14058/Always Take Time to Stretch

Always Take Time to Stretch
Date of Scene:	06 January 2022
Location:	Flatbush, Brooklyn
Synopsis:	Alexander helps Natasha stretch before she works out.
Cast of Characters:	Phobos, Black Widow (Romanoff)

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Phobos has posed:
    Near enough to the Triskelion to get there quickly, but far enough away to have the needed work/life separation, the Aaronoff safehouse is recovering from the holidays finally. With the lights put away in a newly acquired 'X-Mas' box, the tree sitting outside waiting or the garbage pickup, and all the decorations taken down it's starting to look like it was before the seasons greetings.
    Which meant it was back to seeming a bit run down, and primarily aimed at being a dwelling where the occupants focused more on prepwork and relaxation than anything else. Well, save except each other.
    The training hall in the second floor was clean with the hardwood floors swept. It was time for Natasha's evening workout and with each workout... comes stretching. Having a partner to help does, however, make it much easier.
    "You seem tense." Alex's voice is quiet, light as he stands opposite Natasha, his hands on the wall on either side of her, and her ankle resting on his shoulder. He leeeeeans that shoulder forward, causing her long lithe leg to bend back toward her chest as he gives small rolling pushes to help work he knot out of her calf.
    Wearing grey workout shorts and a black t-shirt, Alexander is ready to train as well. Sometimes he would join her, but other times he would allow her the solitude of dance or kata should she need time for her own thoughts. Though right now he asks of her own. "Everything alright?"

Black Widow (Romanoff) has posed:
"Really?" Natasha asked curiously, She hadn't noticed she was tense. There was some work stuff on her mind but she didn't feel like it was stressing her enough to have tension from it. Perhaps she was mistaken.

She was dressed in a sports bra and a pair of boycut shorts. Something easy to move in, work out, spar or dance. Whichever way the mood took her at the time since she didn't have a set schedule.

She stood easily with her back to the wall, balanced on one leg, the other pushed up on his shoulder and being stretched easily. The little bounce move was letting her know he had found some tension and she tilted her head as she considered why. It wasn't as though she didn't workout daily. So the stretch was not from a lack of extension on her part.

"Have a few things on my mind from work but nothing that should be causing any tension," she said.

Phobos has posed:
    Firm fingers dug into the knot along the curve of her calf and pressed right behind the knee, digging in slowly and squeezing to give some pressure, then sliding up and along the firm musculature. He shakes his head, "Small knot I think. Sleeping alright?"
    As Alexander asks his lip twists up a little, but he knows better than to say anything more at this point, letting what is /unsaid/ tell the joke better than he could with words. So instead he just continues that slow massage, pushing the leg back until it presses over her own shoulder...
    Then he releases and lets her set it down, nodding for her to swap legs. "I know you can't tell me everything you're working on, but anything that might be causing this distraction or anxiety?" Which is a rare thing, since she handles such things almost effortlessly.

Black Widow (Romanoff) has posed:
The question about her sleeping gets a look. That sort of straight-on you-have-got-to-be-kidding look. But she answers as though it was a serious question. "I sleep quite well. Though my partner sometimes wants to keep me awake until the wee hours of the morning. But once we finally sleep, it is extremely sound." To say the least.

As he releases that leg, she brings it down to the floor and shakes it out a bit. Then as he assumes his position, she brings up the other leg almost effortlessly and puts it atop his shoulder. So he will be able to press forward and push it toward her body. She could kick it up there but the slower pressured method with a partner gave her a fuller stretch sometimes. Kept her from having to use a wall as well.

"Nothing really different from the norm though. So no reason it should be."

Phobos has posed:
    "I miss the briefings," He says as he rests his hands on her thigh and pulls the leg in tighter, then leans forward with his shoulder. "Which, I know is weird. But it was nice. Camaraderie, that sense of belonging." A glance up into her eyes and he smiles a little, "My dad was saying I could go become a cop. Or join the military."
    He focuses on the stretch and leans in more until her leg is once again pushed into her shoulder, leaving him close enough to kiss her cheek affectionately before he eases back.
    "Told him I valued my freedom and free time too much. He scoffed."
    Then he steps back and says, "So what are you feeling tonight? Need me to stick around or want some you-time?"

Black Widow (Romanoff) has posed:
"At least you still get to spend time with them away from there," Natasha said, since his friends had remained friends. "But I understand. It is different." At the suggestion from his father, she let out a scoffing sound as well. "I'm sure he would love you in the military. He could tell you what they are all doing wrong all the time. Might be more miserable than it's worth, even if it's a good career choice."

As he eased off, she lowered that leg down as well then shook it out a bit. Then a little lift up to the balls of her feet and back down flat a few times.

"You can stay. Been a few days since I practiced any ballet so was thinking about that. Just have to get my shoes on. Up to you if you find that boring."

Phobos has posed:
    A rumbling chuckle as he walks along in the direction he last saw her ballet shoes, but more just to stay close to chat while she gets herself ready. "I can stand there and you can leap around me and when I need to catch you I can, but beyond that I'm not so great."
    Which, isn't entirely true. He can dance, and she's seen him before. Not ballet, so much. But he has the physique and picks things up well. But learning to dance around Natasha is a humbling thing.
    "You know if we both retired some day, do you think you'd dance as a side thing?" He stops near the hallway, hand resting on the bar along the wall that was put into place for just such an occasion. "Or heck as a main thing? I know we were talking about becoming PIs. But still."

Black Widow (Romanoff) has posed:
"I never figured to dance professionally," Natasha says as she starts to go get the pointe shoes, only to see he's heading that way ahead of her. Instead she moves to the bar. Once there, she starts moving through positions the she can perform without needing to the shoes.

"I did my time on stage when I still worked for the Red Room. Now, I like to just enjoy it instead of pushing myself so hard." Which wasn't really true since she still pushed herself hard. He'd seen it.

"Depending on how long my lifetime ends up being, I suppose it's possible someday? Why? You want to be able to tell people your lady is a dancer?" she asked in a teasing tone.

Phobos has posed:
    "Oh people already know you're a dancer, really. It's on your wiki page." Alexander says with a small half-smile, teasing her about her 'fame' though it's not as egregious as the other Avengers... she's still prominent. Then there's a pause as he stops with those shoes in hand, hanging by the small laces tied together.
    "Though, if it becomes known we've been together for a while. Then I guess I'll be on your wiki page too. Eventually." Which has his brows lifting as he walks over and holds those shoes out to her. He's still barefoot, himself. But he doesn't intend to dance.
    "Maybe I'll get a wiki page. And then fame. And then I can get a youtube channel and make the big bucks." His lips twist crookedly, knowing that such a fate would likely have her divorcing him instantly in such a future.

Black Widow (Romanoff) has posed:
"Thanks." She takes the shoes then sits down right there on the floor to start pulling the first one on, lacing it properly as she continues the conversation.

"You've looked at my wiki page?" She isn't surprised there is one. There's a wiki page for everything anymore and, being an Avenger, it isn't surprising she's got one. Not that she made it. But that never stopped a wiki from happening. Though now she was curious how right or wrong it was. Probably someone at SHIELD was modifying it from time to time if it got too close to the truth.

"You will end up on it, I'm sure." But when he makes his suggestion, she can't help chuckling softly. "A youtube channel? I would think you'd probably get more on OnlyFans but if you had one of those, I'd have to kill you. And probably everyone that subscribed."

Phobos has posed:
    "It'd give you something to do," Alexander says while smirking, though he does /nudge/ her with his big toe for that comment about OnlyFans. "I don't think I could do the pandering needed to be a youtuber though. Like... I'd have to feign friendliness way too much."
    He strolls across the room the twenty feet over to the 'dining' area and grabs one of the wooden chairs from under the table. He carries it back over and turns the chair around to drop into it backwards, his arms resting on the back of it and then his chin on his arms.
    "And if you didn't kill me for having an OnlyFans channel, my dad would." Then he shows how out of touch with such things he is by asking, "That's the sex thing, right?"
    Yes, it's the sex thing.

Black Widow (Romanoff) has posed:
"Yes, it's the sex thing. They didn't start out that way but became that. And the one time they tried to ban sex and turn it into something else, they caused young people all over the country who don't want to have to actually work for a living into personal breakdowns," Natasha returned as she rolled her eyes. But she had to chuckle again. Just at the idea of Ares finding out his son had an OnlyFans. That would've been hilarious and horrible all at the same time. "Your dad would burst a blood vessel."

She got the second shoe on then stood up, testing them a couple of times then nodded in satisfaction. Felt right. Then she moved to unlock her phone, sticking it into the dock so the music would come out of the speakers around the room. Just a few so she could get the music around her instead of just from one angle. Once the music started, she began to ease into the movements. But the thing with her dancing was the way it made her muscles more apparent. She was always toned but dancing, with the tension in her limbs, it became obvious that she had muscles most people could only dream of when working out at the gym.

Phobos has posed:
    "He would indeed," Alexander says with raised eyebrows and a look of what would be fear if he could feel such a thing. Perhaps more just appreciation for the rage that would ensue.
    But then she's wandering over to plug her phone into their soundsystem and he motions with one hand over his shoulder as if about to say something.
    Yet the words don't come.
    For he is still standing there in the hall, one hand upon the arch and his shoulder leaning against it. For a time he's watching, gaze following along with Natasha's movements and for once... he makes no pretense at hiding the way he watches a woman. So rare he allows himself to look with an open desire in his eyes. He bites his lower lip for a moment, gaze tracing the line of that strong musculature, and ending somewhere hidden by that supple fabric.
    "I... am gonna go take a shower. I think."