CHAT TOWER [AVENGERS]

SINCE I'VE BEEN LOVING YOU

Also, Not Safe For Work I guess?

[Part 2 to DISAPPEAR // Natasha]

Long overdue, I apologise.*

♪you're listening to SINCE I'VE BEEN LOVING YOU - Led Zeppelin♪
♪in queue: HEART SHAPED BOX - NIRVANA♪

A friendly phone call;

Natasha: hey, Clint. Is anyone near you?

Clint: uh, no? Why?

Natasha: Good. I just wanted to tell you that I'm about to catch my last flight and if I don't see your ass at the airport in right about eight hours holding a huge sign with my name on it, consider this friendship disowned and forgotten.

Clint: Wait- what the hell-

Natasha: Thanks Clint.

Clint has received a text...

Nat:
Oh. Don't tell anyone else by the way.

Clint:
Why? Wait why doesn't Ray know you're coming?

Nat:
Just. Please keep it to yourself for now.

__

Back At the Avengers Tower

Ray sits beside Wanda, glaring back at the other three teams: Sam and Steve, Tony and Vision, Bucky and Bruce.

It was a heated game of Monopoly, threatening to destroy friendships at the roll of a dice.

Wanda rolls the dice on behalf of her team and it clatters to a halt on the board, leading her and Ray to the move that leaves them bankrupt.

"This game is seriously flawed." Wanda growls and Ray nods in agreement.

The others laugh at the girls as they stand up and plop down on the couch, accepting defeat.

"Since you two lost, you know what that means..." Tony stands up and hands Wanda a can of beer.

Wanda smirks, "Well, it seems like losing actually meant winning." She raises the can over her head, "Cheers."

The guys around the Monopoly board laugh as Tony intently watches Wanda happily chug the beer at a steady speed.

Wanda crushes the can in her hands once she's done and Tony clears his throat, as though he was embarrassed for chosing a rather uneventful punishment for the losers.

It was Ray's turn.

Tony reaches out to Ray with a can in his hand. Ray attempts to take it from him, but it seemed that Tony was clutching it quite hard.

Ray springs up from the couch, snatching the can from Tony a little too aggressively and downing the can of beer in lightning speed.

She shoves the empty can into Tony's chest and stomps away into the kitchen, leaving the others puzzled.

Steve sighs, "It's okay... She's been acting up for a couple of weeks, you know... I think it might be because of Nat not being here. It's fine, we just need to give her time."

The three remaining teams return to the game, but Tony excuses himself.

"I'll go check on her."

He shuffles into the kitchen, spotting Ray standing over the sink with her head down.

Tony spins her around and pulls her closer to him, "Hey, what's going on?"

Ray into his eyes with utter disgust, "Are you fucking serious?"

She attempts to push him away from her, but he doesn't budge. She huffs, turning her head to look away from him.

Tony pulls her chin towards his face, staring directly into her watery eyes.

"Why won't you talk to me?"

Ray attempts to push him back one more time, failing miserably. She exhales in defeat as her head falls gently onto his chest. "Tony... I can't. I fucking can't."

Tony lifts her chin up, "And you don't have to if you don't want to... but I know you want to-"

Ray furrows her brows, "How can you say all this? Natasha- I- I thought you and Nat were friends..."

Tony slides his hand down to Ray's waist. She feels her knees giving up on her....

"So you're going to pretend you don't like this?" Tony growls.

Ray dissolves under his touch, but her conscience protests. She whispers back to him, hoping he'll understand her, "Stop. I can't fucking do this. Just fucking stop." Her fist tightens its grip on his back, but the other hand is on his collar, pulling his face closer to hers.

"Then why are you bringing me closer to you?"

Ray's breathing intensifies, and she feels Tony's body relax. She uses all of her strength to push him away and storms out of the kitchen, her cheeks red and damp.

Just as she steps out, she hears commotion in the hallway. She walks towards the sound of Clint's joyful laughter. She reaches the site of commotion and sees a semi circle shielding Clint away from her sight. There is another familiar voice that has joined the conversation, but it is a tune that Ray hasn't heard in a long time.

Bucky turns back, noticing Ray trying to squeeze between Sam and Bruce to see what the noise was all about.

"Ray! You'll never guess who it is..." Bucky smirks.

No one notices Tony quietly staring at them from the distance.

Bucky pushes Ray a little too violently in front of him and a glimmer of red flashes before her eyes for a brief moment...

Natasha.

Natasha looks away from Clint, and her smile disappears as she freezes in her tracks. Her eyes are completely fixated upon Ray.

They stand still for a few seconds too long.

Everyone falls silent.