Summers' Purpose

Chapter 64

Natasha opened the driver's side door when Y/n pulled up beside her. "Move over, let me drive." Y/n got out of the car confused but headed to the passenger's side anyway. Natasha passed Y/n a bag silently before getting behind the wheel. Y/n knew right away what was in it, placing it in the back seat without question and not wanting to think about it for now. "Did it go well? I heard everything. I knew he wouldn't be a problem for you," Natasha teased, noticing Y/n's change in mood. It seemed to work distracting her.

"A heads-up would've been nice, you know," Y/n gestured at the dress, tugging down at the edges as it slipped against the leather seats.

"What? It's part of being a good field agent; being adaptable as and when the situation needs it. Not a problem for you with your prior experiences, right? Anyway, I meant it when I said you look nice. Ты прекрасна, знаешь," Natasha smiled.

"Комплименты вам не помогут," Y/n replied, to Natasha's surprise. "Hey, where are we going?" She noticed Natasha taking a different road, leading them in a different direction. She glanced behind and around them warily. "Are we being followed?"

"No. We're clear, but I have an idea. Just trust me."

They switched to a sedan that would be less conspicuous on the road, and Y/n admired the city's bright lights and busy streets as Natasha drove. After some time, Natasha quickly pulled into a roadside parking of a busy block, the streets bustling with energy. Y/n looked at Natasha, wondering what she was up to. "Why are we stopping?"

"Don't worry. Wait here, I'll be back."

Natasha left without explaining further, leaving a perplexed Y/n to stare at her until she disappeared amidst the other pedestrians. Y/n's text to Natasha was met with the same vague answers so she decided to distract herself with her phone to avoid thinking about the bag behind her. 10 minutes later, Y/n saw Natasha heading back to the car, balancing two, flat boxes in her hand. She knocked on the window with her other hand, gesturing for Y/n to exit the car before grabbing the bag in the backseat. Y/n turned off the car's engine and joined Natasha on the street, noticing the label on the boxes she carried.

"Is that pizza? Uh...what's going on? Are we still undercover or something?" Y/n asked, catching up to Natasha who was already walking ahead of her.

"I told you; we're clear. Come on, we're not that far away. It's tough getting parking around here so I'd rather not move the car. We're just over a block away anyway."

"Nat?" Y/n gently held on to Natasha's arm to stop her. "Listen, I trust you but I need you to explain. We're a block away from where? Is this another surprise? Because I can't really handle another one tonight, honestly."

Natasha hooked her arm with Y/n's and led the way forward. "Alright, you can relax, I'll explain. It's been really stressful lately in the compound with Scott and Bruce working on that time travel thing and I know it affects you. So, I just thought it'd be nice to 'kidnap' you for a few hours and get you out of there for a change." She smiled as Y/n turned to look at her. "So, what do you think? I got somewhere we can go to if you're feeling up to it." Natasha paused, waiting for Y/n's response.

Y/n thought about it for a while. Why the hell not? She shrugged, nodding to give Natasha the green light and they continued their walk, finding themselves in an apartment building not long after as Natasha unlocked a door. They walked inside, Y/n trailing slowly behind Natasha as Natasha went in first to switch on the lights. She placed the pizza boxes on a coffee table in the middle of the living room.

"Make yourself at home," Natasha invited, removing her jacket before draping it over the sofa arm. "Sorry, it's a bit messy. Been a while since I've been here myself."