"Humility! It speaks well that you're able to acknowledge that you aren't at the top, Director. Maybe we can work with each other after all. But it will be WITH each other. Secretary Pierce has assured me that you can respect my autonomy. I'm going to be a civilian contractor. I only take orders from the WSC, and if SHIELD wants me or my tech, you're going to have to learn to play nice. Secretary Pierce seemed to think you could. Is he wrong?"
Natasha can see that having his words thrown back at him pisses Fury off to no end. But the SHIELD Director controls himself all the same and after a moment of silence, bites out his response.
"No, he was not."
"Good, then get out of my office and make an appointment. Oh, but I'm going to have to find a new Personal Assistant, so maybe wait a few days first."
Natasha didn't understand why Tony was being so aggressive about that part. Was he really trying to get rid of her? She supposed she couldn ' t stick around here now that her mission was over. It was back to SHIELD and doing missions for them. And perhaps that was where Tony wanted her. Perhaps that was where she would be best placed to help him deal with HYDRA once and-
"I'm afraid Agent Romanoff will be sticking around, Stark."
Wait, what?
Tony scowls, but Fury is the one who just bulldozes right on through this time.
"Orders from Secretary Pierce himself. Agent Romanoff is to be your official and unofficial SHIELD liaison going forward."
Narrowing his eyes, Tony taps his desk with a finger for a few moments, a nervous tick on the face of things.
"Oh? And what does official and unofficial mean, exactly?" Seeming much more in his element now that he's getting one over on Stark, Fury even smiles.
"Officially, Agent Romanoff is the SHIELD liaison for Stark Industries, much in the same way I believe Lieutenant Colonel James Rhodes handles relations between your company and the US Armed Forces. Unofficially, she's my direct line to you, Stark. If we need to meet, she'll arrange it on either end. If there's anything I need from you or you need from me, we' ll go through her. Secretary's Orders, I'm afraid."
Natasha stands still as a statue, but internally she's amazed. Fury looks like the cat who caught the canary. He has no idea that all of this, every last step of the way … has been prearranged by Tony. It's honestly a little terrifying to watch, especially knowing what she knew.
Looking angry but also resigned, Tony smacks his hand down on the desk. "Fine."
Rising from his seat, the SHIELD Director looks undeniably smug and in charge as he gives Tony one last look before throwing a nod to Natasha and heading for the door. As he goes, he tosses a hand in the air in a casual wave.
" We ' ll be in touch, Stark. Look forward to working together."
The almost lazy way in which he says it makes it clear he feels like he came out of the entire meeting on top. And yet… and yet…
The door closes behind him. Silence reigns in the office for a moment. Finally, a voice comes from the ceiling.
"Director Fury is heading for the front door, sir. He does not seem to be making any detours at this time. Nor did he plant any bugs in this room during his visit.
Tony finally cracks a genuine grin as he leans back in his chair and lets out a laugh, shaking his head.
"Of course not, J. He knows trying to slip a bug in anywhere on the building wouldn't make it passed your eyes. And besides, why should he try to bug the place when he has loyal eyes and ears right fucking here."
Tony's gaze falls upon Natasha and the Black Widow can't help it… she feels a shiver go down her spine.
"Well, Agent Romanoff? What did you think?"
Huffing, Natasha crosses her arms over her chest.
"I think you're more than a little terrifying, Stark. That's what I think. That was…"
Shaking his head, Tony sighs.
"That was necessary. Fury is capable enough as Director of SHIELD, but he's been led around by the nose by HYDRA for decades and still doesn't know it. Pierce has been part of HYDRA since the eighties and Fury trusts him, completely and utterly."
Natasha grimaces at the implication.
"So then… all of this means that you…"
Again, she trails off. She really needs to stop doing that. Fortunately, she's doing it with a man who loves to hear the sound of his own voice and is more than willing to pick up where she left off. "Yep. I've infiltrated HYDRA. Pierce thinks I've joined up and believes that I'm completely loyal to the cause. He was willing to give me whatever I wanted concerning SHIELD, including you."
Including her. She was basically just a pawn in a backroom deal between Stark and Pierce, arranged to look like she was being forced onto Stark so that Fury could feel like he was winning their little game. Except Fury was also a pawn in the real game between Stark and Pierce… a game Pierce didn't even know he was playing.
Natasha isn't used to feeling so out of her depths. But at this point… she needs to sit down. Moving over to the chair next to where Fury had sat, Natasha slumps into it and looks across the desk at Stark.
"Then I guess I'm all yours, aren't I?"
Tony grins and waggles his eyebrows suggestively at that, causing Natasha to sigh and roll her eyes.
"Yes, even that part. Fury will probably expect me to do everything in my power to keep you and Potts under my thumb, including sex. Since he can't control you directly, he' ll want to use me to control you indirectly."
Frowning, Tony almost seems genuinely offended on her behalf.
"Well, we don't have to actually do anything that you don' t want to, Nat. It'll be easy enough to make Fury think it's happening, all things considered."
Nat. Awfully familiar. But then again, they had been in a sexual relationship for several months now. Natasha ultimately lets it slide, even as she shakes her head.
"Easier for me if I have real experiences to draw on." Here, Tony grins slyly.
"Sure, Natasha. And it definitely has nothing to do with your own desires, is that right?"
"Of course not. I'm a professional."
Tony leers at her then, his eyes roaming up and down her beautiful body, tightly clad in her SHIELD uniform.
"Mm, that you are. Well Ms. Professional, if Fury is the bad cop and you're the good cop, how exactly are you planning to fix my fragile bruised ego and make me feel better about all these months of lying to me, hm? Because really, I'm feeling so very betrayed right now."
She sighs, knowing exactly what he's doing. And yet… she' d walked right into this one with that talk of wanting real experiences to draw on, hadn't she?
Rising to her feet, Natasha lets a coy, seductive smile slip onto her ruby red lips as she saunters around the length of the desk while tugging down the zipper on her catsuit, revealing more and more flesh as she goes.
"Well, Mr. Stark. I'm sure we can figure out a way to… massage your bruised ego. And other parts of you."
He grins at her and Natasha knows she's not going out of this little game of chicken with her dignity intact. That's alright… she'll never admit it out loud, but part of her has missed Tony's and his insatiable appetites these past few weeks.
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