Something From Nothing

Chapter 21 - "They Were On A Break!"

[A/N: sorry it's just a short one, I haven't been feeling too creative the last few days, hopefully that will stop soon. Also it is now 6:30am and I haven't slept at all. So i'm going to bed now, but will probably have another chapter up soon. :) ]

When they arrived home after taking down the last Red Room facility, they ordered pizza, settled on the couch and began watching Friends. It was one of the many shows they enjoyed watching together.

Tonight though, there was definitely an elephant in the room. The conversation they needed but didn't want to have. And no, not the conversation about the fact that they were both head over heals in love with the other. They were both still far too oblivious to have that conversation, both being sure that the other didn't feel the same and thus that bringing up their feelings would ruin their friendship. No not that conversation.

Still, there was an unasked question hung over both of their heads.

'What now?'

They have achieved their goal. But neither of them had actually considered what that meant until now. As they were sitting, watching as Ross kept insisting that he and Rachel were on a break, Suddenly it sank in.

Now that the Red Room is destroyed, what happens? What happens to their friendship? Will Nat leave?

[Peter's POV]

I can't take it anymore. It has been hours since we returned from our final mission to dismantle the Red Room. We have been sitting here for hours, both tense and thoughtful.

Abruptly I sit up, grab the tv remote from the table and hit pause. Not like either of us are really watching it at this point anyway.

"We both know we need to talk, and right now we are just ignoring the elephant in the room. So...lets talk." I finish eloquently. 'Well done Peter.' I think to myself with an internal eye roll.

Nat smirks a little at me like she heard my sarcastic ass thought. Hell, she probably did. Her smirk is gone just as quickly as it appears though and we are both just left, sitting apart on the sofa, and wondering what to say.

"I don't..." "I was thinking..." Nat and I begin at the same time. We both chuckle a little, and I wave my hand in an 'after you' gesture that has her rolling her eyes but continuing non the less.

"I was thinking...now that we have finished taking down the Red Room...". She seems to trail off, as if she can't find the words. I decide to ease some of the tension.

"Natasha Romanoff, are you stalling?" I ask with a small smirk.

"Whatever gave you that idea?" She asks, sarcasm dripping from her tone.

I just smirk, but I decide I hate seeing her so worried about what to say. It reminds me of when i first met her. How unsure she was. I hate seeing her unsure if herself. So I decide to take the plunge.

"I don't want you to go". I say quickly but with a certain strength in my words that I know she didn't miss. "I know that we decided when you came to live here it would be like a temporary thing, until we took out those Red Room bastards, and...if thats what you want. I won't try to stop you. I respect you too much for that. But that doesn't mean I want you to leave. So if you want to stay...I...you can. I meant it when I told you this place was as much yours as mine. You can stay, or even just come and go as you please."

I take a breath before I continue, "This my be my house Nat. But its our home...you make it home." I say the last part quietly, but loud enough that I know she heard it.

"I..." Nat begins after a few minutes of deafening silence, "I don't want to leave...this place...with you...this is the only real home I've ever had. I don't want to lose that." She says sounding on the verge of sobbing.