Chapter 50

Damian woke up the next day with two octopuses clinging to him.

It was still early and he doubted they would wake up for a while yet, so he stroked their hair before turning into mist and creeping out of bed.

Damian has an appointment today with Natasha, so he got ready and went downstairs.

Sophia and Natasha were already in the living room watching TV, today was Natasha's last day off before she had to report to SHIELD.

''Good morning,'' said Damian, approaching the two women.

"Good morning," the two women replied.

"Have you had breakfast?" asked Damian.

''That's right, we're morning people,'' Sophia said.

''I think only Natasha is really a morning woman, you're a vampire, it's like cheating'' said Damian mockingly before sitting down opposite Natasha.

"What time do you want to have that date?" asked Damian, smiling at her.

"It's 8:30 in the morning, isn't that a little early for a date?" asked Natasha with a smile.

''Well, there are a lot of things we can do,'' Damian said, smiling.

''But we can leave anytime, you're the boss,'' Damian said jokingly.

''I wonder what Carol would say if she heard you," said Sophia.

Damian just gave her a blank stare.

"What do you have planned?''Natasha asked.

''I thought we could play paintball or go to a race track, I also thought we could go hot air ballooning," said Damian.

"How unromantic," Sophia said, rolling her eyes.

''Do you find that kind of activity enjoyable? I thought it might be fun, come to think of it I've never used a gun, ironic isn't it?'' Damian said, laughing lightly, ignoring his mother's comment.

''I think it could be fun, but are you sure? In that kind of activity and without powers you don't stand a chance against me'' Natasha said smiling at him.

''Does my natural perception count as powers? I can't stop using them," Damian asked seriously.

''If I concentrate, I can see a bullet in slow motion," says Damian.

''And you want to take me to Paintball, instead of a date, don't you want to intimidate me?'' Natasha asked, looking at him with annoyance, even if she thinks she's one of the best in the world she doesn't think she can compete against that.

''You're kind of right, I just wanted us to go to something you were used to and maybe give it a kinder approach to what guns should be for you'' Damian said, smiling at her.

Natasha's expression softened at his words.

''Let's go up in a hot air balloon,'' Natasha said.

"Great, anywhere special?" asked Damian.

''I've always wanted to see the Northern Lights, I guess it's a good place,'' Natasha said, smiling.

''Okay, I'll make some calls and set everything up, maybe you should bring some warm clothes'' said Damian.

"You're right, I guess I'll go change my clothes," Natasha said.

Sophia waited for Natasha to leave before teasing Damian.

"Wow, northern lights, how romantic," Sophia said.

''Don't tell me you want to go?'' Damian asked mockingly.

''No, thank you, you'd better hurry up and give me grandchildren,'' Sophia said.

''You know, I know a good doctor who is a friend of mine in case you want to go see him for any problems,'' Sophia said jokingly.

''Do you have friends?" asked Damian before ignoring her, Damian took out his phone and dialed Ophelia's number.

Sophia merely gave a slight pout, as she really had almost no friends.

''*Sigh* Please don't ask me for anything too excessive,'' Ophelia said as she picked up the phone.

''…''

"Do we have hot air balloons?" asked Damian.

''Are you serious? we have ships that can literally go to other planets and you're asking me that?'' Ophelia asked, annoyed.

''From your answer, I'll assume we don't have one, how long will it take you to borrow one?'' asked Damian.

"What kind of borrowing are we talking about?" asked Ophelia honestly, not sure if she meant stealing one or literally lending it out.

''Whichever guy is faster, tell me in how much time,'' said Damian.

''In an hour you can come and get it,'' Ophelia finally said.

"Great, see you in an hour," Damian said.

''You don't pay me enough,'' Ophelia said before cutting.

'I don't actually pay him, do I?' wondered Damian, who many years ago simply thought the payment would be power and immortality.

''I guess it will have to wait,'' Damian said before leaning back against his mother and watching TV.

....

Natasha went up to her room to change but as she was going upstairs she stopped and thought that she really didn't have any clothes for the cold, she couldn't take her suitcase with her as she escaped.

Their only options were to ask Carol and Ana for clothes or go shopping at the mall.

Finally, she approached the room Damian shared with the two women and knocked on the door.

After knocking twice on the door, there was hardly any response.

"Who?" asked a voice that Natasha guessed was Carol.

"Carol, it's Natasha, I need help with a small matter, are you busy?'' Natasha said.

''Just come in, you don't need to knock'' Carol said in a sleepy voice.

Natasha walked in and could see that the bed was in disarray, she couldn't stop her thoughts from going elsewhere imagining what kind of things Carol and Ana would do with Damian in that bed.

"What do you need?" asked Carol as she sat on the bed.

"Do you have winter clothes?'' Natasha asked a bit dumbfounded at the sight of Carol's naked top, she really wasn't the least bit embarrassed.

''The door to your right is a dressing room I share with Ana, take whatever you want, I'm very sleepy, we barely slept yesterday'' Carol said before lying back down, she really didn't mind Natasha seeing her as in her mind she was her future 'sister'.

'Damn nudist' thought Natasha as she walked to the closet.

Natasha quickly found winter clothes that they didn't really need, neither Carol nor Ana needed them as they were very resistant to any cold that could be on Earth.

After getting his clothes he quietly left the room before going to his room and changing, he wore the thickest jacket in his hands as he didn't want to die of heat.

Looking in the mirror, she saw a red-haired woman in a white winter suit that was a bit too big for her.

Natasha was shorter than Carol and Ana, so it was natural.

Completely ready, Natasha went downstairs and found Damian and Sophia watching TV.

''I'm ready'' Natasha said.

....

Damian at the sound of Natasha's voice turned around and saw her in winter clothes.

"Wow, who is this beautiful snowwoman?" said Damian, getting up from the couch with a smile.

''It's a little big on me," said Natasha, a little embarrassed.

''It's normal, Carol and Ana are taller than you'' said Damian laughing slightly.

''Ophelia told me that in an hour the balloon is ready so for now let's look for an aurora from the ground'' Damian said.

''Sure, I don't want to die of heat while we wait'' said Natasha smiling.

''See you mom,'' Damian said.

See ya'' Natasha said smiling at Sophia.

''Have fun, don't use protection,'' Sophia said jokingly even though she knows that maybe the most they will do is kiss.

Damian took Natasha's hand and they appeared at the Arctic Circle, which is where there is the best chance of seeing an aurora borealis.

When they showed up it was on the seashore and quite cold, so Natasha quickly put on her thick jacket.

Unfortunately, there was no aurora borealis nearby at the time, so they just walked hand in hand to the nearest town Damian felt was a couple of miles away.

''It's beautiful, I never got to see the beaches in Russia, they must be similar to this one,'' said Natasha, letting out steam from her mouth.

''I guess so, the truth is I haven't gone either although I've seen it from space,'' Damian said.

The two walked hand in hand in a comfortable silence before Natasha looked at Damian and asked.

"Damian, don't you miss your family?'' Natasha asked.

''Not really, my parents died when I was still a baby and the truth is I don't have too many memories of them, and my grandfather didn't relate much to me so I don't really miss them, I'm happy with the family I've formed so far'' Damian said smiling at her.

'Sometimes I miss the fake family I have,' Natasha said with a slight chuckle.

''In '95 was the last time I saw them, my sister and my parents, even though we were supposed to pretend we were a family, I really wanted it to be real," said Natasha.

''Being with you and your family reminded me of those moments," Natasha said.

''Don't you want to look for them?'' asked Damian somewhat uncomfortably, he knew that the red room still existed since Dreykov was not dead, but how to tell her?

''You haven't been in contact with them after killing Dreykov, it would be good to at least tell them,'' Damian said.

''No, we shouldn't be in contact, my work in SHIELD will only bring them trouble'' Natasha said softly.

''Maybe you could get in touch with them and see if everything is in order, what if someone else took control of the red room?'' asked Damian.

''I suppose I could do that,'' Natasha said with some hesitation.

''It's okay'' Damian told her, smiling slightly at her, he had already done his best to sow doubt in her.

''Looks like we've arrived," Natasha said, looking around the city.

"Do you know Norwegian?" asked Damian, smiling slightly.

''A little bit,'' Natasha said.

''Then come on, let's go find something tasty to eat,'' Damian said.

Damian and Natasha approached a small restaurant and ordered whale meat, as it was something new to both of them.

''It's pretty smooth,'' Natasha said.

''Yes, it's a very strange thing, I've never tasted it before,'' Damian said.

''You know, after all these years I still wonder what's down in that elevator'' said Natasha laughing slightly as she remembered when she was captured, the day they went to Madripoor through the portal she couldn't see what was there.

''This is the power source for the entire country," Damian said casually.

"Nuclear power? Natasha asked.

''No, it would be more correct to call it cosmic energy'' said Damian, smiling slightly.

''The rumors about their advanced technology are indeed true," Natasha said, sighing as she remembered how confident she was that she could infiltrate.

''It was a rumor they started to get a lot of people interested, they believed that if there were a lot of spies at least one would get through, and they weren't entirely wrong'' Damian said looking at Natasha.

''Well, I'm glad there was that rumor,'' Natasha said, smiling flirtatiously at Damian.

''I'm glad Stockholm syndrome exists," Damian jokes.

Instantly, Natasha couldn't help but feel embarrassed because she was right, she had fallen in love with her captor.

''Come on, I think it's time,'' Damian said as he saw a message on his cell phone.

"Hm, come on," said Natasha.

Damian paid for the meal and left with Natasha before disappearing and reappearing in Madripoor.

When Damian looked around, he saw Ophelia using her cell phone leaning against a fully inflated hot air balloon.

''Here it is, it was a little hard to get it so fast'' said Ophelia as she saw Damian and Natasha.

''Thank you," Damian said with a nod.

''If you want to thank me, give me a vacation,'' Ophelia said.

''Should I find out what you do all day? Especially with your secretaries'' Damian asked, smiling slightly at her.

''Damian, that's playing dirty,'' Ophelia said earnestly, sometimes taking a break to chat about life with her vampire secretaries.

''Have a son and let him take over for you,'' Damian said jokingly.

''And who would be the Pope? You? No thanks, I have to get back to work'' said Ofelia rolling her eyes before quickly leaving.

''It's fun to watch you two exchange words," Natasha said with a slight chuckle as she watched all their interaction.

''Over the years we've gotten pretty close," Damian said, smiling slightly.

''I'm glad you have a friend to joke around with and be yourself'' said Natasha smiling slightly.

Damian merely smiled at her before putting the balloon away and reappearing with Natasha near Norway.

Damian offered his hand to Natasha before helping her up and then climbing up himself.

"Do you know how this works?'' Damian asked.

"Don't you know?" asked Natasha wordlessly.

''How hard can it be, I saw in a movie that there are only two mechanisms for the type of air you want, one to go up and one to go down,'' Damian said.

''Well you're right but normally you would be at the mercy of the wind without being able to choose where to go'' said Natasha seriously explaining to him.

''Someone experienced can go up or down to find the air currents they need to move where they want,'' Natasha said, smiling at the end.

"Yes, teach," Damian said jokingly.

''Then let's get this thing going,'' Natasha said, smiling.

Damian started the engine and the hot air pushed the balloon skyward.

Soon they were hundreds of feet off the ground and gazing at the beautiful scenery.

Damian came up behind Natasha and hugged her around the waist.

Natasha, smiling slightly, leaned back against Damian and enjoyed the moment.

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