"ROMANOFF." FURY COMMENTED, a slight rise and fall in his voice was the only thing that betrayed his surprise at her arrival and the sight of her hovering in his office doorway.

His mind instantly flitted to the warehouse that he had directed her to the previous evening; it had been mostly on a whim, Fury doubted that there would even be anything suspicious happening down at the docks to warrant sending the Black Widow but she was the closest. Now, though, seeing the woman standing ominously in his doorway set Fury on edge- she wouldn't turn up without a reason. There was always a reason and Natasha Romanoff didn't do social calls. Casually, he glanced her up and down in a subtle attempt to assess any injuries that she may have sustained- he was pleasantly surprised at his lack of findings before he gestured for her to enter.

"You texted."

"That, I did." He agreed.

Natahsa glanced around the spacious office, eyes surveying the usual objects and seating area that she had committed to memory on her first visit. Her eyes drifted to the large window across the room that overtook the whole wall and where the city laid below, unaware of her scrutinizing stare. She looked away after a few seconds before she sat down in the lush armchair across from the desk that Fury may or may not have bought specifically for the assassin.

"I assume you went?" Fury questioned and she nodded. "So, to what do I owe the pleasure?"

"Had a question for you." Natasha replied, indifferent.

Fury hummed disbelievingly in response before pulling a manilla folder closer to him. Natasha's eyes dropped to the bland object as if she was able to see past the cover and read its contents; then her gaze shifted back up to Fury who looked as disinterested as usual.

"There were some dead Hydra agents, a suitcase full of cash and bullets matching your handguns found at the warehouse-" She schooled her expression into indifference. "- got any comments?"

A beat of silence passed between them as Natasha's thoughts drifted to the teenager she had rescued and who was currently either sitting in her house finishing his waffles or was miles away and far from the city. Gone. Like he was never there to begin with. Instead of voicing her inner contemplation she said, "They are a good set of handguns."

Nick frowned. "I'll get myself some, shall I?"

The duo looked at one another, gazes unwavering as they tried to decipher the other wordlessly.

Despite knowing he could never decode the blank look staring him down, Fury refused to be the first to speak aloud. Natasha simply continued to watch the man, mind whirling and calculating as she weighed her options before finally shifting, "Off the books."

Fury nodded his head in acceptance.

He leaned back in the seat, letting out a long breath while he closed and pushed the folder away in one, fluid movement as a show of his acquiescence.

"I heard some gunshots. I walked into the warehouse... and there was this fifteen-year-old kid." The look in her eyes made Fury tense a little. "Hydra were selling him. He said he was a mutate." Despite the clearly shortened story, Fury assumed Natasha told him the basics as he processed why the hell, she was telling him all of this. It probably wasn't the first time that sales had been happening down at the docks- but it may have been the first time that a sale had been interrupted and the enhanced made it out alive. Pride welled in his chest for the woman across from him who was still as a statue, waiting for his opinion patiently.

"You know where this kid is now?" He queried. Natasha stared at Fury and didn't move a muscle. He drew in a long breath, "Something tells me I'm not going to like where he is."

Arguments to have the teenager handed over into Shield's custody began building in his throat- he could be dangerous, it's for his safety and for others- but Natasha silenced him when she met his eyes. They were earnest and almost pleading, a look that she had never once allowed him to see in her duration of working with Shield. Before they were almost always closed off or heavily guarded, Fury only being able to catch glimpses of her real emotions. Whoever the teenager was, Fury knew that Natasha had somehow formed an attachment to him. Though he'd never admit it aloud, he would be reluctant to try and get in-between them- Natasha was a force to be reckoned with and not even the entirety of Shield could take her down. It'd be like Clint Barton all over again.

Her hands rested on her knees as she leaned forwards.

"You didn't see him, Nick. I'm not letting him fall into the hands of another organization, and we both know Shield could still be harbouring Hydra agents." Natasha knew she wouldn't let Peter become another asset for another organisation. He was barely a teenager and he deserved to have some kind of childhood that didn't involve death and violence- she refused to let him become another child soldier in someone's war.

"But are you going to take charge of the kid Romanoff?"

Nick leaned on his desk; face slightly more serious than usual that Natasha had thought was an impossible feat. "Are you going to take responsibility for someone who's going to need you and probably hate you all at once because if he's been raised by Hydra then that kid has some serious issues." He explained bluntly. The assassin has always appreciated Fury's straightforward way of saying things- she'd rather be confronted with the truth than have someone dancing around it for five minutes beforehand. But Fury had a point. It was already apparent that Peter wasn't going to be like other teenagers, it wouldn't be easy or something she could walk away from if it got too difficult.

"We both do." She admitted, voice unusually quiet. "And maybe that's why he needs me." Nick pursed his lips, as if thinking over her words before conceding with a nod of his head.

Worry also filled his chest. Hydra didn't keep assets around unless they were worth something.

"The second that he goes off grid, you call him in. No matter what. Got it?"

"Loud and clear sir." Natasha agreed with ease, relaxing back into her seat. "You should meet." The sudden teasing glint in her eyes threw Fury for a moment before he managed to finally splutter out a response.

"Excuse me?" where the woman simply smiled.

"Not as Director Fury. As Nick. Just a thought." Natasha shrugged breezily, already rising from her seat in her usual graceful fashion and walking to the door, leaving the director to stare after her.

"And Barton will be the kid's uncle. This isn't going to turn into some kind of dysfunctional family Romanoff. I won't be having it." Natasha looked over her shoulder, projecting innocence but her eyes screamed mischief and Fury could already feel his stress levels climbing in preparation.

"The Chuckle Brothers as 'uncles' would be a sight. I'll text Clint when's he back from Moscow."

-

Peter was confused. He didn't know why he was still there.

The door leading back into the apartment was left ajar as he leaned against the railing out on the balcony, heart hammering away in his chest like it wanted to jump out and onto the street below. He'd dragged a chair over from the kitchen so that he could sit; his legs swung back and forth unconsciously while he adjusted to the world around him and processed his newfound freedom.

It was a new and terrifying concept.

He was unsure of Romanoff. Over the course of his lifetime kindness hadn't been given freely, there was always a price to pay but Peter had yet to figure out what the woman wanted from him. What she was going to gain from offering him a place to sleep, food to eat, arms to find comfort in. It baffled him- even made Peter want to run as fast as he could because he was already beginning to relax, but what was the point in getting used to it? It was just going to disappear and leave him crumpled on the floor just like Hydra had- or sell him off to the highest bidder.

Yet he couldn't leave. Every time he headed for the door, there was a sharp tug in his chest and he was reeling back into the apartment. He didn't understand- "Still here then?"

The voice was a welcomed distraction from his thoughts.

Although Peter didn't move to acknowledge the voice, he felt Natasha settle down beside him anyway. He could hear her clothes shifting and the warmth of her body against his as she dragged in a chair of her own and joined him outside. "Why'd you stay?" She asked, curious.

"I don't know." He admitted, eyes dropping down to the cars racing by.

A beat passed and Peter could feel Natasha's intense gaze rest on the side of his head, as if expecting him to turn and look her in the eye. Instead, he resolutely looked ahead. "That's fine." She nudged his arm gently, before looking away too. "You can stay. For as long as you want to."

"Why?" The question escaped his lips and his eyes tore from the skyline where they had drifted.

He looked solidly at the woman beside him, studying her expression and eyes like he wanted to tear her apart just so he could see her thought process- her intentions. Peter didn't want to fall for fake pleasantries and care, but he'd always had a habit of trusting people despite being betrayed by them in the end. Natasha took in a low breath, meeting his eyes to find so much emotion in them that she couldn't even begin to describe them except that it was too much for one person to feel.

"Because I've got your back. I'm not going to lie to you kid, this?" she gestured between them, "It isn't going to be easy. But we can test run it, and you can leave at any point if you want."

She spoke as if the answer was simple and held no weight. It meant everything to Peter.

"Do you trust me to have yours?" He asked, eyes wide. "Your back, I mean."

"I do." Natasha answered. She glanced back into the apartment, "I brought Chinese. As promised."

"Cool." Peter commented, making her lip quirk upwards.

"You hungry?"

"Definitely."

"Cool." she grinned, walking back inside. Peter followed a moment later. 

A/N

What do you think of Fury? I think he's an interesting character especially his relationship with Natasha and the rest of the Avengers.

Hope you liked the end scene! And you can sort of see how Peter and Nat are going to interact with one another ya know? which I like haha- don't forget to let me know about spelling! xoxo.