#im sure we can all agree that rhodey is awesome

[slightly-smarter-nat]

And YOU have just earned yourself another follower by how kick ass your Nat fics are!

May I request a Natasha x Military!Female reader? Maybe something like Tony and Rhodey, who have been friends with her way back because Rhodey was like a mentor to her in the military while Tony is like a best friend/brother figure, introduce Reader to the team when she comes back from deployment and Natasha immediately catches feelings for her. Then throughout her time at the compound, both women bond and start falling in love with each other and eventually start dating but then Reader gets called for her next deployment and Natasha is just devastated and worried for her and it’s a really sad goodbye. But then after months of deployment, Reader comes back and announces that she talked to Fury to have the chance to become an Avenger and was accepted on the condition that the team agreed as well, which they do. And so then it’s a tearful heartfelt reunion between Natasha and Reader!

If there is a chance it could be a slow burn fic, that’d be awesome, but if it’s a regular fic, THAT IS STILL AWESOME TOO! Im sorry if this is a long request I apologize!! 😅

Forest Stars || Natasha Romanoff

Pairing: Natasha Romanoff x Military Fem!Reader

Warnings: Mentions of alcohol consumption; hurt/comfort; slight angst; sad Natasha, mention of Parental death. If I have missed any warnings, please let me know.

Word count: 9162 words (sorry, oops).

A/N: Thank you so much for your request and kind words anon! I really appreciate all of my followers so thank you <3. I hope you all enjoy it. Yes, I know it’s June and this is a Christmas fic but I couldn’t resist the opportunity for all the fluffy moments. I apologise for the multiple breaks in the fic, I just wanted to highlight the time passing as the Reader and Natasha bond, etc.

Please do not repost (on here or any social media platform), copy, translate or take ownership of my work. Reblogs, likes and comments are always appreciated <3.

Masterlist

GIF not mine

Forest Stars: Natasha Romanoff-

“Tony, are you sure it’s okay for Laura and the kids to stay here over the Holidays?” Clint asks as he follows Tony through to the living area with a box marked ‘Christmas Decorations’.

Tony places his box down in front of the bare Christmas Tree- waiting to be decorated by the team, “Of course I am Legolas. The compound is big enough and it gives us all the chance to spend Christmas together.”

Clint refrains from rolling his eyes at the nickname Tony insists on calling him, “Thanks man, I appreciate it.”

“No problem Barton. Little Witch, how are you getting on?” Tony asks as he looks over to Wanda.

Wanda internally groans, “I would be getting along much better if I didn’t keep on getting distracted, Stark.” Wanda returns her gaze to the ceiling, slowly using her powers to string red and gold tinsel along the edge.

Tony puts his hands up in mock surrender, leaving Wanda to complete her task to perfection.

“Now, Rhodey will be heading up this way soon. Then we can get the rest of the decorations done later. In the meantime, I need you and Romanoff to source the food for the big day.”

Clint shoots his gaze from the box he was searching through, “What? Since when has that been our job?”

Tony taps on his glasses to activate his A.I. system, “Since I need you two crazy kids out of here when your presents arrive, which according to F.R.I.D.A.Y, is any minute now. Go find Widow and then I’ll ask Pepper to send you what we need.”

Tony glances around the room, using F.R.I.D.A.Y to show him the possible decoration arrangement options for the living area.

At that moment, Natasha walks into the room, “Ah Nat, come on we have to go on a food run.” Clint says as he tosses her a pair of car keys from the glass coffee table in front of him.

Natasha catches them with ease, “Since when-“

“Don’t even bother, Stark is in ‘Holiday mode’, it’s better to just go with the flow.”

Natasha shakes her head, moving towards the exit with Clint.

“Romanoff, make sure you’re back in time for the party tonight.” Tony shouts as he swipes through the options in which the large Christmas Tree can be decorated.

“I wouldn’t miss it for the world Tony. See you later Wanda.” Natasha waves goodbye to Wanda.

Wanda quickly glances behind her and sends Natasha a smile, “See you soon, Nat.”

“Sure, you don’t bite her head off when she distracts you.” Tony says as he dismisses the A.I. system.

“Do you want me to finish this or not?” Wanda asks, referring to the tinsel hanging.

Before Tony can respond, F.R.I.D.A.Y announces, “Boss, Colonel James Rhodes has arrived.”

“Perfect, send him up.”

ⴵ ⴵ/./. ⴵ ⴵ/./. ⴵ ⴵ

You readjust the duffle bag on your shoulder as you travel up in the elevator with Rhodey.

“Are you sure Tony is okay with this, because I can find somewhere else to stay-“

Rhodey cuts you off, “Y/l/n, for the millionth time, yes. You know Tony, he’ll be over the moon to see you.” He clears his throat awkwardly.

You stare at him as he leans back on the railing, “You haven’t even asked him yet have you?”

“Okay, I’m going to level with you and say… no.” You release a sigh at that.

“Trust me, he’ll say yes, you’re like his little sister, he won’t turn you away.”

The elevator reaches the floor Rhodey inputted, you slowly walk out allowing him to set the pace, which is needed after the accident in Germany.

“I just don’t want to be a burden, this is a special time for everyone and I don’t want to make things awkward.” You say.

Rhodey places a hand on your shoulder, “Look, you’re not a burden, you’re part of this family okay. Yeah, it’s a special time but this is your opportunity to get to know everyone. Everyone will love you, I know it.”

You take in Rhodey’s words and give him an appreciative smile, “Thank you.”

“Now hurry up and move your ass in there before Christmas is over.” Rhodey says as you both move forward into the living quarter.

ⴵ ⴵ/./. ⴵ ⴵ/./. ⴵ ⴵ

“Do my eyes deceive me or is that my favourite Air Force member right there?” Tony says as he moves to bring you into a hug.

“Nice Tony, I’m here too by the way, you know your best friend.” Rhodey says sarcastically.

Tony laughs as he releases you from the hug, “Hmm, last time I checked you were down as ‘acquaintance’ in my contacts- you still owe me an apology.” He says as he ushers you in.

“What? For what?” Rhodey asks as he follows.

“A little birdie told me that you called me ‘Tony Stank’ in a press conference, so of course the Press are having a field day with that one.”

Rhodey smiles at that revelation, “Yeah, that was a good one. I told you I wouldn’t let you live that one down.”

“You know it has a better ring to it than Tony Stark.” You say as you take a seat on the couch.

Tony gasps, “My favourite has turned against me!”

You smirk, “It was only a matter of time.”

Rhodey takes a seat on a chair opposite you, “Anyway, Tony I wanted to ask you if it was cool if y/n stays here over the next few days?”

“You mean for Christmas?” Tony asks as he moves towards the mini bar area to gather drinks for everyone.

“If that’s okay Tony, I don’t want to overstep.” You say.

“Of course you can, you’re family. What brings you here anyway?” Tony asks as he selects a multitude of drink options to pour.

“Oh you know, I finished my Deployment. I have nowhere to go for the Holidays. All that fun stuff.” You say.

Tony walks over with a couple of mystery drinks for you to sample, “Well you’re welcome anytime. Plus we’re having a party tonight so it will be a great way for you to get to know the team. Most of them are out gathering supplies.”

You pick up one of the drinks and take a sip; wincing furiously at the taste. Luckily for you, Tony is distracted by his A.I. system announcing the arrival of several packages.

“Ahh, I’ll be right back, make yourselves comfortable.” Tony leaves the room and heads to the elevator.

Out of the corner of your eye you notice someone enter the room, “Hello Rhodes, long time no see.” She says as she places a heap of string lights on the table in front of you.

“Hey Wanda, so he’s got you helping out has he?” Rhodey asks.

The woman rolls her eyes, “He’s a nightmare, he’s worse than Morgan at this time of year.”

“Don’t worry, he has always been like that, you’ll get used to it. Oh, Wanda, I’d like you to meet a very good friend of Tony’s and I, y/n.” Rhodey gestures to you as he leans forward for a drink.

You stand up and stretch your hand out in greeting, “It’s lovely to meet you Wanda.”

“I’m glad you could make it. I can’t wait to get to know you over the next few days.” You frown in confusion as you’re convinced you saw a flash of red pass through Wanda’s eyes.

“Oh yeah, she reads minds.” Rhodey announces as he spots the confusion in your face.

You give a nod in understanding.

“Well, since you’re staying I can show you to a room if you would like?” Wanda suggests.

“Oh yeah, thanks, that would be great. Only if you don’t mind of course.” You say as you gather your bag filled with your personal items.

Wanda gives you a wave of her hand, “Please, anything to get me out of decorating duty. Come on, I’ll show you around the Compound afterwards too.”

You look towards Rhodey, “Go, I want to catch up with Tony anyway.” He says as he slowly guides himself up, ready to locate your mutual friend.

You turn to follow Wanda, excited to see where you’ll be staying for your time in the Compound.

ⴵ ⴵ/./. ⴵ ⴵ/./. ⴵ ⴵ

*Three hours later*

Natasha places the last of the bags on the Kitchen counter, “I swear, I’m never talking to Tony again after this.”

Clint follows her by releasing a sigh, as he drops off his contributions, “You say that all the time.”

“Yeah, well now I mean it. Where is everyone anyway?” Natasha asks as she notices the living area being mostly decorated, compared to when they left.

“Ahh, Romanoff, you have returned.” Tony says as he walks through with Rhodey.

Natasha scowls at him, “What?”

“Don’t ‘What’ me Stark. You know it’s chaos out there. Clint nearly lost his life over some cranberry sauce.” Natasha says as she sends a quick nod to Rhodey, acknowledging his presence.

“Okay, that’s a little dramatic.” Clint says as he moves some of the food items out of the bag.

Just as Natasha was about to speak, she instantly notices Wanda entering the area from one of the staircases leading from the lower floor.

She manoeuvres herself to see who Wanda is talking to and that’s when she sees you- possibly the most beautiful girl she’s ever laid eyes on.

She’s snapped out of her trance when she hears your laughter- instantly becoming her new favourite sound.

Rhodey waves a hand in front of her face, “Hey, stop drooling over our friend and go say hello.”

Natasha glances between Tony, Clint and Rhodey; instantly going red when she realises they noticed her admiration for you.

Tony smirks in amusement, “Shut up, Stark.” Natasha says as she moves past them.

“I didn’t say anything Romanoff!” Tony lets out dramatically.

Wanda spots Natasha and waves her over, “Natasha! This is y/n, she will be staying with us over Christmas.”

Natasha shakily offers her hand out to you, “Um, it’s nice to meet you.”

You give her a warm smile and shake her hand gladly. The contact sends a wave of happiness through Natasha.

“The pleasure is all mine, I’ve heard a lot about you.”

Natasha widens her eyes slightly, dreading to think what you might have heard.

“Oh, you, you have? That’s cool.” Natasha mentally scolds herself for being so awkward.

Wanda smiles to herself, hearing the conflict going on in Natasha’s mind.

“Y/n, why don’t you go introduce yourself to Clint?” Wanda suggests.

“Yeah, okay. I’ll speak to you later Natasha.” You say with a smile.

Once you leave Natasha puts her face in her hands and groans, causing Wanda to laugh.

“Relax Nat.”

“Relax? I just made myself look like a complete idiot in front of her.” Natasha says as she places her hands on her hips and releases a heavy breath.

“For what it’s worth, you’ve peaked her interest.” Wanda says with a mischievous smile.

Natasha tilts her head, “Wait, what do you mean?”

Wanda slowly starts to walk towards the exit, heading to her room.

Natasha starts to follow her, “Wait, Wanda, tell me what you mean!”

“Natasha, go and get ready for the party otherwise you’re uninvited!” Tony shouts from across the room.

Natasha admits defeat and goes towards her room, she’ll have to question Wanda at the party.

ⴵ ⴵ/./.

As Natasha walks towards the main bar area she’s confused when she doesn’t see the usual crowd of people Tony acquires for his parties.

Just as she’s about to look around she feels her phone vibrate in her dress pocket.

‘Meet us in the movie room :)’ Wanda messages.

Natasha makes her way over, nearing closer to the sounds of laughter.

When she stands by the doorway Tony calls over to her, “Widow, there you are! Come take a seat, the movie is almost starting.”

Natasha looks around at everyone, noticing it’s just the team and close friends present- in all honesty she’s relieved, she never has been one for Tony’s extravagant parties.

Her heart sinks slightly when she notices the space next to you is being occupied. Natasha makes her way over to Wanda, sitting close by.

“I tried to save you enough room to sit with her but Carol wasn’t having it.” Wanda whispers to Natasha.

Natasha looks over at the two of you. Part of her hates the way Carol is making you laugh. When really she wishes she was the one doing so.

“What are they even talking about?” Natasha mumbles, hints of jealousy taking over her system.

Wanda brings her legs up onto the couch, tucking them under herself to get comfortable, “Well, mostly about their shared experiences in the Air Force. I think they’re bonding over it.”

Natasha briefly raises her eyebrows, not knowing you were part of a Military branch.

The movie starts to play on the screen, causing the lights to be switched off.

Natasha can’t keep her eyes off of you; she desperately wants to talk to you but part of her thinks that you’d only entertain her conversation out of politeness.

Wanda gives Natasha a gentle nudge, “‘Nat, she’s been here less than a day. You’ve got plenty of time to get to know her. She’s very easy to talk to.”

Natasha leans her head on her hand as she looks at Wanda, “What did you mean before in the kitchen?”

The light being cast from the movie highlights Wanda’s happy features, “Oh, just that y/n thinks you’re beautiful. Nothing major.”

Natasha nudges Wanda, “You’re lying.”

“Nat, I’m not, that’s the first thing that popped into her head when she saw you. Plus, when you walked over to me, she couldn’t take her eyes off of you, just like you with her right now.” Wanda gives Natasha a reassuring pat on her arm.

“As your friend, I’m telling you to go for it. Don’t worry about anyone else, just be yourself.”

Natasha absorbs Wanda’s words. Throughout the movie she plans different ways in which she can get to know you. Hopefully you’ll like her for who she is, because she knows for a fact she’s falling for you.

ⴵ ⴵ/./. ⴵ ⴵ/./. ⴵ ⴵ

Natasha walks into the kitchen area, ready to grab some food after her morning training session.

She could barely sleep last night, thoughts of you and Carol plagued her mind. As the movie went on she’s convinced you shuffled closer to her.

As soon as the movie finished, she went straight to her room. She knows she shouldn’t be so jealous, you have every right to talk to whoever you want. It doesn’t mean it doesn’t hurt any less.

Wanda uses her powers to send a red tendril to flick Natasha on her head, causing her to glare at the Witch.

“You do realise y/n was looking for you after the movie right?” Wanda says as she reaches into the drinkware cupboard.

“Wait, what? Why is she okay?” Natasha asks as she takes a break from cutting up her fruit.

“She wanted to talk to you, honestly Nat you need to talk to her. Try and organise something for the two of you to do.” Wanda moves to search for her herbal tea bags.

“I can’t just ask her out Wands, that would be so awkward.” Natasha says as she leans against the counter.

“More awkward than you running off because she sat too close to another person?” Wanda says with a hint of amusement.

Natasha rolls her eyes, “Okay, what do you suggest I do?”

“Well, Clint is picking up Laura and the kids this afternoon. When they come back, invite everyone to your annual Ice Skating thing. You’re already going with them, plus it will give you an opportunity to hang out with y/n.” Wanda uses her powers to turn on the stove, heating up the kettle.

“Wanda, you’re a genius!” Natasha says as she brings Wanda into a hug.

At that moment, you and Steve enter the room.

“Wow y/l/n, you really gave me a run for my money out there. Good job.” Steve says as he moves to the fridge to get a couple of bottles of water.

“Thanks Steve, all part of the Military training and all.” You say as you grab the water from him, exhausted after your morning jog with the Captain himself.

“Steve, y/n what are you two doing this afternoon?” Wanda asks, attempting to put the plan into motion.

“I’m not doing anything, probably just hanging out here with the team.” Steve says as he takes a seat.

“Same, why do you ask?” You direct your gaze to Natasha, sending her a smile.

Natasha blushes uncontrollably, causing her to turn and resume cutting up her fruit.

Wanda rolls her eyes at Natasha’s reaction, “We just wanted to let you know that most of us will be going Ice Skating, do you guys want to come?”

Steve nods his head.

You stand there, playing with the label of your water bottle, not really being a fan of skating, “Um, sure, yeah that sounds fun.”

Natasha turns to see your reaction, silently motioning to Wanda about your change in persona.

Wanda mentally replies to Natasha, ‘She said yes, didn’t she?’

Natasha keeps her eyes on you, hoping that this plan might actually work in getting to know you better.

ⴵ ⴵ/./. ⴵ ⴵ/./. ⴵ ⴵ

“Auntie Nat!” Nathaniel shouts as he runs over to Natasha.

Natasha turns around and grabs him into a hug, “Hey buddy, how are you?”

“Good! Look, I lost another tooth!” He says as he shows Natasha another gap in his line of teeth.

Natasha smiles as she puts him down, “You’re growing up too quick, stop it.” She says playfully.

Laura rushes towards Natasha and Nathaniel, “I swear he only listens to Clint, what part of ‘stay close to me’ did you not understand bud?” Laura says as she rubs through Nathaniel’s hair, causing him to squirm away.

Natasha looks through the crowd, behind Laura, “Where are the others?”

“Oh, Clint is parking up the car and Coop and Lila wanted to make sure they got in line for the best ice skate boots. Thanks for getting everyone to meet us here, it’s a big help.” Laura says as she zips up Nathaniel’s coat.

“No problem, the team are waiting by the ice rink. We’re ready to go when you are.” Natasha looks over to see Tony waiting with Morgan, Pepper and Rhodey as the other team members return with their ice skates.

“Who’s that? She’s new.” Laura asks, referring to you as you tie up the laces on your skates.

“That’s y/n, she’s Tony and Rhodey’s best friend, she’s staying for the holidays.” Natasha casually remarks.

Laura puts on a knowing smirk, “Ahh, she’s the one you’re crushing on.”

Natasha scoffs, “Clint is so annoying, what did he say?”

Nathaniel takes this opportunity to mimic kissing noises, causing Laura to put her hand over his mouth, “Okay, he’s not far off. Clint did in fact do that.”

Natasha shakes her head, “Come on, I’ll introduce you properly.”

ⴵ ⴵ/./.

After the introductions were made and everyone was ready; it was time to skate.

Natasha loved skating, having such similarities to ballet, she is always in her element on the ice.

“Then Daisy tried to get me kicked off the Archery team, so I showed her how it’s done and shot my arrow straight through hers.” Lila tells Natasha as they skate around the rink.

“She does know Hawkeye is your Dad right?” Natasha says, enjoying having the time to catch up with the young Barton.

“Yeah, she’s just jealous I guess.”

Natasha looks over to the edge of the rink, noticing you clutching on to the side whilst everyone else skates.

As if sensing her gaze, Wanda skates up next to Natasha, linking her arm through Natasha’s for support, “Her thoughts are loud Nat, she doesn’t know how to skate.”

Natasha looks at Wanda in surprise,”Wait, so why didn’t she say anything? We could have arranged something else to do.”

Wanda shakes her head, “I have to do everything around here; from what I could tell she thought you wanted to skate. She’s only on this ice for you Nat, now go and help her.” Wanda gently pushes Natasha towards your location, momentarily losing her balance until Lila steadies her.

Natasha easily manoeuvres her way through the crowd of people to join you on the edge of the rink.

“Hey, mind if I join you?” Natasha says with a newfound confidence.

“Sure.” You say, gripping tightly to the barrier, refusing to move even an inch with the risk of falling.

“You know, we can just come off the ice and-“

You shake your head, “No, I don’t want to spoil the fun, I’ll be okay.” You say in a shaky voice, trying your hardest to hide your nerves.

“It’s not fair if you’re putting yourself through this. I’m sure everyone else will understand.” Natasha says as she places a hand on your arm.

The sudden action causes you to move, sending your legs flying. Luckily Natasha uses her quick reflexes to catch you, gripping her hands onto your forearms.

You release heavy breaths of anxiety as you look at your feet, hoping the gaze will stop you from falling.

“Hey, you’re okay, I’ve got you. Let’s get you off the ice.” Natasha slowly uses her feet to push against the ice, pulling you along with her to the exit.

“Wait, I don’t want to be annoying but can we just skate like this for a bit. I promised Morgan I’d skate if she did to try and make her brave enough to join in. I don’t want her to see me get off the ice; she might think it’s something to be frightened of.” You look up at Natasha hopeful, ready to put your fear aside with Natasha’s support.

Natasha gives you a gentle smile, “For starters, you could never be annoying. Plus, of course I’ll help you, just grip on to me and I’ll guide us around okay?”

You give Natasha a nod. Natasha slowly moves you so you can link your arm around her waist. In turn she threads her arm around yours, keeping tight hold.

“Okay, back straight; look forward and bend your knees slightly.” You follow Natasha’s instructions as she begins to move her feet, expertly pushing from her right foot to her left.

As you move your grip tightens, sending a surge of giddinesses through Natasha.

She looks over at Wanda who gives her a thumbs up, proud that Natasha finally had the courage to talk to you for longer than a minute.

Natasha’s gaze quickly makes its way back to you once she hears you laughing, “Woah, this is actually amazing.” You say excitedly, never having stayed on the ice longer than required.

Natasha beams at your reaction; earlier apprehensions clearly no longer present.

Soon enough Natasha guides the two of you to skate up alongside Tony, Pepper and Morgan, “Auntie y/n! We’re skating!”

“We are! Good job Morgan!” You praise the young Stark.

Tony lets go of one of Morgan’s hands, allowing Pepper to reclaim it. He twists around to skate alongside Natasha’s other side that’s free.

“Thank you, I really appreciate you making the effort to make y/n feel included. You know, I’ve known her for years and no one has been special enough to encourage her to skate. She’s lucky to have you Romanoff.”

Natasha looks towards Tony in surprise, not expecting such kind words to come from him. She smiles at him before he takes his leave to find the others on the ice.

Once he’s gone, she looks over at you, being in conversation with Pepper.

Natasha feels a special warmth inside her, the fact you trust her enough to guide you on the ice brings a wave of happy tears to her eyes. She quickly blinks them away, hoping that this is a sign for good things to come.

ⴵ ⴵ/./. ⴵ ⴵ/./. ⴵ ⴵ

It’s Christmas Eve morning, Natasha has just woken up with the biggest smile on her face.

As she stretches in her bed, she happily thinks about the previous events that have occurred. With the skating and everything she feels as though she’s made real progress with you. Especially after when everyone was returning to the car and you couldn’t take your hands off of Natasha, walking arm in arm with her as you thanked her for helping you out on the ice.

Natasha quickly gets ready and makes her way into the living area, deciding to skip her morning training- just this once.

She walks in to see you, Rhodey, Pepper, Clint and Laura sat on the couches.

“Good Morning everyone.” Natasha says to make her presence known.

You instantly put your mug of coffee down on the table to the side of the couch you’re sitting on, “Nat, come sit with us. We’re just going over the plans for today.” You pat on the space beside you, signalling for Natasha to fill it.

She instantly rushes over, causing Clint and Laura to give each other knowing looks, amused at their friends' antics.

“So Carol is going to the Rambeau’s house for Christmas; Sam is staying with Sarah and his nephews; Thor is off-world so we have no idea if he’s joining us.” Rhodey rhymes off.

“I thought he was staying with that Jane chick?” Clint says as he scratches his knee, causing Laura to flick his chest at his choice of words.

“I don’t know, he doesn’t tell me anything. Anyway, Banner might be coming tomorrow morning, uhh as for everyone else, they haven’t confirmed.” Rhodey finishes.

“Yeah, that’s the part that’s sending Tony crazy. He hates not knowing if and when people are showing up.” Pepper says as she balances her mug on her knee.

You release a laugh, “He is the worst one for showing up either unannounced or late!”

Pepper shares your laugh, “I know right, but this is a ‘Stark Christmas’, nothing can go wrong.”

The next thing that follows is a large bang on one of the windows of the compound, causing everyone to look over.

Tony’s voice fills the room via his A.I. system, “Sorry folks, that was a rogue snowball, it won’t happen again. Resume your discussion on what awesome presents you’re going to get me for the big day.”

You smirk as you watch the ice melt down the glass. Tony insisted on taking the kids outside to play in the snow. However, no snowball fight is complete without some Iron Man prototypes; a Super Soldier and the Scarlet Witch making trick shots to score the most points in the ultimate snowball battle.

“Hey, so are we all still up for the Markets tonight?” Laura redirects the conversation back onto the schedule.

Everyone nods, except you, “Markets?”

“Every year we visit the Christmas Markets down the street. They’re great for last minute gifts and just general festive fun.” Pepper explains to you.

“Oh, that sounds awesome, I can’t wait.” You say.

“Right, I’d better call the kids in. We need this Christmas Tree decorating before we set off to the Markets.” Clint says as he stands up and stretches, releasing dramatic groans in the process. Before abruptly sitting down again, causing Laura to look at him in amusement.

“Okay, I’ll probably go and change. Hey, when we set off to the Markets, can I sit with you in the car?” You ask Natasha before you get up off the couch.

Natasha instantly nods, “Yeah, sure. I’d love that.”

“Great, see you in a bit.”

Once you leave Natasha looks over at Clint and Laura, instantly regretting it when she sees them pouting at the cuteness between you and Natasha.

She grabs a couple of pillows and sends them flying towards the two, causing them to laugh at their best friend’s expense.

ⴵ ⴵ/./.

Once the Christmas tree was expertly decorated, the team made their way to the Christmas Markets.

You haven’t left Natasha’s side, causing the red head to walk around in complete awe of you- especially with your reactions to all the beautifully decorated stalls.

“Ooh, Nat come look at this one!” You drag Natasha over to one of the food stalls.

Natasha’s eyes light up at the arrangement of colourful fruits waiting to be dipped in a multitude of melted chocolate.

“Wow, they look delicious. Do you want some?” Natasha asks.

“Sure, what are you thinking of getting?” You ask Natasha as you study the menu board.

Natasha can’t take her eyes off of you, causing herself to become distracted. You turn to look at her, awaiting her answer, “Oh uh, I’ll probably go for the dark chocolate covered Strawberries.” Natasha says quickly, trying to take away the attention of her new forming blush of embarrassment.

You bite your lip at her state, opting to not make her feel any worse about it, “I’ll probably go for the same but with milk chocolate.”

You move forward and place the orders in, reaching for your money to pay.

“Oh no, I’ll buy them.” Natasha says as she tries to beat you to the bill.

You grab Natasha’s hand and thread your fingers through hers, “I insist.” You say as you give her hand a squeeze.

Natasha mentally thanks you for turning back to the stall owner, allowing her cheer to herself at the fact you’re holding her hand.

Once the food is ready, you let go of her hand to pass over her Strawberries, “For the pretty Lady.” You say casually, still enough to make Natasha’s stomach flutter in fondness.

She takes them from your hands as you move to grab your own order; thanking the stall owner and bidding them a good bye.

You instantly bite into one of your chocolate covered strawberries, allowing your eyes to flutter at the taste, “Wow, you can never go wrong with these.”

Natasha takes a bite of her own, exhibiting a similar reaction, “They taste really good.” She says as she places the strawberry back down into her thick, paper box.

You bring your hand up to your lips, doing a little head dance as you finish chewing- which Natasha finds adorable.

Once you’ve swallowed your mouth full you address Natasha, “You’ve got a little chocolate on the corner of your mouth.”

Natasha uses her free hand to wipe her mouth, completely missing the mark.

You laugh, “Come here.” You gently rub away at the chocolate, removing it from her face. In that moment, you and Natasha stare into each other’s eyes, completely oblivious to your surroundings.

A few seconds pass before you clear your throat, “There, all better.”

Natasha thanks you before you resume your walk; eating your sweet treat and talking to Natasha about anything and everything.

About half an hour later, you’re near the end of the Market stalls.

Soon you’ll have to head to the local Diner to meet up with the team who are currently scattered across the Market.

You and Natasha have managed to get everyone a present for tomorrow, thankfully most of the stalls offered you a complimentary gift wrapping option, taking away at least one stress for tomorrow.

As you’re walking you notice Natasha shivering.

“Are you okay? You seem a bit cold.” Natasha avoids your eye contact, not wanting to admit the shivers are from her nerves of being with you and not wanting to mess up her opportunity of hanging out with you opposed to the cold.

“Uh, yes. Just a bit I guess.” Natasha clings to her leather jacket, hoping it was enough to convince you.

You place your gift bags on the floor, removing your Aviator jacket, “Here, take my jacket. I’m getting too warm anyway.”

Natasha gratefully accepts your Air Force jacket, admiring every patch that decorates the material.

She instantly puts it on as you pick up the bags once again.

“How come your jacket has so many patches on it?” Natasha asks as she studies each one.

“Oh, they’re like my accomplishments from within the Air Force. I’ve earned them as I’ve gone along.” You explain.

“Wow, you have a lot.’ Natasha compliments.

“I’m very good at my job.” You playfully remark, causing Natasha to laugh. Now it’s your turn to hide your blush.

Natasha feels a surge of confidence, having your jacket on makes her feel more secure. She takes your hand that’s closest to her and grips onto it, refusing to look anywhere but straight ahead.

You briefly look down to make sure you have a good grip on her hand, liking the contact.

As you look at the passing stalls, you notice a quiet one, “Let’s look at this one, the others seem quite busy.”

You gently pull Natasha towards the stall containing handmade candle holders.

Each candle holder is unique, some emit lights in the form of patterns, which reflect on the structure surrounding the stall.

Natasha has her eyes trained on one tea light holder in particular, emitting circular, glowing lights that slowly drift around.

“Forest stars.” Natasha whispers.

“Did you say something?” You ask.

Natasha is snapped out of her daze, “Sorry, it was nothing. Well, the lights they remind me of, um Fireflies. My sister, when we were kids, she would call them ‘Forest stars’. I just thought it was very fitting.”

You take another look at the lights, letting out a small breath of understanding, “Oh yeah, they do look a bit like ‘Forest stars’.”

Natasha smiles sadly, causing you to gently use her chin to guide her gaze at you, “Hey, are you alright?”

Natasha wipes at her eyes, trying to remove the tears that threaten to fall, “Of course, why wouldn’t I be, let’s go and see if we can find the others.”

Natasha breaks the contact between you, walking up towards the track that leads to the Diner.

You take another look at the lights, wondering what could have caused her to become so upset all of a sudden.

ⴵ ⴵ/./.

When you all arrived back at the Compound it was extremely late. Meaning everyone went straight to bed.

Tony looked absolutely exhausted, causing you to volunteer to put the presents out under the Christmas tree before heading up.

With a grateful hug, Tony headed upstairs to tuck Morgan in and make sure she went to sleep instead of hunting for Santa.

You carefully stack the presents under the gaps surrounding the tree. You admire every present, smiling at the ones the kids clearly wrapped; most of them being covered in excess tape and unlimited amounts of glitter.

As you’re placing the last of the presents down, you hear a noise behind you.

You instantly turn around, ready to take cover if it’s one of the kids, trying not to spoil the whole idea of Santa leaving their presents under the tree.

When you spot it’s Natasha, you release a relieved sigh, “Good job it was you, I’d hate to ruin Christmas for the little ones.” You whisper.

Natasha tugs down on the sleeves of her pyjamas, “Sorry, I didn’t realise you were up. I would have helped you if I'd known you were on present duty.” Natasha says as she points to the mountain of gifts.

“It’s okay, I thought I’d give Santa the night off, you know since he has a lot of stops to make tonight.” Natasha laughs at your answer.

“How thoughtful of you. Look, I’m sorry about before-“ You put your hand up to signal Natasha to stop talking.

“Please don’t apologise. You didn’t do anything wrong, I just hoped I didn’t upset you.” You say as you move to sit on a couch; Natasha joins you.

“No, not in the slightest. Being with you has made me the happiest I’ve been in a very long time.” You nod your head at her words.

“You know, I’m glad I came here. At first I wasn’t so sure about staying. I didn’t really have anywhere else to go since my Deployment finished not that long ago. Rhodey was kind enough to invite me here, where I met you, which I’m extremely grateful for.”

Natasha turns to you, not quite believing your statement, “Can I ask how you know Rhodey and Tony?”

“Yeah. Rhodey was my Mentor in the Air Force. He taught me near enough everything I know. He pushed me to achieve my goals and was there for me when no one else was. My folks, you see they um, they died when I was 17. After that I signed up for the Military. Been there ever since.”

Natasha opens up an arm to allow you to lean into, which you do, trying to hide your sadness over your Parent’s death.

“When Rhodey retired, he introduced me to Tony, since he was the one helping him through his recovery after Germany.” Natasha shifts briefly, thankful that the events in concern with the Sokovian Accords are resolved.

“We instantly clicked, he’s been like the big brother I never had. He started introducing me to his life as Iron Man. I started hanging out with his family. They both really gave me something to live for and for that I’ll appreciate them forever.”

Natasha takes this moment to tell you about her life, “My Sister, the one I mentioned at the Market. She couldn’t join us for Christmas, she’s out there saving the World from the bad guys.” Natasha says lightly.

“No but my family is back in Russia, I don’t get to see them as much as I would like. We got split up for a long time, around the time I joined the Avengers actually. Luckily we found each other again. I really miss them.” As Natasha finishes explaining, you come to understand why the memory of her Sister caused her to become upset.

You grab Natasha’s hands and start to play with them, “You know, I’m really glad I met you Natasha, you’re truly amazing. I’m so lucky to have you here with me right now.”

Natasha is about to respond when she spots something above the two of you, “Oh, look.” She says as she points at the plant hanging from the ceiling.

“Wait, is that Mistletoe? Trust Tony to be so cliche” You say jokingly.

Natasha looks at you, “Well you know what they say about Mistletoe, it would be a shame to break the tradition.”

You slowly bring your hand to cup Natasha’s face, “I guess it would.”

You both slowly lean in towards each other, allowing your lips to touch in a tender kiss.

You can both barely contain your excitement, using your hands to pull each other closer, craving each other’s touch after so much longing.

Natasha breaks away from the kiss, resting her forehead against yours as you both try to reclaim your breaths, “Natasha, can I ask you something?”

Natasha nods.

“Do you want to go out with me sometime, you know like a date?”

Natasha pushes you away by your shoulders, “You mean like a couple?”

“Well yeah, a couple of people who like each other very much and, well I’m speaking mostly for myself here but would really like to make this thing between us official.”

Natasha grabs you into another kiss, choosing to leave quick kisses along your face, causing you to laugh and hug her close, “Is that a yes?”

“Of course it is.” She says as pulls you up from the couch, ready to go to bed.

“Come on, let's get you to bed otherwise Santa won’t come.” Natasha says.

“Oh well, I’ve got everything I need right here. You’re the best gift I could ask for.” You say as you wrap your arm around Natasha.

ⴵ ⴵ/./. ⴵ ⴵ/./. ⴵ ⴵ

“Really Tony, a joke book?” Rhodey holds up his unwrapped present from Tony.

“You see, that right there, is the gift that keeps on giving. Merry Christmas Rhodey.” Tony says from the tree- being the chief present distributor.

“Okay, who’s next?” Tony searches through the pile of presents to select the next one ready to be given out.

Rhodey gets your attention, “Y/l/n, my jokes are funny right?”

You wince, “Yeah, they’re awesome. They get me every time.”

Rhodey seems satisfied with your answer, motioning to Tony that he doesn’t need the book.

Natasha puts her arm around you as she leans in to whisper in your ear, “Remind me to train you to work on your lying skills.”

You playfully smack her arm, “Oh come on, you saw his face, I couldn’t tell him the truth.”

“Ahhh, y/l/n, this one's for you.” Tony throws an envelope your way.

Natasha sends him a glare for his carelessness.

You look at the tag to realise it’s from Natasha, causing you to rip it open instantly. You remove a sewn patch with an ice skate boot embroidered on it. You look at Natasha with your mouth open in surprise, “Wow Nat, I love it.”

Natasha smiles, “It’s to represent your accomplishment in facing one of your fears.”

You give her a kiss on the cheek, “Thank you, it’s going straight on my jacket, so I always have a piece of you with me.”

Natasha pouts her lips at your words, finding your excitement especially sweet.

“Okay, Maximoff go get your gift for Natasha whilst I try to grab these presents from the back.” Tony leans down on the floor to reach further under the tree.

As the others wait for Wanda, they take the time to open their presents and thank the ones who graced them with such lovely gifts.

“Are you excited for your present from me?” You ask Natasha.

Natasha raises an eyebrow at you, “I thought you were my present?”

You smack your hand to your chest, “Stop that right now, it’s too early for me to be blushing like this.” Natasha laughs as she leaves a kiss on the top of your head.

Wanda re-enters the room, “Natasha, close your eyes.”

Natasha looks over at Wanda in hesitation, “Why?”

Wanda rolls her eyes, “Just do it.”

Natasha closes her eyes as Wanda ushers for someone to enter the room.

The occupants of the room send silent greetings to the blonde, young woman.

She makes her way over to the two of you, causing you to shift away slightly. Natasha whines at the loss of contact.

“Okay Natasha, open your eyes.”

Natasha opens her eyes to see Yelena stood in front of her.

“Oh my god! Yelena! What are you doing here?!” Natasha shouts as she rushes up to give Yelena a hug.

You can’t help but smile at Natasha’s reaction, knowing how much this means to her.

“Well Sestra, I am taking a break from work and your team asked me to come over as a surprise for you and I thought ‘what an amazing idea, since I am obviously your favourite ever’, so here I am.” Natasha hugs Yelena tighter.

Yelena makes eye contact with you over Natasha’s shoulder, “Hi, I would come over but I have a ‘Natasha’ attached to me, they’re very hard to remove once they latch on.”

Natasha playfully pushes Yelena away, “Sestra, meet y/n-“

“Yes, yes, the one that stole your heart; that you are madly in love with. Wanda filled me in.”

Natasha sends an unimpressed look Wanda’s way, causing her to move over to see what Steve was unwrapping to avoid Natasha’s gaze.

“All jokes aside, it is very nice to meet you y/n. I can’t wait to get to know you.” Yelena takes a seat on the floor near the couch you’re sitting on.

“Likewise, I’m glad you’re here Yelena.”

Tony interrupts as he releases a cheer from being able to find another present.

“Oh, it’s just for Romanoff.” He says as he holds it out to her.

“I hate you.” She takes the present from him and reclaims her seat next to you.

She flips over the tag and notices the present is from you, “Aww, you really shouldn’t have.” She says as she carefully tears open the wrapping paper.

Natasha releases a gasp when she realises what it is, she carefully picks up the candle holder from the Market.

“Woah, what’s that Auntie Nat?” Cooper calls from the other side of the room.

Natasha turns it to admire every inch of it, “It’s a holder for tea lights and things. The light from the flame shines through the gaps and makes patterns on the walls.”

“What kind of patterns?” Lila asks.

Natasha looks over at Yelena, “Forest stars.”

“No way, that’s so cool. Show me!” She says eagerly.

Natasha places it back in its wrappings, “Maybe later. When did you buy that?” She directs her question at you.

“When you left I bought it just in case you wanted it. Then when you told me the story about Yelena I made sure to sneak it under the tree this Morning.”

Natasha gives you a grateful kiss, “Thank you love, it’s perfect.”

She leans her head on your shoulder, hugging her present. Your heart flutters at the nickname Natasha has chosen to give you.

You go back to watching everyone else interact with their gifts; wondering how you became so lucky to be surrounded by loved ones: new and old.

ⴵ ⴵ/./. ⴵ ⴵ/./. ⴵ ⴵ

The days that followed went by very quickly- too quickly for your liking.

You decided to extend your stay, wanting to spend as much time with Natasha and everyone as you could.

Most of your time was spent hanging out with Natasha, whether it be training with each other or laying on her bed cuddling whilst you watch some random movie recommended by F.R.I.D.A.Y.

Every day you’ve grown closer to Natasha, and you wouldn’t change that for the world.

That’s what brings you to this moment- New Year’s Eve.

Tony decided to throw one of his spectacular parties to welcome the New Year in.

The kids have fallen asleep in the movie room; meanwhile the adults drink the night away whilst waiting for the countdown to midnight.

You’re just finishing up your conversation with some Ex-Military members who worked closely with Rhodey, when Natasha drags you over to the corner of the room.

“I had to make sure no one tried to steal my midnight kiss.” She says with a shrug.

“Oh is that so, well I am honoured Miss Romanoff.”

The countdown begins, “5…4…3…2…1… Happy New Year!” Everyone exclaims.

You bring Natasha into a kiss, breaking away to whisper “Happy New Year Nat.”

If only you knew what the following morning would bring.

ⴵ ⴵ/./. ⴵ ⴵ/./. ⴵ ⴵ

“No, no you’re not going. You can’t go.” Natasha paces around her bedroom. Not taking the news well of your next Deployment being announced.

“Nat, you know I have to, it’s my job. We both knew this day was coming.” You say as you walk over to her, stopping her movements.

Natasha refuses to meet your eyes, shielding her tear filled ones away.

“Sweetheart, they only last around 179 days. It will fly by, I promise. I’ll be back before you know it. Why don’t you go to Russia and stay with your family for a while, that might help.”

Natasha looks at you in disbelief, pushing your hands away, “Only 179 days? Wow, right so I’m supposed to be grateful that you’re going for near enough five months, being in constant danger. Don’t you realise, I could lose you. I could actually lose the main person I care about, the person I love. Do you really think this will be easy for me, sending you away to be thrown straight into the danger zone. Every day I’m not with you will be like torture; not knowing if you’re okay. I-I can’t lose you detka, I can’t-“

Natasha places a hand over her face as she begins to sob.

You instantly move over to her, embracing her in a hug, “Natasha, I’m so sorry. I wish I didn’t have to go but I have to. You won’t lose me okay, do you know why? It’s because I have something worth fighting for. I need to stay alive to come home to you, to spend the rest of my life with you. You’re not going to lose me, do you understand?” You attempt to keep your voice steady, not wanting to cry.

Natasha lifts her tear soaked face up to look at you, “They haven’t even given you any notice. They want you right now, that’s not right. I can’t even say a proper goodbye to you.”

Natasha’s words break your heart, “I know, and it only happens when it’s an emergency. I’m not leaving for another hour or so, you have me now okay. Let’s make the most of it.”

“I just want to hug you.” Natasha sobs out.

You feel your tears fall, “Of course my darling, come here.” You guide Natasha over to the bed, pulling her on you to cuddle her tightly.

You both lay on the bed crying, giving each other the occasional kiss and whispered ‘I love you’s’.

You haven’t known Natasha long, but that doesn’t mean this doesn’t hurt any less. You feel as though you’re losing part of you by returning to a Deployment.

“Promise me you’ll come back.” Natasha whispers.

You close your eyes as your lip trembles, “Nat, you know I can’t-“

“Please, I know you can’t, but just please say it so I know you’ll try.”

You release a heavy breath, “I promise.”

“I swear to god y/n if you don’t I’ll find you and kick your ass.” Natasha mumbles.

You let out a sad laugh, “Oh I don’t doubt that love.”

You spend the rest of your time with Natasha cuddled up, dreading the moment you have to leave her.

ⴵ ⴵ/./. ⴵ ⴵ/./. ⴵ ⴵ

It has been nearly six months since you left for your Deployment.

Every single day for Natasha has been heartbreaking.

For the first week she had Yelena staying in her room; holding her as she cried herself to sleep, worrying over the fact you might not return home.

However, Yelena had to go back to Russia for her next Assignment. She told Natasha she could stay with her but Natasha refused, not wanting to hold her sister back.

The team did everything they could to help cheer Natasha up.

They were extremely worried about her, she wasn’t sleeping, she wasn’t eating, she wasn’t Natasha. She became a shell of herself.

Tony has been a big help for her, giving her a listening ear when needed. She knows he’ll understand better than anyone since you are his best friend.

On the hardest days, Tony made sure to come equipped with the best stories he has about you in the days when you were still training and had Rhodey as your mentor.

Natasha couldn’t believe it when Tony brought her one of your old Air Force trainee hoodies that you left at his house when you used to visit all the time.

She refuses to take it off, wanting to have you close by at all times.

Natasha walks into the compound, her face looks miserable, matching her life currently.

Wanda notices her come in, walking over to bring her into a hug. Natasha gladly accepts.

“How are you feeling?”

Natasha looks at Wanda with a disappointed look, “Yeah, stupid question. Any news?”

“No, I’ve called Rhodey every day but he claims to have no idea of when she’s coming back.” Natasha wraps her arms around herself for comfort.

Wanda gives her a sympathetic smile, completely devastated that Natasha has changed so much without your presence.

“I think I'm going to go shower. I’ve just come back from a jog.” Natasha makes up an excuse to go to her room alone.

Wanda nods in understanding, “Okay, I’ll speak to you later.”

Natasha pats Wanda on the arm as a silent thank you as she makes her way to her room.

Once Natasha enters she releases a sigh, looking around at all of her belongings… until she spots something that isn’t hers.

She rushes over to the duffle bag on her bed, looking in it to find all of your clothes.

Natasha runs out her room shouting your name, needing to see you to confirm she isn’t imagining anything.

She runs into the living area, searching frantically.

Steve looks over at her, “Nat, are you-“

“Where’s y/n?” She interrupts.

“She’s on Deployment, isn’t she?”

Natasha shakes her head, “No, her bag is on my bed, which means she has come home.”

Suddenly she hears Fury coming into the room, “I knew you’d cave in sooner or later y/l/n, do you know how many times I had to ask Stark to get you on board. Too many times, I don’t like asking more than once, learn that very quickly y/l/n.”

“Yes, Sir. Thank you for the opportunity.”

“Don’t thank me yet y/l/n, you still have to pass the hardest test of all- winning the team vote.”

Before you can reply you are tackled to the ground.

You release a pained groan, not expecting anyone to jump on you.

“I hope you have better reflexes on the field.” Fury says mockingly.

Natasha sits up from you, “You’re here, you’re really here! You’re safe, why didn’t you come and find me?”

You bring Natasha into a more controlled hug as you pull her up from the ground, “I wanted to surprise you, plus I needed to speak to Fury about some things. Wait, I haven’t seen that hoodie in ages, it suits you.”

“Good, because it’s mine now. What things, what’s going on?” Natasha asks you, hugging you tightly- finally being able to do so after so long.

“Well Romanoff, it seems that y/l/n doesn’t like the Military lifestyle anymore and wants to be an Avenger.”

Natasha looks at you, “Really?”

You nod, “Really, Fury has been asking me for years and Tony has always said there’s a spot open for me if the team agrees. With my high rankings I should be able to make the swap. The only two people I need to ask now are you and Steve, what do you say, can I be on the team?”

Natasha pulls you in for a kiss, “Yes! Yes, a thousand times yes!”

You look at Steve, “Yes, but I’m not kissing you.”

You put on a fake pout causing Steve to smile.

Natasha’s eyes fill with tears, “Hey, what’s wrong?” You ask as you cup her face.

“You kept your promise, you came home.”

“I’ll always come home to you Natasha, no matter what. I love you.”

“I love you too.”

“Welcome to the team, Avenger. This is your new home” Fury says as he makes his way out of the room.

Maybe this year won’t be so bad after all.

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