[Steve would say he's trying not to take sides in this conversation - he's not - but when she says that when she suggests -]
He's not. Nat - he would never. Ever.
Trust me.
If you can't trust him.
[Yes, he's biased. He knows he's biased. And yet he truly believes what he's saying, too. Inmates are not pet projects. Not to Steve. And not to B.]
She's a person. Everyone here is. No one here is a project. Or payment.
And I hate that the Admiral has a system where it can even seem that way. Where some people act like it is. But he won't. I wouldn't allow it, either, but he won't.
[ They're both biased, which makes this conversation harder than it should be. Neither wants the person they care about to be seen as the problem. But, there's an elephant in the room where it comes to the pairing and it isn't an easy thing to think about, let alone discuss.
She looks long and hard at Steve and she trusts him implicitly. More than she ever has with anyone else, apart from Clint.
Nodding, it occurs to her to ask: ]
Do you know why I'm so concerned? Beyond the fact Yelena is my sister?
[That's a good thing to ask, honestly, because:] No, [he says, quietly.] I don't.
[It's not dismissive. It's open. If she has concerns, he wants to hear them. He can't promise he will side with her, but he wants to hear what she thinks. Always.]
He was there, as the Winter Soldier. In the Red Room. He trained the both of us.
[ she nods. ]
I know he's made progress here to shed that identity and heal because what they did to him was no different than what happened to us. SHIELD deprogrammed me, but Yelena?
[ a weighted pause. ]
He's a link to a past she hasn't had enough time to work through.
[Okay, Steve knows that much at least. Although admittedly, he'd learned a lot of it from a different Natasha, so he can't ever be sure what's the same and what's not.]
Well - there's nothing but time, here, [he says, quietly.] At least, in between the chaos.
He can be patient. We both can. We'll be here as long as she needs.
[Even if Steve never talks to Yelena, he will be here for B, and he won't rush him.]
This place may not give her space. But it will give her time.
Nat, it's a closed system. Trust me - even when you want to avoid people, you can't.
[He takes a breath, holds it for a long moment. Lets it out.]
I - know this is going to sound patronizing and hypocritical. But - the fact that I think B will give her time and space aside - how is she going to get out of here if she just sits around and does nothing about the way she feels about him?
If nothing else, the Barge makes you fucking face your demons. It's cruel, but it has its merits.
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Re: audio
He's not. Nat - he would never. Ever.
Trust me.
If you can't trust him.
[Yes, he's biased. He knows he's biased. And yet he truly believes what he's saying, too. Inmates are not pet projects. Not to Steve. And not to B.]
She's a person. Everyone here is. No one here is a project. Or payment.
And I hate that the Admiral has a system where it can even seem that way. Where some people act like it is. But he won't. I wouldn't allow it, either, but he won't.
Re: audio
She looks long and hard at Steve and she trusts him implicitly. More than she ever has with anyone else, apart from Clint.
Nodding, it occurs to her to ask: ]
Do you know why I'm so concerned? Beyond the fact Yelena is my sister?
Re: audio
[It's not dismissive. It's open. If she has concerns, he wants to hear them. He can't promise he will side with her, but he wants to hear what she thinks. Always.]
Re: audio
[ she nods. ]
I know he's made progress here to shed that identity and heal because what they did to him was no different than what happened to us. SHIELD deprogrammed me, but Yelena?
[ a weighted pause. ]
He's a link to a past she hasn't had enough time to work through.
Re: audio
Well - there's nothing but time, here, [he says, quietly.] At least, in between the chaos.
He can be patient. We both can. We'll be here as long as she needs.
[Even if Steve never talks to Yelena, he will be here for B, and he won't rush him.]
This place may not give her space. But it will give her time.
Re: audio
[ the question comes quicker than she expected it to. ]
Re: audio
[He takes a breath, holds it for a long moment. Lets it out.]
I - know this is going to sound patronizing and hypocritical. But - the fact that I think B will give her time and space aside - how is she going to get out of here if she just sits around and does nothing about the way she feels about him?
If nothing else, the Barge makes you fucking face your demons. It's cruel, but it has its merits.