Natasha Romanoff One Shots

Whose Birthday?

An: this is not proofread, and I struggled a bit with writers block on this... but please enjoy this request!
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You had sat in your room anxiously waiting. You didn't want to go downstairs because you knew what was probably waiting for you. Every fiber in your body hoped that today would be different, you needed it to be different.

But as you made your way downstairs it was almost as if the pieces of your heart that were held together with tape broke beyond repair.

The compound was decorated to the nines with birthday banners and balloons for Peter. His birthday wasn't for another few days, but while the team saw and placed Peter on a pedestal, they shoved you under the rug.

You loved the team, you grew up with them. But with the addition of Spiderman, you had no place. It was always "Peter this," "Peter did that," "Why can't you be more like Peter?"

And with each new comment and dig came a new crack to your heart. Everyone on the team had someone, but you, well you only had the team and everyday they pushed you further and further away to make room for the new, bright and shiny child Avenger.

You thought and hoped that for one day it would be different. Especially because not only were you celebrating a birthday, but also an anniversary of when you came to the team. More importantly, it was the anniversary of when Nat officially became your mom. When you turned 18, Nat presented you with adoption papers. But she wanted it to be your choice knowing that every choice you had as a child was ripped away, she wanted this important choice to be yours.

Of course it was the easiest choice you could ever made. Not only did Nat become your mom, but every member of the team became your aunt or uncle. They were the ones who helped you harness your power, who helped you to see that it was a gift not a curse. Especially when you accidentally hurt one of them with it during training.

They were slowly convincing you that you were meant to be a hero. And truly with all of them by your side you believed them.

Until Peter.

And it really isn't Peter's fault as he's sometime oblivious to the actions of those around him. So it shouldn't have surprised you when Fury and Maria walked in and he asked them if their presents were for him.

Fury and Maria looked at each other before fully taking in their surroundings to see what you were seeing. It was then they saw you, frozen in place with tears in your eyes at the bottom of the steps. Before they could even move towards you, you had ran back up the stairs.

You didn't cry. Ever. Which means that Nick and Maria knew you'd been holding everything for too long if you had finally broken.

They didn't even notice Carol walk in behind them until they heard her snap at him.

"Why would they be for you? It's not your birthday" Carol snapped and everyone whipped their heads around.

"Yeah we know but we wanted to celebrate early" Tony said trying to snap back at her. But the glare he received shut him up immediately.

"You wanted to celebrate early, yet your completely skipping over a birthday for someone who's been with this team far longer... you shouldn't have forgotten it" she snarled.

Without even thinking Nat responded with "who's birthday?"

All three of them went deadly silent before Fury stormed out of the room to go find you, Maria following close behind you.

Carol stayed behind, surveying the team for a few moments before staring straight at Natasha and said "you of all people should know who's birthday it is."

And with that she walked out of the room in search of you knowing Nick and Maria wouldn't have found you yet.

There were many places to hide in the tower, but there was one very particular spot that you liked to escape to only she knew the location of.

Hidden on one of the middle floors of the tower along the outer edge was a balcony with plants and a hammock. You had told her that this was the one spot you could come where you could see the stars and feel closer to her. Especially since she was gone so often.

The night you told her that was one of the few times you had been 100% vulnerable with her. It was one of the first times something important to you was overlooked for something for peter.

Her heart hurt for you. Knowing that you don't let anyone in, and here you were hurting after letting the team in... after letting Nat in. And truthfully she had never expected to find you in that vulnerable state again.
But here she was standing at the entrance of the balcony listening to the muffled cries coming from you. And her heart shattered.

And soon after so did Maria and Nick's as they followed Carol up here. None of them knew what to do. And both Carol and Maria were surprised when Nick was the one to step forward and approach you with a softness none of them had ever seen. He approached you like you would a skittish deer before sitting down in front of you and pulling you into a hug.

You stayed like that before Nick finally got up and whispered "you are worth so much more then they make you feel." And with that he got up and made his way downstairs to rip the team to shreds.

When Nick got up he was replaced by both Maria and Carol. Both of which tried to comfort you and remind you that you were important, regardless of how the team treated you. You had finally cried yourself to sleep when Natasha had finally found you.

"Oh baby" she murmured to herself. As she went to move closer to you she saw Carol's hand light up with her powers before hearing her say "what do you want Natasha?"

Nat visibly shuddered with how venomously she spoke to her. No one had ever been on this side of Carol before to ever hear her speak like this.

"I just... I" Nat started and both women now looked at her. Never ever having heard the black widow stutter.

You shifted in Maria's hold and everyone held their breath as you settled back into sleep. And when they were sure you were asleep, Nat continued.

"I just never realized how much we pushed her... how much I her aside because I was scared. I've never loved anyone as much as I love her. I always was told love was for children, but that because of our training and our graduation I would never have kids."

Tears brimmed Nat's eyes as she continued. "Then she walked into my life and gave me a chance to be a mother figure to someone who needed a family. But it scared me loving someone this much. And it's not an excuse, I know that. And I know I majorly screwed up.... But I promise I love her more than I could ever fathom and I'm going to make it up to her."

Both Maria and Carol looked at her before looking at each other as if they were having a silent conversation in their mind.

"Nat I don't think you realize how bad this is..." Maria started to say as she looked at you, her own tears starting to form. She didn't realize how long she had zoned out looking at you until Carol took over talking.

"I can up here to find her sobbing. She never, ever puts herself in a situation to be seen this vulnerable... ever. But I found her sobbing. Nat it's going to take a lot to fix this... and you have not only tell her why and how sorry you are, but you have to prove it with your actions."

Nat just sat there taking everything in they were telling her. "I'll prove it, I promise."

"Good" Maria said. "I don't ever want to see her that broken again" she said as she started to get up and Carol got up to help Maria take you to your room. But before Nat could follow she grabbed her arm and said "I don't ever want to come back here and see her in this state again."

She stared her down before releasing her and following after Maria. As the pair walked Maria whispered to her "did you really have to threaten her?"

Carol just looked at her and shrugged before saying "what, she hurt my baby... I don't stand for that."

And with that both women went to leave after placing you on the bed when a muffled and raspy "stay" came from you. Both women couldn't say no to that and slipped right into the bed to hold you as you drifted off back to sleep.