#leocancertaurus

[wifeofnatasharomanoff]

@leocancertaurus just followed me. im so fangirling rn omg

[leocancertaurus]

Worth It

Natasha Romanoff x fem!reader

wc: ~2k

an: i would consider this more of a side shot to best worst decision rather than part 3 but it's fun so enjoy :)

pt. 1 | pt. 2

summary: Melina talks some sense into Natasha.

Yelena wanted to celebrate getting her driver’s license. She always got so excited over the “little things” because she never got to celebrate them growing up. In true Yelena fashion, she threw a small party to celebrate the right way.

It’d been longer than the two of you normally went without seeing each other. Because of this, you were the first person she invited. The happenings of your and Natasha’s divorce had been extremely hard on Yelena. Some days it feels like she’s taking it harder than the children. When she found out, she sobbed into your chest for a half hour at the prospect of not having you in her life anymore. You were the second big sister she never had and when it came to sharing her emotions, she trusted you endlessly.

Tonight, she’d wanted her closest family to be with her to celebrate the fact that she’d learned how to drive! So, you found yourself at her apartment with her, your daughters, Natasha, Melina and Alexei. Yelena and the girls sat on the floor playing Candyland while you got stuck conversing with Alexei.

“So, you would agree that Captain America has noodle arms compared to me?” he flexes his arms trying to trap you into admiring his bicep.

“I-”

“Y/n! Your children are big fat cheaters!” Yelena interrupts the delusion. You sigh thanking your lucky stars for her saving you.

“Getting beat by children that can’t even read yet? Thats tough, Belova,” Natasha cuts in.

“I CAN read Mama!”, Zara defends. “Auntie Lena’s shirt says, “loser”, the child beams.

“It does not!” Yelena gasps. You throw your head back releasing a boisterous laugh. Your five year old looks at you feeling triumphant. You lean forward offering a high five and she excitedly slaps your hand.

“Natasha, can you come help me in the kitchen please?” Melina’s voice cuts in effectively calming everyone down like only she knew how. Natasha rises off of the plush chair adjacent to the couch you’re on. You get a strong whiff of coconut as she passes. You bite your bottom lip as you steal a good look at her perfect ass. You clench your fists at your sides to keep yourself from jumping out ot grab it.

Natasha enters the kitchen finding Melina standing over the stove. “What can I help with?”

“Do you mind chopping those peppers for me, darling?” Natasha nods and starts cutting and they work in tandem in silence except for the noise from their rowdy family in the living room. Natasha is yanked out of her rhythm by a slap to the back of her head. She immediately places a hand on the throbbing spot.

“Um…. what was that for?” she asks very slowly, furrowing her brow at her mother.

“Sorry. I just needed to get that out.” Melina crosses her arms over her chest.

“Why?!”

“Because you’re very stupid and I know I taught you better than that,” Melina blurts out. “So, I needed to make sure that I slapped you at least one good time.”

“Ok, you’re gonna have to give me some context clues here.”

“Those three in there.”

“You mean my divorce” Natasha sighs. She couldn’t go one day without someone reminding her.

“You’re not divorced yet!”

“Well, we’re getting there. Y/n doesn’t want anything to do with me anymore and I don’t blame her. Let’s just call a spade a spade,” he picks the knife up again and continues chopping.

“Since when are you a quitter?”

“Since I was served divorce papers… like real ones.”

“Has legal documentation stopped you from doing anything you didn’t want to do?”

“I mean… no.”

“Well?”

“Well what?” Natasha snaps. She’d hoped to go one night behaving as a normal family. Which was seemingly impossible these days.

“What’s the real reason you’re giving up on your family Natasha?”

Natasha points her finger in her face, “I’m not giving up on my family. I’m simply respecting Y/n’s wishes.”

“Oh Y/n is ready for baby #3 with the looks she’s been giving you!”

“Maybe you’ve mistaken what pure hatred looks like.”

“You’re so dramatic! So, you don’t want your family back?”

“Of course I want my family back.”

“Then why are you so comfortable running?”

Natasha halts her chopping and searches for an answer, “Becuase I don’t deserve them.”

“Natasha.”

“No, I don’t. Not only am I a monster that is fully capable of screwing those kids up. But, I had the perfect little life on a silver platter and I threw it all away. I had my chance time and time again and I blew it. Whatever this is that I feel, I promise you that I deserve it.”

“What is it that you feel, hm?” Somehow, Melina was the first person to have asked Natasha how she’s feeling.

“Disappointed? Sad? I just miss them, I guess.” Her voice is weak and slightly unsteady. She clears her throat hoping Melina missed it, even though she knows she didn’t.

“You know what they say, absence makes the heart grow harder,” she places her hands on Natasha’s shoulders, gently rubbing them.

“I don’t think–”

“Don’t interrupt me while I’m speaking. My point is that obviously this separation has helped you come to your senses. So, get your family back.”

“I don’t think it’s that easy.

“Why isn’t it? You love them, no?”

“Yes.”

“You would kill for them, no?”

“In a heartbeat.”

“Those are really the only two things you need, Natasha. I’m not understanding?”

Natasha turns to face her mother figure. She tilts her head to the side and slightly looks off to the side, trying to put the ill fitting pieces together.

“Just give it a shot,” Melina says gently swatting Natasha’s arm. “And if you hurt my sweet Y/n again. I will feed you to Alexei and you know exactly which one I’m talking about.”

Yelena comes into the kitchen for a glass of water sensing the tension. Her wide smile quickly drops.

“Whoa who died?” Yelena demands.

“Just trying to talk some sense into your big stupid sister here.”

“She’s very stupid, I agree. What’d she do now?” The blonde swipes a chunk of the peppers that Natasha had been chopping, tossing it into her mouth.

“She’s pretty much decided on letting her very beautiful wife and precious children go.” Yelena gasps and slaps Natasha in the back of the head.

“I swear the next person who slaps me is losing a hand,” she aims the point of the large knife in Yelena’s face.

“I’m sorry but, you have easily become my second favorite sister. I never thought I’d see the day.”

You quickly enter the kitchen with a frown on your face. As soon as the three women’s eyes land on you, their expressions soften. “You guys. What have I told you about leaving me alone with Alexei. It’s really hard being the only one that doesn’t have the balls to be honest with him. I just told him that he looks younger than Steve…. Which is obviously a lie and Steve is like 200.”

Yelena and Melina laugh at your rant. Melina pats you on your shoulder, “Honey, can you help Natasha finish dinner, please? I’ll go knock him down a peg just for you,” she kisses the side of your head and waves for Yelena to follow her back into the living room. Yelena gives Natasha a stern glare and swiftly exits.

You approach Natasha asking, “What can I do?”

“Uh, can you stir that?” She points to the simmering pot on the stove.

“Yeah, of course.”

“I’m sorry you got stuck with him. I think we need to ban him from saying the words Captain and America”, Natasha smirks.

“It’s okay. Just don’t let it happen again. I’ve paid my dues for the next decade,” you shake your head.

Nat freezes thinking about the prospect of the next ten years. Would the two of you be back together in that time? How would you kids feel about her for tearing your family apart? Would she have stepped back from the Avengers? Would you be married to someone else? These thoughts combined made Natasha’s grip the edge of the counter so hard that her knuckles turned white. You turn from stirring the stew and lean your back on the edge of the counter that Natasha’s standing at and you immediately notice her demeanor.

“Hey, you ok?” You place a gentle hand on her shoulder making her flinch.

She meets your gaze with tears in her eyes and bounds forward throwing herself into your arms, burying her face in your neck. You freeze at the unexpected embrace but once you feel her shaky breaths you gently wrap one arm around her, not wanting to squeeze too tight and you place your other hand at the back of her head, gently caressing her soft locks. She hasn’t been this close to you in a very long time. You’re not sure who’s heart is racing faster. “Hey, what’s the matter” you speak loud enough for just her to hear.

“I just really needed a hug.”

“That all?” you feel the movement of her shaking her head. “What else do you need baby?”

“I just need to feel you. I need to know that you don’t hate me even though I feel like you should.”

You hum, taking in exactly what she’s getting at and you mull over your next words before verbalizing them, “I could never hate you. Why should I?”

“I broke my promises to you. Including the one when I said I wouldn’t.”

“Yeah you did. I’m angry at you for that but, I don’t hate you. I don’t think I’m meant to hate you.” At that you feel the hot tears, that she’d been intently guarding, finally spill onto your shoulder.

“I deserve for you to.”

“You don’t.”

“I do!”

“Natasha. Stop it. You were my best friend long before you were anything more to me and I’ll love you until the day I die. That love may change. We’ve seen that happen already. I don’t know what our love will become but, it’s definitely not going anywhere,” she squeezes you impossibly tighter. “I need you to get that through your thick skull okay?” You lightly knock on the side of her head, earning a teary chuckle.

“I love you so much Y/n/n. It scares me sometimes.” She raises her head off of you shoulder and she allows you to wipe her tears. She looks down releasing a thoughtful sigh, “I really want our family back. Whether or not I deserve that is debateable, I guess. But, this life isn’t worth living without my girls,” she takes another deep breath, working overtime to control her emotions. “I don’t expect you to have an answer right now or to make any promises but, I just want you to know that at least.”

You rest your forehead against hers and mindlessly caress her back while she’s still in your arms, “Thank you for telling me that. It is a lot to think about. Maybe we should have a more extensive conversation later? Once we’ve properly celebrated Yelena.”

She finally meets your eyes and you reassure her with a soft smile, “God, she really shouldn’t have been given a license,” Natasha groans.

“Absolutely not,” you laugh.

“You two better not burn that food!”, Melina yells from the living room causing the two of you to jump apart, just barely saving dinner.

Whatever happens between you and Natasha next will be incredibly taxing without a doubt but, Natasha would always be worth it. The possibilities were endless when it came to her.

[leocancertaurus]

Best Worst Decision AU- Masterlist

Series

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3 coming soon

Sideshots

Worth It

Welcome Home

Sisters

[leocancertaurus]

Renaissance, pt. 2

wc: 3.1k

cw: this is kinda sad?, grief, fluff

a/n: 😬

part one || part two

Just like yesterday, today has been a whirlwind and quite possibly, the longest day of your life. Your new life? There were so many reunions, tears, and realizations. Everyone is so different now. There was something so indescribably eerie about seeing the impact of your own death on the people closest to you. They could hardly work together anymore due to their blinding grief. You were the heart of the team and without you, they just couldn’t seem to go on. 

This morning, there’d been a hearing led by Nick Fury and Maria Hill in an attempt to get to the bottom of how something like this could’ve even happened.

______________________________________________________

“I’m sure this won’t take very long,” Fury’s stern gaze lands on Steve. “We’ll hear both sides of the events and we’ll share the next steps with you both at the appropriate time.” 

Steve shifts in his seat at the claim. 

“Now, Mr. Rogers, you were Agent Y/L/N’s point of contact, correct?” Maria interrogates.

“Yes ma’am,” Steve clears his throat.

“And when was that last time that you were in contact with Agent Y/L/N?” Maria pushes further.

“4 years ago,” he quickly blinks. You feel your face get hot at the blatant lie. 

______________________________________________________

Fury was absolutely correct. It took no time to uncover what Steve had done and why. Unfortunately, lying about someone else’s death technically isn’t illegal, but it does directly conflict with the supposed morals of the one and only Captain America. Fortunately, he will face legal consequences for the falsification of legal documents. His contract was terminated and he was banned from Avengers, S.H.I.E.L.D, and any physical locations associated with the two. It doesn’t feel like enough though.

While you wanted Steve to painfully suffer, you couldn’t focus your attention on it. Partially because you were being reunited with other team members and getting updates on how much their lives had changed since seeing you last. You appreciated that they were trying not to overwhelm you. But, being overwhelmed was inevitable with how much information you’d learned in so little time. Tony had ordered takeout and you shared a meal with everyone for the first time in years. It was clear how much the entire group had missed each other. You wished that this reunion could be under better circumstances but still, you were grateful. 

Another source of anxiety throughout the day’s events was Natasha. She waited for you after the hearing and was hovering as you reunited with the team, and even joined everyone for dinner. However, she hadn’t said more than two words all day. Part of you appreciated it. After spreading yourself so thin today, it was nice to not have to give more. She likely knew that. The other part of you, though, wanted to hear from her more than anyone else. You wanted to hear her laugh, the deep rasp of her voice, her gentle reassurance; All of things you’d been waiting years to hear. You were sure her mind was racing just as much as your own.

Nonetheless, her presence was still greatly appreciated. It was protective. It was soothing. You knew that if you gave her any signal, she’d make everyone go away. You relax your shoulders a bit at the thought. A tear in your heart mends, as you realize that she’s still fiercely herself no matter how much she may have changed. But, another one splits open at the thought of her grieving you and the future you two planned together. 

______________________________________________________

“Mmm.. 5 kids, two dogs, and a cat,” Natasha shrugs as she rests her head on your chest and plays with your fingers. The two of you had been ignoring your rumbling tummies and ringing phones for hours, refusing to leave this warm little cocoon you’ve made for yourselves. 

“You realize that’s 8 mouths to feed right?”

Natasha raises her head slightly to get a good look at you, “That’s me taking it easy on you. I actually want 8 kids.”

She laughs as your eyes nearly fall out of your head, “There’s no way anybody wants 8 children, love. Are you okay?” You place your hand on her head checking for a fever. 

She smacks your hand away and returns her head to your chest, “I’m fine! Can we have 7?”

“3.”

“6?” she challenges

“4. Final answer,” you sternly declare. 

“5.”

“Fine,” you concede as your girlfriend breaks out into a huge grin. “Wait-” 

“Nope you said it! I already have a few names picked out. Now, what kind of dogs do you want?” She smirks with a mischievous glint in her eyes. 

______________________________________________________

Natasha gently nudges you with her shoulder, “You okay?” she quietly asks. 

“Yeah, I’m fine. Thank you,” You grab and squeeze her hand under the table. “I might just need a little time to myself.” She squeezes your hand in acknowledgement. You rise from your spot at the table, excusing yourself and thanking your friends for coming to see you. Everyone says their farewells, and you go your own way.

You noticed that you can see the stars so clearly here, unlike the city, so instead of trapping yourself in your room for the night, you make your way up to the roof. While you were away, you’d gotten into the habit of stargazing. Always hoping that somewhere, somehow, Natasha would be looking at the same ones. The thought of it brought you a deep sense of comfort. You didn’t feel as far away when you were just venting to the stars. You’d tell them what was going on in your life, your hopes and dreams, and your deepest darkest secrets. Right now, you have so much to tell them.

You sit with your legs dangling off the side of the building, taking in a series of deep, calming breaths. 

What now? You weren’t required to be back to work. The Avengers were disbanded, only to reassemble to fight Ultron level threats that would hopefully never arise again. Your then girlfriend now has much larger responsibilities showing you the ropes again. You’ve never had this much free time before and there aren’t enough things that you can think of to fill it.  Maybe you can learn to play an instrument. Or a sport? Maybe you could fulfill your childhood dream of joining the circus. Even though your life as of late definitely feels like one and Steve was the fucking ringleader.

A single tear rolls down your cheek as you inhale a ragged breath. You were practically given a clean slate, a whole new life, and you’re unsure if you can make it a good one. Nothing could fill this very specific void in your heart. You were in your own little world, crying and watching the stars, nearly jumping out of your skin as you heard footsteps right behind you. 

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you,” Natasha pauses where she stands. You notice she has a blanket and a 6 pack of beer in hand. “May I,” she nods at the spot next to you. 

“Of course.”

She claims her seat and quickly offers you a cold drink, which you enthusiastically accept. 

“I’ve been looking everywhere for you,” Natasha breaks the silence. “Have you been up here the entire time?”

You nod, “It’s peaceful up here.” 

“It is. I used to come up here all the time when things got to be too much,” she pauses as she pops the metal cap off of her beer. “I felt closer to you then.”

“What do you mean?”

“I’d just look at the sky and… talk. Hoping you could hear me from up there,” you look at her side profile, watching the memories replay in her head. She shrugs. “It’s childish, I know.”

“No, it isn’t. I did the same thing.. Just a little differently obviously.” 

“Really?” she furrows her brow. 

“Yeah… it’s really nice to know that I wasn’t talking to myself for all those years,” you shift your gaze back to the stars. You two sit like that for a while, soaking in the fresh air. 

“I’m really happy you’re back, you know,” Natasha breaks the comfortable silence. 

“I’m happy to be back,” you take a sip from the cold bottle. “Obviously, I wish things were a little different though,” you joke.

“You and I both.”

“I know you had some good moments in there, though,” you offer. 

“Not quotes the ones I was supposed to have. But, even during my happiest times, I couldn’t help but think of what it would be like if I had you there with me or in the place of other people.”

“Like Steve?”

“Don’t even say his name. It’ll send me into a murderous rage,” she surprisingly doesn’t break the glass bottle in her hand from her tight grip. “But, yes…. him.”

You softly chuckle at her change of demeanor, “I still don’t fully understand why he did what he did.”

“Because he’s an evil fucking arrogant, entitled–,” you place a hand on Natasha’s thigh. She sighs feeling the weight of your hands, “I’m sorry I just don’t even know where to begin unpacking all of this. Bucky went to kick his ass after the hearing this morning, at my request, and said that he said some bullshit about him “taking back what was rightfully his”, Natasha scoffs. 

“I thought you only went on one date?” 

“We did! Over coffee and after I told him that I just wanted to be friends. That was three years before you even joined the team!” She takes another deep breath to stop herself from yelling. “I just feel like a fucking idiot. I thought at first, that he was just being a good friend trying to keep me busy while you were away. During the first few months, I wasn’t fully myself. Just because I missed you so much. So, Steve and I would hang out to distract me. It was strictly platonic for me. The movies. The bar. Cooking classes even. Which led me to believe that he was just being a good friend by comforting me after we got the news that you “died”. The first night was… intense. I wasn’t really allowing myself to be sad yet. I was just enraged. I broke.. A lot of things. I was combative. It was the closest I think I’ve ever gotten to feeling what Banner feels. But, Steve was there with me,” tears line the redhead’s eyelids. She lets out a long, shaky breath. 

She continues, “I thought he was just being a good friend by encouraging me to go to grief groups. By being by my side every single time that I screamed for you. By making sure that I was eating. I was so grateful to have such a great friend… I realized a while ago that I confused my gratitude for love. But, I suppressed those thoughts because I convinced myself that I was lucky. I was lucky to have someone who would be by my side while I was this terrible version of myself. I thought that I was lucky to have a person that was willing to love me unconditionally. Most people don’t even get one. But, I got to have two. And no, I never loved him as much as I love you. But, how could I ever love anyone else that much? But, who was I to question whether or not I genuinely loved him? He wanted a family, a private life, far away from here. Who was I to question why I didn’t get to have that with you,” tears stream down both of your faces as she recounts the events. 

“I’m so sorry that you ended up being a pawn in his demented game,” she finishes. Natasha snaps out of her trance at the sound of you sniffling. She scoots closer to you, closing the already small gap between you. She grabs the blanket from her side and wraps the both of you in it, allowing you both to feel each other’s warmth again and for you to then smell the notes of amber in her perfume. 

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make you cry,” Natasha wipes the tears from your cheeks with her fingertips. 

“Don’t apologize,” you close your eyes and lean into her touch. You turn your head to kiss the palm of her hand, causing a fresh set of tears to rush from Natasha’s eyes. 

______________________________________________________

For the first time in a long time, you and Natasha have a day off together. The both of you loved doing absolutely nothing when you had the chance to. Today, you decided on a leisurely walk in the park. There wasn’t any particular destination in mind. You were both content with being in each other’s presence. 

You break the silence by yanking Natasha’s arm toward a small pond, “Ducks!”

“Ow!” she dramatically grabs her shoulder. 

“Oh, stop it. You’re fine. Look at them! They’re so cute!” 

The redhead wraps her arms around your waist from behind, places gentle kisses on your neck, “You’re cute,” she pauses. “And strong.” You giggle at her comment, turning around in her grasp until you’re face to face. 

“Aww, did I hurt your shoulder?” you poke your bottom lip out and pull her just a little closer. 

“Yes,” her fake pout blows yours out of the water. 

“Oh, my poor baby, how can I make it better?”

She places both of her hands on either side of your face and puckers her lips, “Kiss.” 

You chuckle at her curtness but grant her wish. 

“Another.” You give her another. 

“One more.” Of course, she gets what she wants. 

“Would you look at that? My shoulder is as good as new.” She moves it around.

You laugh at her antics, turning your head to kiss the palm of her hand, “ You could’ve just asked for a kiss, you know.”

Curiosity washes over her face, “Why do you do that?” 

“Do what?” You slightly tilt your head to the side. 

“Kiss my hand. You do it all the time.”

“Oh. Does it bother you?”

“Not at all. I’m just curious.”

“I started doing it in the place of saying I love you. I knew it immediately but, I knew I would scare you away if I said it too soon. So, I just kissed your hands every chance that I got.”

“Why my hands though?”

“Your hands are one of my favorite things about you. They tell me everything I need to know. They tell me when you’re anxious, or angry, or when you need comfort. Sometimes I feel like I can kiss the negative feelings away,” you quirk your brow. “Let’s not forget how good you are at using them to f-” she places her hand firmly over your mouth. 

“Don’t start what you can’t finish,” she warns. 

You playfully smile and kiss her hand again, earning yourself one of her brightest smiles. 

Natasha closes the distance between you, “I love you.”

“I love you more,” you whisper before you gently kiss her lips. 

______________________________________________________

Natasha wipes tears from her own cheeks, “I can’t wrap my head around the fact that you’re here with me right now.”

“Me neither. We have so much to catch up on,” you intertwine your fingers and place your head on her shoulder. You ease into another long silence with her. It’s unclear how late into the night it is or how long you two have been sitting on the roof, crying your eyes out but, you finish the 6 pack by the time anyone speaks again. 

“How did you become a mom,” you ask carefully, unsure of how Natasha might respond. 

“We adopted Stevie when he was a couple months old. Steve said that that might help me adjust more,” she shakes her head. “I wouldn’t change being his mom for anything in this world. I just wish I could change how it happened,” Natasha begins to smile as she gets caught up in her own thoughts. You hum encouraging her to share. 

“He reminds me a lot of you sometimes. You both are little comedians. You both love strawberries. You’re both stomach sleepers,” she chuckles. “I believed that he was your reincarnation for a short while,” she laughs. 

You match her laughter, “I’m sorry, what?” you ask between breaths. “What made you stop believing that”

She sighs, “He told me he used to be an old man named Franklin, which scared the shit out of me so, I left that alone,” she shakes the memory from her head while you cackle at the story. “It helped for a while though,”she fixates on your face, re-committing your features to her memory and relishing in the sound of your laughter. “I think you’d adore him.”

You reply with a shy smile. It was immeasurable how much you’d missed this woman, “I missed you so much,” you fill her in.

“I missed you more.”

“I don’t know if I can ever leave your side again,” you move as close to her as you possibly can.

“I don’t want you to. I’m sure you don’t want to be anywhere near my soon-to-be divorced, single mom drama, though. Not when you have this chance at a brand new life.”

“I can be there for you. Even if it’s as a friend… a real one,” you add the unconvincing aside. Natasha chuckles at your attempt. “I just want to be wherever you are, Tash.”

“You know we’ve never been good at being just friends, Y/n/n.” 

“And when has that ever been an issue?” Natasha raises her eyebrows at your brazenness and as she stares into your truthful eyes. “Let’s start over,” you push. Both of you refuse to break eye contact. Natasha is the first to lean in. You feel her breath brush over your lips.

“Under one condition,” she breathes. 

“Anything,” you rush, needing to feel her lips on yours already. 

“You better not ever leave me again,” she pleads. 

“Never,” you wouldn’t have the first time if you had the choice. 

“Then let’s start over,” she closes the last of the distance between you and places the most gentle kiss on your lips. Like, if she moved any faster, you’d disappear. Or if she kissed any harder, you’d break. However, once she got a taste, she needed more, trapping you within her embrace and kissing you over and over again.

Starting your life with Natasha has come way too late. Still, both of you were eternally grateful for another shot at breathing new life into your relationship and on your own terms. 

[leocancertaurus]

A Debt to Pay AU - Masterlist

Pairing: 

Natasha Romanoff x daughter!Reader

Wandanat

           Summary: Your biological mother, Natasha Romanoff, was associated with some rather unsavory characters during your childhood. All she ever wanted to do was protect you from them.

Series

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Part 5

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.

.

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A/N: I came to the conclusion that I'm obsessed with Mama Nat soooooo....

[leocancertaurus]

thanks for 150 everyone!  here’s a token of my appreciation :)

[drummingrat]

just read the whole thing AAAADJSKDNAJDHDHSHS 😩

Worth It

Natasha Romanoff x fem!reader

wc: ~2k

an: i would consider this more of a side shot to best worst decision rather than part 3 but it's fun so enjoy :)

pt. 1 | pt. 2

summary: Melina talks some sense into Natasha.

Yelena wanted to celebrate getting her driver’s license. She always got so excited over the “little things” because she never got to celebrate them growing up. In true Yelena fashion, she threw a small party to celebrate the right way.

It’d been longer than the two of you normally went without seeing each other. Because of this, you were the first person she invited. The happenings of your and Natasha’s divorce had been extremely hard on Yelena. Some days it feels like she’s taking it harder than the children. When she found out, she sobbed into your chest for a half hour at the prospect of not having you in her life anymore. You were the second big sister she never had and when it came to sharing her emotions, she trusted you endlessly.

Tonight, she’d wanted her closest family to be with her to celebrate the fact that she’d learned how to drive! So, you found yourself at her apartment with her, your daughters, Natasha, Melina and Alexei. Yelena and the girls sat on the floor playing Candyland while you got stuck conversing with Alexei.

“So, you would agree that Captain America has noodle arms compared to me?” he flexes his arms trying to trap you into admiring his bicep.

“I-”

“Y/n! Your children are big fat cheaters!” Yelena interrupts the delusion. You sigh thanking your lucky stars for her saving you.

“Getting beat by children that can’t even read yet? Thats tough, Belova,” Natasha cuts in.

“I CAN read Mama!”, Zara defends. “Auntie Lena’s shirt says, “loser”, the child beams.

“It does not!” Yelena gasps. You throw your head back releasing a boisterous laugh. Your five year old looks at you feeling triumphant. You lean forward offering a high five and she excitedly slaps your hand.

“Natasha, can you come help me in the kitchen please?” Melina’s voice cuts in effectively calming everyone down like only she knew how. Natasha rises off of the plush chair adjacent to the couch you’re on. You get a strong whiff of coconut as she passes. You bite your bottom lip as you steal a good look at her perfect ass. You clench your fists at your sides to keep yourself from jumping out ot grab it.

Natasha enters the kitchen finding Melina standing over the stove. “What can I help with?”

“Do you mind chopping those peppers for me, darling?” Natasha nods and starts cutting and they work in tandem in silence except for the noise from their rowdy family in the living room. Natasha is yanked out of her rhythm by a slap to the back of her head. She immediately places a hand on the throbbing spot.

“Um…. what was that for?” she asks very slowly, furrowing her brow at her mother.

“Sorry. I just needed to get that out.” Melina crosses her arms over her chest.

“Why?!”

“Because you’re very stupid and I know I taught you better than that,” Melina blurts out. “So, I needed to make sure that I slapped you at least one good time.”

“Ok, you’re gonna have to give me some context clues here.”

“Those three in there.”

“You mean my divorce” Natasha sighs. She couldn’t go one day without someone reminding her.

“You’re not divorced yet!”

“Well, we’re getting there. Y/n doesn’t want anything to do with me anymore and I don’t blame her. Let’s just call a spade a spade,” he picks the knife up again and continues chopping.

“Since when are you a quitter?”

“Since I was served divorce papers… like real ones.”

“Has legal documentation stopped you from doing anything you didn’t want to do?”

“I mean… no.”

“Well?”

“Well what?” Natasha snaps. She’d hoped to go one night behaving as a normal family. Which was seemingly impossible these days.

“What’s the real reason you’re giving up on your family Natasha?”

Natasha points her finger in her face, “I’m not giving up on my family. I’m simply respecting Y/n’s wishes.”

“Oh Y/n is ready for baby #3 with the looks she’s been giving you!”

“Maybe you’ve mistaken what pure hatred looks like.”

“You’re so dramatic! So, you don’t want your family back?”

“Of course I want my family back.”

“Then why are you so comfortable running?”

Natasha halts her chopping and searches for an answer, “Becuase I don’t deserve them.”

“Natasha.”

“No, I don’t. Not only am I a monster that is fully capable of screwing those kids up. But, I had the perfect little life on a silver platter and I threw it all away. I had my chance time and time again and I blew it. Whatever this is that I feel, I promise you that I deserve it.”

“What is it that you feel, hm?” Somehow, Melina was the first person to have asked Natasha how she’s feeling.

“Disappointed? Sad? I just miss them, I guess.” Her voice is weak and slightly unsteady. She clears her throat hoping Melina missed it, even though she knows she didn’t.

“You know what they say, absence makes the heart grow harder,” she places her hands on Natasha’s shoulders, gently rubbing them.

“I don’t think–”

“Don’t interrupt me while I’m speaking. My point is that obviously this separation has helped you come to your senses. So, get your family back.”

“I don’t think it’s that easy.

“Why isn’t it? You love them, no?”

“Yes.”

“You would kill for them, no?”

“In a heartbeat.”

“Those are really the only two things you need, Natasha. I’m not understanding?”

Natasha turns to face her mother figure. She tilts her head to the side and slightly looks off to the side, trying to put the ill fitting pieces together.

“Just give it a shot,” Melina says gently swatting Natasha’s arm. “And if you hurt my sweet Y/n again. I will feed you to Alexei and you know exactly which one I’m talking about.”

Yelena comes into the kitchen for a glass of water sensing the tension. Her wide smile quickly drops.

“Whoa who died?” Yelena demands.

“Just trying to talk some sense into your big stupid sister here.”

“She’s very stupid, I agree. What’d she do now?” The blonde swipes a chunk of the peppers that Natasha had been chopping, tossing it into her mouth.

“She’s pretty much decided on letting her very beautiful wife and precious children go.” Yelena gasps and slaps Natasha in the back of the head.

“I swear the next person who slaps me is losing a hand,” she aims the point of the large knife in Yelena’s face.

“I’m sorry but, you have easily become my second favorite sister. I never thought I’d see the day.”

You quickly enter the kitchen with a frown on your face. As soon as the three women’s eyes land on you, their expressions soften. “You guys. What have I told you about leaving me alone with Alexei. It’s really hard being the only one that doesn’t have the balls to be honest with him. I just told him that he looks younger than Steve…. Which is obviously a lie and Steve is like 200.”

Yelena and Melina laugh at your rant. Melina pats you on your shoulder, “Honey, can you help Natasha finish dinner, please? I’ll go knock him down a peg just for you,” she kisses the side of your head and waves for Yelena to follow her back into the living room. Yelena gives Natasha a stern glare and swiftly exits.

You approach Natasha asking, “What can I do?”

“Uh, can you stir that?” She points to the simmering pot on the stove.

“Yeah, of course.”

“I’m sorry you got stuck with him. I think we need to ban him from saying the words Captain and America”, Natasha smirks.

“It’s okay. Just don’t let it happen again. I’ve paid my dues for the next decade,” you shake your head.

Nat freezes thinking about the prospect of the next ten years. Would the two of you be back together in that time? How would you kids feel about her for tearing your family apart? Would she have stepped back from the Avengers? Would you be married to someone else? These thoughts combined made Natasha’s grip the edge of the counter so hard that her knuckles turned white. You turn from stirring the stew and lean your back on the edge of the counter that Natasha’s standing at and you immediately notice her demeanor.

“Hey, you ok?” You place a gentle hand on her shoulder making her flinch.

She meets your gaze with tears in her eyes and bounds forward throwing herself into your arms, burying her face in your neck. You freeze at the unexpected embrace but once you feel her shaky breaths you gently wrap one arm around her, not wanting to squeeze too tight and you place your other hand at the back of her head, gently caressing her soft locks. She hasn’t been this close to you in a very long time. You’re not sure who’s heart is racing faster. “Hey, what’s the matter” you speak loud enough for just her to hear.

“I just really needed a hug.”

“That all?” you feel the movement of her shaking her head. “What else do you need baby?”

“I just need to feel you. I need to know that you don’t hate me even though I feel like you should.”

You hum, taking in exactly what she’s getting at and you mull over your next words before verbalizing them, “I could never hate you. Why should I?”

“I broke my promises to you. Including the one when I said I wouldn’t.”

“Yeah you did. I’m angry at you for that but, I don’t hate you. I don’t think I’m meant to hate you.” At that you feel the hot tears, that she’d been intently guarding, finally spill onto your shoulder.

“I deserve for you to.”

“You don’t.”

“I do!”

“Natasha. Stop it. You were my best friend long before you were anything more to me and I’ll love you until the day I die. That love may change. We’ve seen that happen already. I don’t know what our love will become but, it’s definitely not going anywhere,” she squeezes you impossibly tighter. “I need you to get that through your thick skull okay?” You lightly knock on the side of her head, earning a teary chuckle.

“I love you so much Y/n/n. It scares me sometimes.” She raises her head off of you shoulder and she allows you to wipe her tears. She looks down releasing a thoughtful sigh, “I really want our family back. Whether or not I deserve that is debateable, I guess. But, this life isn’t worth living without my girls,” she takes another deep breath, working overtime to control her emotions. “I don’t expect you to have an answer right now or to make any promises but, I just want you to know that at least.”

You rest your forehead against hers and mindlessly caress her back while she’s still in your arms, “Thank you for telling me that. It is a lot to think about. Maybe we should have a more extensive conversation later? Once we’ve properly celebrated Yelena.”

She finally meets your eyes and you reassure her with a soft smile, “God, she really shouldn’t have been given a license,” Natasha groans.

“Absolutely not,” you laugh.

“You two better not burn that food!”, Melina yells from the living room causing the two of you to jump apart, just barely saving dinner.

Whatever happens between you and Natasha next will be incredibly taxing without a doubt but, Natasha would always be worth it. The possibilities were endless when it came to her.