Chapter 6
“Congratulations Natasha.” A voice said from behind Natasha, who leaning on the railing looking at the nature around her. After her and Steve announced their engagement to everyone, even though they knew, the others congratulated them, and Tony decided on a party. They declined and settled for dinner in town. It was weird at first having everyone eating dinner in a public place, epically for the Guardians because they were not use to people staring, but the public welcomed them with welcomed arms and dinner was on the house since they defended Thanos.
Once dinner was over everyone decided to pack up and get moving with life. Quill and friends left soon after, Nebula promising that they would be back for the wedding, the Barton family was leaving back for the farm in the morning, with Steve and Natasha in tow, Peter and May went back since he still had school to finish and Morgan was not amused (Peter promised to visit over the weekend and that made her smile), T’Challa and Shuri headed back to Wakanda and everyone else was offered a place at the tower until Tony had the strength to start the rebuild of Avengers Facility.
Apparently, Nick and Maria slipped back into the shadows after the announcement, never to be seen at dinner. Until now.
“I thought you left.” She said not taking her eyes off the trees in front of her.
“I did, but I needed to check on you all one last time.” Nick said.
“Right.” Because you did that so well last time Natasha wanted to say, but she kept her mouth shut. She didn’t hate Nick or Maria for the issue that happened in Washington with the fall of Shield, but she would be lying if she said that she wasn’t still a little hurt by the fact that he said he didn’t know who to trust and he never really apologized for keeping her in the dark. Nick was the father figure that she never thought she would have. He may have not liked her at first, but the trust grew and then he became someone she confided in when she had nightmares and Clint, or Phil weren’t around.
“Let’s go for a walk.”
They walked on the path that Tony made for Morgan, the sun was setting, and it made the large creek glow in a hue of purple, pink, and orange, it was beautiful.
“You know I’ve always trusted you.” Nick said as they passed a family of birds chirping in the tree above them. It was typical of him to jump feet first into any topic, he knew how to read her just like Barton did. It annoyed her to no end.
“Oh,”
“I guess I should’ve had this conversation years ago,” he chuckled out before sighing, “I never had the words I guess.”
“It doesn’t matter now; I’m over it.” She said, suddenly finding her ring more interesting to play with then looking at the man on her right.
“Are you?” he asked with his eyebrow raised and disbelief clear in his voice. He stopped walking then and gently grabbed her by the elbow to get her to stop as well, and turning her so they were standing face to face. She couldn’t look at him. She really never thought that they would be having this conversation years later; she hadn’t moved on all the way but damn it she had her walls up.
“Natasha.” Nick said softly, never letting his hand leave her elbow but in a light grip.
“I-I never really forgave you, but then again you never said sorry,” the Russian only sighed and secretly hoped that someone would come looking for them, so she didn’t have to do this right now. The only people that she talked to about this was Steve, Tony, and Clint, but only because two of them worked for the man and knew what it was like, and other was a close friend who knew what it was like to be betrayed by someone close.
“I don’t know if I’m stupid for thinking that you would ever say sorry. You knew who you wanted to know about your fake death and I-I thought we were close enough for you to fill me in, but I guess I was wrong. I struggled with trust a lot in my life. I mean I gained Phil and Clint’s trust so fast, why? I don’t know. You and Maria were a lot more work, but I knew you two were the ones who was going to make me work for said trust.”
Gosh here she went crying. Again.
“You paired me up with Steve after the whole Loki thing and I really wanted his trust because teammates needed to trust each other, but damn it was hard when you had me doing secret missions behind his back. He found out and he was mad, he didn’t talk to me for days until you die. While I earned his trust, I clearly didn’t have yours,” she was getting angry with each passing word, and Nick did nothing but listen, no point of stopping her when she was pissed.
“You died! I saw you die! Your heart stopped beating. Do you how hard it was to explain to Clint and the kids that you were gone? Like me, you were a father to Clint and a grandfather to his kids and now you were gone. Did you ever think about them when you made that plan? Did you think about me? For fuck sakes Nick I love you! You’re the only father I’ve ever had in my life, taking me in when I clearly wasn’t wanted by your superiors who wanted me dead and then you were gone! I had no one. I had a man that didn’t trust me to tie his shoes and no one from Shield who I could trust and then it turns out you were alive the whole fucking time! Steve, Sam, and I went through hell and you were just chilling in the bucker like it was nothing; like there wasn’t a war going on and all of our co-workers and friends weren’t about to lose their jobs!”
Natasha realized at this moment that Nick had let her go and she was pacing, running her hands through her hair successfully ruining her ponytail, but in all she realized how sorry he looked, like a puppy being told no about something.
“You never said sorry, and I promise you I waited day after day waiting on that phone call or letter saying how sorry you were, but I never got that,” the red head let out a breathily chuckle as she waved her arms around her, “but here we are nine years later having this conversation.”
For moments no one said anything, both too shocked by her outburst. Natasha was never the one to let her emotions show, it’s something that she only started doing when she got this little family of her’s.
“Emotions make you weak.” Her trainers always said, never once giving her praise or love, just threats and beatings. Natasha shook her head and was about to walk off, clearly, he wasn’t going to say anything and there was no point of standing in the middle of the woods with someone who didn’t care about anything that she said.
“Listen I don’t think that we-“ Nick grabbed her by the arm and pulled her to his chest, trapping her by wrapping his arm around her middle and burying his other hand into her ponytail.
“Natasha I’m so sorry that I ever made you feel like you were never trust worthy. You know I trust you with my life, you would never turn your back on me, and I know that, I’ve always known that. I should’ve including you in the plan and never made you feel left out. Hell, I should’ve come to you and apologize the same day, I could’ve and should’ve called. You’re like a daughter to me and I’ve always loved you. I’m so sorry Natochka.”
Natasha couldn’t believe that Nick was apologizing, saying he loved her, and crying at the same time. Instead of saying anything she only wrapped her arms around his middle and buried her head in his chest. They don’t know how long they stood there, just holding each other in comfortable silence, but soon Nick pulled back and give her a small kiss on her forehead before giving her a smile, in which she returned.
“I’m sorry.” He whispered.
“I forgive you, but only if you do me a favor.”
“Anything.”
“Walk me down the aisle?”
Nick could only laugh before shaking his head, “Of course I want to walk you down the aisle.” Natasha’s smile only got wider with that statement. They got their selves together as much as they could before they walked back to the house.
“You know I have to threaten him, right?”
“Please don’t, poor Steve already got threaten by Clint, Tony, Nebula, Rocket, both Peters, and Bruce. He doesn’t need to be scared anymore. I want to make it to my wedding day.”
“It’s never a complete threat until the father gives the groom one.”
“Oh gosh!”