“They don’t tell me everything,” Natasha answers, starting slightly at the unexpected gesture. She’s unused to anyone making moves that she isn’t prepared for, and the intimacy of that one surprises her. Able to see unimpeded into the intelligent, curious eyes of the woman before her, Natasha has to acknowledge that perhaps sending her here was a bad idea. After all, Vesper got to one of MI6’s finest - who’s to say that one of SHIELD’s would be any more trouble? She finds her fingers smoothing over the back of Vesper’s dress, making soothing patterns through the thin material. “You’ll find a way back,” she murmurs. “SHIELD can help with that.” Pausing for a moment, she leans forward, making her admission under her breath, just loud enough for Vesper to hear. “They did it for me.”
Vesper was close enough to the agent to see her so subtle flinching. She also figured it would be hard to lie to Romanoff, her bodies so near one another. “That’s not always a bad thing”, Vesper mused more to herself than to the other woman. She had almost died, but without knowing who was the double-oh seven, she came to like him. If she had known more about him beforehand, that was unlikely to happen. The feeling of her hand on Vesper’s back made the former accountant smirk. “It’s as though you’ve had practise at this”, she repeated, blue eyes gazing into the agent’s ones. Her words made Vesper consider whether or not her presence at MI6 would even be wanted, or if the information she had was valuable enough. Did she even want to go back? She then frowned, analyzing the meaning behind Romanoff’s words. “They did?”, she asked, curiously. “Are they still watching from afar?”, Vesper inquired rather abruptly, trying to focus again on the fact that people were following her.
“Knowledge is power,” Natasha counters, aware that the words were not meant for her, but unable to stifle the instinctive response. She laughs at the words, low and soft. “Haven’t we all?” she asks, raising an eyebrow back at the woman. Her response to the question is a simple nod, not wishing to rehash her own history, especially not here. Out of the corner of her eye she sees the way the gaze of the men concerned has changed. “They are, but now we are simply entertainment, objects of desire. Any thoughts of business are buried for now.” It’s an old game, but one which still works well when it can be played. “In a few moments, we’re going to go to the bar, and out to the patio. It’s unlikely that they’ll follow, but if they do, head to the Piazza Della Signoria. If I’m not there in half an hour, a SHIELD agent will meet you.” She pauses, meeting Vesper’s gaze closely once more before offering the final words in a near whisper. “You’re more valuable to SHIELD alive. Do as they ask, and they’ll protect you. You have my word.”
