tampered | just what in hell is going on?

When; Backdated to June 4th
Rating; PG-13
Characters; Natasha Romanoff (

killerthighs), Steve Rogers (

punchedhitler), Thor (

godofabs), Clint Barton (

bettercallit), and Bruce Banner (

alwaysangered); tag yourselves in, please!
Summary; The Avengers assemble once more (sans Tony) so Bruce and Natasha can figure out where to go from here.
Log; Natasha retraced her steps back to the playground and asked one of the parents for directions to the City Center. Bruce was nowhere in sight around the fountain as she checked every nook and crannie. Where could he have gone? Not far and Natasha was sure he could handle himself. From what Natasha understood, anger was what set him off - anxiety not so much. Natasha stopped searching for him and glanced around the City Center. Steve had said there was a café that they could all meet up in..

Turning around, Natasha spotted it not too far from the fountain. Thankfully, it was the only one in sight so they wouldn't have a hard time finding it. She walked through the door and ordered a small cappuccino at the counter. Whatever money she'd arrived with was thankfully enough to pay for her drink. Natasha chose a spot somewhere near the back of the café, pushing two tables together and bringing more chairs around her. All of this was still so surreal. She was no longer in New York City, in Stark Tower. Instead, she was in a pocket dimension they called it - a place that brought her with people that already knew her, but she couldn't, for the life of her, remember whom they were.

Natasha sighed and sent a message to the others, telling them where she was.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

She shrugged. "What do you think I am?" she replied to his statement about unsuspecting assassins and cuteness.

Natasha then thought over his offer. Well, it wasn't like she was thinking over anything. She really did want to move in with him, but Tasha wasn't one to really express happiness or excitement.

"It'll break Steve and Thor's hearts, but I'm sure they can manage."

"You don't want me to answer that." He would, of course, but she probably wouldn't want to hear it. "Getting stuck here, no back-up, it calls for desperate measures."

Clint flopped back in the seat, restless and unable to keep still, and shrugged as if he didn't much care either way. "S'long as it's not me who's got to deal with guys twice my size in tears." The apartment where he lived wasn't far from where Bucky and Steve resided, it had been them who'd helped him settle, or as much as anyone could help him do anything. "If you've had a better offer, take it."

"Steve said he still has the keys to my old apartment, but maybe I'll want a change of scenery," she said. To put it simply. Yeah, that was a good reason.

They would all understand.

"You always want a change of scenery," he pointed out, smiling politely enough as a waitress came over, notepad in hand ready to take an order. He ordered two coffees and left it at that.

"If you need a hand moving your stuff over, I'll throw on a vest especially for the occasion."

A huff of laughter came from Natasha before the waitress came around. After Clint put in his order, she went on talking. "Well maybe this scenery will stick."

She looked down into her cup, but she'd already drank her cappuccino. That was Natasha for 'living with you wouldn't be unbearable.'

"It beats the Helicarrier. Whoever got left in charge of the décor seriously needs some creative ideas." But joking aside, the idea of being stuck in one place was going to be a challenge for both of them, and even when SHIELD facilities were home, there was always the likelihood of being shipped out far and wide on a mission. It was the lack of freedom and escape should it be needed that got to him the most.

"I'll sort it," he promised, taking the foamy cup when one was put down in front of each of them.

She snorts. "SHIELD isn't known for its creative types," Natasha said. She looks down at the cup of coffee that was placed in front of her. Clint did know that she loved her caffeine.

"So what do we do for money around here?" she asked as she took a sip of her coffee - she took it black, with no sweeteners or cream. "Because now there's no SHIELD."

"Except you," he smirked, because, really, she could be quite creative when she needed to be. "It must be so dull with us uncreative types hanging around blocking the flow of your juices."

Clint smiled inwardly at getting the order right and hearing no complaints for it. It was the subtle things he loved to do and felt pleased with himself about. "We get a job," he shrugged, but he hadn't really found a calling here yet. "Imagine that. Civilian lives." He mock shuddered at the thought, but in a way it was always something that he had craved and never thought he could have. Here there might be some chance of it.

"I guess it's not called SHIELD for nothing," Natasha quipped with a tilt of her head.

Civilian life? Natasha furrowed her brow. She didn't know what that was like. She didn't know how to live.. normally. Her voice was quiet next, as if admitting defeat.

"You'll have to help me with that." Natasha looked down into her coffee briefly before taking another sip.

"Why do I always get the impossible missions?" he teased, but it was nothing more than to cover up how he felt for her. He hadn't exactly had the best start in life, and normal wasn't something he really knew, but she was going to struggle with this far more between the two of them.

"The old team." He smiled at that, the thought of having her around not a bad one. "Well, I've got your back, but you knew that already."

just what in hell is going on?

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