glassbox | IC CONTACT.

I know it will make everything more difficult.

[He's tempted to do it anyway. Even if Frank was there first and knows nothing. Although Matt has far less faith that Frank was oblivious.]

I'm jus' sayin'. It ain't like y'want me goin' around gettin' aggressive every time the Porter decides t'bring in an ex-girlfriend or somethin'.

[A guilty silence follows that. Maybe he should have been slightly more forthright about Natasha being around, but there never was a good time to mention her.]

Ah. No. I would prefer you didn't do that.

[Not least because significant minority of them are ninja assassins or a good guy equivalent.]

[ It honestly wouldn't be the first time. That's the thing about being both invulnerable and recklessly passionate -- somehow, you end up in physical fights with people's girlfriends, past and present. Her husband could tell stories. ]

Guess we both better hope I don't ever get pissed off enough t'forget what y'prefer then.

[It's unfortunate that Matt is neither so patient a man nor as much of a pushover as Madison Jeffries ever was.]

Even if you did, it wouldn't be the same thing, Lil, since I'm not sleeping with my ex-girlfriend.

An' even if you were, I wouldn't have any real right t'get pissed off, right? 'Cause we're jus' -- what, friends that have sex sometimes an' don't want each other havin' sex with anybody else?

If I don't have a right, you don't have a right. So I guess that's what we are, if we're carrying on. Unless that's not acceptable to you, and you want something else.

If y'want me t'stop sleepin' with Frank, then yeah. [ Confrontationally: ] Maybe I do.

[There's a moment of silence again. And then, with mild surprise:]

...All right.

[It isn't like he hadn't thought about it before. But he didn't entirely anticipate that kind of response.]

[ And an answering silence on her end, like she hadn't really thought he'd just give in like that.

Finally, with less aggression: ]

Why? T'spite him? Or 'cause y'actually want that?