Fic: Through the Looking Glass
"James?"
There was no answer to her knock or her call. Jess knocked again, a little harder. When she pulled back the door was slightly ajar.
"...James?" She pushed and the door fell completely open. Jess shrugged and walked in. "James," she said a third time, though she was pretty sure he'd have answered by now. "Nata...lia?" She would have answered, too, right? If she were here?
No one was here.
Jess moved all the way into the suite and nudged the door closed behind her with her foot.
All the time they'd lived in his apartment in Brooklyn and all the time they'd shared Avengers Mansion, Jess had never been inside James' (and Natasha's) room. It wasn't that she, particularly, wasn't welcome, no one went in their space. Everyone tried to carve out a private space, but these two were the most successful. Jess felt a little like she was Goldilocks, sneaking in with a flimsy excuse. The idea made her giggle but it sounded nervous to her ears. She stopped and frowned, looking for a closet. But this first room was sparse, just a few chairs and shelves of books and knick knacks. If it was set up like her own -- and it should be -- the inner room, the bed room, would have a closet. She walked with purpose through the archway.
This room looked more lived in. Bed, tables, two dressers and a long mirror. Window with an air conditioner and a love seat nearby. And the wall opposite opened into a long closet. "Aha," Jess said and slid the door open. The closet was as neat as the rest of the room and as shared. Jess hunted for a free hanger on the 'James' side of the closet and when procured, hung up the jacket. She drew a hand down the sleeve, smoothing it. She should go, but something hung in the air. It was so quiet.
Absently she moved from sleeve to sleeve. Uniform and other uniform and suit jacket and button down and of course James is the type to hang up jeans. She didn't stop when the clothes switched from Men's to Women's. If anything she found Natasha' clothes more interesting. She's a woman, after all, but most of her wardrobe would look out of place in this closet, at least this side of it. There was a predominance of black, then red, which is to be expected Jess supposed, but it wasn't the color so much as the cut. To be fair, Jessica's superheroing get up was what she wore when she was sixteen. Which is exactly why she was looking for an update. Though probably not why she was looking in Natasha's closet. Good excuse, though…
She pulled out a jumpsuit, walked over to the mirror, and held it up to her chin. Hm. They were kind of opposites, weren't they? In terms of image. Dark versus light. Slinky versus …cute? How about tough. She's tough, right? Jess made a tough face. Well. She's still tough, so there. Just because Black Widows are dangerous and deadly…nothing is tougher than a diamond. Which is a Jewel, get it?
Look, it's better than a Marvel. That's just dumb.
She replaced the catsuit in the closet and pulled out a dress. Still black, still slinky. Dangerous. Not even thinking about it she pulled it over her head and returned to the mirror.
Wow. She looked hot. Maybe there was something to that 'sexy is empowering' thing. If only Carol could see her. Carol would appreciate it. Peter would probably laugh, make some joke about being dressed in someone else's clothes … you know if she wasn't actually … Never mind.
Luke would love it. And so would James. Right? Aside from the creepy factor, which has already been established as absent from this hypothetical discussion. If she were wearing a dress that was LIKE Natasha's and not ACTUALLY Natasha's Carol would appreciate it, Peter would make fun, Luke would be all over it, and James should like it. That would only make sense.
She wondered, briefly, what Natasha would think. But she decided pretty quickly she didn't want to know or even dwell on it. And she should take this dress off immediately.
But she didn't. She stood with Natasha's slinky sexy black lace dress over her own skinny jeans and tank top and bare feet and wondered what James would really think. Because what other reason would she have for wearing it? Maybe it's not something she should ask but come on! She's somewhere she probably shouldn't be -- doing something she definitely shouldn't be doing -- so where's the harm asking something she shouldn't be asking and, frankly, hoping the answer is he doesn't like it all because it's not you.
And he likes you.
Jess pulled her hair off her back with one hand and made her best come hither expression into the mirror. And started laughing. Aloud. It sounded very loud in the silent room and she slapped her hands over her mouth, caught her breath, swallowed the rest of her giggles, pulled the dress off, threw it in the closet -- and doubled over to laugh some more. She sat, shaking with silent laughter.
When she'd finally calmed down she returned to the closet, picked up the dress and hung it back up properly. She closed the closet once and for all, and walked with purpose, if not quite head held high, out of the rooms.
There was no answer to her knock or her call. Jess knocked again, a little harder. When she pulled back the door was slightly ajar.
"...James?" She pushed and the door fell completely open. Jess shrugged and walked in. "James," she said a third time, though she was pretty sure he'd have answered by now. "Nata...lia?" She would have answered, too, right? If she were here?
No one was here.
Jess moved all the way into the suite and nudged the door closed behind her with her foot.
All the time they'd lived in his apartment in Brooklyn and all the time they'd shared Avengers Mansion, Jess had never been inside James' (and Natasha's) room. It wasn't that she, particularly, wasn't welcome, no one went in their space. Everyone tried to carve out a private space, but these two were the most successful. Jess felt a little like she was Goldilocks, sneaking in with a flimsy excuse. The idea made her giggle but it sounded nervous to her ears. She stopped and frowned, looking for a closet. But this first room was sparse, just a few chairs and shelves of books and knick knacks. If it was set up like her own -- and it should be -- the inner room, the bed room, would have a closet. She walked with purpose through the archway.
This room looked more lived in. Bed, tables, two dressers and a long mirror. Window with an air conditioner and a love seat nearby. And the wall opposite opened into a long closet. "Aha," Jess said and slid the door open. The closet was as neat as the rest of the room and as shared. Jess hunted for a free hanger on the 'James' side of the closet and when procured, hung up the jacket. She drew a hand down the sleeve, smoothing it. She should go, but something hung in the air. It was so quiet.
Absently she moved from sleeve to sleeve. Uniform and other uniform and suit jacket and button down and of course James is the type to hang up jeans. She didn't stop when the clothes switched from Men's to Women's. If anything she found Natasha' clothes more interesting. She's a woman, after all, but most of her wardrobe would look out of place in this closet, at least this side of it. There was a predominance of black, then red, which is to be expected Jess supposed, but it wasn't the color so much as the cut. To be fair, Jessica's superheroing get up was what she wore when she was sixteen. Which is exactly why she was looking for an update. Though probably not why she was looking in Natasha's closet. Good excuse, though…
She pulled out a jumpsuit, walked over to the mirror, and held it up to her chin. Hm. They were kind of opposites, weren't they? In terms of image. Dark versus light. Slinky versus …cute? How about tough. She's tough, right? Jess made a tough face. Well. She's still tough, so there. Just because Black Widows are dangerous and deadly…nothing is tougher than a diamond. Which is a Jewel, get it?
Look, it's better than a Marvel. That's just dumb.
She replaced the catsuit in the closet and pulled out a dress. Still black, still slinky. Dangerous. Not even thinking about it she pulled it over her head and returned to the mirror.
Wow. She looked hot. Maybe there was something to that 'sexy is empowering' thing. If only Carol could see her. Carol would appreciate it. Peter would probably laugh, make some joke about being dressed in someone else's clothes … you know if she wasn't actually … Never mind.
Luke would love it. And so would James. Right? Aside from the creepy factor, which has already been established as absent from this hypothetical discussion. If she were wearing a dress that was LIKE Natasha's and not ACTUALLY Natasha's Carol would appreciate it, Peter would make fun, Luke would be all over it, and James should like it. That would only make sense.
She wondered, briefly, what Natasha would think. But she decided pretty quickly she didn't want to know or even dwell on it. And she should take this dress off immediately.
But she didn't. She stood with Natasha's slinky sexy black lace dress over her own skinny jeans and tank top and bare feet and wondered what James would really think. Because what other reason would she have for wearing it? Maybe it's not something she should ask but come on! She's somewhere she probably shouldn't be -- doing something she definitely shouldn't be doing -- so where's the harm asking something she shouldn't be asking and, frankly, hoping the answer is he doesn't like it all because it's not you.
And he likes you.
Jess pulled her hair off her back with one hand and made her best come hither expression into the mirror. And started laughing. Aloud. It sounded very loud in the silent room and she slapped her hands over her mouth, caught her breath, swallowed the rest of her giggles, pulled the dress off, threw it in the closet -- and doubled over to laugh some more. She sat, shaking with silent laughter.
When she'd finally calmed down she returned to the closet, picked up the dress and hung it back up properly. She closed the closet once and for all, and walked with purpose, if not quite head held high, out of the rooms.