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He wanted her to hit him. Natasha knew he did, she could smell it on him, the snarky asshole. Which was why she simply lifted an eyebrow slowly, crossed her ankles as she too leaned against the opposite counter, and deliberately crossed her arms.

"I could," she agreed, running the tip of her tongue over one elongated canine tooth. "Easily. Have you down on your knees, begging me to let you die...James Barnes." Her mouth slanted in a decidedly evil smile. "...and if I were any other vampire, you'd already be under my thrall, mongrel." She huffed a low chuckle.

"Nosferata matrons don't keep creatures who aren't of any great worth, so if I were you, I'd be counting my blessings right now that I'm not like my mother or any of my sisters. Because I seriously doubt you'd survive being nothing more than a Russian bloodsucker's play-and-fuck-toy."

"You didn't offer fucking last time," Bucky points out. She's decided not to lunge at him right now but that doesn't mean she won't lose her temper later. Everyone has their limits, even Natalia the Vampire, and Bucky's pretty sure he'll be able to trip over hers soon enough and get her angry enough to cause chaos.

"That might actually make this place halfway interesting," he drawls, pushing off the counter. He doesn't make any further moves toward her, though, keeping his posture loose and open. It wasn't non-threatening exactly but it wasn't overly hostile. He isn't looking to get caught off guard.

"What do you have to do after you sleep? Rounding up a couple more rogue werewolves like me?"

Natasha involuntary tensed when he moved. It was reflex, she couldn't help it. She wasn't going to allow him to get too close, not here, not now. But be damned if she back down from his snarky ass, either. But he didn't advance further - wise of him - and Natasha finally shifted about to pour her tea, adding sugar and cream without comment. She definitely wasn't going to elaborate on some of the wickeder games her relatives had been known to play with their "pets".

"No, there aren't any lycanthropes in the city." She would know. "A few unregistered strigoi, who undoubtedly need a reminder just to whom London belongs, but there shouldn't be anything serious, God willing." As much as she loved her job, Natasha didn't, in point of fact, enjoy any unnecessary bloodbaths.

"Why?" she inquired, arching an eyebrow over her mug. "You need to be walked, or something?"

Bucky rolls his eyes. "Thought maybe you'd like some muscle. Put me through my paces or whatever."

He'd been HYDRA's dog before. Maybe he's SHIELD's dog now. Or Natalia's dog. Doesn't really matter, at this point - his life hasn't been his own since longer than he can remember. He doesn't even know his own life story, much less anything about HYDRA, and everyone is pushing him to divulge information he doesn't even has.

He really wants to hit something.

"You think you could handle a werewolf being better at your job than you?"

This time, both of her eyebrows went up. "...are you serious?" Natalia lowered her mug, but didn't put it down. "Because if you try to take off, the beating I gave you in Siberia will seem like a fucking tickle compared to the one you'll get if I have to chase you down. Again. Just so we're clear, Barnes." There was not a snowball's chance in hell she was going to allow him to give her the slip, to coin a phrase, and if she had to put her own duties aside just to chase after this goddamned dog...

"My job requires a delicate touch," she informed him, just a touch imperious. "It's more than slicing heads and ripping out hearts, you know." Well, he probably didn't know, at that. "But if you seriously want to help out, I won't actually say 'no', provided you can keep your temper when it counts."

Her lips twitched, and she actually grinned at him, albeit with slightly narrowed eyes. "You'll have to run to keep up, though. I don't bother with conventional transportation. London's rooftops are highways enough."

"Did I have any trouble keeping up with you in Siberia? That ended in a draw," Bucky points out. "I'm fucking bored. If you let me kill something, I'll be happier, and if you're in a better mood because I'm not chomping at the bit then everyone benefits. Besides. I might like being on a leash."

Bucky grins at her and tries to gauge whether or not she's actually going to let him go out on a hunt with her. He realizes there's gonna be rules and paperwork - there always is with her - but at least it might be a chance to do something other than pace around four walls and try to think of new ways to annoy her.

"You never tried a leash before. But I'll be a good boy if you let me kill something. I'm dying in here."

"If anything needs killing tonight," she informed him icily, "I might let you kill it, depending on what the lesson needs to be." She didn't have to murder someone or something every night, after all. "But we'll try it and see how it goes, that enough?" Fury was going to throw a fit, she knew, but hell, Barnes was right; if she kept him cooped up in her townhouse, something was going to give. Either her temper, her furniture, or his sanity, as questionable as that was.

"But I need to get some sleep. It's after sunrise and I'm bloody tired." Natalia poured out her lukewarm tea, leaving the mug in the sink. "There's food and snacks and whatever, just don't empty the pantry or the refrigerator all in one day, please. I wasn't given a budget just to feed you." She pushed off of the counter, running a hand through tousled scarlet.

"Try to keep the noise down. Watch tv or something. Run laps in the backyard. Do yoga, I don't care. Just don't terrify the neighbors and don't wake me up." She was so cranky if she woke up before her alarm went off. Feeling her muscles aching, Natalia stretched as she headed for the stairwell, arms over her head and back arched in a sensuous curve.

"So good night, good morning, whatever. Don't bother me until five pm."

"Naked yoga in the backyard is going to make property values go up," Bucky says. Still, he gives her a half-hearted salute and promises not to get in trouble. He doesn't want to antagonize her right now because she's promising to actually let him get out of the house for a few hours.

He decides to get on her good side by having her tea brewed and ready at five so that when she wakes up, she can go downstairs and immediately have it. He's a coffee guy, himself, but Natalia's too good for coffee apparently. He raps twice at the door and calls out the time.

"Five, Romanova. Tea's been brewed."

In all the insanity of earlier, Natalia had forgotten to set her alarm, so the knock at her bedroom door came as an uninvited intrusion. She grumbled curses as she checked the clock, realized it was indeed five after five pm, and swung out of bed tousled, disheveled, and irritable. Must be something to do with her unwanted houseguest, that.

But she trooped to the door, jerked it open, and blinked blearily at the intruder, uncaring that she was practically naked, preferring to snooze in feminine comfort, and not some stodgy, British pajamas. Leaving Bucky at the door to find her slippers, Natalia tugged her curls out of her face, and gave him a curious look as she slipped her feet into them.

"...you made tea? Seriously?" She shuffled out of her bedroom, absently shoving him aside to head downstairs. "What's the occasion, the world suddenly flip upside down?"

Edited 2020-05-28 05:29 (UTC)

"I figured I'd have a better night if you were in a good mood," Bucky drawls. Her choice is sleepwear isn't lost on him and maybe he hasn't been with anyone since 45 but he's not dead; there's a hell of a lot of things he'd like to do to Natalia Romanova that don't involve taunting her into beating him senseless. She's just not usually in that kind of mood. Besides, he doesn't want his dick bitten off.

"Besides, I mean it. I want to go do sometimes other than pace inside this house. I'm crazy right now. I don't know if it's the same for you or if it's like this for other lycanthropes but it's like...I can't sleep, I can't stop moving, I can't stop thinking. I can't do anything but drive myself insane. If I can go out and do something for a little while that's better than being in here. So you got tea. Don't expect it every time."

Well, as much as she wanted to, Natalia couldn't really argue that point. Seemed the mutt had learned a thing or two, being back among the reasoning species. And she prided herself on being able to keep her temper, keep her more predatory instincts held in check. She was more than some base-minded mosquito, after all. (Although pharmaceuticals played a nice part in keeping her on an even keel, but that was no one's business but her own.)

Preceding Bucky down the stairs, automatically heading straight for the teapot and the mug he'd actually already poured, Natalia picked it up, relishing its warmth, and took a long, slow sip. Hnn, not too bad. "...you did pretty good. Very observant." In that she preferred more cream than sugar, and Earl Grey in the "morning", and lavender at "night".

She sipped her tea, leaning nonchalantly against the counter, not an ounce concerned about her state of dress, or undress with this roguish wolf. She was hardly blind to his rugged good looks, but...well. It was complicated. But Natalia didn't hide her slow appraisal as Bucky slouched against the door frame; she didn't give a damn if he noticed her looking. He wasn't altogether a bad sight to wake up to, really.

"I'll check my email here in a minute, see what needs handling tonight."

"No rush. I'm just glad for the promise of getting out of this cage for the night," Bucky says. He's practically bounding on her like a goddamned Golden Retriever and he tries to rein it in - Rogers is enough of that for anyone. He doesn't need to start up.

He notices Natalia looking at him and he gives her an appraising look of his own, unashamed about finding her attractive. He likes redheads and she's stunning so he imagines he's hardly the first guy to take a second or third look.

"You see something you like over here or are you trying to figure out how best to dismember me and hide the body?"

She returned that steady gaze with one of her own, over her tea mug. "Just make sure you behave, or you'll be back in a literal cage, da?" She'd brought one with her; it waited down in the basement, patient.

Although his sly little quip had one of her eyebrows going up - a common occurrence, she was noticing - and she had to smile behind her mug. And give a shrug. "Why not both? Although if it's the latter, that's not really difficult." A small snort. "It's part of my job, after all." Vampires did clean up a lot easier than humans, that was for damned sure.

"And you're not a bad-looking bloke, Barnes," she informed him a little crisply. "And you know it, just don't let it go to your head." Pushing off of the counter, Natalia sauntered past him to the living room and her laptop. "Either of them," she added as she brushed against him in the doorframe.

"We could probably use the stress relief," Bucky mutters, watching her as she walks past him. He's not shy about looking because why should he be? She knows she's good looking and there's no point in being coy about it. Still - he's keeping his paws to himself just now.

"Check your email. I'm going to get dressed. Are you going to want me to shift or not? It's going to affect the wardrobe choices."

Clothes are a pain in the ass, most of the time, and if he thought he could get away without them he'd just do it. Fuck having to replace everything just because he ripped it shifting.

Stress relief, ha. As if she'd deign to roll around with the likes of this mouthy bastard. Natalia settled on the couch with her computer, logging on and in to check her nights' assignments. There didn't seem to be anything too heavy; an unlicensed strig bothering a few of the locals over in Old Town, a ruckus at one of the plasma distribution facilities near the river, and a suspicious happenstance at one of the wharves, possibly a fang or three smuggled in without proper papers.

Not a bad night, if all went well. If nothing else, she could set Bucky on the strig's trail and let him chase the punk for a while. Until the troublemaker got the hint.

"Mmmm, shifting shouldn't be necessary. But if it crops up for whatever reason, don't worry about. I won't let you muck about naked." Because getting arrested for indecent exposure was the last thing she needed a headache about. "Go change your clothes. It won't take me long, then we'll head out."

Bucky has clothes even if he doesn't usually dress more than a pair of sweats but to go out and actually work a case meant he was going to have to wear something more than that; if he got shredded in human form, it would be nasty and there were parts of him he'd rather keep in pristine condition.

It doesn't take him long to slip back downstairs in a leather jacket, jeans and motorcycle boots that could take a beating. If he doesn't have to shift but has to run, he'll be good in these.

"At Madame Bovary's beck and call," Bucky says, announcing himself. "Brief me on what I need to do to color in the lines."

Shrugging into her knee-length Enforcer coat, Natalia just rolled her eyes at her companion's announcement, opting not to retaliate; it would only make him that much more obnoxious. But she gave him the basics as they headed out, and the sun had thankfully sunk below the horizon line by the time the two reached the rooftops a few streets over.

"The strig probably just needs a beating," she said, crouching on the edge of the roof. "He's a loner, probably expelled from his coven and looking for his own turf. Unfortunately, I'm not going to tolerate that sort of thing, so he'll either move on, or I'll take his head." Enforcers had complete autonomy when it came to the Laws. There was no trial, no jury, no judge. The penalty for breaking the Laws was death. No questions asked.

"But he might choose the better part of valor and take himself elsewhere." She shrugged, rising to her feet. "If he doesn't, then that's that. Come on, let's get moving." Then she was off, running easily over the rooftops like a black and red specter, effortless and graceful.

Lycanthropy meant he could move, too, so Bucky didn't have issues keeping up with Natalia once she got started. His nose was keen for her, too, knowing her scent and vampires had a certain thing that separated them from regular humans. It made her easier to keep track of. He hoped it meant that their quarry would smell different too.

He catches up to her on a parapet and gives her a quick shout. "Smelled something odd to the west. You think it's your strig or is my nose still calibrating?"

Bucky isn't sure, not having done anything like this before, and he's going to have to take her lead on this. He might take the shit out of her at home but he's not going to in the field.

As much as he irritated her in every other aspect, Natalia had to respect Barnes' keen animal senses. Hers were predator-sharp - even sharper than any other vampire; Enforcer training and enhancements had seen to that - but Bucky's nose was something to be reckoned with. She paused at his hail, and followed his suggestion, squinting off into the western dimness.

"It's possible. That's the general area, anyway." Fishing in her pocket, she produced two separate earbuds, holding out one for him. "State of the art communication," she told him, fitting hers into her left ear. "No wrist watch required. Let's split up. I'll take the left flank, you come from the right. I have a photo of the sot, it's not the best, but better than nothing. If you locate him, we'll corral him. Out of sight, I don't want any witnesses for this."

The image depicted a skinny kid with cropped blond hair, punked-out clothing, and a tourist's backpack. "Locate and shadow him, I'll do the same. Got it?"

"Got it. If things go sideways, I'm killing to protect us," Bucky warns her. "I don't play by your rules when it comes to that. You're too good at this shit for it to happen but I'm just warning you in advance."

She might get on his goddamned nerves but he doesn't want anything to happen to her and he's not nihilistic enough to try and end himself over some punk kid. Shoot to kill if he has to but for right now, shadow him and flank him.

"And I mean that," he says, before taking off.

Natalia had just opened her mouth to insist that he had to "play by her rules", as he put it, but the wolf took off before she could. She settled for muttering under her breath and heading off in the opposite direction, wondering just how bad of an idea this had actually been.

London even at this hour was still brightly lit and crowded; tourists and students frequented this part of the city more often than the locals, which was probably why the strig had managed to get himself identified and reported. Canvassing from above was her preferred method, however, so she didn't have to mingle with the crowds and fight the traffic on crowded streets.

"Anything?" she asked over the earpiece, pausing at an intersection to scan the groups below. "I'm coming up on...Bonnet and Chesapeake, what's your location?"

Opposite end of Chesapeake. I've got eyes on him. Chase or attack?

Bucky's been a soldier before and he knows the rules. In this, Natalia is his CO and he's not going to go too far off the plan unless someone is in grave (hah) danger. He has to take her lead on this or otherwise more than just she will be coming down on his ass and she'll probably get heat too.

Ready to comply with orders, Doll.

Doll? Well, at least he was following her direction, in any case. Pet names non-withstanding. "If you have a clean shot, take him. Keep him subdued until I get there. I'm moving out now."

And it wouldn't take her long to arrive. The rooftops were so close together in this particular part of town that it sometimes seemed like flying through the smoggy skies. But this was thrilling; a hunt, with or without blood at the end, and it stirred her blood regardless of her intention.

Part of her even hoped the obnoxious little bastard put up a fight.

Same part of Bucky hoped the punk put up a fight and strig or not, it's easy to circle him and get him cornered down in an alley away from collateral damage. Natalia's on her way and he has plenty to take the guy down if he has to. For now, he's playing, and it feels better than he wants to admit.

"You wanna fuck around and go rogue, that's it? Regret to inform you that I'm the good cop. The bitch that's on her way doesn't care about anything but getting you out of her hair. She's goddamn efficient, too, and you'll be nothing. Might as well just turn yourself in and save us the trouble."

The strig hisses at him and lunges, catching the sleeve of Bucky's jacket, but it's the left arm and he glances off the metal. Bucky shakes his head. "Never go for the left. Don't they teach you anything? I thought everyone knew who I was and everything."

Natalia paused before vaulting off of the roof's edge, just watching her "partner" handle the strig in the alley. Apparently he'd taken her warning to heart; the kid was still breathing and there weren't any civilians gawking nearby. Well and good so far.

So she landed not far from the pair, idly shaking red curls out of her face as she approached. "Been looking for you, lorry," she said to the snarling strig, still held in Bucky's iron grip. "Merry chase you gave me, too." Her glower sharpened. "Reports say you've been threatening the humans." She ignored the strig's evil hiss and dark glare. "And you know that's against the rules, mate."

Before either she or Bucky could blink, the strig had somehow vanished, leaving behind a dripping hunk of flesh in the lycanthrope's large hand. Natalia jerked back, startled, and swore in a few languages, snarling as she spied the goddamned bastard streaking for the main thoroughfare.

"Kill him!" she snarled, jerking into motion. "But only if you catch him first!"

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