Avengers Compound, New York:
Natasha stood waiting outside the main door, holding one of Pepper's winter coats in hand. Dressed in a simple black sweater, dark denim jeans and thick winter boots, her arms were folded across her chest as her neutral expression observed the Statesman flying off into the distance.
"You're still waiting," she turned as she heard Tony's voice, watching as the man walked out of the building with a cup of coffee in hand and a smirk on his face.
"For someone that can cross the oceans in the blink of an eye, he's quite late."
"Actually, he said 'an hour' and it's only been...fifty five minutes? Huh, that took a lot longer than I expected."
"Getting the Asgardians a home?" she asked, amused as the genius groaned and nodded.
"Yeah, we found this village called Tønsberg in Norway that Thor remembers saving from the Frost Giants, so I just contacted them and they agreed to take them in."
"For a small fee of...?"
"Surprisingly, only a million and that was to build new housing for the Asgardians. Apparently, the people of the village really adore them."
"Well, the Norse gods are deeply rooted in Norwegian culture and geography. Kind of makes sense," she replied, to which Tony gave a shrug as he took a sip of his coffee while looking her over.
"By the way, haven't seen you dress up this much since the time you acted as Pep's secretary. Someone feeling a little romantic?"
"Like most women, I do enjoy opportunities where I can dress up a bit more for the occasion."
"Uh-huh, and why is Pep's lingerie closet also missing a pair of red-"
"You finish that sentence and I will taze you in the balls," she cut him off with a pointed stare, to which he just gave a sly smirk right as they heard the air whistle.
"-and I'm gonna be la-Oh, fifty eight minutes. That's good."
"Almost late," Natasha replied, smirking as Pietro blinked before looking at his watch. It was a new one too given how shiny it was, the woman narrowing her eyes as she recognized the design of a Patek Philippe.
'When did he get the tim-Ah, who am I kidding? He's a speedster. He probably ran around the world to find one.'
"Not almost late. Right on time."
"Five minutes early is right on time."
"Ah, are you one of those?"
"I am," she replied, slipping into the heavy fur-lined winter coat before zipping it all the way up to her chin.
"Fine. Next time, I'll be here ten minutes early."
"Have fun, kids. Keep it PG and if anything happens, I want to be the godfather."
"Is he always like this?"
"Oh, he's much more tame now," Natasha replied, raising an eyebrow as Pietro held out his arm with a smirk.
"Come on, we should arrive in style," Rolling her eyes with an amused smile, she hooked her arm around his while giving one final nod to Tony.
"Okay. Now, I'm going to show you something very cool."
"And what would that be?" she asked, tensing up for a brief moment as her skin tingled and she felt static dancing across her skin.
The golden-blue aura surrounding Pietro crawled across her body until she was clad in it, Tony pausing mid-sip with a frown as she turned to him with a smirk.
"I call next."
"Sure thing, Tones. Now, watch," With a step, Natasha felt weightless as the world was frozen in time, the landscape changing with every step.
New York was replaced by the vast blueness of the Atlantic Ocean, which soon was replaced by the dense, towering forests of Scotland.
That soon was replaced by open fields of flowers and grass, which was soon replaced by towering mountain ranges right before they vanished once more and arrived at their destination.
"What do you think?" Pietro asked as he pulled his aura back, allowing time and sound to return to Natasha's senses more as they stood on a high platform that acted as a balcony.
In front of them was a private, beautifully lit chalet and as she turned, her eyes watched as the tiny warm lights of a mountain village below twinkled like fallen stars against the vast expanse of the falling snow.
"Where are we?"
"Ah, just my new chalet I built into the side of a mountain range called the Swiss Alps," he spoke proudly before shaking his head as he saw her tense and give him a warning stare. "Just kidding. This was already here so I just bought it. Think of it as an investment to impress you."
"Well, you are doing a good job so far," she replied, relaxing once more before turning as the front door opened.
"Ah, Mr. Pietro. And I see you brought your date?" an elderly woman dressed in thick clothing with an apron on walked out the chalet, a happy smile on her face as Pietro walked forward and hugged the woman.
"Not my date. Just a friend, Mrs. Keller," Natasha filed away Pietro's ability to speak Romansh, instead smirking as he tried to deny the woman's attempts to match them together.
"Ah, I told you so many times to call me Martha," Pietro just gave a soft chuckle as the woman scolded him, turning her warm gaze to Natasha. "Welcome, my dear, and do not listen to him. A man does not buy a whole chalet and demand my family's secret recipe for just a friend."
"Secret recipe?" Natasha asked, tilting her head with a glimmer of amusement aimed at Pietro who sighed.
"Just a little meal she makes that tasted so good. It's kind of why I was late," he replied, drawing a giggle from Martha as she patted his arm before grabbing Natasha's hand and pulling her to the door.
"Come, the two of you need to eat before the food gets cold."
"What are we having?"
"Zürcher Geschnetzeltes with Rösti as a side," Pietro replied, drawing an impressed hum from Natasha as the savoury scent of veal and mushroom entered her nostrils the moment she entered.
"You really went all out for a 'simple dinner between friends', Mr. Maximoff."
"Like I said, a date," Martha spoke with an assured nod, drawing a resigned shrug from Pietro as Natasha looked at him with a smirk.
"I tried to keep it casual. Don't blame me if something happens."
"We'll see, Mr. Maximoff. We'll see," she replied, admiring the cozy interior as well as the warmth of the chalet as she entered. Unzipping her coat, she rolled her eyes as Pietro stood waiting with an arm raised, the man chuckling when she simply handed her coat to him.
Hanging it on the wooden rack by the door while dusting off a few stray flakes, Pietro removed his own coat and followed after her, the two of them following Martha to the dining room.
The table was already set, two plated dishes of creamy Zürcher Geschnetzeltes placed in front of the head seat and the seat of honour alongside crispy patches of Rösti next to them.
"Now, enjoy and remember that only the Master Bedroom has warm bedding and sheets."
"We will, Martha. Thank you," Pietro spoke with a smile, watching as the elderly woman made her way towards the kitchen.
"Is she going to be here the whole night?"
"No, she lives in the staff lodgings right outside. I didn't have the heart to tell her to live somewhere else and she actually makes some good food," he replied, pulling out her chair and sliding it forward as she sat down with a whispered thanks.
Sitting down himself at the head seat, he picked up the wine before raising an eyebrow as the woman stared at him with an amused smile and her chin resting on her hands.
"What?"
"Do you usually go all out like this for every 'friendly date' you have?"
"When I make a bet, I commit fully to it. Besides, consider this the start of a new life from the four years of you living on the run," Pietro replied with a smile, pouring out a glass of white wine for each of them.
She chuckled softly, picking up her own fork and cutting into the golden Rösti, giving an approving nod as the flavours danced on her tongue.
"Some of the best I've had."
"Really? You've had Zürcher Geschnetzeltes and Rösti before?"
"Internationally wanted spy and assassin, Pietro," Natasha reminded him with a smirk, which widened as he let out a sigh and nodded.
"Right, keep forgetting that part," he muttered, picking up his fork and taking a bite of the veal on his plate. "So, can I ask you one thing?"
"Yes?"
"Why'd you say yes to the date?" he asked, continuing when the woman raised an eyebrow at him. "You could have said no or said that you were joking, but you didn't. I know it's not for my good looks so why?"
"A few reasons, actually," she responded and he leaned forward as she picked up her glass, swirling the wine with a soft gleam in her eyes. "Firstly, I've never been one to pass up a free meal. Secondly, this was mostly an attempt for me to see if you were truly who you say you are and not some guy trying to lead us astray."
"And the third?" he pressed, looking amused as the woman's smirk sobered into a quiet, stoic stare.
"I've been on the run from the law for the better part of my life, Pietro, and every single person I've interacted with has wanted something from me.
From a new identity to an extraction to killing someone that pissed them off, they have always been the same, except for two people. Clint...and you," she said, pointing at the speedster who smiled.
"Well, I am to please, Ms. Romanoff, though I have to admit seeing the fearsome Black Widow out of her element is a bit of a bonus."
"One thing you'll learn about me is that I am never out of my element, Mr. Maximoff," she replied smoothly, finishing off the remainder of her wine before holding off when he nodded to the bottle. "Not yet. Let's just enjoy the food. Besides, we'll have plenty of need for it later."
"Sure thing, then."
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"So, I tried my best with what we had at end and I think I scored pretty good," I spoke as I entered the living area, Natasha raising an eyebrow at me as I placed down what I hoped to be two steaming mugs of authentic Swiss hot chocolate.
"You think?" she asked, picking up a mug and taking a sip. With a silent cheer as she let out a soft moan and nodded, I picked up my own mug and sighed as the drink kept my body warm.
"Yep, I got it right."
"And you didn't need the help of your new friend."
"Hey, Martha only cooked because I didn't want to poison you on the first date."
"First? You're that confident you're going to get a second?"
"Well, considering that you haven't stabbed me, haven't walked out and haven't tried to kick my ass, I'd say I have a good chance for a second date," I replied, stretching my legs out to the stone hearth close by while she sat with a woolly comforter thrown over her curled legs.
"Hmm, if you can teach me the recipe for this," she raised the mug with a smirk, "then, you may have a chance for another date."
"Sure thing. It's a family recipe."
"Your mom?" she asked, her tone softer as I nodded. "I've heard the stories from Wanda. She sounds like an incredible person."
"She was," I nodded, feeling past memories surface. "A bit on the strict side like most mothers, but she...she was the light that kept us going, even when she was gone and all we saw was war."
"Sounds better than what I had," she murmured, taking a slow sip as I turned my head to her. "Let's just say that my parents weren't the best."
"Adopted?"
"Worse. They were people that faked us having a family because they were trying to build us up before breaking us back down."
"Right, forgot that you had a bad childhood."
"You know?" she asked, though I caught the tensing of her shoulder and sighed.
"Well, as I've told you before when I revealed your 'parents', I saw most of your childhood and the training at the Red Room while I was in the Quantum Realm, though I also did see you, Alexei, Melina and Yelena take it down. Where is the last one by the way?"
"Out on a mission tracking down the remaining Black Widows," she replied, her shoulders relaxing. "She's trying to free them from the same chemical mind control we grew up under. She's a lot more hardheaded and stubborn than I am."
"Sounds like me, minus the silver hair and the impulsiveness," I chuckled, drawing a small, genuine smile from her.
"She would probably try to shoot you if you said that to her face, though you're not wrong," she replied with a soft sigh, running her finger along the rim of her mug. "She's...she's the only person I have left that I truly consider family."
"And the other two?"
"I don't care much for Alexei and Melina. They lied to us and were the ones who pushed us into the program that made me the monster that I am."
"Hey, I was responsible for the destruction of my own world and so many other universes. If you're a monster, then what am I?"
"A demon," she replied immediately and I rolled my eyes as she giggled while taking another sip.
"Well, then this demon can help you with your family problems. It wouldn't take me more than a second to scour the planet and bring the whole family back together to talk."
"Hmm, eight and a half out of ten, Pietro Maximoff," she replied, drawing a raised eyebrow from me as she raised her mug. "Now, if you do good on your promise, that could earn you another half-point and perhaps another date."
"You know, I'll take that bet," I grinned, clinking my mug softly against hers as I leaned back into the sofa. "Tomorrow, we head back to the compound and help plan for a war, but tonight, we're just a couple of ghosts enjoying a nice drink and better company."
"To being a ghost."
A/N; And we end it here! Finally, writing a chapter without battles or planning. Nothing but slow romance. Am I doing it right? Let me know.
Anyway, next chapter: War.
As always, read, enjoy, review and until the next one...
Ba-Bye~!