Friends With the Monster

A Good Man

"Coms are down," Natasha is gradually becoming more and more frustrated with the lack of cooperation from her tech. Nothing is working in the middle of nowhere and his laugh isn't helping.

They've found themselves in a scrappy motel off the side of the road on a late and rainy afternoon. Dimly lit and borderline condemnable, Natasha is currently trying to take apart the small television in an attempt to save her rain damaged equipment.

With the item on the stained carpeted ground, she's testing plugs.

"Is this your first time being out in a deserted space without your phone?"

Her teeth grind, he thinks he's so funny, "No, Bruce."

She likes saying his name.

"Is this your first time on your own without your spy gear," She can hear the bed creak behind her when he sits on the edge.

Her eyes roll, tossing a pulled wire and throwing it onto the ground beside her knee, "No."

"Nina is getting edgy-."

"I'm cold and frustrated."

"I can see that."

For a second she believes he'll stop talking. The incoming question makes her head pound;

"Why?"

Natasha whips her chin up over her shoulder, forcing a sarcastic grin. She's looking up from the ground when she whispers, "Well, let's see. For starters, if I can't get in touch with my boss, he's going to assume the worst, which could in turn make our situation a bit more complicated-."

"Don't you have spies everywhere-."

"I'm off our intended path because of the train incident and the battery in connection with the tool I use to get in touch with said spies, would appear to be dead."

"So go make a call at the- where was it- that telephone booth we passed. A mile or so out."

"Here's an idea,' she lifts a finger, 'you shut up so that I can get back to work."

His brow furrows when she finds his eyes looking back up at her, "Okay."

Her knees drop back down in order to return to her faulty equipment. A pain shoots up to her right hip- she ignores it. It's just pain.

Her fingers twitch when she hears his inhale, waiting for the incoming question;

"Is it a lithium ion?"

Her hands drop, a small gust of wind trickling in from under the crack in the motel room door as if to scream for her.

She has her jacket off, her hat thrown. Natasha gestures to the battery, "I could figure out a lithium ion- This one is dead."

"Maybe not?"

"If you want to give a whirl, be my guest."

The bed creaks as he slides off of it and crouches down beside her.

They're still drenched from the run to get indoors, his button down practically see through due to the downpour.

Carrying their jackets over their heads might've been a mistake.

She fixates elsewhere, lifting the bottom of her tee to wipe her forehead and catch a raindrop from off her long bangs.

Banner's eyes are flicked only momentarily in her direction... she can feel them . Before the redhead can even consider scolding him for looking, his eyes are back on his project- her project.

He takes it up so carefully, holding the item at a distance to see every detail. She sits back against the tv stand half dresser with its shaky feet. Hugging her knees she analyzes his every move. Careful, purposeful. The doctor resembles a father working to patch up one of his children's toys, so gentle with the edges as if he could crush the item whole at any given moment.