Breaking Free | Natasha x OC

Chapter Fourty-Four

"A mothers arms are made of tenderness and children sleep soundly in them."
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"So?"

Natara looked up absently from where she'd been slicing the vegetables. "Hmm?" Alessia looked down at the tortured food with concern, cut with alarming precision.

"You've been near silent for the past hour. Was the call that bad?" The Itlaian took the board of veg from Natara, and added it to the right pot.

"No..." Natara sounded far away. She looked it, too. "There's music. I didn't need to talk."
The dark haired woman shot the redhead a look. There was music, from Alessia's playlist. The Italian words flowed out beautifully, the whole mood of the kitchen and song feeling like something classy and angelic. But it was a bad excuse.

"What did she say?" Alessia asked.

"Not much," Tara sighed, rinsing off her hands and starting on the dishes. She could cook, yes, but nothing like Alessia. So she left that up to the Italian.
"We don't have much to talk about nowadays."
The redhead glanced at the other woman for a moment, seeing her nod and swallow.
"She, um... she wants to meet you."

It seemed that Natara's nerves really were frayed, because her put on confidence was blatantly transparent, and Alessia could see through the facade without trying. "Natasha wants to meet you," Tara said again, this time making sure her infliction was more clear.

Alessia nodded, continuing with the food. "Okay. When?"
This made Natara blink, turning the water off and facing the kitchen island.

"Okay?" She asked. "You're okay with that?"

Alessia only shrugged. Her long and dark hair was put into a low bun, a stray curl continuously falling into her face. Much to the woman's annoyance.
"It makes sense. If I were her, I'd probably do the same thing."
Natara was speechless by the woman's calmness.
Alessia had a smile twitching on her lips then. "Unless you think there's something I should be scared about?"

"No," Tara shook off, turning back to the sink. "No, not really... I mean, maybe? Actually-" She turned back around to face Alessia once more. "Maybe," She decided. "I just, she's wonderful... incredible, truly. Natasha's amazing..." Natara sighed, frustrated by her inability to be articulate.

"But you don't know if she's going to be like that to me?" Alessia finished for her, fiddling with the switches for the stove, before turning to look at the Avenger. She took a breath. "Look, I've dealt with hard and mean conversations before. I'm sure this one won't be too bad. I mean, if you married this woman, she's got to be pretty cool."

The redhead was biting her lips in thought. It was always something Tara did when severaly stressed, anxious, and just not doing well. She'd bite, pull, and pick at her lips. They always ended up a state. "I just don't want either of you getting hurt," Natara responded quietly. "Especially by each other."

Alessia's brown eyes took her in softly. Nothing but understanding and that constant gentle kindness lay there. "Then I won't let it get to that. I don't want either of us hurting you. I'll be on my best behaviour."

Natara gave her a smile before getting back to the dishes. She didn't voice her thoughts. That it wasn't Alessia being nice that she was worried about...

Once the dishes were done, Natara dried her hands and made sure everything was clean. "You okay here? Mind if I start getting ready?"