Private Finished Can I Paint Your Picture?

Natasha nodded thoughtfully at Pietro's explanation, completely understanding how his ministerial job might have taken up his free time.

"You really should start writing again, or practicing your music," she suggested. "I bet you are very talented... I know that if you take up music again, I'd love to hear you play," she admitted as she thought back to the church organ Pietro had kept.

Hearing him comment on her eye for colour, Natasha just smiled and then lightly shrugged. "It's always been a talent of mine. I have an eye for detail. I only paint what I see, like or want to remember," she admitted as she glanced at Pietro, this time looking at him with a thoughtful look on her face as if she was considering something.

"What would you say if I wanted to paint a portrait of you?" Natasha suddenly asked as she regarded Pietro expectantly, not sure what he'd think of the idea.

"клоун," Natasha grinned, rolling her eyes in pretend exasperation at Pietro's silly antics. "Keep that up moy lev and I might just paint you as an ugly old man with a large nose and big feet," she threatened mischievously as she also set down her drink and then followed Pietro to the couch.

"Just make yourself comfortable while I take a moment to set everything up," Natasha suggested as she kicked off her high heels and padded over to retrieve a clean canvas while shooting Pietro a glance over her shoulder.

"Tonight, I'll probably just do the sketch if that's okay with you?" she informed him as she proceeded to set up the easel and adjusted the candles in the room to give her the light she needed.

"You might be old, ancient even," Natasha remarked teasingly as she picked up a piece of charcoal. "But I am afraid you are not ugly," she stated matter-of-factly as she started sketching.

"In fact, I would say that for such a grumpy ole vampire lord, you are quite good-looking," she continued as she glanced up from her canvas to gaze at Pietro admiringly.

"Relax, you don't need to be a statue," Natasha said as she stepped back from the canvas and grabbed a pencil for some finer details. "I really just need you to stay more or less in the same position."

Then for the next half hour or so, Natasha worked quietly exchanging charcoal for pencil every so often.

"Pietro... Talk to me while I draw... Tell me something about yourself, anything really..." she encouraged as she peeked her head around the canvas for a second.

"It helps me concentrate," she confessed, not telling him that she also wanted to see him animated, it gave her more perspective into how she should capture him.

"That sounds really quite nice," Natasha murmured, a little smile tugging at her lips as she continued to capture Pietro's likeness.

"Can I ask you to just hold that pose for a moment?" she asked as she deftly added some smaller, but important key details.

After another half hour or so, Natasha finally put down her tools, satisfied, at least for now with what she had achieved, and very purposely placed a linen cloth over the easel so Pietro could not see her progress.

"We are done for now, I think," she said as she wiped her hands on some baby wipes she kept handy and just for the purpose.

"Did you want to look at any more of my art?" she asked Pietro curiously. There was a lot still that he hadn't seen. "Or shall I feed you?" she asked with a smile.

"I managed to obtain some fresh beef, I was thinking we might have some steak tartar?" she explained as she went over to where Pietro was on the couch and offered him a hand up.

"Unless, of course, you prefer something else?" she stated.

"I can offer you some AB that I picked up on the way home from..." naming a place that specialized in bloods, in types and in products made with blood.

"I know it's not as good as fresh," she stated, alluding to the evening she had spent with Pietro where he had a personal "supplier" at dinner. "But it's still amazingly good, and I hate to admit this... but I do have a tiny preference for AB. I just find it sweeter, less coppery..." she mused, thinking about all the bagged blood she had had in the past.

When they were downstairs, and in the kitchen. Natasha, who had accepted Pietro's help, pulled out a frilly apron for both.

"Here, you don't want to get those pretty clothes of yours all dirty," she teased, trying not to laugh as she tossed him the frilliest of the two just as the hall phone started ringing.

"I'll be back in a second," she said with a smile. "I expect to see you fully frilled out by the time I get back!" she called out as she hurried down the hall to see who was calling.