natasha x daughter one shots

chemicals

warnings: panic attack

age: 15

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NATASHA's POV:

Y/N was recently diagnosed with anxiety. We started to notice a lot of symptoms a few months ago so decided to go get it checked out. I'd say around forty percent of the time, she can go about her normal day and not have to worry, but that other sixty percent can be brutal. Panic attacks, shaking, her not being able to get out of bed or go to school.

Her symptoms usually progress over a few hours. She gets more anxiety attacks than panic attacks and it usually starts off with something small like her leg bouncing up and down or playing with the rings on her fingers, which are the two things that I can see her doing right now.

We're currently out with the team, getting lunch at a random restaurant they chose. Y/N's normally pretty chill around them considering she grew up with these people. But there can be times where she gets a little nervous to hang out with them. I think it's more to do with the fact we're at an unfamiliar place rather than being with all of us.

I watch for a full ten minutes, the pace of her leg shaking only increasing. I don't want to step in until she asks for help in case I make her uncomfortable, but I'm hoping that she'll ask soon since she seems very distressed.

I continue my chatting with the others, glancing occasionally at my daughter to see how she's doing, and I notice her starting to zone out. That's never a good sign, it means her body's not coping with the feeling and is trying to block it out.

I decide that it's time to intervene before it develops into a panic attack so I politely excuse myself from my conversation with Wanda, not that I was really listening anyway, and make my way over to Y/N. If she had been sitting next to me, I would've put a hand on her leg or given her a hug right then and there, but she insisted on sitting at the other end of the table where Tony and Steve were, knowing that they'd leave her alone unlike Wanda, who would've dragged her into conversation.

"Y/N?" I speak quietly as not to startle her.
She looks up at me with pleading eyes. It's the ones that say 'help me'. I know that look all too well from her. She always gives me that look when she wants me to take her away from a situation she doesn't feel comfortable in.

"Come on, honey. It's okay if you need to get away, I'll protect you," I tell her and hold out my hand for her to take.

She accepts it without hesitation and before I know it, I'm being dragged out the door with her and to the car. I get in the drivers seat, shutting the door behind me and she does the same on the passenger side.

I notice her breaths becoming shakier by the second and she starts to shudder profusely.

"Baby, what is it you need right now?" I ask gently. I find it good to always get her insight on what she thinks will help her because I don't want to do something completely unnecessary and have it not be of any benefit.

"H-hold me," she chokes out. To those words, I waste no time in pulling her onto my lap and placing her head on my chest. It's something that's always calmed her down, even when she would throw tantrums as a toddler.

I feel her burst into tears as I hold her against me and her body trembling in my arms. I think for a few seconds of the best way to calm her before it escalates into an uncontrollable attack and I settle on just rubbing slow circles on her back and taking deeper breaths myself, hoping that maybe she'd subconsciously start following.

I start my plan and at first she sobs even harder but eventually her cries begin to subside and the shaking isn't as intense as it was before.

"There you go, my love. You're safe, I promise. I've got you and I'm not letting go until you're ready," I whisper. I don't want to ruin the calm.

Around another fifteen minutes go by and I decide that I'm happy with the level her breathing is at. It's become a lot more regular and steady and her wails have quieted down. I'm still waiting on her to tell me when she's ready for me to let go instead of making that choice myself, I'm here to comfort her as long as she needs.

Slowly but surely, she lifts her head up to look at me and I'm met with the most exhausted eyes. It breaks my heart to see her like this, she doesn't deserve it.

"I'm sorry," she says, her voice traced with guilt.

"Uh-uh, nope, absolutely not. You will not apologize for your emotions ever. Your feelings are yours and you never have to be sorry for them." I try not to sound too harsh but I need her to understand fully.

She lets out a small nod and I ask her how she's feeling now that we've had a cuddle.

"Better. I don't know what happened in there, I should've been fine. I've known them my whole life."

"Well it's not your fault. You just got a little overwhelmed, that's all. Do you feel okay to go back in or do you wanna wait a little while?"

"I'm okay to go back in. Can I sit next to you, though?"

"Of course you can, lovely. Come on."

And with that, she takes my hand as we get out the car and go back to the team. I can tell Y/N feels a lot safer now that she's sat next to me. I keep her hand in mine and rub my thumb soothingly over her knuckles.