The bet
Natasha wasn't exactly used to taking time for herself, or to anything that came close to resting. She needed to constantly be in movement because if not, she felt like she was wasting her time. And it was her issues with time-offs that gave Tony the idea to organize these vacations with his closest friends reunited. They all knew Tony's plans always turned to something catastrophic but he had some impressive convincing skills that paid off in the most surprising situations.
Thus, it's around two PM that we can see a handful amount of adults reunited in the hall of a fancy hotel, as Tony stated in his invitation. Carol and Thor are obviously arm wrestling, they both won several rounds but from the blonde man's groans, it seems like Carol is about to gain another one. He usually enjoys bragging about his muscles when people are around, although he keeps a low profile when Carol is there. They became good friends in high school and haven't missed a chance to compete ever since.
Meanwhile, two twins are calmly chatting, still standing up. It looks like the brunette is waiting for something – or someone – and when Natasha arrives, at precisely two PM, her whole face lights up. The redhead has her gaze focused on Wanda as well, and they both almost forget that they're not the only ones in the room, until a dog starts to bark quite loudly.
It causes the other twin to scoff, he's wearing a sports short and looks a lot less wealthy than the habitual hotel clientele, and he couldn't care less. "You brought a dog ?" he laughs, his tone is filled with light mockery, but his friends are used to not take it personally, almost used.
The frowning woman who was walking beside Natasha sighs at full volume, "It's not a dog, it's my dog." Despite the fact that she's lived in the United States for more than five years, her Russian accent was still very strong, simply because she liked it that way. "All my friends are in vacations, and I wasn't going to ask one of our stupid neighbors to look after him, moron." Natasha is attempting to contain an amused smile, as she often does whenever her sister snaps at someone, which happens rather often if she thought about it.
Wanda doesn't hold back a laughter, and bends down on her knees to pet the dog she knows well so that Pietro doesn't accuse her of betrayal. Luckily, he doesn't pay much attention to her sister, "Oh, sorry, didn't see you there," he adds with a snarky smile adressed to Yelena. They generally end up fighting a lot, which doesn't even bother Natasha and Wanda, because it means less trouble for them. The two women share a knowing look, but get interrupted again before Natasha tries to make a joke to start a conversation. They are rarely alone together, and it feels like those vacations won't be an exception, but they're just unfamiliar with Tony's genius plan.
A serious man comes up to Natasha, only carrying one bag which looks heavy, although it seems like nothing to Steve. The brunette recognizes him from the coffee shop she works at, he sometimes accompanies Natasha, and although she doesn't have anything against him, it always disappoints her to see a not alone Natasha. But the latter makes it up by being a loyal customer : she comes by the coffee shop nearly every morning, around the same time, and it's been established long ago that Wanda is the one who makes and serves her coffee.
Steve shakes Natasha's hand while kindly smiling at her, which causes Natasha to chuckle because he's always extremely formal and it makes him look a lot more older than he actually is. He's escaped a conversation – which was more a monologue than anything else – with Thor, and he's grateful to see another familiar face. He also says hi to Wanda, and gets confused whether he should disturb Yelena and Pietro's argument or wait until they're done. Fortunately, he doesn't have to think much about it, since Rhodey walks up to them, a drink in his hand, "Anyone seen Tony yet ?"
They all shake their head, because of course, Tony Stark is late to the event he organized himself. Natasha shruggs, it's not exactly surprising to anyone that has spent time with him, "He probably wants to make a great entrance." And she's right. Not long after, an engine of a very expensive sports car gets heard, but it's difficultly audible since a rock song is being blast. The entire group comes out of the hotel hall, attracted by the noise, to witness Tony drifting around with sunglasses before his eyes.
When he gets out of his car, they all contemplate his outfit in disbelief : he is wearing a white elegant shirt, an awful flower-patterned bermuda and, on top of that, rainbow flip flops. It looks horrendous, but it's Tony and they all love him for that. He jokingly bows to his numerous friends, grabs Rhodey's glass, and empties it in a blink. Some laugh, including Rhodey, as Tony always drinks from his glass, but they're all waiting for him to say something, which he eventually does, "Let's get this party started." And it does get started, although it's not good that a party lasts for a week, but none of them care.
The group goes to the counter in order to get each of their room's keys, Yelena trying to calm her too-energetic dog by talking to her in Russian as Natasha caresses her between her ears. It usually works, and luckily, it works again this time, but the noise has brought some unwanted attention, "I'm not sure dogs are allowed in here," a person who works at the hotel says, an apologetic look on her face.
Hence, Tony steps up and lifts down his sunglasses to work up his charming stare game, but it doesn't seem to work, no matter how much he tries. And he almost looks offended, which makes Rhodey laugh whilst he taps his back to comfort him a bit. He always loves to see a vexed Tony. It takes very little for Tony to feel insulted, such as someone on the streets recognizing Rhodey, but not him. It only occured twice, but the memory – Tony's pout – was graved into his mind. As a stand-up humorist, he didn't really stood a chance against his best friend's celebrity, but he sometimes got lucky.
Natasha starts to feel bad for Tony, or embarrassed, to be more accurate, so she stands closer to the counter, resting her elbows on the material. "Forgive my friend, he can be a little full of himself," her voice is honeyed and seducive, and Wanda blushes in the distance, which doesn't go unnoticed to Tony's attentive eyes. "And about the dog... She's very well raised and kind. I've done the dressage part myself, so I can assure you it's true," the employee appears to be drinking her words, a flattered smile lays on her lips. "She won't cause any problems. And if she does, you'll know where I'll be," her poll slightly drops, and then she knows she's won.
They walk away from the counter, all in possession of their keys, Natasha with a smug smile. "I think you're losing your seduction skills, Tony," Rhodey comments, backed up by a chortling Steve. He hadn't truly intended to, but the teasing remark caught him off guard, whereas Tony isn't having it. "I wouldn't be laughing if I were you, virgin boy," he retorts, and a few let out an interjection of complain because his reply is quite mean, even if it's true that Steve's love life isn't exactly exciting.
Natasha feels a bit bad for her friend, and hopes he isn't hurt by the comment, "Come on, Stark. I can give you some lessons, if you want." He only replies with a grumpy "Haha," and Natasha gazes toward Wanda to eventually notice the latter had already been staring at her. It causes them to both look away, Wanda, slightly flustered, and Natasha, smirking as if she won the bet of the century.
A good majority of them isn't going to be sharing a room, because they're in vacations and vacations means not having to share a bathroom and being able to go to sleep whenever they want. Pietro and Steve are staying in the same room, as the older man has promised to teach him some magic tricks that he learned from a friend. They've grown quite close since Steve started to come to the coffee shop with Natasha whenever he felt sick of his old coffee machine, and it's simply heartwarming to see that everyone is getting along, more or less.
Thor stops his closest friend by grabbing her arm, and she throws him a death stare, so he backs away with his hands raised in a display of innocence. He sometimes is still a little clumsy, "My apologies. My friend hasn't arrived yet, can you wait with me ?". Carol seems to be weighting her options, and it doesn't look like she's going to go along his wish, so he pleads, "Please ?" And then, she agrees, her arms crossed, "We're gonna need cocktails." He smiles happily and they head to the bar before sitting on a couch near the hall entry. Thor appears pretty excited even when nothing in particular is happening, and she doesn't even dare to ask.
Someone walks into the hall, chewing gum and holding a huge bag, so Thor rises from his feet and greets her with a pleased smile, "Val ! Here you are." She nods toward him, acknowledging his presence ; the aura difference between the two of them is shocking, and also refreshing. Carol simply stands there, beside Thor, sipping her cocktail with a not so interested look on her face. In reality, she's attempting to not stare too intensely at the woman, she wants to appear cool.
"Val, this is Carol, my oldest friend," the blonde woman offers her a hand that Valkyrie shakes after observing it with disdain. "Carol, this is Val, a friend from work," he seems incredibly excited, the whole scene is hilarious from afar. "It's Valkryie, actually," she corrects, still holding Carol's hand, which is softer than her own, and she appreciates it. "I'm just a colleague," she adds, making Carol pull her hand away to cover her giggles. She hadn't seen the attack coming, and Thor isn't even offended about having been colleague-zoned, he's too happy for this. Meanwhile, Valkyrie simply smiles, proud to have made the blonde woman laugh.
Wanda is walking in direction of the beach with her favorite people at her sides, she can't think of another place she'd rather be in. She obviously loves her job, but sometimes, she simply cannot handle how crowdy and loud it gets, which is why she's pretty much the brain of the coffee shop. Since Yelena saw her having a panic attack, the brunette takes shifts during the calmer time slots and is in charge from the inside. And, of course, she makes sure to always be there to serve coffee to Natasha, who comes at the same time during working days. It's all an agreement that Pietro and Yelena aren't allowed to talk about, although it pains them that neither of the two women have made a move yet.
They're going to the beach because it's already too hot there, Natasha has texted Thor the exact location and she's praying that his friends will be of any help because he's got a terrible sense of direction. If he arrives three hours later, it will just be another joke material. With this group, it seems like snooty comments are all that is thrown around, but they truly care about one other – the ones that know each other, at least.
They all have their own issues, some people are better at hiding them, but they're pretty accepting. When you look at them from afar, Tony and Rhodey trying to blow a giant inflatable pink swan, Pietro running around with a very excited dog like he's stolen something while Yelena is rolling her eyes, Steve and Natasha applying sunscreen to each other whilst laughing, they look like a dysfunctional family. And Wanda just loves it.
"See ? You don't look so bad in a bikini," Wanda hears Steve point out to Natasha, which earns him a light punch that still makes him let out a whimper of pain. Deserved. However, Wanda can't help but shortly take a look at Natasha, who obviously caughts her immediately. It's almost annoying, the fact that she can never discretely gaze at the redhead, she can never admire her beauty without getting embarrassed.
And now they're in the sea, Thor, Carol and Valkyrie have joined not long after. Tony and Natasha had evidently seen the trio coming, and noticed how the two appeared to be chatting well while Thor seemed delighted. They had shared a knowing stare, the kind that only two people friends for a while shared, and it had been silently established that Natasha and Tony would try to endorse the role of match makers, so that they wouldn't have to worry about their own messy love life. Natasha's observant nature along with her discretion were an asset for this kind of operation, while Tony's extroverted and warm personality would make any people be able to talk to each other. Little did they know that they were going to be rivals, during those vacations.
"I'm still surprised the angry Russian lady came," Tony starts, sipping an alcohol free cocktail, as high temperatures and liquor weren't a good match. He had learned it the hard away. He's comfortably settled in his swan, with a previously hesitant Rhodey – he had felt nervous that the closeness would be weird, but at this point of their relationship, nothing was strange anymore.
Never in his life had Rhodey experienced a more blurry and unclear frienship, and now he finally understands why every people he's dated seemed confused about how Tony and him acted. He had met Tony in college, but it's been a while since they've been in the same place for more than two days. They have no escape, no obligation, no distraction, this time, and Rhodey can't tell if he likes it. He only knows that he feels scared, good scared, maybe.
Yelena expels a huff, but before she has a chance to think of an answer, Natasha replies, "She came because she can't stay away from her big sister for too long." And now Yelena lets out a full laughter, the mocking kind. Natasha loves to make fun of her in front of people for being strongly attached to her, and she knows she can do it because they've talked about it. They're definitely not the best at communicating, as their parents didn't exactly teach them this art, but they're trying their best.
They sometimes fight, which they both hate very much, Wanda is always the first twin to be aware of any argument between the two sisters, she makes sure not to take any side because they're usually both right and wrong in their own way. Wanda knows a lot about Natasha for someone who hasn't talked with her much, but perhaps it's an avantage. Perhaps it will make it easier for them to grow closer, since they already know so much about each other – Yelena also tells Natasha about her co-worker.
Yelena bends down so that the tip of her braided ponytail sinks in the water a bit more, the group is mostly shoulder-length into the sea. "It's because you said free vacations, pridurok," and Natasha slightly chuckles before carefully throwing a teasingly authoritative response, "We said no cursing in front of people in a language they can't understand."
She knows it annoys her sister but Natasha is also aware that provocation generally relaxes Yelena. It's understandable that Tony was surprised that she came, as she isn't the most sociable person, not because she's nervous around humans, but because she hasn't really sorted out how to socialise. Plus, she isn't extremely interested in most people, she has a steady group of support composed of Pietro, Wanda, Rhodey and her sister, and it truly seems enough for her.
Wanda steps into the conversation, her voice sounding so calm it makes Natasha's heart nearly miss a beat, "I can understand." It's true, she used to hear people speak in Russian quite often, when they still lived in Sokovia, although she rarely spoke it. Anytime Natasha or Yelena would speak in their mother tongue, mostly to throw insults, it installed a warm sensation in her heart. She doesn't really miss her country, because it wasn't exactly her home, but she does miss hearing slavic languages being used out loud. It simply sounds nice.
Yelena has a victorious expression lying on her face, "See ? It's not unfair," she affirms, and it makes Natasha send a glare in Wanda's direction, which probably means that she doesn't appreciate the betrayal. And Wanda simply smiles, as if she's proud of her act, so Natasha playfully splashes her.
It's small, at first, but it provokes a general battle that involves a lot of screaming and they have to stop at some point because Thor has started to throw people – Pietro, for instance, who is a volunteer – in order to increase the splatter might. It almost looks like a sea storm, it's chaotic and messy like it always is with them. Natasha and Wanda are staring at each other, smiling, because they started it and Wanda can't believe how beautiful the redhead's hair look when it's slightly wet. She didn't think it could look any better but Natasha remains full of surprises.
After everyone has showered, they go eat dinner in a restaurant and they all insist on paying themselves, which Tony finally agrees with when he gets tired of the debate. To be fair, he doesn't really feel comfortable with the idea of having a lot of money. He wishes he could simply spend as much as he wants in presents for his friends, but it doesn't necessarily please them, it sometimes makes them feel very small, not in the good way.
Luckily, charities can't refuse money, so he can donate a lot whenever he feels useless. Natasha and Tony often do some research on organizations he's heard about, he wants to make sure he gives his money to charities whose actions are helpful. It was Natasha who explained him why Autism Speaks didn't actually help autistic people and he's been very careful since then.
This dinner is the opportunity for the group to get to know each other better, in a manner that doesn't involve a fight, but a conversation. Yelena is struggling to believe that Thor is truly named Thor, she thinks he's just messing with her and in the end, she concludes that his parents are very wrapped up around themselves. Rhodey recounts college stories to Pietro and Carol who pretend that it's not so funny, they're restraining themselves from laughing and it frustrates Rhodey. It's a bit of a running joke to not laugh at his stories and it always makes Tony cackle when they do that, even though it's pretty childish. They're all grown ups, but deep down, they're all terrified to be boring, or worse, to be like their parents.
Wanda is trying to snick up some of Pietro's chicken to the dog, she thinks he eats too much meat and as a vegetarian, it bothers her a bit. Plus, Fanny is hungry and nobody is paying attention, well almost nobody. Natasha has noticed, and she's suspiciously raising an eyebrow while smirking because she just caught Wanda and the expression on her face is hilarious.
She attemps to pretend the chicken was for her but the redhead obviously doesn't buy it, she remembers that Yelena once told her Wanda didn't eat meat. So her smirk morphs into a more tender smile, "I saw that." Wanda innocently drinks a bit of her wine, "I used to do that a lot when Yelena asked me to look after her," she calmly explains, because it feels very easy to talk to her.
Natasha is basically drinking her words, she's taking close notice on the way the Sokovian's accent wraps itself around them, it's pure art. Wanda keeps going, she can sense that she's got all of Natasha's attention and it doesn't even make her feel nervous, "Pietro always buys too much meat when he does the groceries, so I used to give Fanny some of the overfull. Not too much, though," she adds carefully. And Natasha chuckles, "Yeah it's fine. I still can't believe she asked you to take care of Fanny instead of me."
Yelena had broken her leg not long after a fight with her sister, and the move was petty, but she had seized the opportunity to annoy Natasha. She was just mad because Natasha tended to overprotect her, and not prioritize her own needs. "It's because I'm very capable," Wanda argues, jokingly, "Fanny loves me."
Natasha shakes her head in disagreement, "Maybe. But she loves me more. I'm the one who spent an entire night reassuring her during that big rainstorm." Yelena was working late, it was a new thing they tried, serving coffee a bit late, so she had to take care of Fanny. Apparently, cartoons can soothe a scared dog, they can solve any problems.
From afar, Tony is grinning whilst he looks at the pair, it's like his dream is coming true. Natasha senses a stare focused in her direction, and sees him mouth an "adorable" when she turns her gaze away from Wanda. It's not good, they've caught his attention and he won't ever let them live peacefully now ; Tony can be sort of obssessive. Wanda witnesses their interaction but doesn't comment on it, she's not very familiar with how those two act together. She doesn't even know Tony very well, she met him through Pietro and they had bonded over music during a small party but that was all. She can tell that he's nice though, her instincts rarely fail her.
They're all playing a card game, it was Carol's idea because she wanted to beat Valkyrie, or impress her, but she turned out to lose the first game very quickly. She gets cranky when she loses, so she obviously blamed the defeat on Thor, who went to get her another drink anyway. They decided to split into pairs, the losing team lets another team play while the winning one remains. Natasha and Wanda are on their third victory, and the feeling is exhilarating, they're simply killing it. Thanks to this, Natasha finds out that Wanda gets snooty when she's winning and it's just adorable. They're up against Tony and Rhodey now, the tension is palpable as everyone is fully focused on the game.
It's Natasha's turn to deal the cards, she does it swiftly and deftly, so Tony finds nothing to criticise. Wanda already seems completely lost in the game, the redhead can tell she's thinking of a smart manner to start the game, and when Natasha sees her own card set, she has to repress a smile. The cards in her hands are good, they're truly great, but victory is never sure. They need to keep a low profile and stay focused, which Natasha does without any difficulty. Rhodey switches between looking at his partner and his opponents, as if he's trying to find an answer on how to win in their eyes. Tony appears frustrated as they lose a few rounds, while Natasha doesn't let an emotion cross her face.
She's loving it, they're very close to winning as Natasha pulls out a card to earn them another victory. Wanda can't stop grinning. Tony counts how many points the pair scored, just in case, but it just confirms what everyone thought. Wanda's grin grow even more when she gazes at Natasha, so much that it makes her nose scrunch in joy and Natasha is simply very proud that she's partly the reason she's smiling like that. It's just beautiful.
And then Tony comes with his complaints, he probably feels humiliated because he has a strong reputation to maintain and he's been beaten like never before, "My cards were awful," he begins, while Rhodey nods in agreement. They didn't stand a chance, apparently. Wanda lightly smiles, it strikes Natasha that she looks a bit like a villain, "Good. It's because I cursed it." It causes Natasha to chuckle, she loves how merciless Wanda is and she remembers only now that Yelena once told her a story about how she warned some annoying man that she would destroy his car if he didn't leave the coffee shop. He was very drunk, and kept bothering customers. Wanda could totally handle herself, and it was delightful to witness.
Rhodey holds a reproving expression, "I'm not sure you're allowed to do that." Tony nods, to show his partner some support, but he's truly just waiting to see what Natasha has to say. He knows she's about to step up to defend Wanda, and he's right, "Let my little witch alone, you guys just suck." She's wearing her signature smirk, the one that suits her so well but Wanda isn't having it, "Don't call me little. I'm taller than you," the brunette asserts as her brows furrow in the most delicate way.
Natasha isn't sure she'll ever be able to look away from her, she's just going to have to be by Wanda's sides her whole life. "Barely," she argues while shrugging.
Wanda is close to retort something pointless back, simply because she has Natasha's attention and she doesn't want to lose it. However, Tony speaks first, a smile on his lips that the redhead would call devilish, "Aww, you two... Already fighting like an old married couple." Wanda shortly turns to gaze at Natasha in order to look for a reaction, but the latter doesn't let anyone see what she's actually thinking.
Tony has provoked her and it's bewteen the two of them now, and he should know that he remains in serious trouble. "Says the guy who's sharing a bed with his best friend." Tony scoffs, because he hadn't really expect Natasha to go on this territory, but apparently there isn't any limits. "Come on, Romanoff. We all know you'd be thrilled to sleep in the same bed as Wanda," he affirms while adjusting his sunglasses even though they're inside of the hotel.
Natasha lets out a heartless chuckle, she's so going to kick his ass, because now she feels embarrassed, "Pretty sure you're just projecting your issues, here. I give you two less than a week to kiss, or... do your kinky stuff," she winks, aware that it will infuriate Tony. "Is that a bet ?" Oh no, he's smiling. "I'll gladly accept the challenge. And Maximoff and you have to keep it in your pants, deal ?"
Natasha is considering it, she never gets involved in a bet she's sure she'll lose, but Wanda forestalls her. She shakes Tony's hand, "Sure. It's not like that anyway." Her accent is thick, which Natasha enjoys, although she's slightly hurt by the words. Doubt is starting to invade her, doubt that she quickly brushes away. She doesn't want her thoughts to spiral, she never lets them. It's fine, she'll deal with the problem later, and if Wanda doesn't see her that way, at least they'll win a bet. She can't complain. But Natasha can't help the small ache in her chest, it's there and she's unable to ignore it.