Friends With the Monster

Biology

While Natasha parks herself on a bench for the next hour, the sunglasses have returned to her face. With a crossed knee and bittersweet memories, she's enthralled with watching two siblings play, laughing and pushing each other around the playground.

The smaller blonde child reminds Natasha of someone long gone; smaller but just as strong as her sister, with a contagious laugh and wide smile. When the little one takes a fall and the inevitable scream echoes in the air, Natasha's throat tightens. Her mother's immediate arrival onto the scene soothes nerves the redhead wasn't aware were still accessible after years of assassin training and PTSD.

This odd caring sensation for children who aren't Barton's might be uncomfortable to sit through if she weren't about to answer a phone call from Phil Coulson.

"I'm on vacation," She mutters an emotionless greeting.

"Trust me, I'd rather be in Maui right now," Coulson responds, expecting at least a chuckle.

Natasha keeps her private life private and thus told Coulson she was headed to Maui. Boots and a heavier woolen coat have replaced the standard beachwear of a swimsuit and flip flops and she has yet to shut off her work brain... some vacation .

"With Agent May?" Natasha would bat her eyelashes but the sarcasm has already been made clear through her tone of voice.

She believes love to be overrated, a weakness. It prevents an agent from thinking clearly as they're falling and only adds to stress mid mission. She has no time for such a thing but enjoys pushing the buttons of her good friend.

"I found the information you asked for."

She clears her throat, tucking her chin ever so slightly over Phil's response, "So did I."

"Not for Banner, for the Initiative. I got you a passcode."

Natasha sits forward, uncrossing her knee anxiously. She'd scream but displaying emotion isn't her style.

"0817."

Natasha scoffs, "So Carol's birthday."

"The golden child."

"What do you know about the Initiative?"

"Ask Fury. It's not my place to say."

Natasha crosses one arm over her chest and latches tightly onto her opposite bicep, "Since when do you know more than I do about a project run by Fury?"

"I don't. The file is just about empty aside from a few names. We both know Fury has a backup somewhere with the actual file."

Natasha tries her hardest not to sigh into the microphone, cold air biting at her nose.

"I wouldn't lose sleep over it,' Coulson starts, 'He's been following Banner and Stark for a while."

"Wait,' Natasha nearly chokes, 'Stark as in, Anthony Stark of Stark Industries?"

"Considering Howard Stark's ties to S.H.E.I.L.D, it's really not that shocking."

She'd have to disagree some other time, "Who else is on the list?"

Phil seemingly ignores, lowering his phone to give Natasha nothing but a muffled interaction between Coulson and another agent;

"I've got to get back to work."

Natasha quirks an eyebrow upward, "Don't knock yourself out."

"How's the weather?"

"Fine."

"My weather app is making me jealous."

"Bye, Coulson." She laughs lightly.

"Enjoy your break Agent Romanoff. Try not to think about work too much."