Louise glanced up at the tinkle of the bell. "Ladies, look what the cat dragged in!"

The redhead removed her sunglasses and smiled. "Hey, Louise."

She came out behind the counter and gave her a special hug. "Nat sweetie, it's been too long!"

"So's my hair," Nat twisted a curl between her fingers.

Louise tsked. "Look how healthy it is! So thick too… are you sure you want to cut it?"

Nat followed her to the counter. "Not just cut it."

"You want to dye it?" She lifted her ledger onto the counter and flipped through it until she reached Nat's spot. Still no last name. "Honey, I'd kill to have your natural red locks."

The woman smiled faintly. "I was thinking platinum.."

Louise made a face. "Nat, baby, we dye to cover white, not to induce it."

"Trust me," She winked. "There's a story behind this."

"I want to hear it all! Darling, just one eensy sec…" Louise barked orders to her staff. "Danika prepare chair 7! Jose, bring miss Nat's usual. 2nd compartment to the left, heavy on the cherries." She turned back to her and smiled. "Darling, you have a knack for coming during slow times."

Nat trailed after her as she cleared a path to the best chair in her salon. Danika helped her up into it and Jose hurried out with Nat's Shirley Temple. Louise had learned early on that Nat didn't like to drink during the day. Said it created bad habits she didn't need.

Nat settled back and sighed. "Thank you." She accepted the drink and sipped it.

Louise flung the black cape around Nat's neck. "Jose, watch the counter," She directed. "Danika, bring me my black box." The two disappeared and she focused on Nat. "Darling, spill all."

Nat laughed and relaxed as Louise ran a brush through her hair. "Which part?" She teased.

"Oh, I was allowed to ask for your life story?" Louise opened the bottle of hair dye and smeared it into Nat's hair. "I've been dying to hear that for years."

Nat delicately ignored her prying and dove straight into her story. "Two of my friends fought over my attention this past month. One of them sent me a truck full of roses because they matched my hair."

Gasp. "No!"

Nat held up her phone. "I'm not kidding."

Louise scrutinized the photo. "Girl...I'm jealous."

"It's not like that Louise," Danika brought the black box over and Louise selected her silver scissors. She departed and Louise stroked Nat's hair, mentally measuring it with her eyes. "They were just trying to one-up each other. It wasn't anything more than that."

"Are they attractive?"

"Louise, two of my friends fit the very definition of hot."

"Girl! I've known you for 6 years and you haven't gotten them to hit me up?" She tsked. "That's messed up."

"They don't have time for relationships. That's why I thought it was weird."

"Hold up," She stopped snipping and frowned at her. "You're dying your hair because two guys were hitting on you?"

"It was time for a change." She protested.
Louise resumed snipping and combing. "I'd laugh if it didn't sound so pathetic."

"I got them to stop when I asked their best friend out."

"Excuse me?"

"Not like that." She protested.

"Like how then?"

"Like...to get them to stop."

"Nat darling, we both know you're smarter than that." She turned on the water and tested it.

"It didn't work anyway," Nat picked a cherry out of her drink. "Now they're flirting with me for him."

"Well, bless my heart," Louise lifted her eyes upward. "I didn't know boys knew how to do that these days. Jose hits on girls, poor things."

"They are sweethearts," She agreed. "I'm supposed to meet them for work in an hour."

Louise tested the water. "What was it you said you did for a living?"

"It feels a lot like babysitting these days," Nat said wryly.

Louise gently began spraying Nat's hair. "Is he at least cute?"

"Yeah. He could be a bit better at kissing."

"Oooooh… you're friends with benefits?"

"Louise! Not like that."

She rolled her eyes. "Sure honey."

"Besides," Nat popped another cherry into her mouth. "I had a thing with his best friend once. If he knew he wouldn't have even dreamed of accepting."

"Girl! Again with those secrets!" She turned off the water and reached for the blow dryer and brush.

"It never came up!"

"Tea doesn't need to be relevant to be spilled!"

"It was so long ago. I doubt he remembers." Nat studied her reflection. "Oh, Louise…."

Louise caught her breath. She looked fierce. A comment regarding her resemblance to a certain assassin died in her lips. The woman tipped well. It'd be a shame to offend her.

They came out to the counter. Jose was watching a youtube video on the computer. The caption read, 'Captain America spotted!'. Jose froze it on a close up of Captain America's hand outstretched against a man with a metal arm.

Louise sighed. "That was months ago. Why can't you play something more recent?"

Jose shrugged. "Spidey got boring after a while. Cash or card?" He directed his question to Nat.

Nat handed him a wad of cash. "Keep the change." Her eyes lingered on the image for a moment. Louise could have sworn she saw something flicker in her eyes. Pain perhaps?

No. She smirked too much to be someone who dwelled in the past.

Nat turned to her. "Thank you, Louise. It looks as stunning as always."

Louise brightened. "It's a pleasure, Nat."

Nat flipped on her sunglasses and strode out. Louise watched as a red sports car pulled up. Two men leaped from it and shoved the other aside from the open door. Nat whacked their shoulders and climbed into the passenger seat. They retreated to the back seat and the car sped off.

Louise returned to the counter and finished writing in her ledger. "Miss Nat, dye and cut…"

We need a lot of fluff after that ENDGAME trailer. I'm not ready.

I was rereading 'Milk isn't Alcohol' and I realized that the way I worded something implied that Nat changed her hair because of Sam and Bucky's shenanigans. Thus, this.

Plus Winterwidow was a thing in the comics. It'd be a shame not to utilize it.

I hope you have a lovely day! :)