Maybe Matt and Natasha should have told everyone, life had given them plenty of opportunities.
Maybe Natasha should have told Tony when he asked her if she had a hot date. Maybe she should have said “Yes” instead of “No”.
Maybe Matt should have told Karen when she asked about his new curtains. Maybe he should have said “They’re for my girlfriend” instead of “I just thought they’d be nice”.
Maybe Natasha should have told Sam when he whistled at her during her walk of shame. Maybe she should have said “I’m not ashamed of what I did” instead of “I had a late intel mission, I crashed at my S.H.I.E.L.D office.
Maybe Matt should have told Foggy when he asked about the hickey Matt didn’t realize he had. Maybe he should have said “Yeah my girlfriend gave me a hickey” instead of “This guy thought punching my throat would work”.
Maybe Natasha should have told Laura when she asked who the lucky guy was. Maybe she should have said “His name is Matt” instead of “I don’t have time for guys”.
Maybe Matt should have told Father Latom when he mentioned trying to find love instead of anger. Maybe he should have said “I already have” instead of “Not today Father”.
Maybe Natasha should have told Bruce when he asked her out. Maybe she should have said “Sorry I have a boyfriend” instead of “Sorry I don’t date coworkers”.
Maybe Matt should have told Karen when her investigative journalism caught a photo of them together. Maybe he should have said “Alright, alright I have a girlfriend” instead of “I can’t even see the picture”.
Maybe Natasha should have told Vision when he asked where she sneaks off to every night. Maybe she should have said “My boyfriends place” instead of “I don’t know what you mean”.
Maybe Matt should have told Foggy when he questions why he needed a three-week vacation. Maybe he should have said “I’m getting married” instead of “I deserve a three-week vacation”.
Maybe Natasha should have told Wanda when she pointed out a weird tan line on her ring finger. Maybe she should have said “I got married” instead of “Oh I’m constantly wearing rings for missions”.
Maybe Matt should have told Foggy when Foggy stubble into his house drunk and saw Natasha in the bed. Maybe he should have said “That’s my wife” instead of “You know me I’m a player”.
Maybe Natasha should have told F.R.I.D.A.Y when F.R.I.D.A.Y called her Mrs. Murdock. Maybe she should have said “Yes F.R.I.D.A.Y” instead of “My name is agent Romanoff”.
Maybe Matt should have told Karen when she said someone needs to take care of him when she can’t. Maybe he should have said “Someone does” instead of “I’m fine Karren”.
Maybe Natasha should have told Yelena when she asked if she every though about kids. Maybe she should have said “Yes me and Matt have discussed it” instead of “Where you gonna go”.
Maybe Matt should have told Karen why he was so worried when the blip happened. Maybe he should have said “What if she blipped” instead of “My senses can’t handle this”.
Maybe Natasha should have told Clint when she spoke her final words. Maybe she should have said “Tell Matt I love him” instead of “It’s ok”.
Maybe if they would have done this Matt wouldn’t have found out about her death through the news. Maybe he wouldn’t have broken into a million pieces. Maybe he would have been able to find the words to tell his friends why he felt so much grief.
“Matt, where are you going?” Karen asked.
“I’m going to a funeral.” Matt said blankly.
“Are you sure that’s a good idea? You haven’t really been yourself lately.” Karen said.
“For whom?” Foggy tried to swerve the conversation away from Karen’s question.
“Natalia Alianovna Romanova.” Matt told them.
“Who?” Karen asked.
“Natasha Romanoff.” Matt clarified.
“Natasha Romanoff? Isn’t she Black Widow? You knew Black Widow?” Foggy asked.
“Yes.” Matt said.
“How?” Karen questioned.
“She was my wife.” And with that Matt left. Of course, Foggy and Karen ran after him, question and question pouring out of their mouths, but Matt couldn’t hear. A weight had been lifted from his shoulders, but grief had filled its spot. Eventually, Foggy and Karen realized Matt was crying; they realized they were on their way to Matt’s wife’s funeral. They had the rest of their lives to question him. Matt only had now to go to his wife's funeral. They both locked arms on each side of him and they walked.
When they got to the funeral home there was a bouncer, apparently with a public figure like Black Widow your name needs to be on a list to get in.
"Matthew Murdock." Matt told the bouncer.
"Yep, I see you."
"Um Karen Page." Karen said. The bouncer nodded.
"Foggy Nelson." Foggy was hesitant.
"Yeah, your all good." And the bouncer waved them in. Foggy and Karen where confused how they could have possibly been let in. Matt knew how though. Matt and Natasha had each wrote to letters, that explained everything to everyone, just in case they died. Foggy and Karen would have read his, Nick Fury or Clint Barton would have read Natasha's.
The service was beautiful, Karen and Foggy could see why Matt married her. Each of the Avengers spoke about their favorite memory of Natasha. Matt didn't though. Karen wanted to push him up there tell him he had every right, but then she realized; they didn't know either. Matt and Natasha had a secret life together. After the service everyone gathered and chatted amongst themselves. While Matt, Karen, and Foggy stayed back.
"How'd you know Nat?" A semi-familiar man asked. There was an awkward silence as Foggy and Karen, waited for Matt to respond.
"You wouldn't believe me if I told you." Matt told the man.
"Ha, I probably would." The man let out a small chuckle.
"Now isn't the time nor the place." Matt smiled.
"Now is exactly the time and exactly the place." The man was a little irritated now.
“She was my wife.” Matt said softly.
“What? No, no, Nat would have, no. You liar.” The man yelled but Matt was anticipating this action. Matt didn’t move, he just let the other man feel. “How could you ever say that?” The man asked with venom in his tone.
“Sir, will you please calm down.” Karen’s tone was gentle.
“Yeah, this is a funeral.” Foggy reminded him.
“My best friends Funeral, he just thinks he can come up in here and disrespect her like that!” The man balled his fist.
“Clint. Clint stop!” Some man with an eye patch said.
“He said he was Nat’s husband!” Clint yelled.
“Are you Matthew Murdock?” The other man asked.
“Yes I am.” Matt said.
“Hello Matthew, I’m director Nick Fury, nice to meet you.” Fury grabbed Matt’s hand and placed it in his hand. “He’s not lying Clint.” Fury reached into his pocket and took out a piece of paper. As Clint began to read it Foggy and Karen went and stood behind him so they could read over his shoulders.
Dear whoever is reading this,
I’m sorry I’ve never fully been honest. As a spy I have my lies, I have my secrets, but none as big as the one I share with Matthew Murdock, my husband. We never wanted to keep this a secret from all of you for this long, but we did, we felt as we needed to. Don’t be mad at Matt, if you must be mad be mad at me. Me and Matt lived a happy life together, it was amazing, and I loved him with every fiber of my being.
I’m sorry I never let any of you know, I’m sorry I kept such a big secret, and I’m sorry I can’t offer you a better explanation. Matt might have a better one for you.
I love you all,
-Natasha Romanoff
“Matt.” Karen looked up.
“Yes?” Matt asked.
“There’s braille on this note.” Foggy gently took the note from Clints hands and placed it into Matt’s. Matt hesitated for a minute, unsure if he was ready for whatever it said.
Dear Matt,
The love of my life, I hope you never read this and if you do I hope we’re 80 years old and we lived a long happy life together. If we lived to be 80 hopefully, we told everyone anyways, so you wouldn’t have to read this. Though I’m suspecting we’re not 80 and we didn’t tell anyone. I’m sorry that I left you to deal with this mess, to explain everything to everyone, to show our pictures and reassure everyone that we were happy just the way we were. But most of all I’m sorry I’m gone. I hope you find happiness and warmth and joy and love. I loved you with all of my might and I know you loved me that much too.
It might be wrong of me to sign off like this, given the circumstances, but it wouldn’t be a true bye without it. I love you, and Matt, don’t die.
-Natalia Murdock
“May I-” Matt stops to clear his throat. “May I keep this?” He asked.
“Of course.” Fury told him.
“I will explain to all of you, one day I promise, today is just not that day.” And with that Matt left. Leaving everyone with questions. Matt would keep good on his promise, he would explain, when he was ready.
Right now, all he could do is grieve and think that maybe, just maybe, if they would have told everyone things might have been different.