Ghosts Of The Past | Natasha Romanoff

Chapter 1: Not The Honeymoon They Were Hoping For

Natasha had a bad day. She had a lot of those recently. All those months on the run were getting to her. Alone with Katya, without their family and friends, without a permanent place to stay. 

Mostly, she was tired. Tired of the game, of constantly looking over her shoulder to avoid the authorities. Tired of annoying Katya with her mood, even if the brunette said she understood. 

On days like these, Katya was busy putting on her best smile and reassuring Natasha it would be okay, ignoring how her own heart ached. They found support in each other, and comfort in the fact that they were together despite it all. Defying the odds once again. Which was more important than having a decent meal.

Katya had left Natasha in a tiny bathroom on the boat they were currently on - a boat to Norway - to check for threats and possible danger. Being too careful didn't exist, and with their faces shown on every news channel in the world, it was better to be safe than sorry.

Honestly, Katya had forgotten the number of countries they had seen in the past two years.

Almost two years since the Accords happened. Two years since the airport fight, the Raft. Two years since they got married and split from Sam and Steve and Wanda for their own safety. The two Russians never split from each other. Never. Screw safety measurements. Never.

Katya missed her friends too, but Natasha had a thing with family that she never had herself. Family meant everything to her. Keeping them safe. And even though Katya was family too, it killed Natasha to not know where they were, how they were, and if she'd ever see them again. Because two years is a long time without any perspective.

Not exactly the honeymoon they were hoping for.

The boat was quite small, but perfect for two people who tried to hide. It was more a pond than a boat, with an open deck where cars were lined up, and limited space to sit inside. All those cars were abandoned now, so nobody saw Katya step out of the door and onto the deck. 

The wind blew her hair into her face and she shivered because of the cold. Her hair was still a dark brown, because she refused to go back to blonde. Finding hair dye every couple weeks was a struggle, but the blond just didn't do it for her and was more noticeable than brown too. 

So Katya let it grow out longer than she ever had it, hopefully to throw off Ross and his buddies who just wouldn't give up on finding them. They were a pest, a plague, and followed them around everywhere. Even after two years, he didn't get that he would never catch them. That they were always one step ahead

Casually, like she was just another passenger, Katya sauntered around the boat, pretending to look at the view while sneakily studying the cameras and the people. None of them even remotely looked Katya's way. Nobody saw the knife in her waistband. The Norwegians on this pond were clueless to the dangerous criminals in their vicinity. So completely satisfied with her scan of the environment, she returned to the bathroom.

''Boat's clear. No signs of-''

She knew she barged through the thin door too loudly and abruptly when she saw Natasha hastily covering up her sad expression with a smile. She stood with her back to the door, hunched over the sink in which she had splashed some water in her face. But her smile didn't fool Katya. Never had. 

She quickly locked the door behind her and met Natasha's gentle green eyes in the dirty mirror. The horrible harsh light above it made them flat, as if they didn't hold the most beautiful soul Katya knew.

''Hey, are you okay?''

It hurt to see Natasha like this, and Katya couldn't help but feel that she wasn't enough to keep her happy, despite knowing this wasn't about her at all. It stung, not being able to do more.