𝑻𝒓𝒂𝒑𝒅𝒐𝒐𝒓 ✘ 𝐍𝐀𝐓𝐀𝐒𝐇𝐀 𝐑𝐎𝐌𝐀𝐍𝐎𝐅𝐅

{5⁴} {DREAD}

∆ {5⁴} {DREAD} ∆

ROXI RYDER HAD not seen Wanda Maximoff in a very long time. She still didn't quite grasp the idea of Thanos, that he was a crazed titan, and that would be coming here. But what she had gathered from Bruce's words, was that he was most definitely bad news, and that what followed in the next few days, would be time that would forever change the world. At least, as they knew it. She and Wanda, despite not having seen each other in person for over a year, had not let themselves grow apart. Throughout the three years that they had known each other, they had grown almost surprisingly close, and Roxi was grateful for it. It meant that she was making some form of progress, beginning to leave behind who she had been forced to be for most of her life, even if it was she herself who had coerced herself into acting in such a way. She knew that Natasha was glad too, with the soft smiles that the redhead would send her when she mentioned that she wondered how Wanda was doing, and the pride that had been evident in the woman's face when she mentioned her care for the Maximoff, however casually it had been. Just because she admitted that she was making progress, it did not mean that she wanted to dwell on her stronger emotions, especially at a time like this. She would accept it with Natasha, but that matter felt entirely different. Roxi wasn't sure if it was because of the situation that half of her family had found itself in, or whether it was to do with the way her mind worked, to do with the trapdoor that had been equally helpful and impedimental over the years.

It was with a great reluctance and a looming sense of urgency that Roxi returned to the main room, where Natasha had been languishing with a gentle, content smile on her face, as she  fiddled with the keyring that Roxi had left on the table. Roxi still wasn't quite used to Natasha's new hair, but it was something fresh, and when Roxi pulled her girlfriend up and into a hug, she  buried her face into Natasha's shoulder, despite being taller than her, breathing in the smell of vanilla and roses that she had become so accustomed to. Roxi hadn't said a word, but she didn't have to. Natasha had noticed something was wrong the moment that she had walked back into the room with a relatively passive face. She melted into Roxi's embrace immediately, slipping her arms around the taller woman's waist and holding her as tightly as she dared. She pulled the woman further into her own body, mimicking Roxi's own actions as she lay her head on the other woman's shoulder. She didn't dare to say anything for a few minutes, the keyring still clutched in her palm, feeling Roxi trembling slightly into her body. But when she did dare to speak, she tried something new.

"It's okay, Roxi we're alright." Instead of her normal English or Russian, it was in soft Spanish that Natasha spoke. She felt Roxi stop shaking, perhaps out of shock, or perhaps instinctively, but it was enough for Roxi to full her face away from Natasha's shoulder and for her to look at Natasha with her icy eyes. It was unusual for Roxi to display her emotions so openly, even with the woman she was, which was something that Natasha was far too familiar with for her liking. Her eyes showed three things. Disbelief, surprise, but lastly and most worryingly, a pure dread of the kind that Natasha had never seen in her before. Roxi was a great many things, including strong and beautiful and one of the best people that Natasha had ever met, but she was scared of very little. Roxi had mentioned her strong aversion to falling at some point, but she wasn't even outright scared of that. But this, this terror, this was something new, something raw, that Natasha wished that she could eviscerate from the other woman's life.

"But we're not, Nat." Natasha wanted to frown, to ask what was happening and understand why it had shaken Roxi so badly. But she didn't dare to let her features stray from their soft smile and gentle look, trying not too push too far. She doubted that it would happen, especially since Roxi's bouts of emotions had calmed since the Sokovia fiasco, but there had been a few times in the past few months where it seemed that paranoia had entirely taken control of Roxi's mind, or when she instead lacked it completely. Natasha had decided at some point that the woman's issue lay in her regulation of emotions, which had surprisingly not been a huge obstacle in her own life.

"We need to pack. Could you call Steve, tell him where we are?" Roxi seemed to have forgotten that she was speaking in Spanish, as her words became faster and less clear, but more urgent.

"Roxi, what's going on?" The woman's words had only confused Natasha more, though she still found herself slipping Yelena's vest on in preparation for whatever it was that was going to happen. A gun quickly found its way to her hand too, though the sudden lack of Roxi's warmth left her feeling cold. Roxi was also preparing, shrugging on one of Natasha's jackets, siding the keyring into one of the zip-up pockets and checking her quarterstaff still worked to an adequate standard, which it did. The sharp sound of the metal tended to make Natasha jump however, due to the harshness and dark familiarity she held to it.

"Steve and Sam are gonna pick us up, they can probably explain better than I can."

"Explain what?" Natasha switched back to English, causing Roxi to pause momentarily in her preparations for a what seemed to be for battle.

"Explain that we're about to have the biggest fight of our lives, and hopefully, how to win."

AUTHOR'S NOTE 

On one hand, this is short as sht, im sorry, on the other, its been ages, im sorry. i literally have thrown this together caus writer's block but I hope its still good enough to enjoy. stay safe, have a good day,

pls vote, comment, let me know what you think, etc.,

JABBER_JAY_011

Written: 18 / 07 / 2021

Word Count: 1100

Published: 18 / 07 / 2021