FOURTEEN
Natasha woke up that morning feeling so refreshed as if her body had recovered from being drained by everything she had been through, yet oddly she feels like something was amiss. She has no idea what it was, but the nagging feeling she feels tells her she lost something important. Despite feeling odd that morning she did not dare voice it out around them, especially to Wanda who has been extra careful and overly concerned about her since the day before. It was when she woke up from the weirdest nap she had.
They were about to leave the apartment when Wanda got a call from Clint asking when they would be coming back he has been pestering her nonstop, she had no choice but to tell him they were flying in a couple of hours despite Natasha wanting it to be a surprise.
They were surprised when Natasha announced that she booked the tickets right after getting a call from Pepper about having a get-together and she wanted Yelena to meet her other family as well, it was only fitting they go home, and besides, she misses Morgan and Clint’s kids too and there’s this weird feeling pulling her back home.
During the months she had spent in Budapest with Wanda and her family. She witnessed the two becoming close and forming a bond. She would often find them talking hushedly like they were forming a plan behind her back, she let it slide from time to time relieved that they were getting along. Yelena has this ability to make connections and bond with anyone despite undergoing what they had been through, it was something she wished she had. To be free to say whatever is in her mind and show how she feels, but she never did have it scared of forming an attachment just for it to be taken away from her in the future. She must say though she’s improved in that area thanks to SHIELD and Clint who showed her how it is to have a family.
She was mindlessly staring at the window with Liho in her arms purring as she pet him when she heard Wanda calling her.
“Nat, we’re ready to go.”
Natasha just nodded and immediately placed Liho in the carrier, she couldn’t find it in herself to leave him anymore after spending months with him she realized that the cat has been with her since the beginning he would always come back when she was home and he kept doing it several times even when she tried to drive him away many times. Liho was the first thing she could call hers after her defection, Liho didn’t leave her and now it’s her turn.
They left for the airport excited to see everyone again and she can’t wait to find out what that pull she was feeling, it scared her a little not knowing what she was about to discover but she was ready to find out what it was. Maybe it could get her answers to what she was feeling at the moment, the feeling like she was missing a huge part of her leaving a space inside her. It drives her crazy not knowing what was amiss and she hopes she will find it once she gets home and has the answer she was looking for, something she couldn’t find inside her head no matter how much digging she gets herself into.
Darkness swallowed around the cabin and the party was getting livelier as the night gets deeper everyone started arriving by sunset and helped out with the preparations. Steve kept on pacing in the leaving area counting the minutes before Natasha’s arrival. He was the first person the guests would meet as they arrive he would interact with them for a bit before going to where the party was.
The party was in full swing when they heard Natasha’s Corvette making a stop in front of the house. They all rushed to the living area to meet them, the first to get down was Wanda with a blonde girl with her. She introduced her to them as Yelena, Nat’s sister from Russia. Everyone greeted her warmly but the angry look she gave to Steve didn’t go unnoticed by them as Wanda tried hard to pull her away from him stopping her from lunging at him. Wanda was able to contain Yelena and distanced her away from Steve by bringing her to Clint and his family and miraculously she started behaving.
As the attention was on Wanda and Yelena no one noticed that Natasha was standing on the threshold looking at them as they warmly welcomed her sister, but the thing that got her mind all jumbled was what she was feeling, she feels like the emptiness she felt earlier was gone. She wanted her presence unknown for a bit longer as she prepares herself to face them but Liho had other ideas by jumping out of her hold making her presence known, grabbing everyone’s attention. She followed the black cat’s movement and saw him grabbing a man’s attention as if asking to be picked up. This was unusual behavior from the cat for he only ever let her pick him up, so seeing him do this made her stare at them curiously. He was a stranger yet he allowed him to pick him up and what surprised her more was the fact that it was Steve Rogers, Captain America who was supposed to be in another timeline as she last remembered.
After having picked up the cat, Steve looked in the direction of where it came from, knowing exactly whose presence he felt, and there she was standing in the doorway looking gorgeous as ever, she was looking at him curiously but there was something in the way she was looking at him, he shrugged it immediately and just looked at her with gawking eyes and started to feel himself getting teary.
She started making her way to him, everyone anticipating what she would do, would she slap and beat him up or will she come and run to him to hug and kiss him? That was what was on everybody’s mind but, the moment she was in front of him they never expected what she said next.
“I’m sorry captain, he doesn’t usually let someone hold him or even carry him I don’t know what’s gotten into him just randomly jumping on people.” She continued mumbling as she took away the cat from him scolding it for running off like that.
Everyone just stared at the two dumbfoundedly, Steve froze to his spot as he watched her retrieving figure away from him. They never expected Natasha to treat Steve that coldly like she’s never known the man before.
Natasha excused herself to settle Liho in her room telling them the cat might be fuzzy because of the long hours of flight earlier promising them she’ll be back quickly. After she left all eyes were on Steve as he remained on his spot still confused about what just happened.
“She doesn’t remember you,” it was Wanda and all eyes and ears were on her after she said that. “Well, she does remember you, but just the Steve she used to work with. She has no recollection of the intimate relationship you shared.”
“I will explain everything later, for now, let’s just support and make her feel like nothing has changed. Just act the way you used to be with her, just not you Steve I’m sorry.” Wanda explained and looked at Steve with sympathy.
Bucky was on his side immediately silently comforting him, as if telling him we will figure this out. When Natasha came out of the room, everyone had composed themselves about what they learned and started welcoming her excitedly this time. She was encased in everyone’s warm embrace as they each waited for their turn, Morgan and Clint’s kids gave her the tightest hug they could muster. Then, there were James and Steve left she was hesitant for a bit seeing that they were in a deep conversation, but later decided to intervene.
“James?” she called him with a raised brow in a teasing manner.
“Natalia,” James took her in his arms and hugged her tightly, which somehow brought a pang to Steve’s heart as he watches them interact.
“Captain,” she addressed him curtly extending an arm for him to shake, which he took hesitantly and pulled her in front of him encasing her in his warm embrace afraid of letting go, which surprised Natasha to no end but didn’t fight it after feeling the safest in his arms.
They stayed like that for a bit and after pulling out of the hug the longing look he was giving her surprised her more. “It’s Steve Nat.” she heard him say.
“Steve,” she worded out liking the sound of it, and extended her arm once again and he took it lightly shaking it this time giving him the gentlest smile. She excused herself from them and went to where the kids were sitting and started playing with them. Steve looked at her longingly from the distance as Bucky patted his back to comfort him before leaving him alone with his thoughts.
He would recognize that look he gave her any time of the day, it was the same look she gave him the very first time they met. He would never forget the day she was the first person he saw after waking up from the ice, he remembers how his heart jolted after seeing her, it's like she woke something up inside him and he has never forgotten her ever since. He remembers vividly how she pinned him down after chasing him out of the facility she was the only one brave enough to subdue him when he panicked after waking up in a different world. The look she had earlier gave his heart another jolt but this time it was pain from not recognizing him. Gone was the look of love and concern, when he glanced at her eyes earlier all he saw was unfamiliarity and curiosity and it was killing him inside, he can’t wait to get to the bottom of this and find out what happened.