Take me home : Natasha Romanoff x fem reader

Pt 5 Chapter 1 - Play hard, love harder

*2 years later*

Y/n's POV

I checked the calendar, it still shocked me when I read the year 2023 considering I had moved into the compound in 2016. It really was crazy how time had flown. Harriet had a ballet performance in two nights which I was looking forward to.

"Do you still want sugar in your tea?" Steve called and brought my attention back to the room.

"Oh yes please." I nodded. I took the moment to really just look around the room. Our home. We had put up a wall of photographs in memory of the Avengers. The avengers had been a family for all of us when we needed it most and it was because of them that I had gotten to where I had. There were pictures dating back to 2012 that were published on the news, to pictures from different people's files. They included Christmas day, weddings, missions, training sessions. You name it, it was probably there. Over the years we had added to it and made sure that everyone had at least one picture including them on the wall. Harriet was up there a few times as well. The picture we had taken of Morgan and Haz when they were tiny, or Steve giving Haz a piggy back when she was 4. The latest picture added was Harriet wearing punching gloves, practicing with the pads that Nat was holding. 

Harriet was five now and her fiery personality was beginning to shine through. Natasha adored her and Steve loved it when he got to babysit her. Our happy little family with my wife, daughter and uncle Steve.

Natasha and Harriet returned from food shopping, big grins on their faces. Harriet carried a little bag over excitedly.

"Mama let me get ice pops for all of us!" She beamed, getting to box out of the bag.

"Well aren't we lucky!" I gave Nat a kiss on the cheek as she placed the bags on the counter beside me.

"It's my little treat because she's been working so hard with her school work and her ballet." Natasha winked at Haz. Harriet hugged Natasha who picked her up and sat her on the side. Harriet's hair was long down her back now and had wild curls. She had lost for first tooth, one of her front teeth, and was so terrifically excited when she received her money from the tooth fairy. I think I made a brilliant tooth fairy.

"Can I have one please?" She asked. I glanced at Nat who nodded subtly.

"Yes you can." I got her out a blue one, they were her favourite. "Here you go." I handed it to her after cutting it open.

"Thank you." She smiled. Her accent was a mix of British and American. Like Nat, I think she'd have a similar rough tone to her voice as she grew but it was hard to tell at her age. She was still only young and had those moments where she was transitioning from toddler to child. However she adapted to the new expectations of her quite quickly and was an easy learner. She was actually pretty smart for her age, being a good reader and writer already. Her talents didn't just lie in academics either, she was physically gifted. She thrived in her ballet but she was also naturally fast and surprisingly strong. Natasha would often say she was a little fighter, I suppose we were lucky to get such a great kid.

I helped Nat put away the shopping before we all sat down for lunch. Harriet watches the tv from her seat at the dining table whilst the rest of us chatted. I watched Natasha slump down in her chair after grabbing a glass of water. She looked a little tired and slightly run down. However despite all of this she was still gorgeous. Her hair had grown out and her natural red was well past her jawline now. The blonde remained in her hair, that she was certain of. I had never suggested she dyed it out after she told me her reasons for keeping the blonde, that part of her life bore strong memories which would take time to heal.

"Are you alright?" I asked her, not sure what had caused the sudden change in her mood. I knew that every now and then she would get upset about our broken team and family we had lost. In fact more recently it seemed to be bothering her more than usual. I sort of understood, I just tried to ignore the sinking feeling in my stomach or tears in my eyes. However Nat was struggling to hide her pain after all these years. The anniversary of the blip was quickly approaching, and even though it had been five years there would still be memorials around the world to remember those that we lost. The thing that was bothering Natasha the most was losing her best friend. There had been signs of Clint every now and then that Rhodey had kept her up to date with, and if it weren't for wanting to be here for Harriet I know she would have been traipsing the world at that moment trying to find him. However Rhodey was doing his best to find Barton without her whilst still working with the government as war machine.