To Go Unseen (A Natasha Romanoff Story)

56 [on the way to California]

In the morning, the tension hadn’t dissipated. They boarded their plane and slowly, the more they spoke, the worse the arguing became. James was becoming irritable as well and before Natasha knew it, they were both fuming.

They found another hotel (probably the millionth one at this point, Natasha had lost count) and James leaned against the wall and folded his arms and stared at his feet and Natasha sat herself back down on the bed.

“All these places look the same,” she said.

“This place was expensive,” James replied.

“I’m just saying,” she said defensively.

“Well, I was just saying, too,” James said.

“What is it with you and money,” Natasha grumbled. “I just meant I’m sick of hotel rooms.”

“We’re both sick of them,” James said. “And what do you mean, what is it with me and money? I actually grew up during the Great Depression!! I was raised to be frugal, you know.”

“Believe me, I know,” Natasha said.

“And what is it with you and money??” James kept going. She watched him throw his hands up in the air, but he refused to look at her. “We don’t actually make that much.”

“We make enough to get by,” Natasha said.

“Yeah, get by,” James replied frustratedly. “This doesn’t count as just getting by. This counts as several weeks of expensive travel from one corner of America to the next every other day. And hospitals and food and clothes. I’ve saved up the receipts, you know, and it’s steep!”

“Then just throw the receipts away!” Natasha growled and James let out a breath and he finally looked over at her.

“This isn’t my fault,” he said angrily and she stared at him.

“I didn’t say it was,” she said, and then stopped and frowned. “But wait, are you saying it’s my fault?”

“What?” James said.

“I didn’t plan this, you know,” she said.

“I know that,” he said. “I didn’t say it was your fault.”

“Then why are we talking about whose fault it is??” She cried.

“I don’t know!!” James cried back. They were both beginning to raise their voices. “Why are we talking at all?!”

“Cause maybe we’re supposed to enjoy talking to each other!!” Natasha replied.

They should have stopped then, Natasha realized later. They should have stopped talking.

“You don’t enjoy talking to me?” James said, looking offended.

“Not now, I don’t,” Natasha said and she watched James’ face go hard.

“Well you aren’t that easy to talk to either,” he accused. “Half of anything I say could trigger some sort of explosion with you, but I have no idea what because you won’t tell me anything!”

“I wasn’t talking about in general, James, I was talking about right at this second,” Natasha said and she glared at him. “Do you really think that? What explosions, what are you even talking about?! I’ve never blown up at you!”

“That’s literally what you’re doing right now,” James said and Natasha ground her teeth together.

“No,” she disagreed. “This is you blowing up at me.”