1k

Romantic

Angst/Fluff

Natasha and you had been dating for a while now. In fact, you celebrated your one-year anniversary just over a month ago.

You were happy, and you thought that she was too, that's how it looked on the outside anyway. Everyone else at the compound confirmed this belief too, always telling you how it seemed like a weight had been lifted off of Natasha's shoulders ever since you came along.

You supported each other through the panic attacks and nightmares that came with the job, surprised each other with day trips, and stole each other's clothes. You felt like you were living in your own movie, you were the main character and nothing could stop you.

But recently, Natasha had been acting strange. She had started avoiding you.

Now Natasha sometimes had phases of isolating herself, that wasn't anything new, but she would usually get back to her normal self after a few days and go back to wanting to be near you, wanting to hold you. But she wasn't back to her normal self, it was just going downhill.

Usually, when she isolates herself she avoids everyone, but you had all noticed that she just seemed to be avoiding you, and whenever it happened you felt a tight pain in your chest. After a while, this pain was all that you felt, and you were worried that it would never go away.

When you walked into a room she would usually flash the biggest, toothiest grin, but now she would frown and walk out. When you tried to touch her she would flinch away and glare at you. It had all become too much, you were breaking.

Wanda had been there for you over the last couple of weeks when you needed a shoulder to cry on. The team had tried to ask Nat about her behaviour but she would shut them down immediately.

Quite often in the middle of the night, you would end up in Wanda's room, just needing to feel something other than loneliness. You needed to be reminded that you are loved, and so Wanda would hold you until you fell asleep. It was all purely platonic, Wanda saw you as a younger sister, you were in pain and she just wanted to stop the hurting, but she couldn't.

One night she encouraged you to go and talk to Natasha, as she clearly wasn't coming to you. So you did.

Anxiously standing outside of her room, you waited in thought of what you were going to say. Even though you were in pain, you didn't want her to be hurting either, you wanted to approach this delicately. You loved her after all, with your entire being.

After a few minutes, you took a deep breath in and knocked softly. There wasn't an immediate response, but when the door opened you saw Nat looking confused, until her expression turned stone cold, sending child down your entire body. The person you loved was looking at you as though you were a stranger.

You swallowed thickly and tried to regain the courage that you so desperately needed, "Can I come in? We need to talk".

Nat sighed but let you in anyway, she wasn't stupid, she had seen how hurt you looked at her actions over the last couple of weeks.

You slowly walked in, as though you were walking into a literal lions den, before turning around when you heard the door close.

When you didn't speak she gestured with her hands for you to start speaking, as though she was bored with your presence. That hurt.

"Did I do something wrong?", you started, already feeling your eyes filling with tears, bottom lip quivering slightly as you looked at her. Even after all of this you still wanted to jump into her arms, for her to comfort you.

Her expression faltered immediately into one of guilt and she started playing with the cuffs of her sweatshirt, she really didn't want to hurt you, "No, you haven't".

"Then why have you been acting like you don't know me, hell, like you can't even stand my existence", you stared at her expectedly but got no response, "I thought you loved me, Nat."

She looked up at you instead of at her sleeve, "I do, so much", she choked back a sob, making you confused.

You frowned and let the tears start falling, "Then why?".

She walked forward and sat on the edge of her bed, and so you followed suit, your legs almost touching. "We've been together for a while now, and I love it, so I started thinking about the future more", she paused to think of the right words, "And how I wanted to be with you forever, but that means that you'd have to be with me forever".

You frowned again in confusion, "I do want to be with you forever", you said softly. You did, you really did, Natasha was your everything.

Natasha just shook her head adamantly, "You shouldn't. You walk into a room and the whole place lights up. You're the kindest person to grace the Earth, I can't fault anything about you. You put everyone before yourself even if it costs you everything. And I just- you deserve more, someone who can give you just as much in return".

After hearing her explanation and seeing how distraught she sounded you took hold of her hand. You wanted to be angry at her. You wanted so desperately to be angry, she had caused you so much heartache recently.

But looking at the woman in front of you... you just couldn't. She looked so broken herself.

"I love you so much, Nat", you started and squeezed her hand, making her look up at you, breaking your heart even more at her looking so vulnerable.

"You're enough. You're more than enough. And I would love to spend the rest of my life making sure that you know that if you'll let me".

At this she let her own tears fall and placed her forehead against yours. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry".

Right now she needed you, and you needed her, so you held her tighter than you have ever done before. She gripped onto you as though you'd disappear if you didn't.

It was all going to be okay, you'd both make sure of it.