He had no doubt that Natasha would make herself heard, whether it was something Strange and Stark wanted to hear or not. She had a knack of making people listen, painfully if required. John was just glad she felt able to talk to him about all of this.
John flashed her a small smile, wondering if she'd been reading his notes of late. "I think you're right if it means anything," he said meeting Natasha's eyes. "Anchoring individuals to the fabric of the hotel should be easier than breaking out," and it was the area of research he'd become deeply invested in, since Nat had expressed her desires all those months back in the bar. "I can't say I've cracked the puzzle quite yet, but I'm working on it."
Objects were the key, he had decided. Perhaps the objects that came from their homeworlds, items that clearly wanted to be with their owners and would defy reality to get back to them. "I haven't attempted to bind anyone yet, because my one fear is that it's how the ghosts got here in the first place," John said with a frown towards Natasha. "We might want to stay here, but an eternal pact seems unwise," and that's where it got complicated. "I'm listening if you've got any ideas, sweetheart," he said his arm snaking around her waist to hold her tight.
The slight question in her eyes was easily answered. "I'm going nowhere, luv, with one caveat," John told her. "If someone comes from my world and I'm required, not wanted, required then I'd consider leaving," otherwise he'd found too much here to risk losing. "I'm not leaving unless I have to, Natasha," was the promise he could give her as they walked towards the floating gondolas.
"Salads aren't food, they're decoration," he said breaking the tension as they drew alongside the gondola. "On any other date I'd get in first and offer you my hand, but you're the athletic one of us and I'm comfortable enough in my skin to accept help from my girl," John told her with a grin. "There, I said it, now hop on in and give us a hand, eh?"