BLACK WIDOW

seclouth

seclouth
(adj.)
strange, unusual, rare; unfamiliar, marvelous, wondrous

•••

"He had demons at war inside him. I chose to love every one of them."

•••

"And that's it," Stark said cheerfully in his thick American accent as he closed up the blueprint work. Anton smiled back.

"Absolutely genius, this invention will be," he said.

"Hopefully in near future, we will have the technology to perfect it," Stark dreamed thoughtfully as he leaned back on the work bench.

"Hopefully," agreed Anton. "I'm going to go, Mr. Stark, to get ready for the gala. Good day to you."

"Anton, please," he said hold out his hand. "Call me Howard."

Anton smiled and nodded, shaking the American's hand and exiting the room where James and Natalia were waiting.

<We'll go back to the motel and rest for bit, then dress for the gala,> James said.

<Of course. Hopefully it will end quickly and we can return to Mother Russia,> he said excitedly.

They hurried back to their hotel rooms. Anton got settled is his protected room while James and Natalia disappeared into their room. It was quite expensive. Very pretty. Two beds with a mahogany frame and headboard. There were two matching sidetables and a dresser. But really, all the looks were ruined by all the equipment they had set up.

<I still don't see why there would be any threat to Anton,> Natalia said as she looked over a security camera.

"Howard is a nice man," Bucky added. "He doesn't seem like the type to hire assassins."

<Neither does the woman.> they were silent for a moment as they worked on their equipment, readying themselves for the gala. After a few moments, James spoke.

"Do you feel it?" he asked, leaning against the heavy wooden desk.

Natalia looked up from the screen. "Feel what?"

"The familiarity. Towards Howard and Peggy."

She shook her head. "Not really."

"I just feel like I know them. I don't know though," he said. "It probably paranoia. I've been experiencing a lot of weird things lately."

She raised an eyebrow, worried for James. "Like what?"

"I get these strange impulses to do things and say things that I would never usually say. I'm subconsciously knowing things that I hadn't before. Like the truths of Christmas. Or the familiarity with Howard and Peggy. Or the fact that I can't wait to get to the gala and dance with you. I've never danced in my entire life, yet somehow I feel like it's natural. Like I've done it before."

Natalia looked upon him with a deep sadness. "Well... I don't think any of that is wrong. It feels good to have a little human in you. I only wish I could say the same," she said, subconsciously placing her hand over the place on her stomach in which the Red Room stripped her of her her ability to fully dedicate one's love with children.

"I suppose it is not too bad. Some of it. But suppose the greatest turnout of my returning humanity would be this strange sensation I get when I'm near you," he said with a smile as he took her hands and touched his nose to hers.