Mistakes Were Made (Avengers/James Rhodes)

05. Sent Out

I sat alone at a table in a small quaint cafe, my notes and other papers around me. I scribbled notes in Hindi, ignoring the world around me. I was raised speaking Hindi when I was in the orphanage as a young child.

I jumped a little when someone sat in front of me. I looked up to see Nat, a large grin on her face. It was then I realized that Rhodey was with her.

I glared at Nat. "Really?"

"I'm not allowed to bring a friend?" Nat asked, a smug look on her face. She switched to Russian. "Invite him to sit, Charlie. He isn't too bad. You're just shy."

I glared at her for a moment before looking at Rhodey. "Come sit, Rhodey."

I cleaned up my papers and tucked my stuff in my backpack.

"How have you been, Charlie?" Rhodey asked.

I scanned his face, watching for anything. "I've been busy but alright. How are you?"

"Don't be so polite," Nat said in Russian. "You aren't getting any younger."

I kicked her under the table and rolled my eyes. Rhodey looked between us, a bewildered and curious look on his face.

Nat smiled. "I love you too, Charlie."

I shook my head and looked at Rhodey again. "You didn't answer my question."

Rhodey met my gaze. "Yeah, I'm alright. What were you writing earlier?"

"It's for a case," I replied. "You aren't a high enough clearance level to know anything about it."

Rhodey raised his eyebrow slightly. "What level are you?"

I paused, fiddling with my pen. "Level ten."

"There's only one person with that clearance level," Rhodey said, "and that's Fury."

I looked at Nat, switching to Russian. "He's onto me. Do something."

"No, you get yourself out of this," Nat said. "It's about time you learned to do things on your own."

I flipped her off. "I'm level ten because I've been around for a while. Fury trusts me a lot."

"Fury doesn't trust a lot of people," Rhodey replied. "What makes you special?"

I looked at him, completely deadpan. "I've known Fury for a long time. He would be an idiot if he thought I wasn't trustworthy."

Rhodey looked me over, still unsure. "Okay. If Fury thinks so, I have to agree."

"Maybe you should get to know her before you make a judgment," Nat said. "Charlie is a whole person and the judgment of others doesn't define her."

"Yeah," I said. "What she said."

Rhodey nodded, smiling a little. "I guess I have to be around you for a bit. You're a refreshing face to see when we're surrounded by idiots."

I laughed. "I know. It's - it's nice to actually have a smart person around."

"Thanks for that," Nat grumbled. "I'm not one of the smartest people on the team and your absolute best friend."

"No, not at all," I said. "You're the worst person in existence."

Nat laughed. "I love you too."

Before anyone could say anything, my phone started ringing and I picked it up.

"I need you at the base in New York," Nick said in Hindi. "It's important."

I rolled my eyes as I started packing whatever was left. "On one of my off days. What is it?"