At his insistence that she get rest Natasha gives him a grateful smile, the way he says her name still falling on her ears in a pleasant way after several days in his company. "I just want to get you back to your family. I don't mind." The reassurance comes with genuine softness, the kind that wouldn't be recognized if anybody from the team was standing around.
"She's your wife?" Natasha asks it aloud before she can think, the word blindsiding her more than it should, and the reaction is immediate. Those walls jut up for the first time in over a week, tall and thick and ominous, and they're not hiding anything in particular yet. Natasha felt a twist of discomfort in her stomach, something that she doesn't recognize and she needs to shield whatever aftermath it leads to just in case it's something that she doesn't want him picking up on or comprehending better than she can. It takes her less time than a thought to do it, and she waits, but nothing comes. It's just that... discomfort, a kind that settles in her gut and spreads to her chest tightening around her heart.
Disappointment?
Maybe.
That would make more sense if she had anything to be disappointed by, which she most certainly does not. He's spoke of Alice before and although she didn't know they were married, he's obviously made his dedication to her perfectly clear. Not that it matters because Natasha Romanoff is indifferent to the love life of Jasper Whitlock Whatever his name is. She doesn't worry herself about that sort of thing, it's pointless if she wants to get anything accomplished.
Although, the only accomplishment she's aiming toward right now is one for him.
Another thought to push out of her head. "I'm going to go upstairs and look for something to change into." She sounds monotone in an effort to keep herself unreadable, her eyes off of him to avoid giving something away, and she's already moving up the stairs before she calls back to him. "I can drive into town later to get something to eat. If you want me to pick up anything... I don't know, make a list."
no subject
"She's your wife?" Natasha asks it aloud before she can think, the word blindsiding her more than it should, and the reaction is immediate. Those walls jut up for the first time in over a week, tall and thick and ominous, and they're not hiding anything in particular yet. Natasha felt a twist of discomfort in her stomach, something that she doesn't recognize and she needs to shield whatever aftermath it leads to just in case it's something that she doesn't want him picking up on or comprehending better than she can. It takes her less time than a thought to do it, and she waits, but nothing comes. It's just that... discomfort, a kind that settles in her gut and spreads to her chest tightening around her heart.
Disappointment?
Maybe.
That would make more sense if she had anything to be disappointed by, which she most certainly does not. He's spoke of Alice before and although she didn't know they were married, he's obviously made his dedication to her perfectly clear. Not that it matters because Natasha Romanoff is indifferent to the love life of Jasper Whitlock Whatever his name is. She doesn't worry herself about that sort of thing, it's pointless if she wants to get anything accomplished.
Although, the only accomplishment she's aiming toward right now is one for him.
Another thought to push out of her head. "I'm going to go upstairs and look for something to change into." She sounds monotone in an effort to keep herself unreadable, her eyes off of him to avoid giving something away, and she's already moving up the stairs before she calls back to him. "I can drive into town later to get something to eat. If you want me to pick up anything... I don't know, make a list."