Emerald Eyes | Natasha Romanoff

Chapter 67: Only One Wish

I'm so sorry for how horrendous my update schedule has been lately. I've had so much work plus a new job and it's been a bit mad. But bear with me, I'll get my schedule sorted soon. Thank you for being so patient with me

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Yelena stuck the final sticker on her page and closed the book with a thud. The movement made her glue stick roll onto the floor but she paid it no mind as she dashed over to Natasha's door and pounded on it with her fist. There was no need to knock so hard beside pure irritation, and Yelena took great pride in that.

The rainy afternoon had been filled with arts-and-craft as Yelena tried to cure her boredom and avoid her homework for as long as possible. Why do maths when you can cut and stick for hours on end? Especially when it involved a scrap book.

Natasha hauled herself to her feet from her new beanbag that Alexei had picked up the other week. She could hear the beans shifting as she moved and she knew she'd never find that exact comfy position again. But Yelena's repetitive banging was sacrifice enough if it meant she'd stop.

Her well known goofy smile met the redhead as she opened the door and Yelena simply shoved the thick book into her sister's hands and patted her shoulder.

"Pleasure doing business with ya," she said in her worst southern accent. Natasha pulled a face at her weird voice.

"Wait, don't go yet. I need to review your work." Natasha carefully opened the cover and she couldn't stop the smile spreading across her face as she carefully flicked through. Her fingers brushed against the taped pictures and stickers that were scattered across the pages between little written messages.

"There's a blank page at the back if you wanted to add anything," Yelena pointed to it as Natasha got there.

"Yel..."

"Please don't be mushy," the twelve year old grimaced, her cheeks already flushing pink. She hated compliments and sentimentality and the tone of Natasha's voice was far too soppy for her. "Can I have my payment and I'll be gone?"

Natasha wanted to say more about the book in her hands but Yelena was curling her palm up impatiently so Natasha dug into her pocket and pulled out a ten dollar bill, much to the young girls delight. She waved it in the air like a trophy and skipped down the hall, mind running wild at all the snacks she and Kate could buy after school.

Natasha could already predict the scowl on Avelia's face that would appear when her final birthday present would be handed to her the following morning. But in the Russian's defence, she'd been planning this for months, far before the Columbus trip even entered her mind.

She resumed her comfy spot on her beanbag with a soft smile. Wednesday really couldn't come fast enough.

Nextdoor, Vision looked across the dining table at his family as he stirred his mug of tea.

"Eighteen tomorrow," he directed at Avelia who was frowning. "How does it feel?"

"I feel old," she muttered, putting her highlighter down and pushing her English textbook into the middle of the table. "I don't think I'm ready to be an adult yet." Raven eagerly picked up the blue highlighter she'd been waiting to use.

"You are old," Tommy piped up. Avelia shot him a glare and he pulled a face, looking over at his brother who was indeed avoiding all eye contact.

"That's so reassuring," Avelia said sarcastically and Wanda couldn't help but laugh as she walked in, a basket of folded laundry tucked under her arm.

"You don't look a day over eighteen," Raven joked, receiving a prod in the bicep from Lia's rather sharp pencil. Their relationship had quickly blurred the lines of friends to sisters as Raven became more settled within the dysfunctional family with each passing day.