never mess with spies

[redactions]

Who: Jim, Peggy, and Natasha
Broadcast: none.
Action: On the Heron.
When: right about now.



She only makes the call when he's well out of earshot, which should make him suspicious ordinarily but he's whistling on the shuttle ride back. Lunch is planned to be a chicken dish he can try with the oven, it's all marinated already. Might taste well with some lemon on the side.

Only when Peggy hangs back instead of command the space on the docking bay does something sort of prickle on his neck.

'Well? Would you like to eat first?'

Comments

[mucked]

Had it been a mission of genuine import, Peggy might have at least tried to be more discreet in her stall-tactics. But seeing as this ruse was more playful than not, she didn't mind letting the good captain get a sniff of mischief on the air.

She turned 'round on one heel -- eyeing the docking bay with curiousity. "Of course. Lunch. Can't wait. But -- humour me, Jim. What upgrades has the Heron got for its shuttles?"

Her distraction housed (at least) one scrap of truth. She and the survivalist man had been thinking about upgrading their own shuttles back on the Starstruck.

[redactions]

'Its... shuttles?' he echoes, as though that will clarify anything for him. It seems completely uncalled for to be concerned about that now instead of the n times she's come to visit previously. But it's Peggy, she doesn't do things for no reason, and so he follows. 'Ah — none. The ship gets modified, not them.'

[mucked]

If Peggy had a watch in space -- and if that watch could be half-ways accurate -- this moment might have been the perfect time to resist looking at its face. Still, she didn't budge from where she stood.

"But their capacity and their capability can be bettered, can't they? As with the kitchens, our bunks..." she trailed away for a moment. "Only I'm considering a minor investment in the Starstruck and there's not much they haven't already done wonders with."

[redactions]

That seems to steady him. Finally, a line of logic he can follow to its conclusion.

'Sure, you can make 'em larger and faster. I'm not sure if there's an upper limit, but seein' as we can do whatever we like to the ship...'

[tothefly]

She'd been waiting for Peggy's call, working on plans for retrofitting the cargo bay with more space for Vision's hydroponic garden. Luckily, it's something easily set aside, and she's at the Heron in a flash, stepping out of the shuttle and ignoring Jim for the moment in favor of his companion.

"Thanks for the invitation, Peggy, I hope you weren't waiting long." The greeting is deliberately familiar. If he wanted them to be friends, well. The consequences were on him.

[mucked]

Peggy's expression was all smiles. She exhibited the kind of youthful delight often found in games and pranks but which -- back at the S.S.R., at least -- had been denied to her. Having to fight tooth and claw for recognition tended to put a damper on one's good spirits, but today she felt a lot like that young schoolgirl caught red-handed in the headmaster's room. It was a small thrill.

"I hope you don't mind," she addressed Jim. "I took the liberty of arranging for a plus one."

[redactions]

Jim's expression cycles through a few expressions in quick succession.

The first is utter bewilderment. There's a shuttle arriving with a different passenger — figures it's probably someone meeting the other crew members. But Natasha steps out and there's no danger radiating off her, so it's not an emergency. That doesn't make sense. She never comes here just because — she avoids Winter's space.

His eyes travel to Peggy, and that smile of hers.

Oh.

— oh.

He ends with a scowl. 'Very funny, ladies.'

[tothefly]

She doesn't come here for a variety of reasons. The Windrose is familiar territory, and she trusts her crew and her security for the most part; it lets her control the setting. The reason she doesn't often come to the Heron is partially because of Winter, but maybe not for the reasons Jim thinks. It's a gesture of respect as much as it is anything else.

She doesn't seem at all uncomfortable being here now, anyway, and the smile she turns on him is lazy, a little smug. "What? I thought you wanted us working together, Captain. Of course, if you had other plans..."

[mucked]

"Don't be ridiculous, Natasha."

Her tone was theatrical -- and although it harbours a scolding, her words are directed far more pointedly at Jim instead of Romanoff. Indeed, she wouldn't normally go so far as the refer the other agent so casually. But they entered into this game together, and by God they will play it well.

"I can't imagine Captain Barnes being anything other than hospitable. How rude it would be if he tossed you out on your ear."

[redactions]

'Oh I'll show you tossed out on your ear,' he mutters, more to himself, still scowling at them both. He runs a hand through his hair, and rubs the back of his neck. Being on the opposite side to them both, even as a prank, isn't somewhere he cares to be for long.

'Well, I s'pose I walked right into this. C'mon, let's get lunch.'

[tothefly]

"S'pose you're right," she agrees, this time turning that smile on Peggy. His reaction had been just about what she'd been hoping for. Disregarding any complications in their own interlocked histories, she was really beginning to like the other woman.

"Well, if he's not kicking me out--shall we?"

[mucked]

It was poetic, really. Jim Barnes had (seemingly) wanted the two women to grow friendlier. To matchmake them, it appeared, through the set-up of a shooting range. And while his heart was undoubtedly in the right place, Peggy and Natasha had their own way to play at the idea of being better pals. Although they clearly had a great deal in common, too much of it wasn't the sort of common ground that made for friendship. The two professionals were not about to lounge around and gab about the intelligence community.

Thankfully, they also has Jim in common. It made him a natural target. But only a well-intended one, and Peggy was smiling as she breezed by him. She knew the way to the kitchen.

"Really, I would say this is Jim's fault for not having arranged something like this sooner. Leaving it to us two to pick up all the slack."

[redactions]

It's poetic. He grumbles, but in the end they did work together to do this, and all things considered he's getting off easy.

(Just think. They could have told Steve, and Steve would never let him live it down.)

'This is still my ship,' he calls to them both walking in front of him, 'I can change my mind.'