Covert Affair | Natasha Romanoff

Chapter 2: Whip Cream Theif

As Jenna settled into her chair at the table, her mind still buzzing with the unexpected proposition from Fury and Maria, she couldn't help but feel a sense of trepidation mixed with excitement. The aroma of the meal filled the air, a comforting reminder of the normalcy she was momentarily stepping away from.

"So" Fury began, his tone serious yet measured, "What do you say?"

Jenna took a moment to gather her thoughts before nodding slowly. "Fine," she replied, her voice steady. "I'm willing to help, but I want to make one thing clear: I won't fight, and I won't hurt people. That's not who I am."

Fury and Maria exchanged a glance, understanding evident in their eyes. "We understand smalls," Maria replied, her tone gentle. "We're not asking you to compromise your principles."

"Stop calling me smalls", Jenna pouted.

Jenna let out a sigh of relief, grateful for their understanding. "Good," she said, a weight lifting from her shoulders. "Because I don't think I could live with myself if I did and I can't join the Captain Hook team if I lose an eye in the battle, I don't want to be Mr.Smee."

As they continued their discussion over dinner, Maria reached for the whipped cream, a mischievous twinkle in her eye. "Pass the whipped cream?"

Jenna shook her head with a playful smirk. "Sorry, Mia. Whipped cream is reserved for people I love and doens't ask me to join a boy band of super heros at 8AM."

Maria chuckled, withdrawing her hand. "boy band?"

Turning back to Fury, Jenna addressed the matter at hand. "So, what exactly do you have in mind for me?"

Fury leaned forward, his gaze unwavering. "Be the heart and brains of the operation. Your kindness, intelligence, and unparalleled understanding of technology will make you invaluable to us."

Jenna couldn't help but feel a surge of humility and gratitude at Fury's words. "You think I can do it?" she asked, her voice filled with a mix of disbelief and determination.

Fury nodded, his expression earnest. "Absolutely."

A warm smile spread across Jenna's face. "Okay, Ill help," she declared, her voice unwavering. "But on one condition: I do things my way."

Fury nodded in agreement, a hint of respect in his eyes. "Agreed."

As they discussed the details of Jenna's role over breakfast, Maria couldn't resist injecting a moment of playful mischief. She grabbed a stray blueberry from the fruit bowl and flung it towards Jenna's face with surprising accuracy.

Jenna's eyes widened in surprise as the blueberry bounced off her cheek, and before she could react, Maria had snatched the whipped cream from her hand and dolloped it onto her pancake with a mischievous grin.

"Really?" Jenna exclaimed, her voice a mixture of amusement and exasperation as she looked at Maria incredulously.

Maria simply shrugged, taking a bite of her pancake with a satisfied smirk. "What can I say? You snooze, you lose."

Jenna rolled her eyes, but before she could respond, Maria's teasing tone turned to a yelp of surprise as Jenna tapped into her latent fire power, causing the whipped cream on Maria's pancake to melt into a gooey mess.

"HEY!" Maria exclaimed, her expression a mix of indignation and amusement as she wiped the melted cream from her plate. "No powers at the table young lady."

As Maria wiped the melted whipped cream from her plate, Jenna couldn't help but grin mischievously, knowing she had gotten a rise out of her friend.

Suddenly, Fury cleared his throat, drawing their attention. He sat there, his expression a carefully constructed mask of faux disappointment, but his eyes twinkled with suppressed amusement.

Jenna and Maria exchanged a knowing glance, barely able to contain their laughter.Fury continued, his voice tinged with mock seriousness. "I'm beginning to wonder if recruiting you two was a mistake after all."

Maria's eyes widened in feigned shock. "What? No way, Nick! We're indispensable!"

Jenna nodded in agreement, her grin widening. "Yeah, you'd be lost without us."

Fury couldn't hold back any longer. A chuckle escaped his lips, and soon he was laughing along with Jenna and Maria, the tension of the moment dissolving into shared laughter.As they sat there, enjoying the camaraderie of the moment, Fury couldn't help but reflect on the unlikely bond that had formed between them. These two, with their mischief and their banter, had become like family to him. And as he looked at them now, laughing together over a dinner table, he couldn't help but think, these are the kids I decided to adopt. Unbelievable.