His eyes grow sharp the second she mentions Erskine's name. He blinks at her, dragging the glare off his face with a heavy hand.
He always knew it could be a possibility, but it's almost like a personal slight knowing someone else has tried to continue Erskine's work. Besides his affection for the man, he knows firsthand how wrong things can go if the conditions aren't absolutely right.
But Natasha knows that, too.
"I had wondered," he says, quiet. "You took some pretty hard hits in New York."
He's really not sure what to say to her. He's upset. It's been two years and SHIELD still treats him like a backwater poster boy, just a friendly face to slap on all the questionable things they do. Nat's his partner, and partners should be able to trust each other. They should at least be able to talk to each other.
"Why didn't you tell me?" he asks, some of that hurt bleeding through.
no subject
He always knew it could be a possibility, but it's almost like a personal slight knowing someone else has tried to continue Erskine's work. Besides his affection for the man, he knows firsthand how wrong things can go if the conditions aren't absolutely right.
But Natasha knows that, too.
"I had wondered," he says, quiet. "You took some pretty hard hits in New York."
He's really not sure what to say to her. He's upset. It's been two years and SHIELD still treats him like a backwater poster boy, just a friendly face to slap on all the questionable things they do. Nat's his partner, and partners should be able to trust each other. They should at least be able to talk to each other.
"Why didn't you tell me?" he asks, some of that hurt bleeding through.