emmylou | natasha romanoff

six.

2012
Springfield, Ohio

Kennedy was in the break room making herself a cup of coffee when Marin walked in the room with a grin on her lips. Kennedy looked up at her before looking back at her coffee as she began pouring sugar into it.

"What's got you all smiley?" Kennedy asks.

"Don't pretend like you don't know," Marin says, "The hospital's fundraising event is tonight. Fancy dresses, free food and-"

"I'm not going."

"-scandalous sex, I'm sorry did you just say that you're not going?"

"Nope," Kennedy answers. She honestly hated the annual hospital fundraiser because it wasn't about improving the hospital, but more so a chance for everyone to show how wealthy they were and how perfect their families were. Kennedy had gone in the past because of Fitz, but with him out of town, she was going to sit at home and watch Grey's Anatomy or something.

"Why not?" Marin asks.

"Fitz isn't here, I'm not showing up alone."

"Easy fix," Marin tells her, "Ask bar hottie turned neighbor hottie. Everyone knows you and Fitz are the golden couple and you could just say that you wanted to introduce Natasha to the community."

"Natasha doesn't go to fundraisers," Kennedy says as she places the sugar down.

"She'll go anywhere you tell her to go," Marin responds, "I was drunk that night at the bar, but I wasn't that drunk. Sexual chemistry was leaking from both of you."

Kennedy laughs, "Shut up."

"I'm so serious," Marin says, "Natasha wants you to bring her to the fundraiser."

"Marin, do you hear yourself? You're telling me to bring Natasha to the fundraiser as though I'm single."

"In my eyes you are single," Marin tells her. Kennedy opens her mouth, but Marin cuts her off before she can even speak, "You and Fitz are the picture-perfect couple, but you know what you're lacking? Actual love. Chemistry."

"Fitz and I love each other."

"Yeah, the same way I love Ben," Marin responds, and Kennedy rolls her eyes, "Why did you say yes to his proposal?"

Kennedy shrugs as she grabs her coffee and sips it, "Fitz has a good job, he's nice, stable. Besides it's not like I had a lot of takers."

"Oh please," Marin says rolling her eyes, "You were a loser in middle school and high school, but you shed that title when you became the town's sexiest doctor two years in a row. You're Miss. June in the town's calendar."

"Because my mom volunteered my body," Kennedy says, "And Reagan gave me twenty bucks to do it."

"Natasha is hot. The two of you have chemistry and you're about to suffer in a loveless marriage for the rest of your life," Marin says, "So either you invite her to the fundraiser, or I will."

"I'll invite her," Kennedy says with a sigh and Marin grins at her.

"Perfect! I'll see you two tonight!"

Marin rushes out of the break room and Kennedy groans as she realizes that she now has to invite Natasha to one of the most miserable occasions in town. There was always the chance that she'd say no, but then Kennedy would be upset if she said no.

She dialed Natasha's number and brought the phone up to her ear, listening nervously as it rang.

"Hey Kennedy," Natasha answered.