Breaking Free | Natasha x OC

Chapter Three

"Nowadays all I hear are the unspoken words."
___

Natasha's POV

Light shone in from the windows as Natasha vaguely listened to Mason finish explaining where everything was. "Nice," She nodded.

He'd managed to get her a trailer in Norway to lay low in for the time being.

Their conversation trailed off and the man looked at the Avenger in front of him. "Are you okay?"

Giving a small smile and hoping to avoid the upcoming talk, Nat replied, "Why wouldn't I be?" Reaching onto the counter subtly, a piece of string was taken in her fiddling fingers.

"I hear things. You know, something about the Avengers getting divorced..."

And there it was. The words sent a pang through the Russian but she simply shrugged. "Ugh, it's fine. I'm actually better on my own."

Mason's head dipped and she realized how close they were. "Are you sure?"

Giving a nod and fighting a smile, Nat nodded. "Yeah." It would be nice if those words were true.

Mason took a step closer. "Because you can tell me, you know. That's the way the whole friends thing works."

"I know," Natasha replied. "I have friends." By now there was only a few centimeters between them and an odd tension.

"People who have friends don't call me." His eyes looked into her own.

Natasha realized he was too close. Both literally and figuratively. And so she put space between them, taking a deep breath and crossing her arms. She broke eye contact for a moment. "And I don't pay you to worry."

The words were harsh, she knew that. But they also did what she needed them to.

Mason took a breath and gave a slight shake of his head. He made his way out of the trailer and Natasha followed after a few seconds, pulling herself together.

She got to the doorway of the place when she noticed the box in the corner. "Hey," She called out. "What's all this junk?"

Mason turned back to look. "Oh, just some mails and personals from the Budapest safe house."

"Budapest?"

"Yeah. Budapest."

Nat frowned. "No, it's 'Budapest'." Hers had a 'sh' at the 'pest' part. Their pronunciations were entirely different and she knew hers was right.

"Budapest," Mason argued. They argued for a few moment more before he gave up, smiling and shaking his head.

Closing the trailer door after he'd left, Natasha looked around. She did have friends. At least one she could truly count on, more or less.

Now thinking of her partner, Natasha reached out and grabbed her phone. She knew it was hopeless but her fingers dialed Natara's number anyway and she waited.

Nothing.

The number you have dialed is not available. Please-