She waits patiently for him to breathe in and she can see the effect she has on him, that boyish smile that rises in that moment for her alone. The satisfaction she feels is different from what she's used to; usually when she gets a man in her grasp it means she's won, and she supposes it still means the same thing in this situation but in a very different way.

His reply gets a sheepish grin out of her, one that makes her eyes fall between them before returning just as quickly with a mockery of her normal tone. "It is, it's actually quite a struggle. I've been working with coping mechanisms, they haven't been nearly as effective as I'd like but I think I'll survive."

Her smile softens into something rare and affectionate when he just barely tilts his head into her touch, and Natasha can't help but close her eyes when she hears him speak in her language with that soft southern drawl that she's grown to enjoy so much.

"Je ne pouvais pas vous laisser là. Tu mérites mieux." French this time, just to keep him distracted and thinking as she gently brushes her thumb against his cheekbone in response to the tilt of his head. "You have no reason to thank me."