⠀⠀⠀ ⚖⠀.⠀⠀⠀⠀

   He smiled and nodded in the affirmative,  glancing back out to the view with a thoughtful look.  He quickly turned back,  lighting her cigarette and putting the lighter back into his pocket.  He kept his eyes on her,  as if trying to figure out her reaction and silently dropping the act of curiosity.  "You can't tell anyone,"  he stated carefully,  a serious tone settling underneath it despite everything else.  "I stole from him.  He sent someone to get it back and— I—"  his focus faltered,  looking around them for a few seconds with a skittish energy.  "They  died."  A hushed whisper,  keeping the rest of the story unsaid because he was sure Natasha could pick up what had happened there.  "So.  Y'know.  I think he's probably gonna kill me."  
            
            /   @-RUSSIANSPIES 

She observed him while he took in the view, smiling with fondness at the look on his face. "Beautiful, isn't it?" she inquired him, accepting one of the cigarettes and thanking him. She rarely smoked, but she found it would be polite to join him. Nat let him light up his, first, then held out hers so he could light it up too, thanking him with a nod this time. Nat leaned against the wall and took a drag of the cigarette, ready to ask him more about those things that had been going on in his head as of late, when he brought it up first. She looked at him in surprise at the mention of the name— her, whose expression was often very in control, couldn't seem to avoid it at the moment. That was the last thing she was expecting to hear from him. "Yes— is he the reason behind your wish to run away?" she inquired cautiously, because if he was, well... Jack was in a lot of trouble. And he would need all the help he could get!

   As they got to the rooftop,  Jack quickly stepped forward and looked out at the view.  It really was lovely,  he thought,  the kind of thing you'd want to sit down and paint.  Maybe another day,  though—  he didn't quite have the tranquillity to commit to that in the moment.  He got the pack of cigarettes out from his pocket,  taking one out and offering them to her in slow and precise movements.  He seemed to think for a moment,  before clearing his throat and looking at her properly.  "Does the name Kingpin mean anythin' ta you?"  He asked idly,  as if only vaguely wondering out of curiosity.  Because...  well,  it was difficult to explain.  
            
            /   @-RUSSIANSPIES 

   Her advice was good,  because he truly did want to know what it felt like to celebrate christmas.  They did it last year,  but he sort of knew what to expect this time around.  In the end,  Jack wanted to make it a good time for Kate,  because she loved the holidays and all he ever wanted was to see her enjoying herself.  "I'm always gonna want you."  He promised,  a hand gently placed on her arm for reassurance.  "That's why I wanna do christmas properly.  Everything I do is for you."  
            
            /   @-HAWKEYES 

She loved it when he did that. How expressive his eyes could be, gawd! It was quite funny, though, when he narrowed his eyes. She couldn't help herself!
            At his response, though, her smile became a much softer one. She teased him, about being her 'Grinch', though it was nothing but a silly little joke. She knew he wasn't used to celebrate the holidays, perhaps not entirely introduced to the festivities when growing up. He had mentioned, although not in depth, but still told her enough that she did understand those earlier years... they hadn't been easy. Even his birthday was... well. The reason why she wanted to show him all! Never forcing it to him, though. "Don't rush it..." she told him, cupping his cheek. "One day it'll occur naturally to you. Or not. And that's okay as well! They take one day to celebrate love, hope... to be with the people they care about. This is what Christmas is about — we don't need a *day* to celebrate that, though. We can have it everyday! ...I want to love you. And be with you. For as long as you'll have me." 

  His eyes narrowed at her laughter;  she was still entirely to blame for the fact that he'd softened up over the last year.  Even if there were parts of his personality that he couldn't really shake,  the parts so absent of human life could shift.  Because he wasn't really raised as a  *child*,  he wasn't really raised as much at all.  It all tended to be so confusing.  "Just considerin' that a lotta people tend to get quite excited this time'a year.  S'weird.  But I guess I just ain't used to it yet?  I dunno how long that takes." 
            
            /   @-HAWKEYES 

   "The most interesting?  In New York?  Damn."  He mumbled thoughtfully,  taking a long drag of his cigarette as he considered the question.  He'd looked with purpose and,  in some cases,  he'd looked with amusement.  He seemed to internally sort through the things he could say and the things you couldn't,  the admissions of guilt and the morally gray.  "Seen a lotta superheroes doin' stupid shit 'round the city,  actually.  Saw some guy get busted by Spider-Man 'cause he stole some old lady's purse when I had a smoke break.  Pretty fuckin' hilarious."  
            
            /   @-RUSSIANSPIES 

"It's still pretty cool," she was quick to reassure him, spy or not.
            Jack was very observant. And clever. As well as a fast-thinker. She honestly liked all those things about him — barely did he know that such traits were always present in a good spy. And they were often the type that couldn't be taught: you had it or not. Differently of fighting skills and espionage techniques — that one could definitely master with practice and determination...
            In her opinion, he was a natural — at the same time, that's the kind of life she would never wish for her 'little brother'.
            "What was the most interesting thing you have observed while pretending you were just having a cigarette?" she inquired him with that unwavering, warm look in her eyes — always present when directed at her young librarian friend.

   "Aha,  I've used that move before.  But I ain't a spy,  so it's less impressive."  Not that he did things based on how cool they seemed,  obviously,  because petty theft and general restlessness was not cool and yet he couldn't help himself.  But waiting around a store,  watching how their security worked,  observing cameras and people passing by—  with a cigarette,  he just seemed like a curious individual.  Not even that.  He was barely registered.  And,  if he did ever have to talk to anyone,  a more generic American accent slipped out like second nature.  It wasn't so difficult.  Being a spy,  though,  was a different level completely.  "A lotta people tend ta say that."  He said it like he didn't believe it as a general rule,  because he would bond with the people he chose to,  cigarette or not.  But...  she had a point,  he supposed.  
            
            /   @-RUSSIANSPIES