Number Neighbors- Natasha Romanoff x Reader

Chapter 26

You've fully convinced yourself you're in the 'acceptance' stage of whatever you're going through. You've reduced the amount of times you text Nat from a few times a day to a few times a week, you let your friend drag you out some nights when the silence becomes a little too much.

It reminds you of the nights you used to spend alone on your couch before you met Nat and you refuse to let yourself fall back into bad habits just because some girl won't text you back. (Nat wasn't just some girl but you couldn't dwell on it for too long without an ache forming in your chest) Some moments though, you still find yourself sitting and staring at your phone as you contemplate all the reasons why Nat would have ghosted you.

Your mother suggests visiting home for a while and you're still considering that as an option- it would be nice to be in the comfort of your childhood home and have home-cooked meals every night but you didn't know if you had enough vacation time saved up and you're grateful for the distraction that your work provides you.

You're doing various activities to distract yourself, and one of your new favorite hobbies is going to the market on the weekends, it's full of people and energy and you always end up leaving with something delicious or homemade. And you definitely weren't analyzing every single person there to see if they fit Nat's description.

Sometimes you still find yourself leaving useless voicemails that are probably going unheard and piling up in Nat's voicemail box but it eases the ache if you pretend you're on a call with her.

Some mornings while making breakfast you just ramble about your week, you tell her about the new hire that you have to train, the kitten named Pancake at the cat cafe you've been visiting when you get lonely, the kind old lady at the marketplace who gives you extra honey sticks.

At night when the silence gets too loud you leave her softer voicemails, you tell her how you miss her dry humor, how you buy your favorite flower every week because it reminds you of when she bought you that bouquet.

You're crying a lot less now but even you can taste the longing dripping from your tongue, the questions that linger in every pause. Every so often after a glass of wine you'll voice them and you don't know if it's anger or heartbreak in your voice-though you know it's probably both.

You tell yourself you're being irrational and that you're acting a little too obsessed but then you remember all the times Nat was there when you were at your lowest, and celebrating with you during your best and you conclude that it's justified. The matter is only made worse when your best friend gets a boyfriend who is the definition of perfect.

You're happy for her but watching them be so in love only digs the knife deeper into your gut, which is why you deny her offers to join them when you hang out, and when she offers to set you up on blind dates. You're too in your head to start something with anyone new and you would hate to string them along when you're still stuck up on Nat.

You change the subject when your friend questions just how close you were with Nat to be having such an intense reaction. You'd rather not think about the implications behind your heartache- it was dangerous territory.

~~

The marketplace is as busy as ever when you find yourself there on Saturday. You smile at the numerous families and cute dogs, some of whom you recognize as regulars, and stop to pet. If there was anything good that came out of your situation it was finding such a vibrant lively place to spend your weekends. You'd tried to drag your friend with you but she was going to meet her boyfriend's parents this weekend out of town and couldn't make it.

The weather is the perfect temperature for the first time in a while and you take note of the amount of people wearing sunhats and the couples hiding in the shade of the trees. You're mostly browsing through the stalls, a few of the same ones are still here from past weeks but some new ones immediately draw your attention.

You let yourself wander until you find yourself at a familiar stall, a smile gracing your face when you recognize the stall owner.

"Y/n! How are you, sweetheart?" The little old lady is quickly becoming one of your favorite people to grace the earth with their presence- and it's not just because she gives you extra honey sticks and bakes the best croissants you've ever had. Gladys is the kind of person who remembers every face she meets and genuinely cares about your well-being. She's been one of the only other people taking care of you through your struggle and she's never once judged you for how you feel.

"I'm doing better today Gladys, thank you. Much better now that I'm within reach of your croissants" The two of you laugh and she begins packing up your usual order, she throws in a pastry with berries and you give her an exasperated look "Gladys" You warn, but she just grins at you.

"What? They are made fresh using the fruit from that stall right there" She points behind you and you turn to see an old man waving in your direction. You smile and wave back before turning to Gladys again. She speaks before you're able to refuse the pastry "You remind me of my grandbabies, let me spoil you, please. All of them have moved away and there's no one to try my new recipes"

Unable to refuse after her explanation, you accept the free pastry and try to ignore it when she slips the extra honey sticks in your bag. After a few minutes of catching up you're preparing to leave when Gladys pulls you in to whisper in your ear, a look of concern in her eyes.

"You ought to be careful honey, I think you've got a bit of a shadow" Your heart leaps as you look behind you and part of you is hopeful that you'll see Nat behind you (not that you know what she looks like but you get the feeling you'll just know when you see her). Instead, you find a man in a baseball cap and a mask over at the fruit stand. He's wearing a green jacket and jeans and to most probably wouldn't stand out in the busy market but you recognize the jacket from previous weekends when you were searching for Nat.

You turn to Gladys, fear edging its way into your voice "Has he been following me?" She gives you a solemn nod, telling you that he only arrived on the days you did and always keeps a close distance. You're trying to convince yourself that maybe he just has the same schedule as you or likes the same stalls but Gladys is clearly concerned about him and anyone Gladys didn't trust you wouldn't trust either.

At that exact moment, the man turns around to look at you and icy blue eyes meet yours. For a second you're worried it's the man from the mugging coming back to exact revenge but you remember Nat telling you something about him being dealt with by authorities.

You don't know what you could have done to garner anyone's attention but whether he was a shy admirer or a full-blown stalker you weren't willing to ask and find out. You say a quick goodbye to Gladys and quickly make your way through the market, occasionally glancing back to see the man still at the fruit stall browsing items.

Sighing with relief, you consider the fact that maybe Gladys was wrong and you were just paranoid after what you'd experienced. After all, no one had any reason to be following you so adamantly, right?

A/n: I think Y/n is more in the 'denial' stage honestly (I know it's hard to wait but I don't want to rush the ending and have the story feel lackluster bc of it)~ Starry