Way We Go Down ｡ Natasha Romanoff

6 - DRINKING BUDDIES

Ace of Clubs was a dingy bar only a few blocks from headquarters, a safe haven for agents alike. The bar consisted of only a few booths and a sticky bar, where peanuts waited for idle people wanting to forget about the pain in their muscles. The owner was a short man with a greying beard but he was not stingy with extra refills and told some of the best jokes, always able to lighten the mood. When Natasha Romanoff finally arrived after a lengthy debriefing with Nick Fury about her latest mission involving a rouge German trafficking group smuggling advanced weapons in the country, she was quite thankful her day was nearly over even if she promised to buy Alec Thayer a drink. 

Some pop music was coming from the duke box, a crowd of agents chatting beside it as they clinked beers together. Natasha felt somewhat odd standing in the bar, a place she used to come by weekly. It was known as a hangout spot for newbies and strangely enough, she felt too experienced to even show her face here anymore. Her heels clicked on the floorboards as she headed for the bar, spotting Alec and Mitchell Davenport. They were already nursing beers, both deep in conversation. 

"Hey fellas, starting the party already?" She slinked into the free seat next to Alec, flagging down the bartender already. She watched as Alec glanced towards her, his lips turning up into a smile. She might not know what Fury saw in him, he was just a solider, nothing special but she had to admit he had a nice smile. 

A cold beer was placed on the bar top, the bartender sending her a smile before turning away. "You're just in time, Natalia. Oh look, the pool table just became free. Are you up for a friendly game?" 

Her eyes swung over to the free pool table but her heart was racing in her chest. "Where did you learn that name, soldier?" For many years that name had not been whispered by a single pair of lips. Once she had joined the ranks of S.H.I.E.L.D she had tried to forget all about her blood tainted past. She had not expected Alec Thayer, a man known for taking strict orders and a brand new recruit, to get his hands upon that information. 

"Over time, you will find out I am more than a mindless soldier," Alec gave her a knowing smile. He had sweet talked a cute clerk down in the lower levels where agent files were kept and had snuck a look at her file, along with a few others. He wasn't usually a nosy man but he wanted to know everything about Natalia Alianovna Romanoff. He hadn't gotten through her full file though, finding it quite hard to read. He actually wanted to know what his own file read, knowing a past in the army wasn't glamorous. "I do have my own ways of getting things done. Now, want to play a game or are you scared of a challenge?" 

Natasha raised an eyebrow, quite intrigued actually. She had ruled him down to just another face in the organisation. There were agents that she had never even met, along with ones that shone far too brightly, like herself. But maybe, Fury had been right. Maybe Alec Thayer would make quite an impressive agent after all. "Fair warning, I'm pretty good at pool." She told him with a nod of her head. 

Mitchell Davenport stayed at the bar while the two of them headed over towards the pool table. A familiar brunette was leaning on her own cue, having noticed the redhead at the bar. "I haven't seen you lower yourself to Ace of Clubs in forever." Elliott Mercer sung out with a devilish grin at her redhead friend. She was another agent, commonly know as Agent 47 and was another bright star among many. She had been recruited by Fury himself and had family ties within S.H.I.E.L.D. She was a lethal agent, mastering her skills in the field and with medicine. Natasha had known her for about a year, the two women sharing missions together every now and then. 

"Mercer, nice to see you're not dead." Natasha grinned across at her, grabbing a cue as Alec set the poor table. "This is Alec Thayer. Nick Fury's newest recruit."

Elliot Mercer sent him a flirtatious wave of her fingers. "I do love new boys." She whispered over towards her friend, leaning over to a table set by the side and grabbing her own drink. She watched the two of them for a second longer, knowing the very looks passing between them. "Well, it's good to see you've found yourself a drinking buddy, which means I should go and find some poor soul to dance with." She downed her drink and left Natasha with a wink. 

"She's quite a handful," Alec muttered out softly as he came to stand next to Natasha, still watching Agent Mercer across the room and how she was flirting with some boy desk boy who he had seen wandering the halls last week. "Nothing but trouble, huh?"

Natasha was nodding. "You'll get used to it." She leaned forward, positing herself on the pool table, ready to break. The clash of the balls made her attention snap, smiling as one ball sunk already. She wasn't lying when she told him she was skilled at pool table, just another skill she had mastered. "If you want to stay out of trouble, I suggest you stay clear of her. She's a bit of a heartbreaker." 

Alec leaned forward slightly, getting close to the Russian redhead. "I can see that, yes. But my question is what are you, Natalia Alianovna? Are you a heartbreaker?"

Natasha gave him a coy look, shrugging her shoulders lightly before bending over and sinking another two balls, the game already turning in her favour. "You'll just have to wait and see, soldier." 

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

Alec and Natasha are my everything #Nlec or #Aleasha? 

I really hoped you like it and please don't hesitant to leave your thoughts. A few may have noticed a familiar oc of mine, Elliott Mercer in the chapter. I have drafted Carpe Diem (for those who may have read that) for now but have decided to let her join this book and Chaos Theory because I don't want to stop writing her just yet. She's most likely going to become a bigger part which shall be really fun. 

- tinkertaydust