Chasing Ghosts | Natasha Romanoff

Chapter 19: Visible And Invisible Scars

Natasha

Six months ago

''Where the hell are you dragging me now?'' Natasha laughed, letting Katya drag her through the crowd on the busy New York sidewalk. They had worked on Maya's bedroom the entire day yesterday, and the day before that, and the day before that. So Katya decided they needed a break and had tugged her wife to the car and drove to the mall.

''Can you just trust me for once? You're going to like it, I promise. Or, well, I'm going to like it more than you, probably.'' When Natasha looked at her weirdly, Katya shook her head and kept marching to the store. ''You'll know it when you see it.''

All those voices echoed in the mall when they stepped in, Katya keeping a firm grip on her hand the whole way up the escalators, until they got where she wanted to go. Natasha had no clue where that was, but as they passed more and more unaffordable stores and reached the end of the row, Natasha let out a chuckle. 

''Kat, this place is expensive.''

''Don't care. I saw a dress on their website the other day, and I just have to buy it for you,'' she rambled, too busy looking around to find the dress she was looking for. Her eye fell on it a couple days ago, and her jaw dropped because it was so gorgeous. The price of more than a thousand dollars didn't bother her in the least. 

She couldn't find it in the store at first glance, so she asked the woman behind the counter, showing her the picture on her phone and shielding it from Natasha so she didn't see. 

The employee's eyes lit up at the picture, and when she eyed Natasha, she nodded excitingly. Apparently, she put two and two together as well, and drooled at the picture in her head. Stepping away from the counter, she led them to the back of the store.

Natasha just rolled her eyes and went along with it, growing more curious by the second. She wanted to see this dress herself now. Not that they ever wore dresses anymore. Not that they had any parties or galas to wear them to.

But nevertheless, her mouth dropped open when the employee picked up the hangar and showed it to them. It was made of the shiniest and most expensive silk she had ever seen. A rich, darker green. It was a midi dress with spaghetti straps and a ruffled slit on the left side. Body-hugging without getting tacky, and a droopy neckline.

''Now I understand,'' she smiled, admiring it while Katya watched her reaction closely. ''It's beautiful.''

''Right? And it will go with your eyes perfectly.'' Katya took the hanger from the woman and pushed it in her hands. ''Go. try. it. on.''

Natasha laughed, rolled her eyes but accepted the order. ''Okay, okay.'' 

She disappeared in the luxurious dressing room with the huge mirror and the thick curtain. Katya requested the employee to give them some time and that they'd call for her if they needed her. 

The dress slipped on easily, hugged her in all the right places and made her look like a billion bucks. But Natasha couldn't get herself to step out. Overall, she was very confident about her body and her looks, and she didn't care about her scars in front of Katya. But the light shone on them, accentuating them, making them stand out. And suddenly she hated her body.

Katya sat outside, waiting patiently. But eventually, it took too long and she needed to see it. 

''Are you ready, yet?'' She asked carefully, not wanting to rush her wife into anything. But when she didn't receive any answer, she asked again, a bit more worried. ''Nat?'' Again, nothing. So she stood from the velvet armchair and peeked her head through the curtains.