14968/What Is and What Could Have Been

What Is and What Could Have Been
Date of Scene:	21 April 2023
Location:	West Farms, The Bronx
Synopsis:	Alexander and Natasha play a 'what if' mental exercise together.
Cast of Characters:	Phobos, Black Widow (Romanoff)

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Phobos has posed:<br
Rare for a full day off to be had between the two. And rarer still for them to not even be on call so the chance of an interruption was a bare minimum. It wasn't quite a zero sum, but it was enough that plans had been made, and curiously enough those plans involved mainly...<br
Staying in...<br
Which is why the dress code of the day was sweat pants and t-shirts, maybe with sherpa-fur-lined socks for the warms. Also might be the reason why a bag of popcorn was just coming out of the microwave, the paper slit torn open so the smell of butter could filter throughout the house. In the other room, Alexander's voice was heard as he said.<br
"So, she shows up, as I'm talking to this fellow who was her ex. The vampire guy I told you about who had... you know, some wackiness." Alex appears in the kitchen doorway, holding the bag of popcorn in one hand. His black sweatpants hung loose, down on one hip and threatening to fall free while his Johnny Bravo t-shirt did the same with his shoulder. He walked across the room and handed the bag of popcorn to her, then slipped into place against the arm of the sofa, letting her sprawl on him in whichever way was suitable.<br
"And Buffy, you've met her. She greets me with this big ole, 'Hiii!' you know, all high pitched and girly-girl. And I swear the vampire guy was like, giving me the stink eye. Like we were dating or something and suddenly I was _the enemy_."<br
Alex leans over and grabs a handful of popcorn, then pops some in his mouth.

Black Widow (Romanoff) has posed:
As he passed over the bag, Nat took it carefully by an upper corner edge because she didn't want to get any sort of burns in the process. Be they from steam coming out of the bag, despite it being opened a bit by Alexander, or the bag itself which was still toasty with the buttery goodness inside it. As he settled, she slipped over to settle between his legs, back to his chest, her head slightly under his chin, mostly reclined and utterly comfortable.

She too was dressed casually but it was yoga pants with her t-shirt. And the shirt was not quite as oversized as usual. This was one of the Cobra Kai ones. She really should look up that dojo sometime, learn more about it. They had a badass symbol and color scheme at least. The big floofy socks kept her feet warm since, as a female of the species, she always had cold feet. Or so the rumors went. Actually she just liked to be able to slide across the hardwood floors.

"So now we have a jealous vampire to contend with? How precisely does that work?" She glanced up at him, offering the bag. "Or did you get it all cleared up?"

Phobos has posed:<br
Alex proves a comfortable cushion for her to lean back against as he then leeeeeeeeeeans over and has to grab at the remote control on the coffee table, causing it to shimmy a little as he can reach it just with his fingertips, but then he gets it and slides it over before flipping it into the air and then getting a better hold of it.<br
"No idea, we went inside and then suddenly he had to rush off. Buffy and I looked at each other and sort of shrugged. Though he doesn't like that Thomas Raith guy either, but really what's up with that girl drawing in all the weirdies?" Since indeed that was the scientific term for supernatural paramours. Weirdies.<br
"He seemed really into that whole, 'I'm an old vampire, mortal, I have seen things you haven't.'" Alex tilts his head, "Not that he said things like that, but he just had that sorta... attitude. Of like a guy who has lived for a while angling to be philosophical."<br
He flits through some of the streaming menus, and then settles on the target of the evening. We're No Angels, with Humphrey Bogart from 1955. He hits the 'play' button, and turns the volume down, letting the movie progress sloooowly through its many credits in the beginning like movies used to.

Black Widow (Romanoff) has posed:
Movies had changed so much. And she'd been around to see it. Which had her smirking a little as she tossed a few kernals of popcorn into her mouth. She chewed thoughtfully a moment then offered him the bag again as she did so. Once she swallowed, she spoke again.

"So I need to read up on vampires and be ready in case he shows up here." Because that's how she heard that in her head. Though she did focus on a couple of elements of what he'd said. "Just because one is older does not mean one should act like it makes them better than others in any way." Okay, that was a bit warped viewpoint of what he said but she went with it anyway. "I mean I don't do any of that silliness." And she'd been around a century herself!

"So she has had a vampire boyfriend who she is still on some sort of terms with. And whatever that Raith person is. Is he like a vampire but doesn't drink blood or something? I need to get down to WAND more often."

Phobos has posed:<br
The orchestral score swells, and the image of 'VISTAVISION!' comes onto the screen. Then reminds the viewer it is a high fidelity motion picture. A large red placard flashes onto the screen in front of the Paramount logo displaying the stars of the movie, 'Humphrey Bogart. Aldo Ray. Peter Ustinov.' And then the music picks up, though it's quiet enough for them to chit chat while they get through the intro.<br
Alex takes a few bites of popcorn himself, then he nods. "Yes, that is my ultimate point. Clearly we should be ready for jealous vampires." He smirks a little, "But seriously, I showed like... no sign of like being into Buffy or really she didn't either. Think the guy was just... I dunno. One of those guys?"<br
But then she mentions about how she doesn't do any of that stuff and Alexander smiles a little. "Are you serious? You do that stuff sometimes. With the noobs that see you from afar in SHIELD. Though that could just be, you know, your mystique. So not necessarily your age."<br
He chews on a piece of popcorn and smiles a little as the music continues, then he tilts his head a little and wraps his arms around her. "You ever... think about how things might be, or might have been if things took a slight detour or change? Like... if you never knew my father. Or if... I never joined SHIELD. Or heck if you never joined SHIELD?"

Black Widow (Romanoff) has posed:
As his arms wrapped around her, she settled in and was practically purring. This was her happy place. Being with him. The strange thing was it didn't matter where they were or what they were doing. Sitting here watching an old movie. Off on a Quinjet rushing to an op. Taking out an entire base by themselves. It was all equal but he was the key.

Natasha considered the question and gave a negative shake of her head. "I haven't really thought about it recently. In the past? I did. Wondered about the path my life had taken. Explore the roads not taken and recognized some of those moments that led me to where I am now. But not anytime in the last couple of years."

A peek over her shoulder at him. "You?"

Phobos has posed:<br
The credits finish and then the screen presents the words, 'Merry Christmas, Devil's Island 1895.' The music faded and a beautiful painted backdrop of a 1950s Technicolor Hollywood production painted to look like the tropics slowly comes into view, mixed with an indoor set and a shot of a real night sky. It had that surreal quality of movies of the time, yet such an earnestness to it.<br
But the couple on the couch watch it, though their attention is more on each other as Alexander smiles a little.<br
"I've thought about it, from time to time." He watches a donkey slowly pull a cart across the screen while a man sings and plays a guitar in the back of it. "Like how lucky I am, we are, that things worked out this way. I wonder if we'd have found each other, if we didn't have the connection to break the proverbial ice."<br
He smiles a little and rests his chin on the top of her head, watching the movie for a little bit. "If I'd have had the guts to approach you."

Black Widow (Romanoff) has posed:
The movie was basically forgotten as Natasha started to think about the last few years, about their relationship. How it had all started and the points in her life that had led to it. "Huh." Because how some choices could easily have led to them never meeting. Or perhaps they would've met in some other way. "If we hadn't taken the same steps, would we still be together. Or were we Fated to be a pair?" And she grinned as soon as she said it. "Nevermind, you actually know the Fates and I suspect things are less fate and more interference from the little you've told me."

She munched a little popcorn and shifted her position, turning so she had her back more against the couch so she could see him better, but still leaning on him. She had to tuck her legs up a bit and her weight was now more on her hip instead of her bottom.

"Well, depends what step. If you just randomly came into SHIELD, I'd just kick your ass to maintain my mystique and move on likely. Though your hotness maaaaaay have caught my attention."

Phobos has posed:<br
On the screen three men in white prison 'trustee' uniforms move agitatedly down the small trail. The screen fades to a man climbing up a pole to open up an old lamppost with a gas light within. He leans in and blows out the flame, extinguishing the gas as he then descends down the ladder. It cuts to an active marketplace in the morning now, with people selling their wares and the sound of a ship's horn off in the distance in the harbor.<br
She could feel Alexander's smile, just the way his chin shifted on top of her head and she could hear that smile in his words. "The Fates like to tweak things, make small changes. Though they do try to make... big picture things come true. I don't know if we'd count. But..."<br
He reaches a hand into the bag and takes another few kernels of popcorn and then tosses them in his mouth. She can feel him chewing. Then she turned to face him and he smiled, "I could see me joining SHIELD. I don't know if my, how you say, hawtness might have been enough to draw your attention. You spend your life around plenty of guys that are hot."<br
He looks thoughtful, those so pale eyes lifting upwards as he considers, "I'd probably have been very professional around you. If I knew you by reputation alone... I'd likely have held you up on high." His lip curves a bit, "If you flirted with me though..." He looks more thoughtful, then bites his lower lip and smiles faintly, "I'd have been a little off balance, but then I would have flirted back probably."

Black Widow (Romanoff) has posed:
"I'm not a flirter." Which probably would seem odd considering how she presents at times. Not that she was telling him anything he didn't know. "I don't generally open myself up to other people easily. So I don't really 'flirt' with someone unless I've known them for a time and something sparks that makes me think there could be more than a friendship. Sometimes short, sometimes long, but there has to be something there."

She chewed some popcorn, eyes straying to the screen but not really seeing it. Then she focused back on his face. "Anytime I was really flirtatious or a femme fatale, it was in service of my job." She pondered. "If I hadn't met your father back in the '40s." Yes, she actually said that. "Would I still have met him other times? Leading to us meeting and talking. It wast that night in the snowstorm that shifted my view of you. When we talked over too much alcohol."

Phobos has posed:<br
"It was a hurdle in a way. Maybe that was one of the things we had to overcome to catch our fate?" Alexander says as Humphrey Bogart admonishes one of his fellow escaped prisoners for one reason or another. The three actors on the screen seem to get along well, something in their performance showing an ease of interaction between them.<br
"Maybe it would have come about if we worked together for a while. Those missions we shared." She could see his eyes distance a little, those pale eerie irises having such a warmth to them that only she ever got to see, the sincerity in that smile. "The one in Romania. Taskmaster..." A pause then he smiles.<br
"The kiss."<br
He lifts his chin a little, "Though you probably would have just treated it like spycraft. While me... I would have been feeling that kiss for days afterward."

Black Widow (Romanoff) has posed:
"True. For me, that was just a necessity at the time. It was a way to maintain our cover. I did enjoy it, don't get me wrong," she added with a smile. "But I don't know that I'd have taken it further. If you hadn't admitted your attraction at your house. If I hadn't opted to sneak here after you started SHIELD and seen your obsession with trying to beat me after the training session. If I hadn't become friends with your father back in the day." Which she was not going to name dates. Everything being about 40 years apart in that area. It was only in the last decade she'd actually befriended John Aaron.

"I don't like to talk about former romances, or hear about them either," she added with a small laugh, making sure he knew she did not need him to mention any of his former lovers. "But partnering with you in SHIELD? Yes, it could've easily led to us getting to know each other more, starting to see you as more than just a fellow agent."

Phobos has posed:<br
"What if we had never been in SHIELD together?" Alexander's smile is gentle, but playful. "What if..." He lifts his head as his eyes unfocus, while on the screen Humphrey Bogart steals a banana from a Jamaican woman.<br
"I became some sort of hero?" He grins, likely in the moment she smiles, since that might well be a rather funny image. "Cape and everything. I could have been The Blue Bravo or something." He shakes his head while saying those last words as if trying to convince her.<br
"Or what if there was nothing remarkable about me? If I was just some guy... I don't know, working on a cruise ship?" Then when he sees her smirk turning more toward a giggle he says, "It could've happened, you don't know."<br
He runs a hand gently through that short pixie-cut hair and grins, "I could be doing like... the zip-line, and you'd be on some mission and I'd have to teach you how to zip-line safely, since clearly I'm the big expert."

Black Widow (Romanoff) has posed:
And now she had to laugh as he was lapsing into pure silliness. Though, she had to consider it now that the game was afoot. It was required. Natasha tilted her head slightly. "On the ship? Or doing excursions on some tropical island somewhere with little shorts and a too tight shirt?" Okay, she may be thinking that through a little too far and she had to chuckle at herself.

"It would have to be an assignment though. I'm not a fan of being out on ships. Although the idea of you in spandex with a cape is far too amusing to just skip past. Why ever would you take that step? You don't seem to think much of most of us. And what the hell is a name like The Blue Bravo? We need to come up with something far more intimidating than that."

Phobos has posed:<br
Alexander's smile widens a little as he shakes his head and looks away, "I don't know if I could. I'd need a strong origin story. Something that pushes me into the limelight. And you are compelling, but trying to impress you wouldn't be a good reason."<br
Then his eyes lift a little, "But yah on the ship, have you seen those gigantic cruise ships with the like... huge atrium, where it's like six stories up and you can zip-line across the middle of the ship. I saw that and like, I thought to myself, 'wow the job of being the zip-line guy must deaden your soul something fierce.'"<br
Yet he grins and tilts his head, brushing a hand across her cheek. Then his smile eases down a little, less playful, and more loving as he murmurs. "I would have fallen for you no matter what I think. Just when I saw you. Saw that..." He half-grins, "That very evil smile."<br
Then his eyebrows lift, "Or if I saw you fight. I would've been instantly smitten."

Black Widow (Romanoff) has posed:
"I do /not/ have an evil smile," Natasha corrected him immediately as she grinned. Not evilly either. Just a grin that showed her amusement at the situation.

"I would think running a zip line on a cruise ship would be a fun job. Responsibilities low. Just make sure you get the harness on the people properly. Then you get to potentially shove them off a high place, which can also be a very good time." And there was that smirk, that hint of evilness.

It was quickly hidden away. "But mainly it would probably draw a lot of women and we both know that you do like your ladies. Or is it more that they like you?"

Phobos has posed:<br
When she revealed that hint of the evil smile his eyes widened and he _pointed_ at her as if saying, 'here she is, officer, this is the one!' but his smirk returns as he crinkles his nose at her.<br
"If it was you, it might be worth it. But you know me, usually takes something... you know, else to draw me to someone. I feel like for every exceptional lovely individual you might meet, you'd be going through thousands of very drunk tourists who likely don't think of you as entirely human." Then he shrugs, "But hey, who knows? I could be making like a ton of assumptions."<br
He tilts his head to the side and tightens his arms around her gently, drawing her in closer as the movie moves into another set, an interior of a general store where the main characters start to shoplift so many items it's rather comical.<br
"So, how would you imagine us finding each other? In another time, another place?"

Black Widow (Romanoff) has posed:
"Well, were you a hero," Natasha mused as she considered the possibilities. "Perhaps that would be an opportunty to learn of one another. The Black Widow and the Blue Bravo. We'd team up against a common foe and then find ourselves working together often, able to see that combat prowess in one another. Then it leading to a potential romance between us."

She pursed her lips and then the smirk was back. That edge to it. "Or...and more amusing...I could be your nemesis. If I had not become a hero. I would be facing off against you, trying to defeat you while fighting my attraction." She struck a pose, putting her hand to her chest and tilting back her head expressively.

Phobos has posed:<br
She can feel Alexander's chest rumbling as he holds in his laughter, only to escape in a slight snicker as he shakes his head, "If you were my nemesis, now that could be fun." He extends one of his socks next to hers and casually pushes at her toes while looking at the tv screen for a while.<br
"I'd chase you across the rooftops, we'd hurl innuendo laden quips at each other. Perhaps at a particular telling moment we'd fall into each others' arms, sharing a loving kiss..."<br
He leans in to kiss her cheek a little and then adds, "And then you'd knock me over as you leapt off the side of the building onto the roof of a passing train. Something like that. We'd wave to each other as you disappeared into the night."

Black Widow (Romanoff) has posed:
She let out a little wistful sounding sigh. "How romantic."

Because they were not like normal people. They thrived on a life that had those high adrenaline moments. And admittedly, the violence their lives often entailed. It was just a part of the whole.

"Though I think perhaps we have both been watching too many movies." Or known too many heroes who had that exact situation in their lives. Hell, she'd been a villain to start. In a world of black and white at least. But her story didn't play out like the story, mores the pity.

"Not that I'm suggesting we stop watching movies. Though how else do you think we could've met?"

Phobos has posed:<br
"Honestly, with my life..." Alexander rubs the back of his neck for a moment, then leans closer and entwines his fingers in hers, holding her hand as he looks thoughtfully away toward the movie playing quietly on the television.<br
"Chances are something weird would have happened to me that would have brought me to SHIELD's attention. Like the time Apollo was hassling us, or when Hades and Bacchus had their tiff." He lifts his chin, "We probably would have met then." He smiles slightly, "You might've been tasked to bring me in for discussion or just to take a read of me since you've done those missions before. Contact meta elements, gauge them," He nudges her a little, "Judge them."<br
"You would've had insight into my life, perhaps would have had to surveil me for a time. Watched me train. I think..." He smiles a little, "That we'd have chemistry, on some level. But that could be wishful thinking. Maybe we'd find an excuse to spend more time together and then it would lead to something else."

Black Widow (Romanoff) has posed:
"It does make sense. Very possible."

Natasha weighed the information as she looked at their twined fingers, a soft smile that showed her affection for the man before her. "I could see that. You being assigned as a target. Me monitoring, having to get to know you. And in the process, knowing how you appeal to me on every level as I do currently, I would be drawn to you."

She smirked. "Especially seeing your training. Though when I found out the whole Olympus thing, that might be a bit to take in. Especially if your father didn't approve of us since our relationship would have started on a lie of sorts."

Phobos has posed:<br
"I don't know," Alexander tilts his head back to look at her sidelong, "I think he would have respected you on the level of a warrior. He is aware of people who are strong in that regard. So I think he would be pleased at least in that way. Not as pleased as when we told him we were seeing each other. But yeah."<br
He smiles a little then says, "Anyways, I was just thinking about this... just how lucky we are." As he says that he leans close and touches his lips gently to hers, then murmurs, "Love you, Natalia."

Black Widow (Romanoff) has posed:And the moment he leaned in, her expression softened. All those emotions she felt for him showing clearly on her face. For he was not someone that she had to put on a mask for. He was the one person that probably saw her more clearly than anyone else on the Earth.

"I love you more, Alexander."