deactivated

You got up and hugged the notebook close to your chest. Restoring this place might be hard, but you're never one to turn down a challenge. You were the one that built SHIELD's headquarters, meeting Fury's ridiculous expectations. He was beyond pleased with your work and that was part of the reason why he called you yesterday, asking if you wanted to be the one to restore the compound. You felt honoured and optimistic, ready to throw yourself at work.

Now though, you were not so sure.

You were ready to continue in your path when you heard soft footsteps approaching you.

"I need to show you something," Maria walked up to you with a solemn look on her face. You nodded and turned to follow her with a pit in your stomach. Whatever she's about to show you must be really bad.

The trail you were walking on was much longer than the other ones. Taking notes every now and then, you dutifully followed Maria, bumping into her whenever she took a sharp turn. You walked for at least thirty minutes before you reached the east side of the compound.

You don't know how it happened, but somehow the explosions didn't reach this wing, leaving it almost the same as it was before. Tension in Maria's shoulders increased with each step and you reached out to squeeze her fingers. She braced herself in front of the hole in a wall, which you guessed served as an entrance now, and pulled you inside.

At first, you didn't realize what was so significant about this room. A simple, boring living room with remains of peanut butter sandwiches occupying half of the coffee table. You took a few steps closer and noticed a vest thrown on the back of the couch. Some papers and sketches on the floor.

Ballerina shoes.

You let out a deep breath. So this is her wing. It was her wing.

"Fury gave you the freedom to rebuild this place however you see fit, but you can't touch this. This side will stay untouched," Maria whispered.

You nodded, subtly wiping a stray tear.

She left a few minutes later, claiming that Fury needed her. But by the look on her face you knew that it was too hard for her to stay here any longer. You ventured deeper into the halls, checking other rooms for any signs of damage

The first one was a conference room.

You hesitantly stepped in, feeling out of place. Feeling like you were intruding. You shook the thoughts away and let your gaze wander, checking the windows for any cracks, walls and ceiling for any holes. Surprisingly, everything was perfect. Just the way they left it. Some blueprints and planned out strategies occupied most of the flat surfaces.

You cursed your curiosity and took one.

Time heist.

Mind.

Space.

Time.

Reality.

Power.

Soul?

"Time heist," you muttered under your breath, running your fingertips over the hastily written words.

You were ready to make another note in your notebook when you heard something fall in one of the rooms down the hall. And rather loudly at that. You ushered to investigate the source, tripping over a chair on your way out. The second you stepped out of the room everything went quiet. Even the wind outside seemed to disappear, leaving an eerie silence instead. You tightly clutched your pen, holding it protectively in front of you.

"It's not like it would help you."

You stopped.

Goosebumps covered your skin at the sound of the voice. You're not sure if you actually heard the words or if you imagined them in your head. The prickling feeling at the back of your neck told you it was the former, but you shook the ridiculous thought away. You couldn't see anyone in this hall, and if you wanted to come home before nightfall, you needed to check the rest of the rooms as fast as possible.

So, you clenched your fists and moved forward.

You checked a supply closet, some sort of training room with all kinds of deadly weapons, which you didn't dare come close to, and a movie room. All clear, no signs of damage or... whatever it is that you heard.

You were left with two rooms at the end of the hall. One to your left and one to your right. The bedroom and the office. You went to the room to your left first. The door was left slightly open, allowing you a peek inside before fully stepping in. You let out a relieved sigh when you realised it was her office. You already felt like shit walking around her space, venturing into her bedroom might feel like a crime.

Her laptop was left open on her desk, another sandwich right beside it. You let out a quiet snort at her habit before walking over and throwing the sandwich into the trashcan. After a second of hesitation you closed her laptop. You cast one last look around the room, noding to yourself, when you saw something move from the corner of your eye. You whipped around, falling into the chair in front of her desk.

There was no one there.

You let out a tired sigh and rubbed your eyes. Maybe you should head home. You already spent more than ten hours walking around the ruins, trying to gauge the damage. Maria won't appreciate you falling asleep on her late friend's desk.

You got up, pushing the chair away to walk around the desk to sit on the couch instead. Falling on the backrest, you closed your eyes, feeling the tiredness seep into your bones. You knew it was a bad idea to rest your eyes when you were so exhausted, but the way soft fabric gave out under your weight, letting you sink into the couch, made you forget about your worries.

You didn't register the moment you fell on the pillows near the armrest. And you didn't see the chair rolling back to it's former place.

---

"Rise and shine."

Someone pocked your side, causing you to press your body in the back of the couch. You grumbled something incoherent and burrowed your face in the pillow.

"Get up." Your shoulders shook. Or someone shook them.

Ouch. Did they just pinch you?

"Hey!" You finally sat up, rubbing the sleep out of your eyes. You were coming to your senses and finally remembered last night.

"What are you doing here?" A woman stood in front of you. With hands on her hips, dangerously close to a gun strapped to her thigh, she towered over you. Swallowing your nerves you looked up, meeting her bright hazel eyes. Which were unimpressed and maybe the tiniest bit annoyed.

And also red and puffy.

"I fell asleep." Your voice sounded to hoarse after a good night of sleep and you cleared your throat. "I was working late and fell asleep. I didn't mean to, obviously. I just kind of... fell."

"Didn't mean to?" She bent over you and tugged at something, which you realised was a blanket draped over your body.

Your mouth dropped open and you hurried to explain yourself to the scary woman. "It wasn't there last night."

"Right. A gust of wind seeped through the cracks in the foundation and carried it towards your trembling body." Her accent paired with sarcastic tone made you wince.

"It doesn't matter. Who are you?"

She scoffed at that and sat on the edge of the desk, her feet dangling back and forth. "Yelena. I came here to grab some stuff." Only now you noticed the vest you saw yesterday clasped tightly in her hand.

"I'm Y/n." You got up and stretched your arms over your head. "Um, not to be rude or anything, but do you have Fury's permission to take that?" You pointed at the vest, immediately taking a step back at her glare. Her posture stiffened and her whole demeanour changed.

"He won't mind." She got up and grabbed something from the drawer, pocketing it before you even had a chance to see what it was. She cast one last look around the office and headed to the door.

"Bye?" You called after her, receiving a hum in response.

The moment the door closed behind her you sat back on the couch, eyeing the blanket suspiciously. You were about eighty percent sure you didn't see it in this room yesterday. And a hundred percent sure that it was not on the couch.

"It was in my bedroom."

You stilled at the sound of now familiar female voice. Once is a chance. Twice is a coincidence.

"Third time's a pattern."

You jumped to your feet and bolted straight to the door. Tripping over your bag on your way out you fell face first onto the floor, bracing yourself for the impact. Instead, you fell into something warm and tingly.

"You're ridiculous."

"You're in my head." You accused.

"And you're inside me."

"What?!" You shrieked, scrambling to your feet. There was no response this time. The weird feeling that coated your whole body a second ago disappeared. You stood in the doorway, eyes darting around the room, trying to spot something or someone.

"What's going on?" Maria stepped in, looking slightly worried.

"What the f- Where did you come from?" You whisper-yelled and the worried crease in her brows deepened.

"Didn't you hear me talking to Yelena right outside of this door? Like two steps down the hall. We heard you screaming-"

"I wasn't screaming."

"-but Yelena told me you were alone here. Which is even more concerning. Are you okay?" She pulled you into a side hug. "I know how hard it is to be here. If it's too much, you can tell me. We'll find someone else to do the job."

In that moment you appreciated your friend more than ever. While you wouldn't consider her to be your best friend (that title is reserved for Darcy and Darcy only), she was always here for you back in the day. And now, after coming back from the dead not even three weeks ago, she was trying her best to comfort you.

"No, I'm fine. It's just... Have you noticed something strange here? Like random objects falling or even moving from one room to the other?" You tried your best to sound even, not letting your nerves to show up on your face.

She looked to the side, most likely trying to remember if she saw anything weird. "I can't say I've noticed anything like that. But you know, there was a time machine here a few days ago. Which was destroyed by alien weaponry." She sent you a pointed look. "It might be because of that. Maybe we should call Jane Foster, she has experience in that area." She pulled out her phone, ready to dial said woman, but you stopped her before she hit the call button.

There's totally a ghost in this place and you don't think Jane Foster qualifies as a Ghostbuster.

"It's fine. It's probably my imagination running wild. You know, stress and all that." You forced a chuckle, trying to look as relaxed as possible.

"Okay. If you're sure." She sent you a questioning look and you replied with what you hoped was a confident smile and a nod. After a second of scrutinizing she pulled a folder out of her bag. "It's from Fury." She explained, opening the file and showing you the documents he provided. "It's all bureaucracy. I just need your signature and I'll get going." She gave you a pan and you signed the papers.

"I'll go with you." You grabbed your things and followed her outside. "I need to drive back home, I fell asleep here yesterday." You shrugged sheepishly under her gaze.

"Maybe you should just stay here. Driving back an forth for hours every day doesn't sound fun."

It made sense. The compound was two hours away from the city and you'll be needed here for at least two weeks, overlooking the clean-up and the start of construction.

But your newest discovery made you hesitate. As much as you wanted to just stay here, you still had no idea what was the thing that talked to you. And scared you. And probably tucked you in when you fell asleep.

Yeah, so maybe she's harmless. Maybe.

"You're right. There's plenty of couches here." You agreed, hoping that you won't regret your decision.

---

"Long time no see."

The folder in your hand fell loudly onto the table. You let out a sigh, more annoyed than scared, now that you realised she's not some bloodthirsty, revenge seeking poltergeist.

"Can you stop startling me?" You huffed, rolling your eyes. Today you're testing the waters, you decided.

"Can you stop being a scaredy-cat?"

She sounded almost amused, but you couldn't really tell. It's not like you actually heard her voice, it was just there, among your thoughts.

You came back to the compound this morning after spending all evening back home googling ghosts. After all, aliens, witches and gods existed, so why not ghosts? And it was the only somewhat logical explanation for all the weird shit that happened. So yeah, you've read like thirty articles on ghosts. Armed with newfound knowledge, you felt much more confident coming here.

"I want to show you something."

"And how are you going to do that?" You mumbled, taking a sip of your tea. You were ready to put the mug on the table, when you felt something warm envelope your hand, nudging you up. "That's you?" You gasped in wonder.

"Yes. Just go to my room, I'll meet you there."

"And where is that supposed to be?" You called after her, feeling the warmth seep away.

Sighing, you started walking down the hall. Great. What if her room is in some kind of basement, buried under the rubble? You ran a mental check of all of the rooms in this wing and stopped in your tracks.

And than you ran.

"Glad you caught up." Now she was definitely laughing at you, you could almost feel her chuckle tickling your brain.

You struggled to breath after sprinting all the way to Natasha's bedroom. "You- It's you!" You beamed and felt the warmth return.

"Uh-uh."

"How are you here? Why didn't you tell me sooner? Why didn't you tell anyone else?" You rumbled, pacing the length of the hall.

"I don't know. I tried, but you ran away with Maria. No one else can hear me."

"Okay. Cool. Great." Your mind was racing with the speed of the sound. "You're here and I'm the only one that can hear you. And you're probably a ghost or maybe an imprint of Natasha."

"Thanks for the reminder."

"Sorry." You winced. "You wanted to show me something?" You tried changing the subject, your cheeks heating up from embarrassment.

You felt tingles all over your back, enveloping your whole body in a warm embrace. The feeling travelled through you towards the door to her bedroom and you took it as an invitation.

You turned the doorknob and slowly opened the door, taking a step in...

"... is this a kids bedroom?"

The room in front of you was littered with toys and crayons. There were two twin beds by the windows, one with a green comforter and the other one with red. You took a step in and the door behind you closed with a soft click.

"Yes. We had a mission in Ohio when I was little. This was our bedroom. Yelena chose the colours." Her voice was barely audible in your head, fading away with each said word. "Yesterday it was the Red Room. And on the day I appeared here, it was my room back home."

She told you that on the first day she didn't understand what happened, thought she was in some kind of afterlife reality, before she heard the commotion outside. Then she fell through the floor and realized she didn't have a physical body.

Her voice trembled, but she told you everything that happened.

"I don't know why I'm still here."

You sat cross legged on her bed, pulling a thread on the blanket. "Maybe I should call Jane Foster. I don't think I can do anything in this situation."

"When Yelena came over she went to my room. The second her hand touched the doorknob my room looked normal again. When I tried to touch her I didn't feel anything and neither did she. You're the only one who can help me."

You felt her warmth against your back, and you could almost feel her tears trail down the back of your neck. Her quiet sobs echoed through your head and you turned around reaching out to hug her, before dropping your arms back to your knees, cursing yourself.

"I'll do everything in my power to help you." You looked straight ahead, hoping she could sense your determination. She chuckled and you felt her sending warmth up your chin.

"My eyes are up here." She laughed with full chest at your embarrassment, forcing you to hide your face in your hands.

"Next time just tell me where to look." You mumbled under your breath.

It took me the entirety of their shared scene (like two seconds) to ship them

But the most frustrating thing is - they won't let you interrogate him yourself.

"We don't hurt our prisoners." Steve barked, when you asked him why he wouldn't let you question the guy. "You think we don't know why you're so successful in what you do? There's a reason why our main priority was to catch you and not make you one of us."

The room fell silent after his words.

"Wanda is the only reason you're not sitting in a cell beside Sauer." He came to stand right in front of you, towering over your smaller frame.

What happened to being happy to have me on the team, shithead?

"You can say whatever you want, Rogers. But nothing will change the fact that I saved more people in two years, than your whole team in five." You hissed, enjoying the look that overcame his features. "Or did you forget how many innocent people died because of your mistakes, Captain? Do you need a reminder?" You spat, jabbing a finger at the famous star resting on his chest.

"Stop it, both of you." Natasha shoved you apart. "Arguing won't get us anywhere." She said looking into your eyes. You tried to calm your breathing, but it was getting harder and harder to stay calm with each passing day.

It was always hard for you to manage your anger. You learned to keep yourself in check as you got older, but the urge to punch someone in the face didn't go anywhere. Bruce even tried to talk to you about it a few days ago, using his calming voice to his advantage. You admired his strength in resisting Hulk, but you didn't need a therapy session from someone you barely knew.

"We want to find out the truth just as much as you do." Wanda tried to assure you, essentially bringing you back to the scene in front of you. The mood in the room affecting the witch just as much as it affected you.

"It doesn't look like it." You snarled, before walking out of the door.

By now you knew every nook and cranny of the compound and you could only thank the higher power or whatever it is that made the compound so easy to get lost from prying eyes.

On the second day of your stay you found a spot on the third floor, where most of the former SHIELD agents resided and trained, it was perfectly secluded and hard to find, hidden between the gym and the training room.

You sat on the floor in front of the small window, trying to even out your breath. These three weeks weren't the best of your life. You were pulled out of your routine and you didn't have a chance to meet with Jess or Matt to vent about your misery. Not to mention the tension between you and the Avengers, they were constantly trying to make sure you didn't do anything to ruin their image.

And after today's conversation, you knew for sure, that it was the last time you worked with them.

It wasn't all bad, the rest of the team seemed to accept you after tiptoeing around you for the first few days, but Captain America made it hard for you to even consider staying here again. He was constantly breathing down your back, his eyes always trained in you whenever you passed by him.

If it wasn't for Wanda's calming presence you would've left a long time ago, but the witch convinced you to stay without saying a word, only gently nudging you with her touch.

You were pulled out of your had when you heard someone enter your hideout. Wanda, you instantly knew it was her by the sound of her footsteps.

"I talked to Steve." Wanda said, sitting down beside you, your shoulders bumping slightly.

You turned to look at her, trying to catch her eyes, but she kept her gaze on the window. "About what?" You finally asked, not taking your eyes off her. She didn't look back.

"You. He'll allow you to interrogate Sauer on one condition." She glanced at you. "No violence."

You didn't know how she convinced him to allow that, just like you didn't know how she managed to convince them that you can be somewhat trusted. You sighed, regret swirling in your chest for your harsh words back in the conference room.

"He is a bit boring, don't you think?" You tried to tease, but she was having none of it, seemingly done with your bullshit. You sighed. "I'm sorry. For snapping at you earlier. I was angry at Rogers and you were just trying to help. It won't happen again."

She stayed silent for a moment, and then you felt her shift beside you, poking your side with her pinkie. "So you can be good when you want to?" Her hand travelled across your back to rest on your waist. You looked up to see her green eyes twinkle with mirth, your own softening at the sight.

"Only if I try really hard." You breathed out, your heart beating rapidly in your chest. You noticed that your heartbeat changed whenever Wanda was close, but you didn't dare to think about what it could possibly mean. You have enough on your plate already.

You sat there with her hand circled around you and yours placed on her lap, playing with the rings on her free hand until she finally broke the silence.

"It was stupid of me to think that you'll fit in here. I don't even know why I want you to stay so bad..." She trailed off, never taking her eyes off your joined hands. "When you broke into the compound, and I saw you for the first time, I had to make sure I'll see you again." She untangled your hands and stood up to pace around the room, now fiddling with the hem of her shirt. "Because when I looked into your eyes, I felt at peace for the first time since... For the first time in a long time."

You felt it too.

"And I know that you're a good person, somewhere deep down you are. Maybe I'm just foolish." You stood up and grasped her shoulders to turn her to face you.

"You see the best in people, I don't think that's foolish. I used to wish I could be like that. I'm not the best when it comes to emotions or other people, or anything other than getting justice, so I tried to reshape myself, make myself better. It didn't work. And I accepted myself for who I really am." You shrugged indifferently, letting out a quiet breath.

"And who would that be?"

"Emotionally unavailable asshole?"

She wrinkled her nose, slightly furrowing her brows. "Right, unavailable. We'll see about that." She grinned happily, before turning around and pulling you with her. "Let's go, Steve won't wait forever."

---

You walked into the dimly lit room with a metal table in the center. A chained man sat on the chair in front of it. You walked quietly trying not to startle the slumped man. You knew that the wall to your left was a one way mirror, behind which stood Steve and Wanda. You could almost feel her presence.

The man lifted his head anyway, his eyes widening in surprise for a split second, before he hurried to look away with a faint smirk. He muttered something under his breath when you sat down, his eyes darting from you to the camera in the corner. You clasped your hands on the table and greeted the man.

"Hello, Y/n." He said, finally meeting your eyes. "I knew we'd see each other again." His smirk turned wicked at his own words, a huff of laughter escaping his mouth.

You shifted in your seat, moving your hands to rest on the armrest. "Again?" You asked, your eyes searching his face for a trace of a lie.

He blinked once, twice, three times, before wheezing with laughter. "They did a number on you, didn't they?" His eyes wandered from your face to the mirror and to the camera. He was anxiously rocking his chair now, his grip on the armrest so strong you could almost hear it break.

"Who are they?" You felt your heartbeat pick up it's speed.

Sauer cast you a long look, his tongue darting to wet his lips in a snake like manner. You tried you hardest to keep your impression still.

"She wants you back now." He bent over the table, coming dangerously close to your face. "And she always gets what she wants, subject 759."

"Subject 759."

Your handler's voice rang through the room, loud and clear. You laid sprawled on the mat, a girl towering in front of you. She had her fists raised, ready to attack the second you got up. You coughed out the blood, wiping your chin. The girl stood still, waiting for your move.

The rest of the children stood by the wall, waiting for their turn, some of them crying, some of them excited. You didn't know which one was worse.

"Get up." The man came closer, unleashing his electric baton, his metal arm glistening in the faint light. Your body moved on it's own accord, getting up the second you noticed the weapon in his hand. You could still feel the burns on your back from the last beating.

You barely had the chance to look up before the girl's fist connected with your jaw again. Blocking her other hand just in time to protect your liver, you managed to throw her off her feet. The man sent you a disapproving look, gesturing for you to attack her. You shook your head, taking a step back, only to feel her hands tightening around your throat. She had you in a chokehold a second later, both of you falling to the ground with a loud thud. You gasped for a breath, but her grip on you was too strong to fight off.

You vision blurred and the last thing you saw before passing out was a woman walking in the room, her eyes trained on your form.

"Y/n!" Wanda's voice rang in your ears and you were forced to open your eyes. Her worried face was inches away from yours, wisps of red flying around the two of you. "Stay with me, okay?" She paled when she noticed your eyes closing again, giving up to the pressing memories. "No, Y/n, you have to be strong."

"You have to be strong." The woman snarled in your face and a loud slap echoed through the almost empty room. She ordered everyone to leave, only your handler stayed behind to ensure her safety. You didn't dare to move, simply offering the other cheek in response and she hit you again, this time with the back of her hand.

"We wasted so much only for you to turn out pathetic." She clasped your chin in a vise grip, forcing you to meet her eyes. "Soldat, next time she disobeys you kill her."

"Yes, Madame." His horse voice scarped at your brain like a sandpaper, his blue eyes boring into the back of your head without a trace of emotion. You barely suppressed the urge to spit in the woman's face, just so he could have the reason to-

"No! Come back to me, Y/n. It's all in your head." Wanda desperately shook you, wisps of red flying in and out of your head.

You felt her fingers swipe your forehead, getting the hair out of the way. And then she pressed her head against yours. Illuminating the room with her powers she pushed through the walls of your memories to get you back.

You opened your eyes, scrambling away from where you rested on her lap. Your body was shaking violently and you struggled to get up, searching for Sauer.

"Steve took him away. You're okay now. You're safe." Unshed tears shone in her eyes as she inched closer to you, reaching out her hand for you to take.

You pulled her flush against you without hesitation, fists clenched in the fabric of her shirt. "Thank you." You murmured against her shoulder, letting your body relax against her firm hold.

"You need to rest." She pressed a kiss against your temple, leading you out of the room.

"No, I- " You struggled to follow her, your feet giving out under your weight. "The man with a metal arm. You know him?" Her arms wrapped around your waist, taking most of your weight. She shushed you, telling Friday to call for a meeting with the team.

You nodded vigorously, trying to keep your eyes open. Yes, that's exactly what you need. That man, you've heard of him. Winter Soldier. He must know something, you need him here.

"Stop thinking. You're going to sleep. I'll take care of this while you rest." Wanda put a stop to your thoughts, pulling your through a doorway into your room and pushed you on the bed when you tried to protest.

You grumbled, burrowing your face into the pillow. She tucked you in and trailed her fingers over your head, murmuring something under her breath.

You fell asleep the second the door closed behind her.

--------------------------------------------------

You don't remember coming to bed. You were waiting for Natasha to finish giving away orders to other widows with Yelena in tow (she totally enjoyed bossing people around way more than she should've), when exhaustion hit you. Walking all the way down to your assigned bedroom seemed like to much of a task and soon enough you dozed off on the couch.

You gently pried her arms away, slowly as not to wake her, and slipped out of bed, stretching your arms above your head. She moved further into the space you occupied a second ago, burrowing into your pillow.

"Won't let you go." She mumbled in her sleep. You let out a quiet breath, her words went right into your heart, causing it to skip a beat.

Your eyes roamed around the room in search of some clothes and landed on your discarded suit, a shudder went through your body at the sight. You darted to the window then and your breath got caught in your throat when you saw that the sun was already up.

The sun is up and that means you're late to your training session. Dreykov will be displeased. Your hands gripped the windowsill, sending a web of cracks through it.

"I'm going to murder you in your sleep." You darted around at the sound. The sheets rustled as Natasha tossed on the bed, clearly threatening someone's life even in her dreams.

And just like that she pulled you out of your panicked state. You took a steadying breath and counted to ten. He wasn't here anymore and you could do anything you wanted to.

You glanced at her now still form and got dressed to make your way downstairs. It was scary, to be able to do whatever you wanted to do for the first time in your life. The overwhelming freedom consumed you and you didn't notice that you wandered outside until you felt grass crumble under your feet.

Somehow, the sun felt brighter. The wind felt like a warm blanket wrapped around your body, just like the one Natasha used to hide under your bed. "I'll sleep better knowing you're warm." She would whisper, before ducking away and disappearing in shadows. She always did that. Care for you.

A lazy smile slowly made it's way on your face, lighting up your features.

You are free.

"Trying to run away from me already?" Natasha's soft voice interrupted your musings. She stopped a few steps behind you, dressed in a pair of grey sweatpants and a yellow hoodie. She looked adorable with the morning sun shining just behind her, casting a gentle glow on her frame.

"Just went for a walk." You looked behind her, finally taking note of how far away you were. The cabin looked small from here, a mere dark spot in the landscape. "This feels nice." You whispered, closing your eyes to enjoy the sun.

You heard her coming closer to you, her steps just a bit heavier than usual, just to let you know that she moved. Her arms wrapped around your waist then, careful as not to startle you. She became like this since you stepped foot on the jet, always asking you questions, always making sure you were given a choice.

You turned in her arms, burrowing your head somewhere between her collarbone and the spot where her neck met her shoulder, inhaling her scent.

"You don't have to walk on the eggshells around me. I trust you more than I trust myself." Your lips grazed her skin, making her shudder at the contact.

"Okay." She exhaled, her breath tickling you just behind your ear, pulling out a quiet giggle out of you. "I missed you so much."

"Of course you did. I'm surprised you've made it this far without me constantly saving you."

"Forget I said anything, you're an ass." She pinched your side. You yelped and jumped away, ready to tackle her right on that field when you noticed Yelena storming to the two of you.

"Melina's making me eat a third plate of pancakes. You have to go back, I can't take it anymore." She complained, letting out a heavy sigh. You let out a quiet laugh, taking Natasha's hand to follow the blonde back home.

"So when will you teach us all of your cool moves?" She asked just as you reached the doorway, making Natasha stop in her tracks. She already opened her mouth to chastise her sister, but you squeezed her hand to let her know that it was fine.

"I don't know, I think you need a bit more training to be able to keep up with me." You teased, making her roll her eyes in response. Natasha let out a quiet laugh at the two of you.

"The food is getting cold." Melina's voice came from the kitchen and the two of you hurried inside, only to be pushed away by Alexei.

"Kto ne uspel tot opozdal." He sing-songed, taking off in the direction of the kitchen.

"Thank God I already ate, good luck to you two." Yelena smirked, disappearing upstairs.

"I could get used to this." You whispered loud enough for Natasha to hear. She cupped your face, her fingertips tracing the line of your jaw. "You should. You're stuck with us now."

Kto ne uspel tot opozdal (кто не успел тот опоздал) - You snooze you lose.

Feedback is appreciated 💕

You never paid as much attention to other team members, never blindly followed their instructions, even when Captain gave you an order you always looked at her for a nod of approval.

It annoyed the hell out of everyone on the team, but to Natasha it meant the world. She always felt her stomach tighten when you did that.

She started to open up to you as well, telling you about the Red Room, about her insecurities and biggest fears.

You told her that whatever happened there didn't make her any less of a hero.

---

But then there was Hydra.

She told Steve everything she knew, but it still wasn't enough for him, suspicion lingered in his eyes. She knew he never fully trusted her, always hesitating whenever she offered him information, just like Tony and Bruce. Just like everyone she knows, except Clint and Fury.

And when they had to run away, she ran to you. She fully trusted you by now, but she was afraid that today will be the day you finally doubted her.

You let them in without a question, and when she told you about Hydra, you didn't have any reason not to trust her, so you just nodded and got your suit ready.

"You don't have any questions?" She asked, rooting you on the spot with her questioning eyes. "What if lied to you? What if I'm with Hydra?"

You just let out a laugh, murmuring a that's a lame joke under you breath and walked past her, squeezing her shoulder and sending her a reassuring look.

She sat there, trying to grasp how it could be possible that you trusted her so much after knowing her so little.

Then there was a masked man on the bridge, Bucky, and Steve was too distracted to notice his friend bleeding out in the van.

"Can't you see she's hurt?" You snapped at the guards, trying your best to stop the bleeding.

She had just enough energy left in her body to send you a grateful smile.

You stopped Hydra, blowing up the ships and ruining a couple of buildings in the process. She was anxious after she leaked SHIELD's information, but seeing how proud you were of her made it all worth it.

---

Time went by, you got to know each other more and more, your weekly movie nights slowly became daily movie nights. She took you to her favourite cafe for lunch, and brought you your favourite treat from a local bakery everyday, claiming she was just passing by it, and since I had enough time...

Your occasional complaints about her ditching you to train with Wanda disappeared, when she offered to become permanent training partners. Your late night talks became sleepovers, and soon enough your favourite pillow occupied the right side of her bed and her clothes occupied a shelf in your closet.

But then there were Accords.

It wasn't even Wanda's fault. She did not set off that bomb, she did not kill all these innocent people. Rumlow did.

Natasha was conflicted. She knew the Accords were needed, but not on these terms. She pulled you away after Ross left, a quiet storm in her eyes. "What do you think?"

"I don't think we should sign them, but not signing them would be worse, right? Can't we have a middle ground?" Your were troubled, your eyes searching hers for an answer.

"They won't budge. We need to choose." She let out a shaky breath before clothing her eyes, leaning her head against the wall with a light thud. You took the chance and leaned against her side. "Okay. Then I'm with you."

"What?" She pulled away.

"I'm with you."

"Y/n, this is your freedom we're talking about. You can't make decisions like that just because you want to tag along." She couldn't understand why between Tony and Steve you would choose her. She had nothing to offer in return for your loyalty, she said as much months ago, but you still chose her.

"Do you want me to be on your side?" You whispered, your arms circling her waist to make her look at you.

"More than anything." She breathed out, falling into your arms.

---

She signed the Accords and you followed suit. Tony didn't even lift an eyebrow when he saw you standing beside Nat, not surprised to see you choosing her again. He always wondered why you were so devoted to her, sending you questioning looks whenever you took her side in an argument. But then something clicked in his eyes and he let out a quiet exhale, a trace of a smile on his lips.

Now, he and Steve argued next to you, and Natasha thought about how did it come to this. How could she let it come to this.

Bucky escaped and Steve asked for your help, you heard Natasha's take a sharp breath from behind you. "I can get your stuff, but after that you're on your own. I'm sorry." You offered.

"Thank you." He left with a squeeze of your elbow.

Natasha took your hand in hers and led you out.

"If he's right, if Bucky didn't do this, then I'll help him." She said once you both got in her car, her eyes trained on you, her body tense and unmoving. She was afraid, you realised, afraid of your reaction.

"I'll find the proof, you'll get Tony to listen." You decided, turning the air conditioning on. Like it was not a big deal, like you just decided what to get for dinner, and Natasha finally realized that you're not going anywhere, that you will stick with her until the very end. She blinked away the tears and drove away.

---

"Can you believe he got a child to fight for us?" Natasha heard you shout, distracting her from Clint long enough for Wanda to yank her away. You were by her side in a second, pulling her up.

"Cat guy will catch up to them." You stated, your eyes darting between Steve and Tony.

"You think we should stop him?" She saw your hesitation, your mouth opening, but no words came out. "Y/n?" She asked again.

"I didn't find anything yet, but I think Bucky is innocent." You hesitated, awaiting her reaction.

"Then that's enough for me." She said, before running off in the direction of the warehouse.

She stopped T'Challa, granting Steve and Bucky an easy escape. Rhodes got hurt, the rest of Steve's team was thrown in the Raft and you disappeared.

Tony was angry with her when she approached him, spewing hurtful words she knew he only somewhat meant. He didn't know where you were either. She waited as long as she could for you to come back, but then Ross almost got her and she had to run away.

Norway, she decided with no hesitation, when Mason offered her a list of countries she could escape to. He chuckled then, mumbling about how he knew she'll choose it.

"There's a surprise for you." He said when she met him, a smug expression on his face. She didn't say anything in return, side eyeing him until he hurried away.

She knew someone was inside the second she stepped foot in her new home. Reaching for her gun, she carefully stepped in what would be her bedroom, when she noticed you sleeping in her bed.

"You asshole!" She grumbled angrily, throwing a pillow in your face. You sat up abruptly, too disoriented to understand what was going on. "You just disappeared on me and now you show up, sleeping on my bed with your shoes on!" She continued pushing you with her pillow, until you had enough and threw her on the bed beside you.

"Ross was snooping around, I couldn't afford him finding you." You explained, rubbing the sleep off your eyes. "I'm glad you chose Norway." You yawned, sinking into her body, your face nuzzled into her neck.

"I know you love Norway." She grudgingly pulled you closer.

---

The generator lasted until nightfall and Natasha went to get some gas, leaving you to protect our household.

She didn't get the chance to reach the gas station, a missile blew up her car and she had a fight off with a masked person, who managed to throw her into the river, but not before she took the vials.

She should've warned you somehow, but after seeing the picture tucked between the vials, she knew she had to go as soon as possible. And you deserve a payback for the scare you gave her.

The next morning she was in her old apartment in Budapest, choking her sister with a curtain. Red Room was still there, Yelena said.

She came back two days later with no gas and a short blonde trailing behind her. "I didn't know the gas station was on the other side of the world." You said, pulling her in a tight hug.

"Had to make a pitstop in Budapest." She sounded regretful, sending you a small smile.

"Who's that beautiful woman?" Yelena asked, sending you a cheeky wink.

"Y/n." You said at the same time as Natasha grumbled she's off limits quietly, so only Yelena could hear. Eyebrows shot up on her face, but she didn't comment, turning to shake your hand.

By know Natasha should've known that after she explained everything to you, you'll offer your help, but she was still shocked when you immediately got up to make some calls, a look of determination on your face.

"We'll have a jet by evening, with guns and everything we might need." You said when you finished the conversation.

"I like her." Yelena grinned.

---

Alexei was an interesting person.

You didn't like him. In fact, you wished you could punch him in the face hard enough for his teeth to fall out. Natasha could sense the anger radiating from you in waves, she noticed you grinding your jaw whenever he spoke up, your eyes boring through his face. You were not as hard on Melina, she noted, your eyes softened, when you learned she was controlled too.

Natasha never thought anyone would care for her the way you did, and when you snapped at Alexei to finally shut the fuck up, she gently squeezed your hand under the table to let you know that it was okay. She didn't hold any grudges against them, and she didn't want you to carry that hate around. You let out a breath, mumbling a quiet sorry under your breath.

"Thank you." She mouthed.

---

The Red Room was even worse than you thought.

You had no idea where you were when you woke up strapped to the table, some scientists standing not too far away. You looked on your left and saw Yelena trying to communicate with you without using her voice, she tilted her head in the direction of scientists than gestured to a table full of medical equipment next to you. You nodded in understanding and moved at the same time as her.

You found the antidote quickly enough and separated, you ran to find Natasha and she went to the widows.

You found Nat in Dreykov's office, surrounded by the widows. You saw them take turns hitting her and your blood boiled. You never fought so hard in your life. Taking them down one by one you inched closer to her with every step, until you finally reached her, shielding her from the punches long enough for Yelena to come back and release the antidote.

Your dysfunctional team managed to take down the Red Room and Natasha hugged you so tight she might've broken a couple of ribs.

"Steve asked for our help." She said once she pulled away, her eyes staring in the distance, where she could see Ross coming.

"We're not doing anything until you're patched up." You huffed, putting her hand around your shoulders to help her move. She tried her best to hide her injuries, but you saw every twitch of her muscles, every wince on her face.

"Okay." She didn't protest this time, putting most of her weight on your shoulders, and let you lead her to the car hidden in the distance.

---

You met Steve a week later, and to your relief he had everything prepared.

"What happened?" He asked, when he noticed the bruises on Natasha's arms.

"A run in with an old enemy of mine." She simply replied, refusing to reveal more. His concerned eyes settled on you then, but you shook your head. If Natasha didn't want to tell him, then you won't tell anything too.

Turns out breaking into the Raft was much easier than you thought. Natasha got into their system in minutes and opened the doors for you and Steve.

The guards didn't stand a chance against the supersoldier and you didn't even break a sweat, letting Steve do the hard work while you took care of the few who managed to avoid him. Natasha joined you a few minutes later, showing you a hard drive with a smug grin.

"Got some dirt on them in the process."

"It's called multitasking, Rogers." You shut him up before he could start complaining, earning a glare from the captain.

Once you reached the cells Natasha immediately went to Wanda's, her heart breaking at the sight of the young witch. After that getting out was not a problem, you had the most powerful human on your side.

---

"I never thought I'll be fighting against an army of aliens." You huffed, killing another creature with your sword. T'Challa offered all of you a variety of weapons, and you choose two vibranium swords after he said they could slice through anything.

"I never thought I'd live long enough to see flying cars, but here we are." Steve grumbled in response, tearing apart another alien before it could hurt you.

"Y/n, if you get yourself killed, I'll personally drag you back from heaven." Natasha shouted from a distance, her worried eyes darting to you every couple of minutes.

"She thinks I'll end up in heaven." You grinned, slicing through another enemy.

No matter how many you killed, Thanos' army kept growing, his ships digging through the ground, just under the barrier.

But then Thor came back on Earth stronger than ever, and you felt yourself smile. Natasha was closer to you now and you fought back to back in a practised dance, the creatures attacking you did not stand a chance. Wanda came down just on time to join the fight after she successfully destroyed the stone, saving you from the incoming ships.

Thanos appeared not long after. He somehow knew that Wanda already destroyed the stone and he was angry.

Good, Natasha thought. That meant he'll be sloppy and distracted, which is exactly what you need. He tried to use the green stone right away, but the red mist surrounding his arm stopped him from moving his fingers, keeping his arm in place. He didn't have the chance to shake Wanda away, Stormbreaker already sliced his arm off.

His body was left in Wakanda for science purposes.

Tony, Peter and a wizard, Dr. Strange, came back on Earth a week later on a cool-looking spaceship that belonged to a woman named Carol, who offered you a cheeky grin when she noticed you staring. Natasha huffed beside you, taking your hand to lead you back inside.

"You know, if you want everyone to stop flirting with your best friend, you should at least ask her out." Yelena complained loud enough for everyone to hear, immediately snapping her mouth shut when she noticed Natasha's glare.

Everyone looked at her in panic, awaiting a catastrophe, except for Tony, who had a knowing look on his face and Carol, who looked like she was ready to fly away any second now.

"What do you mean?" Natasha asked, causing everyone to take a step back.

"You can't be that dense. Everyone knows you're in love with each other, so just ask her out already." Yelena exclaimed, aggressively gesturing between you two.

You tried to hold your laughter, but failed when you saw Natasha slowly sitting down on the grass, her palm connecting with her forehead. "Yelena, we've been together for years." She said.

"What?" You heard Steve shout. "When did that happen?"

"Somewhere between Hydra and the Accords she asked me out. The best date of my life." You answered for her, pulling her back on her feet. "For a team of superheroes you all are kind of dense." You chuckled, patting Yelena on the shoulder as you passed by her. She still had her mouth open in shock.

"For the record, I noticed a long time ago." Tony called after you, clutching his wound.

---

Everything was finally fine, even more than fine, great. And you felt yourself smile when Natasha returned to your room after checking up on Tony.

"Did you threaten him?" She changed into her sleep clothes, tiredly rubbing her shoulder.

"Who? Tony?" You furrowed your eyebrows, trying to remember if you actually did. She nodded, sending you a teasing smile. "Oh, shut up. What did he say?"

"He apologized for what he said to me back then, and for not being here for us when we dealt with the Red Room." You were surprised, but not shocked. You knew Tony always cared about your girlfriend, just in his own way. "Thank you." She added, cuddling into your side.

"For what?" You arms circled her form, stroking her shoulder.

"For choosing me." She whispered into your neck, and you could feel the slightest shake of her voice against your throat.

"I'll always choose you." You placed a kiss on the top of her head, tightening your hold. "Always."

We already had whipped Nat, so I thought, why not have whipped reader? 😌