow but Nat clearly does because she laughs every time one of the teams fails. You don't think she really has a sports team she roots for and she admits she just picks the one with nicer uniforms to care about anytime sports comes on the TV.
When her team of the night wins, she plants a kiss on you that has someone at the bar hollering. You wince when she pulls away to glower at the man.
After that, you'd looped your arm around hers and you'd had a nice walk through the park. Skipped rocks in the pond. She had done a better job. In character, of course, but annoying nonetheless.
Tomorrow, she leaves for a mission, so she has to head to the tower tonight to pack up her gear and you've got an empty house for the foreseeable future.
It's sad.
You spend the car ride to your house gripping her hand and staring at the streetlights. Nat turns up the radio and taps the steering wheel to the beat of the song.
Nat leaps out of the car the moment she pulls into your driveway while you twist around to grab your tote bag from the backseat. When Nat comes and opens your door for you, you smile and take her hand.
Still, there's a sense of melancholy falling over you already. You sigh for the fifteenth time tonight and Nat just squeezes your fingers.
"I'll be back before you know it," she says into your shoulder while you fish your keys out of your bag.
"Now I have to take the bus to work," you say, sullenly.
"Tony would probably get you a car service if you asked."
You huff. Sometimes, you can't tell if she's fucking with you or if she's really that dense. One of the downsides of how casual the two of you are with each other, how often you poke fun at each other.
"What?" she huffs when you stomp to the living room to throw your bag on the couch.
"Now I have to fuck myself if I get horny." You spin quickly to glower at her. "And don't even say anything about Tony. We both know you'd probably commit some sort of atrocity if I ever did that just because you're emotionally constipated."
Nat scowls too. "Pot kettle black much."
The both of you squint at each other for a few long moments before you give in--always you first--and cross the distance to where she's leaning in your doorway.
Nat watches, impassive, as you pick up her hands. Lets you tug her closer to your body. "You know I own a cellphone, right?"
"Phone sex?" you mumble into her shoulder. "On the job?"
You can basically hear her eye roll. "No. You are so not getting off while I'm gone. But you don't have to act like I've got a terminal illness just because I'm going on a business trip."
Business trip. As if her business trip isn't some life-endangering superspy mission in god-knows-where, Europe, involving superhumans and, like, missiles.
"Come on," she says, pulling back so she can bump your chin up with your linked hands. "Send me pictures of your meals or whatever the hell normal people do."
"You'd just leave me on read," you grumble.
"I'll send you pictures of MREs so you can ignore me too." She's aiming for levity.
You are too down in the dumps to do anything but force a tiny smile and lean in for a quick kiss. She has to go soon. Too soon.
Nat tilts her head to catch your eyes. There's a hint of concern on her face. "Back before you know it."
"Don't break into my house again," you say, hoping your smile is more convincing this time. She's a superhero. No need to worry about a clingy girlfriend.
"No promises." She presses in for another kiss before stepping back, releasing your hands. "Bye, baby."
"Okay," you say with a heaving sigh, leaning on your door. Usually, you would watch her get in her car, wave at her through the window, and then disappear down the street.
Today, Nat does not move an inch. Looks at you expectantly.
She raises her eyebrows. "...bye."
You frown. "Bye?" you say slowly.
Still, she waits.
"Don't die," you offer. No movement. "...I would be sad."
Nope.
"I might even cry."
"Jesus," Nat growls out, spinning on her heel and storming off your porch. She's actually mad. You can tell.
You fumble with the door, making sure it's unlocked, before chasing after Nat. She's already at the wheel by the time you're knocking on her window.
She gives the wheel a look so searing, you're surprised it still has the gall to exist. Then, she rubs at her eye with an aggravated fist. Then, the window rolls down and she looks over at you with a tired look.
"What did I do?" you ask immediately, hands curling over the car door.
"Nothing."
You reach out to touch her cheek, something inside your chest aching something fierce when she flinches. "Nat," you say softly, voice thin from how much this hurts. Unexpected hurt, really. Pot kettle black, indeed. "Come on."
"I," she starts, stops to wince, continues with more gusto: "I will miss you."
"I'll miss you too," you reply quickly, hand tilting her face to look more fully at you. "If you died, I think I would never recover."
"I won't die," she murmurs into your palm, eyes pinned on you now.
"Promise?"
Nat smiles, a small roll to her eyes. "Sure, I promise."
"Okay." You nod, tipping onto your toes and tugging her face in to meet you in a chaste kiss. "I love you, okay? If you break your promise, I'll kill you."
Nat looks at you like you've hung the moon and the stars in the sky. Disguised, of course, by a wry shake of the head. "Haven't broken a promise to you yet. Won't start now. But also that made no sense."
"Get off my property, truther."
Nat grins, then, yanks you in for another hard kiss before letting you back up a few steps.
Her taillights disappear around the bend. Your heart feels heavy in your chest. She'll be back before you know it.