Venomous

29. Tension

By the time Tony let me leave the lab, we assumed the coast was clear. He is working on some type of nanotech suit that will allow it to enhance AV in the field and make them stronger, now that the cat was out of the bag. The idea was a great one. In practice, however, it was a bit messier – literally - which tried both me and AV's patience, which was already wearing thin.

When I escaped, I made my way towards my room, my cell phone already in hand. My brother had some explaining to do.

"Parker! Hey sis, how's the new gig?" Eddie's cheerful voice almost made me forget that I was furious at him. Then I remembered.

"Edward, you have some explaining to do." I could hear him gulp on the other end of the phone.

"You sound like mom, that was really scary," his voice was much quieter now.

"Edward, do you remember a little over five years ago, there was this accident, and stuff happened, and you and I became even more alike?" The silence on the other end of the line. When he finally answered, his voice was about five octaves higher.

"Mmmhmm." I cleared my throat.

"Remember when you told me you were going to call Natalia? My ex?" I waited patiently as the phone fell out of my brother's hand, banging on several objects loudly on its journey to the floor – no doubt made even lengthier by his clumsy, fumbling, attempts to catch it.

"Parker? Are you there? I'm having trouble hearing you...hold on, I'm getting another call..."

"Eddie? I swear to god, if you put me on hold..." I heard Eddie's breath catch in his throat and he let out a sound that sounded similar to a panicked squeak.

"Parker, is it a coincidence that you're asking me about this and your ex is calling me right now? Please tell me it's a coincidence." I smirked. Natasha had some tricks up her sleeve still as well.

"Conference her in." There was no room for debate in the tone of my voice.

"Are you crazy?" Eddie hissed, sounding more panicked by the second. "Wait, are you two back tog...."

"CONFERENCE HER IN." There was a hint of a growl in my voice, and I could feel AV's muscles moving sleekly just beneath the surface of my skin. I turned abruptly, heading for Natasha's room instead.

"I don't know if I know how..."

"Edward Charles Allen Brock, I swear to symbiosis that if you..." I heard a beep and then a couple of clicks and I swore to myself in that moment that if my brother had managed to hang up on me, he wouldn't be able to hold a phone for a month.

"Eddie, I need to talk to you about..."

"Hi Natasha." I reached her door just as I finished speaking, and Natasha opened the door with her cell phone held to her ear. I gestured to mine, put it on speaker, and Natasha nodded and ended the call on her phone. "Eddie was just going to explain how, if he called you after the accident, you never received any of them." Natasha blinked at me before shifting her gaze towards the phone, her arms crossing over her chest.

"Yes, Eddie, I think you should explain that. Now." I heard Eddie inhaling sharply on the other side of the phone call.

"It was fine, Parker, I knew you were going to be fine..."

"I was unconscious for weeks, Eddie." Natasha jerked her gaze back to me, her eyes going wide.

"Weeks?" I saw a flash in her eyes. She was getting more pissed by the second. "WEEKS?" She repeated louder, speaking – practically spitting – into my phone.

"Parker, you texted me that you had broken up, and I didn't know if I should..."

"Then why did you tell me you had, when I asked?" Eddie sighed.

"I was trying to protect you, sis." Natasha and I rolled our eyes in unison. "Wait, are you two together right now? What is..."

"Edward, this conversation isn't over." I interrupted him before he could say something embarrassing, hanging up on him without giving him the chance to respond.

"Hey, I wasn't done..." I smirked at Natasha and shook my head.

"I think we scared the poor boy enough for one day." We both laughed.

"Just like old times, isn't it?" Natasha's grin was playful. She really was such a child when she let her guard down. She loved magic, she loved mystery, and she loved to be goofy. And so very few people got to see that side of her.

"Honestly, I think it was more fun when we were ganging up on him in person," I grinned, and Natasha laughed loudly.

"Do you want to train in the morning?" I frowned.

"Define morning." Natasha rolled her eyes.

"Six?" This routine was familiar.

"Ten." I was absolutely not going to get up any earlier than 8 am when it wasn't required for a mission.

"Seven." Natasha and I squared off now, a smirk tugging at the corner of her lips and my stubbornness building by the second.

"Nine."

"Eight and I'll make you breakfast after."

"Eight-thirty, and my reward is that you DON'T cook me breakfast." Natasha smacked my arm playfully, but even her playful smacks were potentially painful.

"Ow, what was that for?"

"I can totally make breakfast for you in the morning." Before I could respond in kind, I loud slam behind us and a voice to go along with it spun us immediately in that direction.

"You've got to be fucking kidding me." Wanda stood in the doorway, arms slightly out from her sides, staring into the room with crimson red eyes. I clenched my fist immediately.

"Wanda, what the fu..."

"Just don't." Wanda moved back from the doorway, slamming the door in my face as I tried to follow her.

"Let her go." Natasha sighed, and I turned back towards her.

"What the hell was that all about?" I asked. Natasha shrugged, sitting down on the edge of her bed.

"She's jealous." I scoffed, but I quickly realized that she was being serious. Then it hit me.

"She doesn't know." I put the pieces together and sighed. "It doesn't matter...I thought we had made that pretty clear when she wanted to forcibly remove something that is a part of me." Natasha shrugged again.

"She thinks she's doing what's best for you," she tried to explain. I shook my head.

"That's not her call to make." Natasha nodded.

"I know that, but – from her point of view – you're in danger, and she thinks she needs to protect you." I sighed, pacing back and forth in front of her perch on the bed.

"You're right. I should talk with her, and be clearer and at least listen to her side of the story." Natasha nodded. I grinned at her. "Are you really giving me girl advice right now?" She laughed and shook her head.

"Crazy, right? Seriously, though, Wanda's a good person who has had a hard life. She's adjusting to a lot of new things right now, and maybe she just needs a little bit of patience." I nodded.

"When did you get so smart, Romanoff?" Natasha threw a pillow at me.

"I was always smart, Brock. You just paid more attention to my other qualities." I chuckled. She wasn't wrong, on either count.

"I'll see you at 8:30, Romanoff."

"Go get your rest, Parker. You're going to need it."