She is relieved to hear that Steve considered the possibility of artificial reality. Not much relieved, but...a little. It's better than blind faith.
When he gestures over to her couch she hesitates, eyes darting to her coffee-table. She'd left her wedding photo out: careless, careless Natashka, but at least the frame was lying on its back. Well. She'd just cross that bridge if he notices.
"'Supposed to be' be the operating words here?" she asks, walking out of her kitchen to take up her customary space on her couch. Legs curled underneath her, flank pressing against the back cushion, elbow propped up on the same as she watches Steve's face as he explains all about Alemar III.
She listens.
Despite her intimidating reputation - both in SHIELD and out in the wider intelligence community - in person, Natasha is a good listener. In part, it's because her silence is more inviting than not. In another part, it's because she can listen to the undercurrents and context of the speaker, piece together the emotions behind the inflections in their voice and the movements of their hands.
Steve speaks and Natasha listens, and more than anything, he reminds her of the man she first met. There was a problem and he could help. But it's only a reminder, not a repeat: this time, with Alemar III, Steve personally gave a damn about the people he was trying to save. It wasn't idealogical, it wasn't the end of the world and his city, it was...people he knew.
Even before he started covering how Bucky had rescued him, Natasha knows that his desire to go back isn't only due to the love of one miraculously returned person.
This, Agent Romanoff notes to herself, is a problem.
This connection, Natasha observes, is what she was trying to get him to develop over the past two years of their partnership.
She's not sure what she feels about that, so she shoves it aside and continues to listen.
no subject
When he gestures over to her couch she hesitates, eyes darting to her coffee-table. She'd left her wedding photo out: careless, careless Natashka, but at least the frame was lying on its back. Well. She'd just cross that bridge if he notices.
"'Supposed to be' be the operating words here?" she asks, walking out of her kitchen to take up her customary space on her couch. Legs curled underneath her, flank pressing against the back cushion, elbow propped up on the same as she watches Steve's face as he explains all about Alemar III.
She listens.
Despite her intimidating reputation - both in SHIELD and out in the wider intelligence community - in person, Natasha is a good listener. In part, it's because her silence is more inviting than not. In another part, it's because she can listen to the undercurrents and context of the speaker, piece together the emotions behind the inflections in their voice and the movements of their hands.
Steve speaks and Natasha listens, and more than anything, he reminds her of the man she first met. There was a problem and he could help. But it's only a reminder, not a repeat: this time, with Alemar III, Steve personally gave a damn about the people he was trying to save. It wasn't idealogical, it wasn't the end of the world and his city, it was...people he knew.
Even before he started covering how Bucky had rescued him, Natasha knows that his desire to go back isn't only due to the love of one miraculously returned person.
This, Agent Romanoff notes to herself, is a problem.
This connection, Natasha observes, is what she was trying to get him to develop over the past two years of their partnership.
She's not sure what she feels about that, so she shoves it aside and continues to listen.