A Familial Visit [Natasha/Eiji]

"Maintainin' things in my absence, eh? Earnin' brownie points across the board, are we? Gotta reward ya' one day."

Homerun was definitely a way of describing what he had achieved here. Her mood had certainly shifted from somber misery to a pleasant optimism. Whether it would persist after he left was an entirely different story altogether, though she remained fairly confident that they would. What else was she going to do? Moping likely wouldn't change a damn thing. It was bigger than her.

There were was much she needed to do, a city to protect, and eventually two individuals under her household to take care of and look over. Lamenting her shortcomings would have been easy. Reflect on the positives and move forward. That would be the approach. Of course, the decision was additionally made easy enough by the brat occupying a spot comforting her on her hospital bed. Come to think of it, she really needed to think of a way to assist him in getting accustomed, especially if she was going to be staying here long-term. Reaching up to pinch his cheek like a proud mother satisfied by their kid's efforts, Natasha propped herself against the bed.

"Honestly? I'm hopin' they'll release me as soon as possible. I ain't tryna to stay here for any more than a week or two at most. I got banged up pretty bad, certainly, but I've been through worse. One of my friends took the worst of it---in more ways than one. In the meantime, though, I think you should get out of the house more. Pretty lonely to just spend your days in the house alone. I've got some resources I can give ya so you can navigate fairly well, and still visit this injured old lady' while she's nursin' er' wounds."

"Don't worry, sweetheart. Once I recover, this old lady'll go right back to being the same nuisance you've grown oh so fond of."

Natasha took his playful quip in stride. Moving forward, she understood the necessity of providing him with the resources that would allow him to properly operate in the City without her presence. That should have been her first order of business when she brought him here, truth be told, but so much had been thrown on her plate within a month that the thought genuinely slipped her mind. Now that he was here, though, there was ample opportunity to right the ship and amend that oversight.

Notebook and pen in hand, Natasha silently tasked herself with writing a detailed layout of resources. Mapping out areas of interest attached to anything ranging from a place to train to a place to relax with others outside the household. There were even suggestions of peers he could meet who would guide him in the right direction.

By the end, Natasha wrote enough for him to operate properly. That was the intention, hopefully, at least. A gentle sigh accompanied the pause of her hands. Turning to face him again, she placed the notebook in his bag. She would have gladly welcomed him spending the rest of the day here putting her mind at ease, but he was a young man who deserved the opportunity to explore his newfound life in this city. Who was she to hold him down?

"I recommend glancin' over everything in that notepad. I mapped out all the reasonable places you can explore and who you should go to if you find yourself confused by anything ya don't understand. The City of Lights is a pretty peaceful place, so it isn't likely you'll run into much danger. Now, hug this ol' lady before we part. I'm certainly gon' miss ya for a minute, but don't get accustomed to me bein' gone too long, now, alright? I'll be good as new in no time."

For a moment, Natasha wanted to act anything but her age. This young man was proving to be genuinely fine company to be around, an unexpected voice of reason. But they would be parting soon, and he would have to spend his weeks stepping out into the City of Lights to adapt to his new surroundings. Life really could be a cruel mistress sometimes, huh? Ah well. She supposed there was no use lamenting over anything silly. Sure, she was in rough condition now, but she was overwhelmingly confident in her ability to recover. Soldiers never did fall until they died, and she was still breathing.

His presence hadn't entirely washed away the stain on her soul regarding the midnight assault in Africa, certainly, but Eiji helped her view things in a bigger picture and reminded her of the importance she held in the lives of others. Who was she to make him think otherwise, right? His warm embrace only reminded her of the appreciation and faith he had in her. To say she was used to this form of familial affection would have been quite untrue. But that didn't make it any less heartwarming, and she winded her arms around him to reciprocate that same heartfelt gesture. Heh, this little brat sure did know how to make an old lady feel good about herself, huh? Despite his past, he was a good kid. And Natasha vowed to support his future just as much as Natsumi. Speaking of...

"Trust me, sweetheart. I ain't planning on being here for long. I'll be out of here in no time. And I'll be teasin' ya about all this genuine affection ya' showed me when I get back. One more thing, though, Eiji. I know I'm asking a lot. Heaven knows it might be a little unfair, in fact, but... if you can, please try and find Natsumi. And if you see her, tell her I'm sorry. I recognize I made a mistake in not tellin' her about you ahead of time. Even if she turns ya down... just let her know she don't gotta' fight about a thing in my household. Let her know... I love her like one of my own, alright?"