the stomach problems
“So any hot goss?” Clint wiggled his eyebrows suggestively at the group. Natasha winced at the volume.
“Did you go to another rock concert again?”
“What?”
“Clint! Did you go to another rock concert again?!”
“HUH- I haven’t been able to hear since like last night! I went to a rock concert again!”
Pepper groaned, “He’s literally deaf now.”
“Oh well!” Tony snatched some of Clints fries when he looked the other way. He threw one at Maria, “Why do you look traumatized?”
Maria glared at Tony and Pepper smacked him on the shoulder.
“It’s nothing, not that you would care anyways.” Tony shrugged and stole another fry.
Natasha looked concerned and bumped her, “Are you okay?” The redhead had finally shook off the previous incident and was coming up with a plan to get Maria off her trail.
“Yeah I’m fine… Oh I forgot to ask, are you coming over Tuesday?”
“Hey! Why wasn’t I invited?”
“Shut up Tony!” all three girls from the table yelled.
“I’ll ask tonight, I forgot, sorry.”
Maria shook her head, “Don’t worry about it.”
Natasha suddenly announce she needed a napkin and got up quickly. At the napkin stand she ‘accidentally’ ran into Sofia.
“Heyyy Sof…”
“What’s wrong with you?
“Okay ouch... I need a favor….” Sofia waved her on, “when you guys called Maria while I was like half conscious did I say anything about kissing.”
“Yeah you don’t remember? You almost told her you
kissed Madam B.”
“Did she hear that? like any of it.”
“I think we cut you off before she heard the whole name.”
“But she heard Madam?”
“Probably half of it, like Mad and then Alaina’s scream in the background.”
“Why was she screaming?”
“Because you were saying stupid shit!”
“Okay well I may have slipped up and called Madam B Madam B in front of Maria so I need you to come up to me and Maria when we are walking to gym and mention that someone with a name that sounds like Madam or something like that was asking about me or something and then we will pretend she like an ex of mine okay?”
Sofia was silent for a long second, “Madeline Groves, age 16 you met at an ice cream shop in town over summer, she was only there for a week and after she left she never contacted you again.”
“Got it thank you so much, I really owe you okay?”
Sofia smiled, “I’ll hold you to it.”
Natasha return to the table without a napkin but with a solid plan.
On their walk to gym Natasha made sure to walk with Maria (Like she ever wouldn’t) and jumped in surprise when Sofia appeared behind them.
“Natasha! Nat guess what?”
“What? What’s wrong?”
“Do you remember Mady?”
“Madeline? Madeline Groves?”
“Yeah well apparently her cousin still goes here and was asking for your number.
“Oh, well- I’m not really looking right now, also she should still have my number from last year.”
“Didn’t you block her though?”
“Oh maybe? I’m not sure.”
Sofia shrugged, “Just thought you would want to know.”
“Okay see you.”
They continued walking in silence until Maria asked, “Why would she already have your number? And why did you block her?”
“We um talked for a little during the summer, only got to hang out a few times but she was the closest i had to a relationship before-“
Never mind, this got too real too fast.
“before?”
“before you.” Natasha whispered it but Maria could have sworn it came out as a scream.
“Oh well- i think-”
“It’s okay I know- you don’t have to- i know i’m a lot- sorry you don’t have to say anything.”
“I think this is the closet i’ve ever had to a relationship too.”
“Oh, really?” Natasha smiled.
“Really? So uh, was this Madeline a good kisser or-” Maria needed to know she desperately need to know that Natasha had been taking about Madeline before. She needed to know.
Natasha laughed a little and pushed Maria’s arm, “Don’t you worry, you are ten times better.”
Once they reached the locker rooms Natasha changed in the stall once again before finding Maria and heading to run her laps.
Natasha was quickly regretting participating in gym. Her stomach and chest burned from her wounds. Once she was done running she immediately laid down in the cool grass. Her eyebrows were furrowed shut and she just prayed she wouldn’t throw up again.
She was so preoccupied she didn’t even notice Maria coming up next to her.
“Catch.” Maria dropped the plastic water bottle and Natasha scrambled to grab it. It smacked her stomach causing her to groan in genuine pain. She then realized the lid must have been put on incorrectly because it began to soak her shirt.
Her incredibly cheap see-through shirt. Natasha shot up and Maria began apologizing immediately.
“I’m so sorry I didn’t mean, I thought it was closed.” Maria helped her stand up and Natasha pulled the shirt
so it wouldn’t stick to her skin and reveal the marks underneath. Her shirt in the back rode up a little.
Maria placed a hand on her back and helped her over to the bleachers were May stood. Her hand rested on the exposed skin of Natasha’s back. Now At first all Maria was think was “Fuck Fuck I’m so sorry.” but that slowly morphed to “Oh my god are these scars on her back” to “Fuck these are scars on her back” which then became “why the fuck are there these many scars on her back?”
Natasha cringed away from her touch and Maria immediately let go.
“I need another shirt.”
“Okay, let’s get to May first so she can let us back into the locker rooms.”
Maria spoke to May, sensing Natasha’s alright rough state and May allowed Natasha back into the locker rooms to get a new shirt.
“Are you okay?” Maria asked the second she got back.
Natasha nodded but didn’t want to say much more. Her stomach still hurt from the water bottle falling on it.
The rest of the day Natasha didn’t talk much and Maria didn’t pry, she felt bad enough although she wasn’t sure why it was that big of a deal.
After school was over Natasha texted Maria back about coming over the next day
natasha: mrs beivel said it’s fine but I have to be home by 9
maria h: okay, you want to come over right after school and i’ll drive you home at 9?
natasha: let me ask
20 minute and one yelling match later
natasha: yes that sounds good
Once Natasha was in Maria’s car driving to Maria’s house she knew she made the right decision talking to Madam B again. Maria held her hand gently as she steered with the other.
Natasha tried to ignore the butterflies in her stomach.
Once they got to Maria’s house it was obvious Carol, Maria and Monica were still there. A fact Maria had not mentioned. As Carol came to say hello Natasha found herself hiding behind Maria a little, afraid of making eye contact with the older women.
“Hey kid, Hey Natasha, how are you doing? I didn’t get to say goodbye when you were last over.” Carol held Monica in her arms, who was scrambling to get down.
Natasha glanced up at Carol and found her smiling, she set Monica on the ground who then ran to hug Maria.
“I’m okay, thank you for asking, how are you?” her words were awkward and robotic but Carol just smiled and replied she was doing well.
Monica went to Natasha and hugged her legs as well, Natasha simply frozen again.
Maria picked Monica up from off Natasha’s legs, “How are you rugrat?”
Monica squealed as Maria held her sideways like an infant, “good!”
Maria (R) came over at the moment and said hello to Natasha before taking Monica to give her a snack.
Maria took Natasha to her room and they put their bags away. Maria jumped onto her bed already lying down, Natasha wanted to trying jumping into a bed so she followed. She regretted it as her head hit part of the wall with a loud thud.
“Are you okay? That sounded like it hurt.”
Natasha waved it off but secretly her head was throbbing in that one sections.
“It’s fine, my fault for not thinking about the wall.”
“Are you sure? Can I see?”
Natasha offered up her head and Maria felt around for bumps or red marks. She didn’t think she would find anything until she hit one spot with her pointer finger that had Natasha gasp and hold her breathe.
Mark removed her hands immediately, “I’m gonna get you an ice pack.”
“Maria come on, I’m okay, children need ice packs, im not a child.”
“You don’t have to be a child to get hurt Natasha.” With that Maria left the room and got a ziplock bag to fill with ice.
Maria returned and laid down next to Natasha before she gently applied the ice pack to Natasha’s head.
“Thank you Masha.”
Maria just smiled, “Don’t worry about it.” She looked into Natasha’s eye a little longer, “I think we should talk.”
Natasha looked a little scared.
“Nothing bad, i just want to know what we… are? are we a thing? are we not a thing?”
“I think I want us to be a thing.”
“I think I want us to be a thing too.”
“So are we a thing?”
“I think we’re a thing.”
Natasha smiled at Maria and moved to press a quick kiss to her lips, “so just to be clear, what kind of thing are we?”
“I’m hoping a girlfriend girlfriend kinda thing.”
Natasha nodded, “I was hoping so too.”
Maria smiled and kisses Natasha quickly, Natasha added a hand to the back of Maria’s head to hold her there. Once Maria pulled away she felt the need to clarify again.
“I’m not ready for everyone to know though.”
“No i’m not either, Mrs Beivel can’t know and I don’t really want to have Tony screaming about it all the time.”
Maria nodded, “Would Mrs Beivel be mad?”
“Maybe? I don’t know, I would just rather she doesn’t find out.”
Maria nodded again, “Okay, I want to tell Nick and Carol and Maria though, is that okay?”
“They’re your family of course it’s okay.”
Maria moved the ice pack back to Natasha’s head and the redhead shuddered.
“Sorry, didn’t warn you. Oh hey, I’m really sorry about the water bottle thing from yesterday.”
“Don’t worry about it I was overreacting.”
They sat in silence in each others arms. It was rudely interrupted by a pinging from Maria’s phone, followed by one from Natasha’s phone before several more came through at a rapid rate.
They both opened their phones and Natasha burst out laughing. In their lunch table group chat was a picture of Clint wearing two lime green hearing aids, one hand holding an AC/DC cd and the others making a thumbs down.
“NO WAY!”
Maria started laughing as well.
“Clint literally made himself go deaf at the age of 17.”
“Guess we’re gonna have to use sign language now.”
Natasha kept laughing until it looked to be causing herself pain.
They both typed out their own responses before knocking came from the door. Natasha sat up on the bed as Maria answered it.
“Hey kid, can you take the kid for a second? Dad went to the grocery story and Maria and I have a work call.”
“Yeah sure.”
Carol put Monica down in Maria’s room.
“Thanks just don’t traumatize her we’ll probably be done in half an hour.”
Maria shut the door and Monica began running around her room.
“RIA RIA ROOM, RIA ROOM.”
Maria laughed and let her continue running around.
She sat by Natasha and watched her run, “Do you mind me asking why you don’t like kids?”
Natasha shrugged, “I just don’t know what to do with them.” It wasn’t a lie at all actually, Natasha just hated the memories they brought up of the dead little girls she had once seen before.
Monica ran to Natasha.
“Shasha?”
Natasha nodded, “Hello.”
“Shasha, Up!”
Natasha shook her head, “Remember how that ended last time?”
“Shasha Up!”
Maria picked the girl up and placed her on her own lap.
“Shasha?”
“Yes Monica?”
“Shasha Kill?”
“What?” Natasha looked to Maria panicked, “What did she just say?”
“Shasha Kill?”
Maria turned the girl to look at her, “Do you know what you’re saying? What are you trying to say rugrat?”
“Kill!”
“What does that mean Monica?” Maria had a good idea it wasn’t what she was trying to say
Monica pointed at Maria, “Ria Kill! Shasha Kill?”
“Hill?”
“Yes! Kill!” Maria breathed out a sigh of relief but Natasha was still holding it, “Shasha Kill?”
“No,” Natasha shook herself out of it, “Shasha Romanoff or Romanova.”
“Shasha Omanuff”
Maria pulled out her camera and pressed record of the two interacting.
“Natasha Romanoff.”
“Shasha Omanuff!”
Natasha sighed, “You tried Monisha Shambau"
Monica giggled and climbed onto Natasha’s lap, “Silly Shasha.”
“Silly Monisha.”
Maria ended the video just after Natasha looked up. Maria smiled as she rewatched the video. Monica giggled as it played before pulling at Natasha’s one braid and poking her face.
Natasha let a small smile fall onto her face.
When Carol and Maria came to collect Monica they were surprised by how loud the laughing was that came from Maria’s room. Through a crack in the door they observed.
“Shasha again!”
Natasha pressed herself up into a bridge and Monica giggled as the redhead made funny faces at her.
Maria joined in on the bridge and it turned into a competition of who could last longer.
Maria ultimately dropped when Monica came over to tickle her stomach. Monica went to do the same to Natasha but she dropped quickly to avoid the little girl touching her semi healed wounds. Monica then threw herself on Natasha. She reacted immediately, sitting up and pushing the girl off her as she sucking in breaths rapidly. Her eyes were shut tight in pain.
When Natasha started dry heaving Carol ran into the room, immediately at the redheads side. Maria (H) handed Monica to Maria (R).
Natasha refused to look at Carol once she had stopped dry heaving. Maria quickly returned to her side and Natasha shifted closer to her, away from Carol.
“Natasha, honey are you alright? What happened?”
Natasha shook her head.
“I am sorry, I overreacted, She just scared me, I didn’t mean to hurt her.”
Carol shook her head, “You didn’t hurt her honey, you barley touched her.”
“She’s a baby, babies get hurt easy.”
“Well maybe, but Monica is tough.”
Natasha wrapped two arms around her stomach protectively.
“Who hurt her?”
Carol looked to Maria (R) then back to Natasha, “What do you mean kid?”
«pain makes you stronger.» Natasha whispered in Russian.
“Kid I don’t speak Russian I’m sorry.”
“It is nothing, do not worry, I am sorry, I need to use the restroom.” Natasha spoke all of this with a faint Russian accent, It was barely noticeable but Carol and Maria ² picked up on it.
Natasha got up and walked past Maria(R) and Monica to get to the restroom.
Carol immediately turned to her wife, “We need to get Fury.”
“Carol what’s happening?” Maria (H) looked between Maria(R) and Carol. Carol pulled her into a hug that Maria surprisingly reciprocated, “Im scared.”
“I know kid, we’re gonna figure it out, don’t worry Ria.”
Maria didn’t let go when Carol tried to pull away.
“Are you okay sweetheart?” Carol pushed some of the teenager’s hair away from her face.
“I’m scared, I know something is going on, I know it. I can feel it. Something bad.”
Carol kissed her forehead, “I know, we’re gonna figure it out, whatever it is.”
Maria shook her head, “We need to do something, I saw- well I felt scars- on her back- a lot of them.”
Carol closed her eyes, “I hate saying this but kid we can’t jump to conclusions, they could be old scars, from before.”
“Her parents didn’t abuse her! They died!”
“Did she tell you that they didn’t?”
Maria frowned, “No she didn’t but I just know-”
“Ria, we need to do this right, we’ll talk to Dad okay?”
Maria nodded and allowed Carol to finally let go of her.
Carol left Maria(H) with Monica for a little longer to wait for Natasha. Once alone with her wife she let the revelations of what is happening right in front of her eyes wash over her.
“Mar- I can’t watch this again- It was the same with Maria- I can’t watch-“
Maria pulled her into her arms, swaying gently, “You’re strong, be strong for them, I know you feel like there is nothing you can do but I honestly think you have enough to go to CPS with, even just with suspicions of abuse.”
“But- Maria what happens to her? Remember what she said- she only got sent to the home because of the whole Russian thing- Would they send her back to Russia?”