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'tasha (spyders) wrote in timerift_log,
@ 2022-03-06 18:18:00

Entry tags:

mcu: natasha romanoff, mcu: tony stark

Who: Natasha Romanoff and Tony Stark
What: Catching Up
When: Sunday Evening
Where: Hobknob's Coffee
Warning: Talk of Death

Since arriving in Cardiff and almost 25 years in the past, Natasha had been taking quiet advantage of her new life. Maybe it was because of how she'd left her timeline, but she wasn't one in a rush to return, mainly because she had nowhere to return to. The Doctor had assured her that her immediate death would likely still be there, waiting for her when this was all figured out, so in the meantime, she'd decided to take what time she had here to reflect and do the things she hadn't had the chance to do back home. Relaxing being the big one.

Even with five years stuck in the Avengers Facility practically by herself, Natasha had spent little time thinking of her own needs. She'd been a slave to the mission, much as she had her whole life. She had taken over the Avengers, determined to keep the peace in a world gone insane. While Steve found comfort in his group sessions, Natasha did so with planning and communication. The thing was, the quiet time still haunted her. She wanted to keep busy then to avoid thinking too much about those she lost. And how they'd lost.

There were months where she'd hardly realized how much time had passed. Then others where time ticked by like molasses. It was a strange sort of limbo- all the way until Scott showed up with their miracle. And then, hope.

She hadn't thought about a world after the mission. She rarely did. But here she was, a month into this adventure, and she found herself with time to think. Not about her failures, but about what she might do here. She'd found herself spending a lot of time in the small coffee shop, and by now she'd gotten to know the elf who worked here very well (he was sweet, though it did bother her that he insisted on calling her Ms Natasha).

That evening, after...events, she'd found herself having tea after supper, flipping through the pages of a book she'd found on the shelf in the shop- something by a magical author, so she knew it would be new to her. For once, she was unaware of her surroundings- it was a rare moment where Natasha Romanoff let her guard down.

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spyders
2022-03-09 04:13 am UTC (link)

She'd noticed him when he first entered but said nothing. She knew he would come over to her on his own. It was Tony, after all. As much as he wanted to pretend he was dark and mysterious, he was predictable. Comically so. It was why it had been so easy to fool him as Natalie Rushman all those years ago, and why now she could almost count down to the second when he would take a seat in front of her and quip some remark.

3. 2. 1.

And there he was. She smirked down at the page of her book and calmly looked up, studying him. He looked tired. "Fancy seeing you here, Mr. Stark." It was a game they played. Light flirtation, but nothing serious. It was safe. And she knew he was avoiding a lot since coming here.

They both were in a way. Except Natasha had a sinking feeling she'd accepted her eventual fate with more certainty than the man in front of her. Then again, he had a lot more to lose.

"Don't tell me you were looking for me."

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cutsthewire
2022-03-10 04:16 am UTC (link)

It was safe. For some reason, Natasha had always felt safe, even when she was a triple agent masquerading as Natalie Rushman. She was one of the few people who was able to push past the Tony Stark persona to see the man behind the curtain. He had felt her loss immensely.

"Happy coincidence," he replied with an animated shake of his head. "Dropped by to talk shop with my pal Bradly over there. He's very business oriented." Ten years ago, obligatory small talk with an elf would have pushed him toward the edge, but subsequent events including the talking raccoon with an attitude problem had taken the edge off as far as what was possible in the universe.

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spyders
2022-03-11 07:34 am UTC (link)

Natasha glanced over at the busy guy and shook her head. "You know, I keep telling him not to franchise, but what do I know? I'm not the billionaire playboy." She looked back at Tony, marking her book and setting it aside. She had a feeling this wasn't a brief conversation.

"So, what have you been up to today?" Now that he didn't have a company to run, a family to raise, or iron suits to build, Natasha wondered what Tony would spend his time on. She was worried he might be lost here, but knowing Tony he would survive. Hopefully.

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cutsthewire
2022-03-12 03:43 am UTC (link)

"I'm retired on both counts," Tony reminded her, "but it couldn't hurt to prod along a budding entrepreneur from a magical universe a quarter century in the past." Because that was the joke, wasn't it? Not the tea-slinging elf who was way too enthusiastic about his job, but where they were now. Alive–both the Doctors and the wizards had assured them as much–and well. Well, alive anyway.

Tony shrugged, as if the question had been an innocent one, and not Natasha's way of checking up on him. "Pretended to ignore the awkward tension between our two roomies from the greatest generation and busted out of Magic Town for a while. Hit up Spillers." Cardiff, of all places, boasted the oldest record store in the world (according to some), and reminded Tony of the places in the Village he used to frequent when he was younger. He never bought anything, just browsed the vinyl, listened to the store clerks shoot the shit, and killed time. There was so much of it now.

He eyed Natasha's book and tea. "You been here long?" he asked as a way of inquiring about her day.

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spyders
2022-03-12 06:09 am UTC (link)

"My bad, ex-playboy billionaire. A little better?" She was still teasing, but she knew how much he probably missed his wife and daughter. It was something none of them could do anything about, and it felt almost like a cruel joke of the universe- bring back Tony, but not in a place or time where he could be with his family.

At least they had good reason to believe that Pepper and Morgan were living there lives happily in their own world and time. That was something. Even if it was cold comfort to them here in Wales.

"I've been meaning to check that place out. How was it?" It was a genuine question, followed by an answer to his as she glanced down at her book, noting how many pages she'd gotten through and shrugged. "It was this or watch paint dry. I'm half-considering getting a job at this point. Could be fun."

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cutsthewire
2022-03-13 03:10 am UTC (link)

Tony gave a nod of approval, but the smile on his face was a hollow one. He wished he could go back to the numbness of his early days here. When everything was too fresh to sink in, to wound, to torment.

"It reminds me of home." That was not really an answer, but Natasha would recognize it for the endorsement that it was. He reached out to slide the book over to him and began thumbing through it, not out of any real curiosity for the book itself, but as a distraction. "I'm sure Bradly needs a bouncer to kick out squatters who overstay their welcome," he suggested, not taking her comment seriously. He closed the book and set it back down on the table. Maybe there was something to it. Maybe he should find a more productive way to occupy his time.

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spyders
2022-03-14 04:16 am UTC (link)

"Yeah?" She was studying him, trying to see if more might come out. Instead, he went for the book and she watched him study it. She even chuckled at the bouncer comment, smirking and raising an eyebrow. "I've done worse for less." She let the joke die there and took the book back but didn't open it back up. She just left it there in front of her as she continued to keep her attention on the man across from her.

"Anyway, what about you?" She was bouncing the question back to him. "Have you considered finding something to do here in the long run? I mean, they don't even have Wizard Wifi here. Maybe you can do something about that?"

Was she pushing him toward maybe keeping himself busy? Yes. Yes she was. Because she knew what happened to Tony when he was allowed to brood and that wasn't good.

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cutsthewire
2022-03-14 06:54 am UTC (link)

"Seems to be for a reason." His eyes glanced around the coffee shop briefly. It was weird not to see people with their eyes glued to their laptops and phones. "Technology's a dirty word to this bunch." He was brooding, sure. But he was also mourning. He had been the one who had died, and yet here he was, alive again, but with no way of truly enjoying what that meant. It was as if Morgan and Pepper had been the ones to leave him, not the other way around. "Still," he added, mostly for Natasha's sake, "We could set Bradly up with a Geocities site." He cracked a small, but genuine smile. "Think the wizards can get their hands on a computer?" A beat. "Think they even know what a computer is?"

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spyders
2022-03-19 03:37 am UTC (link)

"Maybe," she answered honestly, picking up her cup to take a sip as she glanced at the very busy elf off to the side and across the room. He fumbled a bit then magic a problem mug away with a snap of his finger. "Then again, why would they care about technology when they could do something like that with a snap?"

As for a computer, well. Natasha pondered for a moment, narrowing her eyes on Tony. "Have you talked to the Doctors? They seem the technology types. Maybe you could team up?"

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cutsthewire
2022-03-22 02:24 am UTC (link)

Tony nearly remarked about the power of a snap, but stopped himself before he revealed too much about where his head was actually at. He merely gave an ambiguous shrug and focused on a spot on the wall just over Natasha's shoulder.

"They're an odd pair, aren't they," he commented, sidestepping Natasha's suggestion of collaboration. "Siblings, do you think? Kissing cousins?" Tony was considered an eccentric by some, and even he thought the Doctors were weird.

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spyders
2022-03-23 05:31 am UTC (link)

Natasha would have flinched had she caught herself saying it. It was funny how her guard was down these days, and little things slipped out. Or maybe she'd done it on purpose to see his reaction? Either way, he didn't take the bait.

Probably for the best.

"Yeah, something like that." The truth was, she hadn't talked to them much. She'd been cornered by the one going by Thirteen once, who then started to explain to her the nature of the universe after she'd asked about time travel in passing.

It had left Natasha's head spinning a little and she broke away somewhere after the Doctor started to ramble about a frog.

"You know what they say about idle hand,s Tony." She paused, sipping her tea. "You could always get a job here?"

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cutsthewire
2022-04-01 01:59 am UTC (link)

Tony's eyes found Natasha's again after her comment about idle hands. "What do you suggest I do? Revolutionize the wizarding world with magic-proof tech? Get them prepped for binge-watching and music streaming services? Instantaneous correspondence that doesn't involve owl shit?" His voice was lighthearted, but there was no real cheer behind it. His eyes were filled with bitterness, and without the tinted glasses he usually hid behind, that was all too clear.

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spyders
2022-04-02 06:23 am UTC (link)

Aw. There it was. The anger. She couldn't say she missed this side of his personality, but she was well familiar with it. Tony was a brilliant man, and he'd been through a lot, but he had a tendency to dig himself in deep.

She tried to play it off, keeping it semi-light, though there was a weight behind her voice as she replied calmly. "Yes." Here yes met his, showing how serious she was.

"Do you think Pepper would want you mulling around feeling sorry for yourself? Or do you think she'd want you working on a way back to her and Morgan?"

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	cutsthewire 2022-04-02 07:02 am UTC (link)
	Natasha's words should have been a kick in the ass for Tony, but instead, they made him dig his heels in deeper. Shame could do that. "Tony Stark is dead." There was a finality to his words. And in the way that he stared across the table at her before rising to his feet. "Enjoy your book," he told her, before walking away. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

spyders
2022-04-02 11:40 pm UTC (link)

Watching him stand, Natasha clenched her jaw. She needed to go after him. But she also knew better than to push him when he'd made a choice like this. Time. That's all she could give him. Time to grieve. Time to settle here.

And then, she hoped, maybe time to figure this out. She'd died, too. She wanted to remind him of that, but she'd also had less to live for, hadn't she? The closest thing she had to Pepper didn't exist anymore. She could never have what he did with Morgan.

So maybe she couldn't understand. But she wasn't going to let him give up so easily.

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