Risk

Nine

George was an ex military man, and his humour matched James with quick wit and loving teasing that had them all laughing through dinner. Winnie, as she insisted Natasha called her, was overly attentive, making sure they were well fed and that Natasha never had an empty glass of wine. James passed on the alcohol, still suffering from the night before.

Winnie asked a lot of questions, knowing a lot more about Natasha than she had expected her too. If she had any issue with her, her age or being at James' work, she never showed it once, ensuring she was at ease at all times.

Half way through dinner, a knock at the door interrupted them and a family of three, turning out to be James' younger sister Rebecca and her family appeared in time for dessert. They all crowded around the table chatting happily, Natasha ending up between James and Winnie. He glanced at her, checking she wasn't overwhelmed by the sudden family reunion happening, but she seemed unfazed, introducing herself to his sister and her husband and letting Winnie tell them everything she'd learned about her. He lightly slid his hand onto the small of her back as a comfort anyway, and she rested her hand on his knee in return, squeezing it reassuringly.

**

Winnie dismisses Natasha's offer to help to clear the table, stealing away her kids instead.

"How long have you been on the move then?" Rebecca asked him with a smirk, helping her Mother clean up.

"About 7 months, maybe?" He replied, drying the dishes that were handed to him.

"Work don't mind?" She asked.

"Work don't know." His mother replied for him. "What does that matter anyway? She's a gem! Look how happy it's made him."

"Hmm, He is blushing." Rebecca smirked, flicking water at her brother after he threw a towel at her. "And he isn't the same grumpy and boring trophy husband he'd been turned into!"

"Rebecca." Her Mother warned her with a disapproving look. She just shrugged in response.

"You'd know all about trophy husband by the way you boss around poor Will." James grumbled back.

"Alright! Alright! Jeez! You're worse than kids." Their mother scolded them, shaking her head as she carried on.

"Joey has taken a shine to Natasha," his Dad chuckled as he entered the kitchen too, interrupting whatever sibling fight was about to be had and nodding back towards the living room. "Always trust kids, they read people the best."

They all peered around the doorway to see Natasha was kneeling on the floor, reading to the little guy as he crawled into her lap to see the pictures in the book.

"Look at him, he loves her." His mother commented.

"Who? Little Joey or James?" Rebecca smirked, eyes trained on her brother with a teasing smirk.

**

Natasha and James waved as they drove off, smiling as the family called for them to visit again soon. She turned to him as he drove, resting her head back against the car seat.

She didn't saying anything, just grinned up at him, listening to him chuckle before he glanced at her.

"What?"

"You're family are amazing." She sighed, "I don't think I've ever met such lovely and kind people,"

"They loved you, they aren't like that with everyone." He smiled, "I would have brought you sooner but since they moved out of Brooklyn, it's harder to find the time."

"So they've known about me for a while?" She asked, "At least, your Mom seemed too."

"She knew when I stopped calling on Saturday mornings and changed it to Wednesday nights instead," he shook his head. "She knew there must've been someone on the scene, and I don't lie to my Ma. Too scared too."

Natasha laughed softly, "She's a good woman. Made me feel really at home,"

"Exactly how you should feel, only now when you see her next she'll be bugging you about marriage and kids forevermore." James replied, watching her raise her eyebrows. "Not that that's anything we need to do now, that's a while off. I mean, only if you wanted too. I won't expect-"

"It's alright James." She smiled softly, watching him sigh.

"Nat, I know I was an ass last night, and I overthink things. I never wanted to make you feel like you weren't worth it. Any of this. Or I didn't think our relationship is worth anything" She listened to him, glancing out at the road. "I love you, too much to let anyone else make up my mind for me or make me doubt myself ever again."

She looked back at him with a soft grin pulling at her lips. "I love you too," she nodded out the window to the empty road. "You're really going to need to pull over though."

"Why?"

"Cause I can't kiss you like I want to when you're driving."