When The Laughter Stops

Ch 18

The door swings open and Natasha immediately makes her way upstairs to her room.

The door swings open and I make my way to the front of the club fixing my suit.

Natasha sits down on the windowsill looking out at the view, the river being illuminated by the moon light.

I take a seat in my usual spot and look through the crowd of people looking for a certain red head but don't find her anywhere.

"Where's Natasha?" I ask Jonny who's by himself guarding.

"She *clears throat* um left-

"What?! What do you mean she left?!" I growl looking around as I get up from my seat.

"With who?!" I then ask.

"Bruno took her back to the mansion because she told him if he didn't she would call her brother." Jonny explains and my blood feels like it's on fire.

I get my phone out to call her.

Natasha sniffs as she picks up her phone.

"Hello?"

"When were you going to tell me you came back to New York?" Wanda, her best friend and co worker asks.

"She's not answering." I grit gripping my phone hard.

"Why did she want to leave?" I ask Jonny.

"She didn't say. She went to the back to go look for you and she came back wanting to leave immediately. Even when B tried to explain that we couldn't leave without you." Johnny explains and I pinch the bridge of my nose.

There was so many thoughts and emotions that were running through my brain.

If she wanted to leave, fine.

I clench my jaw and make my way back to the room I just left minutes before. When I get inside I see Lauren still in bed. She looks at me and I start to take off my clothes.

"Wha-

"No talking." I cut her her off taking off my boxers as I get back on the bed.

~

Next Morning

I was the first one up in the morning, mainly because I didn't go to sleep in the first place. I was in the kitchen sitting on a stool looking down at my cup of coffee that was untouched, getting cold. Regina comes down and when she sees me she's confused.

"James? Did you just get back?" She asks as she sees I'm still in the same suit, now wrinkled, that I wore the night before.

"No, I just, haven't been upstairs." I rasp sitting up slightly.

She pours herself a cup of the coffee I made and when she takes a sip she slightly grimaces spilling it in the sink then makes a new batch.

"What's wrong?" She asks taking my cup that's in front of me away.

Before I can respond Natasha comes into the kitchen. We make eye contact but she quickly looks away as if she didn't see me.

"Why'd you leave last night?" I ask not looking at her but at my hands that were intertwined on the counter.

Regina looks between the two not knowing what's going on.

She doesn't respond as she goes to grab a mug. I get up and make my way over to her.

"I'm talking to you cupcake." I tell her and she cringes.

"Don't. Call me that." She says seriously and my eyebrows furrow.

"Natasha why'd you leave I was worri-

"Oh yes you were so worried." She tells me smiling sarcastically before she gets serious.

"I bet you didn't even notice when I left." She adds.

"Of course I noticed as soon as I was done-

I stop talking and she crosses her arms over her chest and raises an eyebrow expectantly.

"Yes? Done with what? Fucking your other "cupcake" Lauren?" She asks and I look away.

Regina sighs looking down and decides to give the two some privacy leaving the kitchen while the coffee is brewing.

"I went looking for you but after hearing what you were up to, I decided it would be best to come back since I was just wasting my time there." She tells me.

"The name just slipped out, you know you're my cupcake, doll." I try and she shakes her head with a bitter chuckle.

"Then why'd you call her that literally telling her to cum while calling her my supposed nickname?" She asks and I don't respond not wanting her to know the reason.

"I think it's just best if things just go back like before, me being on the other side of the mansion as your prisoner." She says and my eyes slightly widen.

"No no no come on Nat, you know I care for you more than anyone else." I tell her holding one of her hands against my chest and she closes her eyes not allowing James's words affect her.

She pulls away and takes a step back and looks me in the eye with a shaky breath.

"I'm waiting for the cure for my brother, Joker." She says and leaves the kitchen.