Chasing Ghosts | Natasha Romanoff

Chapter 91: A Midnight Surprise Guest

Thank you for being patient! Here is a new chapter for you. Half-proof read, so if there are mistakes, it's on me ;)

July 13, 2024

A lot of time to enjoy her break, Katya didn't get. Because hey, when did she ever get a moment to relax and take a breath?

But, unlike the past hundred times, this interruption wasn't a bad one. It was surprising, sure, but she could never think saving someone from themselves was an unwelcome thing. She would absolutely drop everything and run to them if needed, including a well-deserved vacation.

This "vacation" lasted a total of five days after returning from Clint and Laura's. In this time, Katya had binged two seasons of her new show, and visited work to talk with Brianna about her return. She hated that she had to drop work so quickly after starting it. So, after her summer holiday to Italy, she'd return to the gym with the same hours as before. The prospect made her incredibly happy. Time for some rhythm in their lives.

Right now, almost a week after telling the Bartons her secret, Katya crawled under the covers of her queen-sized bed, reaching for the light switch. Natasha had already settled in, kicking the covers and pulling them up to her waist until she lay comfortably for the night, waiting for Katya to shut off the lights and cuddle up to her.

The weather was still incredibly nice, warm mostly. The brunette had spent the whole day lounging on the porch, reading a book or watching Maya kick her soccer ball around in the yard. And this evening, they'd played some Monopoly until the porch light became a necessity and they decided ten PM was a good time to find their beds.

But as Katya's hand reached for the small light on her nightstand, it froze mid-air, her gut feeling suddenly going off as some sort of internal alarm. Beside her, Natasha immediately perked up, feeling her wife tense. She propped herself up on her elbows, brows meeting in the middle.

''Is something wrong?''

Katya shook her head, glancing at Mimosa who peacefully slept at the foot end. ''I thought I felt something, but maybe not.'' She briefly looked at her wife. ''Did you lock the doors?''

Natasha hummed, still worried. ''All of them.''

''Then it's probably nothing.'' She shrugged, switching the light off and lying down. But her words were braver than the unease swirling in her stomach. Her gut feeling was never wrong, after all.

"Are you sure? I can check again."

A smile crept up on Katya's face, but she turned to her side and scooted backwards until Natasha could spoon her comfortably. "No, it's fine. Thank you, though."

It never took long to fall asleep with Natasha's strong arms safely wrapped around her, no matter how busy her head was. It was no different tonight, the house falling into a peaceful silence. But Katya swore that when her phone went off, it was way too early in the morning.

In all of her sleepiness and grogginess, she first thought it was their alarm, only to realize they didn't set one, and that it was the wrong ringtone. Someone was calling her, but the alarm clock on her nightstand said it had only been one-and-a-half hours since they went to bed. Either one of their friends thought they were night owls, or someone needed her desperately.

She pulled away from Natasha's embrace and reached for the phone with her eyes half open, pressing the green button clumsily. ''Hello?''

It took a moment, as if the person on the other end of the call hesitated. But then, the absolute last person she ever expected to call her, spoke timidly.