I'll Be Back For You [NatXReader]

Chapter 9: Post Snap Life Continues

POV: Y/N

Year 1: 2019

It's been nearly a year since the snap, and yet life continues. The days go on, the missing are still being counted, which given that half the world's population was now gone; the number was hefty. If my math was correct, the world was now missing three billion, seven hundred ninety-five million people. Tony had been found floating in space with Nebula - Thanos's daughter, by a new friend, Captain Carol Danvers. She had responded to Nick Fury's page, but had been too late.

We had tracked Thanos out to a small abandoned planet that he had nicknamed "The Garden." His retirement plan, which sent me reeling. Thor, in a fit of anger at the stones being destroyed and the loss of everything and everyone, cut the titan's head off. We made our way back to Earth, most of those left behind scattering to their various homes. Nat and I stayed at the Compound, Nat running the remaining Avengers and assisting the various governments that turned to us for help. Yelena and Lila kept us on our toes with their various pranks and things. Steve stopped by routinely, checking on the four of us, bringing us stories of his work with the Snap survivors.

With three of the four of us in the Compound often slipping into Russian, it was decided that Lila would learn Russian just to be able to keep up and communicate.

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POV: Y/N

Year 2: 2020

Another year passed and it seemed like everyone had lost hope of bringing our lost friends back. Tony and Pepper welcomed a little girl, Morgan, a little over a year ago. She's brilliant. Tony asked Nat and I if we would be her godparents, an honor we agreed to. The Starks had moved to the Stark Eco-Compound, a cabin type house on a lake-side. It was beautiful up there. I asked Tony if he would be ok hosting Nat and I's vow renewal ceremony. While I had told Nat about our wedding, she wanted one that we would both be able to remember. He happily agreed, going as far as to help pay for it all.

Bruce had led the ceremony, with Tony, Carol, and Steve standing by my side. Nat had Pepper, Lila, and Yelena by her side, with the remaining Avengers and friends as witnesses. The ceremony was simple, and we had written our vows separately. I let Nat go first.

"Y/N, I didn't need someone to complete me, I needed someone to accept me completely and you are that someone. You make me unbelievably proud and I promise that I will make you proud. I vow to listen to you and learn from you. I vow to laugh with you and cry with you. I vow to value our differences just as much as our common ground. On good days or bad days, rain or shine, I'll love you forever and I'm so lucky you're mine."

I wiped my tears away, a bright smile on my face. Bruce nodded to me to start my vows.

"Natasha, with my whole heart, I take you as my partner, acknowledging your strengths and accepting your faults, as you do mine. I will be yours in the good times and the bad, in sickness and in health, in joy and in sorrow, in failure and in triumph. I promise to be faithful and supportive and to make our love and happiness a priority. You are my person, my love and my life, today and always."

Her smile was blinding, and I gently brushed her tears away. The ceremony concluded, we shared a kiss, and the small crowd cheered. Pepper, with the help of May Parker, had set up a small reception for all of us. We danced and had food. There was even a cake.